The Big Picture

Why haven’t there been mass protests against Trump like there were in 2017? Part of the reason is the climate of fear and uncertainty that now proliferates throughout many communities, from student activists on IV league campuses to undocumented migrants. The arrests of pro-Palestine students Mahmoud Khalil, Mohsen Mahdawi and Rumeysa Ozturk among others, and the deportation of hundreds of immigrants to El Salvador, some of whom legal US residents, has left many in shock about the direction of the government and what it intends to do next. So how do activists and organisers continue to speak up without fearing for their own careers, their families and their freedom? This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Palestinian-American political activist and civil rights advocate Linda Sarsour. Sarsour was the co-chair of the 2017 women’s march, which brought millions to the streets in a defiant protest of Donald Trump’s first term in office - at the time it was the largest single day protest in US history. In 2020 she published her memoir We’re Not Here To Be Bystanders. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee. You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

The catholic world is grieving the loss of Pope Francis, but so is much of the Muslim one. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Pope Francis spent much of his life reaching out across religious lines, forming monumental friendships with Muslims, from refugee families to Islamic scholars to Palestinians. In his final Easter Sunday sermon just hours before his death, he called on the world to protect the sanctity of life in Gaza, and work towards a lasting ceasefire that saved Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages. His voice echoed across all corners of the world, and in his death, his messages were reflected. The grand imam of Al Azhar Ahmad al Tayeb, described Pope Francis as a “true friend to Muslims, sincere in his pursuit of peace”. So how did he leave such a mark on such a divided world? This week on the Big Picture Podcast we speak with Georgetown University scholar, theologian and author Dr Jordan Denari Duffner. Dr Jordan is the author of ‘Finding Jesus Among Muslims’ and the upcoming book ‘Pope Francis and Islam’. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee. You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak to Momodou Taal, a Cornell Unveristy scholar forced to flee from US immigration officers. The crackdown by the Trump administration on pro-Palestine activists has continued to intensify despite legal challenges. Undercover agents belonging to the department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE for short, have been filmed arresting university students on campuses, in their homes and even in the middle of the street. Some of those targeted as part of this nationwide sweep have attempted to appeal to the justice system - in Cornell university a group of academics and students launched a legal case against the Trump Administration. At its centre is the case of Mamodou Taal, a British-Gambian PHD student whose home was then raided by ICE agents in an attempt to arrest him. After failing to get a judge to hear their case, Taal decided instead to leave the United States before he faces the same fate as Mahmoud Khalil and Rumeysa Ozturk. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee. You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

A trauma surgeon stationed at one of Gaza’s largest hospitals says the carnage this week is beyond anything he has seen in Ukraine or anywhere. More than 500 have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since Tuesday, when Israel’s government broke a two-month ceasefire with Hamas and has escalated attacks since. Hospitals continue to be overwhelmed with more than 900 injuries and facing ongoing shortages since food and fuel were cut off by Israel’s government in early March. UNICEF says Tuesday was the single deadliest day for children in Gaza since the war began. On this episode of The Big Picture Podcast, we speak with Dr Feroze Sadhwa, a volunteer trauma surgeon at Nasser Hospital, and an eyewitness to what he describes as ‘carnage’ in Gaza. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee. You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG

At least 400 people have been killed after a surprise Israeli attack on Gaza in the early hours of Tuesday.  Israel’s government vows to continue escalating these military attacks, saying it’s in response to Hamas’ refusal to extend the ceasefire, which has been in place since January. But is this the real reason for this morning’s attack? Or is there a much more cynical explanation - one tied to the political fate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we speak to Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project and a former Israeli peace negotiator. We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode, and any guests you'd like us to have on our show. Reach us by email at mh@middleeasteye.org or find us on instagram @BigPictureMee. You can also watch all our episodes on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMyaP73Ho1ySj3cO0OSOHZAOgD1WTDixG