Palestine Remembered

Yousef shares a collection of stories, poetry and music of resistance, including the story of Palestinian prisoner Abdul Karim and poems by Najib Al-Rayyes, Mahmoud Darwish and Tawfiq Ziad, many of which are connected to the television drama show, With My Own Eyes. Abdul Karim is a Palestinian who was imprisoned for 25 years by the Israeli Occupation Forces and engaged in biopolitical resistance during his imprisonment. He was recently released and able to rejoin his family. Najib Al-Rayyes was a Syrian lawyer who peacefully resisted the French colonisation of Syria and was imprisoned for it. There, he wrote the poem, The Darkness of Prison, which later became a freedom chant across Arab countries resisting colonialism in the first half of the 20th century. After the Nakba, it became the anthem of the Palestinian prisoner movement and was later turned into a song, which was remade for With My Own Eyes. Yousef also presents the poems Earth Poem by Mahmoud Darwish and Here We Shall Stay by Tawfiq Ziad, as well as music from Palestinian band Al-Shiqin, and Tarab Ensemble, in collaboration with the Victorian Trade Union Choir.Thank you again to everyone who donated during Radiothon 2026! Image: Mahmoud Darwish, Palestinian National Poet (2023) by Amitabh Mitra/Shubhoshreemitra, CC BY-SA 4.0

In this first of a three-part series, Yousef takes us through the history of Palestinian efforts for independence, beginning in the 18th century with Zahir al-‘Umar al-Zaydani under the Ottoman Empire, and moving through to the 1920s and the era of British Mandate Palestine.Yousef also shares his experience translating the writings of Michel Sabbah, the first Palestinian Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who addressed refugees in Paris and beyond, and reflects on the emergence of the Zionist project led by Theodor Herzl.Part two will continue exploring the complexities of Palestinian statehood. For info on Yousef's lecture series on Palestinian history and politics, head to facebook.com/averroesarabcentre.Join the Free Palestine rally every Sunday at the State Library Victoria, from 12 PM.For info on upcoming events and actions, follow APAN and Free Palestine Melbourne.Catch daily broadcast updates via Let's Talk Palestine. Image: Palestine stamp (2015) by Monocletophat123, CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Nasser provides commentary on Day 680 of the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, discussing how to continue supporting and showing solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Occupied Lands and across the diaspora.Nasser then speaks about the withdrawal of several authors from the Bendigo Writers Festival in protest of its repressive Code of Conduct, the deliberate targeting and killing of Anas Al Sharif, Gaza’s most prominent journalist, along with four of his Al Jazeera colleagues by the Israeli Occupation Forces, and the ongoing lies of Israel that remain unchallenged by mainstream media. Nationwide march for Palestine, Sunday 24 August, more info.Join the Free Palestine rally every Sunday at the State Library Victoria, from 12 PM.For info on upcoming events and actions, follow APAN and Free Palestine Melbourne.Catch daily broadcast updates via Let's Talk Palestine. Image: @freepalestinecoalition.naarm

Yousef speaks about Palestinian cultural icon Rohi al-Khammash, a celebrated figure in Palestinian and Iraqi music, whose work has shaped generations of musicians and listeners.Yousef also discusses the evolution of travel documents for Palestinians, from the era of British colonisation to the present day, and describes the impacts these documents have had on Palestinian identity, statelessness, and freedom of movement.To close, Yousef reads On This Land, a poem by the renowned Palestinian poet and author Mahmoud Darwish. To hear Tarab Ensemble's music and info on upcoming performances, head to @tarab_ensemble.Join the Free Palestine rally every Sunday at the State Library Victoria, from 12 PM.For info on upcoming events and actions, follow APAN and Free Palestine Melbourne.Catch daily broadcast updates via Let's Talk Palestine. Image: Tarab Ensemble performing a musical work by Rohi al-Khammash. Image used with permission and owned by Tarab Ensemble.

Yousef discusses the symbolism, history, and significance of the Palestinian flag, from when it was adopted in 1916 during the Arab Revolt to when it was made the official flag of the proclaimed State of Palestine in exile in 1988.He then explores the significance of the key as a symbol of the right of return for Palestinians, and shares his own mother’s family’s story of statelessness and their right of return. For info on Tarab Ensemble upcoming events, head to @tarab_ensemble.Join the Free Palestine rally every Sunday at the State Library Victoria, from 12 PM.For info on upcoming events and actions, follow APAN and Free Palestine Melbourne.Catch daily broadcast updates via Let's Talk Palestine. Image: 'Palestine Nakba Day demo in Berlin', Montecruz Foto (2015), CC BY-SA 2.0.

In our Radiothon special, Nasser provides updates on current headlines, including the Madleen Freedom Flotilla, Israel’s attack on Iran, and the ongoing internet blackout in Gaza.Nasser also urges listeners to stay informed, speak out, and support independent media like 3CR - a station that has been platforming Palestinian voices and issues since the 1970s. To donate, head to 3cr.org.au/donate.Join the Free Palestine rally every Sunday at the State Library Victoria, from 12 PM.For info on upcoming events and actions, follow APAN and Free Palestine Melbourne.Catch daily broadcast updates via Let's Talk Palestine. Image: Artwork by Sofia Sabbagh