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Retired Green Beret, Mark Grdovic shares the largely untold story of what came to be known as "Operation Viking Hammer", a 2003 U.S. Army Special Forces mission in northern Iraq that targeted the terrorist group Ansar al-Islam prior to the main invasion. Working alongside Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, 10th Special Forces Group conducted a coordinated assault on entrenched enemy positions in mountainous terrain near Halabja, following Tomahawk strikes. The operation dismantled Ansar al-Islam's stronghold and secured the Kurdish region, enabling follow-on coalition operations deeper into Iraq. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
For 14 years, while Syria was divided by civil war, Kurds in the north-east of the country tried to build a new democratic society, with equality for men and women – an inspiration for feminists around the world. But now, the Kurdish autonomous area, Rojava, is coming back under the control of a central government that's now run by former Islamists. Reporter Tim Whewell asks whether Rojava's rare social experiment - including all-women fighting units – will survive? He interviews Kurdish women, including the young co-mayor of one of the area's main cities, who's determined to continue her work, and learns about the origins of Rojava's unusual system. He also talks to a woman who says she and her family witnessed the killing in January this year of unarmed Kurdish men, by fighters supporting the central government. As such allegations multiply, many Kurds are nervous about their future in a united Syria.This episode of The Documentary comes to you from Assignment, investigations and journeys into the heart of global events.
Nilo Tabrizy discusses her book on Iran's 2022 uprising, detailing Jina Amini's death, the "Woman Life Freedom"slogan's Kurdish origins, and her journalist co-author. 1
Tabrizy describes the IRGC's pervasive control, the state's targeted repression of Kurdish minorities, and how Gen Z's lack of future prospects fuels their ongoing defiance.1898
Geopolitical analyst Kamran Bokhari joins Jacob to break down the US/Israeli joint strike on Iran. Is this regime change, or coercion? Bokhari argues the limited force deployment points to a "Venezuela model" - targeting IRGC hardliners while preserving moderate military figures to negotiate a nuclear deal. But... Has the moment for regime collapse has already passed? The two also explore the regional fallout: Kurdish mobilization, Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions, and the risk of Iranian state collapse cascading across Eurasia.--Timestamps:(00:43) - Iran Response And Targets(01:08) - Decapitation And Cyber Angle(01:51) - US Firepower And Scale(04:38) - Is This Regime Change(07:06) - Why Not Full Invasion(11:08) - Endgame And Negotiations(12:36) - Backchannels And Limits(16:05) - Advice To Trump(19:45) - Regional Spillover Risks(25:23) - What Happens Next(30:06) - Wrap Up And Thanks--Referenced in the Show:--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Shapiro LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416Jacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapJacob Shapiro Substack: jashap.substack.com/subscribe --The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com--Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.--
It's Friday, February 27th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Islamic State's ‘new phase' in Syria as U.S. military withdraws Within the last week, the Islamic State terror group has launched an unusual series of attacks in Syria, part of what it calls a “new phase of operations” against the 11-month-old Syrian government, reports International Christian Concern. Simultaneously, the United States is actively withdrawing from bases in the area. Fighting between Syrian government forces and U.S.-allied Kurdish forces has weakened the resistance faced by the Islamic State. The terrorist group has been relatively inactive in and around Syria since its territorial defeat in 2019, instead shifting its focus to Africa. Syrian President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa was previously a member of the Islamic State and is an avowed jihadist. While he's made bold public statements about his interest in peace and tolerance, forces associated with his government have repeatedly committed or allowed mass tragedies to take place. CNN: No clear Democratic presidential frontrunner CNN data analyst Harry Enten revealed that two years away from the 2028 Democratic presidential primary season, the party's prospects look dim, reports The Western Journal. Listen. ENTEN: “This is just a downright clown car at this point on the Democratic side. I mean, just take a look here: Top choices for the 2028 Dem. pres. nominee. You have a leader, but it's not really a clear leader. It's within the margin of error. You have [Gavin] Newsom at 19%, then you have former Vice President Kamala Harris at 18% -- quite a weak number for her, given that, of course, she was the nominee the last time around. Pete Buttigieg, who, of course, has run before: 13%. [Rep.] Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [of New York] at 12%. “This is just a total clown car. It is a total mess. There is no clear front runner at this particular point on the Democratic side. This is very unusual for the Democratic side to not have a clear front runner. “At this point in 2020, when there was no incumbent, it was Joe Biden who was there, Hillary Clinton in both ‘08 and ‘16 and Al Gore in both 2000 and 2004 at this point were at least at 25%.” Picture leaked of Hillary Clinton in Epstein file inquiry Chaos erupted inside Hillary Clinton's Jeffrey Epstein deposition on Thursday after a Republican lawmaker took a photograph of her during the private session, reports the Daily Mail. Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert of Colorado snapped a picture of Hillary at the deposition, then leaked it to conservative influencer Benny Johnson who offered his thoughts. JOHNSON: “Lauren Bobert sent me this photo and told me I could publish it just to show everyone that Hillary Clinton is testifying. It's not a big deal. This is what Hillary Clinton looks like. But her entire team lost their minds over this and started screeching about this. There's nothing wrong with posting this photo. The Clintons themselves are the ones who demanded that there be media inside of the room. They wanted this all be live streamed on TV. So, what's wrong with this? They're just looking for an excuse to get out of this testimony. That's what's actually going on.” Hillary's lawyers asked that the proceedings be halted after the photograph began circulating on social media. Johnson spoke to Hillary's motive and claimed she had already lied in a press statement she released ahead of her testimony. JOHNSON: “She's already lied, by the way. She said that she didn't know Jeffrey Epstein, but that's not true. Not only did her husband, of course, have Jeffrey Epstein at the White House a million times, fly on his plane a million times, but Jeffrey Epstein's own emails show that he knew her multiple times. “In Jeffrey Epstein's emails, he talks about what Hillary Clinton looks like up close. He talks about meetings with Hillary Clinton. All these people are emailing Jeffrey Epstein saying, ‘Hey, man, we know that you know Hillary Clinton. Can you get me a meeting with her?' So, this seems like an obvious lie. And this is what they're trying to distract from because I posted a photo?” The former secretary of state was deposed at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center near the Clintons' home in Westchester County, New York, while Bill Clinton will testify today. Indiana: Christian adoptive families & agencies can affirm Biblical ethic On Wednesday, Indiana Republican Governor Mike Braun signed HB 1389, a bill that ensures families and Christian adoption and foster care groups that want to provide loving homes for kids are not pushed out because of their religious or moral beliefs, reports Alliance Defending Freedom. Greg Chafuen, Senior Counsel for the Christian legal rights group, said, “Every child deserves a loving home that can provide them stability and opportunities to grow. The sad reality is that the government in some states has discriminated against people of faith, allowing vulnerable children to suffer. Thankfully, Indiana has taken critical steps to prioritize the well-being of kids.” The anti-God forces reject the truth of Genesis 2:24 which says, “A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” How the late Jesse Jackson flip-flopped on abortion And finally, Rev. Jesse Jackson, who met his Creator on February 17th at the age of 84, was a civil rights activist and two-time presidential candidate in 1984 and 1988. Before he sold out to the abortion lobby in his aspiration to be Commander-in-Chief, LifeNews columnist Raimundo Rojas explained that Jackson “spoke with rare moral clarity about the child in the womb.” In a March 22,1973 interview, just two months after Roe v. Wade, Jackson told Jet magazine, “Abortion is genocide. Anything growing is living. … If you got the thrill to set the baby in motion, and you don't have the will to protect it, you're dishonest.” That same year Jackson said, "Abortion is too nice a word for something cold, like murder," according to the New York Times. In a column he wrote for National Right to Life News in January 1977, Jackson compared abortion to the old defenses of slavery. He warned that “the name has changed, but the game remains the same” when society strips the baby of protection. He spoke of new life with reverence, insisting, “It takes three to make a baby: a man, a woman, and the Holy Spirit.” Then ambition met party power. As Jesse Jackson moved toward a presidential run inside a Democratic Party that increasingly demanded loyalty to abortion, his public stance began to soften. By 1984, he described himself as “for freedom of choice, not pro-abortion,” and said that while he held a pro-life view, he did not want to “force” it on others through law. By 1988, he argued that “it is not right to impose private, religious and moral positions on public policy,” according to the Washington Post. Raimundo Rojas of LifeNews concluded, “The man who once called abortion genocide now treated his convictions as a private matter. Nothing in science or reason justified that turn. What changed was the political cost of speaking on behalf of the child. “His life holds a lesson for every believer and every political leader. You cannot keep your deepest convictions in one box and your public positions in another. Do not trade moral clarity for political convenience. Do not let party loyalty silence your conscience.” Isaiah 5:20 says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Friday, February 27th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Follow us on X or subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.
Send a textWe weigh the stories nations tell about themselves against the record of wars, sanctions, and deterrence, and test whether intentions matter less than outcomes. From Vietnam to Venezuela, NATO to North Korea, we press for clearer language, broader history, and fewer illusions.• Emerson and Hawthorne as mirrors of intellectual courage and conformity• Vietnam's legacy, media limits, and moral judgment versus “mistake” framing• NATO at Russia's border, ABM systems, and Cold War lessons revived• Sanctions in Venezuela and Iran as civilian punishment, not reform• China, innovation, and the politics of intellectual property• Korean-led steps toward deescalation and deterrence realities• Trump's media strategy, party capture, and fear as a political tool• Climate risk, nuclear posture, and the real election interference: money• Syria's devastation, Kurdish safety, and difficult tradeoffs• Israel, the Golan Heights, and shifting U.S. support coalitionsPatreon subscribers can find the full video of this program immediately at patreon.com/OriginsPodcast Support the show
Monday on the News Hour, the killing of a Mexican cartel leader sparks retaliatory violence across parts of Mexico. FBI Director Kash Patel's trip to the Olympics raises questions about the bureau's priorities and use of taxpayer dollars. Plus, as a fragile peace arrangement holds between Syria's new government and its Kurdish minority, we hear from the Kurds' top military leader. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
Courage is not loud. Sometimes it is a 13-year-old girl standing in a courtroom, promising to defend dignity no matter the cost. Noura Ghazi's life was shaped by detention, disappearance, and resistance long before she became a human rights lawyer. Growing up in Damascus with a father repeatedly imprisoned for political opposition, she chose early to confront injustice through law rather than violence. From defending political prisoners during the Syrian revolution to marrying her husband inside a prison and later founding No Photo Zone, Noura has built a life rooted in resilience, civil rights advocacy, and unwavering belief in human dignity. Now living in France as a political refugee, she continues her work supporting families of detainees, survivors of torture, and the disappeared. Her story is not simply about survival. It is about choosing mindset over fear, purpose over despair, and love even in the shadow of loss. This conversation invites reflection on what it means to remain Unstoppable when freedom, justice, and even safety are uncertain. Highlights: 00:07:06 – A defining childhood moment reveals how a confrontation in a Syrian courtroom shaped Noura's lifelong commitment to defending political prisoners. 00:12:51 – The unpredictable nature of Syria's exceptional courts exposes how justice without standards creates generational instability and fear. 00:17:32 – The emotional aftermath of her father's release illustrates how imprisonment reshapes entire families, not just the person detained. 00:23:47 – Noura's pursuit of human rights education demonstrates how intentional learning becomes an act of resistance in restrictive systems. 00:32:10 – The early days of the Syrian revolution clarify how violence escalates when peaceful protest is met with force. 00:37:27 – Her marriage inside a prison and the global advocacy campaign that followed reflect how personal love can fuel public courage. 00:50:59 – A candid reflection on PTSD reveals how trauma can coexist with purpose and even deepen empathy for others. About the Guest: Noura Ghazi's life has been shaped by a single, unwavering mission: to defend dignity, freedom, and justice in the face of dictatorship. Born in Damascus into a family deeply rooted in political resistance, she witnessed firsthand the cost of speaking out when her father was detained, tortured, and disappeared multiple times. That lived experience became her calling. Since 2004, she has defended political prisoners before Syria's Supreme Security State Court, and when the Syrian revolution began in 2011, she fully committed herself to supporting detainees and the families of the disappeared. Even after her husband, activist Bassel Khartabil Safadi, was detained, disappeared, and ultimately executed, she continued her advocacy with extraordinary resolve. Forced into exile in 2018 after repeated threats and arrest warrants, Noura founded NoPhotoZone to provide legal aid, psychological support, and international advocacy for victims of detention, torture, enforced disappearance, and displacement across Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey. Her mission is not only to seek justice for the imprisoned and the missing, but to restore agency and hope to families living in uncertainty and trauma. Recognized globally for her courage and leadership, Noura remains committed to amplifying the voices of the silenced and ensuring that even in the darkest systems, human rights and human dignity are never forgotten. https://nouraghazi.org/ https://nophotozone.org/ Book – Waiting by Noura Ghazi - https://www.lulu.com/shop/noura-ghazi-safadi/waiting/paperback/product-1jz2kz2j.html?page=1&pageSize=4 About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you are enjoying the show, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Michael Hingson 00:09 Well, welcome everyone to another episode of unstoppable mindset. Today, we get to chat with Nora Ghazi, who lives in, I believe, France right now. She was born in Syria. She'll tell us about that, and she has had an interesting life, and I would say, a life that has had lots of challenges and some treachery along the way. But we'll get to all of that, and I will leave it to her to describe most of that, but I just want to tell you all we really appreciate you being here and hope you enjoy the episode. So Nora, how are you? Noura Ghazi 00:49 Thank you, Michael, for having me in this great broadcast, doing well. Michael Hingson 00:57 Well, there you go. Well, why don't we start? I love to start this way. Why don't you tell us kind of about the early Nora, growing up and so on, where you grew up, what anything you want to talk about, regarding being a younger person and all of that and and however we want to proceed, we'll go from there. Noura Ghazi 01:17 Okay, so since I was a child, my childhood wasn't like normal, like all the kids at my age, because my father was like a leader in opposition party against the previous Syrian regime. Michael Hingson 01:34 So you were born in Syria? Noura Ghazi 01:37 Yes, I work in Damascus. I'm from Damascus, but I have some like multiple origin that I'm proud of. But yes, I'm from Damascus. So since I was five years old, my father was disappeared and because he was wanted with other, like fellows at his party and other, let's say aliens, parties of opposition against the previous regime. So he disappeared for six years, then he was detained and transferred to what was named the supreme security state court. So it was during my adultness, let's say so since I was a child like I had at that time, only one sister, which is one year younger than me, we were moving a lot. We had no place to live. So my mother used to take us each few days to stay at some, someone place, let's say so it caused to us like changing schools all, all the time, which means changing friends. So it was very weird. And at that age, okay, I I knew the words of like cause, the words of leader or dictatorship. I used to say these words, but without knowing what does it mean. Then, when my father detained, it was his ninth detention. Actually, my mother was pregnant with my brother, so my brother was born while my father was in prison. And while he was in prison, the last time he disappeared for one year, three months, he was in like a kind of isolation in security facility. Then he was referred to this court. So in one of the sessions of the trials, I had a fight with the officer who, like who was leading the patrol that bring my father and other prisoners of conscience. So at the end of this fight, I promised my father and the officer that, okay, I will grow up and become a human rights lawyer and defend political prisoners, which I did at the end. Michael Hingson 04:05 So what? What was the officer doing? He was taking people to the court. Noura Ghazi 04:12 Yes, because Okay, so there is many kind of prisons now. They became like, more familiar to like public opinion because of, like 15 years of violence in Syria. So there was, like the the central civil prison in Damascus, which we call ADRA prison, and we have said, NIA jail, military prison. So those two prisons, they were like, holding detainees in them. So they they used to bring detainees to the court in busses, like a kind of military busses, with patrol of like civil police and military police. So the officer was like. Heading the patrol that was bringing my fathers from other prison. Michael Hingson 05:05 So you, so you, what was the fight about with the officer and your father and so on? What? How? Well, yeah, what was the fight? Noura Ghazi 05:16 It's very good question, although at that time, it was a very like scary situation, but now I laughed a lot about it. Okay, so they used to to catch all the prisoners in one chain with the handcuffs. So we used to come to hug and kiss my father before entering the court. So I was doing what I used to do during the trials, or just upon the trials, and then one of the policemen, like pushed me away. So I got nervous, and my father got nervous. So the officer provoked me. He was like a kind of insulting that my father is a detainee, and he is like he's coming to this court. So I, like I replied that I'm proud of my father and his friends what they are doing. So he somehow, he threats me to detain me like my father, and at that time, I was very angry, and I curse the father Assad just in on the like in the door, at the door of the court, and there was people and and Like all the the policemen, like they were just pointing their weapon to me, and there was some moments of silence. Then they took all the detainees into the court. So at this moment, while I'm entering the court behind them, I said, I will grow up and become a human rights lawyer to defend political prisoners. Michael Hingson 07:02 What did the officers say to that? Noura Ghazi 07:06 Because they used to look to us as because we are. We were against father Assad and the dictatorship, so they used to see us, even if we are kids, as enemies. Michael Hingson 07:22 Yeah, so the officer but, but he didn't detain you. I was Noura Ghazi 07:27 only 13 years, yeah, okay, they used to to arrest the kids, but they didn't. Michael Hingson 07:37 So did the officer react to your comment? You're going to grow up to become a civil rights lawyer? Noura Ghazi 07:43 He was shocked, was he? But I don't know if he knew that I become a human yes, there at the end, yeah. Michael Hingson 07:54 And meanwhile, what did your father do or say? Noura Ghazi 07:58 He was shocked also, but he was very proud, and until now, he like every time, because I'm also like, very close to to his friends who I used to visit in prison. Then I become a human rights lawyer, and I was the youngest lawyer in Syria. I was only 22 years old when I started to practice law. So during the the revolution in Syria, which started in 2011 some of his friends were detained, and I was their lawyer also. So I'm very close to them. So until now, they remember this story and laugh about it, because no one could curse or say anything not good about father Assad or or the family, even in secret. So it's still, like, very funny, and I'm still like, stuck somehow in, like, in this career and the kind of activism I'm doing, because just I got angry of the officer 30 years ago. So at this, at that moment, I've decided what I will be in the future. I'm just doing it well. Michael Hingson 09:20 From everything I've read, it sounds like you do a good job. Noura Ghazi 09:25 I cannot say it's a job, because usually you you do a job, you get paid for your job, you go at a certain time and come back at a certain time. You do certain tasks. But for me, it's like a continuing fight, non violent fight, of course, for dignity, for freedom, for justice, right, for reveal the truth of those who were disappeared and got missing. So yes, until now, I'm doing this, so I don't have that. Are the luxury to to be paid all the time, or to be to have weekends or to work until like certain hour at night. I cannot say I'm enjoying it, but this is the reason why I'm still alive, because I have a motive to help and support other people who are victims to dictatorship and violence. Michael Hingson 10:25 So your father went into court and what happened? Noura Ghazi 10:31 He was sentenced. At the end, he was sentenced to three years in prison. And it's a funny story, another funny story, actually, because, like the other latines at that at that trial, like it was only my father and other two prisoners who sent who were sentenced to three years in prison, while other people, the minimum was seven years in Prison, until 15 years in prison. So my mother and us, we felt like we are embarrassed and shy because, okay, our father will will be released like in few months, but other prisoners will stay much longer. So it's something very embarrassing to our friends who whom their fathers got sentenced to like more. Michael Hingson 11:30 Did you ever find out why it was only three years? Noura Ghazi 11:33 We don't know because it's an exceptional court, so it's up to the judge and the judge at that time, like it's it's very similar to what is happening now and what happened after 2011 so it's a kind of continuing reality in in Syria since like 63 which was the first time my father was detained. It was in 63 just after the what they called the eighth March revolution. So my father was only 11 years old when he was detained the first time because he participated in a protest. So it's up to the judge. It's not like a real court with like the the fair trial standards. So it's it's only once you know, the judge said the sentences for each one. So two prisoners got confused. They couldn't differentiate like Which sentence to whom, so they asked like again, so he forgot, so he said them again in different way. So it's something like, very spontaneously, yeah, very just moody, not any standard. Michael Hingson 12:51 Well, so Did your father then serve the three years and was released. Or what happened? Noura Ghazi 12:58 He was released on the day that he should be released, he disappeared for few days. We didn't know what happened. Then he was released. Finally he came. We used to live with my my grandma, so I was the one who opened the door, and I saw just my father. So we we knew later that okay, he was moved again to a security facility because he refused to sign a paper that say that he will not practice any oppositional action against the authority. So he refused, yeah, yeah. Michael Hingson 13:43 Well, I mean, I'm sure there's, there's a continuing story, what happened to him after that. So he came home, Noura Ghazi 13:53 he came out to my grandma. It was a big surprise, like full of joy, but full of tears as well. Michael Hingson 14:01 And you're you were 16 now, right? Noura Ghazi 14:04 I was when he was raised. I was 15, yeah, okay, yeah. And my sister was 14. My brother was two years and a half, so for him, okay, the father is this person that we visit behind bars every Monday, not this one who stay with us. So for him, it was weird. For my brother, he was very like little kid to understand. Then my father went to to see his parents as well. Then we came back to our apartment that we couldn't live more than few months because my father was detained. So at this night, everything was very, very, very new, like because before the three years he he was disappeared for six years, so there was. Nine years. We don't live with my father, so my brother used to sleep just next to my mom, actually my sister and me, but okay, we were like a teenager, so it's okay. So my brother couldn't sleep. Because why he keep, he kept asking why my father is sleeping with us while he's not with his friend at that place. And he was traumatized for many days. But usually when, like a political prisoner released, usually, like, we have a kind of two, three weeks of people visiting the family to say, Okay, it's it's good. We're happy for you that he was released. So the first two, three weeks were full of people and like, social events, etc. Then the, the real problem started. So my father studied law, but he was fired from university for security reasons at the the last year of his study, and as he was sentenced so he couldn't work, my mother used to work, and so like suddenly he started to feel that okay, He's not able to work. He's not able to fulfill the needs of his family. He's not able to spend on the family. The problems between him and my mother started. We couldn't as like my sister and me as teenagers. We couldn't really accept him. We couldn't see that. He's the same person that we used to visit in prison. He was very friendly. We used to talk about everything in life, including the very personal things that usually daughters don't speak with fathers about it. But then he became a father, which we we we weren't used to it, and he was shocked also. So I can say that this, this situation, at least on emotional and psychological level, for me, it lasted for 15 years. I couldn't accept him very well, even my my sister and and the brother and it happens to all like prisoners, political prisoners, especially who spent long time in prison. Michael Hingson 17:32 So now is your father and well, are your father and your mother still alive? Or are they around? Noura Ghazi 17:41 They are still alive. They are still in Damascus, Michael Hingson 17:44 and they're still in Damascus. Yes, how is I guess I'll just ask it now, how is Syria different today than it was in the Assad regime, Noura Ghazi 17:56 like most of Syrians, and now we should differentiate about what Syrians will talk. We're talking so like those Syrians, like the majority of Syrians, and I'm meaning here, I'm sorry, I shouldn't be very direct. Now, the Arab Sunni Syrians, most of them, they are very happy. They are calling what happened in in last eight December, that it's the deliberation of Syria, but for other minorities, like religious or ethnic minorities, of course, it's almost the same. For me, I feel that okay, we have the same dictatorship now, the same corruption, the same of like lack of freedom of expression. But the the added that we have now is that we have Islamist who control Syria. We have extremists who control Syria. They intervene even in personal freedoms. They they are like, like, they are committing crimes against minorities, like it started last March, against alawed. It started last July, against Druze. Now it is starting against Kurdish, and unfortunately, the international community turning like an attorney, like, okay. They are okay with with it, because they want, like their own interest, their own benefits. They have another crisis in the world to take care and to think about, not Syria. So the most important for the international community is to have a stable situation in Syria, to be like, like, no kind of like, no fight zone in the Middle East, and they don't care about Syrian people. And this is very frustrating for those who. Who have the same beliefs that I have. Michael Hingson 20:04 So in a lot of ways, you're saying it hasn't, hasn't really changed, and only the, only the faces and names have changed, but not the actions or the results Noura Ghazi 20:16 the faces and names, and most important, the sects, has changed. So it was very obvious for me that most of Syrians, they don't mind to be controlled by dictator. They only mind what is the sect of this dictator? Michael Hingson 20:35 Unfortunately. Well, yeah. Well, let's go back to you. So your father was released, and you had already made your decision about what you wanted to be, what how does school work over there? Did you go to a, what we would call a high school? Or how does all that work? Noura Ghazi 20:58 Yeah, high school, I was among the like the student who got the highest score in Damascus. I was the fourth one on Damascus when I finished. We call it back like Baccalaureate in Syria, which came from French. And I studied law, and I was also very, like, really hard, hard study person. So I was graduated in four years. Actually, nobody in Syria used to finish studying law in Damascus University only in four years. Like some people stayed more than 10 years because it it was very difficult, and it's different than like law college or law school or university of law, depending on the country, than other countries, because we only like study law. Theoretically, we don't have any practice because we were 1000s of students, it was the like the maximum university that include students. And I registered immediately in the Bar Association in Damascus, and I started because we have, like, a kind, it's, it's similar to stage for two years, like under the supervision of another lawyer who was my uncle at the first and then we we have to choose a topic in certain domain of flow, to write a kind of book which is like, it's similar to thesis, to apply it, to approve it, and then to have the kind of interactive examination, then we have the the final graduated. So all of them to be like a practice lawyer. It's around six years, a little bit more. So my specialist was in criminal law, and my thesis, what about what we call the the impossible crime. It was complicated topic. I have to say that in Syria at that time, I'm talking about end of of 90s, beginning of 2000 so we don't have any kind of study related to human rights. We weren't allowed even to spell this word like human rights. So then in 2005 and 2006 I started to study human rights under international laws related to human rights in Jordan. So I became like a kind of certified human rights defenders and the trainer also, Michael Hingson 23:47 okay, and so you said you started practice and you finished school when you started practice, when you were 22 Yes, okay, I'm curious what, what were things like after September 11, of course, you know, we had the terrorist attacks and so on. Did any of that affect anything over in Syria, where you lived, Noura Ghazi 24:15 of course, like, we stayed talking, watching the news for like four months, like until now we remember, like September 11. But you know, I now when I remember, it was a shock, usually for the Arab world, or Arab people like America is against the Arab world. So everything happened against it was like, this was like, let's say 2030, years ago. Everything that caused any harm to America, they celebrate it. So that. At that time, I was 19 years old, and okay, it's the first time we we hear that a person who was terrorist do like is doing this kind in in us, which is like a miracle for us. But then I started to to think, okay, they it's not an army. They are. There are civilians. Those civilians could be against the the policies of the US government. They could be like, This is not a kind of fight for freedom or for rights or for any like, really, like, fair cause. This is a terrorist action against civilians. And then we started, I'm very lucky because I'm from very educated family. So we started to think about, like, okay, bin Laden. And like, which we have a president from Qaeda now in Syria, like, you can imagine how I feel now. Like, I Okay, all the world is against al Qaeda, and they celebrated that the President in Syria is from al Qaeda. So it's, it's very it's, it's, really, it's not logical at all. But the funniest thing that happened, because, like, the name of Usama bin Laden, was keeping on every like, every one tongue. So I have my my oldest uncle. His name is Usama, and he lives in Germany for 40, more than 40 years, actually. So my brother was a child, and he started to cry, and he came to my mother and asked her, I'm afraid, is my uncle the same Usama? So we were laughing all, and we said, No, it's another Usama. This is the Usama. This is Osama bin Laden, who is like from is like a terrorist group, etc. But like this unfortunate incident started to bring to my mind some like the concept of non violence, the concept of that, okay, no civilian in any place in the world should be harmed for any reason, Because we never been told this in Syria and mostly in most of of countries like the word fight is very linked to armed fights, which I totally disagree with. Michael Hingson 27:56 Well, the when people ask me about September 11 and and so on. One of the things that I say is this wasn't a religious war. This wasn't a religious attack. This was terrorist. This was, I put it in terms of of Americans. These were thugs who decided they wanted to have their way with people. But this is not the way the Muslim the Islamic religion is there is peaceful and peace loving as as anyone, and we really need to understand that. And I realize that there are a lot of people in this country who don't really understand all about that, and they don't understand that. In reality, there's a lot of peace loving people in the Middle East, but hopefully we'll be able to educate people over time, and that's one of the reasons I tell the story that I do, because I do believe that what happened is 19 people attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and so on, and they don't represent the the typical viewpoint of most people, religious wise in the Middle East. And I can understand why a lot of people think that the United States doesn't like Arabs, and I'm not sure that that's totally true, but I can appreciate what you're saying. Noura Ghazi 29:28 Yeah, I'm talking about specific communities actually, who they are, like totally against Israel, and they believe that you us is supporting Israel. So that's that's why they have their like this like attitude towards us and or like that US is trying to invest all the resources in the in the Middle East, etc. But what you were mentioning. Is really very important, because those 19 persons, they like kind of they, they cause the very bad reputation for for Muslims, for Middle Eastern because for for for other people from other countries, other culture or other religion, they will not understand that, okay, that, as you said, they don't represent Muslims. And in all religions, we have the extremist and we have those peaceful persons who keep their their religion as a kind of direct connection with God. They respect everyone, and normally in in in Syria, most of of the population like this, but now having a terrorist as a President, I'm not able to believe how there is a lot of Syrians that support him. Mm, hmm. Because when Al Qaeda started in Syria at the beginning, under the name of japet Al Nusra, then, which with July, who is now Ahmad Al shara, was the leader, and he's the leader of the country now most of Syrians, especially the the the Sunni Syrians, were against this, like terrorist groups, because the most harm they cause is for for Sunnis in Syria, because all other minorities, they will think about every Sunni that they, He or she, like, believe and behave like those, which is totally not true. Michael Hingson 31:47 Yeah, I hear you. Well, so September 11 happened, and then eventually you started doing criminal law. And if we go forward to what 2011 with the Syrian revolution? Yeah, and so what was, what was that revolution about? Noura Ghazi 32:10 It was okay. It started as a reaction against detaining kids from school. Okay, of course, this like the Syrian people, including me, we were very affected and inspired about what was happening in Egypt and Tunisia. But okay, so the security arrested and tortured those kids in their south of Syria. So people came out in demonstration to ask for their freedom and the security attack those protesters with, like, with weapons, so couple of persons died. So then it was, it started to be like a kind of revolution, let's say, yeah, the the problem for me, for lot of people like me, that the the previous Syrian regime was very violent against protesters and the previous president, Bashar Assad, he refused to listen to to to those people, he started to, like dissipated from the reality. So this like, much violence that was against us, like, I remember during some protest, there was not like, small weapon toward us. There was a tank that bombing us as protesters, peaceful, non violent, non armed protesters. So this violence led to another violence, like a kind of reaction by those who defected from the army, etc. And here, my father used to say, when the opposition started to to carry weapon in a country that, like the majority of it, is from certain religion, this could lead to a kind of Jihadist methodology. And this is what happened. So for for people like us, which we are very little comparing of like, the other beliefs of other people like we were, we started to be against the Syrian regime, then against the jihadist groups, then against that, like a kind of international, certain International, or, let's say original intervention, like Iran and Russia. So we were fighting everywhere, and no one. No one wanted us because those like educated, secular, non violent people, they. Form a kind of danger for every one of those parties. But what happened with me is that I met my late husband during a revolution at the very early of 2011 and having the relationship with me was my own revolution. So I was living on parallel like two revolution, a personal one and the public one. And then, like he was detained just two weeks before our our wedding. He was disappeared, actually, for nine months, then he was moved to the same prison that my father was in, to the central prison in Damascus that we got married in prison by coincidence. I don't know if coincidence is the right word in this situation, but my late husband was a very well known programmer and activist. So we were he was kind of, let's say, famous, and I was a lawyer and lawyer that defend human rights defenders and political prisoners. And the husband was detained, so I used to visit him in prison and visit other prisoners that I was their lawyers. And because my like, we have this personal aspect that okay, the couple that got married in prison and that, okay, I'm activist as a lawyer, and my late husband was a well known programmer. So we created a very huge campaign, a global campaign. So we invested this campaign to like, to shed the light about detention, torture, disappearance, exceptional courts, then, like also summary execution in Syria. So then, after almost three years of visiting him regularly, he disappeared again in 2015 and in 2017 I knew that he was sentenced to death, and I knew the exact date of his execution, just in 2018 which was two days ago. It was October 5. So this is what happened then. I had to leave Syria in 2018 so I left to Lebanon. Michael Hingson 37:27 So you left Syria and went to Lebanon? Noura Ghazi 37:33 Yes, the The plan was to stay only six months in Lebanon because I was wanted and I was threatened like I lived a terrible life, really, like lot of Syrians who were activists also, but the plan was that I will stay in Lebanon for six months, then I will leave to to UK because I had A scholarship to get a master in international law. But only two months after I left to Lebanon, I decided to stay in Lebanon to establish the organization that I'm I'm leading until now, which was a project between my late husband and me. Its name is no photo zone, so it was a very big decision, but I'm not regrets. Michael Hingson 38:23 You, you practice criminal law, you practiced human rights, you visited your your fiance, as it were, and then, well, then your husband in prison and so on. Wasn't all of that pretty risky for you? Noura Ghazi 38:42 Yes, very risky. I, I lived in under like, different kind of risk. Like, okay, I have the risk that, okay, I'm, I'm doing my activism against the previous regime publicly because I also, I was co founder of the First Family or victim Association in Syria families for freedom. So we, we were, like, doing a kind of advocacy in Europe, and I used to come back to Syria, so I was under this risk, but also I was under the risk of the like, going to prison, because the way to prison and the prison itself were under bombing. It was in like a point that separate the opposition militias and the regime militias. So they were bombing each other and bombing the prison and bombing the way to prison. So for three years, and specifically for like, in, let's say, 2014 specifically, I was among, like, I was almost the only lawyer that visited the prison, and I, I didn't mind this. I faced death more than 100 time, only on the way to prison, two times the person next to me in the like transportation. It's a kind of small bus. He died and fell down on me, but I had a strong belief that I will not die, Michael Hingson 40:21 and then what? Why do you think that they never detained you or or put you in prison? Do you have any thoughts? Noura Ghazi 40:29 I had many arrests weren't against me, but each time there was something that solve it somehow. So the first couple of Earths weren't actually when, when my late husband was detained, he he made a kind of deal with them that, okay, he will give all the information, everything about his activism in return. They, they canceled the arrest warrant against me. Then literally, until now, I don't know how it was solved. Like I, I had to sleep in garden with my cats for many nights. I i spent couple of months that I cannot go to any like to family, be house or to friend house, because I will cause problem for them, my my parents, my brother and sister, and even, like my sister, ex, until like just three months before the fall of the Syrian regime, they were under like, investigation By the security, lot of harassment against them so, but I don't know, like, I'm, I'm survive for a reason that I don't really realize how, Michael Hingson 41:52 wow, it, it's, it certainly is pretty amazing. Did you ever write a book or anything about all of this, Noura Ghazi 42:02 I used to write, always the only book like, let's say, literature or emotional book. It was about love in prison. Its name is waiting. And I wrote this book in English and basil. My late husband translated it. Sorry. I wrote it in Arabic, and Basset translated it into English in prison. So it was a process of smuggling the poems in Arabic and smuggling the them in English, again out of the prison. And we published the book online just after basil disappearance in 2015 then we created the the hard copies, and I did the signature in in Beirut in, like, early 2018 but like, it's, it's online, and it's a very, like light book, let's say very romantic. It's about love in prison. I'm really keen to write again, like maybe a kind of self narrative or about the stories that I lived and i i I heard during my my journey. Unfortunately, like to write needs like this a little stable situation, but I did write many like legal or human rights book or like guides or studies, etc. Michael Hingson 43:34 Now is waiting still available online? Noura Ghazi 43:37 Yes, it's still available online. Michael Hingson 43:40 Okay? It would be great if you could, if you have a picture of the book cover, if you could send that to me, because I'd like to put that in the notes. I would appreciate it if you would, okay, for sure. But anyway, so the the company you founded, what is it called Noura Ghazi 44:02 it's a non government, a non profit organization. Its name is no photo zone. Michael Hingson 44:07 And how did you come up with that name? Noura Ghazi 44:12 It was Vasil who come up with this name, because our main focus is on prisoners of conscious and disappeared. So for him, it was that okay, those places that they put disappeared in them. They are they. There is no cameras to show the others what is happening. So we should be the the like in the place of cameras to tell the world what is happening. So that's why no photos on me, like, means that prisons or like unofficial detention centers, because they're it's an all photo zone, right? Michael Hingson 44:54 And no photo zone is is still operating today. Noura Ghazi 44:58 It's still operating. We are extending our work, although, like we have lots of financial challenges because of, like, funds issues, but for us, the main issue, we provide legal services to victims of torture, detention, disappearance and their families. So we operate in Syria, Lebanon and Turkey. We are a French woman led organization, but we have registration in Turkey and Syria, and like in seven years now, almost seven years, we could provide our services to more than 3000 families who most of them are women, and they are responsible about kids who they don't have fathers. So we defend political prisoners. We search the disappeared. We provide the legal services related to personal and civil status. We provided the services related to identification documents, because it's a very big issue in Syria. Beside we provide rehabilitation, like full rehabilitation programs for survivors of detention or torture, and also advocacy. Of course, it's a very important part of our our work, even with the lack of fund, we've decided in the team, because most of the team, or all the team, they they were themselves victims of detention, or family members of victims, even the non Syrian because we have many non Syrian member in the team. So for us, it's a cause. It's not like a work that we're doing and getting paid. So we're, we're suffering this this year with the fund issues, because there is a lot of change related to the world and Syrian issues, which affected the fund policies. So hopefully we'll be, we'll be fine next year, hopefully, and we're trying to survive with our beneficiaries this year, Michael Hingson 47:02 yeah, well, you, you started receiving, and I assume no photo zone started receiving awards, and eventually you moved out of Lebanon. Tell me more about all of that. Noura Ghazi 47:16 During my journey, I I got many international recognition or a word, including two by Amnesty International. But after almost two years, like just after covid, like the start of covid, I was thinking that I should have another residence permit in another country because, like, it became very difficult for Syrians to get a residence in Lebanon. So I I moved to Turkey, and I was between Lebanon and Turkey. Then I got a call from the French Embassy in Turkey telling me that there is a new kind of a word, which is Marianne award, or Marianne program, that initiated by the French president. And they it's for human rights defenders across the world, and they will give this award for 15 human rights defender from 15 country. And I was listening, I thought they want me to nominate someone. Then they told me that the French government are honored to choose you as a Syrian human rights defender. So it was a program for six months, so I moved to Paris with my cat and dog. Then they extended the program and to become nine months. And at the almost at the end of the program, the both of Lebanese and Turkish authorities refused to renew my residence permit, so I had to stay in France to apply for asylum and a political refugee currently. Michael Hingson 49:10 And so you're in France. Are you still in Paris? Noura Ghazi 49:13 I'm still yes in Paris. I learned French very fast, like in four months. Okay, I'm not perfect, but I learned French. Michael Hingson 49:25 So what did your dog and cat think about all that? Sorry, what did your dog and cat think about moving to France? Noura Ghazi 49:33 They are French, actually, originally, they are friends. Michael Hingson 49:36 Oh, there you go. Noura Ghazi 49:38 My, my poor dog had like he he was English educated, so we used to communicate in English. Then when I was still in Lebanon, I thought, okay, a lot of Syrians are coming to my place, and they don't speak English, so I have to teach him Arabic. Then we moved to Turkish. So I had to teach him Turkish. Then we came to. France. So now my dog understand more than four languages, Michael Hingson 50:06 good for him, and and, of course, your cat is really the boss of the whole thing, right? Noura Ghazi 50:12 Of course, she is like, the center of the universe, Michael Hingson 50:16 yeah, yeah, just ask her. She'll tell you. And she's Noura Ghazi 50:20 very white, so she is 14 years. Oh, it's old, yes. Michael Hingson 50:29 Well, I have a cat we rescued in 2015 we think she was five then. So we think that my cat is 15 going on 16. So, and she moves around and does very well. Noura Ghazi 50:46 Yeah, my cat as well. Michael Hingson 50:49 Yeah. Well, that's the way it should be. So with all the things that you've been dealing with and all the stress, have you had? Noura Ghazi 50:59 PTSD, yes, I started, of course, like it's the minimum, actually, I have PTSD and the TSD, and I started to feel, or let's say, I could know that the what is happening with me is PTSD two years ago. I before, like, couple of months before, I started to feel like something unusual in my body, in my mind. At the beginning, we thought there is a problem in the brain. Then the psychologist and psychiatrist said that it's a huge level of PTSD, which is like the minimum, and like, we should start the journey of of treatment, which is like the behavior treatment and medical treatment as well. Like, some people could stay 10 years. Some people need to go to hospital. It's not the best thing, but sometimes I feel I'm grateful that I'm having PTSD because I'm able to deal with people who are in the same situation. I could feel them, understand them, so I could help them more, because I understand and as a human rights defender and like victim of lot of kind of violations, so I'm very aware about the like, let's call it the first aid, the psychological first aid support. And this is helpful somehow. Okay, I'm suffering, but this suffering is useful for others Michael Hingson 52:47 well and clearly, you are at a point where you can talk about it, which says a lot, because you're able to deal with it well enough to be able to talk about it, which I think is probably pretty important, don't you think? Noura Ghazi 53:03 Yeah, actually, the last at the first time I talked about it very publicly in a conference in Stockholm, it was last October, and then I thought it's important to talk about it. And I'm also thinking to do something more about PTSD, especially the PTSD related to to prisons, torture, etc, this kind of violations, because sharing experience is very important. So I'm still thinking about a kind of certain way to to like, to spread my experience with PTSD, especially that I have lot of changes in in my life recently, because I got married again, and even the the good incident that people who have PTSD, even if they have, like good incident, but it cause a kind of escalation with PTSD, Michael Hingson 54:00 yeah, but you got married again, so you have somebody you can talk with. Noura Ghazi 54:06 Yes, I got married five months ago. The most important that I could fall in love again. So I met my husband in in Paris. He's a Lebanese artist who live in Paris. And yeah, I have, I have a family now, like we have now three cats and a dog and us as couple. But it's very new for me, like this kind of marriage, that a marriage which I live with a partner, because the marriage I used to is that visit the husband in prison. I'm getting used to it. Michael Hingson 54:43 And just as always, the cat runs everything, right? Yes, of course, of course. So tell me about the freedom prize in Normandy. Noura Ghazi 54:55 Oh, it was like one of the best thing I had in my life. I. Was nominated for the freedom prize, which is launched by usually they are like young people who who nominate the the nominees for this prize, but it's launched by the government of Normandy region in France and the International Institute for Human Rights and peace. So among hundreds of files and, like many kind of round of, like short listing, there was me, a Belarusian activist who is detained, and a Palestinian photographer. So like, just knowing that I was nominated among more than 700 person was a privilege for me. The winner was the Palestinian photographer, but it was the first time they invite the other nominee to the celebration, which was on the same date of like liberating Normandy region during the Second World War. So I chose, I thought for my for couple of days about what I will wear, because I need to deliver a message. So I, I I came up with an idea about a white dress with 101 names in blue. Those names are for disappeared and detainees in Syria. So like there was, there was seven persons who worked on this dress, and I had the chance to wear it and to deliver my message and to give a speech in a very important day that even like those fighters during the Second World War who are still alive, they they came from us. They came from lot of countries. I had the privilege to see them directly, to touch them, to tell them thank you, and to deliver my message in front of an audience of 4500 persons. And it's like I love this dress, and like this event was one of the best thing I had in my life. Michael Hingson 57:21 Do you have a picture of you in the dress? Yes, I would think you do. Well, if you want, we'd love to put that in the show notes as well, especially because you're honoring all those people with the names and so on. Kind of cool. Well, okay, so, so Syria, you're, you're saying, in a lot of ways, hasn't, hasn't really changed a whole lot. It's, it's still a lot of dictatorship oriented kinds of things, and they discriminate against certain sex and and so on. And that's extremely unfortunate, because I don't think that that's the impression that people have over here, Noura Ghazi 58:02 exactly I had a chance to visit Syria, a kind of exceptional visit by the French government, because, as political refugees were not allowed to visit our country of origin. And of course, like after eight years, like out of Syria after six years without seeing my family. Of course, I was very happy, but I was very traumatized, and I I came back to Paris in in July 21 and since that time, I feel I'm not the same person before going to Syria. I'm full of frustration. I feel that, okay, I just wasted 14 years of my life for nothing. But hopefully I'm I'm trying to get better because okay, I know, like much of human rights violations mean that my kind of work and activism is more needed, yeah, Michael Hingson 59:03 so you'll so you'll continue to speak out and and fight for freedom. Noura Ghazi 59:10 Yes, I continue, and I will continue fighting for freedom, for dignity, for justice, for civil rights, and also raising awareness about PTSD and how we could invest even our pain for the sake of helping others. Michael Hingson 59:29 Well, I want to tell you that it's been an honor to have you on the podcast, and I am so glad we we got a chance to talk and to do this because having met you previously, in our introductory conversation, it was very clear that there was a story that needed to be told, and I hope that a lot of people will take an interest, and that it will will allow what you do to continue to grow, if people would like to reach out to you. And and help or learn more. How do they do that? Noura Ghazi 1:00:05 We you have the the link of my website that people could connect me, because it includes my my email, my personal email, and I always reply. So I'm happy to to talk with the to contact with people, and it also include all the all my social media, Michael Hingson 1:00:23 right? What? What's the website for? No photo zone. Noura Ghazi 1:00:27 It's no photo zone.org. No photo zone.org. Michael Hingson 1:00:30 I thought it was, but I just wanted you to say it. I wanted you to say it. Noura Ghazi 1:00:35 It's included in my website. Michael Hingson 1:00:37 Yeah, I've got it all and and it will all be in the show notes, but I just thought I would get you to say no photo zone.org Well, I want to thank you for being here. This has been a wonderful time to have a chance to talk, and I appreciate you taking the time to, I hope, educate lots of people. So thank you very much for doing that, and I want to thank all of you for listening and watching. We'd love you to give us a five star rating. Give us a review. We really appreciate ratings and reviews. So wherever you're watching or listening to this podcast, please give us a five star rating. Please review the podcast for us. We value that, and I know that Nora will will appreciate that as well. Also, if you if you know any guests, and Nora you as well, if you know anyone who you think ought to be a guest on the podcast, we would really appreciate it. If you would let us know you can reach me. At Michael M, I, C, H, A, E, L, H, I at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, love to hear from you. Love to hear your thoughts about the podcast. So Nora, very much my I want to thank you again. This has been great. Thank you very much for being here. Noura Ghazi 1:01:56 Thank you Michael, and thank you for those who are listening, and we're still in touch.
The Syrian government says it closed one of the largest camps that housed ISIS fighters and their families. It is the latest example of transformations in Syria, from how it confronts ISIS to whether the U.S. will remain. A key player in all of this is General Mazloum Abdi, head of the Syrian Kurds. Nick Schifrin sat down with him to discuss the future of the Kurds and the fate of the country. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
"What happens when a nation fears its own people more than its enemies?" In this gripping episode of Kent Hance, The Best Storyteller in Texas, Kent opens with a powerful reflection on the timeless saying: "War is hell." From the ongoing turmoil between Russia and Ukraine to rising tensions in Iran, Kent unpacks the complex history and real-time consequences of global conflict — all with his trademark clarity, depth, and unmistakable Texas storytelling.
The Syrian government says it closed one of the largest camps that housed ISIS fighters and their families. It is the latest example of transformations in Syria, from how it confronts ISIS to whether the U.S. will remain. A key player in all of this is General Mazloum Abdi, head of the Syrian Kurds. Nick Schifrin sat down with him to discuss the future of the Kurds and the fate of the country. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy
'Governance of Resistance in North and East Syria' examines the momentous development of the Kurdish-led autonomous administration since 2012. The creation of this unprecedented, ideologically radical entity is of immense significance in Kurdish, Syrian and Middle Eastern history and for discourses of nationalism and identity. This book presents new research from the expanding scholarship to interrogate Rojava as a political and social idea and explain the resistance narrative that underpins the ideology and governance structures. The contributions examine key aspects of the condition of the autonomous government, its successes, failures and impact, including the theory and nature of the political structures, their application in Arab areas, identity, education, gender and foreign relations. The findings demonstrate that North and East Syria has been revolutionary, that resistance there is resilient, and that there are constant and dynamic tensions between ideology and pragmatism in the evolution of this remarkable political and social project. The speakers at this event will also discuss fast-moving developments in north and east Syria. Meet our speakers Stephen Knight is a doctoral student at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford. His ethnographic research explores the application of international humanitarian law by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Outside of the field of law Stephen's research also looks at the interaction between mythology and political movements. Stephen also practises as a barrister, specialising in the interactions between criminal law, protest law, immigration law, and public law. He has forthcoming works in the fields of trafficking law and Kurdish mythology. Thomas McGee is an interdisciplinary researcher working at the intersection of legal and social studies of the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Kurdish dynamics in the Syrian context. He is a Max Weber fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, and completed his PhD on “Syria's Changing Statelessness Landscape: 2011 as Critical Juncture” at Melbourne Law School's Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness. Thomas has been a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford's Refugee Studies Centre and Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. He has previously published on a wide variety of topics in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, International Migration Review, Middle East Journal of Culture and Communication, Genocide Studies International and the Kurdish Studies journal. Currently, Thomas is developing his PhD for publication as a monograph. Dastan Jasim is a Research Engineer at the Dauphine University in Paris and an Associate Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies. Her research focuses on political culture, democratization and security studies. William Smith is an analyst and researcher whose work has focused on Syria since 2013. He was worked as an independent adviser on a number of U.K.-government and EU funded peacebuilding and stabilisation projects, including as the lead for a ‘Track 2' initiative in northeastern Syria in 2021-22 that brought representatives of the SDF and Autonomous Administration together in dialogue with local civil society. He currently provides conflict analysis for a Syria humanitarian project.
Islam and IslamismLet's examine whether the term “Islamism” actually exists within Islamic languages such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Urdu, or Pashto. It argues that “Islamism” is a Western political construct rather than an indigenous Islamic concept, functioning as a semantic tool to separate Islam from its political expressions and to appease Western discourse rather than reflect internal Islamic categories.#Islamism #politicalislam #islamiclanguages #arabic #persian #turkish #urdu #pashto #kurdish #politicaltheoryassociation #epistemology
Subscribe now for the full episode. Derek speaks with Alexander McKeever, publisher of This Week in Northern Syria, about the defeat of the Syrian Democratic Forces' (SDF) autonomous project and its integration into the new Syrian state. They discuss the fall of the Assad regime, the March 2025 integration agreement between Damascus and the SDF, the breakdown of negotiations and January fighting in Aleppo, the rapid collapse of SDF control in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, tribal defections and grievances against the autonomous administration, and the uncertain future for Kurdish rights under the centralized Syrian government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/environmental-studies
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/geography
For the Kurdish people, history seems to repeat itself. Kurdish forces are an asset for the West when allies are needed in the region, but left aside when political choices need to be made. The agreement signed at the end of January between Damascus and the Syrian Kurds dealt a blow to the dream of a greater Kurdistan. Our team reports from Syria and Iraq.
Extractivism—exploiting the earth for resources—has long driven racial capitalism and colonialism. And yet, how does extractivism operate in a world where ecological and humanitarian sensibilities are unprecedentedly widespread? Eray Çaylı argues it does so by mobilizing these sensibilities in new ways. Extractivism is no longer only about moving the earth—displacing peoples, fossils, minerals, and waters—but also leaving those who witness this violent displacement sentimentally moved. Earthmoving: Extractivism, War, and Visuality in Northern Kurdistan (U Texas Press, 2025) conceptualizes this duality. Derived from Çaylı's years-long work in Northern Kurdistan, home to the world's largest stateless nation—rendered stateless by colonial policies since the nineteenth century—Earthmoving focuses on the 2010s, a decade that began with peace talks between Turkey and the Kurdish liberation movement but ended with war. The decade saw extractivism intensify in the region and images of its harm proliferate across art and media. Together with contemporary artists, Çaylı shows that images challenge extractivism both by making its harm visible and by fostering self-reflexive and reciprocal collaboration that breaks with its valuation of the colonized and the racialized only in quantifiable and marketable terms. Host: Ronay Bakan is a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at European University Institute, in Italy. Her research interests include political geography, mobilization, and counterinsurgency in Southwest Asia and North Africa with a special focus on Northern Kurdistan. She is currently working on her book titled “Counterinsurgent Urbanism: Weaponizing Land and Heritage in Northern Kurdistan.” Email: ronay.bakan@eui.eu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day
Who is the Sultan that beat back Richard the Lionheart, and earned his respect as a worthy foe?Matt Lewis is joined by Professor Jonathan Phillips to delve into the life and legacy of Saladin, the formidable Muslim leader who reclaimed Jerusalem for Islam and triggered the Third Crusade. They discuss Saladin's Kurdish origins, his strategic rise to power in Egypt, and the crucial battles that culminated in his historic victory at the Battle of Hattin.Prepare to navigate centuries of historical narratives, military strategies, and the enduring legacy of one of medieval history's most iconic figures.MORERichard the LionheartListen on AppleListen on SpotifyMedieval JerusalemListen on AppleListen on SpotifyGone Medieval is presented by Matt Lewis. Edited and produced by Joseph Knight. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music used is courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Gone Medieval is a History Hit podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The Kurdish diaspora has been demonstrating in major European cities for weeks now. Protesters are urging European and international authorities to respond to the takeover of the Kurdish autonomous region called Rojava by Syria's new government. They fear that their community is at risk of disappearing. What is the diaspora hoping from the European and international authorities?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.This episode is based on a story written by Blanche Ribault for Streetpress and is co-written with Hélène Pillon from Médianes.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This episode examines the ongoing political deadlock in Iraq's government formation process following President Trump's controversial social media post opposing Nouri Al-Maliki's nomination for prime minister. The hosts analyze the impasse within the Coordination Framework, Sudani's prospects for a second term, U.S. and regional interference, Kurdish negotiations over the presidency, and the economic challenges facing Iraq including controversial customs reforms prior to Ramadan.
A little over a year from the start of the new government in Syria, violence returned to Aleppo. In January, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the forces of the interim Syrian government clashed in the Aleppo areas of Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafiyah.The SDF came off worse and were forced to retreat back to the northeast; and such was the scale of the defeat, they were forced into signing a deal that will see the SDF integrated into the Syrian army.For almost a year, the SDF has been resisting such a deal. This week, we look at the fighting in Aleppo, the deal that has been signed, and why, the status of the SDF and Syria's Kurds, and what these event mean for the Syria that President al-Sharaa is building.We're joined by Dr. Rahaf Aldoughli (@r_aldoughli), senior editor at Cogent Social Sciences and fellow at the Arab Reform Initiative (@ArabReform_ARI), and also, Joseph Daher (@JosephDaher19), a Syrian academic and specialist on the political economy of the Middle East.This podcast is written and produced by Hugo Goodridge (@hugogoodridge).Theme music by Omar al-Fil with additional music from Audio Network.To get in touch with the producers, follow then tweet us at @TNAPodcasts or email podcast@newarab.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Guests: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara secures resources by integrating the Kurdish SDF into his forces, while the U.S. watches for red lines regarding threats to Israel or regional stability.1836 DESERT MARCH
SPONSORS: 1) AMENTARA: Try Amentara's Blue Lotus Extract Gummies for a euphoric, relaxing experience—visit www.amentara.com/go/JULIAN and use code JD22 for 22% off your first order. 2) MIZZEN & MAIN: Get 20% off your first purchase at https://mizzenandmain.com with promo code JULIAN20. JOIN PATREON FOR EARLY UNCENSORED EPISODE RELEASES: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Trita Parsi is an Iranian-born geopolitical expert, author and Iran Freedom advocate. TRITA's LINKS: X: https://x.com/tparsi BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Treacherous-Alliance-Secret-Dealings-Israel/dp/0300143117 FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 0:00 – Intro 01:44 - UN diplomacy, veto reform, Veto+1 proposal, reform vs collapse 11:44 - Iran revolution fears, civil war risk, MEK, Kurdish militias 22:44 - MEK cult tactics, US involvement, social media psyops, fog of war 35:56 - Shah coup history, 1979 revolution, Cold War politics 44:19 - Post-revolution repression, Guardian Council, middle-class collapse, sanctions 54:43 - Obama admin, Iran nuclear deal, secret negotiations 64:04 - Israel-Iran dynamics, regime change failures, Persian Gulf escalation 01:23:26 - Iranian negotiators, diplomacy value, Qatar mediation 01:34:37 - Hamas in Qatar, family split by revolution, exile stories 01:44:31 - Protest hijacking, foreign intervention, Mossad speculation 01:55:12 - Civil war realities, Saudi funding, China mediation, Israel strikes 02:06:37 - Saudi perspective, regional buffers, Iranian identity 02:19:17 - Swedish alienation, Khomeini rise, leftist betrayal 02:29:33 - Trump exits deal, mistrust, Axis of Evil legacy 02:38:30 - 2022 protests failure, middle-class revolt, intelligence penetration 02:47:52 - Mossad recruitment, espionage realities, geopolitics 02:57:26 - Regime legitimacy collapse, internal decay, unstable future 03:01:21 - Trita flight CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 382 - Trita Parsi Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In Syria, last week's agreement between Kurdish forces and Damascus includes a humanitarian component, ultimately aimed at allowing refugees to return home. These families fled the fighting that followed the fall of Bashar al-Assad. There are now more than 100,000 internally displaced people in the Qamishli region, in Syria's far northeast. Report by Marie Charlotte Roupie, Abdulrahman Daoud and Josh Vardey.
The US military has begun to transfer up to 7000 Islamic State (IS) group detainees held in prisons in Syria to Iraq, which officials say is to prevent prisoners breaking out and regrouping. The transfer comes weeks after the US led large-scale strikes on IS group targets in Syria. The move comes after clashes between the Syrian government and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, which last week ended in a deal that would see the gradual integration of Kurdish forces and institutions into the state, and transfer control of the prisons to Damascus. Today we talk to Josh Baker, investigative journalist and host of the BBC podcast I Am Not A Monster, about the state of the IS group, and whether the country's instability could lead to a resurgence in Syria The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.Producers: Sam Chantarasak and Lucy Pawle Senior news editor: China Collins Mix: Travis Evans Photo: A member of the Syrian security forces stands in front of the gate of the Al-Hol camp, which houses families of suspected Islamic State (IS) group fighters. Credit: Mohammed al-Rifai/EPA/Shutterstock
Living above LustFor the Glory of God(1 Peter 2:11-12) Message SlidesRelationship Preceeds Repsonsibility - KuruvillaLiberty and Legalism - J.I. PackerThe Sea Lion's Heart - John EldridgeSummary of Holiness - J.I. PackerThe World - J.I. PackerExiles on Mission - Paul S. WilliamsFor the bulletin in PDF form, click here. INTRODUCTION: A Biblical Theology of Moral PurityThe Battle for Your SoulBelievers should actively make decisions in step with their identity. Cultural Values: Our family values do not fit a “me first” culture. (2:11a).Wrangling Desire: The real battle is the deep desires of your human nature (2:11b).High Stakes: The very essence of who you are hangs in the balance (2:11c).“Abstain” - άπέχω - to have or fully hold back, to have full control ofLifestyle EvangelismOur conduct impacts others in eternity.Attention: Your “walk” talks louder than your “talk” talks! (2:12a).Audience: The world is watching (2:12b).Accountability: Eventually, everything comes into the light (2:12c).“Keep” - έχω - to have or hold fast, have the resources ready for useThe way we live our lives and manage our deepest desireshas an impact on our very core identityand has an influence on others and eternity.“It's simple, but it is hard.”It's not hard because it's complex; it's because it's simple. Marriage [and spiritual growth] are hard, but it comes down to practicing a few simple things. Simple doesn't mean easy. Often it's actually difficult. Patrick LencioniHome Church QuestionsIdentity First:Peter calls believers “sojourners and exiles” again in this passage. How does remembering your identity in Christ as distinct from the world change the way you view temptation and purity?The Real Battle:Verse 11 says fleshly desires “wage war against the soul.” What are some ways you've seen corrupt desire shift from a momentary temptation into something that affects your spiritual vitality? It is a choice betwen life and death!“Abstain” as a Volitional Act of Self-Control:The word “abstain” implies holding back fully—have real and full control. It is taking seriously that we are volitional beings. What does biblical self-control look like in real life (not just avoiding sin, but actively fighting)?Culture vs. Christ:Where do you feel the strongest pressure from today's “me first” culture? How does that pressure show up in what you consume, desire, or justify?Purity and a Winsome Witness:Peter connects our conduct to evangelism. Why do you think the credibility of the gospel is often judged by the purity and character of Christians? Talk about why that should not matter, but it still does.When Accused Wrongly:Verse 12 says unbelievers often harshly judge Christians as evildoers or at least believe we have a “Strange Religion”. How should Christians respond when we're misunderstood or accused—especially in moral areas?Practical Next Step:What is one daily habit (or weekly practice) that would help you “keep your conduct honorable” and strengthen your spiritual readiness this week?UPG FOCUS: The Northern Zaza or Türkiye (Turkey)The Northern Zaza are a Kurdish people group living in eastern Turkey who follow a unique form of Islam shaped by mysticism and older traditions. They have faced long-standing marginalization and currently have no known believers, though some gospel resources exist in their language. Pray that God would open hearts, reveal Christ to them, and send faithful workers to share the hope of the gospel.FinancesWeekly Budget 34,615Giving For 01/25 28,180Giving For 02/01 378,325YTD Budget 1,073,077Giving 1,363,275 OVER/(UNDER) 290,198 Souper SundayFellowship, we're collecting food items for Bethlehem House TODAY! Needed items: hearty soups, canned chili, spaghetti sauce, Tuna Helper, canned meats, and Knorr brand pastas. A few cans or flats of these items would be greatly appreciated. If you aren't able to bring your items today, you can drop them off directly at Bethlehem House (1115 Parkway St.). Thank you for helping meet this need!New to Fellowship?We are so glad that you chose to worship with our Fellowship Family this morning. If you are joining us for the first time or have been checking us out for a few weeks, we are excited you are here and would love to meet you. Please fill out the “Connect Card” and bring it to the Connection Center in the Atrium, we would love to say “hi” and give you a gift. Fellowship equipping - register at fellowshipconway.org/equipping • Faithful and Fruitful is a five-week course designed to help you live with greater purpose, clarity, and faithfulness by stewarding the key areas God has entrusted to you. Starts today! • Biblical Indispensable Relationships: Ever feel like navigating the relationships in your life is more like steering through a maze—where one friend or co-worker can push every button you have, and others leave you wishing for something deeper and more meaningful? You're not alone. Join Michael Mercer for a transformative four-week journey into Biblical Indispensable Relationships. This course starts next week, February 15th!Fellowship Women's Conference - Choosing Faith over FearJoin us February 21 from 9:30 a.m to 3:30 p.m. for a meaningful day as women from our church share powerful stories of choosing faith over fear. You'll be encouraged, equipped with practical resources for life's storms, and reminded of God's goodness and faithfulness. Cost: $25 (includes lunch). Register at fellowshipconway.org/women. For childcare, please text Shanna at 501-336-0332. Registration & childcare deadline is February 15. Fellowship Youth & College Silent Auction | march 8 | 4 pm - 6pmJoin us for a fun evening supporting our mission trips to Arlington, TX, and the Czech Republic! Bid on baked goods, service certificates, gift baskets, overnight stays, and more. Light refreshments provided. Childcare available for ages 6 and under by request (contact Shanna 501-336-0332). Fellowship Men's MusterMen's Muster is April 17-19, 2026. Senior Teaching Pastor, Chris Moore, will be our speaker, and the weekend promises to be great for growing spiritually and connecting deeply with other men. Cost is $135 or $85 for a college/High School student. If money is an issue, please check the “contact me” button. We will reach out to see what you are able to pay. Register at fellowshipconway.org/men Fellowship Men's Ministry Game NightMen, this night is for you. Bring your favorite game and snacks, kick back, and get ready for some friendly competition. Men's Game Night is Friday, February 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the church. If you want a little taste of what Men's Muster is like, here's your chance.Ash Wednesday | February 18 | 7 am - 7 pm We are opening a space in the second-floor Fireside Room for prayer and confession Wednesday, February 18, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. to prepare our hearts for celebrating Jesus' resurrection. This is a drop-in, self-directed prayer, confession, and reflection time. We have prompts to help you if you desire. Feel free to sit before the Lord as long as you want. Access the stairwell that leads up to the entrance on the back lot that faces the basketball goal and Grace Methodist Church.
New research which has just been published in the British Medical Journal, suggests that testing menstrual blood for signs of cervical cancer could be an accurate way of screening for the disease. The BBC's Health Correspondent, Sophie Hutchinson, and Fiona Osgun, Head of Health information at Cancer Research UK join Anita Rani to talk about this new area of research and discuss the options currently open to women. English actor Imogen Poots is back on our screens taking on a challenging role in Kristen Stewart's first feature film, The Chronology of Water. It's a creative adaptation of an acclaimed memoir by American writer Lidia Yuknavitch which centres on her coming to terms with being abused as a child, battling pain and loss, and her ongoing healing journey. Imogen Poots joins Anita in the studio.The Kurdish-led self-administration in the north east of Syria is a territory where for years women have sat at the centre of political life, security and decision-making. But many are worried that the system is now under pressure following a new agreement between Kurdish authorities and the Syrian government, which will integrate the region into the Syrian state being rebuilt after the toppling of Bashar al-Assad in 2024. Anita is joined by Lina Shaikhouni, journalist at the BBC World Service and Dilar Dirik, Kurdish writer and author of The Kurdish Women's Movement: History, Theory, Practice.Paula Varjack talks to Anita about her show Nine Sixteenths. It examines the fallout from the infamous Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake ‘wardrobe malfunction' incident at the 2004 Superbowl and the backlash that almost ruined Jackson's career. The play questions what this says about the demographics of who controls the media, the scrutinising of black women in the public eye and asks if anything has changed?Presenter: Anita Rani Producer : Corinna Jones
This week's episode of I'm Fun Now is a gathering. In this deeply personal episode, Sazan shares the grief she's been carrying as she watches the suffering unfolding in the Middle East, particularly among her Kurdish people, while life continues on at home. Rather than avoiding the heaviness, this episode makes space for truth, prayer, and the quiet presence of God in the middle of heartbreak. It closes with hotline prayers sent in for the Kurdish people, Iran, and anyone carrying grief right now.Call SazGPT Hotline: hereWatch on video: hereFollow us on Instagram: @imfunnow.podcast,Follow Saz on Instagram: @Sazan Visit the website: here Shop Sazan's Amazon Storefront: here I'm Fun Now finds: hereSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY Guest: Ahmed Sharawi. Sharawi warns the third ceasefire between the Syriangovernment and U.S.-allied Kurdish forces is fragile and likely to fail, risking renewed hostilities soon.1960 NASSER IN DAMASCUS
US President Donald Trump is again threatening military strikes on Iran, saying he has sent a ‘huge armada' to the Middle East while signalling he is open to negotiations. Meanwhile, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has been holding talks in Turkey, where President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has offered to mediate. Also: during a visit to China, the UK prime minister Keir Starmer announces that Beijing has lifted sanctions on a group of British MPs who criticised its treatment of Uyghur Muslims; President Trump declares a national emergency on Cuba and imposes punitive tariffs on countries supplying oil to the island; a major study finds that our genes may be just as important as lifestyle and environment in determining lifespan; Kurdish-led forces in Syria say they've agreed a deal to integrate their fighters into the Syrian army; in New York, a man is arrested for allegedly impersonating an FBI agent in a bid to free a high-profile murder suspect, Luigi Mangione.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Syria is entering a new and terrifying phase. In this episode Breht is joined by a panel of scholars and activists (Angie Bittar, Adam, Joma, Nur and Jalyssa) to take a clear-eyed look at what's unfolded over the last year and how it fits into the longer arc of the Syrian civil war, including the rapid collapse of the Assad-era order and the emergence of a new regime centered around HTS and Ahmad al-Sharaa (Jolani). Together, they break down the latest waves of mass violence and displacement across the coast, Suwayda, Aleppo, and Rojava, and ask what these events reveal about the new Syria. From there, they turn to the Kurdish question. They discuss the SDF, the long history of US imperial instrumentalization of Kurdish forces, the recurring pattern of abandonment, and the growing pressure now facing Rojava amid shifting regional and international priorities. They also examine ongoing kidnappings and sect-based killings, the breakdown of accountability, and what the allegations surrounding Syrian security institutions tell us about the direction of the new order. Finally, they zoom out to the information war. They map the propaganda narratives being pushed in Western and Zionist media, and offer practical "tells" for separating genuine reporting from information operations. Then, they close by asking what Syria teaches us about the current political moment: imperial strategy, proxy warfare, sectarian fragmentation, and what real solidarity demands. Access a full list of all the sources used for this episode HERE Donate to Jalyssa on Cash App: $JalyssaDugrot Or donate at: BuyMeACoffee/Jalyssa Check out Joma's great podcast: JDPOD Previous Episodes on Syria and Rojava: "The Situation in Syria" Episode w/ Angie last year "On Syria: Civil War and US Imperialism" with Rania Khalek from 2018 "The Kurds and Revolutionary Rojava" with Dr. Redcrow from 2017 Interview with Murray Bookchin's Daughter on his Life and Legacy ---------------------------------------------------- Support Rev Left and get access to bonus episodes: www.patreon.com/revleftradio Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
Started the week off with some brazen Mexico cartel killings, then talked about an important truce between the new Syrian government and a Kurdish militia. Plus another Minneapolis Fed shooting, Philippines ferry crash, Russia/Ukraine casualty updates, China's leader purges military, and a Canadian guy is caught on security cameras banging several horses. Music: Worakis/"Bleu"
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It began as part of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement to stop the war in Gaza. But the "Board of Peace," a brainchild of US President Trump, has morphed into something with more grand ambitions, at least rhetorically. Also, police in Nigeria's largest city fired tear gas on people protesting the ongoing demolition of Makoko, an enormous informal settlement that stretches out into the Lagos Lagoon. And, fighting continues in Syria between Kurdish forces and the central government. Plus, the Most Reverend Sarah Mullally was formally confirmed as the first female Archbishop of Canterbury at a ceremony held at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Syrian government forces have seized swathes of territory from Kurdish groups – including camps holding IS prisoners. Will Christou reports on why this is a dangerous moment. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
Our Middle East correspondent reports from the largest holding camp for ISIS fighters in northern Syria, which government troops have just retaken from Kurdish control. What will happen to the inmates? Custom-made drugs are a medical milestone. And our obituaries editor remembers Cecilia Giménez, whose “Monkey Jesus” transformed the fortunes of a Spanish church. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
SEGMENT 14: SYRIAN NATIONAL ARMY DRIVES OUT KURDISH ALLIES Guest: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi (FDD) Roggio and Sharawi report the Syrian National Army increasingly resembles Al Qaeda while attacking Kurdish forces who remain US allies. The Kurds retreat under pressure from Turkish-backed militias with extremist ties. American partners face abandonment as Washington's attention focuses elsewhere in the chaotic Syrian landscape.1884 BRUSSELS
SHOW SCHEDULE 1-22-20251954 BRUSSELSSEGMENT 1: GREENLAND, NATO, AND TRUMP'S REVERSALS Guest: Anatol Lieven, Co-Host: Jim McTague Lieven examines Trump's shifting positions on Greenland and NATO, unsettling European allies who question American reliability. Discussion covers the proposed Board of Peace concept and how Trump's unpredictable rhetoric complicates alliance management, leaving partners uncertain whether commitments will hold or dissolve without warning.SEGMENT 2: GAZA AND TRUMP'S SELF-ENRICHMENT CONCERNS Guest: Anatol Lieven, Co-Host: Jim McTague Lieven analyzes Gaza ceasefire dynamics and raises questions about Trump administration officials potentially mixing policy with personal financial interests. Discussion examines how self-enrichment concerns shadow diplomatic initiatives and whether conflicts of interest undermine credibility in Middle East negotiations and broader foreign policy.SEGMENT 3: GEN Z JOB STRUGGLES AND THE TRADES REVIVAL Guest: Chris Riegel, Co-Host: Jim McTague Riegel explains how artificial intelligence eliminates entry-level white-collar positions, leaving Gen Z struggling to launch careers in traditional professions. Meanwhile, skilled trades offer prosperity since AI cannot replicate physical work. Young people working with their hands find better opportunities than peers pursuing displaced office jobs.SEGMENT 4: MAGA EMBRACES BIG GOVERNMENT LIKE NEW DEALERS Guest: Veronique de Rugy De Rugy argues MAGA policies mirror New Deal-era big government activism through state industrial policy and massive spending programs. Traditional Republican principles of limited government appear obsolete or abandoned, with the RINO label now applied to anyone advocating fiscal restraint or free market economics.SEGMENT 5: PREPARING FOR IRAN BOMBING CAMPAIGN Guest: General Blaine Holt (USAF, Ret.) Holt describes military preparations for potential strikes against Iran, including warplane and warship deployments. The KC-135 tanker buildup signals offensive capability, providing aerial refueling that enables sustained bombing campaigns. This logistics infrastructure converts fuel into striking power against Tehran's nuclear and military installations.SEGMENT 6: ESCALATION TOWARD IRANIAN LEADERSHIP Guest: General Blaine Holt (USAF, Ret.) Holt outlines concentric circles of escalation targeting Iranian leadership if conflict erupts. Discussion covers strike planning that moves progressively toward regime centers of power. China's evacuation planes positioning near Iran suggest Beijing anticipates potential conflict and prepares to extract its nationals from the region.SEGMENT 7: MODI'S TIMID REFORM AGENDA Guest: Sadanand Dhume (Wall Street Journal) Dhume assesses Prime Minister Modi as a timid reformer constrained by political realities and socialist-era institutions. India's growth potential remains unrealized as legacy regulations protect inefficient industries. Modi raised some thresholds but fundamental transformation of labor laws and state enterprises remains politically impossible.SEGMENT 8: VENEZUELA'S UNFINISHED TRANSITION Guest: Mary Anastasia O'Grady (Wall Street Journal) O'Grady reports Venezuela's democratic transition stalled with the same regime intact. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello and Delcy Rodriguez control state security gunmen and prisons. No real handover to President-elect Edmundo Gonzalez has occurred, leaving the authoritarian apparatus firmly in power despite American pressure.SEGMENT 9: COSTA RICA ELECTION AND PANAMA CANAL TENSIONS Guest: Professor Evan Ellis (US Army War College) Ellis examines Costa Rica's upcoming election amid concerns over giant prison construction projects. Discussion turns to unresolved Panama Canal disputes where Chinese interference continues challenging American interests. Regional dynamics shift as nations balance between Washington's demands and Beijing's economic inducements throughout Central America.SEGMENT 10: PERU AND CHINESE INFLUENCE Guest: Professor Evan Ellis (US Army War College) Ellis analyzes China's growing investment and influence in Peru while the US offers military partnership as counterweight. Discussion covers political turmoil in Lima, economic promise from mineral wealth, and the competition between great powers for access to South American resources and strategic positioning.SEGMENT 11: TRUMP SEEKS CUBAN REGIME CHANGE Guest: Professor Evan Ellis (US Army War College) Ellis examines the Trump administration's push for regime change in Havana. Dictator Díaz-Canel faces collapsing conditions with no oil, no power, and a broken economy driving mass emigration. The Obama administration's engagement offered false hope; now Washington applies maximum pressure on the desperate regime.SEGMENT 12: MERCOSUR AGREEMENT FINALLY REACHED Guest: Professor Evan Ellis (US Army War College) Ellis reports good news as the Mercosur trade agreement concludes after 27 years of negotiations. The deal now faces court challenges while promising affordable food imports for Europe. EU farmers mount roadblock protests opposing competition from South American agriculture despite consumer benefits from the historic accord.SEGMENT 13: AL QAEDA IN DAMASCUS GOVERNMENT Guest: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi (FDD)Roggio and Sharawi examine Al Qaeda presence within Syria's new government under clever, effective President al-Sharaa. US forces struck an Al Qaeda commander responsible for killing Iowa National Guard soldiers, but ISIS elements remain unaddressed. The jihadi connections within Damascus leadership raise serious counterterrorism concerns.SEGMENT 14: SYRIAN NATIONAL ARMY DRIVES OUT KURDISH ALLIES Guest: Bill Roggio and Ahmed Sharawi (FDD) Roggio and Sharawi report the Syrian National Army increasingly resembles Al Qaeda while attacking Kurdish forces who remain US allies. The Kurds retreat under pressure from Turkish-backed militias with extremist ties. American partners face abandonment as Washington's attention focuses elsewhere in the chaotic Syrian landscape.SEGMENT 15: MUSK, CARLSON, AND VANCE DIVERGE FROM REPUBLICAN ORTHODOXY Guest: Peter Berkowitz Berkowitz discusses Michael Doran's Tablet article examining three Trump celebrities—Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and Vice President J.D. Vance—whose views diverge from traditional Republican policies. Musk favors government subsidies and China partnership, Carlson platforms hate speakers, and Vance promotes isolationism over American global leadership.SEGMENT 16: ABANDONING SMALL GOVERNMENT AND FREE TRADE Guest: Peter Berkowitz Berkowitz argues neither Musk, Carlson, nor Vance champions traditional conservative principles of small government, free trade, and private enterprise without government interference. The Republican Party's philosophical foundation erodes as prominent voices embrace statism, protectionism, and industrial policy once associated with the political left.
Our Middle East correspondent reports from the largest holding camp for ISIS fighters in northern Syria, which government troops have just retaken from Kurdish control. What will happen to the inmates? Custom-made drugs are a medical milestone. And our obituaries editor remembers Cecilia Giménez, whose “Monkey Jesus” transformed the fortunes of a Spanish church. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we discuss the impending snowstorm hitting Virginia while reflecting on the challenges of winter weather and the importance of being prepared. Our host shares personal experiences with heart health and the risks associated with snow shoveling. We also delve into the ongoing crisis in Iran and the atrocities faced by the Kurdish people, emphasizing the need for global awareness and action against terrorism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Tommy and Ben talk about the growing and very real threat of President Trump attempting to take Greenland by force, the spectrum of reactions from world leaders from feckless NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to scorning French President Emmanuel Macron, and how this would lead to the end of NATO if Europeans don't stand up to the US. They also discuss how Trump's walking back of military threats to Iran led to the death of thousands of protesters, the confusing and corrupt intentions behind the “Board of Peace”, a rocky ceasefire between the Syrian government and Kurdish forces, Grok's sexualized image crisis, and a bizarre tribute to Stephen Hawking. Then, Ben speaks to Sky News Africa Correspondent, Yousra Elbagir, about Uganda's contested election. Preorder Ben's new book, All We Say: The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches, out on May 26. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Donald Trump says "we will work something out" over Greenland, ahead of meetings with European leaders at the World Economic Forum. Mr Trump made the remarks at a news conference to mark the first anniversary of his second term. Also: Snapchat's parent company settles a social media addiction lawsuit. The Syrian government announces another ceasefire deal with Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. Relatives of anti-government protesters killed in a crackdown by the Iranian authorities struggle to identify the bodies of missing loved ones. Environmental activists are angry at plans to restart oil drilling in Nigeria. Scientists say they've developed a robotic hand that could be better than a human's. And the Swiss cow that has the ability to use tools. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
In recent days Syrian government troops have tried to retake territory held by the country's Kurdish minority. Our correspondent reports from the region. Factions are fighting to control Vietnam's Communist Party Congress: the winner will change Vietnam's future. And are millennial fathers more hands-on than their crusty forbears?Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In recent days Syrian government troops have tried to retake territory held by the country's Kurdish minority. Our correspondent reports from the region. Factions are fighting to control Vietnam's Communist Party Congress: the winner will change Vietnam's future. And are millennial fathers more hands-on than their crusty forbears?Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast, we break down the rapidly escalating global crisis sparked by Donald Trump after he wrote to European leaders declaring he's done with “peace” following his failure to win a Nobel Peace Prize and threatening to invade Greenland, while simultaneously inviting Russia and Belarus to join his absurd “Board of Peace” grift as Europe forcefully rebukes him. We also cover the Trump DOJ's chilling threat to indict journalists for reporting on protests against ICE, the Trump DOJ's stunning admission about the Epstein Files, Trump's abandonment of Kurdish allies in Syria with potentially catastrophic consequences, the early and encouraging successes of Virginia Democrats pushing back against extremism, and more critical updates as the Trump regime continues to destabilize both the United States and the world. Ben, Brett, and Jordy break it all down! Subscribe to Meidas+ at https://meidasplus.com Get Meidas Merch: https://store.meidastouch.com Deals from our sponsors! Home Chef: For a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners FIFTY PERCENT OFF and free shipping for your first box PLUS free dessert for life! Go to https://homechef.com/meidas Tushy: Get 10% off TUSHY with the code MEIDAS10 at https://hellotushy.com/MEIDAS10 Done with Debt: Go to https://donewithdebt.com right now to schedule a free consultation Delete Me: Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/MEIDAS and use promo code MEIDAS at checkout. Huel: Limited Time Offer – Get Huel's full High-Protein Starter Kit with my exclusive offer of 20% OFF online with my code MEIDAS20 at https://huel.com/MEIDAS20. New Customers Only. Code only valid for the bundle. Thank you to Huel for partnering and supporting our show! Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast Cult Conversations: The Influence Continuum with Dr. Steve Hassan: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices