Podcast appearances and mentions of mohamed fahmy

ABOUT THIS EPISODE: This episode features a discussion with Briony Penn, author of Following the Good River: The Life and Times of Waxaid, and David McIllwraith, moderated by Carol Shaben, author of The Marriot Cell. These three authors discuss the challenges of creative collaboration and how writers deal with telling other people's stories. This conversation was part of our Storied Series and originally aired in October 2021. ABOUT THE GUESTS: A naturalist, geographer and nature columnist for 25 years, Briony Penn is a multi-BC and Yukon Book Prize finalist and winner for her books about the coast, its diversity of inhabitants and their deep connections to one another. She lives on W̱SÁNEĆ territory on Salt Spring Island. David McIlwraith spent a decade searching for, editing, and researching the only known first person account of the Chinese experience building transcontinental railways across this continent. His recent book, The Diary of Dukesang Wong tells a one-of-a-kind, fifty year long story of a man's extraordinary life in China and Canada. McIlwraith began telling stories as an actor and director in theatres across North America, then as a documentary film-maker, writing and directing award nominated films like ‘The Lynching of Louie Sam' and ‘Celesta Found'. He was the host and contributing writer/producer of the Discovery Channel series, Harrowsmith Country Life. Since the publication of Wong's diary by Vancouver's Talonbooks, McIlwraith has turned his hand to fiction. He was a Vancouver resident for several years and now lives in Hamilton, Ontario. He spends part of every summer on Salt Spring Island. Carol Shaben is an award-winning author and journalist. Her first book, Into the Abyss, was a national bestseller and national nonfiction award winner, and her most recent book, The Marriott Cell, ­co-written with journalist Mohamed Fahmy, was long listed for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize and named one of The Globe & Mail's 100 Best Books of the Year. She is the recipient of two National Magazine Awards including a Gold Medal for Investigative Journalism. Carol teaches creative/literary nonfiction at UBC's Schools of Creative Writing and Journalism, and is a Faculty Editor for the Banff Centre's Literary Journalism Program. ABOUT MEGAN COLE: Megan Cole the Director of Programming and Communications for the BC and Yukon Book Prizes. She is also a writer based on the territory of the Tla'amin Nation. Megan writes creative nonfiction and has had essays published in Chatelaine, The Puritan, Untethered, Invisible publishing's invisiblog, This Magazine and more. She has her MFA in creative nonfiction from the University of King's College and is working her first book titled Head Over Feet: The Lasting Heartache of First Loves. Find out more about Megan at megancolewriter.com ABOUT THE PODCAST: Writing the Coast is recorded and produced on the traditional territory of the Tla'amin Nation. As a settler on these lands, Megan Cole finds opportunities to learn and listen to the stories from those whose land was stolen. Writing the Coast is a recorded series of conversations, readings, and insights into the work of the writers, illustrators, and creators whose books are nominated for the annual BC and Yukon Book Prizes. We'll also check in on people in the writing community who are supporting books, writers and readers every day. The podcast is produced and hosted by Megan Cole.

Egyptian-born Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy has published a book about being jailed for collaborating with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. The Marriott Cell recounts the story of how he and his Al Jazeera colleagues were branded terrorists and spent more than a year behind bars before he was pardoned by President Abdul Fattah Al Sisi. The case grabbed headlines around the world and marked a key point in Egypt’s changing relationship with press freedom. This week’s African Media spoke to Mohamed Fahmy about his time in a notorious Cairo prison, how he had access to some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and the message he would send to other journalists currently languishing in Egyptian jails. Can you tell us about your book? It basically includes details of my case and how I spent 438 days incarcerated in Egypt and branded as a terrorist while I was only doing my job as a journalist for Al Jazeera. It was interesting to write because it includes interviews with members of the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS [the Islamic State armed group] fighters and Al Qaeda fighters that I conducted and gathered inside prison. It also includes the battle for freedom - what we did to get out of prison - dealing with the courts, the judges, the lawyers. How this fight was complicated and wasn't just an issue of press freedom but also a geopolitical battle between Egypt and Qatar, the owner of Al Jazeera. I also highlight a lot of the mistakes that the network made as well and what they did that made our situation more difficult. What sort of position did Qatari ownership of Al Jazeera put you in? Qatar definitely kept us in the dark on many issues, for example, how Qatar had signed the Riyadh Agreement while we were working. Basically that means that the Qatari emir had promised countries in the Gulf like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain that he would not use the Al Jazeera platform to attack them. Qatar would not meddle in the internal affairs of Egypt, Saudi Arabia and many of these countries who were not happy with Al Jazeera. That he [the Qatari emir] would not allow Muslim Brotherhood guests to appear on the channel. However, we as journalists were not informed of these details of the Riyadh Agreement and were kept in the dark. This complicated matters for us. Having said that, I also believe that this trial was flawed with many mistakes. I spoke in court many times against the prosecution, I highlighted how they should differentiate between the responsibilities of the journalists and that of the network. Specifically, we found out in court that the network did not have the proper documents and they were not legally operating in Egypt in the first place. We were also kept in the dark about this issue. So I clearly document what both sides have done that led to our incarceration and it’s not acceptable that any journalist should be thrown in prison. Was writing this book a cathartic experience? It was definitely therapeutic in many ways. But I wrote this book specifically because although journalists like yourself and journalists from all over the world did a great job, there was so much context lost in the coverage of the trial. It’s almost understandable because of the rise of ISIS and the case happened when a lot of breaking news was happening. So much of the context of why we ended up in prison in the first place was not presented in the media. I just felt it was my responsibility to clarify a lot of the misconceptions to the millions of people who supported our case. Especially those related to issues of press freedom and how important it is to fight for that noble cause. But also issues related to the responsibilities of networks towards the journalists and towards the protection of journalists and that is something that Al Jazeera completely failed to do. This includes issues related to the protection of citizens, for example, in Canada. I highlight a little bit of what could have been done in a better way and I feel that this book was my way of sharing a lot of these experiences. To be honest with you, many of us spend our lives trying to get close to terrorists and interview them on the frontlines and many of our friends have lost their lives whilst doing so, like James Foley and Steven Sotloff and the list goes on. Here I was, inside the prison, surrounded by the possibility of these long exclusive interviews, being able to speak to many of these terrorists and not worry about my own security because there's bars between us. So I document a lot of these interviews in the book. What was the Scorpion prison like? Scorpion prison is one of the worst prisons in the Middle East and as a journalist and aid worker I've been to many prisons. There is no sunlight, it is filled with cockroaches, mosquitos and you’re sleeping on the floor in the cold weather. The guards are very manipulative and you have a very hard time getting goods in during the family visits. Your family could wait for hours before they get to see you for half an hour. It is extremely tough to be inside Scorpion prison. Many prisoners have lost their lives due to medical negligence, etc. However, our situation got a little better after the international outrage and the three journalists, including myself, were moved to a better prison. We lived together in one very small cell and the only reason we were able to survive was the support of our families, embassies and journalists outside. That kept our morale going and it kept us alive. Before you were moved into a cell with the other journalists, what was your deepest, darkest moment? For any prisoner the darkest moment is to assume that you are going to spend years and years in that dirty, filthy cell surrounded by terrorists. You don't know what is going to happen to you, that feeling of uncertainty, that's the main problem. Your mind can be your most dangerous enemy. Until the final verdict I was still hopeful that things could go our way, but throughout my incarceration, the darkest moment was definitely being sentenced to seven years for a crime I didn't commit. That's the moment I broke down and I started getting really worried for my wellbeing. How did you ensure that you kept your mind focused? How did you occupy your mind, so that you didn't find yourself in that dark place too frequently? I had to balance my physical being, my mental being, my spiritual being in any way possible. Jogging on the spot, finding ways to keep time, although I didn't have a watch, and so on. But when things got better and we were allowed books - it’s very ironic the thinnest book in the stack was called Man's Search for Meaning written by Viktor Frankl. He's a survivor of the Holocaust during the Nazi era in Germany. He speaks of a concept called tragic opportunism, how you can turn human suffering into a human achievement. How do you say yes when you're facing death, pain and injustice - that's exactly what I was going through. This book helped me a lot and I still think about it and I read it again when I was outside. I still believe that trying to rise above this madness of the incarceration and helping others ensures that your imprisonment is not arbitrary. That's what I'm doing now - by writing the book, by hoping it helps others, by speaking about the ordeal - fighting for what we believe in as journalists and human rights defenders. And I hope it does help people who are in similar situations. If you could send a message to other journalists who currently languish in Egyptian jails, for example photojournalist Shawkan, what would you say to them? It’s very easy for someone to give advice when they're sitting in the comfort of their bedroom. In Shawkan's case, I have been speaking about him in the media, lobbying and calling for his release. He's a photojournalist who’s been inside for three years, he's not committed any crimes. I've read his file and I’ve spoken with his family and visited them at home. All I can tell Shawkan is that his incarceration will not be in vain, he's now well-known in the world, in New York, in Europe. Everyone has seen his photos, when he comes out he needs to be stronger than ever because he's more famous than ever. I've sent messages to him in prison, I told him, 'when you come out, you're going to be able to get the job of your dreams and hopefully leave Egypt, go and do whatever you want'. But it is hard because false hope is a prisoner’s worst nightmare and I felt that many times, when people would say, 'you'll be pardoned' or 'you'll be released’. You get so excited but then when it doesn't happen it hits you even more. I hope that Shawkan is included on the next list of people who'll be pardoned.

Notable Egyptian-Canadian journalist Mohamed Fahmy has spent his career in conflict zones covering major stories for outlets including New York Times and CNN. However, in December 2013, during his time as Egypt Bureau Chief of Al Jazeera International, Fahmy made international headlines when he and two colleagues were arrested by Egyptian authorities and charged with falsifying news and conspiring with the banned fundamentalist group, the Muslim Brotherhood. He was incarcerated for 438 days alongside ISIS terrorists and jihadists, during which time Egypt's government faced mounting pressure to release the three journalists. In September 2015, the government pardoned Fahmy, allowing him to return to Canada, where he joined UBC's School of Journalism for a term as a visiting professor. How did his incarceration change him personally as well as his views on media control and press freedoms? What role did diplomatic relations play in this case? Recorded January 19, 2016, at the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre in Vancouver, BC. Moderated by Margaret Gallagher, host of CBC Radio One's Hot Air.

After spending more than 400 days in an Egyptian prison, this is Mohamed Fahmy's Back Story.

Ben Rylan looks back at how last week's events in Paris were covered by Monocle 24. Plus tecently released Al-Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy discusses why prison can be the perfect incubator for extremism, the UK's former anti-terror adviser explains why freedom of movement in Europe is effectively over and we visit AFP's Brussels bureau.

In too many countries around the world independent journalists pay a high price for simply doing their job. They risk intimidation, imprisonment or worse. Hardtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to Mohamed Fahmy, the former Al Jazeera English bureau chief in Cairo who was convicted and imprisoned on terrorist charges by the Egyptian government. In his first broadcast interview since being pardoned, Stephen asks him what his message is now he is free to speak.(Photo: Al Jazeera journalist Mohamed Fahmy gives an interview in Cairo after his release from an Egyptian jail. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

In this candid conversation from Egypt, Fahmy discusses the Canadian government's mishandling of his case in more detail than he has previously offered.Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Freelance writer John Semley and food podcaster Jessica Walker discuss Mohamed Fahmy's long-awaited release from Egyptian prison, Chief of Defense Staff General Jon Vance's recent announcement of strategic DND leaks to journalists, and the Polaris Prize Gala. Twitter: @johnsemley3000 Twitter: @foodstuffslife Further reading: Mohamed Fahmy's release:http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/mohamed-fahmy-pardoned-egypt-1.3239822 Weaponization of Public Affairs: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/chief-of-the-defence-staff-gen-jon-vance-and-the-weaponization-of-public-affairs Viet Cong CANADALAND piece by Johnnie Regalado on the Polaris jury - http://canadalandshow.com/article/i-was-polaris-juror-and-it-suckedhttp://exclaim.ca/Music/article/8203not_yours_to_play_with_why_viet_congs_name_offends-hooded_fangs_april_aliermo_on_community_racism_appropriation_of_neighbours_culturehttp://www.chartattack.com/features/2015/09/17/will-viet-cong-change-their-name-at-the-polaris-prize/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/viet_congs_old_band_name_continues_to_stir_controversy_at_polaris_galahttp://www.chartattack.com/features/2015/09/22/viet-cong-polaris-prize-2015/http://www.imposemagazine.com/bytes/chatter/dear-viet-conghttp://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-psutka/viet-cong-dumb-art_b_8177698.htmlSupport CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The media treated Maher Arar like shit. So why hasn't anyone apologized? Ottawa crank and iPolitics writer Andrew Mitrovica discusses this, plus John Baird's empty promises of Mohamed Fahmy's imminent release, and The Globe and Mail's groundbreaking upside down Mercedes Benz advertorials.Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Japanese Nikkei group has bought the Financial Times from publisher Pearson for £844 million. Pearson has also confirmed it's now in talks to sell it's 50 per cent stake in the Economist. Steve Hewlett talks to Douglas McCabe from Enders Analysis about the sale and to David McNeill, the Independent's Japan correspondent and Economist writer about how east-meets-west cultural differences might impact on editorial standards.ITV has reported strong half year profits, despite also reporting its lowest audience numbers for at least 15 years. The group, which is home to shows including Downton Abbey and The X Factor, said its share of Britain's television audience fell 4 per cent to 21 per cent. Despite this, profits rose by 25 per cent. Steve Hewlett asks media consultant Mathew Horsman how this has happened, and finds out more about Sky's results, which are also out today.An Egyptian court is expected to issue a verdict tomorrow on the retrial of three Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy, Baher Mohamed and Peter Greste who were imprisoned for more than a year. They were originally sentenced for spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood. Sue Turton was charged in absentia and sentenced to ten years. She talks to Steve about the retrial and why her sentence has forced her to give up her job as correspondent for Al Jazeera EnglishThe Press Recognition Panel - the body which will look at applications from any press self-regulators who want to apply for recognition under the Royal Charter - has been asking for views on how it can put the Leveson criteria into practice. It's hoping to be able to take applications from September. Chair of the panel David Wolfe QC joins Steve to explain where they're at with the process.

Peter Greste is an award-winning journalist and correspondent. He has worked for a number of news organisations including Reuters and the BBC before joining Al-Jazeera's English news channel. In December 2013 Greste and two Al-Jazeera colleagues, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, were arrested in Cairo on charges that included aiding a terrorist group. Greste was deported after spending 400 days in an Egyptian jail but is still facing criminal charges, alongside Fahmy and Mohamed, in an ongoing trial. On 10 June, Greste joined Lowy Institute Research Director Anthony Bubalo for a conversation on his time in jail, the prospects for Fahmy and Mohamed, Al-Jazeera as a news organisation, and what his experience means for press freedom in Egypt and around the world.

El periodista canadiense Mohamed Fahmy, quien trabajaba para la red Aljazeera cuando fue detenido en El Cairo, Egipto, acusado de ayudar al terrorismo, manifestó esta semana sus temores de no conseguir su libertad definitiva. Fahmy fue detenido junto a los periodistas Peter Greste y Baher Mohamed en diciembre de 2013 mientras cubrían las manifestaciones que estallaron tras la caída del presidente islamista Mohamed Morsi, derrocado por los militares egipcios.

Before he quit his job, Foreign Minister John Baird said Journalist Mohamed Fahmy's release was "imminent". Now Fahmy is set to be retried in Egypt after over a year in prison. John Baird engineered the release of Dr.Tarek Loubani after 50 days detained in the same jail. Bethany Horne asks Loubani about it, and asks the Fahmy family what comes next. Support CANADALAND: https://canadaland.com/joinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two stories this week have raised questions about the relationship between the Royal family and the press. There's been extensive press coverage relating to allegations against Prince Andrew, with national newspapers running front page splashes and lengthy spreads, despite the allegations being unsubstantiated. Furthermore, there has also been controversy surrounding the postponement of a BBC documentary Reinventing the Royals. Andrea Catherwood speaks to the BBC's Royal Correspondent Peter Hunt about the events surrounding Andrew's story. She also hears from Roy Greenslade, Guardian columnist and professor of journalism at City University, about the press coverage, and from Ingrid Seward, royal biographer and editor of Majesty magazine, about how Buckingham palace have reacted.Three Al-Jazeera English journalists, Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, are to be retried but remain in jail, a year on from their original detention. The three were found guilty of spreading false news and supporting the now banned Muslim Brotherhood. So what can we expect from a retrial? Andrea speaks to Sue Turton, presenter and correspondent for Al Jazeera English.It is ten years since the Freedom of Information Act came into being - forcing official bodies to answer questions from the press and the public. More than 400,000 requests have been made, leading to exposes of MPs expenses to A&E ambulance delays. To discuss its impact Andrea is joined by Maurice Frankel, director of campaign for freedom of information; Heather Brooke, professor of journalism at City University and FOI campaigner, and journalist and author Simon Jenkins who is sceptical of total disclosure.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

En este primer día de trabajo de 2015 y tras las celebraciones de fin de año en Canadá, el primer editorial del periódico de circulación nacional, The Globe and Mail, aborda el caso del periodista canadiense injustamente encarcelado en Egipto, Mohamed Fahmy. Este lunes el editorial del Globe and Mail dice que durante mucho tiempo sostuvo que los fiscales egipcios deberían simplemente retirar los cargos de acusación contra Mohamed Fahmy, un periodista que tiene la doble ciudadanía egipcia y canadiense, al igual que los cargos contra sus dos colegas de la red de noticias en inglés Al Jazeera. Los tres periodistas fueron procesados de manera similar y se encuentran desde hace más de un año languidecido en una horrible prisión en Egipto. Mientras tanto, en una decisión necesaria pero insuficiente, la Corte egipcia de casación, que es un tribunal de apelación, ha puesto de lado los veredictos contra los tres hombres y ordenó un nuevo proceso en el lapso de un mes. Los tres periodistas deberían ser ahora por lo menos puestos en libertad bajo fianza.

La prensa canadiense fija su atención este lunes en la suerte de un periodista canadiense encarcelado en Egipto y en el regreso en ese país de las viejas prácticas de represión y corrupción del régimen del dictador militar Hosni Mubarak. Sería prudente para el presidente egipcio, Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi tratar de limpiar por lo menos parte de la mancha que ensucia a su régimen, dice el editorial del Toronto Star. Esto sería posible liberando al periodista egipcio-canadiense Mohamed Fahmy y a sus dos colegas del servicio de noticias Al Jazeera. Ellos han pasado casi un año en la cárcel por hacer su trabajo de periodistas, después de haber sido sometidos a un juicio dudoso bajo la falsa acusación de tratar de desestabilizar el país

For rolling news services, there are tough choices to make in the newsroom over how to cover the MH17 disaster and the conflict in Gaza - which story to prioritise, how to deploy, and which angles to cover. Whilst, for reporters, there are the challenges of verifying stories and working in hostile environments. Steve Hewlett discusses how the news makes it onto our screens, and issues of taste and decency with two heads of newsgathering, Jonathan Munro from the BBC, and Jonathan Levy from Sky News.Al Jazeera English journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been in prison in Egypt for six months. Last month, they were convicted of spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison each. During that same trial, Sue Turton was sentenced to 10 years in absentia. Steve talks to Sue about the guilt she feels as her colleagues serve time in jail, and whether there is any hope of the convictions being overturned.21st Century Fox, which Rupert Murdoch owns, has tried to buy Time Warner, which controls the likes of cable giants HBO and CNN. The offer of 46.6 billion pounds was rejected. It comes at a time when the sale of Sky Italia, owned by 21st Century Fox, and Sky Deutschland, 57 per cent of which is owned by 21st Century Fox, is believed to be imminent, leading to speculation that Rupert Murdoch will use the proceeds of the sale to boost his bid for Time Warner. Claire Enders from Enders Analysis discusses what this could mean for Rupert Murdoch's empire.Producer: Dianne McGregor.

Yesterday, the BBC director general, Tony Hall, announced what he called "the greatest commitment to arts for a generation" with the launch of BBC Arts. What is the future of arts on TV and what can BBC Arts learn from Sky Arts? Joining Steve will be Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of Arts Council England, Gillian Reynolds of The Telegraph and the BBC's new director of arts, Jonty Claypole.Turkey's prime minister Erdogan has carried out his threat to ban Twitter in his country, but what impact has this had and how are journalists getting round this? Political columnist Yavuz Baydar joins Steve from Istanbul.And, as Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste spends another week in jail in Egypt awaiting trial, what are the prospects for his freedom - and can his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed hope to be freed at the same time? Former C4 reporter Sue Turton, now of Al Jazeera, has also been charged, albeit in her absence and she brings Steve up to date.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon TillotsonImage: Jonty Claypool, BBC Director of Arts