The co-founder of the National Arab Institute and the author of the upcoming book “The History We Carry,” Mariam Sallam tells us the story of how one journalist in Gaza sat with Mona, a young girl who had just witnessed her mother being killed by the IDF. The journalist gave the child some crayons and paper, and the trauma and depiction of her mother's killing came out on the makeshift canvas.

From there, the Bulletproof Dreams Exhibit was a mission to bring the most traumatized humans on the planet today, Palestinian children; their art and drawings of their experience under an active genocide, to light. After an exhibit in Turkey, the goal has been to show their stories to American audiences.

Mariam discusses the viral video of the imagined genocide Remembrance Day in 2040, how it impacted social media and what came of it, and how Mariam as a data scientist could no longer pursue 9-5 work amidst the atrocities on these children, and her focus on bringing their stories to light.

Our conversation is wide-ranging, including Mariam's advice for Arabs on how to best serve their culture and roots.

Our links this week:

See the art from Bulletproof Dreams:
https://www.kursungecirmezdusler.com/en/

Help support bringing Bulletproof Dreams to the US and tell the childrens' stories:
https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/bulletproof_dreams_gaza_child_painters_exhibit?src=3055904

Our guest Mariam Sallam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msallam227/

Thanks for listening to Arabs in Media, and independent podcast and Substack, and remember, habibi, genocide is always wrong.

-Hazem Jamal

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

What can possibly go wrong when you tell Arab voters "Trump will be worse, so STFU"?

Arabs in Media interviews Abdelhalim Abdelrahman, a Palestinian political analyst and journalist who covers Palestinian affairs and the broader Middle East. Based in Dearborn, the epicenter of Arab politics, culture and Arab life in Michigan, the podcast discusses the polls and visceral mood of Arab voters in Michigan - pretty much the most crucial swing state that could decide the election.

It could all come down to the 200,000+ Arab voters in SouthEast Michigan, a margin larger than Biden's win in 2020.

Polls aside, we discuss with Abdel the mood, where he sees outcomes in Michigan, and the realities on the ground regardless of who wins.

Abdel shares the dynamics of the Palestinian cause, the significant addition of Lebanon to the list of countries Israel is bombing, and how that and the affects the political landscape in Michigan of a diverse population led by the largest Iraqi community in the US. (Fans of the Cheneys, they aren't).

Does Kamala Harris have any wherewithal or time left to save Michigan? What does that need to look like, or is it too late?

We share the critiques of Kamala Harris's campaign and the Democratic Party's policy toward Arab and Muslim American voters. How much of this has been an OWN GOAL, and avoidable?

Join us for a fascinating discussion you won't hear in corporate media. And the "shout out" segment at the end is so heartfelt and impactful, it must be shared.

About our guest:

Abdelhalim Abdelrahman is a Palestinian political analyst and journalist who covers Palestinian affairs and the broader Middle East. His work has been featured in Foreign Policy Magazine, The Hill, The New Arab, Responsible Statecraft, and Antiwar. Abdelhalim is a graduate from Michigan State University where he double-majored in International Relations and Political Theory. He obtained a Master's Degree in International Relations from American University.

Abdelhalim's X/Twitter:

https://x.com/AbdelA1924

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

Arabs in Media explores the controversy surrounding acclaimed author Ta-Nehisi Coates and his interview on CBS This Morning to discuss his new book The Messenger.

The episode exposes the bias of institutional media outlets, which, in the past, often went unchallenged for their narratives, style, and side swipes on figures like Coates.

Coates, known for his thought-provoking books like Between the World and Me and The Water Dancer, has often challenged the narratives around race, history, and identity in America. We discuss the roots of the controversy of the interview with CBS based on Coates experience witnessing apartheid in the occupied territories of Palestine and Israel, and we unpack the internal fallout at CBS, and the political and racial factors a part of that interview.

Thanks for supporting independent media, join the conversation at the Arabs in Media Substack.

Special thanks to co-host on this episode to Najwa Jamal

Remember, habibi, genocide is always wrong.

Hazem Jamal

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years. After witnessing limited voices and shrinking consumption in linear media, Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer a platform for fresh stories, information, and entertainment.

To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch