56: Syria after al-Assad with Leila al-Shami

Almost 10 months have passed since the unexpected collapse of the Assad regime last December. Since then Syria has passed through several sectarian flareups, relentless terrorising from Israel, as well as attempted to take its place in a “New Middle East”, under the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa. A couple of months ago, Edgar spoke to Leila al-Shami, activist and author of “Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War”, on these topics and more. Despite the time that has passed since the recording, we still find al-Shami’s comments and analyses highly relevant, and hope that you will too. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump calls it a peace plan. For Palestinians in Gaza, it's a fatal farce. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the last two days as Israel conducted air strikes, ostensibly as a retaliation against Hamas' alleged violations of the ceasefire. But the reality is different. Muhammad Shehada is a Palestinian analyst, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and a dear friend of the pod. We speak about Netanyahu's long leash and the complex nature of reality in Gaza. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There is an alleged ceasefire in Gaza, despite the fact that Israel has continued to bomb the strip. Sam and Edgar analyse the Israeli, US and Palestinian positions in this situation.Image: Palestinians using bulldozers to dig out the bodies of Israeli captives presumed killed in air strikes.To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is in Swedish, featuring the journalist and writer Göran Rosenberg. I dagens avsnitt, som spelades in den 25 september 2025 inför en publik på Bokmässan, berättar författaren och journalisten Göran Rosenberg om sin syn på dagens utvecklingen i Israel och Palestina. Hans bok Det förlorade landet utkommer på engelska – "Israel, a Personal History" den 7 oktober 2025. Rosenberg är inte optimistisk inför framtiden och hävdar att det inte finns något alternativ till att israeler och palestinier arbetar tillsammans för en gemensam framtid. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has taken effect. Israeli forces have withdrawn to an agreed upon borderline and a hostage/prisoner exchange will commence within 72 hours. While we are overjoyed at the prospect of some respite for the suffering population of Gaza, we dedicate this episode to answering the prescient question of, What now? Sam and Edgar analyse the ceasefire agreement and the day after. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Nepal to Peru to Morocco, Gen Z'ers are rising up – and yes, they are connected. In September 2025, 8 women died in childbirth in an badly funded hospital in the southern coastal city of Agadir. This sparked outrage, especially since Morocco is currently investing millions if not billions in building stadiums and arenas for the upcoming football World Cup. The climate crisis and the genocide in Gaza also play into this popular eruption. Tahani Brahma is a Moroccan human rights activist and was kind enough to speak to us to explain what is going on.Cover photo: Christine Leuhusen. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The leaders of Israel and the US have concocted a 20 point peace deal for Gaza. The US president Donald Trump has said that Hamas has 72 hours to accept the proposal or he will let his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, do whatever he wants – a terrifying prospect. In today's episode, Sam and Edgar examine the deal and analyse its impact.*We are aware of the fact that “Bibi Vader” makes no sense but it simply sounds much funnier than “Darth BibiTo support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Several European countries have threatened to boycott Eurovision if Israel is permitted to participate, the Israeli economy is suffering from the genocidal war, Israeli military personnel estimates that 10% of Gaza's population are casualties of the war and the ground invasion of Gaza has officially begun. Sam and Edgar discuss these developments and their political implications. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcastFollow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israel targeted the Hamas leadership residing in US ally of Qatar in an airstrike which killed several low level members of Hamas but largely failed in its mission. What does this mean for the larger regional conflict and how will the US react? Sam and Edgar discuss these issues, as well as a piece of very funny Swedish news. To support us, go to patreon.com/kalampodcast Follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is the role of Palestinian artists during the genocide in Gaza? For Palestinian curator Ahmed al-Alaqra it is not about glorifying cultural symbolism like the watermelon. In fact, artistic institutions should shut their doors."Burn the thawbs, destroy the watermelon."This episode was recorded in the summer of 2024 in Sirdab studios in Ramallah, on the occupied West Bank.If you enjoy Kalam Podcast and want to support the show, there is an excellent way to do so - by signing up to our Patreon. For just $3/month you'll gain access to full length interviews with all our guests and lots of bonus material - including our series Kalam Shorts: 10-15 explainers of concepts like Zionism and Orientalism. Join at patreon.com/kalampodcast (https://www.patreon.com/kalampodcast) For continuous updates on the podcast and content about Palestine and the Middle East, follow us on Instagram @kalampodcast (https://www.instagram.com/kalampodcast/) Please subscribe to Kalam Podcast in whatever podcast application you're listening to right now - and give us a rating. It helps other people find out about us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.