The Unscripted Revolution

TRIGGER WARNING: This episode is heavy and talks about sexual and other physical forms of violence, racism, sexism, and psychological torture.

Kefaya Khraim is a passionate advocate for human rights, particularly women’s rights, and is currently exploring Israeli crimes that discriminate against women and girls, with a focus on detainees inside Israeli prisons and the sexual violence they experience under Israeli occupation.

Dr Mohamed from Rebuild Gaza 24 talks about how dire the humanitarian crisis is in Gaza and says it's not a crisis of humanity - it's a crisis of the lack of humanity.

Caeleinn Hogan talks about the book, Republic of Shame, and the mother and baby homes in Ireland - and the culture that produced the State's methods of "disappearing" unwanted people.

White supremacy is not merely sustained by white individuals but is deeply embedded in social, economic, and political systems that strategically co-opt POC. By analysing historical and contemporary examples, we see how whiteness employs people of colour to maintain its power. Understanding these mechanisms allows us to challenge them, fostering true racial justice and equity. Only through collective awareness and resistance can we dismantle these structures and work towards a more just society.

The Warhammer franchise, spanning tabletop games, novels, and video games, has cultivated a massive and passionate global fanbase. With its deep lore, expansive universes, and strategic gameplay, Warhammer has captivated millions. However, as with many gaming and geek culture spaces, Warhammer's communities are not immune to issues of misogyny and racism. These problems manifest in various ways, from exclusionary attitudes and gatekeeping to outright harassment and discriminatory rhetoric.

Warhammer, particularly Warhammer 40,000 (40K), has long been perceived as a male-dominated hobby. From its inception in the 1980s, the game has largely focused on hyper-masculine themes, with its primary factions emphasising war, brutality, and conquest. The grimdark aesthetic of 40K, which promotes dystopian authoritarianism and militarism, has often attracted a certain subset of fans who misinterpret these themes as endorsements rather than critiques. This has led to an exclusionary culture where women and marginalised groups are often viewed as outsiders or even unwelcome intruders.

One of the primary ways to address period poverty is by ensuring that menstrual products are affordable and accessible to everyone. Some countries, such as Scotland and Aotearoa, have made strides in providing free sanitary products in schools and public spaces. Making menstrual products exempt from sales taxes is another critical step, as is reducing the price of sanitary products for low-income individuals.

The Palestinian keffiyeh has become a universal symbol of resistance and solidarity. It started as a piece of clothing worn by farmers, but history turned it into something much bigger. It represents defiance against oppression, a call for freedom, and a connection between struggles across different communities. 

Cleanliness, as both a physical and moral concept, has long been entwined with racialised discourses that reinforce systems of power and hierarchy. From colonial frameworks to modern social practices, the politics of cleanliness intersect with notions of race, class, and identity, perpetuating inequalities in subtle and overt ways. The historical roots, socio-political implications, and contemporary manifestations of the racialised politics of cleanliness highlight how these narratives continue to shape societal perceptions and lived experiences.

Elianne, known as Twitchy Witch on social media, has recently completed her PhD in Palestinian identity through hip-hop culture, and we talk about Palestine, identity, resistance, and alchemy.

It's not that he's autistic. He's just racist.

They say “not all men” as it will absolve men of being the number one perpetrator of violence over every other population in the world - other men, women, nonbinary and trans folk, and children. So not all men, you say? Well, it’s 70,000 of them. There are group chats of over 70,000 men giving each other tips on how to rape women - including their partners. And nothing is being done about it.

Have you ever wondered why school and university subjects that are seen as universal are taught in colonial languages? Mathematics, sciences, economics and the like are seen as historically and theoretically neutral (which they’re not) and English. French, Spanish, and Portuguese, among other European languages, are seen as neutral languages, which they are not either.

Fatphobia is a pervasive and harmful form of discrimination that affects people's physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. It is crucial to recognise that body diversity is natural, and a person's worth is not determined by their size.

While there are celebrities who do the work silently and in a real capacity rather than for show, and some use their platforms to raise funds, it’s all too little when you look at the amount of influence and money these people actually have.

Having control over the resources in the region would enable capitalist exploitation and bargaining power on the world economic stage. 

The idea that individuals can solve poverty is a myth. It lies in the hands of the powerful who have the ability to stop hoarding wealth, exploiting people and resources, and fueling discord among the most vulnerable people. 

Ultimately, It comes down to the unwillingness of the West to let go of its capitalist and imperialist hold on the Global South. 

I interview Dr Jill Ellen Stein, an American physician, activist, and politician. She is currently running for president in the 2024 United States presidential election and is the only candidate who is advocating for an end to the Israeli apartheid occupation of Palestine.

Welcome to Season 7! I can't believe we are here already. We kick off the season chatting with Palestinian Haya Tamimi, who is heading up a petition to invoke Article 6 of the UN Charter that removes any party that does not work in the organisation in the spirit of freedom and self-determination - in this case, the US.

I interview Sam Masri and an activist known as Rebel about Syria's history of occupation and its brutal war against the Syrian people led by the Al-Assad family.

There are queer Palestinians. The Israeli army boasting that the first time the Pride flag being flown in Gaza was by them in 2023’s invasion is ignorant at best and a dangerous narrative at worst, assuming that queer people inside Palestine are only at risk from their own.

Growing up amid conflict and displacement can lead to a fractured sense of identity and belonging, which is actively being targeted by Israel and its allies with Palestinian cultural and historical erasure being part of the Israeli agenda.

Home is where we feel we belong, where we’re accepted, and where we can just be ourselves. And we have to understand that under our current realities, the most marginalised people all over the world are denied that sense of home even in our own homes and countries.

Pro-Palestinian campus groups have for years called on their institutions to support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, as a means of pushing back against Israel. No US university has ever committed to the BDS framework, although some have cut specific financial ties in the past.

I speak with Hani Mahmoud, Gaza's war correspondent for Al Jazeera, about the state of journalism and the genocide in Gaza.

Social media enables Palestinians to share videos about the realities they experience and they have experienced success in getting the attention of many international communities.

I speak with Sundus Hammad, coordinator of the Right to Education Campaign, who says Palestinian education is under attack but the more aware we become, the more we can resist Israel's occupation and scholasticide.

Nez Reign from the GBA Podcast in Germany and I chat about Palestine, journalism, gender identity, and Abu Obeida. 

It was more than seventy years ago that United Nations member states approved the Genocide Convention born out of the desire to ensure that “never again” would any person face the horror of genocide. Since then, we have seen that the world is not free from the threat and reality of the “odious scourge” of genocide as laid out in the document. More than 20 genocides have taken place since the convention was signed and there are three that we know of happening currently - in Palestine, the Congo, and Sudan.

If the Times wanted to serve its readers and the world, especially in this volatile time, it would launch a transparent investigation into this botched article, the biggest failure of journalism at the newspaper since Judith Miller’s infamous and discredited articles on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2002 and 2003. Just as Miller regurgitated war propaganda on behalf of the Bush administration, the Times is now serving as a mouthpiece for Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet and Joe Biden as his lapdog. But there’s little chance the Times will come clean about this latest fiasco. 

I can safely say that while I believe women regardless - sometimes to my detriment - I do not believe the Israeli government, media, and military.

There are mixed feelings and has been much analysis on why it’s either a success or failure or both. Presiding Judge Joan Donoghue said the court was acutely aware of the extent of the human tragedy unfolding in the region and is deeply concerned about the continuing loss of life and human suffering and that some allegations against Israel fall within the provisions of the Genocide Convention and acknowledged that “Gaza has become a place of death and despair”.

Intersections of privilege and oppression play a large part in the current genocide of the Palestinian people and the rhetoric surrounding it.

In Germany’s eternal search for atonement, it has instead found further imperialism that does not atone for its genocidal past - it feeds into colonialist aims that are built on the eradication of a people that have wanted nothing but self-determination. 

The challenges faced by journalists in Palestine serve as a stark reminder of the importance of protecting this fundamental right worldwide. A free press is not only essential for the people in the region but also for fostering understanding and empathy on a global scale.

"My heart is cut into pieces." This is just one of the heartbreaking things Gazan journalist Ahmed Ghanim said to me as we spoke about the state of Gaza and his work as a journalist in the area, where journalists are being killed at an unprecedented rate.

The reason they look for a scapegoat is simple. Whiteness is fragile and indefinable - it is constantly shifting and evolving to current and sometimes future needs and white privilege evolves with it.

Roshan Dadoo explains the meaning of Boycott, divestment, and sanctions, as well as the political landscape of South Africa's relationship with Israel and Palestine.

I interviewed the physician and representative of the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, about the current situation in Gaza.

Extended families come with great strengths. An extended family is one or more families in a supporting web. The prevalence of extended families living together meant that things that took a village to do meant families had a village to do it with. When colonisation takes hold of our communities, the multigenerational home and our ways of living have been and are destroyed for whiteness and Western ways of living.

In the occupied Palestinian territory, Palestinian women and girls endure systemic discrimination, human rights violations, and the harsh consequences of occupation, with specific gender-related repercussions. These challenges are exacerbated by occupation policies such as expanding settlements, eviction threats, house demolitions (especially in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank), and the 15-year blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Trans Narrative Podcast and The Bipolar Feminist speak to Ross Cheetham about the church, communism, and queerness. On a personal note, Ross is a friend whom I love dearly and is an integral part of this Patreon community and my life as a whole. He is, to this day, the longest-subscribing Patron of The Bipolar Feminist.

Israel is the symbolic bastion of colonial thought, sentiment, and action. A physical reminder to the global south that we are not safe from imperialism. An imperialist-colonialist project in its very essence, from its inception to its current execution.

It’s sometimes a feeling of suddenly becoming an observer of my own speech and actions. It’s sometimes hearing voices. In some cases, the voices accompany multiple streams of thought and it feels like everywhere is loud, no matter where I turn and I have no control over it.

I interviewed horror writer Vaughn A. Jackson, who is working on an anthology of short stories written entirely by marginalised people in the horror genre.