Episode 39 - “This nightmare” was created due to Europe’s antisemitism | Ghada Karmi | UNAPOLOGETIC
“It’s left me with a deep and simmering anger against the western powers who imposed this nightmare on us.”Palestinian physician, author and Nakba survivor Ghada Karmi joins UNAPOLOGETIC to speak about how her life has been shaped by exile and how, as she tried to find a new home in the UK, she was confronted by experiences that enhanced her desire to reconnect with her Palestinian identity and eventually made her want to embrace a life where she lived in service of liberating Palestinians from Zionist occupation.She also reflects on the current unfolding genocide in Gaza, what she calls Arab and western complicity and how this event will traumatise future generations of Palestinians Chapters0:00 Intro and context setup 2:00 Two Nakbas, 77 years apart 4:32 Predicting 7 October’s logic 8:09 Fleeing Jerusalem in 1948 14:46 Remembering home, dog, Fatima 17:29 Life as a refugee child 21:28 1967 war changed everything 27:19 Reclaiming identity through activism 29:16 Visiting her old home 34:04 Learning the deeper history 43:58 Zionism’s effect on region 44:54 Arab states and complicity 55:57 The one-state vision today 1:09:00 Final reflections
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1:13:11
Episode 38 - What I’ve learnt by organising 20 months of anti-genocide protests| Ben Jamal | UNAPOLOGETIC
Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, joins UNAPOLOGETIC for a wide-ranging conversation about who has been complicit for the genocide in Gaza, the global shift in rhetoric, and what it takes to organise 20 months of continous mass protest across the UK.He unpacks the gap between what Western governments say and what they do - from condemning Israeli actions as “indefensible” while continuing to arm them, to criminalising peaceful protesters demanding justice. Jamal also reflects on his arrest and upcoming trial, the police’s systematic efforts to repress the movement, and why those tactics have failed to break the solidarity movement.In deeply personal moments, Jamal shares the story of his Palestinian father, his own political awakening, and what it has meant to sustain this movement through exhaustion, grief and hope.We ask: What does the future look like for Gaza? For Palestinian liberation? And for a world that has tolerated so much horror in real time?Chapters:00:00 Intro03:12 Shifts in media and government10:01 Words mean nothing without action15:30 Divestment wins and public pressure21:12 The arrest: what happened27:03 How police target protests32:47 BBC march and police trap38:55 Criminalised for peaceful protest44:11 Holding a movement together49:35 Building a resistance community54:20 Ben’s Palestinian family story1:00:07 Organising through trauma and grief1:05:05 Family, kids and solidarity1:10:10 What happens to Gaza now1:14:58 Will Palestinians be erased?1:20:10 Movement grows through genocide1:26:30 What keeps Ben going1:32:10 Final reflections
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1:34:39
Episode 37 - Why the Crusades occurred and what is their legacy | Roy Casagranda | UNAPOLOGETIC
What were the Crusades really about - and why do they still matter today?In this deep-dive episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, historian and political scientist Professor Roy Casagranda comes back to the show to unpack the history, legacy and weaponisation of the Crusades. We begin by exploring why Jerusalem holds such profound spiritual and political importance to Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and how that shared reverence resulted in periods where the city was pluralistic and multicultural, and other periods where it was subject to conquest, ethnic cleansing, colonisation and occupation. From the First Crusade and the fall of Jerusalem, to the leadership of Salahuddin, to the devastation of the Mongol invasions, Roy walks us through a thousand-year arc of conflict, ideology and empire. But this isn’t just about the past.We examine how the logic of the Crusades impacts our current political landscape and geopolitics. Was the partition of the Middle East by colonial powers after World War I an extension of the Crusades? What about the War on Terror, drone strikes and ongoing Western interventions in the Muslim world?UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq Carim. Chapters0:00 Intro collage 3:00 Why Jerusalem matters 7:40 Jewish roots and the Temple 12:20 Rise of Christianity 17:00 Islam and early rule 21:40 Muslim rule of Jerusalem 26:20 What triggered the Crusades 31:00 The call to crusade (1095) 35:40 Norman warriors and motives 40:20 The first massacres 45:00 Taking Jerusalem (1099) 49:40 Crusader brutality revealed 54:20 Crusader states form 59:00 Muslim response builds 1:03:40 Zengi, Nur ad-Din and resistance 1:08:20 Rise of Salahuddin 1:13:00 Egypt campaigns begin 1:17:40 Salahuddin becomes wazir 1:22:20 The Fatimids fall 1:27:00 Power struggles with Nur ad-Din 1:31:40 Salahuddin unifies Syria 1:36:20 The peace treaty 1:41:00 Breaking the peace 1:45:40 Battle of Hattin 1:50:20 Retaking Jerusalem 1:55:00 The Third Crusade begins 1:59:40 Legacy of the Crusades 2:04:20 The fifth Crusade? 2:09:00 Zionism as settler project 2:13:40 Clash of civilizations 2:18:20 Anti-Arab hatred in the West 2:23:00 Demographic shifts and Gen Z
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Is China ready to lead the world? | Victor Goa | UNAPOLOGETIC
In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, Chinese political analyst Victor Gao joins UNAPOLOGETIC for a wide-ranging and often conflictual discussion about China's global image, western condescension towards it, human rights and democracy,Gao, a former translator for Deng Xiaoping and a vocal defender of the Chinese state, argues that China is a force for stability, free trade, and development - and rejects western narratives around repression in places like Xinjiang and Tibet.He is challenged on China's human rights record, especially concerning the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The clash exposes fundamental differences in how each views evidence, legitimacy, and sovereignty.Also discussed:- How does representation and governance work in China?- Why is China rising while liberal democracies fragment?- Can China be trusted as a global leader?UNAPOLOGETIC is hosted by Ashfaaq CarimThis episode was filmed on 14 May 2025.Chapters00:00 Intro04:15 Why the West misunderstands China08:30 China’s view on democracy and modernisation12:10 The century of humiliation16:00 Is criticism of China racist?19:50 Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang: the one China argument24:30 Pushing back on human rights violations29:00 “You are my enemy”: dissent and denial33:45 China’s stance on Palestine and Gaza38:00 Democracy in China: consensual vs confrontational44:00 Can China handle more free speech?50:30 Xi Jinping’s legacy and global role55:00 Winning global trust
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Episode 35 - The West Is collapsing under its own lies | Yanis Varoufakis | UNAPOLOGETIC
“A mixture of stupidity and nastiness… The liberal establishment is primarily responsible for the genocide of the Palestinians.” In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, Yanis Varoufakis unleashes a fierce critique of Western liberalism, and tells us why he feels that the global system is in crisis.This episode explores the facade of Western moral superiority, the role of empire past and present, how liberal hypocrisy has given rise to fascism, the climate crisis, Gaza and why Varoufakis places his hope in the Global South.UNAPOLOGETIC is Hosted by Ashfaaq CarimChapters00:00 Intro02:01 Western civilisation and its hypocrisy 04:57 Gaza, genocide and colonial legacies 10:59 2008: The collapse of capitalism 17:28 Technofeudalism and the rise of cloud capital 20:06 Trump’s tariffs and the new Nixon shock 25:18 Liberal complicity in Gaza 30:55 Europe’s civil liberties crackdown 34:59 Palestine and the loss of moral resistance 39:19 Why protesters lack hope in the West 44:56 China vs. Russia: A critical distinction 50:02 China’s authoritarianism vs. local democracy 54:42 Climate collapse and cloud capital 58:46 Organising after collapse: What’s the alternative? 01:01:51 "Another Now": Varoufakis' vision for change
UNAPOLOGETIC is a show that unapologetically looks at the life, times and views of some unapologetic and not so unapologetic humans. Hosted by Ashfaaq Carim
Australia