Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast
Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast/node/2606616/media
Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast
The show delivers weekly episodes that bring American headlines closer to home, in a voice that speaks directly to the region. (Supplied)
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Arab News
Asharq to bridge US-Arab divide with new Arabic politics podcast
America Bi Lahjetna (“America in Our Dialects”) is the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital
Hosted by Hiba Nasr, Zena Ibrahim, Kareem Yousry, and Azouz Allilou, the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight
Updated 31 sec ago
Arab News
RIYADH: From the heart of Washington DC, Asharq Podcasts launches America Bi Lahjetna, which translates to “America in Our Dialects”, the first journalist-led Arabic-language political podcast produced in the US capital. The show delivers weekly episodes that bring American headlines closer to home, in a voice that speaks directly to the region.
Hosted by Hiba Nasr (Bureau Chief), Zena Ibrahim (Reporter and Producer), Kareem Yousry (Reporter and Producer), and Azouz Allilou (Reporter and Producer), the show dives into American political developments with fresh, localized insight. Each episode moves beyond the headlines to draw meaningful connections to the realities, concerns, and interests of Arab audiences across the region — precisely when and where it matters most.
In line with growing demand for content that feels less formal, simpler, and more conversational, America Bi Lahjetna moves away from traditional news delivery. Instead, it offers a smart, approachable format that reflects how today’s audiences, especially younger listeners — consume political content: through relatable voices, contextual storytelling, and accessible language.
“This podcast isn’t about translating the news, it’s about explaining why it matters to us,” said Hiba Nasr, Asharq’s Washington Bureau Chief.
“Every week, we unpack the headlines that dominate the American conversation and connect them to the Arab world, politically, emotionally, and strategically. From our base in Washington, we bring clarity to a chaotic media landscape and give our region both a window into and a voice within US political discourse. That’s what makes America Bi Lahjetna different. We’re not observers. We’re participants.”
In its first episodes, the team breaks down some of the most pressing stories in US politics, offering Arab audiences’ critical context often missing from international coverage, and linking Washington’s decisions to their regional implications.
Screening of ‘Rewriting Arab News’ documentary held at EU Embassy in Riyadh
Film focuses on relaunch of Ƶ’s first English-language daily and its coverage of the Kingdom’s reforms
EU Ambassador: “You are part of Vision 2030 and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Ƶ”
Faisal J. Abbas: “This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country”
Updated 01 July 2025
Arab News
RIYADH: A special screening of the documentary “Rewriting Arab News” took place at the EU Embassy in Riyadh on Tuesday as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Ƶ’s first English-language newspaper.
The film, presented by the London-based Global Arab Network, sheds light on the 2018 relaunch of Arab News, at a time when the Kingdom itself was transforming.
A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Ƶ and other notable guests, including Saudi dignitaries, diplomats, policymakers, media industry professionals, and staff of the Arab News Riyadh bureau.
Speaking at the ceremony, Christophe Farnaud, the EU ambassador to Ƶ, said: “It’s a great pleasure to be here with you on … the 50th anniversary of Arab News.”
He added: “You don’t just cover the news; you also analyze them. You decipher what’s going on in the world, in the Kingdom, in the region. And you also allow dialogue and comments. And you are an open space, which I think every country needs.
“And I think it comes at the very right time, right now in the Kingdom. So, when you are also part of Vision 2030 and I must say this new Ƶ and many of you in this room are an embodiment of this new Ƶ.
A ceremony, held in honor of Arab News, was attended by European ambassadors to Ƶ and other notable guests. (AN Photo)
“It is something that we not just support, but also, admire, in a way, my European colleagues, they came tonight in numbers — I think would share what I’ve just said.
“Once again I want to congratulate you and your team at Arab News for your work.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas said: “On behalf of the Arab News family, we wish to extend our gratitude to the EU ambassador in the Kingdom for hosting this screening occasion as part of our 50th anniversary celebrations this year.
“This documentary tells a small — albeit an exciting — chapter in the history of our newspaper and the country as it accounts for an exciting and transformative period in our country’s progress.
“Of course, Arab News would have not been where it is today without the hard work, passion and dedication of my predecessor editors in chief, and of course, not without our founders — the Hafez Brothers — who started the newspaper in 1975.”
Part of the documentary is narrated by Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former Saudi ambassador to the US, who in the film delves into the paper’s origins.
Arab News’ Editor-in-Chief Faisal Abbas. (AN photo)
Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz under the slogan to give Arabs a voice in English while documenting the major transformations taking place across the Middle East.
In April 2018, Arab News changed its 43-year-old logo with a new one as well as its motto to “The Voice of a Changing Region.” The newspaper relaunched with a new design and a new approach to stories that it believed was better suited to the internet age.
In June, an event hosted by the Global Arab Network at the Frontline Club in London paid tribute to Arab News and its founders by screening a preview of the documentary for leading editors, reporters, diplomats, and analysts.
Asked following Tuesday’s screening whether he believed the documentary reflected the changes that had been taking place in the region, EU Ambassador Farnaud said: “I would say even more. I mean, it’s one of the embodiments of these changes.
“The Kingdom is undergoing incredible changes. And so is Arab News. And I particularly appreciated, by the way, the historical dimension when it was created in 1975, that was also a project corresponding to the new role of the Kingdom, in a way.
“And yes, now the Kingdom has entered a new phase, a spectacular phase of transformation. And we see that Arab News, in its own ways, is also going through a huge phase of transformation and a successful one at that.
“I was really impressed.”
Also responding to the film, Saudi philanthropist Ameera Al-Taweel said: “A lot of the transformational story for Arab News reminded me of the transformation that was happening in Ƶ back in 2015, 2016 to get to Vision 2030.
Arab News was established in Jeddah in 1975 by brothers Hisham and Mohammed Ali Hafiz. (AN Photo)
“It was right around that time that Arab News was also transforming. It’s very interesting how it aligned with a youthful leader (Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) who was injecting a lot of changes, believing in the younger generation, believing in keeping the legacy, but building on it.
“So a lot of what I saw in Vision 2030 and of course, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, you see it happening in the private sector or the public sector, even in the journalism sector, and the transformations that have that are happening in it.”
Although she only moved to the region in the spring, Ville Linnala, deputy head of mission at the Embassy of Finland, said the film raised pertinent issues.
“I have been in Riyadh and Ƶ since May 5, so I’m very fairly fresh in the region, but I can really see these issues that were mentioned and raised in the documentary,” she said.
“For example, of course, when it comes to women’s rights and all these kinds of things, and with the Saudi Vision 2030 happening and moving forward.
“It was really, really, really interesting to see. I enjoyed this documentary a lot, so much.”
“Rewriting Arab News” is a short film about the newspaper’s relaunch and digital transformation between 2016 and 2018, presented by Global Arab Network.
The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of LeMan magazine editors
Updated 01 July 2025
AFP
ISTANBUL: Clashes erupted in Istanbul Monday with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas to break up an angry mob after allegations that a satirical magazine had published a blasphemous cartoon, an AFP correspondent said.
The incident occurred after Istanbul’s chief prosecutor ordered the arrest of the editors at LeMan magazine on grounds it had published a cartoon which “publicly insulted religious values.”
“The chief public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the publication of a cartoon in the June 26, 2025 issue of LeMan magazine that publicly insults religious values, and arrest warrants have been issued for those involved,” the prosecutor’s office said.
As the news broke, several dozen angry protesters attacked a bar often frequented by LeMan staffers in downtown Istanbul, provoking angry scuffles with police, an AFP correspondent said.
The scuffles quickly degenerated into clashes involving between 250 to 300 people, the correspondent said.
In several posts on X, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said police had arrested the cartoonist responsible for “this vile drawing”, the magazine's graphic designer and two other staffers.
Police had also taken over the magazine’s offices on Istiklal Avenue and arrest warrants had been issued for several other of the magazine's executives, presidential press aide Fahrettin Altin wrote on X.
In a string of posts on X, LeMan defended the cartoon and said it had been deliberately misinterpreted to cause a provocation.
“The cartoonist wanted to portray the righteousness of the oppressed Muslim people by depicting a Muslim killed by Israel, he never intended to belittle religious values,” it said.
Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said an investigation had been opened on grounds of “publicly insulting religious values.”
“Disrespect toward our beliefs is never acceptable,” he wrote on X.
Istanbul governor Davut Gul also lashed out at “this mentality that seeks to provoke society by attacking our sacred values.
“We will not remain silent in the face of any vile act targeting our nation's faith,” he warned.
Media watchdog CPJ demands answers over Syria journalist’s arrest
Kurdish journalist Hassan Zaza was taken from his home by security forces to an unknown location on Friday
Zaza was detained on security concerns, not connected to his journalistic work, officials says
Updated 01 July 2025
AFP
BEIRUT: A press freedom NGO expressed concern on Monday over the detention of a Syrian Kurdish journalist who was arrested days earlier in Damascus by the new government’s security forces.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Syrian authorities to disclose the reason for the detention of Kurdish journalist Hassan Zaza, who was taken from his home by security forces to an unknown location early on Friday,” the CPJ said in a statement.
“Syrian authorities must immediately disclose Zaza’s whereabouts, ensure his safety, and drop any charges related to his journalistic activities,” the NGO’s regional director Sara Qudah said in the statement.
Syria’s new Islamist authorities took power after ousting longtime ruler Bashar Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war.
The CPJ said that after Assad’s overthrow, Zaza had returned to Damascus from northeast Syria, which is controlled by a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration.
According to the group, Zaza runs a news website and had also worked with a television channel that supports the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned in neighboring Turkiye — a key ally of the new authorities.
The statement said Syrian information ministry official Mohammad Al-Saleh confirmed Zaza’s arrest and told the group that the move was “related to security concerns and not connected to his journalistic work.”
Saleh was not authorized to share further details because the matter was being investigated, the CPJ statement said.
“If nothing is found, he will likely be released this week,” Saleh said, according to the statement.
Qudah said that Zaza’s “secret detention... reflects a nationwide pattern of press intimidation.”
Assad’s December ouster ended decades of his family’s rule in Syria, during which press freedom was heavily curtailed and the media became a tool of those in power.
According to the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, since Assad’s toppling, journalists’ “newfound freedom remains fragile due to ongoing political instability and mounting economic pressures.”
Palestinian journalist among those killed in Israeli strike on Gaza seaside cafe
Prominent Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was among dozens injured in the strike
Updated 01 July 2025
Arab News
DUBAI: Palestinian photojournalist and filmmaker Ismail Abu Hatab was among at least 30 people killed in an Israeli strike on a seafront cafe in Gaza.
Al-Baqa Cafe, located along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast, was a popular gathering spot for journalists, activists, students, and remote workers seeking internet access and a place to charge their devices. It was hit by an Israeli airstrike on Monday morning.
Among the victims was 33-year-old Abu Hatab, known for curating photo exhibitions abroad that documented the horrors of life in Gaza, including “Between the Sky and the Sea,” an immersive photography show recently displayed in Los Angeles.
Frans Alsalmi, a digital artist from Gaza, was also among the casualties.
Meanwhile, prominent Palestinian journalist Bayan Abu Sultan was among dozens injured in the strike.
In response to the attack, Husam Zomlot, Palestinian ambassador to the UK, said: “The erasure of Palestinian journalists and influencers continues unabated. But their words and their art will bear eternal witness to this genocide.”
The Government Media Office in Gaza has confirmed that the death of Abu Hatab raised the number of journalists killed since Oct. 7 to 228.
It condemned “in the strongest terms the systematic assassination of Palestinian journalists in Gaza.”
It also called on international journalist federations and media organizations to demand accountability for the targeting of Palestinian journalists.
The Israel Defense Forces did not issue a public statement about the strike. However, it told CNN that the strike targeted “several Hamas terrorists in the northern Gaza Strip. Prior to the strike, steps were taken to mitigate the risk of harming civilians using aerial surveillance.”
Israeli parliament committee advances expulsion of Arab Israeli parliamentarian over social media post
Knesset members vote to advance impeachment proceeding against Ayman Odeh, who said Monday’s vote was proof they ‘hate us more than they love democracy’
Motion based on January post in which Odeh welcomed the release of Palestinian prisoners as part of a hostage exchange with Hamas
Updated 30 June 2025
Arab News
LONDON: An Israeli parliamentary committee has advanced a motion to expel Arab-Israeli Knesset member Ayman Odeh over a social media post in which he called for freedom for Israelis and Palestinians.
Odeh, a veteran member of the Knesset and head of the Hadash-Ta’al party, faced a second hearing on Monday. In a heated session, lawmakers, including members of the opposition Yesh Atid and National Unity parties, voted 14-2 in favor of advancing impeachment proceedings.
“The opposition crossed a red line today,” Odeh said in a statement after the vote. “Instead of fighting the Kahanist government, it collaborated with them in crushing democratic space. Some of them hate us more than they love democracy.
“This is not an opposition — it is a coalition in disguise. And this is the final signature on the Nation-State Law,” he said, referring to the 2018 legislation that officially defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
The motion targeted a January post in which Odeh welcomed the release of Palestinian security prisoners as part of a hostage exchange deal with Hamas.
“I’m happy to see the hostages and prisoners released,” Odeh wrote in the social media post cited in the motion filed by Likud Knesset member Avichay Boaron. “Next we must free both peoples from the burden of the occupation. We were all born free,” the post concluded.
Committee chairman Ofir Katz, a Likud member of the Knesset, said at the start of the hearing that “Odeh has not apologized or retracted his statements, he’s only doubled down, equating hostages with terrorists and making serious accusations against IDF soldiers.”
The hearing unfolded in a tense atmosphere, with two Knesset members reportedly ejected after clashing with other committee members while defending Odeh, according to Israeli outlet Haaretz.
Outside the Knesset, Arab and Jewish Israelis gathered in a protest in support of Odeh, calling for the expulsion process to be halted.
The final decision now moves to the Knesset floor, where a two-thirds majority — 90 out of 120 lawmakers — is required to remove a sitting member. Odeh would retain the right to appeal the decision in court.
Despite repeated attacks by coalition lawmakers, including accusations of being a “terrorist” who “would face a firing squad” elsewhere, Odeh has appealed to the opposition to block the motion and prevent what he calls an erosion of democratic norms.
Knesset members Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta’al) and Walid Taha (United Arab List), both members of the Joint List, called the move “political persecution” and a dangerous precedent.
“Instead of defending freedom of expression, most opposition factions are aligning with the extremist coalition to silence Arab elected officials.”
