habibti please: Recent Episodes
nashwa lina khan
a podcast for the girls// grab a cup of mint tea and join Nashwa Lina Khan and friends while they explore issues in politics, pop culture and beyond.
habibtiplease.substack.com
This week Habibiti Please is focused on a favorite topic of the show: disarmament. Nashwa and Geneviève host Jeremy Corbyn and Paul Rogers in advance of Selling Death: Why the International Arms Trade Must be Controlled, an upcoming event hosted by Egypt Watch and Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project. Join Jeremy Corbyn, Paul Rogers, and Geneviève at the event on Saturday, July 17th, 2021, at 11 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and 4 p.m. London time here.
We discuss the Peace and Justice Project, an initiative that works to bring people together for social and economic justice, peace, and human rights in Britain and across the world.
This episode explores the arms trade and why we must move towards disarmament. The international arms trade fuels forever wars, bloody occupations, and the military-industrial complex. The detritus of war and occupation will linger long after militaries leave the countries they ravage. As this episode highlights, COVID-19 serves as a canary in the coal mine; a warning for how things can only get worse if change does not happen now. A virus cannot be nuked, yet the rush to create and sell arms from the imperial core has continued without challenge even during the pandemic.
The Corbyn Peace and Justice Project illustrates why domestic and international problems and injustices cannot be separated. We also explore how we build solidarity beyond borders and across communities.
This episode also draws links between the arms trade, the climate crisis, and other ongoing struggles, including the growing number of refugees. Industrialists selling weapons and war promoters are akin to the mythical hydra, where chopping off one head sprouts another. This hydra is a monster, directly supported by Western governments. And blowback is to be expected. Continued death and destruction fuelled by the imperial core through tradecraft will have global consequences,
Forward-looking movements are needed now. Join Egypt Watch and Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project for Selling Death: Why the International Arms Trade Must be Controlled this Saturday on July 17th. We look forward to seeing you there. Now, more than ever, we must stand in solidarity to stop our governments from funding mass death throughout the world.
Head over to thecorbynproject.com/armscontrol to sign up for Saturday’s event.
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network and we are grateful to partner with Canadian Dimension on this episode.
Organizations to check out:
Egypt Watch
Egypt Watch is a media services company based in London and was founded in 2019 by Osama Gaweesh, a well known Egyptian journalist and TV Presenter.
Their mission is to put Egypt under the international spotlight and to raise global awareness about the declining situation in Egypt; to advocate for freedom of press, for human rights, and for upholding democracy.
Corbyn Peace and Justice Project
An organization founded by longtime activist for social justice and former Labour party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, to bring people together for social and economic justice, peace, and human rights, in Britain and across the world.
The Event
Selling Death: Why the International Arms Trade Must be Controlled
War is big business. The international arms trade is worth hundreds of billions, and arms deals brokered by the rich and the powerful continue to extend human misery around the world.
The UK is the world’s second-largest arms exporter in the world, fuelling conflicts like the war in Yemen which has claimed a quarter of a million lives to date.
We must come together across borders and backgrounds to fight back against this economy of war and suffering, and demand real security for all.
The Peace and Justice Project is proud to support Egypt Watch’s upcoming event: Selling Death: Why the International Arms Trade Must be Controlled, an international conference that aims to shed light on the horrific abuses of the arms trade, and help build a movement to fight back.
Join the event on Saturday July 17th, 2021, at 11 am Eastern Standard Time and 4pm London time, and sign up now.
Additional Resources:
Some resources that complement this episode:
Boris Johnson is leading the UK into an even greater COVID catastrophe by Paul Rogers
Unions must stand united to end Canada’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia by Simon Black
WESCAM controversy highlights double standards in Canadian arms controls by Lital Khaikin
100 million Egyptians at risk of going thirsty by Osama Gaweesh
Guest Information
Guests of the Week: Jeremy Corbyn and Paul Rogers
Jeremy Corbyn served as Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020, and has represented Islington North since 1983. He is a lifelong campaigner for peace and justice, holding roles in the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and Stop the War Coalition.
As Labour leader, he oversaw the development of a comprehensive programme to rebuild the UK economy, transfer wealth and power from the few to the many, tackle poverty and division, put Britain at the forefront of confronting the climate emergency, and pursue a peace and rights-based foreign policy.
Jeremy received the Gandhi International Peace Award in 2013 and the Seán MacBride Peace Prize in 2017.
Paul Rogers is an Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University. He is a biologist by original training, lecturing early on at Imperial College and also working as a senior scientific officer in government service in East Africa. For the past forty years, he has worked on international and environmental security and has written or edited thirty books. He is International Security Advisor to Open Democracy.
In the late 1990s, he wrote Losing Control: Global Security in the 21st Century, which was years, if not decades, ahead of its time, anticipating the 9/11 attacks and the twenty-year war on terror that follows. A new edition has just been published updating and expanding the analysis. It looks forward to the 2030s and 2040s as the decades that will see a showdown between a bitter, environmentally wrecked, and deeply insecure world and a possible world order rooted in justice and peace. You can order the updated edition here.
Co-hosted by Geneviève Nevin
Originally from the West Coast, Geneviève Nevin (she/her) is a white Ashkenazi settler based in Montréal (unceded and unsurrendered Kanien’kehà:ka territory) where she is a community organizer and JD/BCL candidate at McGill University. Geneviève is passionate about politics and social justice and is actively involved in movements for migrant rights and Palestine solidarity, particularly within the Jewish community, as the former Membership & Fundraising Coordinator with Independent Jewish Voices Canada. Geneviève was also one of the organisers behind the successful Palestine resolution at the 2021 NDP Convention which called for a ban on illegal Israeli settlement products as well as an arms embargo against Israel until Palestinians are free.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica and Canadian Dimension
Production by Canadian Dimension
Production Assistance by Geneviève Nevin, Nashwa Lina Khan and Canadian Dimension
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Two weeks ago hundreds of police officers and parapolice descended upon Trinity Bellwoods park in Toronto to violently evict the residents living there, displacing people from their homes and severing communities. Toronto has been cruel and brutal to the people living in this city. The austerity measures put in place using the pandemic as an excuse for imposing cruelty will not suddenly dissipate after the pandemic “ends.” It is important to note how the pandemic continues to ravage other places in the world. Many are under the illusion that it is near the end because of the inequitable global vaccine rollout and apartheid. While companies thrived, many have died.
This episode was done in collaboration with the Encampment Support Network (ESN) in Toronto. We worked with Charlotte, an outreach volunteer with ESN. We discussed the evictions at Lamport Stadium that took place in May which involved a bulldozer to forcibly remove residents.
Throughout the pandemic Encampment Support Network Toronto has provided help for people in encampment sites. Right now in the city, there is increasing pressure to re-open, and we must reckon with what reopening and “back to normal” means for those most disenfranchised.
Public officials informed the “general public” to socially distance, while at the same time pushing unhoused people to live in crowded shelters and shelter hotels where the virus was spreading and killing. There are a number of obscene contradictions like this that reveal how people in power intentionally make others live in deplorable conditions to die.
The lives of unhoused people do not matter to Mayor John Tory and downtown City Councillor Joe Cressy. Although many have known this for far too long, it has again become blatantly obvious this week. Who we let live and who we let die speaks volumes about our society and cities. Depredation and violence by capitalists and the governments that back them were fully demonstrated viscerally throughout the pandemic and should not be surprising. The pandemic again brought this out revealing sores in the underbelly of Toronto brought about by austerity measures. Entire populations are subjected to death and disease by choice.
Laid bare by the pandemic are the conditions which have always existed for those marginalized by the state. Capitalism is functioning as it should be, and the pandemic has only accelerated its efficiency. The proliferation of narratives by people like high-ranking public servant Brad Ross claiming the park was “dirty” continues to push the selective disposal of human beings. They want you to imagine that people who live in encampments are unclean but also disposable; not worthy of public space or full lives. As Zoë Dodd posted, “people are not garbage.”
As Dodd and many others have pointed out these were people’s homes.
Dodd also reminds us how violence is a spectacle and more specifically how words like “safety” are weaponized against those who are cash poor. Parks are public spaces and necessary. Parks are a space of life, however, the City appears to only want some to enjoy parks while others must be dispossessed of public space.
As Alex V. Green reminds us, parks are a site and space for so much life.
The violent clearing events at Trinity Bellwoods serve as a harbinger. Austerity and privatization are in full effect as the means with exterminism as the goal. It is reasonable to expect that the new austerity and security measures are here to stay “post” pandemic. The city attempted media rehabilitation after images of the full force of their violence turned public opinion against their immorality, claiming there were public health issues and that people in the encampment were offered housing. This is false: only one individual was offered housing. It is important that we cut to the truth and do not cast doubt on the City of Toronto’s violence and injustice by their spin and narratives.
This episode highlights how encampments are an alternative for so many and the reasons behind that. It also speaks to the work Encampment Support Network Toronto is doing. This episode discusses the tactics deployed by the city, police, and para-police. It also highlights how people can and do care for each other.
In these moments, it is also vital to connect our discontents. We will continue to bear witness to evictions and mutations of evictions. It is necessary that we understand the global nature of clearing people. There is creative destruction in so many urban environments, but also an urbanization that has cultivated a specific desire for a specific class of citizen that the nation desires. Here, it is the rich who are desirable.
It is impossible for low-income and marginalized populations to live in cities or centers of cities. Pulling from Henri Lefebvre, it is a necessity to think about who has the right to the city, the right to everything urban life offers. We deserve cities that offer life to all residents. These discontents should never neglect this struggle globally. Presently in Silwan village in East Jerusalem, thousands of Palestinians are losing their homes and even being forced to destroy their own homes.
Capitalism, white supremacy, and fascism yield a massive graveyard. Criminalizing poverty is a war on people. The war on drugs is a war on people. Only through connecting our oppressions will we move forward. We do all owe each other so much, and so many deserve so much better.
This is a free episode, but we hope people who are able to consider donating to groups in the mutual aid section of the shownotes. We also hope people support Idle No More, other Indigenous organizations, movements, and people in their calls to #CancelCanadaDay. You can learn more here.
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network, this episode was graciously edited by executive director Andre Goulet. The Harbinger Media Network is working towards building a left media ecosystem in Canada and we urge you to check it out if that’s your thing! We are also grateful to partner with Canadian Dimension.
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
Although this episode is not paywalled we would deeply appreciate it if people would share or give (if able to do so) to any of the causes or groups listed below.
The Encampment Support Network Toronto (ESN) is an ad-hoc, volunteer-run network supporting people living in encampments in 6 locations throughout Toronto. This includes ESN Parkdale, ESN Trinity Bellwoods, ESN Scadding Court, ESN Moss Park, ESN LNP, and ESN Cherry Beach. We advocate for better conditions in encampments, report on city conditions and activity in encampments, and advocate for long-term permanent housing for people in their communities of choice. ESN also collects and compiles feedback from residents to support our advocacy efforts and continues to pressure the city to develop real solutions to the housing crisis. The only way to provide effective support and find solutions is by listening to and centring the needs of people experiencing homelessness.You can support their work here.
website:https://www.encampmentsupportnetwork.com/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esn.to.4real/
twitter: https://twitter.com/esn_to
youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0ZLEEETJXZtA4kSv6W7qJA
This Way Up Collective is a group of queer and trans BIPOC youth that are on the ground providing mutual aid. Taken from their website: “our goal is to actively engage the communities that we are a part of and fill in the gaps wherever possible. We support encampments, youth in shelters, and anyone in need via care packages, weekly hot meal drops, and community arts programming.” * they are one of the groups that have been helping provide meals to encampment residents and doing amazing work. You can support their work here.
website: https://www.thiswayup.ca/
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thiswayupcollective/
Toronto Indigenous Harm Reduction (TIHR) emerged in April 2020 during the first wave of the COVID19 pandemic in response to a massive shutdown of frontline services and a lack of basic needs for Indigenous houseless folks in the city of Toronto. Over the past year, we have provided basic needs, access to critical health support & covid 19 testing, harm reduction supplies, sexual, reproductive health and prenatal support, traditional medicines, traditional food, expressive arts, and ceremony to some of our most vulnerable people. TIHR aims to reduce the negative impacts of substance use and other stigmatized behaviours and experiences through culture and unconditional support. TIHR is an entirely queer and Two-Spirit Indigenous collective founded by Nanook Gordon, co-led by Brianna Olson Pitawanakwat and Lua Mondor, and supported by Dashmaawaan Bemadzinjin (They feed the people) and countless volunteers.
To date they have served over 3,000 meals to the encampments and Indigenous street folks. You can support their work here.
website: https://www.torontoindigenoushr.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TorontoIndigenousHarmReduction
instagram: https://www.instagram.com/torontoindigenousharmreduction/
Additional Resources:
Some resources that complement this episode:
Take action with the #NoEncampmentEvictions toolkit
ESN Toronto Newsletters
We Are Not the Virus Podcast
Fixing the housing crisis will mean treating shelter as a right—not a commodity by David Moscrop
Eviction at Trinity Bellwoods repeats history by Cathy Crowe
Demolishing Palestinian homes for an Israeli religious theme park by Al Jazeera
Guest Information
Guests of the Week: Charlotte Smith of Encampment Support Network Toronto
Charlotte is an outreach volunteer with the Encampment Support Network in Toronto, Ontario.
The Encampment Support Network Toronto (ESN) is an ad-hoc, volunteer-run network supporting people living in encampments in 6 locations throughout Toronto. This includes ESN Parkdale, ESN Trinity Bellwoods, ESN Scadding Court, ESN Moss Park, ESN LNP and ESN Cherry Beach. We advocate for better conditions in encampments, report on city conditions and activity in encampments, and advocate for long term permanent housing for people in their communities of choice. ESN also collects and compiles feedback from residents to support our advocacy efforts and continues to pressure the city to develop real solutions to the housing crisis. The only way to provide effective support and find solutions is by listening to and centring the needs of people experiencing homelessness.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Andre Goulet
Production Assistance by Charlotte Smith, Ali McKnight, Nashwa Lina Khan, and Canadian Dimension
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now | In this episode, Nashwa and Ryan sit down with Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton-Centre and the Leader of the Official Opposition New Democrats. Please note this episode was recorded in mid-March. Nashwa and Ryan contextualize this episode with an extensive pre-show- if you do not want to listen to the pre-show please forward this episode to the interview that begins at around 26 minutes.In this interview Nashwa and Ryan wanted the audience to learn more about Andrea and the Ontario New Democrats. This episode focused on provincial issues such as the vaccine rollout. The rollout continues to be a disservice to Ontarians as many have witnessed egregious lines at pop-ups and people rely on a community-driven twitter feed for information about the vaccines.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now | On the inaugural Harbinger Society Presents live recording it's an evening of history and hard questions on Canadian exceptionalism as Nashwa Khan and Shaadie Ali of Habibti Please and Deathnography's Henry Lee join host Andre Goulet for a conversation on Vincent Bevins' excellent 2020 book 'The Jakarta Method', Ottawa's Victims of Communism Memorial, how to fight for justice for Palestine and more.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now (24 min) | This week’s episode features a conversation Nashwa and Ryan had a few months ago with Member of Provincial Parliament Jessica Bell. This episode covers provincial politics. An arena where anti-Muslim sentiments have been stoked with Ford’s Conservatives in power. Although this episode does not address Islamophobia we do believe that we need to vote out the Ford government to fight back around rising white supremacy and fascism in this province.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now | The austerity measures that were first implemented during the pandemic will not ease post-pandemic. Global vaccine apartheid continues to exist and it seems that only those in North America with relations outside of North America or to communities. It feels eerily familiar for people who straddle worlds to be aware that “back to normal” means back to normal for people completely detached from the global reality of how COVID continues to ravage people outside of the imperial core.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
This week Nashwa spent time with the guys at The Insurgents. In this special crossover episode, Nashwa joins Jordan and Rob of The Insurgents. We discussed the escalating aggression toward Palestinians and the attacks on Gaza that have left over 250 dead. We are disgusted by the Biden administration’s continued support of Netanyahu’s further annexation of Gaza and the West Bank.
This is a crossover episode that was generously produced by Jordan and Rob of The Insurgents. You can also listen to the Insurgents on iTunes here, on Spotify here, and on Google Podcasts here. Find them elsewhere here. Please support the Palestinian Youth Movement here.
Last Friday MP Jack Harris the NDP has called for an emergency debate, thousands of Canadians have written elected officials also voicing our disagreement with our tax money and our government’s involvement in the occupation and violent dispossession of Palestinian people and Palestine. You can participate in a number of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East’s campaigns here. Please also consider signing this House of Commons petition to stop foreign military recruitment on campus.
We hope this episode pushes people to go beyond posting. Throughout Canada and the world, many actions are taking place. You can find a list of Canadian actions here. The Nakba never ended. Our solidarity with Palestinians and Palestine must also always continue.
This is a free episode, if you want to support the creation of more content like this and unlock Habibti Please exclusives please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a paid Substack subscriber. We are a small team and it costs a bit to make this happen. We are happy to contribute to this passion project but we are also so grateful to anyone who is able to support us in continuing to build content like this.
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network. We also collaborate with Canadian Dimension for episodes focused on different struggles in Canada and around the world.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Rob Rousseau and Jordan Uhl featuring Nashwa Lina Khan
Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Nashwa Lina Khan and Johnny Zapras
Production Assistance by Raymond Khanano
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Today marks the 73rd anniversary of the Nakba. At the same time, the Israeli occupation has once again increased their assault on Palestinian civilians in east Jerusalem and Gaza. We were honoured to be joined by guests from Palestinian youth Movement Toronto and some of the core organizers behind Palestine Resolution 2021 at the NDP Convention.
As of Friday MP Jack Harris the NDP has called for an emergency debate, thousands of Canadians have written elected officials also voicing our disagreement with our tax money and our government’s involvement in the occupation and violent dispossession of Palestinian people and Palestine. You can participate in a number of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East’s campaigns here. Please also consider signing this House of Commons petition to stop foreign military recruitment on campus.
We hope this episode pushes people to go beyond posting. Throughout Canada and the world, many actions are taking place. You can find a list of Canadian actions here. The Nakba never ended. Our solidarity with Palestinians and Palestine must also always continue.
This is a free episode, if you want to support the creation of more content like this and unlock Habibti Please exclusives please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a paid Substack subscriber. We are a small team and it costs a bit to make this happen. We are happy to contribute to this passion project but we are also so grateful to anyone who is able to support us in continuing to build content like this.
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network. For episodes focused on different struggles in Canada and around the world, we are grateful to partner with Canadian Dimension.
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
Although this episode is not paywalled we would deeply appreciate it if people would share or give (if able to do so) to any of the causes or groups listed below.
Support Palestinian Youth Organizing by donating to Palestinian Youth Movement.
Islamic Relief is helping to provide immediate medical assistance and vital aid to all those affected by the violence and most in need.
Eye on Palestine is providing media coverage that mainstream news never will, follow them but also support their work.
Movement to Safeguard Palestinian Communities, while homes and land continue to be stolen this group works on actionable advocacy.
Additional Resources:
Some resources that complement this episode:
Joint Statement by Palestinians in North America on Nakba Day
Palestine Resolution 2021
Deadly Exchange
Resources from Palestinian Youth Movement of Sheikh Jarrah
BDS Movement
The Nakba Demands Justice by Kaleem Hawa
This Is Not Fine: Why Video of an Ultranationalist Frenzy in Jerusalem Is So Unsettling by Robert Mackey
Teshuvah: A Jewish Case for Palestinian Refugee Return by Peter Beinart
Guest Information
From Palestinian youth Movement Toronto, we were joined by Rawan N. and Mohammed W.
From Palestine Resolution 2021 at the NDP Convention, we were joined by Amy Kishek, Sam Hersh, Geneviève Joëlle, and Omar Burgan.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Candian Dimension
Production Assistance by Canadian Dimension and Ryan Deshpande
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
This week’s Eid episode is a double feature! In the first half of this episode, Nashwa sits down with Priya Prabhakar to discuss the ongoing Farmers’ protests in India that began in November 2020. In June of 2020, three ordinances were introduced and eventually passed as acts by Modi and his right-wing government. These bills translate into the mass deregulation and neo-liberalization of the agricultural market. Farmers continue to protest these three farm acts that were subsequently passed by the Indian government in September 2020. The protests are largely set in Delhi. We hope this episode helps people understand the larger context and the righteousness of farmer anger right now.
The farmers’ protests are critical and we hope this episode provides a nuanced and accessible explainer on why these protests matter and what is happening in India. In India, neither farmer protests nor farmer suicides are uncommon and have been occurring for decades.
The first half of this episode was recorded shortly before India became the epicenter of the COVID pandemic. The second half of this episode highlights how the devastating pandemic has also interacted with the strikes. In the second half of this episode, Priya and Nashwa sit down with Vijay Prashad to discuss how COVID is ravaging India, as well as how the Modi government has been failing the Indian people. Some highlights of this episode include Vijay’s insights on vaccine apartheid and America allegedly withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
This is a free episode, if you want to support the creation of more content like this and unlock Habibti Please exclusives please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a paid Substack subscriber. We are a small team and it costs a bit to make this happen. We are happy to contribute to this passion project but we are also so grateful to anyone who is able to support us in continuing to build content like this.
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network. For episodes focused on different struggles in Canada and around the world, we are grateful to partner with Canadian Dimension.
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
Although this episode is not paywalled we would deeply appreciate it if people would share or give (if able to do so) to any of the causes or groups listed below.
Mutual Aid India - this is a curated list of Covid response efforts in India.
Khalsa Aid - Khalsa Aid is an international NGO with the aim to provide humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones around the world.
Internet Freedom Foundation - The Internet Freedom Foundation defends online freedom, privacy, and innovation in India.
NewsClick - An independent media organization dedicated to covering news from India and elsewhere with a focus on progressive movements.
The People’s Forum - Syringes for Cuba Campaign
Additional Resources:
Some resources that complement this episode:
Harvest of Dissent by Sharanya Deepak
Long Live Farmer-Laborer Unity by Veena Dubal and Navyug Gill
Leading from the front: The role of women in Farmers’ movement
In Kerala, the Present Is Dominated by the Future: The Eighteenth Newsletter (2021) from Vijay Prashad
Waiting for Catastrophes by Vijay Prashad
‘We are witnessing a crime against humanity’: Arundhati Roy on India’s Covid catastrophe by Arundhati Roy
Here’s Why Farmers Are Protesting the 3 New Agriculture Ordinances by Aibhav Palnitkar
Punjabi Dalit Women Fight Multiple Battles Rolled into One at Farmers Protest by Shreya Sharma
People’s Leader: A Dalit Woman Becomes The Voice of Farmers In India by Sania Farooqui
Burdened by debt and unable to eke out a living, many farmers in India turn to suicide by Salimah Shivji
Elite Despair About “Farmers’ Lack of Discipline” is Comical, Though Not Innocent by Subin Dennis
Government Should Fight Corona, not Farmers and Labourers: SKM by Sabrang India
All India Kissan Sabha
NewsClick
Guest Information
Guests of the Week: Priya Prabhakar and Vijay Prashad
Priya Prabhakar is an organizer, filmmaker, and researcher currently based out of Oakland, California, and hails from Chennai, India. You can find her online on instagram and twitter.
Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian and journalist. Prashad is a Marxist commentator and the author of thirty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World, and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. He is the Chief Correspondent for Globetrotter and a Columnist for Frontline (India). He is the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi). He has appeared in two films – Shadow World (2016) and Two Meetings (2017). He is currently the director of Tricontinental. You can buy his newest book here.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Canadian Dimension
Production Assistance by Canadian Dimension and Priya Prabhakar
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this May Day double feature, Nashwa and Ryan sit down with Patricio Dávila and Phil Zigman of RenovtictionsTO and Cole Webber of Parkdale Organize. In this May Day double feature, we discuss the state of renovictions in Ontario as well as how people are resisting. Tenant organizers have been working together to resist and fight back. One example is West Lodge Tenants organizing a food bank and winning space from their massive corporate landlord to host it out of. We also have witnessed rent strikes in the city.
We recommend people also check out and support Keep Your Rent and People’s Defence Toronto, both groups are mentioned on the show and doing amazing work. We also suggest people use and share the Toronto Covid Evictions Tracker if they or their comrades are facing evictions. Anti-eviction action and organizing has an important history. In the second year of the Great Depression, it was so intense that evictions effectively stopped in New York, Detroit, and Chicago. Solidarity to those fighting evictions, upcoming episodes looking at the Farmer’s protests, and COVID-19 in India.
If you want to support the creation of more content like this and and unlock Habibti Please exclusives please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a paid Substack subscriber. We are a small team and it costs a bit to make this happen. We are happy to contribute to this passion project but we are also so grateful to anyone who is able to support us in continuing to build content like this.
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
Although this episode is not paywalled we would deeply appreciate it if people would share or give (if able to do so) to the fundraiser for The East York 50: this fundraiser was set up to help support a group of 50 immigrant families slated to be evicted.
Additionally, here are further resources for communities from Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area facing the results of increased austerity:
Encampment Support Network (ESN) is an ad-hoc, volunteer-run network supporting people living in encampments in 6 locations throughout Toronto. This includes ESN Parkdale, ESN Trinity Bellwoods, ESN Scadding Court, ESN Moss Park, ESN LNP and ESN Cherry Beach.
RenovictionsTO is a volunteer-run organization that gives tenants the tools they need to organize and fight back against their landlords who are partaking in a renoviction.
Keep Your Rent is another vital organization that offers Toronto residents a litany of resources to combat rent evictions.
Evictions Ontario is yet another great resource for evictions—it also specifically offers a tracker to see where evictions are taking place across the province.
Disability Justice Network of Ontario is a collective that aims to build a just and accessible Ontario through the dissemination of knowledge regarding issues that people with disabilities face—they promote change through legislative action; also, they support community members through a community caremongering program.
Additional Resources:
Some resources that complement this episode :
Doug Ford is Using the Pandemic to Criminalize Tenant Organizing by Cole Webber
Ontario is Mass Evicting Tenants, In as Little as 60 Seconds by Cole Webber
Above Guideline Rent Increases in the Age of Financialization by Philip Zigman and Martine August
Anti-eviction mapping project
Tenants Rise Up! Fighting for Housing Justice in the Bay Area (short documentary)
Online Activism During COVID-19: A Case Study in Rent Strikes by Cierra Bettens
Doug Ford is Consolidating the Power of Landlords During a Time of Crisis by Shehnoor Khurram and Ryan Kelpin
Toronto Tenants Seek Leverage on COVID Relief with Rent Strike by Morgan Sharp
Parkdale Tenants Rally Against Goliath Corporate Landlords by Shannon Carranco
Toronto Residents Get Their Massive Landlord to Donate An Apartment to Help Feed Tenants by Olivia Little
Why Fighting ‘Renoviction’ is so Hard
Guest Information
Guests of the Week: Patricio Dávila and Phil Zigman of RenovtictionsTO and Cole Webber of Parkdale Organize
RenovictionsTO
RenovictionsTO is a project seeking to document renovictions and above guideline rent increases in Toronto, provide resources and information for tenants, and support tenant organizing. Check out renovictionsto.com to learn more about where in the city renovictions and above guideline rent increases are happening and who are the landlords engaging in these practices. If you're facing a renoviction or above guideline rent increase, reach out to report your landlord and learn more about how you can fight back. In the future they will also start collecting data on the use (N12) evictions and making this information public on their website. You can check out their recent AGI report written by Phil Zigman and Martine August here. You can also find them on twitter @renovictions.
Phil Zigman is the co-creator of RenovictionsTO.
Patricio Dávila is a designer, artist, researcher and educator. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Arts in the School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design, at York University. He is the co-creator of RenovictionsTO.
Parkdale Organize
Parkdale Organize is a group of working class people who organize to build neighbourhood power in Parkdale. The organization aims to build working class organizations independent of politicians and social service providers.
Cole Webber is a legal clinic worker in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto, who is on Twitter @colefwebber
Checkout Parkdale Organize and learn more about them through their facebook page, twitter page, and website.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Candian Dimension
Production Assistance by Canadian Dimension and Johnny Zapras
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, Nashwa, Liv Agar, and Will Menaker talk through the third world cinema excellence of Gillo Pontecorvo's The Battle of Algiers. Enclosed is a preview; if you want to unlock the full episode, you can do so by subscribing on Patreon or Substack.
Through its depiction of some of the most pivotal events in the Algerian War of Independence, The Battle of Algiers is an unsparing portrayal of what revolution actually is. The film specifically covers the events of 1954 to 1962, with French occupiers failing to stop an impending uprising. Although over half a century old, the movie shows little sign of aging and remains relevant today—it has been shown to members of the Black Panthers, the IRA, and had a featured screening at the Pentagon. The film remains unique and a must see for anyone interested in the Algerian people’s fight for liberation from 132 years of French colonialism.
During their chat, the trio reflect on the movie, its most important scenes, and some of the historical context around it; they also close the episode by rating the film on a very special scale.
Guest Information:
Guests of the week: Liv Agar and Will Menaker
Liv Agar is the host of a philosophical podcast under her own name whose topics address current political events. Additionally, she is a frequent co-host of QAnon Anonymous, an anti-QAnon podcast that analyzes the group’s conspiracy theories, and an occasional streamer. You can find her on Twitter and Twitch.
Will Menaker is one of the cohosts of the leftist podcast Chapo Trap House. You can find him on Twitter.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Nashwa Lina Khan and Johnny Zapras
Production Assistance by Andy Assaf and Raymond Khanano
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Follow us on Instagram @habibtiblease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
This week features a special collaboration between Habibti Please, Canadian Dimension, and Courage Coalition. Nashwa and Ryan sit down with Omar Burgan of Courage Coalition to discuss some of the seven priority resolutions they have put forward for the upcoming NDP convention. They have submitted 14 resolutions for the NDP’s upcoming convention, occurring from April 9-11. This episode specifically focused on resolutions such as Justice and Peace in Israel-Palestine, Land Back, Free Transit for All, Abolish Billionaires, and Defund the RCMP.
If you want to connect with members who are part of Courage and working within their EDAs please fill out this form. Courage is doing invaluable work beyond electoral politics and we hope people check them out. They have formed chapters throughout Canada and are a refreshing addition to the growing left in Canada.
If you want to support Habibti Please as a project please consider becoming a patron on Patreon or a paid Substack subscriber. As a subscriber, you can unlock full-length Habibti Please exclusives and videos.
Guest Information:
Collaborators: Courage Coalition and Canadian Dimension
Guest of the Week: Omar Burgan of Courage Coalition
Courage Coalition
Courage is a coalition of the independent left as well as a pan-Canadian, membership-based organization that attempts to bridge the divide between movement and electoral politics. Courage was founded on the belief that although elections can be important and consequential, the left needs non-electoral organizations that are focused on pushing forward social and economic transformation – especially when left parties are in power.
You can find out more about the Courage Coalition on their website. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.
Omar Burgan is a researcher based out of Ottawa (on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe people). He is a member of Courage as well as a labour union, anti-war and anti-colonial advocate.
Canadian Dimension
Canadian Dimension is the longest-standing voice of the left in Canada since 1963. For more than half-a-century, CD has provided a forum for lively and radical debate where red meets green, socialists take on social democrats, Indigenous voices are heard, activists report from every corner of the country, and the latest books and films are critically reviewed. Subscribe today: bit.ly/sub2CD
You can find out more about Canadian Dimension on their website. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and YouTube.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Ryan Deshpande and Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Canadian Dimension, Courage Coalition, Nashwa Lina Khan, and Johnny Zapras
Production Assistance by Raidin Brailsford, Raymond Khanano, and Ali McKnight
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Friend of the show Niki Ashton joins Nashwa and Ryan once again—this time to discuss work beyond Canadian Politics; specifically building international people power. This episode is a discussion about an organization that everyone should be excited about: Progressive International.
In Canada and beyond, there has been a clear desire for many to build international solidarities that connect our struggles with others from around the world. Working people will always have more in common than they do with elites of their nations. Worldwide social and political injustice continues to thrive; without global solidarity we are often left alone in our national silos. With a growing fascist movement, we need organized left movements of international solidarity. This episode features clips of support and solidarity from others who are also striving for a better, more united world that is internationalist, anti-imperialist, and people-powered. The list of contributors includes: Noah Kulwin, David Adler, Alex V. Green, James Wilt, Liv Agar, Jeanine Khalik, Dwight Rhinosoros, Felix Biederman, Arif Hasan, and the Palestinian Youth Movement.
We hope to “see” you at the event, Building Solidarity: A Conversation with Jeremy Corbyn & Niki Ashton. The event will be a conversation between Niki and Jeremy Corbyn about the state of progressive politics and how we can demand more. It is an event in support of Progressive International, a collaborative project founded in 2018 in Vermont by activists, leaders, and progressives like Jeremy Corbyn,Bernie Sanders, and Naomi Klein. We highly encourage people to sign up for the event. Internationalism is inherent to our politics and this show and we hope people attend and are inspired to build a larger and stronger more internationalist left wherever they are.
To buy tickets to the event visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-solidarity-a-conversation-with-jeremy-corbyn-niki-ashton-tickets-143580403853
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
This week we wanted to re-highlight mutual aid and community support efforts happening in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On April 8th, 2020 Eishia Hudson, an Indigenous teen, was murdered by a Winnipeg police officer. Her family has a gofundme to support legal costs.
On a previous episode, we sat down with Winnipeg Police Cause Harm to talk about the WPS. For years police have harmed the people of Winnipeg and this group is in solidarity with all peoples and communities that are harmed by the WPS. They call for the defunding and abolition of the WPS and the reallocation of funds to sustainable community led initiatives. We encourage people to check out their blog.
Additional Resources:
Progressive International presently features three pillars: Blueprint, Movement, and Wire. Below you can learn more about them and what supporting Progressive International helps build.
Progressive International: Blueprint
Progressive international convenes activists, thinkers, and practitioners to help design a policy blueprint to transform institutions that impact our lives, our communities, and the planet.
Progressive International: Movement
Progressive International works to connect and build solidarity between activists globally. This page features toolkits and various campaigns including some mentioned in this episode.
Progressive International: Wire
Progressive International’s Wire translates stories, essays, and statements from Progressive International members and partner publications. This not only renders a diversity of perspectives but also proliferates a range of perspectives on international issues.
Some readings that complement this episode:
Niki Ashton Has No Reason to Apologize for Meeting with Jeremy Corbyn by Dan Darrah
Progressive International Launches 'To Form Common Front' in Global Struggle for Justice and a Better World by Eoin Higgins
Varoufakis and Sanders: how to organize a progressive international? A contribution by Seren Selvin Kormaz and Alphan Talek
Introducing Progressive International—a global left wing solidarity movement by Elizabeth Leier
Guest Information:
Guest of the week: Niki Ashton
Niki was first elected as MP for Churchill–Keewatinook Aski in 2008 when she was 26, and lives in her hometown of Thompson. She serves as the NDP’s Critic for Transport, and Deputy Critic for Women and Gender Equality. Niki believes in true reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. She is proud to work to bring together Indigenous peoples, students, labour, the LGBTQI2S+ community, and women in the pursuit of justice. Niki is a strong voice in Ottawa for change because she’s unafraid of challenging the status quo. She’s fought hard to end crushing student debt, expand health care to include pharmacare and dental coverage, and protect the environment.
Find Niki online!
Website
Additional speakers (in order of appearance): Noah Kulwin, David Adler, Alex V. Green, James Wilt, Liv Agar, Jeanine Khalik, Dwight Rhinosoros, Felix Biederman, Arif Hasan, and the Palestinian Youth Movement
Production Credits:
Hosted by Ryan Deshpande and Nashwa Lina Khan
Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Nashwa Lina Khan, Andre Goulet and Johnny Zapras
Production Assistance by Andy Assaf, Ryan Deshpande, Kandeel Imran, Raymond Khanano, and Ali McKnight
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
For International Women’s Day, the Habibti Team wanted to release one of our most cherished episodes to date. Nashwa and Ryan reflect on where they were this time last year as well as the origins of International Women’s Day as a socialist and workers’ celebration. The two watched Angela Davis in a packed audience at the University of Toronto; they saw people they loved and who inspired them and reminded them that change is possible. We urge people to remember that International (Working) Women’s Day should go far beyond thanking women in your life (especially if you are a man). The origins are in feminist struggles that work to also disrupt, dismantle, and unpack how we define women while we also work to re-imagine social relations women have in society including the gendered paid and unpaid relations. Today and everyday we want to remember that women are vital to struggles globally.
In Angela Davis’ words “you have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world and you have to do it all the time.”
We are honoured to have this episode, an interview with Member of Parliament for Nunavut, Mumilaaq Qaqqaq, be part of our International Women’s Day at Habibti Please. Nashwa and Ryan had the honor to sit down with Mumilaaq and discuss a range of topics often ignored in Canadian media. In the episode, the three chat about Mumilaaq’s riding and the unique challenges it faces in colonial Canada. Some of the challenges covered include access to healthcare, such as community members having to be flown out of their communities to give birth. As of 2017 approximately 40,000 women had to travel from rural and remote communities, mostly from the North, to give birth in hospitals. The cost of food insecurity and egregious price gouging of food in the North, as well as, the continued systemic repression of local food networks and businesses is also touched on.
This conversation also briefly discusses the subtle, insidious, and omnipresent nature of colonialism and the importance of all people living in what is known as Canada to pay attention to what the Federal government does not do and who they neglect. Media also plays a role in the romanticization of Canada through feeding manufactured discourses. Much of this is due to the focus on a Canada that is broadcasted to the world as one that is good to all of its people. Part of this discussion disrupts that idea and highlights the ways Inuit have intentionally been left behind in Canadian media coverage.
The three also broach on how climate change specifically impacts the North and the devastating effect that COVID has on the ability to organize and protest around environmental issues. This includes how corporations have continued to impose themselves on Indigenous land without consultation, permission, and without repercussions for their actions, something more easily facilitated during the COVID pandemic.
The three end off reflecting on Mumilaaq’s housing tour of the region. Mumilaaq gives us insight on how it impacted her financially and mentally in ways that other MPs are unaffected. The conversation also discusses mental health in the North and the range of ways mental health can be supported throughout the country. The importance of culturally competent and multi-method supports is discussed as well as the social determinants of health, including housing. We hope this episode makes people think about the North and the ongoing colonial neglect and intentional disinvestment in the region. Please check out resources that complement this episode to learn more. We also hope people check out Mumilaaq’s show, Moments with Mumilaaq.
We are grateful to have music from the North this week. This episode features music from Becky Han, a musician who grew up in Arctic Bay, Nunavut. You can find out more about Becky in the show credits.
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
This episode reflects on housing as a basic human right. The neglect of Inuit is egregious and we hope this episode illustrates the need for more people in Canada to be concerned and in solidarity with people in Nunavut who deserve housing. Mumilaaq and her team have focused on many issues this term, one cause they are strongly dedicated to is the right and guarantee to housing for people in the North.
Mumilaaq currently has a petition on her website, we encourage listeners to sign. The petition,entitled Nunavummiut Deserve a Safe Place to Call Home, calls upon the Federal government to invest in quality housing in Nunavut.
As described by Mumilaaq multiple times, moldy, overcrowded housing has been a reality for far too long in Nunavut. We again hope people visit and sign the petition on her website: https://mumilaaqqaqqaq.ndp.ca/nunavummiut-deserve-a-safe-place-to-call-home
As discussed here and highlighted in the accompanying readings, housing in the North is in a crisis and adequate housing is long overdue for Nunavut. We must do more to address this issue in solidarity, collectively.
Additional Resources:
Some readings that complement this episode:
MP Mumilaaq Qaqqaq On Burnout and Taking On Canada’s Broken Promises as told to Carli Whitwell
Nunavut MP speaks about return to parliament after extended leave by CBC News
Nunavut housing crisis an example of systemic racism, MP says by Jim Bell
The RCMP and Quebec's Provincial Police Nearly Killed Off the Inuit Sled Dog by Dave Dean
Tuberculosis rate among Inuit is 290 times higher than for non-Indigenous people in Canada. Here's why by Stephanie Hogan
Forced to travel during pandemic, Nunavut women want birthing services at home by Emma Tranter
Why many Northern Indigenous women are still relocated to deliver their babies by Bonnie Schiedel
$20 hamburgers and $2 bananas: The cost of food insecurity in Canada's North by Ryan Flanagan
Rise Up!’s archives on International Women’s Day
Many IWD archival documents currently on the Rise Up! website are from the Toronto International Women’s Day events. You will find these on the March 8th Coalition/International Women’s Day page in the Organizations section.
Rise Up! Has a collection that includes materials about the many IWD celebrations organized across Canada in the past.
The Socialist Origins of International Women’s Day by Cintia Frencia and Daniel Gaido
Why the working-class, socialist history of International Women’s Day matters today by Katherine Connelly
The Lockdown Showed How the Economy Exploits Women. She Already Knew. Silvia Federici has been warning for decades of what happens when we undervalue domestic labor by Jordan Kisner
Silvia Federici: Women, Reproduction, and the Construction of Commons by Art & Education
Women, Race, and Class by Angela Y. Davis
Guest Information:
Guest of the week: Mumilaaq Qaqqaq
Mumilaaq Qaqqaq (ᒧᒥᓛᖅ ᖃᖅᑲᖅ), is an Inuk woman, Member of Parliament, and human rights defender. Elected in 2019, she is one of the few people to have given a speech in the House of Commons before being elected. Originally from Baker Lake, she now lives in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut. Mumilaaq has worked with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., The Quality of Life Secretariat in the Government of Nunavut, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, and Qulliq Energy Corporation among other organizations.Mumilaaq is fighting for adequate housing, clean water, and food security in the North. ᐃᓕᓐᓄᑦ ᐱᓕᕆᐊᕗᑦ
Find Mumilaaq online!
Website
Mumilaaq’s show: Moments with Mumilaaq
Additional music provided by: Becky Han Music
Becky Han grew up in Arctic Bay, Nunavut. She loves educating others about Inuit and Inuit culture through music and story-telling. This song, entitled 6-muarpat, provides a glimpse of her childhood when she had to be home by 6 pm for supper. The song reflects on how that time of day was a reprieve from loneliness for her because it was when she and her family would spend time catching up with one another.
Find Becky on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Production Credits:
Hosted by Nashwa Lina Khan
Show Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Additional music provided by Becky Han—find Becky on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Nashwa Lina Khan and Johnny Zapras
Production Assistance by Raymond Khanano
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
Habibti Please is proud to be part of the Harbinger Media Network
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Last Fall, Nashwa and Ryan sat down with Don Davies, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway. This episode features a pre-show chat about February 24, 2021’s 2nd reading of Bill C-213, An Act to enact the Canada Pharmacare Act. Davies was the sponsor of the 2018 motion for Pharmacare. Despite that vote failing, there is a clear hunger in Canada to have pharmacare embedded into the fabric of our “public healthcare system.” While there was hope for Bill C-213, sponsored by NDP MP Peter Julian, this bill also failed. Rumour has it the government is working on Pharmacare, but we are not hopeful it will be universal and public -- something Bill C-213 would have ensured. Nashwa and Ryan explore this further with Davies who has been passionate about the health of Canadians throughout his tenure as MP. They also discuss another neglected aspect of medicare: dental care, and the absurdity that our mouths are somehow divorced from the rest of our body’s health. They move onto a discussion of socialism and Davies’s opinion on the state of socialism in North America, including Biden’s impact on progressive politics. Nashwa and Ryan’s favourite topic -- international politics -- comes up, and we chat about Canada-US-China relations and the state of Canada’s foreign policy in the context of the Bolivian election. Davies predicts that the Biden-Harris government will inevitably lead to more neoliberal foreign intervention, his prediction was sadly proven correct with recent airstrikes in Syria. Davies ends on a hopeful note, opening up about the opportunities available to us and a “renaissance of the left.”
This episode reflects a bit on international victories for socialism and how the Canadian government’s actions and complicity can often impact other parts of the world. This is why we would like to highlight that friend of the show Niki Ashton is holding a virtual event on behalf of Progressive International with Jeremy Corbyn. The event will be a conversation between Niki and Jeremy Corbyn about the state of progressive politics and how we can demand more. It is an event in support of Progressive International: a collaborative project founded in 2018 in Vermont by activists, leaders, and progressives like Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders and Naomi Klein. We highly encourage people to sign up for the event. Internationalism is inherent to our politics and this show and we hope people attend and are inspired to build a larger and stronger more internationalist left wherever they are.
To buy tickets to the event visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/building-solidarity-a-conversation-with-jeremy-corbyn-niki-ashton-tickets-143580403853
Mutual Aid & Community Support:
This week, we want to highlight mutual aid and community support efforts happening in Winnipeg. On April 8th, 2020, Eishia Hudson, an Indigenous teen, was murdered by a Winnipeg police officer. Her family has a gofundme to support legal costs. Eishia’s father William Hudson writes, “My daughter Eishia was a young girl who should have had a long life ahead of her, and within seconds that officer put an end to that. Eishia had a strong bright smile that could lighten a room, she had a contagious laugh, and she was loved by everybody. She was very athletic, loving hockey and basketball. She was very ambitious when it came to the court. She was very creative and artistic. Eishia loved to learn new things, take on projects, and worked hard to succeed. Eishia was a great aunty; she loved spending time with her nieces and nephew, and it made her smile just seeing the smile on their faces. She was a Daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, an aunty, a cousin, a loyal person, a friend and so much more.” Please be sure to boost and give if you can to the Hudson family.
On a previous episode, we sat down with Winnipeg Police Cause Harm to talk about the WPS. For years they have harmed the people of Winnipeg and this group is in solidarity with all peoples and communities that are harmed by the WPS. They call for the defunding and abolition of the WPS and the reallocation of funds to sustainable community led initiatives. We encourage people to check out their blog.
Additional Resources:
Some readings that complement this episode:
Universal Pharmacare in Canada: A Prescription for Equity in Healthcare by Mohammad Hajizadeh
The Importance of a National Pharmacare Program by Cindy Lamoureux
Bolivia Has Provided Us a Radical Vision of Hope by Nicole Fabricant
'Joe Biden Just Dropped Bombs on Syria. Here We Go Again': US Responds to Rocket Attacks With Airstrikes by Common Dreams Staff
Guest Information:
Guest of the week: Don Davies
Don Davies is the Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway. He was first elected in 2008, and re-elected in 2011, 2015, and 2019. Don serves Parliament as the NDP Critic for Health and Deputy Critic for Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. Prior to that, he served as Official Opposition Critic for International Trade, Citizenship and Immigration and Multiculturalism, and Public Safety and National Security.
Find Don online!
Website
Youtube
Flickr
Production Credits:
Hosted by Ryan Deshpande and Nashwa Lina Khan
Music by Johnny Zapras and postXamerica
Art for Habibti Please by postXamerica
Production by Andre Goulet
Production Assistance by Ryan Deshpande, Raymond Khanano, and Ali McKnight
Social Media & Support:
Follow us on Twitter @habibtiplease
Support us on Patreon
Subscribe to us on Substack
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this newly unlocked episode, Nashwa and Ryan are joined by Hawa Y. Mire to extensively discuss Me to We in Canada and its history in Canadian highschools. Hawa’s work regarding the subject can be found here. Hawa also graciously explains her evergreen The Anti-Somali Feedback Loop with Briarpatch Magazine, a piece everyone should read, providing a foundation for understanding the Somalis in the “Canadian” cultural landscape.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this bonus episode, Nashwa sits down with Hawa Y. Mire to discuss her decision to run for the position of NDP candidate for York South—Weston. The two talk about the York South—Weston community, the conditions affecting the region that inspired Hawa to run for a position as a party representative for YSW (and why she chose the NDP specifically), the lack of black and muslim women in Canadian politics, and how a background in organizing has informed her platform.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
Listen now (47 min) | This week, Nashwa sits down with Dr. Naheed Dosani, a palliative care physician and health justice activist who cares for homeless and vulnerably housed individuals. They speak about how Covid-19 is socially impacting different groups throughout Canada. Some topics they cover include vaccine hesitancy among some communities and how to combat it, and how Covid-19 has differentially impacted people throughout Canada based on social location. The two also discuss long-term care in Canada and current gaps in the framework. Dr. Dosani reminds us that it is indeed a privilege to #stayathome. They also discuss vaccine roll out. Despite precarious and dangerous working conditions for Canada’s migrant workers, they have no guaranteed access to the vaccine; we hope listeners become signatories of and share the
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Listen now (53 min) | This week, Nashwa and Ryan chat with Laurel Collins, the NDP MP for Victoria, British Columbia. The three discuss the push for climate accountability, the possibility of a Canadian equivalent of the Green New Deal, the perpetual prolongement of water crises within Indigenous communities, and the question of whether or not degrowth is the only way we can save the environment. Other subjects touched upon in the episode include what it’s like to advocate for sex work in Parliament, the fallout of the Me to We scandal and the curious case of missing money, as well as the gendered impacts of the COVID pandemic.
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This week’s exclusive features a casual but thoughtful conversation between Nashwa and Yasmin Nair. Enclosed is a preview, if you want to unlock the full episode you can by subscribing on Patreon or Substack. Together they chat about her article On Nostalgia, Sex Work, and the Dancing Girls of Lahore...
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This week Nashwa chats with Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association and author of the upcoming book Border and Rule, Harsha Walia. They unpack the insidious nature of Canada being framed as “better” than America when it comes to marginalized people. The conversation highlights the faultlines of Canada’s immigration system especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite precarious and dangerous working conditions for Canada’s migrant workers, they have no guaranteed access to the vaccine...
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In this episode, Nashwa sits down with two transit organizers to discuss the TTC. Austin Jafri of TTCriders and Jamaal Myers of Scarborough Transit Action share present issues with the TTC as well as some small victories; they also shed light on the ways they have organized to push back and ongoing issues with how transit is made and built in Toronto. This episode highlights the need for ongoing advocacy around transit in Toronto and why it is an integral struggle for working class people. The pandemic brings the fault lines to the foreground as we witness the disproportionate impacts of an overcrowded system with limited routes for specific neighborhoods and people.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, Nashwa sits down with Vicky Osterweil, the author of In Defense of Looting. Nashwa interviews Vicky about her entry into left politics, her newest book, the politics of looting while also exploring the limits of electoral politics, and so much more. Nashwa and Vicky cover a range of topics including the history of looting, and whiteness as property. They also dive into liberation movements, armed self-defence, Black radical tradition, and the micro-moments in uprisings/riots. In our small worlds we can do the things that the government will not and Osterweil reminds us of the openness we should have to multiple tactics. Osterweil articulates the potential we have to build power in the streets while mapping a history of eviction defence, debt abolition, and a broader set of tactics deployed in tandem with looting. Osterweil’s smart and poignant insights into the contradictions of liberalism offer listeners a foundation to desire more.
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In this episode, Nashwa and Ryan sit down with Hamilton Centre MP Matthew Green and discuss the progress of defunding the RCMP (as well as its many failings), the marginalized communities left behind by the distribution of CERB, the ongoing process of decolonization, and the possibility of a a green new deal. Also, the habibis ask Matt about what it’s like being a progressive Black person in Parliament, his stance on foreign policy, and about some of the NDP’s more controversial actions.
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This was an episode requested a few times so here we go habibis, an episode on Dune. Nashwa is joined by her online habibis Shaadie and Rob to discuss some spicy takes on Dune. Although we aren’t exactly sure if Edward Said would be satisfied with our analysis we had a lot of fun and Nashwa is sci-fied out.
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In this episode, Nashwa sits down with two organizers to discuss what defunding the police looks like in different parts of Canada. She’s joined by James Wilt of Winnipeg Police Cause Harm and Sarah Jama of Defund Hamilton Police. This episode about defunding movements across Canada is part of a tiny series of episodes that we will be putting out on Canadian activism and social movements.
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For our first episode of 2021, we hope we do a bit of popular education as Nashwa sits down to chat with Marxist historian Vijay Prashad. Vijay is currently the director of Tricontinental which we hope people check out! We discuss his newest book Washington Bullets, popular education, the failed coup in Venezuela, Guantanamo Bay, cancel culture, and more.
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In this episode, Nashwa and Ryan sit down with Niki Ashton, MP for Churchill–Keewatinook Aski. Together they explore the political landscape of the prairies and building a larger left in Canada. They also discuss the Regina Manifesto, the NDP’s labour origins, and current contradictions, and Ashton’s leadership run. International politics also gets some airtime, a favourite topic for Nashwa and Ryan.
This is a public episode. Get access to private episodes at habibtiplease.substack.com/subscribe
In this episode, Ryan and Nashwa have a second chat with Leah Gazan, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre. They discuss Erin O’Toole’s egregious comments, Canada’s role and complicity in violence abroad, UNDRIP and the Medical Assistance in Dying Legislation. We also get an update on Motion 46.
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In this episode, Nashwa sits down with two tenant organizers to discuss the eviction blitzes we are presently witnessing in Toronto. She’s joined with Johnny Dib of the York South-Weston Tenant’s Union and Matt Wittman of Parkdale Organize.
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Hi habibtis and habibis! This is the teaser for the special tenth episode of Habibti Please. In the episode, Nashwa co-hosts with friend of the pod Arif Hasan; together the two interview special guest Noam Chomsky. While preparing for the interview, Nashwa and Arif set out to thoughtfully curate a set of questions that were diverse in range and are rarely asked of Dr. Chomsky in recent years. As a result, in the episode the group discusses the reactionary international as well as socialist gains in Bolivia and operationalizes the distinctions between facism and Trump’s reign. Other topics covered include intergenerational conflicts in left politics, Guantanamo Bay, and so much more. You can get the full premium episode by subscribing our Patreon or Substack.
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This week, Nashwa and Dawson sit down to discuss the American election. They talk about the Biden/Harris win, small scale electoral wins and what’s left for the left. It’s great the Cheeto man is now Cheeto dust but let’s remember the neoliberal shills that Biden and Harris are.
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In this episode, Nashwa sits down with Vicky Osterweil, the author of In Defense of Looting. Nashwa interviews Vicky about her entry into left politics, her newest book, the politics of looting while also exploring the limits of electoral politics, and so much more. Nashwa and Vicky cover a range of topics including the history of looting, and whiteness as property. They also dive into liberation movements, armed self-defence, Black radical tradition, and the micro-moments in uprisings/riots. In our small worlds we can do the things that the government will not and Osterweil reminds us of the openness we should have to multiple tactics. Osterweil articulates the potential we have to build power in the streets while mapping a history of eviction defence, debt abolition, and a broader set of tactics deployed in tandem with looting. Osterweil’s smart and poignant insights into the contradictions of liberalism offer listeners a foundation to desire more.
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Friend of the show Dawson Kimyon joins Nashwa again to analyze the treasure that was the presidential debate. We also discuss Alaskan queen, Miss Sarah Palin’s latest antics. Don’t forget fracking is bad actually! Thanks for getting to episode 7! October was our first official month as a podcast and we appreciate everyone’s support. Upcoming episodes include guests like Niki Ashton and Vicky Osterweil.
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In this episode, Ryan and Nashwa sit down with Meryam Haddad to discuss left politics in the Green Party and beyond. Please note that this episode was recorded before Annamie Paul was declared party leader. The duo ask Meryam about campaigning during a pandemic, her own politics, and the thirst young people have for left politics in Canada. Additional topics explored in this episode include Indigenous Sovereignty, defunding the police, and socialism in the larger Canadian landscape.
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This week, Nashwa is joined by Dawson Kimyon for the first of fingers crossed many more American politics check-ins, which he will co-host. In this episode, we discuss the ABCs of American politics this week which includes the notorious ACB, Biden’s sad attempts to pander and whether we need left intellectuals. We also have the conversation about Chomsky we wanted to avoid, as a treat.
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Hello friends! Hope this finds you well midweek, whatever “well” means in this whack wild world. Enclosed is a preview to an episode I did with my brother-friend Ryan Deshpande. We are so grateful to have chatted with the lovely Hawa Y. Mire on a Sunday in September. This episode hopes to fill gaps regarding Me to We, Somalis in Canada, the ever racist Children’s Aid Society, the “Canadian” understanding of the Somali diaspora, and so much more. A collective Bismillah from the team as we release our first premium episode!
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This week, Nashwa joins Rob Rousseau of 49th Parahell for a great conversation about why Canadian media sucks and how we are planning on changing that, the problem with Liberals, establishment journalist gatekeepers learning nothing from the last six months, Green Party entryism, and the potential to build a bigger left through posting (just kidding...but seriously 👀).
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In this episode, Nashwa is joined by longtime online friend Zoé Samudzi to sit down and chat about anti-racist booklists, the need to buy from independent sellers, the surge in popularity of anti-racist books, diverse syllabi, Jessica Krug and the expanded universe of faking race in academia, and the Whitney Museum’s parasitic Mutual Aid project.
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In this episode, Ryan and Nashwa interview Leah Gazan, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg Centre. Leah, who has been involved with social movements, sits down with the podcast to discuss her Motion 46 on Universal Basic Income gaining traction and the process of building a progressive left in Canada. Other topics covered include the NDP and her socialist politics and background.
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