In 2002 Canada unveiled an official list of “terrorist” organizations, strikingly similar to that of the the US government. Today the Lebanese political movement Hizballah — both the military and political wing — is officially considered a “terrorist” organization by the government of Canada, a policy endorsed by only two additional countries internationally — the US and Israel. EI contributor Stefan Christoff interviews novelist and historian Tariq Ali on the Canadian government’s declaration. Read more about Canada, Hizballah and terrorism: An interview with Tariq Ali
The Arab Summit is a musical project on the cultural front lines, uniting the most innovative hip-hop artists within the growing Arab rap movement of North America. The Arab Summit delivers inspirational beats that drive a musical project highlighting a progressive Arab voice in North America, advocating for the self-determination of people in the Middle East through hip-hop. EI contributor Stefan Christoff interviews the minds behind Arab Summit. Read more about Interview: Arab hip-hop forces unite for justice
Turning the pages of De Niro’s Game, one is transported to the war-torn streets of Beirut in the midst of Lebanon’s 15-year civil war, a tragic reality of flying bombs and bullets. De Niro’s Game is the debut literary work by Montreal author Rawi Hage, who conveys this era of Lebanon’s turbulent history through the experiences of a pair of youths from Beirut, childhood best friends growing to adulthood in the political quagmire of civil war. EI contributor Stefan Christoff reviews the new work of fiction and interviews its author. Read more about New fiction portrays Lebanon's shadows of civil war
MONTREAL: Over 100 people gathered at the Mile End Cultural Center on Tuesday, March 20th for a film-screening and public discussion entitled “Lebanon: Resistance & Hezbollah” organized by Tadamon! Montreal. In the shadow of the 2006 Israeli attack on Lebanon, widely opposed in Quebec and internationally, public discussion and debate on the Lebanese popular movement and political party Hezbollah has grown. The event featured a documentary film produced by Swiss Television, which focused on former Lebanese political prisoner Soha Bechara’s return to Lebanon after 2006 war. Read more about Montreal: Resistance and Hezbollah
When newspapers send correspondents afield to report on world events, the position is fraught with opportunity and responsibility. Opportunity to share meaningful insight into current events, and responsibility to accurately report on them. In many cases, unfortunately, other motivations prevail. For the owners and editors of the few papers that shell out for foreign correspondents, the opportunity to shape public opinion seems too tempting to pass up, even if it comes at the expense of insight and accuracy. The Globe and Mail’s Middle East correspondent Mark MacKinnon has been publishing dispatches on the ongoing political crisis in Lebanon regularly from Beirut. Read more about The Manichean Middle East of Mark MacKinnon
On Saturday, December 16th, 2006 Palestinian solidarity activists gathered on St. Catherine street in downtown Montreal to draw attention to a 2005 appeal from over 170 Palestinian civil-society organizations to, “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel Until it Complies with International Law and Universal Principles of Human Rights.” Read more about Audio Report: Montrealers Denounce Israeli Apartheid
MONTREAL: As Israeli continues its brutal assault on the Gaza Strip, Montrealers took the streets to voice solidarity with the Palestinian people. Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the heart of Montreal reflecting growing international outrage toward the latest attack on Gaza. “Intifada! Intifada! Long Live the Intifada!” shouted demonstrators marching under rainy skies, in contrast to the silence of Canadian politicians in response to Israeli war crimes committed in the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. Read more about Montreal in Solidarity with Beit Hanoun
Lebanon is under military attack. For the past week, the country has endured a brutal campaign of violence at the hands of Israeli planes and artillery. The Lebanese government estimates that roughly 300 people have lost their lives since Israel began its attacks, which have essentially dismantled the public infrastructure of the country. In response to the request for a prisoner exchange by Hezbollah, Israel has launched an all-out war on the Lebanese people, inflicting far-reaching misery, and capturing the world’s attention. Read more about Bombs over Beirut
Stefan Christoff and Mohammed ShublaqBeirut14 July 2006
Israeli war planes are bombing Beirut. Over 70 Lebanese civilians have died since the Israeli military launched a major military offensive against Lebanon on Wednesday, July 12th. Bombs targeted civilian infrastructure throughout the country, including the key highways and bridges across southern Lebanon effectively halting all cross-country transportation. Pictured in this photo is a mosque on the edge of Beirut’s southern suburb with smoke in the sky above due to Israeli missile strikes on the Beirut international airport. Read more about Photostory: Damage after Israeli bombing of southern suburbs on Thursday night
Sawsan Kalache and Stefan ChristoffBeirut13 July 2006
Israeli war planes are bombing Beirut. Over 50 Lebanese civilians have died since the Israeli military launched a major military offensive against Lebanon on Wednesday, July 12th. Bombs targeted civilian infrastructure throughout the country, including the key highways and bridges across southern Lebanon effectively halting all cross-country transportation. Israeli has imposed a full out air, sea and land blockade on the entire country, bombing Beirut�s international airport and deploying war ships to patrol Lebanon�s waters. Read more about Israeli war planes are bombing Beirut
