Nasser Mashni
In English.
Bringing listeners the untold side of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Presented by Nasser Mashni.
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Nasser speaks with Samah Sabawi, an academic, author, poet, and playwright, about her new book Cactus Pear For My Beloved: A Family Story from Gaza. They discuss her writing process, the role of oral testimony in her research, the special relationship she shared with her father throughout, and the power of storytelling in preserving histories.
You can find Cactus Pear For My Beloved at samahsabawi.com.
Image credit: 'Cactus' by analogicus (2019), free for use under the Pixabay Content License.
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It has always been Palestinians who have told the world about their struggles and the reality of life under occupation. Their voices emerge against the backdrop of abject silence from Western mainstream media broadcasting, overcoming the Zionist regime that works to actively repress the truth about their genocidal occupation of Palestinian people and land.
Palestinians continue to resist and different forms of media have been crucial tools in transcending militarised colonial borders. Palestinian resistance is transformative and adaptive yet steadfast, working to unveil their stories to the world.
For 20 years, Palestine Remembered has been breaking down the walls of silence of mainstream broadcasters, sharing not just the truth of the struggle, but also the music, poetry and culture of Palestine to its listeners. This has not come without its challenges, as broadcaster Nasser Mashni explains, ‘Sometimes [working on our program can be] a bit tougher than others, but we have to keep fighting’.
3CR has amplified Palestinian voices since 1976 with programs such as Palestine Speaks, Palestine Voice and Arab Liberation News, amongst others. This has subjected the station to scrutiny, intimidation and hostility, including an attempt to strip the station of its licence. Unshakeable due to the ṣumūd (steadfastness) of Palestinian broadcasters and 3CR alike, these attempts failed.
In 2004, Yousef Alreemawi hit the airwaves with From the River to the Sea. As he explains, ‘The program had a big responsibility, due to the misrepresentation of Palestinian issues in the English language. Most people were indifferent to Palestine, and those who had a view didn’t know where to go for information about Palestine.’
As a translator, Yousef was able to broadcast information and news directly from Arabic sources to English speaking listeners. Back then, From the River to the Sea was an abstract name for the show, as Palestine was less present in the local, collective psyche. ‘Palestine had to be in the name’, says Yousef. Within a few months, the program became Palestine Remembered.
In 2004 when the program first aired, it was the peak of the Second Intifada, post-9/11. The Western-led incursions into Afghanistan and Iraq were underway and the Middle East was the centre of international news. Yousef reflects that he had thought that Australia would have had some sort of discussion about Palestine, but instead found a total void of representation. He had to fill that void.
Today, Nasser Mashni presents Palestine Remembered and points out that in 2024, 183 days into Israel’s latest genocidal assault in Gaza, the program still fills this ‘massive void’ that remains in the mainstream media.
‘3CR enables Palestinians to speak truth to power, unfiltered and unadulterated, but also provides the opportunity to bring so many different voices together, Palestinian diaspora voices but also Palestinians from Palestine.’
Over two decades, the program has grown from its beginnings with Yousef in 2004 to Nasser at the dials today. Palestine Remembered is an archive of Palestinian life, self-determination and resistance to learn from. It is a direct challenge to Zionist regimes that attempt to silence and dehumanise. It tells the stories of the occupation and the attacks as they unfold, bringing truth to the strength and determination of Palestinian people.
From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free.
By Mercedes Zanker
See the full CRAM Guide 2024 here.
Catch 12 hours of programming on Tuesday 3 December for International Day of People with Disability. This year’s theme is EMBODIED SOLIDARITIES. How can we better practice solidarity with each other as fellow disabled people of different backgrounds and abilities, locally and across borders, at a time in humankind’s existence where mass-disabling violence is increasing? How can non-disabled people better practice solidarity with us? Listen in as we reflect and explore through conversation, music, and more. Check out all the details here.
YOU are invited to the 2024 Beyond the Bars CD launch on Thursday 21 November 6.30-8.30pm at the Djerring Centre next to Collingwood Town Hall. Join MC Shiralee Hood for an evening of talks and music including a panel discussion with some of our deadly broadcasters and music with Bart Willoughby. Free CDs, snacks and drinks provided. All welcome - see you there.
Who doesn’t love a rummage through some books and CDs on a Saturday morning? Come join us at the 3CR garage sale - Saturday 16 November, 9am-2pm in the 3CR carpark at the rear of 21 Smith Street, Fitzroy. There’ll be CDs, records, cassettes, books, household goods, 3CR merchandise and much more! Curated by the weekly show The Sporting Record and all proceeds go directly to the station. This event is part of the Garage Sale Trail.
