Got a short and sweet email from my good friend Makbula Nassar (مقبولة نصار), a Palestine reporter who does radio and print out of Haifa. She was recently interviewed by Haaretz.com and proudly sent the link to the buddies. I thought some of you might find it a great read, thus gladly I share.
More below...
She is one of the most courageous persons I have ever met (and in the line of business I deal, believe me, I've met some) and she deserves all the cred in the World. Her unwavering activism in what undoubtedly is an extremely unfriendly environment for liberal/progressive voices is a true source of inspiration for me. I will leave it to your discerning, though.
Nassar is an unusual phenomenon in Arab society. For more than four years, this young feminist, secular Muslim has been hosting this show on Radio A-Shams, the most popular station in the Arab sector. It broadcasts out of Nazareth and operates within the framework of the Second Authority for Television and Radio.
"One woman wrote to me on the station's Web site: 'If I were a man, I wouldn't let you talk to me that way,'" says Nassar. "Other people tell me 'well done,' but they are surprised that a woman can be assertive and argue this way."
Audience surveys indicate that Nassar's show, which airs twice a week, is very popular. The spectrum of listeners is broad, but almost all the callers are men. They especially like to discuss taboo topics in Arab society - for example, women and religion; the overwhelming majority wants to preserve the taboos
For those who fancy Hebrew, you can check this other version of the interview, which also happens to contain a couple pics of this full-time unapologetic feminist/lively social activist.
Enjoy!