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Tag: queer mena

Episode 117 [in English]: R.I.P. Sarah Hegazi

CW: Suicide, self harm, queer killing, queer death, honor killing, sexual abuse, rape, firearms.

On the June 14, 2020, LGBTQ and human rights advocate Sarah Hegazi took her own life. Sarah first came under the public eye following the notorious September 2017 Mashrou’ Leila concert where Sarah, alongside two friends, waved a rainbow flag. Despite the shadow of a state that actively quelled all sexual freedom, for that moment Sarah was unabashed in her identity as a queer woman.

In the months following, the Egyptian state executed a mass witch-hunt of hundreds of queer youth with the aid of the media propaganda machine. Sarah was arrested, tortured and sexually assaulted until she fled Egypt for Canada three months later. In this episode, Adam, Alia and Nadia commemorate and remember the life of Sarah Hegazi, a human who paid the price of living fully. The world lost Sarah after long battles with depression, PTSD, and state-sanctioned violence under the hands of the Orwellian contemporary Egyptian state.

In this episode, we celebrate Sarah’s life, address the queer killings, death and grief that plagues so many of our societies, and discuss how her death has reverberated within the wider Egyptian zeitgeist, within Egyptian queer communities, and within the diaspora. This is for you, Sarah. Rest In Peace. Rest In Power. Rest in Pride.

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Episode 61: Saleem Haddad!

We are so incredibly grateful and excited that we have writer Saleem Haddad on our podcast!  This was an excellent discussion during which we talked about Saleem’s novel Guapa, some of his essays, and his latest work.  “Marco” is a short film that Saleem wrote and directed; it just premiered recently in Tunisia and the UK.  It’s a 20-minute film that carried the intellectual & emotional weight of a full-length film.  It’s powerful and will stay in your mind longterm.  Follow @marcoshortfilm on Instagram to stay updated on when and where you can see it.
During this episode, we also got to hear Saleem talk about the transition from living in London to living in the less bustling atmosphere of Lisbon.  If you have not read Guapa yet, please do.  Saleem’s essays (which you can find on his website) are also gorgeous.

Read more about Saleem & see several of his pieces here:
http://www.saleemhaddad.com

https://commapress.co.uk/books is where you can check out the +100 series (and more); keep an eye out for the release of Palestine +100, which Saleem’s work will be a part of.

Follow Saleem Haddad on social media:
@salhad on Instagram
@sysh on Twitter

Follow @marcoshortfilm on Instagram as well.

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