<![CDATA[Guerre and Shalom: Harif Podcast]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/s/harif-podcasthttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rop0!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6d4c8199-5724-47f5-a36b-921e1c75963e_988x988.pngGuerre and Shalom: Harif Podcasthttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/s/harif-podcastSubstackWed, 14 Oct 2026 00:22:02 GMT<![CDATA[Middle Eastern Minorities face Extinction]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/middle-eastern-minorities-face-extinctionhttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/middle-eastern-minorities-face-extinctionSun, 06 Sep 2026 09:21:33 GMTThere’s no such thing as “The Arab World”. It’s has always been, and remains to this day a colonised space, where the extermination, expulsion and ethnic cleansing of minorities is the assumed modus operandi. Indeed the destruction of its minorities has gathered pace in recent decades with Christians in Syria and Iraq facing extinction, the Kurds under existential threat in Afrin and Rojava, and the Druze relying on Israeli protection in South Western Syria.

The Armenians are forgotten. The Assyrians were never remembered. And the “Christian nation” of America has predictably abandoned their “brothers in Christ” to their fate.

Once a richly diverse ethnic and religious mosaic, the Middle East has been collapsed into a Muslim-only desert, actively supported in this cultural homogenisation by the morally-bankrupt Western powers. The Assyrians, to take an example, may be in their last Middle Eastern generation. Famously inhabitants in the region since Biblical days, they face the twin deliverers of ultimate destruction: Death in the Fertile Crescent. Intermarriage in American exile.

Indigenous survival under Islam is impossible. To avoid flight, there remains but one option, namely that pioneered by Zionism: having an army to defend oneself. Israel shows the way. May their minority brethren follow. For the lesson of the Middle East is clear: no outside power will come to save you. The responsibility is yours alone.

In an ideal free world, the West would call on Israel to annex the Druze areas of Syria, precisely that which their religious/political leaders themselves are demanding (ref. Mansur Ashkar). Unfortunately Sánchez and co are in hoc to Palestinianism, singing the praises of the one Middle Eastern people that is booming in numbers. Even Trump is in denial; in love with ISIS-man, Jolani of Syria, and his Turkish overlord, the excretable Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. It is in this light that the minorities only have each other —and the support of diaspora organisations such as Lyn Julius’ Harif.

In today’s Harif discussion, we discuss the bleak future for Middle Eastern minorities and possible strategies for survival in the dystopian political space of Arab Islam. Middle East specialist Jonathan Spyer chairs a distinguished panel comprising Kurdish spokesman Veysi Dag, Assyrian Christian Juliana Taimoorazy, and Mansur Ashkar from the Druze community. The discussion is introduced by Harif supremo Lyn Julius.

I would say enjoy, but it’s depressing —above all the Western appeasement. - Daniel Clarke-Serret, Editor of Guerre and Shalom and Author of Pax Arabica.

ABOUT HARIF: Harif is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454) that is dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage. In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation – will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

Subscribe here to Guerre and Shalom, so as not to miss any Harif broadcast!

Subscribe now

Daniel Clarke-Serret’s PAX ARABICA

Foreword by Nachum Kaplan

Introduction: The time to change the narrative is now!

PART 1: BABEL

Chapter 1: On Arab Imperialism // Chapter 2: On the Vanguard //Chapter 3: On Dictatorial Oppression // Chapter 4: On Islamist “Freedom” // Chapter 5: On Islamist Misery // Chapter 6: On Arab Apartheid // Chapter 7: On Middle Eastern Minorities // Chapter 8: On the Masters of Ethnic Cleansing // Chapter 9: On Genocide, Slavery and Racist Indifference //Chapter 10: On Unjust “Justice” and the Inversion of Language // Chapter 11: On Appeasement // Chapter 12: On the Man who stood against Pax Arabica

PART 2: EDEN

Chapter 13: On Nations, States and the Nation State // Chapter 14: On Sykes-Picot // Chapter 15: On Zionism and the duty to protect // Chapter 16: On the New Regional Sheriff // Chapter 17: On the Psychology of Strength // Chapter 18: On the Paradigm Shift // Chapter 19: On the Post-Imperial Two State Solution // Chapter 20: On the End of the Great Game

AFTERWORD by Khaled Salih: A Song of the Oppressor and the Parody of the Oppressed.

Last time on HARIF:

For more on the aftermath of the Iraq Invasion:

]]><![CDATA[Cast Out: The Untold Refugee Story ]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/cast-out-the-untold-refugee-storyhttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/cast-out-the-untold-refugee-storyWed, 12 Aug 2026 18:09:15 GMTFor all the attention the Middle East conflict attracts, the expulsion of nearly a million Jews from Arab countries is rarely acknowledged. This is why Lyn Julius has written ‘Cast Out’, a long-form essay published by the Jewish Quarterly.

For thousands of years, Jewish communities lived across the Middle East and North Africa, forming significant parts of the populations of cities such as Baghdad, Tunis, Cairo and Casablanca. Today, those communities have almost entirely disappeared.

In this podcast, Lyn Julius, Harif founder, the daughter of Jewish refugees from Iraq, discusses her groundbreaking essay with Aurèle Tobelem of Young Harif, a historian, researcher and writer with Moroccan-Jewish roots. They will explore what happened to this vast diaspora, examine the historical status of Jews under Islamic rule, and how rising nationalism and antisemitism contributed to their displacement.

ABOUT HARIF: Harif is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454) that is dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage.

Few in the West know that ancient Jewish communities, predating Islam by a millennium, produced the Babylonian Talmud, great rabbis, doctors, thinkers and poets.

Few in the West are aware that modern Jews were an integral part of the Middle East before they were driven out of their homes in the second half of the 20th century.

Over 2,000 years of history in the MENA came to an abrupt and tragic end just 50 years ago. Jews departed for Israel and the West, leaving an enormous cultural and economic void behind.

In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation – will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

Subscribe here to Guerre and Shalom, so as not to miss any Harif broadcast!

Subscribe now

After Israel, Iraq is probably the second most mentioned country on Guerre and Shalom (and almost never in the context of George Bush). For more on Iraq:

]]><![CDATA[The Baghdadi Builders of Singapore]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/the-baghdadi-builders-of-singaporehttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/the-baghdadi-builders-of-singaporeMon, 27 Jul 2026 23:01:57 GMT
Singapore today

TODAY’S PODCAST: Baghdadi Jews have shaped Singapore’s history since 1819, yet their stories often go untold. This talk highlights the lives of David Marshall, Singapore’s first Chief Minister and a champion of inclusive citizenship, and Felice Isaacs, a leading figure in Jewish communal life—both of whom survived Japanese internment and helped rebuild the city. Their resilience and leadership in politics, law, and communal work helped forge Singapore’s multicultural identity—a legacy that still resonates today.

Our speaker Geraldine Gudefin is a historian of modern Jewish life and a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Asian Legal Studies, National University of Singapore. Her current research focuses on Baghdadi Jewish family life in Asia (1880s–1950s). She is the co-creator of the mahallah.project Instagram page, a public initiative on Jewish histories in the city.

ABOUT HARIF: Harif is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454) that is dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage.

Few in the West know that ancient Jewish communities, predating Islam by a millennium, produced the Babylonian Talmud, great rabbis, doctors, thinkers and poets.

Few in the West are aware that modern Jews were an integral part of the Middle East before they were driven out of their homes in the second half of the 20th century.

Over 2,000 years of history in the MENA came to an abrupt and tragic end just 50 years ago. Jews departed for Israel and the West, leaving an enormous cultural and economic void behind.

In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation – will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

Subscribe here to Guerre and Shalom, so as not to miss any Harif broadcast!

Subscribe now

Previously from Harif:

Speaking about Iraq:

]]><![CDATA[In Memory of Eli Cohen]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/in-memory-of-eli-cohenhttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/in-memory-of-eli-cohenMon, 29 Jun 2026 06:39:07 GMTBorn into a Jewish family living in Egypt, Eli Cohen (1924–1965) infiltrated the highest ranks of Syria’s military and government in one of the most daring missions ever conducted undercover.

The skill with which he had integrated himself into the highest echelons of Syrian life, plying contacts with alcohol at wild parties as he extracted information, made him the stuff of legend.

Eli spent three years operating undercover as a well-connected Arab businessman, yet the affair ended tragically. He was caught sending secrets back by radio to his handlers from Damascus and was publicly hanged in 1965. The Syrian regime has, up to now, refused to hand over his body.

In today’s podcast, Lyn Julius of Harif examines the life and legacy of Israel’s best-known spy.

HARIF is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454) that is dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage.

Few in the West know that ancient Jewish communities, predating Islam by a millennium, produced the Babylonian Talmud, great rabbis, doctors, thinkers and poets.

Few in the West are aware that modern Jews were an integral part of the Middle East before they were driven out of their homes in the second half of the 20th century.

Over 2,000 years of history in the MENA came to an abrupt and tragic end just 50 years ago. Jews departed for Israel and the West, leaving an enormous cultural and economic void behind.

In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation – will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

Subscribe here to Guerre and Shalom, so as not to miss any Harif broadcast!

Subscribe now

FROM SYRIA TO IRAQ: The first episode focused on the Iraqi Farhud pogrom.

]]><![CDATA[Eighty-five years since the Farhud]]>https://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/eighty-five-years-since-the-farhudhttps://www.theworldsintelligentjournal.com/p/eighty-five-years-since-the-farhudMon, 01 Jun 2026 06:02:39 GMTOn today’s tear-filled anniversary, Guerre and Shalom begins its partnership with Harif. It was an honour to present Pax Arabica to the Harif membership last month and it inspired us to create a deeper partnership moving forward. Henceforth, every one of their talks will be published and promoted on this platform.

HARIF is a UK charity representing Jews from North Africa and the Middle East (UK no.1186454) that is dedicated to promoting their history, culture and heritage.

Few in the West know that ancient Jewish communities, predating Islam by a millennium, produced the Babylonian Talmud, great rabbis, doctors, thinkers and poets.

Few in the West are aware that modern Jews were an integral part of the Middle East before they were driven out of their homes in the second half of the 20th century.

Over 2,000 years of history in the MENA came to an abrupt and tragic end just 50 years ago. Jews departed for Israel and the West, leaving an enormous cultural and economic void behind. In another 20 years, few Jews who were born in these countries will still be alive. A vital chapter of Jewish identity, history and culture – an entire civilisation – will be lost. HARIF is here to make sure it is not forgotten.

Subscribe here to Guerre and Shalom:

Subscribe now

ON TODAY’S TALK:

Exactly eighty-five years have passed since the massacre which shattered the Iraqi-Jewish community in Iraq: two days in June 1941 of looting, murder and mutilation. What were its causes and consequences? Following a brief presentation by Lyn Julius, we will hear the testimonies of survivors, including by Joseph Samuels, and analysis by Professor Uzi Rabi, chairman of the Babylonian Jewry Heritage Center.

FOR MORE ON THE IRAQI CATASTROPHE, READ CHAPTER 8 OF PAX ARABICA:

To hear my Pax Arabica presentation to HARIF, press here:

Consider signing up to this Farhud event:

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