Justin Podur

Update on John & Tarek’s arrests: pressure on Egyptian authorities needed

8:30am Toronto time, August 18/13

We still have no confirmed information about John and Tarek’s whereabouts. We calculate that the best course of action would be for Canadian and US friends to pressure Egyptian embassies and consulates and also Canadian and US foreign affairs offices. Many of these offices will not be open on Sundays, but here is some contact information.

Canadian Embassy in Egypt: cairo@international.gc.ca

Egyptian Embassy, Ottawa, Canada
Phone:
+1-613-234-4931
+1-613-234-4935
Email:
egyptemb@sympatico.ca

Egyptian Consulate General, Montreal, Canada
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Two Canadians, Tarek Loubani and John Greyson, arrested in Egypt

Two Canadians, doctor Tarek Loubani and filmmaker John Greyson, were arrested by Egyptian police yesterday in Cairo. They were en route to the Gaza Strip, where they are working on an academic and medical collaboration between the University of Western Ontario (UWO) and the main hospital in the Gaza Strip, the al-Shifa hospital.

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The Zimmerman Verdict and MMA

Misinformation about martial arts seems to have played a role in the Zimmerman verdict. Because of the mass popularity of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), there is an assumption that people know more about martial arts than they actually do.

When the defense asked Zimmerman’s MMA (mixed martial arts) trainer to demonstrate the ‘mount’ position and the ‘ground-and-pound’, the defense’s theory was based on two propositions.

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The future of India’s conflict zones: Q/A July 25, 2013 at Hart House

For those in Toronto, I will be doing a little Q/A session at the University of Toronto’s Hart House South Dining Room from 6-8pm on Thursday, July 25, 2013. Here’s the description:

The Future of India’s Conflict Zones – Q/A with Justin Podur
July 25, 2013, 6-8pm
Hart House South Dining Room
University of Toronto

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Kashmir: The fruits of isolation

India wants Kashmir for itself. Pakistan wants Kashmir for itself. But the effect of both countries’ policies has been to isolate Kashmir.

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India: Struggle for Indigenous Autonomy

A mini-documentary based on a March 9/13 interview with Adivasi Mahasabha General Secretary Manish Kunjam. Conducted in Dantewada in the middle of a march for tribal autonomy.

My Red Wedding Story

SPOILER ALERT: This article, like many of my conversations, contains massive spoilers about George R R Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books and the HBO Game of Thrones series.

I was handed George R R Martin’s Game of Thrones in 1997, by a friend who has recommended many of the books I’ve read over the years. He warned me that it was a little different, and that he was curious about my reaction.

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