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“In a fascist regime, culture becomes propaganda”: concerns over growing censorship in Israel

Israeli filmmakers and academics have responded to the government’s crackdown on cultural institutions that depict the events of 1948 and showcase Palestinian history

By Ben Lynfield

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Tel Aviv Cinematheque

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MAGAZINE

LATEST ISSUE: VOLUME 53.04 WINTER 2024

Unsung heroes: How musicians are raising their voices against oppression

Music has been described as a “cultural universal” – a practice found in all known human cultures and societies. While anthropologists still scratch their heads over exactly where the concept originated, evidence indicates that humans have used musical instruments for an astonishing 40,000 years.

During an excavation in 1995 in Slovenia, researchers discovered a bear’s femur bone with holes in it and concluded that it could be an ancient flute.

Humans have always found ingenious ways to make music, and it’s not difficult to see why. It is one of the most powerful forms of self-expression, capable of eliciting both intense happiness and sadness in the listener. It is used to celebrate, lament, respect and enrage, and its endless genres, styles and instruments form a core part of countries’ unique cultural heritages.

But despite its universality, music is being silenced globally. Religious extremism, political factions, racism and nationalism are all driving forces, stopping it being performed, produced and listened to. In this issue we explore how music bans have been weaponised to silence communities and erase histories.

EXPLORE ISSUE

Uncensored gallery

Index commissions censored and exiled artists from around the world to illustrate our magazine covers and feature stories. You can view some of their work here

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Letters from Lukashenka's prisoners

Following a highly disputed election, Belarusian dictator Aliaksandr Lukashenka claimed victory in August 2020. Protests erupted and a vicious crackdown ensued. Letters from Lukashenka’s Prisoners gives unjustly detained individuals a voice by collecting, translating, and publishing letters on our channels on a regular basis

Learn about the campaign

Banned by Beijing

Banned by Beijing seeks to raise awareness of the Chinese Communist Party’s subversion of freedom of expression in Europe by creating a repository of reports, articles and other resources that will enable us to understand the extent to which we need to protect our fundamental rights and our democracies from Chinese interference

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SLAPPs

This campaign provides an insight into the extent to which journalists and media outlets in Europe are being affected by a type of vexatious legal action known as a Slapp – a strategic lawsuit against public participation

Learn about the campaign