UpFront

In the first episode of a new series of UpFront, we speak to three former heads of intelligence agencies. Mehdi Hasan asks former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy about internal Israeli politics and the prospect of peace with Palestinians. We also debate Afghanistan, the US and Pakistan with Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's ISI, and Michael Flynn, the former director of the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

Tunisia's "Islamist" Ennahda party announced last month that it was moving away from so-called "political Islam". The announcement is seen as a move to broaden its following by a party that has been labelled "moderate Islamist" for 30 years. While the move is welcomed by many, others raise questions: Can Muslim-majority countries strike a balance between faith and democracy? Or, is there an irreconcilable tension between liberal values and Islamic beliefs? In a special edition of UpFront, recorded before Ennahda's announcement, Mehdi Hasan speaks to a panel of experts, analysts and activists about whether there can be a balance between Islamic and democratic values. Guests: Mustafa Akyol, Turkish columnist and author of Islam Without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty. Mona Eltahawy, Egyptian-American writer, activist and author of Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution Soumaya Ghannoushi, British-Tunisian writer, commentator and member of Tunisia's Ennahda party. Shadi Hamid, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Middle East Policy and author of Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam is Reshaping the World. Husain Haqqani, former Pakistani ambassador to the US and author of Pakistan: Between Mosque And Military

As Muhammad Ali is laid to rest, we remember his legacy both inside and outside the ring. In a special interview we speak to fellow boxer and Muslim, Amir Khan about how Ali has inspired him. In the Reality Check, Mehdi Hasan highlights the man Ali was as a radical, revolutionary and proud black Muslim American. And in the Headliner, we challenge Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo on alleged human rights abuses in the country.

As UK citizens prepare to vote next week on whether to remain part of the European Union, what impact will a potential "Brexit" have on the global economy? In this week's UpFront, we ask Angel Gurria, the secretary-general of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development, about the EU referendum and the OECD's 2016 Economic Survey on the US economy. This interview was recorded prior to the killing of British MP Jo Cox. In the Reality Check, we look at how economic sanctions often cause more harm than good. And in the Arena, we debate the pros and cons of Universal Basic Income with Swiss Senator Andrea Caroni and expert Dylan Matthews.

We discuss France's use of emergency powers, and debate if the country has a secular double standard on Islam.

"The most predictable aspect of Trump is unpredictability. I think it's dangerous, very dangerous," says Noam Chomsky.

We speak to Iranian Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar; and Slavoj Zizek defends his stance on refugees in Europe.

Bernard-Henri Levy makes the case for Western intervention, and we debate the future of Indian-administered Kashmir.

Michel Temer became president by "tearing up the Brazilian constitution", says former President Dilma Rousseff.

We debate the worrying trend of increasingly open anti-Semitism among the radical right and the left.

As the year comes to a close, we look back at some of UpFront’s compelling interviews and debates.