Episodes

  • Mussab Ali: Youth Power, & Fighting for Justice | Sumud Podcast

    Mussab Ali: Youth Power, & Fighting for Justice | Sumud Podcast
    Jun 5 2025
    This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Mussab Ali - a cancer survivor, civil rights advocate, and one of the youngest Muslim elected officials in U.S. history. Born in Pakistan and raised in Jersey City, Mussab’s story is one of grit, public service, and fearless truth-telling. At just 20 years old, Mussab became the youngest-ever elected official in Jersey City, eventually rising to president of the Board of Education. Where he advocated for clean water access, increased teacher pay, and halal food and Eid holidays for Muslim students. While studying at Harvard Law, Mussab battled cancer, completed chemotherapy, and still graduated while serving his community. Now, he’s running for mayor of Jersey City - not just to lead, but to represent. In a political moment where speaking up for Palestine is often seen as a career-ender, Mussab has done the opposite: calling out injustice, demanding a ceasefire, and getting thrown out of city hall for refusing to stay silent. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Surviving cancer, chairing the school board, & attending Harvard Law ➡ How loyalty to your hometown shapes bold leadership ➡ The power of showing up authentically in politics ➡ Running for office and standing up for Palestine ➡ How Trump’s Islamophobic lies inspired Mussab’s first campaign ➡ Creating the Ali Leadership Institute and investing in youth power This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 📌Chapters: 00:00 – Mussab’s Introduction & Early Life 03:10 – Growing Up Muslim in New Jersey 07:28 – Becoming Jersey City’s Youngest Elected Official 14:48 – Wins for the Muslim Community & Equity in Schools 20:15 – Mussab's Academic Journey in China and at Harvard 24:56 – Cancer Diagnosis &Interning During Chemotherapy 30:28 – Starting the Ali Leadership Institute 32:35 – Running for Mayor & Speaking Truth to Power 42:26 – One-State vs. Two-State & Lessons from Visiting Palestine 49:31 – Supporting his Campaign & Final Reflections 🌐 Explore more at: sumudpod.com 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan 🎙 Follow Mussab: @mussabaalijc, @aliforjc 📢 Check out Mussab's work: Campaign Website: www.ali2025.com Ali Leadership Institute: www.alileadership.com #Palestine #SumudPod #MuslimVoices #YouthInPolitics #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #CeasefireNow #HumanRights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Connie Kazan: Food, Family & Advocacy for Palestine | Sumud Podcast

    Connie Kazan: Food, Family & Advocacy for Palestine | Sumud Podcast
    May 29 2025
    This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Lebanese-American baker, mother, and outspoken advocate Connie Kazan. Known for her viral desserts, unforgettable appearance on The Great Chocolate Showdown, and unfiltered voice for justice. A mother of four, social media personality, and outspoken advocate for Palestinian and Arab communities, Connie brings fierce love, deep-rooted cultural pride, and relentless compassion to everything she touches, from cake decorating to calling out injustice on a global scale. In this raw conversation, Connie takes us on a journey through her life: from growing up in Dearborn to becoming a prominent voice for Arab and Muslim women. She opens up about the challenges of being a hijabi woman in the public eye, navigating racism and cultural erasure in both media and everyday life, and the emotional weight of watching her people suffer. Connie also shares powerful reflections on her time in Egypt, where she worked directly with displaced Gazan families, offering aid, empathy, and unwavering solidarity in these difficult times. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Growing up Arab in the U.S. ➡ Family, faith, and hijab in the face of judgment ➡ Food as identity, resistance, and reclamation ➡ Her work with displaced Gazans and mutual aid ➡ Why Connie refuses to be silent about Palestine, colonization, or stolen land This video is for educational purposes only. It provides cultural, historical, and political reflections to inform and inspire viewers. 📌Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Connie’s Backstory 02:03 – Growing Up in Dearborn & Family Bakery Roots 08:13 – Identity, Faith & Rejecting Sectarian Divides 12:37 - The Great Chocolate Showdown & Arab Representation 19:24 – Speaking Truth, & Support Gazans in Egypt 25:01 – Final Reflections 26:30 – Supporting Displaced Gazans in Egypt 31:00 – Speaking Truth to Power & Refusing to Stay Silent 34:50 – Final Reflections 📲 Follow Connie Kazan: @conniekazan13 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan 🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com Learn more and register for the Gaza 5K: http://gaza5k.org #Palestine #SumudPod #ConnieKazan #PalestinianLiberation #ArabAmericanVoices #HijabiRepresentation #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #CeasefireNow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    30 mins
  • Maya Abdallah: Hunger Strike, Mental Health & Palestinian Resistance | Sumud Podcast

    Maya Abdallah: Hunger Strike, Mental Health & Palestinian Resistance | Sumud Podcast
    May 22 2025
    Hello friends, Just a note before we get started that the guest of this episode, Maya Abdallah, was hospitalized just hours after this interview. We share this with her full consent and in deep solidarity. ⚠️ Disclaimer: This episode contains a discussion of sensitive topics, including self-harm and mental health. Listener and viewer discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek professional support. Dial 988 in the US for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Maya Abdallah, an artist and activist. Maya’s work unearths the depths of generational trauma, resilience, and identity, and her viral poetry has created a space for Palestinian voices in places that often silence them. She is also a writer and filmmaker, using storytelling across mediums to amplify her community’s truth. In this powerful conversation, Maya shares her hunger strike journey as a student at @UCLA, where she launched her hunger strike demanding the university divest from genocide and support Palestinian liberation. From the physical and emotional toll to the unwavering clarity, it gave her about Palestinian resistance. She opens up about her mental health, confronting the stigma around mental health, especially in our communities. This episode is raw, unfiltered, and deeply grounded in love with her people. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ The personal and political cost of hunger striking ➡ How poetry becomes a tool of healing and resistance ➡ The impact of social media visibility on artists of conscience ➡ Arab womanhood, mental health, and inherited grief ➡ Holding joy and mourning in the fight for Palestinian liberation This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 📕Chapters: 00:00 – Content Warning & Introduction 02:53 –Physical & Emotional Toll of Not Eating 07:42 – UCLA’s Response and Zionist Harassment Tactics 11:47 – Hiding the Strike & Family Impact 15:53 – The Pain of Palestinian Mothers Under Siege 17:54 – Navigating Arab Identity in America 34:12 – Battling Depression and the Arab Mental Health Stigma 41:50 – Turning Grief into Resistance Through Art & Ayooni 50:11 – Clarifying Intentions: Activism, Courage, and Community Support 01:08:13- Final Message 🎥Watch the full episode: https://sumudpod.com 📲Follow Maya: @mayaayooni 📲Follow our host: @dredhasan 🌐Checkout Maya's line where art meets action: https://ayoonibymaya.com/ Learn more and register for the Gaza 5K at http://gaza5k.org/ #Palestine #PalestineSolidarity #SumudPod #EndTheGenocide #EndTheSiege #MentalHealth #HungerStrike #PalestinianYouth #DecolonizeNarratives #FreePalestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Ahmad Abuznaid: USCPR, the Ongoing Nakba, and Fighting for Palestinian Liberation | Sumud Podcast

    Ahmad Abuznaid: USCPR, the Ongoing Nakba, and Fighting for Palestinian Liberation | Sumud Podcast
    May 15 2025
    This week on the Sumud Podcast, in commemoration of Nakba, we’re joined by Ahmad Abuznaid, co-founder and Executive Director of the Palestinian Youth Movement. Ahmad has spent years advocating for Palestinian rights and justice, amplifying the voices of youth-led movements for liberation. His work highlights the urgency of solidarity, resistance, and the power of collective action in the face of oppression. Ahmad shares his insights on the intersection of Palestinian liberation and global justice movements in this thought-provoking conversation. He reflects on the role of youth in reshaping the narrative of resistance, the importance of international solidarity, and the profound impact of grassroots organizing in challenging imperialism and colonialism. Ahmad also discusses the moral imperative of resisting injustice and why standing for Palestinian freedom is crucial to the broader struggle for human rights. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ The link between Palestinian liberation and global justice movements ➡ The power of youth-led activism in resistance ➡ The role of international solidarity in the fight for freedom ➡ Why resisting injustice is a moral duty, not a choice ➡ The importance of amplifying Palestinian voices in the global struggle This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. Chapters: 00:00 - Remembering the Nakba & Honoring Palestinian Struggle 00:42 - Introduction & Ahmad’s Roots in Advocacy 10:26 – Trayvon Martin, Miami, and the Birth of Dream Defenders 18:31 – From Burnout to Institution Building 23:27 – First Trip to Palestine: A Homecoming 28:32 – Building Palestinian Power in the U.S. 34:18 – Messaging, Ceasefires, and the Fight for Justice 40:09 – Faith, Family, and Daily Practices for Grounding 46:55 – Liberation Is a Shared Struggle 🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow Ahmad Abuznaid on IG: @ahmadabuznaid, @uscpr 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan https://uscpr.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/USCampaign https://www.notmytaxdollars.org/ https://www.uscpraction.org/ https://dreamdefenders.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • Nora Lester Murad: Identity & Resistance | Sumud Podcast

    Nora Lester Murad: Identity & Resistance | Sumud Podcast
    May 8 2025
    This week on the Sumud Podcast, we're joined by author, educator, and longtime activist Nora Lester Murad. Nora has spent decades working at the intersections of aid, justice, and Palestinian liberation. From co-founding Aid Watch Palestine to raising Palestinian children as a Jewish mother, her journey speaks to the power, and cost of solidarity. Nora shares moving reflections on parenting under occupation, including the stark contrasts between safety in the U.S. and Palestine, and the painful reality of watching her daughters face military interrogations as teenagers. She also unpacks the harm caused by organizations like the ADL, and why she believes that true anti-racism must be principled, consistent, and rooted in the dignity of all people. 🔑In this conversation, we explore: ➡️ What it means to choose solidarity and identity ➡️ The limits of “progressive except for Palestine” ➡️ Parenting, identity, and anti-racism as lived experience ➡️ Why radical honesty and storytelling are acts of resistance This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 📲 Follow Nora Lester Murad: @nora_lester_murad, @droptheadlfromschools, @interlinkbooks 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan 🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com 📚 Explore Nora’s work: https://aidwatchpalestine.org, http://www.droptheadlfromschools.org/, http://www.noralestermurad.com/ 📕Nora’s Book: http://www.bit.ly/IdaRaffle 🏃‍♂️ Learn more and register for the Gaza 5K by visiting http://gaza5k.org/ 📌 Chapters: 0:00 – Introduction & Anti-Racism as a Jewish Value 02:10 – Raising Palestinian Children & Safety in Palestine vs. the U.S. 07:45 – First Interrogations & Parenting Under Occupation 11:20 – Why Nora Left the ADL 16:55 – Distorted Statistics & Zionism in Disguise 22:30 – Solidarity Beyond Identity Politics 27:15 – What Liberal Zionists Get Wrong 31:40 – Jewish Identity, Responsibility & Political Transformation 36:55 – How She Co-Founded Aid Watch Palestine 42:25 – Advice for Allies & the Stakes of Silence #JewishVoiceForPalestine #PalestinianChildren #AntiRacism #SolidarityIsPersonal #MotherhoodAndResistance #SumudPod #NotInMyName #HumanRightsForAll #EndApartheid #PalestineLiberation #Palestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Khaled Beydoun: Eyes on Gaza, Witnessing Annihilation | Sumud Podcast

    Khaled Beydoun: Eyes on Gaza, Witnessing Annihilation | Sumud Podcast
    May 1 2025
    In this first live episode of the Sumud Podcast, we welcome back renowned law professor, civil rights advocate, and author Khaled Beydoun. Khaled shares his reflections on Gaza's genocide, the use of law and writing as tools of resistance, and the evolution of global consciousness in the digital age. Drawing from his personal experiences growing up during Lebanon’s civil war and his legal expertise, he discusses the intersection of Islamophobia, colonialism, and Palestine advocacy today. This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. We also dive into his two impactful books: 📚American Islamophobia: Understanding the Roots and Rise of Fear 📚Eyes on Gaza: Witnessing Annihilation Find them through our affiliate link: https://bookshop.org/shop/sumudpod In this conversation, we explore: ➡️ Practicing resistance through law, advocacy, and writing ➡️ How Gaza revealed the media’s role in genocide denial ➡️ Social media’s double-edged role in advocacy ➡️ The weaponization of Islamophobia in U.S. policy ➡️ Redefining what real activism looks like today ➡️ Honoring Palestinian resilience and global solidarity Khaled also discusses the broader political moment in the U.S., campus crackdowns, the war on higher education, and the urgent need for strategic endurance in activism. 🎧 Listen now and be part of the movement for justice. 🔗 For all things Sumud: https://sumudpod.com/ 📲 Follow Khaled Beydoun: @khaledbeydoun 🎙️ Follow our host: @Dredhasan Thanks to @busboysandpoets 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Practicing Resistance Through Action 03:00 – Growing Up During War and Ties to Palestine 06:00 – Language Matters: Freedom Fighters vs. Terrorists 10:57 – Writing as Resistance and the Power of Words 13:00 – Gaza and the First Digital Genocide 15:05 – Global Solidarity and Rising Conscience 18:44 – Legal Definitions: Genocide vs. Ethnic Cleansing 23:21 – Reclaiming Palestinian Humanity and Media Bias 31:23 – Campus Crackdowns and Islamophobia in Higher Ed 35:05 – Questions and Answers #KhaledBeydoun #EyesOnGaza #GazaGenocide #FreePalestine #Islamophobia #CriticalRaceTheory #PalestinianRights #ResistanceThroughWriting #SocialJustice #SumudPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 mins
  • Dr. Butch Ware: Black Liberation, Zionism, and the Spiritual Fight for Justice | Sumud Podcast

    Dr. Butch Ware: Black Liberation, Zionism, and the Spiritual Fight for Justice | Sumud Podcast
    Apr 24 2025
    In this powerful episode of the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Butch Ware, public intellectual, artist, activist, and former U.S. Vice Presidential candidate. From his upbringing in DC and Minneapolis to his deep immersion in West African Islamic traditions, Dr. Ware weaves personal stories with global liberation movements to deliver a compelling call to resist imperialism and build collective healing. He shares how Zionism functions as the last breath of white supremacist settler colonialism, the importance of faith, and the urgent need to reclaim spiritual resistance as a tool of decolonization. We also explore his deeply personal journey into Islam through Malcolm X, his academic work including The Walking Qur’an, and his bold political vision for restorative justice and unity across humanity. This episode is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡️ The link between Black liberation and Palestinian freedom ➡️ How Sufism offers a path to resist oppression and repair trauma ➡️ The colonial roots of Salafism and Wahhabism ➡️ Why resisting injustice is a duty, not a choice ➡️ The myth of apolitical spirituality ➡️ Stories of survival, purpose, and faith in action 📚 Books by Dr. Ware: ➡️ The Walking Qur’an ➡️ Jihad of the Pen Available at major bookstores and academic publishers. You can also check them out here: https://bookshop.org/shop/sumudpod 📲 Follow Dr. Butch Ware: @butchware 🎙️ Follow our host: @Dredhasan 🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com/ 📌 CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Introduction & Roots of Resistance 02:33 – Born into White Supremacy: A Personal Story 08:21 – Encounters with Police Brutality 14:31 – Malcolm X, Liberation & the Qur’an 21:00 – Sunni/Shia Unity & West African Islam 27:30 – Sufism & Spiritual Resistance 35:47 – Living in Senegal & African Identity 42:23 – Writing The Walking Qur’an 48:00 – Palestine & Black-Palestinian Solidarity 50:30 – October 7th, Nat Turner, and Settler Violence 59:05 – False Allies, Candace Owens, and Media Control #BlackLiberation #Palestine #Faith #SpiritualResistance #ButchWare #SumudPodcast #Decolonize #Sufism #AntiZionism #Justice #Palestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 41 mins
  • Najla Said: Identity, Advocacy, and Healing through Storytelling

    Najla Said: Identity, Advocacy, and Healing through Storytelling
    Apr 17 2025
    In this powerful episode of the Sumud Podcast, we are joined by author, actress, and playwright Najla Said—daughter of the legendary Palestinian intellectual Edward Said. This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. Through humor, vulnerability, and sharp storytelling, Najla reflects on growing up as an Arab American in New York, her struggles with identity and anorexia, and the pressure of assimilation in the elite white spaces surrounding her. Najla opens up about navigating a world that both shrunk and exoticized her Palestinian identity, her healing journey through Arab culture, hospitality, and expressing love through food, and the personal toll of being one of the only visible Palestinians in spaces like Hollywood and Broadway. From stories of her solo play Palestine to memories of Mahmoud Darwish, she shares the intimate and political threads that shaped her life and work. 🎯 In this conversation, we explore: ➡️Growing up Arab American and code-switching to assimilate in elite white spaces ➡️The complexities of anorexia, shame, and reclaiming her identity ➡️Creating art as a form of resistance and healing ➡️The enduring impact and misinterpretation of Edward Said’s legacy ➡️The power of theater and memoir to shift narratives about Palestine 🎧 For all things Sumud: https://sumudpod.com 📘 Read her memoir "Looking for Palestine: Growing Up Confused in an Arab-American Family" at Sumud Pod's affiliate bookstore: https://bookshop.org/shop/sumudpod 🎙️ Follow our host: https://www.instagram.com/dredhasan/ Najla Said: https://www.instagram.com/kittybubble/ 📌 Chapters 00:00 – Introduction & Growing Up Arab-American 04:45 – Identity, Anorexia, and Cultural Rejection 14:50 – Returning to Palestine & Reconnecting Through Food 21:00 – Writing Looking for Palestine & Preserving Legacy 27:00 – On Social Media, Generational Shifts & Movement Building 34:54 – Edward Said’s Influence, Illness & Resilience 42:00 – Theater as Resistance and Finding Her Own Voice #SumudPodcast #NajlaSaid #Palestine #EdwardSaid #ArabAmerican #ResistanceThroughArt #DiasporaVoices #PalestinianNarratives #Theatre Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 1 min