✨Special thanks to our sponsors: 

Palestine Drinks Shop: https://www.palestinedrinksshop.com/ | @palestinedrinks_shop on Instagram

Visualizing Palestine: https://visualizingpalestine.org/ | @visualizing_palestine on Instagram

On this episode of #SumudPodcast, we are honored to feature award-winning Palestinian author, social activist, policy analyst, and journalist Laila El-Haddad.

Laila’s work spans topics such as life in Gaza, the intersection of food and politics, contemporary Islam, and her experiences as a Palestinian mother and journalist. In 2014, she appeared on CNN's Parts Unknown with Anthony Bourdain, where she guided him through the Gaza Strip, offering a rare and humanizing portrayal of the region.

Born in Kuwait, raised in Saudi Arabia, and spending her summers in Gaza, Laila’s journey is a testament to the resilience of Palestinians in the diaspora. A graduate of Duke University and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government in the United States, Laila brings a unique perspective informed by her personal and professional experiences.

Join us as our host, @DrEdHasan, explores Laila’s reflections on navigating borders, the challenges of motherhood under occupation, and how food becomes an act of storytelling and resistance.

🎧 For all things Sumud: 

Listen now: https://sumudpod.com

➡️ Follow our guest:

 Laila El-Haddad: @gazamom

➡️ Follow our host:

 Dr. Ed Hasan: @DrEdHasan

➡️ Special thanks to Zeina Ashrawi

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction

02:01 Laila’s Background: Palestinian identity, displacement, and Israel’s discrtiminatory ID system.

12:28 Impact of the Gulf War: Growing up in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.

15:02 Leaving Gaza: Her parents’ decision and pressures to stay silent before the First Intifada.

19:46 Food as Resistance: Connecting to Palestinian culture through cuisine.

37:41 Living in the U.S.: Facing the U.S.’s role in perpetuating genocide in Palestine.

44:04 Post-9/11 Parallels: Comparing the post-9/11 era to current challenges for Palestinians.

51:27 Sponsors: Special thanks to our sponsors.

54:08 Writing Gaza Kitchen: Discovering Gaza’s food traditions and working with Anthony Bourdain.

01:04:59 Colonialism and Cuisine: How occupation has changed Palestinian culinary traditions.

01:24:57 Anthony Bourdain’s Visit: Insights into Gaza’s realities.

01:28:22 The Biden Lawsuit: Discussing the landmark case against U.S. support for genocide.

01:50:16 Refusing Tokenization: Pushing back against political pressure from the Biden administration.

01:53:47 Her Books: Exploring the stories and motivations behind her works.

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