Muslims Doing Things

Sundus Abdul Hadi is an Iraqi visual artist and author. Sundus grew up in Abu Dhabi as a frequent visitor of Iraq before settling in Canada as a ten year old. Listen to how Sundus navigated art school, a career in the arts, and how she has navigated a creative lifestyle. Listen to the story of Sundus’s journey.
Plugs: 

Follow Sundus on Instagram
We Are the Medium, the art collective
Sundus's website 


Follow the host on IG, @laylool
Follow the show on IG 

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Salam Al-Marayati was new to the workforce when he founded one of the oldest national American Muslim advocacy and public policy organizations (MPAC). In 1988, it was clear the Muslims were underrepresented at the policy level. Over three decades later, MPAC’s footprint is undeniable, and the organization continues to widen its impact by creating opportunities for Muslims to work in Washington, Hollywood, and within American media. Listen to the story behind MPAC, and the Salam's journey.

Reach Salam at [email protected] or donat to MPAC at mpac.org.

Follow MPAC on Instagram or follow the Muslims Doing Things pod.  

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Dr Alaa Murabit is the United Nations High-Level Commissioner on Health Employment & Economic Growth, among many (many) other things. Alaa went into medicine thinking that she would go into pediatric surgery before her NGO, the Voice of Libyan Women, presented another path in life. Since graduating from med school, Alaa has become a global health and security expert, with achievements that range from co-writing the UN Sustainable Development Goals to a highly shared TED Talk to one of her current roles as Health Director at the Gates Foundation -- and, as noted, a UN High Level Commissioner. Listen to my chat with Alaa

Where to find Alaa:

• Follow Alaa on Twitter


• Follow Alaa on Instagram


• Subscribe to Alaa's podcast

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When Ascia Sahar was 25, she pitched herself to ABC — and was on the road to her dream job as an anchor. From there, she worked at United States Institute for Peace before taking time off of work to raise her children. But her love for writing and vintage meant that she combined her thoughtful narratives with beautiful content, and Instagram noticed. #Wordsbyascia became an omnipresent hashtag.

Find Ascia on Instagram, or follow her on Clubhouse at iamascia.

Follow the host on Instagram and follow the podcast on Instagram. 

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Khalida Brohi was a teenager when she learned that her cousin Khadija was killed in the name of honor, by Khadija’s own father's brother. Khalida dropped out of medical school and dedicated her life to ending honor killings. She has since founded Sughar Foundation, with the mission of redefining honor through social enterprise. She also founded the insanely Instagrammable Chai Spot in Sedona + NYC. And, Khalida authored a memoir titled I Should Have Honor. Listen to my chat with Khalida! 

• Find Khalida on Instagram 


• Follow The Chai Spot on Instagram 


• Buy Khalida's book, I Should Have Honor 


• Get involved with Sughar Foundation  

Follow me, the host @laylool, on IG! 

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Marwa (@marwaatik) was 18 when she started to create a new hijab experience, over 12 years ago. Before that for many of us, hijab procurement was a mishmash of H+M or Forever21 neck scarves and masjid basement bazaar finds. But when she started Vela with her sister Tasneem, they focused on color, quality, and even hijab weight for the most comfortable and chic feel. The colors are forecasted and custom made each season (and, imho, unmatched). Vela perfected their classic modal -- and since has unveiled chiffon and jersey fabrics. Listen to Marwa's journey co-founding Vela on today's pod. 

• Follow Marwa on IG 


• Follow Vela Scarves on IG


• Follow Vela on TikTok


• Follow Marwa on YouTube

Follow me, the host @laylool, on IG

Follow the pod on IG 

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A few days ago, my dad’s brother Sami died to COVID -- he was one of my dad’s closest friends. My father is the only member of his immediate family to have left Iraq. Only in recent years, with the accessibility of video chatting and reliable wireless networks, he incorporated a new routine to his life: regular video calls with his big brother and other siblings. Before that, due to a crumbling infrastructure, phone calls to Baghdad were  limited in duration. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately — how beautiful it must have been to have tools to communicate the mundane, after five decades. To reach relationship depths that weren't previously accessible. To share art and news. To talk about Kamila's pics on my Instagram (this regularly made the agenda, as my Amu Sami loved Kamila's pics on my Instagram).

My dad moved to America over 50 years ago, to sub-specialize in surgery as a young Iraqi physician. His native country didn’t offer the specialization in training that he endeavored for, so he set sail (literally, on a boat) the the United States. Over the years, he built a practice, ran it, had 6 kids, and more recently has indulged in the fine arts. Listen to a sliver of my dad’s story today on the pod. And keep my uncle in your prayers.

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Huda Al-Marashi wrote her memoir while raising three children. Over a 15 year journey as a stay at home mom throughout her husband's demanding medical education and training, Huda wrote (a lot), figured out the publishing industry, and sold her first book, First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story. 

Huda's memoir is a tale of the all-too-familiar (but very tight lipped) balance of traditional Iraqi cultural values against American romantic fantasies that many children of Muslim immigrants face in the United States. It's witty, amusing, and incredibly honest -- as Huda narrates her adolescence and young adulthood through a (kinda/mostly) arranged marriage.

• Buy Huda's book, First Comes Marriage


• Follow Huda on Instagram


• Follow Huda on Facebook


• Sign up for Huda's newsletter

Follow the pod and the host @laylool on Instagram. 

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At this point, you’ve probably heard of Clubhouse. The audio based social network has brought together communities at a unique time in history, when we are all stuck at home. On Clubhouse, realtime panels happen throughout the day in different clubs, which are groups around a common interest. And if you’re on Clubhouse and especially if you’re Muslim, you have probably seen Alex Fox around. Alex’s nascent career in tech has earned her a role in Warby Parker’s product organization — and offline, she has a clothing line with the mission of social justice. But, most recently, Alex has become Clubhouse famous. At a time that most of us are just figuring out what Clubhouse is (many thanks to Elon Musk, stonks, and the Robinhood app).

With a following of over 24,000 of her own — and “clubs” or social spaces with a following of well over 30,000, Alex has built a serious platform in quarantine. Two of her clubs are around Muslim identity — and they are bustling with real time panels that cover a gamut of topics.

While Clubhouse is figuring out how to monetize, Clubhouse influencers are emerging (she has a game show with the founder of Twitch), and Alex is definitely one of them. But it’s a different type of influence — an influence of, mostly, the mind.

Listen to figure out who Alex is, and if you’re patient, to learn how to get a Clubhouse invite of your own.

Connect with Alex on

• Instagram


• Twitter


• Check out her clothing go, Origin of Mind 

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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laylool.substack.com/subscribe

Reza Aslan always knew he would be a writer -- though he may not have always known he would be the author of a New York Times #1 bestseller, a TV host, producer, a scholar, and an Emmy nominee. Reza straddles a very unique intersection, as a scholar of religion with a robust career in entertainment. Listen to my chat with Reza on how he got to that intersection -- and keep an eye out for his sitcom (made with the creator of acclaimed comedy Two and a Half Men), the United States of Al, set to premiere on CBS this April 1st.  

Where to find Reza: 

• Follow Reza on Twitter 


• Follow Reza on Facebook 


• Find Reza on his website  

Follow me, the host @laylool, on IG, and the pod on Instagram. 

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/laylool/message

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit laylool.substack.com/subscribe