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

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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

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This week on the Sumud Podcast, in commemoration of Nakba, we’re joined by Ahmad Abuznaid, the Executive Director of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights & USCPR Action. Prior to joining USCPR, Ahmad co-founded the Florida-based Dream Defenders after the killing of Trayvon Martin, serving as Legal & Policy Director and COO during his time there. Ahmad went on to lead the National Network for Arab American Communities as the Executive Director from 2017 to 2019.

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/

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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

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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

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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

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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

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In this episode, we speak with founders of Doctors Against Genocide, Dr. Karameh Hawash-Kuemmerle and Dr. Nidal Jboor.

Join us as we learn more about their upbringing in Palestine and the realities of practicing medicine under occupation. They share a detailed account of how Israel's assault on Palestinian life has reached genocidal proportions, and how initiatives like the Health for Palestine Pediatric Program and Doctors Against Genocide offer resistance through care.

Lastly, tune in for their moving account of how their brave colleagues in Gaza have become their daily guiding light amid genocide denial and global silence.

🎯 In this conversation, we discuss:

➡️ Becoming doctors and practicing medicine under occupation

➡️ How Israel has become hellbent on destroying the fabric of Palestinian life

➡️ Genocide denial

➡️ How to support the work of Doctors Against Genocide

➡️ The bravery of the medical professionals in Gaza

📲 Follow our guest: @doctorsagainstgenocide

🎙️ Follow our host: @Dredhasan

🌐 For all things Sumud: https://sumudpod.com/

🪙 Donate to Doctors Against Genocide: https://doctorsagainstgenocide.org/donate

🗓️ Purchase the Doctors Against Genocide calendar: https://dagshops.com/products/doctors-against-genocide-presents-a-year-of-genocide-wall-calendar-2025

📌Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction, Family Background & Palestinian Identity

05:23 - Practicing Medicine Under Occupation

09:44 - The Daily Life of Palestinian Students

16:09 - Health For Palestine Pediatric Program

21:04 - Zionism and Hasbara (Israeli Propaganda)

26:29 - Palestinian Right to Exist & Resist

31:40 - The Creation of Doctors Against Genocide

35:45 - Willing Executioners

40:51 - The Science of Genocide

45:36 - October 7th

56:07 - Settler Colonialism

58:56 - The Hippocratic Oath

1:20:52 - Public Criticism

1:24:57 - Speaking Up for Palestine

1:31:46 - How to Support

#SumudPodcast #Palestine #FreePalestine #Activism #AgainstGenocide #Podcast #MedcineUnderOccupation

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On this episode of the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Saiaf Abdallah, the voice behind @Resistance_Is_Beautiful. Known for his fearless activism, viral confrontations, and unwavering commitment to Palestine, Saiaf is always ready to share the blatant truth in times of injustice.

From being arrested multiple times to going head-to-head with Zionist narratives in public spaces, Saiaf shares how his upbringing, his father’s imprisonment for refusing to cooperate with the FBI, and the October 7th shift shaped his radical clarity and public resistance. He speaks openly about Zionist supremacy, American apathy, and the spiritual and philosophical grounding that sustains him.

🎯 In this conversation, we discuss:

➡️ Growing up Palestinian in Arizona

➡️ His viral arrest footage and philosophy of fearless activism

➡️ Why he believes America is in moral collapse

➡️ Censorship and media control

➡️ Advice to young people who want to stand up for justice

🔴 This episode contains raw truth, intense clarity, and a rejection of performative politics.

📲 Follow him on Instagram: @resistance_is_beautiful

🎙️ Hosted by Dr. Ed Hasan: @Dredhasan

For all things Sumud: https://sumudpod.com/

📌Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction, Family Background & Palestinian Identity

06:19 – Early Activism

10:33 – His Father Getting Arrested

21:07 – Censorship and Suppression

28:03 – How to Cope and Persist

34:27 – Inspirations and Other Passions

47:47 – Advice on How to Advocate for Palestine

57:13 – On Society’s Apathy

#ResistanceIsBeautiful #SumudPodcast #Palestine #Liberation #Truth #Decolonize #FreePalestine #Zionism #StopTheGenocide

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On this episode of the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Palestinian storyteller and writer Jenan Matari, who brings voice to the narratives of resistance, diaspora, motherhood, and identity. From volleyball courts to viral blog posts and political storytelling, Jenan’s journey is one of reclamation; of land, language, and self.

Jenan opens up about growing up in a Palestinian-Brazilian-American household, her early years of struggling to fit in, and how faith and culture were both repressed and later rediscovered on her own terms. She shares the origin story of her groundbreaking blog Miss Muslim, the intergenerational wisdom that shaped her, and how a deeply personal trip to Palestine redefined her sense of home forever.

We dive into her upcoming children’s book, the role of her family (especially her grandfather), and what it means to raise kids who are not afraid to speak up about their identity and heritage. Through her storytelling, Jenan reminds us that home isn’t just a place—it’s a calling.

🎧 Watch more episodes: https://sumudpod.com/

🧥 Shoutout to @wearthepeace for the incredible hoodies, as featured in this episode, and for their inspiring brand mission.

Follow Jenan: https://www.instagram.com/jenanmatari

Follow our host: https://www.instagram.com/dredhasan/

📌 Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction

04:19 - Navigating her Palestinian-Brazilian-American identity

12:00 - Parenting Palestinian Children in the U.S.

20:50 - Reclaiming Faith & Creating MissMuslim

32:55 - Storytelling, Writing & Finding Voice

42:26 - Returning to Palestine & Feeling Whole

52:31 - Her Grandfather’s Garden & Upcoming Children’s Book

1:06:05 - Diaspora Debt, Fear, and Choosing to Speak

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