🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, Dr. Rania Masri joins us to speak on liberation, land, and the interconnected struggles for justice. An environmental scientist and long-time activist, Rania brings decades of experience in organizing to the fight against colonialism and ecocide.

Since 1990, Rania has organized for justice and against systems of oppression and war through protests, teach-ins, conferences, political organizing, public speaking training, writings, research, and media work. She taught holistic environmental sciences (including environmental justice) at the university level for nearly two decades. She served as an expert in the Court of Conscience, presenting testimony on the environmental impact of the 2006 Israeli War on Lebanon.

In this episode, Rania connects the fight for Palestinian freedom to global movements for environmental and social justice. She explains how Zionism imposes ecocide on the land of Palestine, unpacks the colonial legacy of Sykes–Picot and the artificial borders of Greater Syria, and invites us to learn from the socialist wisdom of trees, what she calls the “Mother Tree” model of care, resistance, and community.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ The environmental devastation of Israeli occupation and Gaza’s ecocide

➡ The colonial blueprint of Sykes–Picot and rejecting imposed borders

➡ Trees as teachers: Mother Trees, socialism, and organizing

➡ How solidarity—not charity—can reshape our future

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00- Introduction

01:35- Facing the Unspoken Issues

12:54- Engaging Despite Differences: Republicans, Democrats, and Greens

15:41- Holding Our Leaders Accountable

22:37- Greater Syria: Rejecting Borders & Claiming Our Lands

24:56- Side by Side: Liberation, Labor, and Community

28:26- Origins and Goals: The Arab and Muslim Green Party Caucus

34:17- Exploring the Core: Life as an Environmental Scientist

38:39- Examining Ecocide: The Impact of Occupation

46:00- Environmental Advocacy: Where to Begin?

49:23- Final Reflections: Hope, Resistance & the Fight for Palestine

🎥 Full episode on Sumud Podcast: https://sumudpod.com

🌐Check out: https://ncejn.org/

📲 Follow: @raniamasri

📲 Follow: @dredhasan

#Palestine #FreePalestine #SumudPod #Antizionist #AntiColonial #Arab #Occupation #Decolonize #Lebanon #Syria

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🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Ashish Prashar, a political strategist and human rights activist who has advised Middle East peace envoys, UK politicians, and international bodies. He shares a unique perspective shaped by years of firsthand experience in Israel and Palestine, revealing realities that often go unseen in mainstream narratives.

From 2010 to 2012, Ashish lived in the West Bank and witnessed systemic policies controlling Palestinian communities. These experiences highlight the everyday mechanisms of apartheid and the human cost behind the policies.

In this episode, Ashish discusses the broader lessons of his experiences, from international advocacy to solidarity work. He emphasizes understanding both the human and political dimensions of the conflict, offering insights for activists, policymakers, and anyone seeking justice.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ What living in Israel and Palestine taught him about systemic apartheid

➡ The meaning and implications of “sanitized” roads

➡ How political systems and propaganda shape narratives of the conflict

➡ The role of international advocacy and solidarity

➡ Lessons for activists and observers striving for justice

📌 Chapters:

02:00- When Hatred Found Us at Play

12:52- Prison at Seventeen: Assaulted and Tested

21:25- Ashish’s Background: Political Strategy & Human Rights Work

27:47- Between Blair and Palestine

31:33- Living in the West Bank: Firsthand Experiences of Segregation

35:32- Football Against Apartheid

45:56- Airbnb: Profiting from Genocide

51:22- Reflections on Justice, Responsibility, and Speaking Out

🎥 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com

🌐Check out: https://www.ashishprashar.me/

📲Follow: @ash_prashar

📲Follow: @dredhasan

#Palestine #SumudPod #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #EndTheOccupation #JusticeForPalestine #ApartheidIsrael #HumanRights #NGO #BDS

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🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Sereen Haddad, a Palestinian student activist who helped lead the VCU Gaza solidarity encampment before police violently dismantled it!

In the days leading up to graduation, Sereen had been pepper-sprayed, beaten, and sent to the ER with head trauma as VCU and Virginia State Police stormed the encampment. Three days before graduation, she received an email from the university stating that she could walk the stage, but her degree would not be conferred due to her involvement in the protest.

Sereen’s story is not only about repression but also resilience. She experienced firsthand the violence facing student organizers across the U.S.—and yet, she insists: Palestinians refuse to remain quiet. Instead of breaking her, these moments only strengthened her resolve. With the help of Palestine Legal, she fought back and won her degree—showing that student movements have power and that universities are not neutral but complicit.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ What it means to be Palestinian in a world that dehumanizes your people

➡ Police repression at VCU’s Gaza encampment

➡ The loss of her family members in Gaza and why they are people, not statistics

➡ Why the divestment movement matters and terrifies universities

➡ Advice to other students facing repression on campus

➡ The resilience, pride, and love at the heart of Palestinian identity

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:42 – VCU Withheld Her Degree & the Days After October 7

10:02 – The VCU Encampment: Police Violence & Repression

16:07- The Haddad Legacy: Refusal & Resistance

20:47- Graduation Blocked: Student Conduct vs. Palestine Solidarity

29:00- Morals 101 & Calling in Backup: Palestine Legal

36:53- Why Silence is Not an Option

41:56- Final Reflections: Pride, Struggle & Speaking Out

📲 Follow: @sereen_haddad_

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

#Palestine #SumudPod #FreePalestine #DivestFromGenocide #Gaza #StudentProtests #CampusEncampments #EndTheOccupation #Divest #BDS

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This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Hannah Moushabeck, a Palestinian American author, editor, and book marketer. Born into a family of publishers and raised in western Massachusetts, Hannah grew up in the world of books. Today, she carries that legacy forward at Interlink Books, one of the only Palestinian-owned publishing houses in the U.S.

Her acclaimed debut, "Homeland: My Father Dreams of Palestine" (Chronicle Books, 2023), is a lyrical picture book inspired by her father’s memories of Palestine. With warmth and humor, it offers young readers both a window into a beloved homeland and a mirror for displaced families everywhere.

In this conversation, Hannah shares her journey growing up surrounded by stories, the challenges of representing Palestine in children’s literature, and the backlash she’s faced, including censorship and soft bans. She also reflects on reclaiming her identity, creating community for emerging Palestinian authors, and why storytelling for children is a vital act of resistance.

🔑 In this episode, we explore:

➡ Why representation in children’s books is survival, not just storytelling

➡ The story of Interlink Books & resisting cultural erasure

➡ The rise of censorship and soft suppression of Palestinian voices

➡ Building community through Palestinians in Kid Lit

➡ Homeland as an act of love, memory, and joy

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:21 – Growing Up in the Only Palestinian Publishing House in the U.S.

06:21 –The Faces of Interlink Books

9:56- How to Approach Interlink or Hannah About an Idea?

11:38- Childhood Erasure & Reclaiming Palestinian Identity

15:31 – Discovering Naomi Shihab Nye & the Power of Children’s Books

21:11- Writing Homeland & Sparking Questions Through the Story

26:52 – Soft Censorship, Library Bans & Resilience

29:35- Main Takeaway from Wondering About Palestine

31:25- Claiming My Identity: The Moment I Said, “I’m Palestinian"

33:33 – Messages to young Palestinians & aspiring writers

📲 Follow Hannah Moushabeck: @hannahmoushabeck, @interlinkbooks

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com

Check out: https://interlinkbooks.com/

📕 Hannah’s Book: Homeland: https://bookshop.org/p/books/homeland-my-father-dreams-of-palestine-hannah-moushabeck/18788705?ean=9781797202051&next=t

#Palestine #SumudPod #PalestinianStories #Books #Author #Kidsbook #Homeland #Stories #Storytelling

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🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Ibrahim Awada, a US-based trial lawyer, founder of The Awad Law Firm, and unapologetic voice for Palestine. Known for securing record-breaking verdicts and training trial lawyers across the country, Ibrahim has also emerged as a fearless advocate for his community, refusing to stay silent even when colleagues and judges turned away.

From Georgia’s courtrooms to his nonprofit Palistory, dedicated to preserving Nakba survivor testimony, Ibrahim blends legal excellence with moral clarity. His story is one of sacrifice, faith, and the painful realization that some “progressive” allies were never truly allies at all.

In this powerful conversation, Ibrahim reflects on what it means to confront injustice, whether in the courtroom or in Gaza, and why silence is complicity. He reminds us: the work is ours, the outcome is God’s.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ Why sacrifice is inevitable and why it must be ours, not our children’s

➡ The Georgia judge who said, “There are no innocents in Gaza.”

➡ How October 7 unmasked false allies in the legal profession

➡ Growing up Palestinian in the U.S. & the impact of Muhammad al-Durrah’s killing

➡ Founding Palistory to preserve Nakba survivor stories

➡ Faith, courage, and why speaking up is easier now than ever

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

1:58- Identity & Representing His Community

04:56 – Commitment to Faith & Palestinian Identity

08:46 – Why ‘Karate Attorney’?

14:45 – Confronting Judge Stacey Hydrick’s Gaza Comments

21:42 – Trial Lawyers College & the “Defense of the Damned”

28:43- Frames of Effort

32:05- Founding Palistory & Preserving Nakba Testimonies

34:10 – Message to CEOs, Professionals & Silent Allies

38:22- Why Zionism is Supremacy, Not Judaism

41:19- What It Means to Ibrahim to Be Palestinian

44:50- Take Action & Don’t Wait

46:30 – A Final Word: No Good Deed Goes Unrewarded

📲 Follow: @karateattorney, @palistory.usa

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

Check out: https://theawadlawfirm.com/

https://palistory.com/

#Palestine #SumudPod #FreePalestine #GazaGenocide #JusticeForPalestine #StandWithPalestine #IndependentMedia #Gaza #Nakba

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🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Mehdi Hasan—Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Zeteo, the independent media platform built to challenge power and amplify silenced voices. Known worldwide for his fearless debate style and sharp fact-checking, Mehdi has spent 25 years exposing propaganda and holding leaders to account.

His layered identity—son of Indian immigrants, a Shia Muslim growing up in the UK as a “minority within a minority,” and now an immigrant navigating life across the U.S. and U.K.—has shaped his worldview. These experiences of being both insider and outsider inform his politics, his journalism, and his commitment to journalistic integrity in an era of disinformation.

From Win Every Argument to his viral TV debates, Mehdi’s work blends storytelling with accountability. He reflects on what it means to live between worlds—and how identity, politics, and media intersect in today’s polarized climate.

Beyond his career highlights, Mehdi opens up about the struggles of independent journalism, the dangers faced by Palestinian reporters in Gaza, and why disinformation remains one of the greatest threats to truth.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ Why Mehdi built Zeteo to rival corporate media

➡ How lies and propaganda became his “antagonist”

➡ Growing up Muslim in the West

➡ Lessons from Win Every Argument on debate & persuasion

➡ Advice for Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students facing attacks

➡ The murder of Gaza’s journalists and why their voices matter

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

01:28 – The Birth of Zeteo & Challenging Power

03:19 – Propaganda, Lies & Mehdi’s “Antagonist”

07:09 – Growing Up Shia Muslim in the West

10:24 – Sectarianism, Geopolitics & Divide-and-Rule

13:23 – Debate Lessons from Win Every Argument

19:54 – Advice for Palestinian & Pro-Palestinian Students

24:56 – Rapid Fire Questions

32:52- Final Message: Support Independent Media

📲 Follow: @mehdirhasan & @Zeteo

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

Shop his book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/win-every-argument-the-art-of-debating-persuading-and-public-speaking-mehdi-hasan/18308276?ean=9781250853462&next=t

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

Check out: https://zeteo.com/

#Palestine #Sumudpod #MehdiHasan #FreePalestine #IndependentMedia #WinEveryArgument #Gaza #Journalism

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This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by journalist and BreakThrough News host Rania Khalek for a special episode diving into her latest documentary, Israeli Terror in Lebanon: Inside the Pager Attacks. The documentary uncovers the untold story behind the September 17th pager explosions in Lebanon—a years-long covert Israeli operation that left civilians maimed and silenced.

From the hidden manufacturing sabotage to the horrific injuries, Rania takes us through the political, human, and media dimensions of the attack and why Western coverage gave airtime to Mossad agents while denying a platform to the victims, including children.

As a Lebanese journalist, Rania offers a deeply personal perspective on the resilience of communities under siege and the friendships and humor that survive even in the aftermath of violence.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ How the pager attacks were planned and executed

➡ The human cost: stories of survivors like Ali and Hussein

➡ Anti-Shia sentiment and blocked access to Iranian medical aid

➡ The role of Western media in shaping narratives

➡ The resilience and resistance of Lebanon’s most targeted communities

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction & Rania’s Background

04:15 – How the Pager Explosions Happened

11:32 – Human Stories: Ali, Hussein, and Life After Injury

19:47 – Media Silence and Mossad’s Airtime

27:58 – Anti-Shia Sentiment & Blocked Medical Aid

42:52- Behind the Edits: What Was Left Out

45:53- A Scary New Reality for Lebanon

52:06- The One Message to Carry Forward

Reach out to [email protected], to connect with the people involved.

📲 Follow: @BreakThroughNews

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

Check out Rania's episode: https://sumudpod.com/episodes/rania-khalek/

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

#Palestine #Sumudpod #Lebanon #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #LebanonUnderAttack #HumanRights #WarCrimes #InternationalLaw

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🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Karmel Abufarha from Canaan Palestine—a Palestinian brand rooted in the land, the olive tree, and the power of community. Representing generations of farmers, Canaan shares how olive oil connects Palestinian families to the world and why farming in Palestine is both a daily routine and a quiet act of resistance.

Karmel has spent his life building Canaan Palestine alongside his father, Nasser Abufarha, to preserve Palestinian heritage through food and farming. As a Palestinian American who moved from Madison, Wisconsin, to live full-time in Palestine, Karmel brings a rare perspective on how environment and culture reshape our values.

But beyond abundance lies injustice. We discuss the obstacles farmers face under Israeli occupation—checkpoint delays, permit restrictions, and blocked access to their groves—and how Canaan is working to ensure these stories are heard across the globe.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ Farming as a cultural and political inheritance

➡ Why even professionals return to the land

➡ Olive oil as a link between Palestine and the world

➡ The everyday logistics of farming under occupation

➡ How global fair trade often excludes Palestine

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.

📌Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction & Karmel's Upbringing

04:29 – Canaan's Origin & What Farming Means in Palestine

10:05 – Key Terms: Fair Trade, Sustainability, & Biodiversity

25:41- A Message from the Land: What Farmers Would Say

31:19 – Farming as a Form of Resistance

33:44 – From Generation to Generation: The Wisdom of Palestinian Farming

47:45- Modern Life, Palestinian Roots: The Vision of Hayat Canaan

52:24 – Dignity, Markets, and the Next Chapter for Canaan

📲 Follow: @canaanpalestine

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com

📘 Read Canaan’s 2024 Reflection: https://canaanpalestine.com/pages/2024report

#Palestine #SumudPod #Oliveoil #Olivetree #Palestinianfood #Canaan #Palestinianculture #Freepalestine #Holyland

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🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Ibtihal Aboussad, a Moroccan-born software engineer, educator, and No Azure for Apartheid campaign organizer. A Harvard graduate and former Microsoft employee, Ibtihal made headlines earlier this year when she publicly confronted Microsoft’s CEO for the company’s role in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, resulting in her being fired from her job.

In this powerful conversation, Ibtihal shares the story behind that viral moment and the years of quiet resistance that led to it. From grassroots education initiatives in Morocco to building ethical technologies and manning suicide hotlines, her journey is a rare fusion of tech, spirituality, and social justice.

She reflects on how Islam grounds her commitment to collective liberation, what it meant to grow up under cultural imperialism in North Africa, and why she believes that true resistance is never just personal; it’s organized, intentional, and deeply principled.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ Tech complicity in genocide and organizing from inside Big Tech

➡ Growing up under neocolonialism in Morocco

➡ Faith as resistance to individualism and apathy

➡ Why she threw a kufiya on stage at Microsoft

➡ The emotional toll of working for a company enabling genocide

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides political, cultural, and ethical insight into corporate complicity, worker resistance, and the Palestinian liberation struggle.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Who is Ibtihal Aboussad?

05:44 – Growing Up in Morocco & Early Tech Education

11:28 – Harvard, Islam & Countering Individualism

17:30 – Working at Microsoft, Discovering Complicity & Organizing from Within

31:54 – The Protest, Kufiya Toss & Resignation

54:52 – What Comes Next: Collective Liberation & Tech That Heals

🇵🇸 Follow Ibtihal: @ibtihal.aboussad

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

Don’t miss it—tune in now at https://sumudpod.com

🌐Check out: https://noazureforapartheid.com/

#Palestine #SumudPod #Tech #Microsoft #PalestineUnderAttack #FreePalestine #VoicesFromGaza #EndTheOccupation #GazaUnderSiege

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🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Ibtihal Aboussad, a Moroccan-born software engineer, educator, and No Azure for Apartheid campaign organizer. A Harvard graduate and former Microsoft employee, Ibtihal made headlines earlier this year when she publicly confronted Microsoft’s CEO for the company’s role in Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people before resigning in protest.

In this powerful conversation, Ibtihal shares the story behind that viral moment and the years of quiet resistance that led to it. From grassroots education initiatives in Morocco to building ethical technologies and manning suicide hotlines, her journey is a rare fusion of tech, spirituality, and social justice.

She reflects on how Islam grounds her commitment to collective liberation, what it meant to grow up under cultural imperialism in North Africa, and why she believes that true resistance is never just personal; it’s organized, intentional, and deeply principled.

🔑 In this conversation, we explore:

➡ Tech complicity in genocide and organizing from inside Big Tech

➡ Growing up under neocolonialism in Morocco

➡ Faith as resistance to individualism and apathy

➡ Why she threw a kufiya on stage at Microsoft

➡ The emotional toll of working for a company enabling genocide

This video is for educational purposes only. It provides political, cultural, and ethical insight into corporate complicity, worker resistance, and the Palestinian liberation struggle.

📌 Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction: Who is Ibtihal Aboussad?

05:44 – Growing Up in Morocco & Early Tech Education

11:28 – Harvard, Islam & Countering Individualism

17:30 – Working at Microsoft, Discovering Complicity & Organizing from Within

31:54 – The Protest, Kufiya Toss & Resignation

54:52 – What Comes Next: Collective Liberation & Tech That Heals

🇵🇸 Follow Ibtihal: @ibtihal.aboussad

🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan

Don’t miss it—tune in now at https://sumudpod.com

🌐Check out: https://noazureforapartheid.com/

#Palestine #SumudPod #Tech #Microsoft #PalestineUnderAttack #FreePalestine #VoicesFromGaza #EndTheOccupation #GazaUnderSiege

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