The Ansari Podcast

On this episode of The Ansari Podcast, Mahmoud Elansary and Mufti Muhammed Ibn Muneer discuss why is Weed haram? How about before prayer? How about Alcohol. Why is that haram, even if it's in heaven? Why can't I have sex outside of marriage? It's an act of love and not violence, so is Islam against love Is it haram to masturbate? What about without porn? Why can't Muslim women marry non-Muslim men but Muslim men can marry non-muslim women? II feel like a hypocrite, what should I do? These kinds of questions are discussed on this episode!

*SORRY ABOUT THE SOUND QUALITY, WILL BE FIXED SOON IA* The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Holly Mara, 2 Muslim Americans, discuss why Holly decided to go into the film and arts industry. Especially since she is a minority in being a white American Hijabi Muslim woman. Holly speaks on the false narrative and fake bad reputation Islam has, even though when she discovered Islam it was nothing like the image she's seen in America. Holly talks about how she wants to change the way most Muslim women are represented on screen and how Muslims are represented in Hollywood in general.

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Board Member Raheela Ahmed discuss Raheela's childhood and what led her to where she is today as a Muslim woman in America. They discuss the difficulties her immigrant father went through and the obstacles she had to face to become the first hijabi elected official in Maryland. They discuss how they personally deal with "Islamophobia" and what it is like being in public office. They discuss the corruption within American politics and the issue with dark money's influence. They discuss policemen in schools. They discuss Raaheela's personal struggles with following religion and being a young Muslim in the west. As well as her personal struggles being in public office. they look back on the desires they had in highschool and how they dealt with them. 

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Professor Sahar Aziz discuss how the American government treated Muslims and reacted to the attack on 9/11. They talk about how the U.S government used 9/11 as an excuse to expand their power and abuse it on Muslims, knowing there would be no repercussions. They talk about how the government was able to do whatever they wanted to Muslims because Muslim Americans are weak and had no political power. Muslims were an easy target for the U.S. government. And whether the government still runs these sting operations on Muslims, also how people easily believed that Muslims were dangerous. Professor Sahar even gives examples of how these sting operations would go down. And how US agents would manipulate young Muslim Americans into becoming terrorists and/or join ISIS. They discuss Trump and the Republican base inciting hate for Muslims and Islam, and why they decided to sign the Muslim Ban. But how America sells billions of dollars to Saudi Arabia and is in its bets interest to be allies with Egypt, so Trump kept them off the Muslim ban. They also talk about how the CIA would Kidnapped and Outsource torture to Saudi Arabia and Egypt and why that is. Is Democracy and Islam Morally exclusive? Professor Sahar Aziz gives her perspective on how Muslims have been taught an over simplified and grandiose look at Islam that does not fit the reality and complexity and richness of Islamic history. Also what is Diaspora and what that Diasporas current situation is

Find Out More About Professor Sahar Aziz Here: https://law.rutgers.edu/directory/view/8277 Sahar Aziz’s scholarship examines the intersections of national security, race, and civil rights with a focus on the adverse impact of national security laws and policies on racial, ethnic, and religious minorities in the U.S.  She is a recipient of the Derrick Bell award from the American Association of Law Schools and served as a nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution-Doha. Sahar Aziz is Professor of Law, Chancellor’s Social Justice Scholar, and Middle East and Legal Studies Scholar at Rutgers University Law School.  Professor Aziz’s scholarship adopts an interdisciplinary approach to examine intersections of national security, race, and civil rights with a focus on the adverse impact of national security laws and policies on racial, ethnic, and religious minorities in the U.S.  Her research also investigates the relationship between authoritarianism, terrorism, and rule of law in Egypt.  She is the founding director of the interdisciplinary Rutgers Center for Security, Race, and Rights (csrr.rutgers.edu). She is also a faculty affiliate of the African American Studies Department at Rutgers University-Newark and a member of the Rutgers-Newark Chancellor's Commission on Diversity and Transformation.  Professor Aziz is an editor for the Arab Law Quarterly and the International Journal of Middle East Studies.  Professor Aziz teaches courses on national security, critical race theory, Islamophobia, evidence, torts, and Middle East law.

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Saad Abbasi, 2 Muslim Americans, discuss the psychology behind one of the many reasons why Muslim Americans drink alcohol. They discuss Muslim Americans wanting to fit in, Muslim Americans wanting to be cool and Muslim Americans drinking in order to be cool. They discuss how some Muslims smoke weed, party and have sex. And Mahmoud Elansary gives his own personal account and best reasons as to why he did in the past. They also discuss how America helps many Muslims become more religious and closer to God. Saad discusses how he personally become more religious in Islam in America. How Islam becomes more cultural in Muslim Countries. But for other Muslims its better to leave America. Saad Abbasi discusses what made him decide to become a practicing Muslim rather than succumbing to the desires of American society that many Muslims fall into. Saad explains how he chose his friends as Muslim friends and Non-Muslim friends only as acquaintances. Saad says he was Always interested in studying Islam, but enrolled into college. And his journey to finding an establishment and environment to promote his faith.

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and 2 of his highschool/college bestfriends talk about what God and religion has menat to them historically, how they feel about God and religion now. They ponder over the creation of God and who is God, how many Gods and religions are there and how to choose. What logic and knowledge mean to God and how important they are and the analogy of a ballroom as life. The issue with cancel culture, not listening to others, and Darrel Davis' experience with KKK leaders and members.  They talk about the dangers of social media and some of the pros and cons. They talk about how corrupt governments have risen to power by using “righteousness” as the reason why they do the evil things they do and how one piece plays on that concept. And the problem of people envying one another on social media

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Amal Kassir, 2 Muslim Americans, discuss Amals personal experience growing as a Muslim, Syrian, white American. Her experience being raised a Muslim in this country, how her mother converted, how she found God(Allah), she felt she had no purpose even after success, she questioned Gods will and existence, her struggle with faith and Islam. The moment she turned to God(Allah), and why she started wearing the hijab. They discuss Sadness and its necessity, her transition in public speaking, the story behind the Syrian crisis,  Bashar Al-Assad, her personal loss of family members in the war, how her family died in Syria, and Syrian peoples attitude towards God(Allah). They discuss peoples perceptions of God(Allah) and how it is so limited in scope. God(Allah) isn't always love, God is the full spectrum, there is so much beauty and imagery of God beyond what the general narrative is. And the more you learn about Islam the nicer and more loving you become.

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Dr. Sahar Khamis, 2 Muslim Americans, discuss how the internet has both united and disunited Muslims, the world needs more intellectual maturity, the Muslim middle ground is no where to be found online, silent majority of Muslims need to speak up, moderate Muslims don't feel like getting in online dialogues, Muslims not longer get information from scholars but from fools. They discuss the western medias anti-muslim rhetoric and how the media capitalizes on what bleeds. They discuss alot of Muslim parents wanting their children to become doctors and engineers, without room for entering creative and influential fields. Muslims should do what they're passionate about and put their mind to it. If Muslims want change, then they need to be an activist in every relationship and communication they have. Normal Muslim workers can have an impact. Lead by example as a Muslim and leave your Muslim bubble, accept others and others will accept you.

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary, Ozzi, and Japheth. 3 bestfriends discuss Ozzi's recent conversion to Islam from Catholicism, why he made the change to Islam, what he loves about Islam, his relationship with God, being grateful to God, God speaking to us, peoples egos stopping them from the truth, Muslims would not be Muslims if they werent born into it. Mahmoud doubts he'd find Islam on his own, difficult to admit everything about your life is a lie. Harsh environment for converts, Noticeable changes in his life since Islam and becoming muslim. Ozzi struggling with Depression and Anxiety before Islam. They discuss more about the journey towards God, religion and Islam. And how the journey to God is like any other Journey, knowledge and learning must be involved. Praying to God for guidance, God not having a gender, peoples hatred towards Islam. The Quran and Bible experiment, what Ozzis experience like being Muslim, not eating pork, people ignorance towards muslims and islam. Discuss Black Magic, Jinn, and their personal experiences with it. What magic does to you, how black magicians gain money and power. Japheth gives direct first hand stories on Black magic, its effect on a persons environment, the deal with the devil. They speak on what the Quran has to say about Black magic, how black magic can be used to destroy your marriage or life. Our reality is as cool as Tv shows and movies. And how culture works.

Ozzi speaks on why he converted to islam starting at minute 45* Before that we speak on Black Magic and Social Norms. 

The Ansari Podcast: Mahmoud Elansary and Muhammed Ali, 2 Muslim Americans, discuss how Islam will answer the ethical questions of the future, involving things happening now like sex robots, robots who claim to be Muslim, Robots that gain sentience, what is sentience? Dubai releasing an artificial fatua service, what sentience would do to the God argument. What knowledge is and what wisdom is. What consciousness is, if it is ethical to aid in suicide, whether animals are as intelligent as humans, what it means to be human. What intelligence means, the paradoxical issues in Islam, how brilliant Islamic scholars are, Muslim intention and can you change your past intention. Schrodingers cats, the moses story, our existence not being necessary without God, you cant prove somethings non-existence, atheism isnt a new phenomenon, imagining a world of complete randomness, and the fear and worship of science. Muhammeds post on facebook about family structures, tearing down the Patriarchy, everything being a social construct, no one being allowed to disagree, scholarly articles being abused for the liberal agenda. People using academic jargon as a weapon. Academics not living in the real world, academic circles becoming more biased, agrarian societies, and family life. Islams view on women, there being sexism within Muslims, people becoming extreme in ideological thought online. The bad effects of the internet on Muslims. Why Europe is freaking out and fears the population of Muslims increasing. The stereotypes against Islam and Muslims, Muslims not willing to admit cultures and religious defeat. The focus of Muslim scholars on modern day issues, Muslim worlds problem is poor political governance. Muslim scholars are Brilliant, smoking weed and drinking being fun, moral issues in our society, people putting up christmas trees, saving Muslim women movement, William Hastings trying to change islam, Europeans keep trying to change Islam as they themselves change their values every decade.