Women of the Middle East

This series highlights Palestinian women, both within and outside of Palestine, as they create their personal stories in defining who they are as Palestinian women, while integrating them into the larger public narrative of the war in Gaza and more.

Rula Jebreal is a Palestinian foreign policy analyst, journalist, novelist, and screenwriter. Rula brought Palestinians’ occupation to the Italian audience when no other voices did, and has been a credible and respected voice, speaking about Islamophobia, occupation, human rights, Middle Eastern politics, and more.

This series highlights Palestinian women, both within and outside of Palestine, as they create their personal stories in defining who they are as Palestinian women, while integrating them into the larger public narrative of the war in Gaza and more.

Etaf Rum, a Palestinian American novelist and New York Times best-selling author and entrepreneur, who has a bachelor degree in English language and literature, BS in philosophy, MA in American and British literature and philosophy, joins this episode to discuss the 75 years of injustice Palestinians have faced, with Palestinian women being silenced and unable to express themselves freely.

This series highlights Palestinian women, both within and outside of Palestine, as they create their personal stories in defining who they are as Palestinian women, while integrating them into the larger public narrative of the war in Gaza and more.

Linda Sarsour challenges media bias against Arabs and Muslims, sharing post - 9/11 experiences in NYC. Embracing her Palestinian identity, she advocates for economic justice and immigrant rights, facing threats but fostering solidarity, especially in Gaza. She is a respected U.S. political activist, co-founder of the Women’s March, dedicated to women’s rights, social justice, and combating Islamophobia.

This series highlights Palestinian women, both within and outside of Palestine, as they create their personal stories in defining who they are as Palestinian women, while integrating them into the larger public narrative of the war in Gaza and more.

Embark on a heartfelt journey with Dana Dajani, a Palestinian poet and actress, as she opens up about the emotional stories of her grandparents’ escape from Palestine. These stories have echoed through generations, weaving a resilient thread that binds her to her Palestinian identity. Join us as Dana unravels the enchanting power of poetry and discusses the pivotal role of social media in amplifying the voices of Gaza. Dana is renowned for her captivating performances worldwide, from the Sydney Opera House to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Her roles in films have earned international acclaim, and she’s a familiar face in commercials and campaigns on the web and TV.

This series highlights Palestinian women, both within and outside of Palestine, as they create their personal stories in defining who they are as Palestinian women, while integrating them into the larger public narrative of the war in Gaza and more.

Leen Al Faqih, a 28-year-old Palestinian Jordanian, holds a master’s degree in women and child abuse and works full-time as a musician. Her passion for music and academic background are deeply interconnected, as she views war and displacement as forms of abuse. Her thesis focused on the benefits of music-based interventions in supporting abused children, particularly refugees. One of her key initiatives has been introducing music as a psychosocial activity in refugee camps.

Season 6 presents women stories, standing on themes around which their stories intersect, collide or/and merge. 

Lana Medawar is a seasoned journalist and media innovator, born on March 8, 1986, in Jezzine, a city known for its stunning landscapes. Her career began at a radio station before she graduated from the Lebanese University with a degree in radio and TV journalism in 2006. Lana's professional journey includes significant roles such as a news anchor and program presenter at Almayadeen news channel, where she also creatively led and produced the diverse show "Almashadiyya."

In 2021, Lana shifted her focus towards human journalism, creating the inspiring series "Nothing is Impossible," which highlights stories of perseverance and success. Embracing a new direction in 2023, she turned to producing content rooted in books and knowledge, leading to the establishment of the Storytelling School and the Solist Mindfulness Hub. Lana's career reflects her commitment to impactful storytelling and personal growth, inviting her audience to join her in a journey of discovery and inspiration.

Born in Kuwait on the 10th of October 1967 to a Kuwaiti father and a Syrian mother, Dr. Shurooq Amin is an Anglophone poet, an artist, a certified interior decorator, and a professor at Kuwait University. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing and an MA in English Literature. She has appeared on several television interviews on Kuwait TV, as well as in various Middle Eastern and Kuwaiti magazines and newspapers. She has given lectures about poetry and writing to school-children in private British schools in Kuwait and regularly holds poetry readings. Her poems, short stories, and paintings have appeared in more than 30 literary and artistic journals. Shurooq’s cultural diversity stems not only from her Middle Eastern upbringing and British education, but from her extensive travel experiences in Asia and the Middle East, North Africa, North and South America, and Europe. She lives in Kuwait with her husband and four children in a feng-shuied, Mexican/Moroccan-inspired home. She is the first Kuwaiti to be nominated for a Pushcart Prize for her poetry in 2007.

Zainab Salbi is an Iraqi American women's rights activist, writer, television show host, and podcaster. She is the co-founder of Daughters for Earth, a fund and a movement of Daughters rising up worldwide with climate solutions to protect and restore Mother Earth. She is also the co-founder of Women for Women International, a non-profit organization that helps women affected by sexual violence and conflict. She hosted Through Her Eyes and #MeToo, Now What? television shows, about issues affecting women. From 2022 she hosted the Redefined podcast.

In her 2005 memoir Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny: Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam, Salbi recounted her early life: Born in Baghdad to a father who later became Saddam Hussein's personal pilot, her family arranged her marriage and emigration to the United States, in order to remove her from the proximity of Hussein, who had started showing unwanted attention to her. After an abusive marriage in the U.S., she divorced her husband and started her humanitarian career. She is also the author of the nonfiction book The Other Side of War: Women's Stories of Survival & Hope which documents the stories of women survivors of war.

In September of 2023, Zainab Salbi was honoured with the Time100 Impact Award.

Dr. Lina AbiRafeh is an Arab-American feminist activist and author who works gender issues in development and humanitarian contexts. She has worked for various United Nations agencies and international non-governmental organizations and was the executive director of the Arab Institute for Women at the Lebanese American University.

She has a Master's degree in International Economics and Development from Johns Hopkins University.

She completed her PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2008, her thesis focusing on gender-based violence in humanitarian aid in conflict and post-conflict zones.

Dr. Lina Abi Rafeh shares how her earliest experiences and feelings of injustice against women gave her the drive and motivation to actively work towards social justice and equality 

This season is a collaboration between Women of the Middle East (WME) podcast and Musawah. Musawah (‘equality’ in Arabic) is a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family. Musawah launched in February 2009 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They work in International Advocacy and Knowledge & Capacity Building. In 2020, they launched the Campaign for Justice to bring advocates for family law reform together and build support at the national, regional, and global levels towards equality and justice for all women living in Muslim contexts.

Social Media Handles:
Website: www.musawah.org 

Facebook: facebook.com/musawahmovement/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/musawah

Twitter: @musawah

Instagram: @musawahmovement