Sumud Podcast: Inspired by Palestine

🎙️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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. 📺 Watch Rania’s full documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mqqDTIs4vE 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 raniaKhalek@gmail.com, 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Dana Dajani—award-winning Palestinian-American poet, actress, and humanitarian. Known for her fusion of spoken word and theater, Dana uses performance as a form of resistance, remembrance, and radical love. In this powerful conversation, Dana reflects on what it means to choose to be Palestinian—as an identity, an inheritance, and a calling. She shares the story of her grandmother Aida, whose exile became Dana’s compass. She opens up about the deeply personal project The Poor Millionaires, an archival film and fashion journey born from family footage, memory, and loss. From navigating third culture identity to coping with survivor’s guilt, Dana brings rare emotional honesty to questions of creativity, trauma, and legacy. This episode is a tribute to the storytellers who came before—and the stories we must carry forward. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ What it means to choose to be Palestinian in diaspora ➡ Preserving her grandmother’s dresses, films, and history ➡ Theater as embodied resistance and poetic healing ➡ The mental and emotional toll of witnessing genocide ➡ How art creates space for empathy, conversation, and transformation This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical, cultural, and political insight to inform and inspire viewers. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Theatre Roots & Being a Narrator 06:26 – Childhood, Pursuing a Fine Art Degree & The Human Spirit Project 11:17 – Choosing Art Over Expectations, Third Culture Identity & Discovering Family History 24:50 – The Poor Millionaires, the Legacy of Aida Dajani & Love Letters to the Land 38:39 – Dana’s Creative Process & Trauma 50:37 – Creating Space for Justice & Finding Purpose Again 01:00:47 – Legacy, Loss & Carrying the Stories Forward 01:06:47- Final Message & Performing 🇵🇸 Follow Dana: @DanaDajanipoetry 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan Dr.Cornel West episode: https://sumudpod.com/episodes/dr-cornel-west/ 🌐 Learn more at: https://sumudpod.com #Palestine #SumudPod #FreePalestine #Gaza #Poetry #PerformanceArt #Resistance #Storytelling #Artivism #HumanRights #CeasefireNow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Alana Hadid—creative director, activist, and storyteller. As the force behind Watermelon Pictures and host of The Seeds Podcast, Alana is working to reimagine media through a justice-centered lens. From launching the groundbreaking streaming platform Watermelon+ to preserving her family’s Palestinian legacy, Alana weaves creativity and resistance into every part of her life. In this deeply personal conversation, Alana opens up about her childhood, her grandmother’s displacement during the Nakba, and the emotional journey of visiting her father’s birthplace in Safed. She shares the joys and heartbreak of advocacy, what it means to show up for Palestine through media, and why self-love is an act of defiance. As the conversation unfolds, Alana also reflects on her mixed Palestinian-Irish identity, her path through political education and entrepreneurship, and the mental and emotional labor of public-facing advocacy. From her stepmother role to navigating online hate, she offers an honest and grounded portrait of what it means to live one's politics with love, purpose, and clarity. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Creating Watermelon+, a streaming platform by and for Palestinians ➡ Visiting her family's home in Safed and honoring intergenerational memory ➡ Why Alana sees liberation as her religion ➡ The mental toll of advocacy & the importance of therapy and healing ➡ Building a life rooted in justice, joy, and storytelling This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 📌Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Boycotts, Safe Platforms & Watermelon+ 04:05 – Growing Up Palestinian-Irish in the DMV 08:29 – Family, Nakba Stories & Visiting Safed 17:34 – Identity, Religion & Liberation as Faith 24:44 – Cultural Power & Creative Resistance 33:41 – Self-Worth, Mental Health & Surviving the Spotlight 41:55 - Watermelon Pictures, Boycotting & The Seeds Podcast 52:09 – Reflection: Cooking, Sisterhood & Living a Grounded Life 📲 Follow Alana: @lanzybear 🇵🇸 Support and subscribe to: @watermelonpicturesco 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan 🌐 Learn more at: https://sumudpod.com 📺 Stream Watermelon+: https://watermelonpictures.com #Palestine #SumudPod #AlanaHadid #WatermelonPictures #TheSeedsPodcast #FreePalestine #PalestinianVoices #CreativeResistance #Storytelling #Nakba #MentalHealth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by powerhouse attorney and civil rights advocate Amir Makled. As managing partner at Hall Makled, Amir is one of the most formidable legal voices defending Arab and Muslim communities in the U.S. From police brutality to the criminalization of pro-Palestine protests, his cases speak to a deeper story: what it means to resist injustice within the system. Amir reflects on his journey from growing up post-9/11 in suburban Michigan to tackling police abuse and taking on the Michigan Attorney General, Dana Nessel, herself—and winning. His clients range from working-class families to student organizers, and his advocacy is rooted in dignity, law, and unwavering solidarity. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Navigating identity and discrimination after 9/11 ➡ Building a law firm rooted in justice and access ➡ Holding power to account—whether police or prosecutors ➡ Defending Palestine through the First Amendment ➡ Why are some cases bigger than the courtroom This episode reminds us that courage takes many forms—and sometimes, it wears a suit and walks into court. Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & The Irony of a Muslim Defending 05:41 – Post-9/11, Football, and Fighting Racism in High School 11:55- From Collision Shops to Courtrooms: Why Law? 21:52 – Suing Police for Beating a Disabled Arab Man 31:48- Taking Unpopular Cases & Defending the Accused 38:17- Pro Palestine: The U-M Protester Case & Dana Nessel Drops the Case 01:00:00- Stopped at the Airport: Navigating Challenges and Practical Advice 01:14:50- Reflection & Continuing the Fight for Justice and Civil Rights 📲 Follow Amir Makled: @AttorneyMakled 📲 Follow our host: @dredhasan 🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com 🌐Check out: https://www.hallmakled.com/ #Palestine #SumudPod #LegalResistance #ArabAmerican #CivilRightsAttorney #MuslimRights #FreePalestine #CeasefireNow #JusticeForAll #CivilRights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙 This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Constanza Eliana Chinea—a Boricua journalist, producer, and activist reshaping the narrative from within. Born in New York, raised in Borinquen (Puerto Rico), and coming of age in the U.S. Midwest, Constanza grew up confronting erasure, assimilation, and White comfort. Now based in Los Angeles, her more recent work includes reporting on pro-Palestine protests and student encampments at UCLA and USC through a historical, contextual, and factual lens. Her bylines include The L.A. Times, Spotify, The Young Turks, Latino Rebels, and LA Public Press. In 2024, she founded Malcriá Media, an independent platform that centers on social justice, politics, and decolonial praxis, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. She also hosts the podcast Political Pendejadas, where she unpacks power and politics alongside movement builders and cultural critics. Constanza has completed a disinformation fellowship through DDIA’s (the Digital Democracy Institute of the Americas) Capacity-Building Program and is currently a politics reporter through UC Berkeley Journalism’s California Local News Fellowship. 🔑 In this episode, we explore: ➡ What it means to be a colonial refugee ➡ The illusion of inclusion in DEI and wellness spaces ➡ Why is not all activism decolonial ➡ Media bias, Palestine, and challenging White discomfort ➡ Her pivot from yoga to journalism—and the price of truth-telling 🎬 This video is for educational purposes only. It offers historical, cultural, and political analysis to deepen understanding and inspire justice. ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Meet Constanza Eliana 05:25 – From Puerto Rico to Illinois: A colonial refugee’s identity crisis 08:46 –Assimilation, Colonial Erasure, and Reclaim Our Name 16:32 – Yoga, Wellness, and Blogging 23:35 – “Not all activism is decolonial.” 28:56 – Palestine, media bias, and rejecting White savior “experts” 33:32 – Anti-Oppression Social Club & Embody Inclusivity 37:34 – Pivoting to independent journalism & media truth-telling 42:06 – Decolonizing Media & Solidarity with Palestine 48:33 – Her podcast: Political Pendejadas 53:44 – The price of integrity in journalism 59:00 – Final message: “Only we can save ourselves.” 📲 Follow Constanza Eliana Chinea: @ElianaChinea 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan Watch Dr. Butch Ware episode: https://sumudpod.com/episodes/dr-butch-ware-black-liberation-zionism-and-the-spiritual-fight-for-justice-sumud-podcast/ 🌐 More from the podcast: https://sumudpod.com 🌐Check out: https://www.embodyinclusivity.com/ #Palestine #SumudPod #Decolonize #MalcriaMedia #Latine #Colonial #IndependentMedia #FreePalestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Emmy-nominated filmmaker, writer, and actress Cherien Dabis—a bold storyteller whose life and work explore the power of identity, resistance, and the stories we carry. Born in Nebraska to Palestinian parents and raised in small-town Ohio, Cherien came of age during the first Gulf War, a time when neighbors turned on her family overnight. This political awakening eventually shaped her groundbreaking work, from Amreeka and May in the Summer to directing award-winning episodes of Only Murders in the Building and starring in Netflix’s Mo. Her latest feature, All That’s Left of You, tells the Palestinian origin story through the lens of one family across generations. Filmed during the current war, the production was forced to flee Palestine mid-shoot. But what emerged, as Cherien tells it, was “a film made from grief, love, and sheer determination.” 🔑 In this episode, we explore: ➡ Growing up Arab in America post-Gulf War ➡ Turning generational trauma into cinematic truth ➡ The fight to humanize Palestinians in Western media ➡ Acting in Mo, directing Meryl Streep, and resisting Hollywood erasure ➡ The making of All That’s Left of You 🎬 This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical, cultural, and political analysis to inform and inspire. ⏱ Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction: Cherien’s Journey 02:44 – Death Threats & Racism During the Gulf War 05:21 – Making Amreeka: From Family Trauma to Sundance 09:07 – First Visit to Palestine & Strip Searches at Age 8 16:39 – Columbia Film School, Stereotypes & Censorship 22:16 – Creating Make-A-Wish in Ramallah 30:54 – Filming All That’s Left of You During War 40:05 –The Emmy Nomination 44:50 – May in the Summer 48:41 – Mo Amer’s Show: Improvisation, Comedy & Catharsis 55:40– Legacy, Visibility, and Love for the Community 📲 Follow Cherien Dabis: @cheriendabis, @allthatsleftofyoufilm 🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan Mo Amer Show: @moamer 🌐 More from the podcast: https://sumudpod.com #Palestine #SumudPod #CherienDabis #AllThatsLeftOfYou #Storytelling #MoAmer #Netflix #NetflixMENA #DecolonizeHollywood #ArabVoicesMatter #Palestinian Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices