

Sumud Podcast: Inspired by Palestine
Dr. Ed Hasan
Inspired by Palestine, Sumud Podcast emerges as a powerful platform for inspiration and empowerment for marginalized communities globally. Our mission? To elevate voices that have been sidelined by sharing the stories, experiences, and insights that demand to be heard. Get ready to join us in amplifying the voices shaping our world, one episode at a time. Welcome to Sumud Podcast – where we uplift, empower, and amplify. Connect with Sumud Podcast on your favorite social media channels: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok Threads, and X (formerly known as Twitter).Hosted by Dr. Ed Hasan Connect with Dr. Ed Hasan on Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, and X.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 7, 2025 • 1h 1min
Karmel Abufarha: Canaan Palestine, Food & Community | Sumud Podcast
🎙️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

Jul 31, 2025 • 1h 3min
Ibtihal Aboussad: Resistance & Big Tech | Sumud Podcast
🎙️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

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 18min
Dana Dajani: Poetry, Exile & Palestinian Memory | Sumud Podcast
🎙️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

Jul 17, 2025 • 56min
Alana Hadid: Art, Advocacy & Palestinian Stories | Sumud Podcast
🎙️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

Jul 10, 2025 • 1h 18min
Amir Makled: Justice, Palestine & Power | Sumud Podcast
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

Jul 3, 2025 • 1h 3min
Constanza Eliana Chinea: Media & Decolonization | Sumud Podcast
🎙 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

Jun 26, 2025 • 1h 3min
Cherien Dabis: Filmmaking & Resistance | Sumud Podcast
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

Jun 19, 2025 • 1h 38min
Aminah Musa: Fashion as Resistance & Building PaliRoots | Sumud Podcast
This week on the Sumud Podcast, we're joined by Aminah Musa, a visionary designer, entrepreneur, and co-founder of PaliRoots—the beloved Palestinian streetwear brand born of resistance and stitched with purpose. From growing up on food stamps in South Side Chicago to helping build a brand that has fed nearly 4 million meals in Gaza, Aminah’s story is one of family, faith, creativity, and commitment to her roots.
Raised by Palestinian parents who instilled in her the values of humility, community, and pride in her heritage. In this deeply personal and powerful episode, she opens up about navigating high school as the only visibly Muslim girl, learning business from her father (who left medicine to pursue purpose), and launching PaliRoots with her brother to ensure Palestine would never be forgotten. Their brand became more than fashion—it became a movement grounded in dignity, storytelling, and direct impact.
🔑 In this conversation, we explore:
➡ Fashion as a tool for resistance and cultural memory
➡ Growing up Palestinian in America
➡ The family values that shaped her leadership
➡ What it takes to build a mission-driven brand
➡ Hospitality, Feeding millions, and staying rooted in Palestine
This video is for educational purposes only. It offers a personal narrative and political context to inform and inspire viewers.
📌Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Aminah’s Palestinian Roots
04:20 – Growing Up & Building Family Bonds
14:20 – Choosing Kindness & Lessons from Her Father
19:43 – Entrepreneurship & Launching PaliRoots
27:13 – Returning to Palestine & Legacy of Her Grandfather
33:30 – Fashion as Resistance and Connection
42:55 – Hospitality & Social Responsibility
50:02—Calling Out Influencers & Centering Palestine Boldly
01:04:43 – PaliRoots Future & a Collection Rooted in Story
1:31:00 – Reflections to Her Past & Future Self
📲 Follow Aminah Musa: @goldenmuseco & @paliroots
🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan
🌐 Explore more at: https://sumudpod.com
🛍 Shop PaliRoots: https://paliroots.com
Feed a family in Gaza: https://www.paliroots.com/pages/philanthropy
#Palestine #SumudPod #PaliRoots #PalestinianVoices #FreePalestine #GazaRelief #SocialImpact #Fashiondesigner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 12, 2025 • 52min
Hala Alyan: Displacement, Healing & Storytelling | Sumud Podcast
This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by poet, psychologist, professor, and author Hala Alyan. With roots in Palestine, Syria, and Lebanon, Hala shares her remarkable journey navigating displacement, identity, and creative expression—from surviving war and immigration to becoming a published author and clinical psychologist.
In this deep episode, Hala opens up about motherhood, addiction, vulnerability, and the messy beauty of transformation. From crafting stories as a child to integrating psychology and poetry in her adult life, her reflections offer powerful insight into what it means to survive and evolve.
In this conversation, we explore:
➡ The fluid meaning of “home” and identity
➡ How trauma, displacement, and storytelling intersect
➡ Her path through addiction, healing, and radical honesty
➡ What it means to parent, write, and love with accountability
This video is for educational purposes only. It provides psychological, cultural, and political reflections intended to inform and empower.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction & Embracing Vulnerability
04:30 – Displacement, Identity & Early Storytelling
10:03- Writing, Psychology & Teaching
22:52 – Writing About Taboo Topics & Protecting Others
29:56 – Vulnerability, Motherhood & Speaking Honestly
44:33 – Takeaways, Lineage & Advice to the Next Generation
📚 Book by Hala Alyan:
➡️ I'll Tell You When I'm Home
Available at major bookstores and academic publishers.
You can also check them out here: https://bookshop.org/shop/sumudpod
Published by: @simonandschuster
🌐 Learn more at: https://sumudpod.com
🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan
🌐Check out Hala's website: https://halaalyan.substack.com/
#Palestine #SumudPod #Healingthroughwords #PalestinianVoices #Vulnerability #Poetry #FreePalestine #MentalHealthMatters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2025 • 55min
Mussab Ali: Youth Power & Fighting for Justice | Sumud Podcast
This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Mussab Ali - a cancer survivor, civil rights advocate, and one of the youngest Muslim elected officials in U.S. history. Born in Pakistan and raised in Jersey City, Mussab’s story is one of grit, public service, and fearless truth-telling.
At just 20 years old, Mussab became the youngest-ever elected official in Jersey City, eventually rising to president of the Board of Education. Where he advocated for clean water access, increased teacher pay, and halal food and Eid holidays for Muslim students. While studying at Harvard Law, Mussab battled cancer, completed chemotherapy, and still graduated while serving his community.
Now, he’s running for mayor of Jersey City - not just to lead, but to represent. In a political moment where speaking up for Palestine is often seen as a career-ender, Mussab has done the opposite: calling out injustice, demanding a ceasefire, and getting thrown out of city hall for refusing to stay silent.
🔑 In this conversation, we explore:
➡ Surviving cancer, chairing the school board, & attending Harvard Law
➡ How loyalty to your hometown shapes bold leadership
➡ The power of showing up authentically in politics
➡ Running for office and standing up for Palestine
➡ How Trump’s Islamophobic lies inspired Mussab’s first campaign
➡ Creating the Ali Leadership Institute and investing in youth power
This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.
📌Chapters:
00:00 – Mussab’s Introduction & Early Life
03:10 – Growing Up Muslim in New Jersey
07:28 – Becoming Jersey City’s Youngest Elected Official
14:48 – Wins for the Muslim Community & Equity in Schools
20:15 – Mussab's Academic Journey in China and at Harvard
24:56 – Cancer Diagnosis &Interning During Chemotherapy
30:28 – Starting the Ali Leadership Institute
32:35 – Running for Mayor & Speaking Truth to Power
42:26 – One-State vs. Two-State & Lessons from Visiting Palestine
49:31 – Supporting his Campaign & Final Reflections
🌐 Explore more at: sumudpod.com
🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan
🎙 Follow Mussab: @mussabaalijc, @aliforjc
📢 Check out Mussab's work:
Campaign Website: www.ali2025.com
Ali Leadership Institute: www.alileadership.com
#Palestine #SumudPod #MuslimVoices #YouthInPolitics #FreePalestine #EndTheOccupation #CeasefireNow #HumanRights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices