Sumud Podcast: Inspired by Palestine

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, Egyptian journalist Rahma Zein discusses journalism, propaganda, resistance, and identity, with a focus on Palestine. She shares her upbringing, experiences covering revolutions and war zones, and insights on media bias and Western narratives. Rahma reflects on reporting from Rafah during Gaza, the viral moment that amplified her voice, and the emotional toll of witnessing injustice. The conversation highlights ethical storytelling, challenges dehumanizing narratives, and explores themes of solidarity, Arab identity, and resilience in a raw and deeply human exchange. 🌍 Rahma Zein is an Egyptian journalist with over a decade of experience in field reporting, media strategy, and public relations. She began her career as an investigative reporter for Egyptian TV and CBC, covering the Arab region during 2011 political changes in Egypt and Libya and interviewing key political figures. Currently Rahma works as a consultant for Tech for Palestine, an incubator for advocacy projects across the world. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → Rahma’s upbringing in a family of journalists and political thinkers → The power of storytelling in shaping empathy and public understanding → Media propaganda, Western bias, and narratives around Palestine → Her experiences reporting during the Egyptian revolution and Arab Spring → The emotional toll of covering war, including at the Rafah border → The viral Clarissa Ward confrontation and its global impact → Identity, activism, and the role of solidarity in the fight for justice ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening message and introducing Rahma Zein 03:30 Growing up in a family of journalists 08:00 Spearfishing, freediving, risk, and life outside comfort zones 17:45 Why journalism must be learned in the field 29:00 Media, self-awareness, values, and the foundation of journalism 38:30 Rafah, bombing, fear, and the moment that changed everything 1:15:00 Tech for Palestine, ethical alternatives, and final message Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @zein_rahma Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, we speak with Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, activist, author, and founder of MuslimGirl.com, about the personal and political realities shaping Muslim and Palestinian lives today. She reflects on grief, identity, and resilience amid the ongoing violence in Gaza, and discusses how media narratives, systemic oppression, and collective trauma intersect with her own experiences growing up Muslim in post-9/11 America. The conversation explores storytelling, community responsibility, and the importance of humanizing Palestinian voices, while highlighting how courage, solidarity, and truth-telling can challenge injustice from within and beyond our communities. 🌍 Amani Al-Khatahtbeh is a global media founder, political strategist, and leading voice at the intersection of digital rights, culture, and power. As the creator of Muslim Girl, she has spent the past decade reshaping the narrative of Muslim women in the West, transforming it from a point of marginalization into a cultural and political force. Her work sits at the forefront of critical global conversations on free expression, platform accountability, and the future of the digital public square. Named one of CNN’s “25 Most Influential American Muslims,” Amani became the first Muslim woman from New Jersey in American history to run for U.S. Congress. Her first book, Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age (Simon & Schuster), is a two-time Editors’ Pick on The New York Times Best Sellers list. Labeled by The Economist as a “generation prophet,” her writing and commentary have appeared in TIME, The Washington Post, Variety, and beyond. Amani’s influence spans media, policy, and culture. She has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and has collaborated with leading institutions, brands, and international organizations. She has shared stages with President Bill Clinton, Gloria Steinem, Shonda Rhimes, Hasan Minhaj, and other influential voices shaping global discourse. She is currently building Digital Assembly, a next-generation think tank focused on redefining participation, equity, and governance in the digital age. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → The emotional and psychological impact of the ongoing tragedy in Palestine → How collective grief and personal loss intersect in times of war and crisis → Growing up Muslim in post-9/11 America and navigating identity under scrutiny → The role of media in shaping narratives about Muslims and Palestinians → Islamophobia, misogyny, and the unique challenges faced by Muslim women → Internal community struggles and the importance of solidarity and accountability → The intersection of feminism, faith, and cultural identity → Activism, moral courage, and making difficult ethical decisions in public life → The power of storytelling to humanize marginalized communities → Why protecting and uplifting vulnerable voices is essential for collective liberation ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening clip: Protecting women + liberation message 01:00 Introducing Amani + background and achievements 03:00 Ramadan, grief, and mental health in community 07:00 Identity, hijab journey, and finding roots in Jordan 13:00 Muslim Girl origin: blogging, bullying, and representation 20:00 Activism, backlash, and navigating public visibility 32:00 Community tensions, feminism, and protecting Muslim women Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @amani | @amaniverified | @amaniuniverse | @watermelonplusco Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed to explore identity, public service, and political courage in a time of crisis. He reflects on how his upbringing shaped his commitment to equity, healthcare, and human dignity, and unpacks how systemic inequality operates across both the United States and globally. The conversation also turns to Palestine, where he examines the human cost of war, the contradictions in U.S. policy, and the urgency of centering universal human rights. Throughout, he challenges divisive narratives and calls for a politics rooted in shared humanity, empathy, and meaningful change. 🌍 Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, author, and public servant currently running for the U.S. Senate in Michigan. Born and raised in Southeast Michigan to an Egyptian immigrant father and an American mother, his life has been shaped by navigating multiple cultures and perspectives. At just 30 years old, Dr. El-Sayed became the youngest health official of a major American city, rebuilding Detroit’s Health Department after its collapse. He later served as Director of Wayne County’s Health, Human & Veterans Services Department, where he oversaw services for 1.8 million residents. His work has focused on expanding healthcare access, removing lead from schools, providing free glasses to children, combating the opioid crisis through Narcan distribution, and canceling hundreds of millions in medical debt. A Rhodes Scholar and graduate of the University of Michigan, he holds both an MD and a PhD in epidemiology. He is also the author of Healing Politics and host of the podcast America Dissected. A union member and advocate for working people, Dr. El-Sayed is running to build a government that prioritizes human dignity, equity, and the needs of everyday Americans over corporate interests 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: → Growing up between cultures and finding identity across worlds → The influence of family, especially his grandmother, on purpose and leadership → Why public health and politics are deeply interconnected → The realities of systemic inequality in the U.S. healthcare system → U.S. foreign policy and the human cost of war abroad → Navigating media narratives, misinformation, and public attacks → Why the issue of Palestine is rooted in universal human rights, not identity → Political courage and standing firm under pressure and criticism → The role of empathy, principle, and accountability in leadership @AbdulElSayed ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening clip: War, funding, and moral clarity 01:00 Introducing Abdul El-Sayed 05:00 His grandmother and sense of purpose 08:00 Growing up between worlds 14:00 Science, politics, and purpose 24:00 Responsibility, faith, and service 34:00 Palestine, justice, and moral clarity 49:00 Media, controversy, and political courage 56:00 Closing message: building something better Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @AbdulElSayed Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, Dr. Ed Hasan sits down with renowned historian and antiracist scholar Dr. Ibram X. Kendi to discuss his latest book" Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age" and the dangerous ideologies shaping politics and conflict around the world. Dr. Kendi breaks down how Great Replacement Theory has evolved into a powerful global narrative used to justify racism, authoritarianism, and violence. The conversation explores how these ideas connect movements across countries and how similar narratives have been used to frame conflicts, including the ongoing tragedy in Palestine, revealing the ways propaganda and fear-based politics can dehumanize entire populations and rationalize oppression. 🌍 Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is one of the world’s foremost historians of racism and a leading antiracist scholar. He is the Carter G. Woodson Endowed Chair at Howard University and the founding director of the Howard University Institute for Advanced Study, an interdisciplinary research enterprise examining global racism. Dr. Kendi is the author of numerous critically acclaimed and bestselling books, including Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, and the international bestseller How to Be an Antiracist. His newest book, Chain of Ideas: The Origins of Our Authoritarian Age, examines how modern authoritarian movements are connected through shared ideologies rooted in historical racism. His work has been translated across the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia, and Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is also the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, widely known as the “Genius Grant.” 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → What Great Replacement Theory is and how it became a dominant political narrative → How racist ideologies evolve and adapt across different countries and movements → The concept of “genocide theory” and how it can be used to justify mass violence → The connections between propaganda, politics, and global authoritarian movements → How narratives of demographic fear are used to mobilize political power → Why Palestine appears prominently in Dr. Kendi’s research on modern political propaganda → The role of scholars and journalists in confronting misinformation and propaganda → The global networks of politicians, financiers, and influencers spreading these ideas → How solidarity across communities can challenge racism and authoritarianism ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening clip: Genocide theory explained 01:00 Introducing Dr. Ibram X. Kendi 03:00 What is Great Replacement Theory 07:00 Realizing it’s a global ideology 22:00 Orchestrated distancing explained 37:20 Why Palestine is central to the book 55:20 The “renovated house of Hitler” + closing thoughts Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @ibramxk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, Palestinian activist and Columbia University graduate Mohsen Mahdawi joins Dr. Ed Hasan to share the story behind the headlines. Born in a refugee camp in the West Bank, Mohsen reflects on loss, displacement, and the experiences that shaped his commitment to justice. He discusses his journey to the United States, his activism on campus, and the moment he was arrested during his own citizenship interview. Blending personal memory with political insight, Mohsen speaks about resilience, Palestinian liberation, and the deeper human struggle behind the fight for freedom. 🌍Mohsen Mahdawi was born and raised in Al-Far’a refugee camp in the West Bank of Palestine. Mohsen's early years were defined by Israeli military occupation. At twenty four, he moved to the United States and experienced freedom and safety for the first time in his life, finding in Vermont a true home rooted in belonging and the strength of a supportive community. At Columbia University, he became a leading voice for Palestinian rights through dialogue and coalition-building, including with Jewish and Israeli communities. In April 2025 when Mohsen walked into an immigration office for his citizenship interview and was handcuffed and detained by ICE in retaliation for his pro-Palestinian activism. Mohsen continues his graduate studies in Diplomacy while defending his rights in courts and building an organization dedicated to human rights and nonviolent conflict resolution. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → Growing up in a West Bank refugee camp → The loss of family members and the trauma of occupation → Childhood grief and the path toward healing → Discovering freedom after arriving in the United States → Building community and mentorship in Vermont → Campus activism and confronting the Israeli narrative → His framework for Palestinian liberation and justice → Being arrested during his U.S. citizenship interview ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening message 01:00 Introducing Mohsen Mahdawi 03:30 Growing up in a refugee camp 12:00 Loss, trauma, and childhood memories 28:00 Coming to America and discovering freedom 45:00 Community, mentors, and learning English 58:00 Activism and confronting power on campus 01:10:00 Arrest at the citizenship interview 01:20:00 Resilience and message to Palestinians Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @mohsen.of.palestine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, filmmaker and activist Rob Bliss joins Dr. Ed Hasan to unpack the story behind White Man Walking, his 1,500-mile journey from Jackson, Mississippi to Washington, DC wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt through some of the most hostile towns in America. Rob reflects on standing in the “most racist town in America,” confronting armed strangers, walking through sensory isolation and physical collapse, and discovering that much of the anger he encountered was rooted in fear. They explore race, risk, privilege, loneliness, improv comedy as survival, and what it means to use your body as a form of protest. 🌍 Rob Bliss launched his career by creating free and unique community events through Facebook. These events, from flash mobs to music festivals, totaled for an attendance of 100,000 people in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. His career took off further after creating YouTube videos and short form documentaries, amassing over a billion organic views. His bold, socially charged works, including "10 Hours of Walking in NYC as a Woman" and "Holding a BLM Sign in America's Most Racist Town", cemented his reputation for daring work with global resonance. These successes led to a Hulu television series entitled, “Blissful Thinking". In May 2025, he premiered his first feature film documentary, "White Man Walking", on BBC and Arte (Germany/France), chronicling his 1,500-mile walk completed in just 2.5 months. 🎬 Rob’s documentary White Man Walking is now available on Apple TV, Amazon, Fandango, Google Play, and streaming on Watermelon+. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → Holding a BLM sign in Harrison, Arkansas → Walking 25 miles a day for 2.5 months → Armed confrontations and threats in rural America → Fear as the root of hostility → The racist memorabilia store encounter → Unexpected kindness and emotional breakdowns → Privilege, access, and why he could take that risk → Sensory deprivation and mental endurance → What “loud” social justice actually means ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening message 01:00 Welcome Rob Bliss 02:40 Harrison, Arkansas and the viral sign 09:00 The walk begins in Mississippi 17:30 Guns, threats, and near violence 24:55 The racist store encounter 30:30 Unexpected kindness on the road 34:00 Physical and emotional breaking points 41:00 Why a White man did this walk 48:00 Free Palestine hypothetical 49:45 One takeaway 54:40 Message to future activists Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @robblissgr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ In this episode of the Sumud Podcast, Dr. Ed Hasan speaks with Chris Smalls, founder of the Amazon Labor Union, about organizing inside one of the world’s most powerful corporations and what it takes to confront corporate retaliation. Smalls recounts the walkout that led to his firing, the fight to unionize Amazon workers, and how labor struggle connects to global resistance. He also reflects on why he stands with Palestine and shares his firsthand experience joining the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. 🌍 Christian Smalls is the founder and former president of the Amazon Labor Union, the first independent, worker-led union to organize Amazon workers in U.S. history. He also founded The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a national collective fighting for safe working conditions, fair wages, and justice for essential workers across the country. In 2025, Smalls volunteered with the Gaza Freedom Flotilla to help break the siege on Gaza and amplify global awareness of the humanitarian crisis. He is also the creator of the Labor Party USA, a grassroots political movement built to move beyond the two-party system and center the needs of working people. Before emerging as a national labor leader, Smalls spent five years as an Amazon supervisor, helping launch multiple major warehouse facilities in the Northeast. He was fired in 2020 after leading a walkout over unsafe pandemic conditions—an event that propelled him into the national spotlight and international media. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore → Organizing Amazon workers and confronting corporate power → Warehouse labor, exploitation, and modern-day slavery → Systemic racism inside corporate America → Retaliation, walkouts, and union-busting tactics → Black liberation, trade unionism, and Palestine → Saying “Free Palestine” and the cost of solidarity → The Gaza flotilla, imprisonment, and state violence → Why people power beats billionaire money ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Opening message 01:00 Welcome Chris Smalls 05:00 Inside Amazon: labor, exploitation, and racism 12:00 COVID, the walkout, and retaliation 20:00 Building the Amazon Labor Union 30:00 Black liberation, labor history, and Palestine 40:00 Saying “Free Palestine” and the cost of solidarity 52:00 The Gaza flotilla and imprisonment 1:05:00 People power, resistance, and final message 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow: @dredhasan | @sumudpod Instagram: @chris.smalls_ | @thelaborpartyusa X: @shut_DownAmazon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ This episode of the Sumud Podcast features a wide ranging conversation with Guy Christensen on finding political clarity through Palestine and the cost of speaking out against power. Dr. Ed Hasan and Guy trace his path from conservative Mormon culture and the alt right pipeline to learning about the Nakba, Gaza as an open air prison, and the role of human rights reporting in challenging dominant narratives. The episode examines paid propaganda, harassment, and his expulsion from Ohio State later overturned by a federal court and closes with a call to speak up, build community, and resist systems rooted in oppression. 🌍 Guy Christensen is a student activist, organizer, and influencer whose educational work has reached over 1 billion people since the start of Israel's genocide. Last year, he spearheaded the viral Fast For Gaza challenge which has so far distributed over half a million dollars in aid to Gaza. Guy’s storytelling and advocacy work across social media, grassroots organizing, and national media platforms have earned him a reputation for mobilizing young people and turning outrage into tangible impact. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: -Growing up in conservative Mormon culture and leaving the alt right pipeline -Personal experiences that shaped empathy and political direction -Learning about the Nakba, Gaza, and human rights reporting -Paid propaganda and influencer recruitment efforts -Harassment, doxxing, and coordinated smear campaigns -Expulsion from Ohio State and the legal fight that followed -Independent media, journalism, and digital resistance -Why speaking up matters even when it is risky ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and opening message 04:30 From Mormon upbringing to political awakening 10:20 Discovering Palestine Nakba Gaza and human rights reports 18:45 Paid propaganda harassment and online targeting 28:30 High school confrontation and early public backlash 36:50 Ohio State censorship and expulsion 50:10 Legal fight ACLU support and court victory 1:03:40 Independent media student activism and speaking anyway 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod Social Media for Guy: -TikTok @yourfavoriteguy -Instagram Banned again -YouTube @yourfavoriteguy0 -Substack @yourfavoriteguy -UpScrolled @guy -X @guychristensen_ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ This special episode of the Sumud Podcast centers the Gaza Soup Kitchen and the people sustaining it under siege. Dr. Ed Hasan is joined by Hani Almadhoun to reflect on how a grassroots mutual aid effort became a lifeline amid blocked aid, collapsed infrastructure, and constant bombardment. The episode honors the legacy of Chef Mahmoud Almadhoun and features real footage filmed by Gaza Soup Kitchen videographers and photographers Omar Almadhoun, Leena Almadhoun, Khaled Qadas, and Mai Almadhoun, offering a direct window into life, labor, and survival in Gaza. 🌍 Hani Almadhoun is a Palestinian American humanitarian and the Senior Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA. He is also the co founder of the Gaza Soup Kitchen, a grassroots initiative launched in early 2024 to provide hot meals, food parcels, and water to families across Gaza amid siege and famine. Based in the United States, Hani coordinates fundraising, advocacy, and media engagement while supporting operations on the ground. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore ➡ How the Gaza Soup Kitchen began ➡ Operating under siege with cut telecom, closed banks, and constant displacement ➡ The photographers and volunteers working on the ground in Gaza ➡ Chefs, kitchens, and survival logistics including hot meals, food parcels, and water trucks ➡ UNRWA, aid access, and competing aid models in Gaza ➡ Chef Mahmoud’s legacy, his killing, and why the work continues ➡ What people outside Gaza can do to show up and sustain support ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:00 How the Gaza Soup Kitchen started 05:00 Operating under siege with money, telecom, and logistics 08:00 Identity and documentation 13:00 The photographers and storytellers 23:00 Courage and exhaustion 28:00 Hopes and dreams under siege 31:00 The chefs and the kitchens 38:00 Chef Mahmoud’s story and legacy 45:00 What the diaspora can do Sponsored by The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com Sponsored by The School of Radical Imagination (@school.of.radical.imagination), a community based learning space turning knowledge into action. Sumud listeners receive 10% off with code SUMUD10 at checkout. Enroll at RadicalImagination.school https://www.radicalimagination.school/explore-courses This video is for educational purposes only. It offers personal testimony and political analysis meant to inform and document. 🎬 Full episode on https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow @dredhasan | @sumudpod | @myhanitizer | @gazasoupkitchen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with dress historian and fashion researcher Wafa Ghnaim for a profound exploration of how Palestinian material culture carries memory, identity, and truth across generations. Through the dresses, headdresses, and stitched motifs that define our heritage, Wafa reveals how every thread holds stories far deeper than the colonial timeline. She reflects on exile, reclaiming beauty through a non-Western lens, growing up Palestinian in the United States, the emotional weight of Syria, the urgency of documenting elders’ knowledge, and the dangers of cultural appropriation. This conversation is an intimate look at the power of dress as resistance, continuity, and home, and the sacred responsibility of preserving what our ancestors left for us. 🌍 Wafa Ghnaim is a dress historian, researcher, author, archivist, curator, educator and embroiderer who learned from her mother, award-winning artist Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim. Wafa specializes in Palestinian, Syrian, Jordanian, and Lebanese dress history, focusing on traditional embroidery techniques, historic reconstruction and oral history. Her publications include “Tatreez & Tea,” THOBNA (2023), Tatreez Companion (2024), and Tatreez Beauty (2024). She continues her mother’s legacy through the Tatreez Institute, founded in 2016, which stewards a collection of over 180 dresses and headdresses from Palestine, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon for preservation, education, and research. She was the first Palestinian and Syrian embroidery instructor for the Smithsonian Museum, earned a senior interdisciplinary research fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and was named by Vogue, alongside her mother, as “the world’s leading guardians of tatreez.” Wafa is now a Mellon Foundation Fellow at the Museum of the Palestinian People. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore ➡ The deep history and symbolism of Palestinian dress ➡ Why material culture carries memory across generations ➡ Cultural appropriation and the ethics of teaching tatreez ➡ The social life of objects and what dresses remember ➡ Syria, exile, grief and generational trauma ➡ Beauty, identity and decolonizing aesthetics ➡ The Tatreez Institute and the future of dress research ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:57 Who Is Wafa Ghnaim? 06:54 Beauty, Arab Glamour & Decolonizing Aesthetics 13:49 Preserving Elders’ Knowledge Through Oral History 24:25 Cultural Appropriation & Teaching Boundaries 29:44 Syria, Exile & Emotional Collapse 38:12 The Tatreez Institute & The 184-Dress Collection 56:05 Dresses as Memory, Material Witness & Legacy 1:15:11 Final Reflections Sponsored by: The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit www.KarateAttorney.com. Sponsored by: The School of Radical Imagination (@school.of.radical.imagination), a new learning space turning knowledge into action through live, community-based courses on justice, liberation, and creativity. Enroll at www.RadicalImagination.school. 📚 Explore Tatreez Institute publications at https://www.tatreezandtea.com/publications 🎬 Full episode on: https://sumudpod.com 📲 Follow on Instagram: @tatreezandtea | @thetatreezinstitute | @dredhasan | @sumudpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the Sumud Podcast, we sit down with Sami Tamimi, award-winning chef, author, and co-founder of Ottolenghi, to explore how heritage, hard work, and heart have shaped his life from Jerusalem to London’s kitchens. Sami Tamimi is a British-Palestinian chef and author whose cooking is deeply rooted in the flavors of his homeland. In his first solo cookbook, Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from My Palestine, he embarks on a vibrant journey through Palestinian culinary traditions, celebrating simple, colorful dishes centered around vegetables and grains. This exploration builds on his earlier work as co-founder of the Ottolenghi restaurants and co-author of bestselling cookbooks: "Falastin" and "Jerusalem: A Cookbook". "Boustany" is Sami’s homage to the food and culture of Palestine. In this deeply personal conversation, he reflects on his early life under occupation, his rebellious path from a truck company to the kitchen, and the struggle of navigating Israeli kitchens as a Palestinian chef. Sami opens up about cultural appropriation in “Israeli cuisine,” the politics of food, and the creation of his newest book, "Boustany", a love letter to Palestinian memory, land, and flavor. With humor and grace, Sami reminds us that every dish carries a story of land, family, and survival. 🔑 In this conversation, we explore: ➡ Growing up in Jerusalem under occupation ➡ Becoming a chef against all odds ➡ Culinary appropriation and “Israeli cuisine” ➡ Food as political resistance and storytelling ➡ Writing Boustany: memory, land, and resilience ➡ Reclaiming Palestinian cuisine for future generations Sponsored by: The Karate Attorney (@karateattorney) fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit ⁠KarateAttorney.com⁠ Sponsored by: The School of Radical Imagination, a new learning space turning knowledge into action through live, community-based courses on justice, liberation, and creativity. Enroll at ⁠RadicalImagination.school⁠. 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction & Opening Reflections 01:15 – Early Life in JerusaleQm 05:29 – Rebellion, Art, and the Birth of a Chef 07:36 – Navigating Israeli Kitchens as a Palestinian 11:41 – What is ‘Israeli Food’? 13:36 – The Politics of Cooking & Food as Protest 18:13 – Founding Ottolenghi & Collaboration in ExileQ 21:11 – Boustany: Memory, Land & Palestinian Resilience 28:23 – October 7th, Speaking Out & Finding Voice 32:55 – Health, Balance & Using His Platform for Good 38:42 – Closing Reflections: Work hard, Follow the Heart 🎥 Full episode: ⁠www.sumudpod.com⁠ 📚 Check out Sami's website: ⁠www.sami-tamimi.com⁠ 📲 Follow: @sami_tamimi | @dredhasan Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we amplify the voices behind Lifeline for Palestine and their urgent call to activate the Uniting for Peace process, a UN mechanism that empowers the General Assembly to act when the Security Council is blocked by vetoes. Recorded at a moment of moral urgency, this episode explores how global solidarity, diplomacy, and people power can come together to protect Palestinian civilians and end genocide. Our guests: Craig Mokhiber, international human rights lawyer and former UN Director; Dr. Jill Stein, American physician, activist, and three-time Green Party presidential nominee, and Mark Elbourno, Palestinian American political strategist and Green Party leader, break down the legal, political, and moral dimensions of the Uniting for Peace plan. Together, they reveal how Lifeline for Palestine has mobilized a growing global movement demanding accountability and action, pushing governments to honor international law and the will of the world’s majority. This conversation is a call to conscience, and a roadmap for how humanity can stand together against impunity and for justice. The Sumud Podcast is sponsored by The Karate Attorney. Fighting for justice inside and outside the courtroom. Visit KarateAttorney.com or follow on Instagram @karateattorney to learn more. In this conversation, we explore: ➡ What the Uniting for Peace process is and how it works ➡ How the US veto has blocked justice — and how to bypass it ➡ The role of Lifeline for Palestine and grassroots global movements ➡ Why Palestinians are leading this call for protection and accountability ➡ How ordinary people can take concrete action to shut down genocide This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers. 📌Chapters: 00:00 – Every Fighter Needs a Cause 02:00 – Introducing the Guests: Craig Mokhiber, Dr. Jill Stein & Mark Elbourno 06:30 – What is the Uniting for Peace Mechanism? 13:00 – The UN, Veto Power & Global Accountability 16:00 – Lifeline for Palestine: Origins and Purpose 23:00 – Global Solidarity & the Power of the People 36:00 – The Palestinian Call for Protection 43:00 – Why Action Still Matters: Overcoming Hopelessness 49:00 – Reclaiming International Law & the Global Majority 54:00 – What Happens If It Works? The Road Ahead 01:07:00 – Final Reflections & A Call to Action 🌐Take Action: Visit LifelineForPalestine.com to send letters, sign petitions, and join upcoming global actions. 🎬Full episode on Sumud Podcast: https://sumudpod.com 📲Follow: @lifelineforpalestine , @craigmokhiber , @drjillstein , @markelbourno 📲Follow our host: @dredhasan #Palestine #SumudPod #LifelineForPalestine #UnitingForPeace #FreePalestine #CraigMokhiber #JillStein #MarkElbourno #EndGenocide #Resistance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we are joined by Dima Khalidi, founder and director of Palestine Legal, a US-based organization dedicated solely to defending the rights of people who speak out for Palestinian freedom. Carrying her family’s long legacy of resistance into the present, Dima has spent decades on the legal front lines, protecting students, educators, and activists from repression. In this conversation, she explains how law is both weaponized against movements and reclaimed through organizing, offering a sharp look into the fight for free speech, student power, and justice in the US and beyond. From historic cases like the Holy Land Foundation Five to recent victories against university crackdowns, Dima shows how lawfare, surveillance, and repression work—and how the movement continues to resist, organize, and win. 🔑 In this episode, we explore: ➡ The Khalidi family legacy and roots in Palestinian history ➡ Lessons from political prosecutions like the Holy Land Five ➡ Lawfare, anti-terror laws, and the Palestine exception to free speech ➡ Student courage, campus crackdowns, and legal victories ➡ Advice for young organizers and the importance of solidarity 📌 Chapters: 00:00 – Introduction 01:59 – Family Legacy and Roots of Resistance 08:37 – Early Cases That Shaped a Lifetime of Advocacy 16:21 – Political Prosecutions & the Holy Land Five 19:27 – Lawfare and the Founding of Palestine Legal 27:24 – Student Repression and Free Speech Battles 36:06 – Recent Legal Victories and their Impact 40:55 – Advice for Students, Staff, and Teachers 48:52 – Final Reflection: Inspiring the Next Generation 🎥 Full episode: https://sumudpod.com 🌐 Learn more: https://palestinelegal.org/ 📲 Follow: @palestinelegal 📲 Follow: @dredhasan #Palestine #FreePalestine #SumudPod #PalestineLegal #StudentPower #Lawfare #FreeSpeech #Decolonize #Justice Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices