Parvez and Omar are truly honored to host Dr. Mohammad Subeh who just returned from a five week medical mission to the Gaza Strip, specifically the Rafah Crossing to the south. Dr. Subeh shares his background born to a Palestinian refugee family living in Kuwait and then forced to flee overnight at the start of the First Persian Gulf War and invasion of Kuwait. Dr. Subeh shares in harrowing detail what he witnessed first-hand during his recent five week medical mission to the Gaza Strip in February and March 2024. It is a sobering listen as he recounts first hand the unprecedented devastation ..read more

Here is an episode that's been a few years in the making! We finally had the privilege of sitting with Dr. Jihad Saafir of Islah LA to discuss his background, academic training, as well as the remarkable and pioneering work that Islah LA and Islah Academy are doing to serve the community in South Los Angeles. As you've come to expect from the podcast we cover a lot of ground including the socio-cultural realities of Islam in the Inner City and some of the interesting topics Dr. Saafir explores as an academic and Assistant Professor of Religion and Community Development at Bayan Islamic Graduat ..read more

It's not too often that you come across a Silicon Valley raised and Dar-ul-Uloom trained Imam but that's exactly who joins Parvez and Omar to kick-off the blessed month of Ramadan. Imam Tahir Anwar, Imam of the South Bay Islamic Association and Lecturer at Zaytuna College returns to the show! This time around the discussion includes a deep dive into his background, his religious education and training, in addition to having him impart precious gems of wisdom and advice for Ramadan. As always it's a far ranging discussion that we hope you enjoy and benefit from! Ramadan Mubarak!    &n ..read more

Parvez and Omar are honored to be joined by Shaykh Jamaal Diwan, co-founder and Resident Scholar at The Majlis. This was a wide-ranging conversation with Shaykh Jamaal discussing his personal journey connecting with his faith, his studies at Al-Azhar University, and the principles underlying The Majlis. Beyond his personal journey the conversation touches on parenting, the challenges of nurturing a sense of community in the United States, a "cultural topography" of Southern California, and much more. This is an excellent companion episode to Episode 131 with his wife Shaykha Muslema Purmul, co ..read more

For our first episode of 2024 we present an interview conducted during our trip to Chicago with Dr. Hooman Keshavarzi, Founder and Executive Director of Khalil Center. Dr. Keshavarzi discusses his journey connecting with his faith, becoming a clinical psychologist, and how he integrated his studies in Islamic theology and spirituality towards creating an optimal, holistic model of mental health care and wellness. Dr. Keshavarzi's insight and in-depth of knowledge of Western and Islamic modalities of psychology made for a wide ranging conversation exploring physical, mental and metaphysical app ..read more

We are back to close out 2023 and continuing our discussions on Palestine, this time through the prism of the Civil Rights struggle in the United States. Professor Michael Fishbach joins us to discuss his 2019 book Black Power and Palestine: Transnational Countries of Color. Professor Fishbach chronicles how Black Power activists and others in the Civil Rights struggle came to see Palestinians as a kindred people of color, waging the same struggle for freedom and justice as themselves. He brings his meticulous research to bear for a fascinating conversation about the Palestinian conflict's rol ..read more

We are deeply honored and privileged to be joined by the eminent historian and perhaps the leading academic on Palestine in the United States, Professor Rashid Khalidi. Dr. Khalidi discusses his personal and ancestral connection to the land of Palestine and what he characterizes as a war on the Palestinian people by colonial powers and Zionist settler colonialism for over one hundred years.  Dr. Khalidi joined from his office at Columbia University.  About Dr. Rashid Khalidi  Rashid Khalidi is Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University. He received a B.A. from ..read more

We are back to discuss the ongoing crisis in Palestine, this time focusing on the one-sided and ideological media coverage. To offer his analysis and perspective, and discuss the possible factors that may change that status quo, we are joined by The Intercept's veteran journalist Murtaza Hussain.  About Murtaza Hussain Brooklyn-based journalist and “Habitual line stepper” Murtaza Hussain is a political commentator for The Intercept, embodying the online publication’s dedication to “producing fearless, adversarial journalism.”  His work focuses on human rights, foreign policy and cult ..read more

Parvez and Omar had the pleasure of sitting with Dr. Ussama Makdisi, Professor of History at the University of California Berkeley for a detailed, highly enlightening and impassioned discussion of the history of the Palestinian struggle. Dr. Makdisi masterfully contextualizes what is happening right now in Palestine within the broader history of the Western colonialist, Zionist project that has dehumanized, brutalized, and ethnically cleansed the Palestinian people for over 75 years.    About Dr. Ussama Makdisi Dr. Ussama Makdisi is Professor of History and Chancellor’s Chair at ..read more

10/3/2013 - 10/3/2023 Parvez gets on mic to ruminate on 10 years of the podcast, it's genesis, mission, accomplishments, pitfalls avoided, and future plans. We are immensely proud and grateful for these past 10 years but we could not have done it without you our listeners! Thank you for your continued support, feedback, and for sharing the show. We pray that Allah blesses us with 10 more years by His Fadl and Tawfiq ..read more