Episode 156: Understanding the Challenges Young Muslims Face in High School with Mental Health Clinician Ali Bishop
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
2w ago
Parvez and Omar kick-off 2025 by finally dedicating an entire episode to a recurring and perennial conversation on the podcast: parenting challenges in today's climate. To help navigate this conversation, they are joined by Ali Bishop, an experienced mental health professional who works as a Mental Health Clinician at a local Bay Area public high school. Topics include the general challenges facing teens in high school today (e.g., mental health, academic and peer pressures, social media, etc.), how these challenges might uniquely affect Muslim youth, and what can parents do to better support ..read more
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Episode 155: Syrian-American Perspectives on the Syrian Revolution, Overthrowing Assad, and the Future of the Region
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
1M ago
To close out 2024 Parvez and Omar are joined by two Syrian-American guests to share their perspectives on the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, the potential implications and challenges facing post-Assad Syria, and how the Syrian-American community is responding to these events. Along the way the show's guests candidly (and humorously!) discuss their experiences growing up as children of Syrian immigrants in the United States. To change things up a bit, the show begins dropping listeners in the midst of a "pre-podcast" conversation about the present challenges of professional life and grind cu ..read more
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Episode 154: Election 2024 and the Muslim Vote with Zahra Billoo
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
3M ago
Mere days aways from Election Day 2024, Parvez and Omar are rejoined by Civil Rights Attorney and Activist Zahra Billoo to discuss the Muslim vote and the 2024 Presidential Election. Are Muslims simply approaching who to vote for with the "lesser of two evils" calculus? Is there a long game and what are the short term consequences of playing the long game? All this and more for the show's special Election 2024 episode!     About Zahra Billoo Zahra Billoo serves as the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA) office, the ..read more
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Episode 153: Instilling Righteous Masculinity in Today's Young Men and the Al Qawwamun Retreat with Imam Jihad Mustafa
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
4M ago
After a bit of a hiatus due to busy schedules, Parvez and Omar are honored to be joined by Imam Jihad Mustafa, Founder of the Qawwamun Retreat. This was a wide-ranging conversation with Imam Jihad discussing how socially conscious Hip-hop brought him to Islam, how today's Zeitgest and pop culture has engendered a crisis of defining and exemplifying masculinity to young men, and how the Qawwamun Retreat for young men seeks to address these challenges.  About Imam Jihad Mustafa  Jihad Mustafa was born JC Wren and converted to Islam shortly after returning home from serving in the US Ar ..read more
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Episode 152: Muharram and Āshūrā within the Shi'i Tradition with Ahmad Rashid Salim
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
6M ago
Closing out the blessed month of Muharram, Parvez and Omar are back for a timely and important discussion about Muharram, the Day of Āshūrā, and the events of Karbala from a Shi'i perspective. This is a deep dive into Shi'i readings of early Muslim history and the centrality of the Ahl-al Bayt (The Household/Progeny of the Prophet Muhammedﷺ) and specifically how the events of Karbala and the venerative rites and traditions of Muharram inform Shi'i devotional life.     About Ahmad Rashid Salim  Ahmad Rashid Salim (احمد راشد سليم) is a doctoral candidate and instructor at the ..read more
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Episode 151: Prophet Abraham, Sacrifice, God's Covenant and land of Israel with Dr. Ali Ataie
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
8M ago
A special discussion for the Haj and Eid-ul Adha season, Parvez and Omar are joined by returning guest Dr. Ali Ataie. The show dives deep into the Prophet Abraham(as) in the monotheistic scriptures/traditions, including Abraham's service of sacrifice, the innumerable blessings bestowed to Abraham and his covenant with God. The conversation then examines how the Biblical and Tanakhic traditions has been co-opted and distorted by Jewish and Christian Zionists alike as it relates to the modern state of Israel.  The goal was to release the show a couple of days after Eid so we are sorry for t ..read more
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Episode 150: Protests, Encampments, and the BDS Movement with Zahra Billoo
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
9M ago
For the show's 150th episode Parvez & Omar are joined by the second guest ever to appear on the podcast, Zahra Billoo , Civil rights Attorney and Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations San Francisco Bay Area (CAIR-SFBA). Zahra brings her years of tireless Civil Rights work and activism to bear as she discusses the recent protests and encampments taking place across college campuses placing them within the broader Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement and discussing their overall goals and objectives. The conversation also tackles the criticisms that su ..read more
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Episode 149: A Physician's Medical Mission to the Gaza Strip with Dr. Mohammad Subeh
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
11M ago
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
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Episode 148: Islam in the Inner City and the Work of Islah LA with Dr. Jihad Saafir
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
11M ago
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
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Episode 147: Imam Tahir Anwar, His Silicon Valley Roots, Religious Education, and Advice for Ramadan
Diffused Congruence
by Parvez Ahmed & Omar Ansari
11M ago
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
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