Parvez and Omar sit down with returning guest Shadi Hamid to discuss the midterm elections and his new book, The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea. In The Problem of Democracy , Shadi Hamid reimagines the ongoing debate on democracy’s merits and proposes an ambitious agenda for reviving the lost art of democracy promotion in the world’s most undemocratic regions. What happens when democracy produces "bad" outcomes? Is democracy good because of its o...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 9Ep. 126
Zaki Hasan, co-founder of the show, returns to catch up with Omar and Parvez. They discuss the impacts of social media on the polarized state of politics, Muslim Twitter and much more! About Zaki Hasan Zaki Hasan has been a media scholar and critic for more than twenty years. His film reviews and analyses have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, and The Philadelphia Weekly, and in 2015 he was inducted into the prestigious San Francisco Film Critics Circle. He also co-wrote Geek Wi...
Oct 21, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 9Ep. 125
Parvez and Omar make a trek down to Orange County to sit with a pioneer in the American Muslim experience, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi and learn about his life's journey from India to Madinah to United States and to discuss his legacy and impact on the American Muslim community. About Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is the imam and religious director of the Islamic Society of Orange County , Garden Grove; he also chairs the Fiqh Council of North America and the Islamic Shura Council ...
Sep 04, 2022•2 hr 28 min•Season 9Ep. 124
Parvez and Omar sit down with Michael Wolfe to discuss his journey to Islam, his pilgrimages to Mecca, and his work with Unity Productions Foundation (UPF). About Michael Wolfe Michael B. Wolfe is an American poet, author, and the President and Co-Executive Producer of Unity Productions Foundation. A secular American born in Cincinnati, Ohio to a Christian mother and a Jewish father, Wolfe converted to Islam at 40 and has been a frequent lecturer on Islamic issues at universities across the Unit...
Aug 04, 2022•2 hr 13 min•Season 9Ep. 123
Parvez and Omar are joined by Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins to discuss their upcoming PBS Documentary, "The Great Muslim American Road Trip". About "The Great Muslim American Road Trip" Follow a millennial Muslim American couple on a cross-country journey along historic Route 66. As they meet new friends and explore more than a dozen stops, Mona and Sebastian weave a colorful story about what it means to be Muslim in America today. About Mona Haydar and Sebastian Robins Mona Haydar is a Syria...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 40 min•Season 9Ep. 122
Parvez and Omar are joined by Dr. Sofia Ghani to discuss health and wellness in this holy month of Ramadan. About Dr. Sofia Ghani Dr. Sofia Ghani started her career as a clinical pharmacist managing patients' drug therapy at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. Being around very sick people on a laundry list of medications was an everyday norm for her. It never failed to surprise her how many medications one human can be on at the same time. In 2010 something shifted. It started with an idea of her ...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Season 9Ep. 121
Parvez and Omar are joined again by Aaron Sellers and dive deep into his path as a Muslim convert, his move from the east coast to the west, to work at Zaytuna Institute, and Zaytuna's transition into a college. This is the second episode of a 2 part conversation. This is a continuation from episode 119, where we talked to Aaron about his early years, his conversion and his early experiences as a Muslim. About Aaron “Haroon” Sellers Aaron “Haroon” Sellars was born in Washington, D.C. and attende...
Mar 22, 2022•2 hr 23 min•Season 9Ep. 120
Parvez and Omar are joined by Aaron "Haroon" Sellers and dive deep into his early years, his conversion and his early experiences as a Muslim, in part 1 of a 2 part conversation. About Aaron “Haroon” Sellers Aaron “Haroon” Sellars was born in Washington, D.C. and attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he majored in graphic arts and developed a special interest in film, photography and music. After converting to Islam in 1994, he sought out ways to serve the Muslim community with his mu...
Mar 12, 2022•1 hr 51 min•Season 9Ep. 119
Zaki Returns to Discuss The Matrix Resurrections and More in the Film Industry
Jan 10, 2022•2 hr 49 min•Season 9Ep. 118
Parvez and Omar check one off the bucket list, with NBA superstar Hakeem Olajuwon joining them for an in-depth conversation covering his entire career and more. About Hakeem Olajuwon Hakeem Olajuwon, nicknamed "the Dream", is a Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. From 1984 to 2002, he played the center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Houston Rockets and eventually the Toronto Raptors . He led the Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994...
Oct 20, 2021•2 hr 33 min•Season 8Ep. 117
Like countless others today we are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend, teacher, and supporter Usama Canon . He will always hold a very special and dear place in our hearts as the guest on our very first show. He agreed without any hesitation and as was his nature was extremely generous with his candor, hospitality, and time. We pray that God envelope him in His mercy and Grace, overlook his human frailties and shortcomings, and provide patience and solace to his wife, children, family, an...
Sep 08, 2021•35 min•Season 8Ep. 116
Parvez and Omar are joined by Hamid Khan to discuss the end of the Afghan war and the crisis that followed. About Hamid Khan Mr. Hamid Khan is an accomplished legal professional with 20 years’ experience advancing the rule of law through public policy, global program development, and legal education. Mr. Khan is also an expert in Islamic constitutionalism, issues of Islamic law in armed conflict and post-conflict justice, gender issues under Islamic law, and trends in modern Islamic political th...
Sep 06, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Season 8Ep. 115
Co-host Omar A. Ansari's brother-in-law, Aasim Syed, was just diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which impacts the bone marrow. He has already received an initial round of intense chemotherapy and the doctors have now said a blood (stem cell) transplant is required ASAP. We also learned that there is NOT A SINGLE MATCH in the entire registry for him right now. Unfortunately South Asians (which have the highest chance of matching with him) are overwhelmingly underrepresented in the regi...
Jul 07, 2021•17 min•Season 8Ep. 114
Zeshawn and Aman Ali join us to discuss their new documentary, Two Gods. ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY An intimate documentary about faith, renewal, and healing, Two Gods follows a Muslim casket maker and ritual body washer in New Jersey, as he takes two young teenagers under his wing to teach them how to live better lives. Shot in a striking black-and-white, Two Gods explores the juxtaposition of grief and the rituals of death with the vibrancy and potential of adolescence. The documentary turns an emp...
Jun 30, 2021•2 hr 10 min•Season 8Ep. 113
Parvez and Omar discuss Dr. Celene Ibrahim's works on women and gender in the Qur'an About Dr. Celene Ibrahim Dr. Celene Ibrahim is the author of Women and Gender in the Qur'an from Oxford University Press (2020) and the editor of One Nation, Indivisible: Seeking Liberty and Justice from the Pulpit to the Streets from Wipf & Stock Publishers (2019). Her current book project on the concept of monotheism in the Qur'an and Islamic intellectual history is forthcoming from Cambridge University Pr...
Jun 07, 2021•1 hr 47 min•Season 8Ep. 112
Parvez and Omar are joined by Habibe and Ishrat Husain, from the Rahima Foundation. They tell the story of their immigration to the United States, their (inter-cultural) marriage, their migration out West, and the forming of Rahima Foundation. About Habibe Habibe came to the United States in 1962, as a high school foreign exchange student from Turkey. After completing high school, she went on to earn a degree in Pharmacy from Temple University in Philadelphia. In Pennsylvania, she met and marrie...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 55 min•Season 8Ep. 111
Parvez and Omar are joined by Lena Khan, to discuss her latest achievements in directing films. About Lena Khan Lena is a Canadian American writer and director. Her first feature film, THE TIGER HUNTER, released in over 60 cities nationwide and garnered effusively positive reviews from The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and more. Fresh off of her first film, Disney tapped Lena to direct FLORA AND ULYSSES, a live action family comedy. With a background from the UCLA School of Theater, Film an...
Apr 20, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 8Ep. 110
Parvez and Omar welcome Imam Ibrahim to talk about his youth, his transition to Sunni Islam, and his nearly 50 years of needs based community work in the Chicago area for the past 50 years. About Imam S. T. Ibrahim Imam Ibrahim served as the founding Imam of the Mosque of 'Umar, Inc. on Chicago's Far South Side in the Roseland community from 1973 to 2009. He led prayers and all related services, coordinated needs based programs (food panty, youth, voter registration, job training, etc.) and part...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr 31 min•Season 8Ep. 109
Parvez and Omar are joined by Sana Saeed from AJ+ to discuss, among other things, social media culture, holding Muslims leaders to a standard, the "akh-right" and the transition to the Biden administration. It was an engaging, no holds barred conversation that we hope you'll join us for. About Sana Saeed Sana Saeed is a Host and Senior Producer who has been with AJ+ since 2014, helping launch the channel. A Canadian who has spent most of her life in the United States, she’s interested in politic...
Jan 27, 2021•2 hr 6 min•Season 8Ep. 108
Parvez and Omar are joined by Tarek El-Messidi, founder of CelebrateMercy. They look back to the inspiration behind the organization, discuss its genesis and initial launch, and touch on some of the team's current initiatives. About CelebrateMercy CelebrateMercy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that teaches about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s life and character – to Muslims and the general public. They do this through short films, online campaigns, traveling conferences, and webinars that featu...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 39 min•Season 8Ep. 107
Parvez and Omar welcome Sadia Jalali, LMFT to start a conversation on marriage and divorce in the American Muslim community. They discuss the importance of premarital counseling, of nurturing marriages from day one, and of getting help before it's too late to save a marriage. About Sadia Jalali Sadia Jalali is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Sadia holds a BA in Psychology from U of Houston and MA in Psychology/Family Therapy from U of H-Clear Lake. In her over 14 years as a coun...
Dec 01, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Season 8Ep. 106
Parvez joins Mahin Islam on Episode 036 of the Sultans and Sneakers podcast to talk about "Podcasting, Platforming, and Politics". The Sultans and Sneakers podcast, based out of Chicago, is a podcast, according to Mahin, which asks "WHY do we believe the things we do?" Mahin regularly interviews "interesting people to understand the WHY behind their beliefs." He has interviewed athletes, entrepreneurs, professors, and artists to discuss belief systems around sports fandom, politics, religion and...
Nov 24, 2020•2 hr 16 min•Season 8Ep. 105
With only days left until the pivotal 2020 U.S. election, Parvez and Omar are joined by Democratic strategist Mustafa Tameez, to discuss how we got here and possible outcomes for election night and thereafter. About Mustafa Tameez Mustafa Tameez is Outreach Strategists’ Founder and President. Mustafa began his career in New York advertising for corporate clients, but after moving to Texas he shifted to advising successful campaigns for state legislators, mayors, members of Congress and public in...
Oct 24, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Season 8Ep. 104
Parvez and Omar are joined by screenwriter and director Kamran Pasha, to discuss The Exorcist (1973). In addition to being a favorite film of both Parvez's and Kamran's, The Exorcist has had a significant influence on popular culture and has received critical acclaim, with several publications having regarded it as one of the greatest horror films of all time. We hope you enjoy this discussion, part of a recurring series of recordings focused on movies and film. About Kamran Pasha Kamran Pasha w...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 41 min•Season 8Ep. 103
Parvez and Omar are joined by Zaki Hasan, co-founder and former co-host of the Diffused Congruence podcast. In this episode, commemorating seven years since the launch of the podcast, we catch up and discuss all the craziness of 2020. This episode was recorded on Friday, October 9th, only a few weeks before the upcoming U.S. election. Zaki Hasan has been a media scholar and critic for more than twenty years. His film reviews and analyses have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, an...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 20 min•Season 7Ep. 102
Parvez and Omar are joined by Dr. Ali Ataie (professor of Arabic, Qur'an, and Comparative Theologies at Zaytuna College) for a discussion covering early Muslim history, Ahl-al-Bayt, and sectarianism in Islam. This episode is the last in a series we are doing in the month of Muharram. In the previous three episodes, we covered a believer's journey from Sunnism to Shi'ism and Shi'ite theology, history and practices. About Dr. Ali Ataie Dr. Ali Ataie is a perennial student and researcher who has be...
Sep 14, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Season 7Ep. 101
Parvez and Omar welcome Imam Hadi Qazwini (a Shi’i scholar and current Ph.D student at USC) as we partake in PART TWO of a deep dive into Shi’i history, theology and common practices. This discussion is the 2nd in a series of conversations on the topic of Shi’ism in this Islamic month of Muharram. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān . The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura . Sometimes, as part of the Mourning o...
Sep 11, 2020•1 hr 28 min•Season 7Ep. 100
Parvez and Omar welcome Imam Hadi Qazwini (a Shi’i scholar and current Ph.D student at USC) as we partake in a deep dive into Shi’i history, theology and common practices. The two part discussion is the 2nd in a series of conversations on the topic of Shi’ism in this Islamic month of Muharram. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān . The Tenth day of Muharram is known as the Day of Ashura . Sometimes, as part of the Mourning of Mu...
Sep 07, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Season 7Ep. 99
Parvez and Omar welcome R. David Coolidge (former Muslim chaplain at Dartmouth College and Brown University, and current PhD student at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA) to discuss his journey into and within Islam, which has taken him through the Sunni and Shia traditions. The discussion was especially timely considering we’re in the month of Muharram. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is held to be the second holiest month, after Ramaḍān . The Tenth day of Muharr...
Aug 30, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Season 7Ep. 98
Parvez and Omar welcome Dr. Amer Raheemullah (M.D.) to put a light on the increasingly important (and sometimes taboo) subject of addiction, a topic perhaps more important than ever in the "Age of Covid". Dr. Raheemullah specializes in opioid and benzodiazepine tapers, and treating substance use disorders in residential and outpatient programs, as well as inpatient and office-based settings. About Dr. Amer Raheemullah Dr. Amer Raheemullah is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford University ...
Aug 23, 2020•1 hr 46 min•Season 7Ep. 97
