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This podcast is an opportunity for you to join me in conversation with inspirational people from restrictive religious backgrounds who have fought and who have overcome. You know some names already: you know Malala Yousufzai, you know Ayaan Hirsi Ali. But there are countless others who have survived insurmountable odds, overcoming the most vicious of obstacles, and whose names you will not recognize. They are the unsung heroes. The warriors hidden in the shadows. Come meet them on the Yasmine Mohammed Podcast.
The podcast Yasmine Mohammed Podcast is created by Yasmine Mohammed. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
Fadi Al-Waheed was born in Dammam, Saudi Arabia in the 80s to Palestinian parents. Fadi is a pacifist and an animal lover. His childhood was anything but nostalgic as he was force-fed the five Islamic books as doctrine. During university in Jordan, a friend’s admission of atheism ignited something in Fadi, leading him to quietly leave the faith at 21, all under the shadow of apostasy laws. Losing his mother in 2012 became a turning point; Fadi stopped apologizing for who he was and gave up trying to please everyone. Years later, he met his British partner in Qatar, and together they’ve made their way to the UK where they live together with their dogs now, a life he once only dreamed of.
Shoshanna Keats Jaskoll is an American-Israeli writer and an activist. As cofounder of Chochmat Nashim (Hebrew for Women's Wisdom) she fights extremism in the Orthodox community and raises the voices & faces of women.
With a stock photobank (Jewishlifephotos.com) of real Orthodox Jewish women and families, she fights the erasure of women's images, and via RateMyBeitDin.com she gives voice to the community to improve the rabbinic court system where too many women find themselves chained to dead marriages.
Her work can be found in the Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post, UK Jewish Chronicle, and more where she writes about women's issues and Israel.
Follow Shoshanna on X @skjask and on Instagram @shoshanna_keats_jaskoll
Moomen Sallam, a former leader in the Muslim Brotherhood chapter in Egypt, will join me to discuss how the Brotherhood operates both in Egypt and on a global scale in Europe and North America. We will also discuss Egypt’s role in the war in Gaza and the current chaos in Syria.
Moomen is a leading voice amongst freethinkers in Egypt and the author of several articles and books including, ABC Secularism and ABC Liberalism and co-author of Egypt and Israel: Forty Years in the Desert of Cold Peace.
Dr. Phyllis Chesler is an Emerita Professor of Psychology and Women’s Studies, a best-selling author, a legendary feminist leader, and a retired psychotherapist. Some of her most influential books are Women and Madness, Letters to a Young Feminist, Woman’s Inhumanity to Woman, An American Bride in Kabul, Islamic Gender Apartheid: Exposing a Veiled War Against Women.
Since 9/11, Dr. Chesler has focused on the rights of women, dissidents, and gays in the Hindu, Sikh, and Muslim communities; the rise of antisemitism/anti-Zionism, the demonization of Israel, the nature of terrorism, forced veiling, forced marriage, polygamy, and tribal psychology. Based on her four academic studies about honor killing, she has submitted affidavits for Muslim and ex-Muslim women who are seeking asylum or citizenship based on their credible belief that their families will honor kill them. In 2021-2022, Dr. Chesler co-led a team which rescued 400 women from Afghanistan. That work continues.
Mina (pseudonym) is a former medical student from Afghanistan who was in her second year of university when the Taliban stripped her of the opportunity to pursue her education and career in medicine. She joins us for a special episode from inside Afghanistan to shed light on the dire reality for women under Taliban rule and the gender apartheid that governs their lives while the world watches.
Tune in to hear Mina’s powerful story, gain insight into the experiences of Afghan women, and learn how you can help.
Please note: Mina’s identity is concealed, and she covers her face to protect herself from Taliban retaliation.
Yael grew up in Israel’s first kibbutz – Degania – with a secular mother and a traditional Moroccan father. When she was younger, she thought she was volunteering for a non-profit in Jerusalem, but it turned out to be a cult. Today, Yael is a Hebrew tutor and translator by day, musician by night, and a volunteer at The Feminist Library in Florence, Italy. She also writes for the Israeli magazine, Politically Corret (“corret” in Hebrew means “she reads”).
Follow Yael on yaelfine_ (Twitter), and yael.hebrew (Instagram)
In this episode with Dr. Babb, we discuss how all the antisemitic issues erupting in Canada are impacting politics, the education system, and the world. There is something rotten in the state of Canada and we are going to address that.
Dr. Casey Babb is a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a fellow with the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, an associate fellow with the Royal United Services Institute in London, and an adviser with Secure Canada in Toronto.
Author of A Battle for the Soul of Islam: An American Muslim Patriot' s Fight to Save His Faith, Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, M.D. is a former Lieutenant Commander of the U.S. Navy, Founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD), and Co-Founder of the Muslim Reform Movement.
A first generation American Muslim, Dr. Jasser's parents fled the oppressive Baath regime of Syria in the mid-1960s for American freedom. A devout Muslim, he and his family have strong ties to the American Muslim community having helped lead mosques in Wisconsin, Arkansas, Virginia and Arizona.
He is also co-Director, with me, of the CLARITy Coalition- a global coalition with the goal of defending the west from Islamists who are intent on undermining and dismantling liberal democracy. He the
Join me and Zuhdi to discuss the ongoing chaos in Syria- what is next now that the brutal Assad regime has been toppled? Will Syrians finally be free from famine, torture, and war? Or will jihadis fill the power vacuum with yet another terrorist regime? What does this mean for Russia, Iran, Israel and the rest of the region and the world?
Luke Stacey grew up in a British Israelite cult in Australia until he was 10 .. He then attended a Christian high school where he experienced religious indoctrination, insinuations of gay conversation ideology, and was surrounded by extremely homophobic Christian culture.
Later in life he moved into a Muslim majority Australian suburb with his partner, house mate and two dogs. Over several years he saw, heard and learnt many things which made him question the good nature of yet another religious ideology.
An Egyptian-Iraqi Jew, Rachel Wahba was born in India and grew up stateless in Japan. As a Mizrahi Jew and Zionist activist the many dimensions of her exile and displacement in the first twenty years of her life are a constant theme in her work as a writer, content creator, former psychotherapist and her advocacy as an advisory board member for JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa). She is also the co-founder of Olivia Travel, a company dedicated to curating travel experiences for lesbian and queer women for the past 35 years.
Karen Hunt is a full contact boxer who started the first and only boxing club for girls in Luxor, Egypt. She will be joining us to speak about her experience living in Egypt and why she was eventually forced to escape the country under dangerous circumstances.
Mohamad Ghaoui is a Palestinian-Lebanese man who grew up religious and worked with the PLO/PA in the 2000s. Mohamad is deeply committed to resolving the refugees and right of return issues, believing that its resolution is essential for overcoming barriers and paving the path to lasting peace.
He actively opposes the Lebanese ban on communication with Israelis, which hinders progress towards understanding and reconciliation. Mohamad speaks up in support of decriminalizing dialogue with Lebanon’s neighbors.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1969. As she grew up, she embraced Islam and strove to live as a devout Muslim. In 1992, Hirsi Ali fled to the Netherlands to escape a forced marriage. There she was given asylum, and in time citizenship. She quickly learned Dutch and was able to study at the University of Leiden.
From 2003 to 2006, Hirsi Ali served as an elected member of the Dutch parliament. She then moved to the US, and in 2007 founded the AHA Foundation to protect and defend the rights of women in the US from harmful traditional practices.
Hirsi Ali is a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Founder of the AHA Foundation, a Senior Fellow with the Future of Diplomacy Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at The Harvard Kennedy School, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Founder of Restorationbulletin.com, where she explores the forces of subversion plaguing Western society. She is the best-selling author of Infidel (2007) and Heretic: Why Islam Needs a Reformation Now (2015).
Rania Dean is a Druze Israeli who embodies the Arab and Jewish experience, understanding both languages and cultures while maintaining an independent ethnic and religious Druze identity. This unique perspective allows her to view both sides objectively, tirelessly working to dispel falsehoods and promote the truth about her country.
Rania's advocacy took on renewed vigor on October 7th, driven by a resolute determination to counteract misinformation about Israel.
Donate to the Druze of Majdal Shams: https://causematch.com/maman/hopefordruzecommunity/
Dr. Florence Bergeaud-Blackler is a distinguished academic and researcher who specializes in the study of Islamic norms within secular contexts in Europe, like the role of the economy in shaping religious norms and the development of halal ecosystems.
Florence has written about the processes of Salafi indoctrination, considering both its fundamentalist and political dimensions, and how it interacts with the neo-liberal and post-modern political spheres.
Mansour Al-Hadj was born and raised in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, and immigrated to the US in 2005. He has a degree in Sharia and Islamic Studies from The International University of Africa in Khartoum, Sudan. Mansour has first-hand experience with radicalization tactics used to recruit and mobilize Muslims worldwide. His research and writings in Arabic and English have focused on understanding the root causes of violent extremism in Arab and Muslim lands. Mansour is the Director of the Reform Project at the Middle East Media and Research Institute (MEMRI) and a founding member of Clarity Coalition and has testified before the US Congress on the development of strategies to counter jihadist websites.
Adam Elmasri is an Australian Egyptian free thinker, human rights activist, author, and content creator. Adam was born in Cairo and grew up in Egypt as an orthodox Coptic Christian. He is a strong religious critic whose viewpoints are based on academic studies and as a supporter of the LGBT and women’s rights in the Middle East. Adam has written two books, How did Christianity begin, REALLY? and Wounded by Faith.
Enas was forcibly taken to Gaza to be married off to a family member chosen by her father. She joins us in this episode to share that experience, as well as her time living in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Egypt.
With roots in Palestine and having lived in several Arab and Muslim countries, Enas offers a wealth of knowledge, insights, and firsthand experiences about the region—and the current war in Gaza.
Deep Halder is an Indian journalist, author, and editor with a career spanning more than two decades in the media industry. He has worked with leading Indian publications such as India Today and India Today Group Online, covering various topics including politics, society, and culture. Halder is known for his writing on socio-political issues, particularly focusing on marginalized communities in India.
One of his notable works is the book Blood Island: An Oral History of the Marichjhapi Massacre, which explores the mass killing of Bengali refugees in the Sundarbans in 1979. Through his investigative work and storytelling, Halder sheds light on forgotten or overlooked events in India’s history, bringing attention to stories of suffering, resistance, and resilience. His work often highlights issues of displacement, migration, and injustice.
Follow Deep Halder on X: @deepscribble
Isaac Yomtovian, originally known as Es’hagh Pesare’ Ebram Johood, traces his Persian roots back 2,500 years.
He was born in Tehran near the Marble Palace of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi. He immigrated to Israel, where he volunteered in the 1967 Six-Day War and earned a degree in Civil Engineering from the Technion.
In 1971, Yomtovian moved to the US, obtaining a Master of Science from the University of Nebraska, and conducting post-graduate work at Cornell University. He later founded EnviroScience, an engineering firm in Minneapolis, before relocating to Cleveland, where he earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University.
Yomtovian is a prominent real estate developer in New York and Ohio and a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. He is also a passionate educator on Iranian history and culture, speaking at synagogues, churches, and universities worldwide on topics ranging from the Persian Empire to the modern Islamic Republic.
David Bernstein is a prominent law professor with expertise in constitutional law, civil rights, and legal history. He has authored influential books and articles on topics such as free speech, government regulation, and the protection of civil liberties. Known for his ability to bridge legal theory and practical application, Professor Bernstein is a vocal advocate for individual rights and the fair application of the law.
In addition to his academic contributions, he frequently provides expert commentary on legal issues in the media and serves as a consultant on significant cases. Committed to education, Professor Bernstein mentors and inspires future lawyers, fostering critical thinking and a deep understanding of the law. His work continues to shape important legal discussions and advance justice.
Yirmiyahu Danzig is a content creator and digital educator specializing in Jewish diversity, history, and identity. His family has lived in Israel for nine generations, countering the narrative that Jews are colonizers in their own land. With roots in both the Old Yishuv of Jerusalem and the Caribbean, Yirmiyahu's unique heritage informs his social media activism, where he uses English, Hebrew, and Arabic to connect with diverse audiences.
Inspired by his ancestors who lived in the Old City of Jerusalem and survived the sugar plantations of the Caribbean, Yirmiyahu is a dedicated educator-activist. He speaks on Jewish identity, diversity, and antisemitism all over the world, and founded Shachar, a community for Caribbean, African American, and West African Israeli Jews.
On Instagram, Yirmiyahu shares his insights under the handle @thatsemite, focusing on equity in Israel, racial justice, and Jewish liberation.
His content resonates with young people interested in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jezebel, an ex-Jehovah’s Witness and Doomsday Cult survivor, spent over 20 years in the organization, enduring intense indoctrination, mind control, and emotional and mental abuse. Her experiences, including severe anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, are chronicled in two books written under her pen name.
A lifelong historian and pro-freedom activist, Jezebel advocates for trauma survivorship and the sacredness of individual sovereignty. She promotes positive survivor mentality, emphasizing inner strength and gratitude, and educates others about the dangers of childhood indoctrination, mind control, deceptive propaganda, weaponized language, censorship, and totalitarianism.
Through her work, Jezebel aims to raise awareness and ensure that others know they are not alone in their struggles.
Social media sensation, Ashley Waxman Bakshi is an entrepreneur, content creator, TV host, and activist. Following the kidnapping of her cousin, Agam Berger, by Hamas on October 7th, Ashley has been dedicated to advocating for the release of Israeli hostages.
She collaborates with the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and has met with world leaders to push for sanctions against the IRGC and entities supporting Palestinian terrorist organizations in Canada and the European Union.
Known for her platform "Girl Abroad," Ashley is a 38-year-old Canadian beauty and lifestyle content creator who moved to Israel at 21 after volunteering and falling in love with the country and an Israeli.
Richardis is a German feminist who became an activist after experiencing stalking at the hands of an abusive man who kept using his status as a Muslim migrant to try and reverse victim and offender. She also had to witness a friend fall victim to a Muslim grooming gang as an underage girl. Today, she’s part of a wider movement that fights violence against women and girls and vehemently opposes trivializing honor violence, the Islamic veil, FGM etc. She experiences the atmosphere in Germany in regards to discussing these matters as stifling as cultural relativism and accusations of racism are used to shut women down. This is her first time speaking publicly after years of fear of retaliation from her stalker and the wider culture, as well as overcoming doubts whether her story even matters.
Yasmine is first generation Israeli-American wife and mother, who has used her passion for Jewish history and representation to create and foster a community using her online work and advocacy, since 2016.
Yasmines paternal Saba fled Aleppo at age 13, where he and his family had lived for hundreds and hundreds of years, as antisemitism became increasingly violent. Her Saba was rescued by the first Youth Aliyah group along with other children from Lebanon in 1943. He had to leave behind his mother as she was blind and unable to make the trip safely. He served in the Haganah, fighting both in the War of Independence and the 6 day war. He later served as a policeman who guarded the home of the first Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion.
These stories, that are sadly not uncommon, but are lesser known within the community, sparked Yasmine’s passion for Jewish storytelling and Jewish pride.
Dr. Einat Wilf is a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists“, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020.
Born into a Muslim-Jewish family in Morocco, Chama Metchaly has dedicated her career to creating safe spaces for dialogue and bridging the gaps between Muslim and Jewish narratives, as well as Eastern and Western values. Since the advent of the Abraham Accords, Mechtaly has advised numerous governmental and nongovernmental organizations on regional integration and Israeli-Arab relations. Based in New York and Dubai, her work has been featured in international media, including a feature documentary film by Asharq News. As a visual artist, she has exhibited her work in four continents, including twice at the Jerusalem Biennale. Mechtaly is currently a WIn fellow and an Executive Leadership Program participant at Atlantic Council as well as a convener at the Israel Policy Forum. In 2023, she was recognized in the Middle East Policy Council’s 40 under 40 list. She is the co-founder of the Emma Lazarus Institute for Liberty and Tolerance, where she bridges the gaps between the Democratic West and the Moderate East. She is a policy advisor, entrepreneur, activist, artist and speaker, known for her intersectional and interdisciplinary approach to peacebuilding, Jewish inclusion, and Arab-Israeli integration in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
At the age of 11, Uthman enrolled in an Islamic boarding school and graduated as an Islamic scholar. With over 20 years of experience as an Imam, he has dedicated his life to exploring and understanding religious dynamics. He holds a Master of Arts in Muslim-Christian Relations from Hartford International University and is currently a PhD student in anthropology, focusing on Coptic Christianity. Uthman's research is a deep dive into the intricate relationship between religion and cultural identity, with a special focus on the Coptic Christian community in North America. His work is not just informed by a rich background in interfaith dialogue, but also by his personal journey that encompasses both Islamic and Christian traditions. His research interests span themes of indigeneity, migration, and the impact of conservative beliefs on religious minorities, making his work highly relevant and insightful. In addition to his academic pursuits, Uthman has been actively involved in community service, providing support and guidance to individuals navigating religious trauma and identity crises. His unique journey through different facets of faith and academia provides him with a profound perspective on religious questioning and interfaith dialogue.
Hamza Howidy is peace activist living in exile. He was born and raised in Gaza. He lived under the control of Hamas and was imprisoned by them when he participated in the "We want to Live" protests. Join us to hear the truth about what it was like to live in Gaza, how dangerous it is to oppose Hamas publicly, and what he has to say to university students in the west praising the terrorist group that imprisoned and tortured him.
Jaleh Tavakoli and I went to Israel for a week as part of a delegation of people from across the Middle East invited to join a group called Sharaka. Sharaka means "partnership" in Arabic and the NGO is a partnership between the UAE and Israel that was inspired by the Abraham accords. Their mission is to "Shape a New Middle East- Together".
While we were there we visited Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, as well as the Nova Forest, which holds an Oct 7th memorial. It was the first time for both of us - Jaleh with roots in Iran, and me with roots from Gaza and Israel. We discussed what surprised us, what enraged us, what our favorite and least favorite parts were and so on...
Follow Jaleh on X: https://twitter.com/JalehTavakoli
Elica Le Bon is a British-born attorney, artist, activist, and speaker. She was born and raised in London and moved to Los Angeles to go to law school. Since then, she has worked foremost as a criminal defense attorney while developing a second career in activism, initially focused primarily on bringing light to issues surrounding human rights in Iran and the wider Middle East. Since starting, her unique voice has reached millions across various audiences and platforms around the world as a voice for bridge building, truth telling, and humanity.
Follow Elica on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elicalebon/
On X: https://twitter.com/elicalebon
Gad Saad is a professor at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada - one of the cities that has seen the biggest eruption of antisemitism since Oct 7th. Gad was born in Beirut, Lebanon to a Jewish family with roots in Syria. As a child, the antisemitism his family encountered is one of the reasons why they fled from Lebanon to Canada. And now in Canada, he has to hear professors telling students to “go back to Poland” in reference to Auschwitz and the Holocaust where millions of Jewish people were murdered. Gad and I spoke about antisemitism in the Arab world and how disorienting it is for us to see it so naked in the west today, with students in Columbia University in NY asking for Hamas to make them proud and burn Tel Aviv to the ground. As one of the few voices who was warning about where this capitulation to extremism could lead, we will find out how Gad feels now that he is being ‘vindicated’ and how he thinks we can move beyond this crisis.
Golsa Golestaneh is an Iranian-Canadian woman whose main passion is challenging misinformation, bias, and propaganda. Having a background in both Iranian and Canadian activist circles has helped her in analyzing sociopolitical issues factually and independently, rather than by relying on the mainstream narrative. Golsa will be joining us to talk about how she has been forced to attend diversity and inclusion reprogramming at her job because speaking up against the regime she escaped is socially unacceptable in Canada.
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib is an American writer and analyst who grew up in Gaza City which he left in 2005 as a teenage exchange student. He writes extensively on Gaza’s political and humanitarian affairs and has been an outspoken critic of Hamas and a promoter of coexistence and peace as the only path forward between Palestinians and Israelis. Alkhatib has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Master’s in intelligence and national security studies. His writing has been published in U.S. and Israeli outlets, and his opinions and comments have been featured in international press.
Sam Harris has a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He is the author of five New York Times best sellers. His books include The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, Waking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance. He also hosts the Making Sense Podcast, which was selected by Apple as one of the “iTunes Best” and has won a Webby Award for best podcast in the Science & Education category. As well, Sam has created the Waking Up app for anyone who wants to learn to meditate in a modern, scientific context. On top of all this, Sam is an incredibly kind, thoughtful, and generous man that I am so grateful to call a friend. Sam and I will be discussing the current state of discourse around Islam in the US, UK, and globally and how/if things have changed since his infamous exchange with Ben Affleck on Real Time with Bill Maher in 2014. We will, of course, be discussing October 7th and the global ripple effects from that day. I generally speak a lot about my mother, but in this conversation, I will be sharing about my father, a man born and raised in Gaza. We will also talk about how we envision going forward from this point. Will things continue to get worse before they can ever get better?
Unlike my regular interviews, this podcast is a discussion between myself and my friend Jay Shapiro. Jay grew up as a Zionist and I grew up as an Islamist. We will be discussing October 7th and the aftermath... and you are welcome to join us.
Jay Shapiro is a writer and documentary filmmaker with a focus on philosophy and intellectually challenging subjects. He wrote and directed the film adaptation of the collaboration between philosopher Sam Harris and former imprisoned Muslim extremist turned reformer, Maajid Nawaz entitled Islam And The Future of Tolerance. He has also directed successful films which dive into the complexities of International Law as well as inspiring sports documentaries.
Recently he wrote and produced a 10 part series for the widely listened to Making Sense Podcast where he compiled a decade of conversations by Sam Harris and his varied guests into audio-documentaries on topics such as Free Will, Violence, Existential Threat, Belief and Unbelief, and more. He is currently producing a 10 part audio-series with the philosopher Annaka Harris on the topic of Consciousness and Fundamental Physics.
He writes essays and hosts a podcast entitled Dilemma which explores topics of philosophy and politics and is currently releasing episodes in The Palestine Series which focus on the conflict which has erupted after the October 7th attacks in southern Israel.
Deepti joins us to speak about the organization she runs with a dedicated group of volunteers called CHINGARI. The organization aims to bring awareness to the world about the Hindu girls who are kidnapped, forced to convert to Islam, forcefully married, and who face countless other atrocities in Sindh, Pakistan each day. Through informative advocacy, CHINGARI seeks to make local U.S. representatives aware of the unstable religious situation in Pakistan. Join us to speak to Deepti about her work, to understand how this could be such a common phenomenon, and to learn what must be done to protect the girls.
Siavash Safavi is a translator, former student activist, and political prisoner from Iran. He was sentenced to prison and lashing and had to escape the country in 2011. He arrived in Canada as a refugee in 2013 and in January 2017, he was labeled by the IRGC as one of the 30 traitors to the Islamic Republic for his opposition to the nuclear deal (JCPOA).
Madiha grew up in Pakistan before moving to the US. She will join us to share what life in like for girls and women in Pakistan and to tell us about her personal experiences and journey out of Islam and into becoming a free woman, a physician, a wife, a mother and the host of a YouTube page that explores the intersection of faith and modernity and dissecting ethical dilemmas. In her page she aims to spark meaningful conversations that transcend boundaries.
Connect with Madiha on her YouTube channel: MadihaTalks
In this very special Yasmine Mohammed Podcast, I will interview an incredibly brave woman named Dalia Ziada: Dalia is one of the most famous political analysts in the Arab world. She had to flee her country in fear for her life because she publicly told the truth about Hamas terrorists. In our conversation, she will explain why the Islamists are the enemy and why Europe and North America should be careful.
Contact Dalia:
[email protected]
Facebook.com/daliaziada
Twitter @daliaziada
Dalia's book: https://www.amazon.com/Curious-Case-Three-Legged-Wolf-Democracy/dp/1696264731
Anna was born in USSR to a Jewish family who, due to antisemitism, immigrated to Israel when she was two years old. Anna grew up in Israel in a Jewish family who survived the Holocaust. When she was about 10 years old, her mother married a Muslim man and converted to Islam. To escape the enforced religion, and living with a man who celebrated 9/11, Anna left home when she was a teenager. She eventually left Israel and moved to the USA all by herself to start a new life. Anna now holds an MBA and an BSA degree.
Follow Anna on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/designer_of_insta/?hl=en
Yasmeena was born in Afghanistan and moved to the UK when she was nine. At 19, she met her now husband, David. Because David was Jewish, he was threatened by her family with death threats and vile statements like " Too bad Hitler didn't finish you all off". When she informed the Met police, they told her it is a family matter. Yasmeena is now a model and an activist who uses her body as a canvas to tell provocative and empowering stories. Through her work, she challenges traditional and religious values and societies' expectations of women. She encourages everyone to defy conventions and follow their own path.
Iffath is a former member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, a messianic sect of Islam considered heretical by most mainstream Muslims. Growing up in the USA in the state of Tennessee, she struggled with the multitude of restrictions placed on her, especially since she was female.
The inner conflict she experienced led to decades of depression and self-loathing. A series of events beginning with the market crash of 2008 led her to deep inner work including personal development, meditation, and intuitive development practices. Eventually, her inner guidance system became so strong that she was able to drop the chains of her prescribed religion and live authentically.
Although a multi-business owner, Iffath is focused on sharing her story to help others. She hopes to shine a light in the dark for anyone who yearns to live in alignment with their true selves.
Iffath lives outside of Atlanta, GA with her real estate developer husband and three amazing children. She considers it her greatest privilege to be able to raise her kids with love instead of fear.
You can learn more about her upcoming book here: https://iffath.com/book/
Xehra is a professional fire performer, artist and activist who started her journey of independence by faking a marriage to return home to America after her family forcibly moved her to the Middle East. She now strives to inspire women to deprogram the oppression of shame culture through free movement, embracing their sexuality, and dancing with the fire that she was told to fear.
Sarah Edmondson has been a working actor for 25+ years, but she is most well-known for her real-life role in the downfall of the notorious NXIVM cult.
In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, an acclaimed memoir chronicling her harrowing experience. Her story as a whistleblower has also been featured in the CBC podcast “Uncover: Escaping NXIVM” and “The Vow”, the critically-acclaimed HBO documentary series.
In 2021, Sarah launched the A Little Bit Culty podcast with her husband Anthony ‘Nippy’ Ames, on a mission to shine much-needed light on issues of cultic abuse and undue influence. With nearly 5M downloads to date and guests like Eckhart Tolle and Leah Remini, it has become a powerful platform and connective space for cult-survivors, recovery advocates, and mind-control experts alike.
A mom of two boys, Sarah continues to work as an actor and podcaster from her home in Atlanta while making time to attend conferences and events around the world as a speaker and cult-recovery advocate.
Elise Evans is a Women’s Rights Activist. She has been called the Katniss Everdeen of Saudi Arabia. Her passion and work highlight the draconian laws which keep women in a system that declares them minors until they die. Raised by a Saudi stepdad as a Saudi included molestation, prolonged confinement, physical & mental abuse, and more. She was subjected to the Male Guardianship Law, which stripped her of every right that she was born with as an American Citizen.
She works diligently to highlight the current situation on the ground in Saudi Arabia not just because she has three younger Saudi sisters and many Saudi friends but because she personally suffered many injustices until finally finding freedom in the United States at the age of thirty.
She has spoken internationally and locally, raising awareness about the Male Guardianship Law, Sports-Washing, Arbitrary Arrests, Torture, Victim Shaming, Forced Disappearances, Honor Killings, Sham Trials, Executions, and other Human Rights Violations happening on a day-to-day basis in Saudi Arabia.
She interned for the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in Riyadh, and was the head of HR for the MENA Region for The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She worked as the Executive Assistant to the group Publisher at D Magazine in Dallas, TX and is currently a successful CEO. Her Autobiography an American Princess in Saudi Arabia is due to be released in late 2024. She resides in the United States, the land of the free.
Follow her on Twitter/X for daily updates: @EliseMEvans
“I will never be silent again” - Elise Evans
Sara was born in a (mostly) secular family in an extremely religious country. She left Iran when realized she would never see her 30th birthday if she stayed any longer. Since last September, and the start of the revolution in Iran, she has started talking to her therapist more about her experiences in Iran, which led her therapist to diagnose Sara with PTSD, severe anxiety, minor depression and panic disorder, realizing how severely she was affected and how she barely survived the Islamic Regime. Sara has two cats that she loves dearly and "a husband who is just as Islamophobic as I am". Join me and Sara as we talk about her traumatic experiences with Islam and how it has affected her as well as how the #WomanLifeFreedom revolution has helped her to realize that she's not as lonely as she used to believe.
Collin May has a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard, a political philosophy degree from the Ecole des hautes etudes en sciences sociales in Paris, and a law degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. While at Harvard, he studied the falisifa with the world’s foremost expert on medieval Islamic philosophy, Dr. Muhsin Mahdi.
On May 25, 2022, the Alberta government appointed him as the first openly gay man to serve as Chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission and Tribunals. On September 15, 2022, he was fired by the Alberta government due to the demands of the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
He was accused of ‘Islamophobia’ by the NDP citing a 13 year old academic book review that Collin wrote for a book written by Middle East Historian Efraim Karsh. They claimed the book review was “racist, Islamophobic and hateful”. Under pressure from those wielding this semantic weapon ‘Islamophobia’, the weak conservative provincial government fired him after only a few months in his new position.
Join us to speak with Collin to learn the details of how this baseless and obviously politically motivated character assassination has entirely disrupted his life and his livelihood.
Jasmine grew up following the Jain religion in India. The religion has a very small following of 6 million worldwide and comprises little more than .5% of the population in India. She had questions about Jainism from a very young age. She was different from others - she noticed that early on: where others accepted the beliefs and status quo, she wanted to know why. Her curious mind always had questions and wanted answers that made sense to her. Today she is a rational egoist and does not believe in or follow any religion. Join me and Jasmine to find out about this elusive religion- is it really the anomaly so many think it is?
Lois grew up in a Nazarene family in Kansas City, Missouri, going to four church services each Sunday and one on Wednesday. By the time she was 17 at a Nazarene College, she was going to chapel every day. But despite all this constant connection with her faith, she still had doubts. She had doubts ever since she was a young child. She still had doubts even while she was a professor at a Christian college. It wasn’t until she found herself in a marriage with an alcoholic, sociopathic, ex-convict that all her doubts reached a crescendo. Join me as I speak with Lois about how she was able to free herself from that awful marriage and from the indoctrination that poisoned her mind from birth. As Lois says: “When I lost my faith, I found myself.”
Lois is the Coordinator for Life Without Religion
"A safe place to be together"
Life Without Religion (LWR) is an anonymous peer support group for people who have had (or continue to have) difficulties due to religion. If you are interested in participating in Life Without Religion, please contact the coordinator directly at: [email protected]
Elnaz is an Iranian American women’s rights activist born and raised in Iran where she graduated as an engineer and was a business owner. She moved to the US in 2008 and worked in Tech companies including Google for more than a decade. After a decade in America, she decided to become vocal about the treatment of women by the Islamic Republic of Iran: she produced a weekly podcast with Women for Sustainable Freedom & Equality, held workshops on creating content for Iranian activists and worked closely with journalist and activist Masih Alinejad. Now, Elnaz is busy caring for her newborn daughter, Roshan, who was born a week after Iranian #WomanLifeFreedom revolution, working in a local FM radio station and writing to echo the voice of Iranian women in the world.
For this very special episode of Forgotten Feminists, I will be speaking with a woman who certainly is not, and never can be, forgotten: Asra Nomani. Asra is a journalist, author, activist and one of my personal heroines and mentors. Asra is a woman of tiny stature who takes on the most goliath of fights against Islamic extremism and secular extremism as manifested today in what is referred to as "woke". Asra will talk to us about her life, her close encounters with terrorists, her activism, and her latest book: Woke Army - a book that uncovers the close links in America between Muslim and Woke organizations.
Anne was raised by a Palestinian father and American convert mother. However, unlike most American girls, she was homeschooled and forced into hijab. Her suffocating home life pushed her to attempt suicide at 17. When she was hospitalized, it was the first time in her life that she’d spent the night free from the grip of her family. “I came away from that experience with a single conclusion: I was going to leave this house in a body bag if I didn’t find a way out”. Join me and Anne to hear about her nail-biting escape and her life of success and freedom today.
When Deb was 19, she escaped the cult her mother had joined when she was 11. After eight years trapped in a cult, she was alone. She had zero life skills, no money, and no place to live. She was terrified, but she was free. She knew she would make it; she just didn’t know how! Eventually she married a Muslim man and had a son. Her son is a conservative Muslim living in the UAE where his wife and daughter are required to wear hijab. Join me to talk with Deb on her very tumultuous life and what she is doing today to support others who are cult survivors. "My voice was silenced in the cult, so now I speak, tell my story, connect with others and hope that by doing so, others who felt alone and were silenced find advocacy and are able to speak and tell their stories too." Thank you for watching the video, Deb D: Escaping A Methodist Cult And Marriage To A Muslim by Yasmine Mohammed and get to know more about it.
Dorothea grew up in the UK to a Pakistani family. Her independent spirit and determination was always a hinderance to her family and community around her. But yet, she persisted. Today Dorothea is able to let her authentic self shine in her life without restrictions. She uses her negative past experiences to inform her important work as as a healthy relationship and harmful traditional practices consultant. She has over a decades practice experience working with victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, honour crimes and forced marriage.
Nada, author of Gaslight Avenue: Based on a True Hummus Story, upset the town when she swam against the tide. Now this Palestinian-born Canadian writer and womanist is addicted to helping other women reckon with the same patriarchal world she escaped from to live their best lives with full bodily autonomy, free of religious toxicity, misogyny, and conformity.
Leorah is native Sudanese but was born and raised in Saudi Arabia where, along with her brother, started to learn Quran and Islamic Studies as soon as she could speak. From there, their lives took very different paths- After enduring many years of abuse, as well as being buried under a niqab and being subjugated under Islamic laws, Leorah is now married to the man of her dreams. She is married to a Canadian Buddhist man who supports her in living the free life she was deprived of growing up. By stark contrast, however; her brother ended up joining the Islamic State (ISIS). Join me in speaking with Leorah about the two drastically different paths she and her brother took and how their choices have impacted themselves, each other, and all the people around them.
Samira is half Arab, half Danish, however growing up the cultural and religious values of her father were way stronger thank her Danish side. When she became a teenager, the conflict between her two cultures caused a lot of turmoil and confusion for many years. She eventually felt the only way to free herself from the dichotomy was to leave Islam. But the break was a painful one. Her family disowned her for her choice to liberate herself and she missed her dad and her siblings. After a tragic loss of my first husband (an American non Muslim), she went back to her family with her 4 year old daughter. She was so devastated from the loss of her love that she decided to convert back to Islam and marry her cousin. Her second marriage was a disaster. Life under such strict rules was hell. After two years she left with both her kids, took off her hijab, and never looked back. But living under suppressed rules for so long had left an impact. At first after leaving Islam she was in no man's land. She felt ashamed for showing my hair and wearing normal clothes. There are so many long, difficult, and lonely phases to leaving Islam. So much rebuilding that needs to happen- especially for women. Samira and I will talk about all those challenges and offer advice for other women starting on their journey to freedom.
Iman escaped Saudi Arabia where she was treated like property in 2003. She graduated medical school and escaped to Canada where she now is witnessing the erosion of freedoms and is sounding the alarm through her podcast "One Godless Woman". For her unapologetic and fierce activism, she being sued by a Muslim Brotherhood entity in Canada. Iman will tell us all about her journey from muzzled Muslim girl covered head to toe in black living under Sharia to freethinking woman wearing whatever she wants and saying whatever she wants in Canada.
Aisha is my first cousin 🤍 Her dad was my favorite uncle. Aisha grew up in New Jersey with her mother and sister when her parents divorced. In college she met a man and fell in love, the only problem was- he was Jewish. Her mother disowned her when she decided to marry him. To protect her younger sister from being "tainted" by Aisha's influence, she took her and left for Egypt without even telling Aisha. After many years of trauma and healing, Aisha now works as a faith leader supporting others at the Unitarian Universalist Church. Join us to hear the incredible story of this incredible woman.
Rabyaah grew up in Yemen before coming to the US at the age of six. She is the founder of Arab Women’s Voice and she co-founded the Yemeni American Coalition for Change to support grassroots movements in the Middle East during the Arab Spring. Rabyaah was also chosen as a national Bernie surrogate in the 2020 Presidential race. Rabyaah began to question the extremists in her community and the Islamists in US government around the Arab Spring. Her criticisms caused so much backlash, but it didn't stop her. She is committed to continuing to speak out for the good of her community- as she wants to see Muslims progress and prosper. She is also determined to continue to speak out for the good of her country- as the danger of Islamists in government needs to be exposed.
Elizabeth was born in the UK to a British-Italian family and grew up as a (semi/non-practicing) Christian. Following her own spiritual journey alongside a cultural exploration of Arabic language and culture, she later converted to Islam in her early 20s. Having since left Orthodox Islam, she is an advocate for liberalism in Islam. An award-winning activist, passionate about protecting human rights, promoting peace, and strengthening intercultural and interfaith cohesion, Elizabeth's main interests include women’s rights, refugee and migrant rights and issues surrounding multiculturalism, anti-extremism and community cohesion – in particular, Jewish-Muslim relations. A renowned and curious chatterbox, Elizabeth loves exploring other cultures, travelling and tweeting!
Weam Namou was born in Baghdad, to an ancient lineage called the Chaldeans (Neo-Babylonians who still speak Aramaic), and came to the U.S. at age ten. She is an Eric Hoffer award winning author of 14 books, a two-time international award-winning documentary filmmaker, a poet, journalist, and the founder and president of Unique Voices in Films, a nonprofit organization. She is currently working on her first feature narrative film, Pomegranate [in post-production]. The script of Pomegranate was selected as a quarter finalist by Francis Coppola's Zoetrope. Weam is the executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center, which houses the world's first and only Chaldean museum. https://weamnamou.com/
Nada grew up in Bahrain where she was forced into hijab as a young child, she struggled to live within the tiny framework that was afforded to her. And then one day, a picture on Facebook, where she proudly shared that she learned how to use chopsticks, blew up her whole life. Her family threatened to kill her and there was no looking back. Now, free from any familial demands, Nada lives in California working as a Medical Interpreter.
Dalal grew up in the US and Saudi Arabia and now lives in Ireland. At 18, she was forced into a marriage with a man she describes as having “more rights over my body than I did”. Dalal speaks openly and honestly about what it was like enduring years of abuse by her parents and what it took to leave her abusers and start anew. In the years since, she has grown mentally and physically (competing in powerlifting competitions!). She now lives in Ireland with her Belgian partner. Dalal’s personal story is meant for those who need to know that they are not alone. She wants to bring awareness, encouragement, and inspiration. Her motto is “If I can, then you can too”
Though she was born and raised in Saudi, Meshair’s parents are from Somalia. She travelled for the first time when she was twenty-five years old and continued travelling ever since. Traveling the world made her mind and heart expand. It filled her with love and left no room for hate and regret. She is now married to the man of her dreams, François- a French Pastry Chef who fills her heart with love and their home with sweet smell of freshly baked cookies and lavish decorations of petit fours!
Wafa is a Tamazight Tunisian Ex-Muslim, holder of a Ph.D. degree in Linguistics from The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, and a university educator. She currently serves as the director of the Translations Project, a program of the Center for Inquiry and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science. She is also a board member of Inara, the Tunisian Association of Irreligious and Free Thinkers. She is human rights and civil liberties activist, an advocate of the Ex-Muslim organizations for acceptance of religious dissent and promotion of secular values, and an activist for the linguistic and cultural rights of the indigenous Amazigh people of Tunisia and North Africa.
Wasila grew up back and forth in between Yemen and Austria- experiencing culture shock over and over throughout. She lived in this confused state until she decided to drop everything and choose her own happiness! Wasila is now married to the love of her life, a German man, and they have two daughters together. She has a successful career in a university as an administrator for international students. She is also co-founder of www.healingoasiskids.com where she teaches children yoga accompanied by a guided meditation which narrates scientific topics to children in a mindful way.
Born in South Africa, Ayesha is a Cape Malay woman who grew up in Australia. Despite her Western upbringing, Ayesha's story features the familiar battle for independence and freedom that many women from Muslim backgrounds experience all over the world. In the process of finding herself, Ayesha faced many losses and hardships - including losing the love and acceptance of her family. Now living happily with her partner of 8 years, Ayesha has found a new family who accepts her unconditionally for the person she truly is. With 3 university degrees and a successful career across a range of disciplines, Ayesha now works with the Free Hearts Free Minds team to empower other people across the world to embrace their individuality and be their unapologetic selves.
Raised in a traditional Omani home, Reem always found herself battling being true to herself or being aligned with her culture's traditions. The journey to being true to herself was not a easy one; from leaving her home country, to disentangling herself from a difficult divorce and being estranged from family, to finding strength in other like-minded women and meeting a partner who helped her spread her wings and fly. Reem is on her way to become a pediatric surgeon and is very passionate about women's issues in the Middle East.
Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, she came to Canada, 24 years old and covered from head to toe. After an entire shift of her worldview, a TEDx Talk, backlash and death threats from her community and family members, Amal continues to live her life standing for her rights. Today, she supports others to reclaim their power from religious, societal, and political oppression through her organization I’m All Courage.
Raised Mennonite, Deb met a charismatic Muslim man who was lecturing and debating in a local university. She was swept off her feet and soon found herself the mother of four children and in a polygamous marriage with a member of the Islamist group Hizb ut Tahrir. She is now embroiled in a custody battle to protect her children- including her openly LGBT teenager with a father who believes they are an abomination.
Somali refugee, orphan, and survivor of FGM, Sara is the most earnest US patriot you will ever meet. At 17, when she arrived in the US, she didn’t even know how to write her own name. Now, thanks to the support of her new great country, she not only learned how to read and write, she is an educator.
As her family slept, Saudi born Ghada quietly escaped from the house and eventually out of the patriarchal society she was born into. She had to lose everything in order to gain her freedom. Now, after seeking asylum in the US, she- along with her two black dogs- is about to start a new chapter of her life with her Texan groom Jim.
Though Aliya was raised in the US, at 17 she was forced to marry her 25 yr old cousin in Pakistan. Despite all odds being stacked against her, pregnant with her second child, she decided to fight for her freedom- and ultimately, freedom for her children. Her story is truly inspiring and motivating for every person stuck in an impossible situation who cannot see a way out. She is a testament to human resilience. Her example shows us all that anything worth having is worth fighting for and that freedom is worth any cost.
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.