She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs

Going on an indefinite hiatus! Thank you so much for listening! All episodes available at: https://www.academicmuslimah.com/

Ramadan Mubarak!!! This episode is a re-airing of previously aired Ramadan & Eid ul Fitr special. I talked to Sana Rizvi about fasting within neoliberal academia, periods, and Ramzan memories. I talked to Nausheen Pasha about her journey to loving Ramadan, to Melinda González about true spirit of fasting and being mindful, and with Rose Deighton about appreciating the simplicity of Ramadan during times of COVID. Finally, I talked to Lamiyah Bahrainwala about celebrating Eid during a pandemic and with Zainab Kabba about her varied but wonderful experiences of Eid around the world. Video referenced on periods and fasting: https://www.facebook.com/themuslimvibe/videos/1112038442284489/ (I couldn't find the desi version, if you do, please send it my way)

Dr. Elora Shehabuddin is Professor of Transnational Asian Studies and Core Faculty in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She is the author of Sisters in the Mirror: A History of Muslim Women and the Global Politics of Feminism. Today we talk about the stories of feminist struggles that provide a more nuanced picture, the conversation between Western feminists and Global South or Transnational feminists, and why it is so hard to have the more difficult conversations needed within feminist struggles. #Feminism #GlobalSouth #Intersectionality

Linda Hyökki is a PhD Candidate in Civilization Studies at Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul. In this episode, we talk about religious righteousness, whiteness, anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant sentiment in Finland, and so much more. Hyökki PhD thesis and broader research interest focus on Islamophobia and convert Muslims. She has done fieldwork interviews with converts from Finland, her native country, exploring questions of whiteness, Finnishness, identity and recognition. She is currently the coordinator of anti-Muslim racism working group at the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism. Along with some other consultancy works she is also the general secretary of European Forum of Muslim Women. Currently, she lives with her Bosnian husband in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

An awesome interview with Sara Abdalla who is making art accessible and relatable to those who are traditionally excluded from the art world. We also talk about why immigrant parents might steer their kids away from artistic careers, why that is harmful, and how art can portray the depth of all our lives. Sara Abdalla Director of design brand Cape Cairo Collective and Founder of Creative Visionaries studio. She is a multidisciplinary Scottish Egyptian Mural Artist, Maker, Activist and Teacher with hand painting, relief printing, photography, type and collage to communicate the narrative. She will be pursuing her PHD at the University of Middlesex and will investigate if Murals make the world a better place?

Aminah Beverly McCloud Al Deen is a Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies and Director of Islamic World Studies program at DePaul University. She is one of the most eminent scholars on Islam in America and her areas of expertise include Islam in America, Muslim women, Islamic studies and the history, geography, politics, religion and philosophy of Islam. We talk about Islam in America, anti-Black racism within Muslim American communities, about Critical Talk, and a whole lot more.

This episode features Dr. Sana Rizvi who is a Senior lecturer in Education and Early Childhood studies at Liverpool John Moores University. She talks about her fresh off the press book, Undoing Whiteness in Disability Studies: The Special Education System and British South Asian Mothers that just came out with Palgrave Macmillan. In this podcast, Sana explores the intersections of motherhood, Muslim cultures, disability, and education. You can find the transcript for this episode at https://www.academicmuslimah.com/ep39-transcript

This episode is a repeat from May 2021, featuring Dr. Saba Fatima. In this episode, she talks with Shannon Strom about being a woman of color in academia, being a STEM student in a patriarchal environment, performing 'professional' forms of femininity, how we have to over-perform just to clear the bar, what is standpoint theory & intersectionality, and about the future of gender relations and academia. You can learn more about me at: https://sites.google.com/view/sabafatimaphd

Dr. Saima Ansari recently completed her PhD from University of Salford in UK on Identity, religion, and clothing - the lives of British Muslim women. In this episode she talks to us about how hijab is negotiated both within non-Muslim communities and within Muslim communities, about Islamic feminism, and the #MeToo movement, among many other things.

This episode features an excellent conversation on the academic job market and alt-ac jobs with Dr. Fatemeh Mardi. Dr. Mardi has her bachelors and masters from Tehran, Iran, and her PhD in instructional technology from University of Missouri St. Louis, MO. She is currently working with Office of eLearning at University of Missouri System as an Instructional Designer. Among other things, Dr. Mardi talks about the toll on our mental and physical health through all the cycles of applying for academic jobs, and the amount of work required to stay competitive in an environment of scarce jobs.

This episode features Dr. Julie Prior, who has a PhD in early modern and eighteenth-century drama from the University of Toronto. She is currently an Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Her research explores adaptations of Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew, and is concerned with illuminating production history and intertextual resonances that are activated by performance. Here she talks about her journey to Islam, marriage, divorce, abuse, and Shakespeare.

This episode is in Urdu & English. This conversation is prompted by the recent events in Pakistan, including the Noor Muqaddam case, Quratulain Baloch case, and the victim from Mohra village (name not yet released). We also talk about how patriarchy functions to attempt to shame women instead of bringing the perpetrator to justice, and why women don't speak up about their experiences. Last, but not least, we talk about the ways some women are shielded by their privilege at the expense of other more vulnerably situated women.

how u doin?

This episode features Dr. Maha Nasaar is an Associate Professor in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona. Today, we talk a little about history of Falestine or Palestine, the ongoing nakba or catastrophe, anti-Semitism as it relates to Palestinian liberation movements, Hamas, and issues of human rights. Dr. Nassar specializes in Arab cultural and intellectual history with a focus on Palestinians. Her book, which received a 2018 Palestine Book Award, is titled Brothers Apart: Palestinian Citizens of Israel and the Arab World. #Palestine #Israel #Nakba #Hamas #FreePalestine

This episode features me, Saba Fatima! In this episode, I talk with Shannon Strom about being a woman of color in academia, being a STEM student in a patriarchal environment, performing 'professional' forms of femininity, how we have to over-perform just to clear the bar, what is standpoint theory & intersectionality, and about the future of gender relations and academia. You can learn more about me at: https://sites.google.com/view/sabafatimaphd

This episode is a re-airing of last year's Ramadan & Eid ul Fitr special. I talked to Sana Rizvi about fasting within neoliberal academia, periods, and Ramzan memories. I talked to Nausheen Pasha about her journey to loving Ramadan, to Melinda González about true spirit of fasting and being mindful, and with Rose Deighton about appreciating the simplicity of Ramadan during times of COVID. Finally, I talked to Lamiyah Bahrainwala about celebrating Eid during a pandemic and with Zainab Kabba about her varied but wonderful experiences of Eid around the world. Video referenced on periods and fasting: https://www.facebook.com/themuslimvibe/videos/1112038442284489/ (I couldn't find the desi version, if you do, please send it my way)

This episode features Dr. Banafsheh Madaninejad. Dr. Madaninejad is an anti-racism and gender educator and equity strategist. She has founded Sisters in Leadership Training (https://www.sistersinleadershiptraining.com) and I-AMM (https://i-amm.org/) an anti-racist organization dedicated to Interconnecting Arabs, Muslims and Middle Easterners. Here, she talks about her experience of coming to the US for college, coding for NASA, switching fields from STEM to humanities, leaving academia, and of course about her podcasts The Defining Moment & Red Peace Machine (https://i-amm.org/tdm-podcast). Last but not least, we turn to her organization I-AMM and the work it does.

This episode features Dr. Amani Hassani who is the 2020 Sociological Review Fellow at Keele University in England. She talks about facing harsh scrutiny for her public scholarship, and about fighting against Islamophobia and racism against Muslims in Denmark. Check out her latest contribution to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). The "European Islamophobia Report 2020" will come out soon at www.islamophobiaeurope.com The 2019 report can be found at https://www.islamophobiaeurope.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2019eir-DENMARK.pdf #Islamophobia #Denmark #Europe #racism #Québec

Dr. Elora Halim Chowdhury is a Professor in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department and the Director of Human Rights Program at University of Massachusetts Boston. Her most recent book is an edited collection with Dr. Esha Niyogi De, titled South Asian Filmscapes: Transregional Encounters (2020). Dr. Chowdhury talks about her journey into academia, the Bangladeshi Liberation War, its impact on national identity, and about how foreign NGOs create boundaries of savior and poor clients. Finally, we talk about her and Dr. De’s latest book about South Asian cinema and its influence in envisioning healing and reconciliation.

Dr. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University and specializes in Islam, with a focus on gender and sexuality. She earned her Ph.D. in Islamic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. She is also the co-founder of Feminist Islamic Troublemakers of North America: FITNA and the force behind the YouTube channel called What the Patriarchy?! FITNA - Feminist Islamic Troublemakers of North America Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/feministfitna What the Patriarchy?!: https://www.youtube.com/c/WhatthePatriarchy/videos Freedom from the Forbidden Blog: https://orbala.net/ #Feminism #Islam #IslamicFeminism #Pashtun #women

This week, we talk to Aalih Hussein, who is a 2nd year PhD student in Social Work at a Joint Doctoral Program between North Carolina University Greensboro and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. She talks about her experiences with racism, Islamophobia, imposter syndrome, and western feminism. Her research is focused on the mental wellbeing of Millennial Muslim American women. You can learn more about Aalih at https://aahussein99.wixsite.com/website/ #Islamophobia #WellBeing #MentalHealthMatters #SelfCare #Racism #ImposterSyndrome

In this episode, we feature Dr. Shabana Mir, Associate Professor of Anthropology and the Director of Undergraduate Studies at American Islamic College in Chicago. We talk about the value of an Islamic liberal arts education and of all-women’s education. She provides a brief synopsis on her book, Muslim American Women on Campus: Undergraduate Social Life and Identity. Dr. Mir explains the sorts of scrutiny Muslim American women face on campuses. Lastly, she touches upon the impact of COVID on religious spaces and tells us about her latest project on Muslim women community organizers. Muslim American Women on Campus (2014): https://uncpress.org/book/9781469629964/muslim-american-women-on-campus/ Hind Makki’s Side Entrance project: https://sideentrance.tumblr.com/

This episode features Dr. Sanae Elmoudden, an Associate Professor in the Rhetoric, Communication and Theatre Department at St. John's University, NYC. She talks about mental health, being a caretaker in addition to being an academic and an advocate, the alienating stigma around mental illness, role of religion, and the role of academia in raising awareness around mental health issues. Check out Dr. Elmoudden's page: https://www.facebook.com/appreciatingbraindiversity

This is a repeat of the last year's Christmas episode, but its been redone to remove some background noises and adjust volume!!  This episode tells stories of how Muslims move within and through the Christmas season. While the voices are of Muslims Americans, they do not and cannot represent us in our entirety. Learn about the birth of Jesus in Islam, and hear from Muslim Americans who embrace aspects of Christmas celebrations, those who resist, those who are still figuring things out, and those in between. You will hear from Dr. Sakina Jangbar, Dr. Noor-Aiman Khan, Dr. Elham Mireshghi, Dr. Neelofer Qadir, Nur Shahir, and Dr. Sophia Spadavecchia.

This episode features Lubaaba Al-Azami, who is a PhD candidate in English Literature at the University of Liverpool and visiting doctoral researcher at the University of Oxford. We have a lovely conversation about alternative memories of the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent, creating inclusive spaces in academia that we so desperately need, differences in studying in US and UK, the launching ‘Medieval and Early Modern Orients’ project, the nature of some of the English encounters with Mughal Empire, and making NeSA (Network of Sisters in Academia) a nurturing space. Medieval and Early Modern Orients: https://memorients.com/ NeSA: Network of Sisters in Academia

In this episode, Dr. Nazita Lajevardi, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University in the Department of Political Science, talks about contexts and factors that impact our political participation, usefulness of the idea of a pan-Muslim identity, resentment toward Muslim Americans, the Muslim ban and its impact, and how to move forward politically and so much more. Check out her latest book: Outsiders at Home: The Politics of American Islamophobia (Cambridge, 2020)

This episode is with the very brave and brilliant Dr. Shireen Al-Adeimi. She talks about student-led discussions in classrooms, misplacement of kids in ESL due to bias, valuing diversity within educational settings, beginnings of Yemen war, USA UK and Saudi Arabia involvement, abandonment of Yemenis by Muslims ummah, and so much more. #Pedagogy #Yemen #Saudi #Houthi #Shafi'i #Sunni #Zaidi #Shia #betrayal #malnutrition #MadeInUSA #MedicineBlockade

A special episode on the 2020 American elections, the ‘Muslim vote,’ and what now? (and also a bit of conversation on Islamophobia in France, and on the pandemic)

Dr. Maha Hilal completed her PhD in Justice, Law & Society at American University in Washington, D.C. and currently works at Justice for Muslim Collective. In this episode, Dr. Hilal shares with us her experiences of systemic anti-Muslim racism she experienced during her graduate studies at American University. We talk about dissertation committees, funding, grad school environment, white supremacy within academia and its effects on people of color, and how all of this shapes one’s sense of self as a scholar. She also shares with us some advice to future graduate school students. You can learn more about Justice for Muslim Collective at https://www.justiceformuslims.org/programs

I am doing what I can and hard(ish?) at work recording the next episode of Academic Muslimahs. For now, I am rereleasing an episode with one of the smartest women, Dr. Kayla Wheeler. She talks about lots of issues, including starting the much needed #BlackIslamSyllabus and researching Black Muslim women's fashion. The episode was originally released on Feb 28th, 2020. I will be back with a new episode in two weeks!

Dr. Hawraa Al-Hassan is Research Associate at the Centre of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge.  In this episode, Hawraa talks to us about her book, 'Women, Writing and the Iraqi Ba‘thist State.' We talk about life in Saudi Arabia, marginalized voices in literature, and how Arab nationalist Ba'th party was instrumental in shaping literature by Iraqi women. Link for Book: https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-women-writing-and-the-iraqi-ba-thist-state.html

On the 19th anniversary of 9/11, Sahar Aziz talks about how the tragedy impacted Muslim Americans and Muslim immigrants within the United States. This episode discusses the PATRIOT ACT, NSEERS (2012 male registry for Muslim immigrants), and how the curtailments of rights impacted Muslim participation within social and political sphere. Dr. Aziz also talks about Muslim political interests during this election season and what we should focus on as a community (institutional change!). Center for Security, Race and Rights: https://csrr.rutgers.edu/

This episode focuses on Ashura. Shia Muslims throughout the world commemorate Ashura and this conversation between two Shia sisters touches on some of the aspects of this experience. What is Ashura?, what does it signify?, and how does this event shape Shia Muslims 1400 years later? Join Dr. Sana Rizvi and Dr. Saba Fatima for this episode to learn more! Further Information at https://www.al-islam.org/articles/karbala-chain-events

In this episode, I talk to Associate Professor Nadia B. Ahmad, who is a delegate from Florida for the Democratic party and the Founder of Muslim Delegates and Allies Coalition. She talks about mass incarceration, the need for the green new deal, and the impact of climate change on people of color. She also tells us why and how Muslims can get involved in progressive politics, and if Muslims should work to vote Trump out of office.

This is the season finale special on Ramadan and Eid. I talk to Sana Rizvi about fasting within neoliberal academia, periods, and Ramzan memories. I talk to Nausheen Pasha about her journey to loving Ramadan, to Melinda González about true spirit of fasting and being mindful, and with Rose Deighton about appreciating the simplicity of Ramadan during times of COVID. Finally, I talk to Lamiyah Bahrainwala about celebrating Eid during a pandemic and with Zainab Kabba about her varied but wonderful experiences of Eid around the world. Video referenced on periods and fasting: https://www.facebook.com/themuslimvibe/videos/1112038442284489/ (I couldn't find the desi version, if you do, please send it my way)

This episode is a conversation with Katherine Bullock, Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at University of Toronto at Mississauga. We talk about her conversion to Islam and how it impacted her research area. We dive into Québec's obession with the hijab and how the norm of wearings masks reveals the hypocrisy of it all. Finally we talk about Kathy's personal passion of publishing children's books that normalize being a Muslim in the West. Conversion Reflection: http://www.thedeenshow.com/katherine-bullock-ex-christian-canada Compass Books: https://compassbooks.ca/

This episode features Melinda González, a PhD student at Louisiana State University in the department of Geography and Anthropology, pursuing a doctorate in Anthropology. We talk about the toll of home schooling, mental health, racial & gender disparity in medical care, getting married in times of Coronavirus, zooming a nikkah, being a first generation college & grad student, decolonizing academic spaces, and art movements as a form of recovery after a disaster. Notes: Decolonizing Academic Spaces: Women of Color Speaking on Student Success, Allyship and Motherhood: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/decolonizing-academic

I am hard at work recording the next episode of Academic Muslimahs. In the meanwhile, I am rereleasing one of my favorite episodes. It is on mental health! a much needed conversation for the times we are in. The episode was originally released on Nov 8th, 2019. I will be back with a new episode in two weeks!

The sisters are reunited! Together, Saba & Sana talk about coping with anxiety, performing productivity within a capitalist framework, putting essential workers on a pedestal, exploitation of labor, harms of using the war analogy when talking about fighting Coronavirus, and living through this pandemic

References used: What to do during these times: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/share-facts.html Number of countries that have cases: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/locations-confirmed-cases.html What to do when sick: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html Age range for who gets extreme symptoms: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2762130 I have transcribed three fourths of this episode to ensure some degree of accessibility. The last 6 minutes are not transcribed because I have been unable to find the time to do it all. Transcription can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/academicmuslimahs/covid-19-episode

This episode features Dr. Kayla Wheeler who has three Masters degrees!! and a PhD in Religious Studies! She talks about #BlackIslamSyllabus, Black experience as central to Islam & to American culture, anti-black racism within Muslim communities, Malcolm X in Boston, 'Arabicized' Islamic femininity, Black Muslimah femininity, Black Muslim women's fashion, and much more!! References to: http://mizanproject.org/ http://www.muslimarc.org/ https://kaylareneewheeler.com/blackislamsyllabus/

In this episode, I talk with Sadaf Jaffer, the first American Muslismah mayor in the United States of America. We talk about 'balancing it all,' pressures at Ivy Leagues, the significance of secular feminisms, and the place of Muslim Americans in American politics. The conversation is hopefully beyond the usual rhetoric of 'we belong,' and focuses on hurdles for our specific social location as Muslim Americans.

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Narjis Hyder from Walden University in The Riley College of Education and Leadership. We talk about what it means to be an academic and primary caregiver to a child with long term medical needs, the emotional and physical toll, the support village needed, and structural changes at universities to accommodate .... life. Please listen, subscribe, review, and share the podcast. This will help me produce better and more content!

Nyla Ali Khan, a Kashmiri American scholar, discusses the historical roots of the Kashmir conflict, the significance of Articles 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution, what it meant to Kashmiris to have those articles abrogated by the BJP government, and the current state of affairs in Kashmir.

This episode tells stories of how Muslims move within and through the Christmas season. While the voices *are of Muslims Americans, they do not and cannot represent us in our entirety. Learn about the birth of Jesus in Islam, and hear from Muslim Americans who embrace aspects of Christmas celebrations, those who resist, those who are still figuring things out, and those in between. You will hear from Dr. Sakina Jangbar, Dr. Noor-Aiman Khan, Dr. Elham Mireshghi, Dr. Neelofer Qadir, Nur Shahir, and Dr. Sophia Spadavecchia.

My guest today is Anbreen Bashir, Associate Professor of Biology at Harris Stowe State University. Together we talk about paradise on earth, visa sponsorship for work in the U.S., teaching training during grad school, how to make online teaching work, Monsanto (please don’t sue me), rice genetics, and tropospheric ozone due to climate change!

This episode, I talk to Tasneem Zaihra, an Assistant Professor in the Dept of Math at The College of Brockport SUNY, about her journey through academia as a first generation immigrant. We talk about migrating from India to pursue doctoral studies, finding religious communities, azaadari, marrying while studying, moving for academic posts, studying asthma using stats, having a non-American accent while teaching, teaching first generation students, and much more!

In this episode, I talk to Khadijah Elshayyal, author of the book Muslim Identity Politics (2018). We talk about recommending grad school to other Muslims in current academic job market, resisting being *that Muslim that studies Muslim stuff, being taught misinformation about Islam by religious studies professor, the impact of colonialism on Muslim populations in UK, imposition of compliance and integration by British government, self-censorship in a climate of suspicion, fear of Shariah takeover, equality gap, grassroots activism, and much more.

In this episode, I talk to Sakina Jangbar, who is at St. John's University in Queens. We talk about the power of rhetoric, how sexual assault is covered in the Pakistani drama 'Udaari', Benazir Bhutto's oratory skills, feminist expressions in South Asian cultures, Ghazala Khan at the Democratic convention in 2016, #girlsatDhaba, and thinking through about our cultures from the diaspora.

Listen to Dr. Lamise Shawahin (Psychology and Counseling) her life in academia, including topics such as growing up as a daughter of activist parents & grandparents; importance of mental health within Muslim communities; recognizing and operating from within cultural difference; therapists working in tandem with religious practitioners; how women often receive less support for mental health issues from their faith & social communities; and the danger of excluding African American Muslim communities from research on mental health of Muslims. Episode produced by Erica Green

As-Salaam-Alaikum! In the pilot episode host, Dr. Saba Fatima is joined by guest, Dr. Sana Rizvi to discuss the journey to getting her PhD, how her appearance impacts her experience with jobs in academic spaces, fat phobia, and so much more. Episode produced by Erica Green.