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: dalia@egyldi.org 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: loislwr@gmail.com

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.