Episodes

Feroza Syed speaks about her experiences as a transgender Muslim, her transition, and what made her go public with her history. Adoption discrimination against LGBTQi+ couples is the anti motherhood story we know will touch us today. ​We learn terms, more about unmosqueing marginalized Muslims, and how we can be better allies to our momsisters and their kids from all walks of life. ​ ​It's a double episode drop this week, so plan a podcast binge! Tune in at 6pm EST on Apple podcasts, Spotify, St...

Fawzia Mirza AKA Ayesha Trump, storyteller, actor, and director, (oh, yeah, AND lawyer) joins us to talk about all the transformations we make as humans in order to learn our personal identity. It's not just queer Muslims who have to come out--we all have to decide at some point who and what we are going to be. The path is unique, just like us. We all get to decide what we do about people who think we aren't "Muslim enough." ​ Dare to unwrap the magic of us. Tune in at 6pm EST on Apple podcas...

We get a lot of SOS messages from queer Muslim kids and what better way to answer them than by bringing on Erum Rani, founder of Iftikhar Community, who shares her journey of coming out and what that meant mentally and spiritually for her. Hear firsthand what it’s like inside the mind and heart of a queer Muslim child before rejecting them, and how cultural taboos oppress the most important relationship they have: with Allah. Special note: Talking about something that the general Muslim communi...

Shenaaz Janmohamed of Queer Crescent joins us today to discuss her experiences as an LGBTQi+ person. Find out how that informs her exploration of and work towards social justice and equity. What do I do if my kid comes out? How do masajid make ALL kids feel safe? What is gender and what is sex? These are a few of the questions we discuss today. ​Tune in at 6pm EST on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple podcasts, or click the link in bio after air time. Links: Learn more about Queer Crescent: www.queercres...

Noor Tagouri, journalist and storyteller, talks today about representative stories and how THAT's news. Or the NEW news. Find out how she uses stories to unearth truths we want to hide, or ones we just don't know because mainstream voices aren't telling them. WE need to do it. Pick up the mic or the pen. It's our turn. Links: Learn more about Noor: https://www.noortagouri.com/ Noor on IG: @noor Noor on Twitter: @NTagouri Email Noor: contact@nourtagouri.com Web: www.mommyingwhilemuslim.com ...

Nargis Rahman joins us today to talk about her dreams, her path to journalism with its U-turns forced by motherhood, and how she practiced her mommying philosophy of “wing it” with her own return to work. Her gems on our God-given potential, and the right of the people upon us to use it, are more than inspirational. They’re aspirational. Learn about storytelling as a function of community journalism and how mainstream coverage often misses the treasure box of stories under its nose, when sisterh...

Rowaida Abdelaziz joins us today to talk about the accidental journalism bug and why it’s important in our endeavor to experience fair and balanced news coverage. We also discuss moms’ roles in supporting their kids’ dreams, role models and mentors when there are so few, keeping our heads down and ears up listening for the scoop, and getting paid in pizza. What opportunities does the media landscape offer to writers and consumers of news? Fighting disinformation and misinformation is our job, no...

The first to kick off August’s Muslims in the News series is Laila Alarian, Emmy and Peabody award winning journalist and Executive Producer of the Al Jazeera English investigative documentary program Fault Lines. She takes over the soapbox today, which is not to be missed. While she’s breaking news on narcotics and Palestine, she’s also dealing with pandemic homeschooling and the emotional struggles working moms, which is ALL moms on our podcast to be clear, deal with, so it should resonate on...

As we kick off our August series, “Muslims in the News,” Zaiba and Uzma review past big headlines that affected their physical and mental safety. Ask yourself how news coverage would have been different, and HAS been different for non-Muslims suspects. When do Muslim Americans hold their collective breaths and why? This is a series asking the hard questions about what we expect from the news and how biased news coverage can endanger Muslim American moms and their kids. Learn about their perpetua...

When we discuss entertainment, we think about music, too. Muslimahs have been making music for centuries, but a lot of us haven't been taught that. Amira Daugherty talks about her path from law to music, from activism to making history on American Idol, all without encouragement or accolades because Muslimah voices don't get them. This rapper, singer, and spoken word artist is literally using her voice to communicate across boundaries and connect with humanity, facing hurdles within and outside ...

Serena Rasoul, founder of Founder of Muslim American Casting, LLC joins us today to talk about Muslims in Entertainment. After House of Cards and other acting opportunities, Serena decided to pursue authentic representation of SW Asian, North African and Arab Muslims. Like other sheroes on the podcast this month, she addresses miscasting, Muslim tropes, and compromises that Muslim talent may have to make in Hollywood because the industry doesn’t understand their values and work ethic. It certain...

Kicking off this month’s Muslim Representation in Entertainment series is scholar Dr. Maytha AlHassen. We explore the historical origins of the most common Muslim tropes, discuss the findings of recent studies done on movies that negatively depict Muslims, and discuss how we can counter them. You may even hear some hints about what’s coming next on a popular TV series that Dr. AlHassen co-produces. Links: Learn more about Dr. AlHassen’s work: https://www.mayalhassen.com/ Haqq and Hollywood: Il...

Aseel Elborno joins us today to discuss her longtime research of a particular country where she would like to transplant her family, even if temporarily. Her reasons for doing so should resonate with ALL moms in need of a village and who feel burned out. From community building to family planning, to how to prepare for an international move, we talk about all of it with this amazing expat in the making. Let it open our eyes to more opportunities for our families, and convince us that Allah’s wo...

Isra Hashmy joins us today to discuss her epiphany during the rat race of life and following Allah’s guidance to pursue her dream until it manifested into reality. Following the expat life isn’t as easy as we think, so she explains some of those details that could provide hiccups to a family planning on living overseas. Then there’s the hiccups you DON’T plan for, like a pandemic that separates your family and you’re with the kids in a country where you don’t speak the language. So, not traumati...

If you’ve been a fan of Maroc Mama, you’ll be so excited for this one. For those who don’t know her, you will fall in love. Amanda Moutakki joins us today to discuss her expat achievements and challenges, and running a tourism business in a pandemic. Her POV about living abroad is inspirational AND aspirational. Tune in to also find out about momcations and how she curates those. Links: Find Amanda Mouttaki on on IG: @marocmama Check out her travel blog: www.marocmama.com Web: www.mommyingwhile...

Author mom Adeeba Jafri @adeebajafri_official comes on to discuss what precipitated her move abroad, what life is like, and shares info on the IB program for teens. On top of all that, she's a teacher and author with a new book on the way. Can you believe she stayed up all night nervous about coming on? For NOTHING! She is terrific and you can find out more on your podcast apps! Tune in at 6pm EST on Apple podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or iHeartRadio. Or, ask Alexa! Links: Find Adeeba Jafri on IG...

Hurunnessa Fariad joins us today to talk about how masajid can and DO do it right by appointing female leadership. As an employee of a major Muslim American masjid, she’s experienced that representative leadership exists and succeeds. Huri’s takeaways today include ALL women have talent. Plug in to her strengths and watch her soar because she will always take her kids and community with her! We also talk about women vs women in the masjid. Don’t miss it! Tune in 6pm EST on Apple podcasts, Spotif...

Hind Makki discusses all-male panels and additional exclusionary practices that marginalize Muslimahs, both in the audience and in expert spaces, at conferences, seminars, and in the masjid space itself! These under-represented panels are hurting our institutions and driving financially independent and Islamically educated women away from the masjid and Islamic organizations. Since many of us had to learn how to live without the masjid during key parts of our worship, are we going to go back if ...

Kristy Sabbah joins us today as a former masjid board member and community leader. She reveals issues women on the board face and what they need from the community to support them. Let’s talk under-representation, leadership accountability, cultural relevance, tokenism, and modeling board leadership for our daughters. The Muslim American masjid experience is so diverse, and our masjid (and organization) board representation must be as well. Note: This podcast is not a place to obtain medical inf...

Mommying While Muslim has never been late to drop an episode except Eid al Fitr 2021! We hope our lovely audience understands how excited we were to celebrate with our families and we wanted to edit something worth your listening ears. Today is an opportunity to hear about our experiences in the masjid that hurt our hearts because we know the masjid can do better by us as women, mothers, and for our children. Hey, no one’s perfect, and no masjid is perfect, and we don’t want perfection. Can we a...

Zaiba and Uzma “call the midwife today” because how can you have new mommy memoirs without one?!?!?! Krystina Friedlander, Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) joins us today to talk about her journey to midwifery and its foundations in social justice work and original motherhood. Some of us know how miraculous these bodies are, but a lot more of us don’t know how much at risk those magnificent machines are outside of a maternal village of birth workers and momsisters. Birth trauma and poor outc...

We meet the incredible Saadia Qureshi, The Keto Muslim Mom, today who jogs us down memory lane to discuss common new mommy issues: complicated diagnoses, health problems, pandemic pregnancy, body image, mompreneurship, and her personal journey to live a particular lifestyle that brings her joy. This is one that requires a mental seatbelt as only Zaiba can manage, and some chill which Uzma will never ever master, as you ride a roller coaster of new mommy experiences and memories. Links: Find Saa...

Sadia Jalali is the founder of Muslim Bliss and Uzma’s college roommate, and back on this podcast to talk about why Muslims moms CHOOSE to go back to the nursery. On this episode of our New Mommy Memoirs series, we change it up by discussing life’s changes that sometimes necessitate having another child in the second (or third) phase of life. She poses her zen approach to parenting and the epiphany that made her change her “never” to “maybe” to “okay” NINE years later. It’s worth thinking about ...

Our good friend Shmila Javed is on today to share her new mommy memoirs in the context of a blended family. We are thankfully losing our hang-ups about Muslim nuclear families in America, thereby getting closer to the prophetic model of a happy, healthy household alhamdulillah. She surprises us and confirms a lot of what we imagine it must be like to start all over with diapers and breastfeeding. Alhamdulillah it was HER and not us! We love our gf and the blast from the past. We hope you'll hav...