Arab Is Me

When Poetry Becomes Resistance: Maha Hashwi on Identity, Culture & the Power of Words Can poetry be an act of resistance? Can a few carefully chosen words preserve a culture, challenge expectations, and give a voice to stories the world needs to hear? In this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Lebanese American poet, author, and educator Maha Hashwi , whose powerful poetry coll...

🔥 Some conversations need to be had — especially within our own community. This week, Said is joined by his wife, Reem , for a special episode of Arab Is Me that gets honest, funny, fiery, and maybe a little uncomfortable. The question at the heart of it all: Are we doing enough to support our own — and are we willing to speak up when it matters? Said and Reem get into why Arab artists and creato...

🇵🇸 IT’S NOT JUST FOOD. It’s memory. Identity. Culture. Resistance. This week on Arab Is Me , Said sits down with Farah, founder of Sitti’s House , a Palestinian cultural cooking experience bringing people together through food, storytelling, and the traditions passed down through generations. 🍉 Food as resistance. Farah talks about why preserving Palestinian recipes means preserving something muc...

Abdul Kareem Al Selwady knows how to fight. But for “The Pride of Palestine,” his biggest fight has never been just about what happens inside the cage. Palestinian-American professional MMA fighter Abdul Kareem Al Selwady joins Said Durrah for a powerful, funny, and deeply personal conversation about Palestine, faith, identity, discipline, family, and finding purpose through fighting. Abdul Kareem...

What if the way we talk about Palestine is part of the problem? “Conflict.” “War.” “It’s complicated.” Omar Baddar thinks we need to rethink all three. In this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Palestinian-American political analyst and activist Omar Baddar for a candid conversation about Palestine, media, advocacy, political power—and the words we use to describe what Palestinian...

What are the things Arab families know are happening—but are still afraid to talk about? On this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Dr. Linda Humaidan Zayed , a public health researcher, educator, and community health expert whose work focuses on health equity, mental health, women’s health, intimate partner violence prevention, and Arab and minority communities. This conversation...

Episode 15 is different. No guest. No script. Just Said Durrah — and a mailbag full of questions he had never seen before. After spending the first 14 episodes asking everyone else the questions, Said finally gets put in the hot seat for the first-ever Arab Is Me Mailbag. And apparently, nothing was off limits. Am I Palestinian enough? Have I ever turned down money because of Palestine? Who surpri...

Hani Almadhoun has lost two brothers in Gaza. Yet through unimaginable grief, his family has continued feeding people across Gaza. In this deeply personal episode of Arab Is Me , Said sits down with Hani Almadhoun , Palestinian American humanitarian, Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA , and co-founder of the Gaza Soup Kitchen . Hani opens up about the loss of his brothers Majid and Mahmoud , th...

His family fled war in Iraq. Years later, DJ Ahmed would become one of the most recognized Arab DJs in America. After the Gulf War, Ahmed’s father fled Iraq and spent years in a refugee camp in Saudi Arabia before the family was eventually reunited and began a new life in the United States. Ahmed once dreamed of becoming a doctor, but his path would take him from working with refugees and building...

Most people have no idea Palestine has a golf team. It does. And in this episode, Mike Easmeil shares the incredible story of how his family helped build the Palestine Golf program while his children proudly represent Palestine in international competition. But this conversation goes far beyond golf. Mike takes us through his family's journey from Palestine to Norfolk, Virginia, what it was l...

Every two minutes, a mother dies from preventable complications during pregnancy or childbirth. It's a heartbreaking statistic—but one that Isra Chaker refuses to accept. In this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Isra Chaker , Founder & CEO of Every Pregnancy , to discuss one of the most overlooked issues in our communities: maternal health. Isra shares her own experience...

Linda Sarsour has spent decades organizing communities, advocating for justice, and becoming one of the most recognizable Palestinian-American voices in the world. But this conversation goes far beyond the headlines. On this episode of Arab Is Me , Linda joins Said Durrah for an honest conversation about home, identity, family, and what it truly means to fight for something you love. She reflects...

What does it take to go from addiction and rock bottom to becoming a TEDx speaker, serial entrepreneur, and trusted strategist for Fortune 500 companies? In this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Sam Ghanem for an honest conversation about resilience, identity, recovery, and rebuilding a life with purpose. Born to Lebanese parents and raised in South Florida, Sam shares the deeply...

What does it mean to dream without limits? In this episode of Arab Is Me , host Said Durrah sits down with Omar Kurdi —a CEO, musician, poet, actor, author, and community leader whose life has been guided by one simple philosophy: "Be a dreamer who dares to dream." Born in San Francisco and raised between Muscat, Oman and Amman, Jordan , Omar has spent his life building bridges through l...

Palestinian Tatreez is more than embroidery. It is history, identity, storytelling, and resistance stitched into fabric. In this episode, Said Durrah sits down with Palestinian Tatreez artist, designer, and educator Amanne Sharif, founder of Min Amanne Tatreez Designs, to explore the incredible history behind this centuries-old art form and why preserving it matters now more than ever. Amanne shar...

Most people know Nina Kharoufeh as the hilarious hijabi comedian with millions of views, appearances on TLC's Muslim Matchmaker , the Food Network , and stages around the world. But in this episode of the Arab Is Me Podcast , we go far beyond the viral clips. Nina opens up about what it's really like navigating life as a Palestinian-American, Muslim, comedian, author, amateur boxer, and...

Nurse Lana joins the Arab Is Me Podcast for one of our most powerful conversations yet. A critical care nurse, humanitarian, author, entrepreneur, and Mrs. Arab USA , Lana shares what she witnessed while volunteering inside Gaza, the survivor's guilt that followed her home, and the remarkable resilience of the Palestinian people. We also discuss her book Healing Under Fire , advocacy, identit...

In this episode of Arab Is Me, Said Durrah sits down with award-winning comedian, actor, and Ramy star Dave Merheje for an honest conversation about comedy, Arab identity, family, and finding your authentic voice. Dave shares how growing up in a Lebanese household shaped his career, why authenticity matters more than stereotypes, how his family supported an unconventional dream, and the lessons he...

What does it mean to be "too Arab" for one world and "too American" for another? In this episode of Arab Is Me , Said Durrah sits down with Iraqi-American comedian, actress, writer, and content creator Reem Edan for one of the most honest conversations you'll hear about identity, belonging, comedy, and the pressure of representing your community. Reem opens up about growin...

**What does it take to spend your career defending a community—and what happens when one chapter comes to an end?** In this episode of **Arab Is Me**, Said Durrah sits down with attorney, civil rights advocate, and former Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), **Abed Ayoub**, for an honest conversation about Arab identity, advocacy, leadership, and what's...

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Arab Is Me Podcast. In this episode, I share the story behind why I created Arab Is Me and the mission behind the podcast. For too long, other people have tried to define what it means to be Arab. Arab Is Me is a space for Arabs to tell their own stories, share their experiences, and define themselves on their own terms. Subscribe for future conversations with artists,...