The Samovar Network

In this episode, Dawoud and Nura sit down with Hajera Siddiq from Afghans for Mamdani to talk about the upcoming NYC mayoral election and why so many Afghans are getting involved in local politics. Hajera shares how she first got connected with Afghans for Mamdani, what inspired her to organize, and what Zohran Mamdani’s campaign is really about. The conversation dives into how community organizin...

Pour yourself some chai and settle in, because TSN is spilling tea in our Year in Review episode! Join us for a pop-up podcast, where we roast ourselves (and the world), shout out our favorite moments, and dish on what we’re most looking forward to. Your teacup (and your curiosity) will thank you. ☕🎙️

In this episode Dawoud sits down with Dr. Ali Olomi and Dr. Nura Sediqe to discuss Islamophobia in today’s current climate.

Fresh from TSN’s 2023 retreat in Southern California, TSN cohosts Diz, Nura, and Ghizal reflect on blending cultural traditions, celebrating American holidays, and preserving language.  Join us for our first episode of the year as TSN revamps and plays with new forms of media. 

New Year, new look TSN! Nura, Weiss and Sultana sit down in a new format, tackling various topics ranging from TSN's absence, the fall of Afghanistan and the current refugee crisis. Each go through their own personal reflections over the chaotic few months and experiences with survivor's guilt and shame. They also speed round through various topics such from Nowruz to Kanye. As always, thanks for...

Susan and Weiss sit down with talented Afghan-American keyboardist Mahroof Sharif to learn more about what led him down his path, his thoughts on the evolution of Afghan music, and forming his identity as an Afghan-American musical artist. Finally, we’ll see how Mahroof does in the ever challenging trivia.

Susan and Weiss sit down with journalist Ali Latifi to discuss current updates in Afghanistan including: the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of violence, and Afghans’ thoughts on the US presidential election. Finally, Weiss puts Ali through the ringer in trivia. Tune in to see how Ali does! Motherland Reports: Covid in Afghanistan

TSN co-hosts Ghizal and Weiss collaborate with the Afghan American Artists and Writers Association to discuss art's role in the diaspora. Tune in as we engage in conversations about what it means to be an "Afghan American" artist, and what these identities means to each artist. We will also talk about how each person has navigated being a working artist in both the western "art world" and the Afgh...

Spooky season is upon us, and we are talking about some of our favorite Afghan superstitions.  Hena and Weiss are joined by Sabrina Barekzai, who created a zine appropriately called 'Afghan Superstitions.' Which superstitions did we hold onto most as kids? Where do they come from?  Most importantly, how does Sabrina do in trivia?  Tune in to find out Afghan American Playbook: Supers...

Join TSN in the continuation of the Afghan-American Playbook, which focuses on the different ways Afghans in the U.S. navigate cultural rituals & traditions.  In this episode Dawoud and Susan talk with Sultana Mangal and Sharifa Yar about having difficult conversations with our parents. We discuss speaking to them about dating, religion, voting, and what conversations we'd never want to h...

In this episode, Nura and Dawoud have a conversation with Trey Gonzalez, a member of the Dream Defenders, one of the first organizations created in Florida after the murder of Trayvon Martin. Trey shares with us his experiences in grassroots movement building, what Afghans can do as non-black POC to help, and as always plays a round of trivia with us at the end of the episode. How does Trey do on...

As this unique Pride Month comes to a close, TSN flips the script with Ahmad Qais Munhazim, Wazina Zondon, and Diba Farah co-hosting this important conversation with Almas and Weiss on Queer and Trans Afghans both in the US and abroad.  They help navigate how language and culture shape our identities, decolonize the terms "queer" and "trans," and discuss the role of allyship within the commun...

Pakora? Aash? Fasting while dealing with the existential dread of living under quarantine? How old is too old to get eid-ee money? Join TSN for a continuation of 'The Afghan-American Playbook', a part of the TSN podcast that focuses on the different ways Afghans in the U.S. navigate cultural rituals & traditions. In this episode, Almas and Weiss co-host and talk Ramadan and Eid. What are some of t...

This past April 17 weekend a video challenge of male Afghan influencers went viral, but not for the typical reasons. One of the participants was revealed to have allegations of a history of domestic violence abuse with a former partner. This incident has exposed a wider, more systemic issue of domestic violence within the Afghan diaspora, and more importantly how we talk about it. What is domestic...

Wash your hands! Social Distancing! We are a culture of family gatherings, festivities, and community. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus, we have been asked to practice social distancing, quarantining, and (for some people) isolation. There has been a lot of information (and sadly, some misinformation) about COVID-19, which has led people to feel anxious, scared, and confused. The Afgh...

In the second installment of Motherland Reports, we will discuss some of the current events happening in Afghanistan and how they impact us as Afghan-Americans. We’ll be discussing recent comments by Trump on his views of Afghanistan, peace talks with the Taliban, and the tragic killings that seem to have no end. We’ll hear from panelists within the United States and Kabul to understand how people...

In this episode of The Samovar Network Podcast, our host Dawoud Waziri interviews Sultana Mangal and Alexandra Millatmal about the 5th annual Afghan-American Conference. This year was the first year Sultana and Alexandra attended, and during the interview they discuss their initial reactions, favorite sessions, and share some stories of their conference experiences. For those of you who haven’t go...

What do styrofoam cups and Costco runs have to do with funerals? Join TSN for the kick-off of their new series, 'The Afghan-American Playbook', a part of the TSN podcast that focuses on the different ways Afghans in the U.S. navigate cultural rituals & traditions. In the inaugural episode, Nura and Diz co-host and talk funerals and fatyas. The grief, the cultural practices and the chaos Afghan...

What happens when you get two Political Scientists and an unsuspecting cohost? While this sounds like the beginnings of a bad dad joke, this episode serves as an important exploration of gender, sexuality and identity in the Afghan diaspora. Political Scientist Dr. Qais Munhazim joins as the featured guests with hosts Weiss Hamid and Nura Sediqe. Qais discusses the different ways we discuss gender...

Journalist Nelufar Hedayat joins TSN to discuss Afghans in the UK, being a woman of color in media, what her mom thinks of some of the dangerous situations she's been in, and her dark and magical past. We also talk about some of her fascinating projects, and her role in the new Doha Debates. Finally, we premiere a new trivia game. How did Nelufar do? Tune in and find out!

Host of The Gender Knot podcast and BBC Journalist Nastaran Tavakoli-Far joins The Samovar Network to discuss #MeToo, Male "feminists", and why she doesn't think women should be too helpful to men right now. How do you apologize? What is men's role in the #MeToo era? Tune in to hear our discussion on all these topics and more. *The Gender Knot was named one of Time Magazines '50 Best Podcasts to L...

In this interview we chat with Murtaza Aliyar aka Afghanima aka Mookz aka Mookie aka some other interesting names. We talk about cultural stigma regarding addiction, family members’ reactions, and how he continues to help community members with their own struggles. On the way, we learn a little more about tattoos, poop-brown suits, and helicopter dancing. And of course we ask about the shared Afgh...

In this interview we talk to Madinah Wardak, the woman behind Burqas & Beer, and one of our newest TSN members. We try to find out, is online Madinah the real Madinah? She talks about her conflicted feelings towards the blog name, the negative and positive reactions to it, and what it’s like to be an outspoken Afghan woman on social media. Most importantly, we hear about the shared traumatic e...

Madinah and Omar sat down with journalist Ali Latifi to discuss the Afghan parliamentary elections, the killing of one of the most prominent commanders in the country, and the 7th anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan. We learned how voting is an act of heroism and resistance, and gained insight into what’s happening in the country from someone directly on the ground in Kabul. *Facebook Li...

Melees, Melas, Matches, and Mantu. It’s all part of the Afghan-American soccer fabric. In this episode, Nura & Omar interview Kamran Faizi of the Afghan Football Support Organization (AFSO). He was one of the founding members of the Afghan Soccer League in 1995 and an instrumental figure to the growth of Afghan-American soccer since the 1980s. Kamran jaan gives us his take on women’s soccer, t...