Episode Notes : Today I speak with an individual that I have been listening to and learning from for a while now, Mifrah Abid. Mifrah is an activist, advocate of racial equity, and the creator, producer and host of Across Her Table Podcast. In this episode, Mifrah challenges my beliefs on home and identity (and if there is one thing I love, it's a conversation that expands my thinking). We discuss our thoughts on nationalism and Mirfah explains the concept of jingoism and how it relates to...

Zarqa Nawaz is a Canadian icon. When she produced the award-winning show ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie’ in 2007, the show became a household name. An avowed fan of Nora Efron, Zarqa created an all-Canadian sitcom that had funny and well-rounded Muslim characters. This was a far cry from the stereotypical cookie-cutter Muslim characters that the West had been churning out. And the timing was critical too. In 2007, post 9/11 Islamophobia was at its peak. A Muslim point of view in the arts was...

What happens when an Indian and a Pakistani meet in Canada? We discover our Desi ways! Join us as we rediscover our quintessential South Asian roots and explore the question: What does it mean to be a ‘Desi’? In this mini- series from Across Her Table, Mifrah Abid and Mehreen Shahid talk about our common connections, laugh (and really laugh) at our shared cultural tropes and dig deep into OUR DESI WAYS!  Over the next few episodes, we will talk about Desi culture, the social norms we grew up...

January 29 marks a tragic day. It was on this day in 2017 that a shooter barged into a mosque in Quebec city and massacred 6 worshippers. The shooting left 17 children fatherless, 6 women widowed and one man paralyzed for life. We also lost a first responder to the trauma of this attack. The Govt of Canada declared Jan 29 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec City Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. The shooter was fueled by Islamophobia and his deep seated hate of...

Dr. Muna Saleh is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Concordia University of Edmonton. She is also the author of several academic papers and the book, ‘Stories We Live and Grow By: (Re)Telling Our Experiences as Muslim Mothers and Daughters’. Dr. Saleh has long been an advocate for social justice. She talks about ‘generational trauma’ - something her family faced when they were displaced by the ‘Nakba’* (or the ‘Catastrophe)’ in Palestine. Muna recalls how her family...

Author Asmaa Hussein is a very popular writer. When a tragedy unceremoniously killed her husband, Asmaa took to writing to channel her grief. Her raw and candid essays were shared thousands of times the world over, turning her towards writing full time. She is now the owner of the indie publishing house ‘Ruqaya's Bookshelf’, advocating for authentic representation of story-telling around Muslim children. Asmaa talks about processing grief, about why people insist on her ‘getting over it’ and...

Welcome to our cross over episode with Waterloo Region’s favorite podcasters Sarah Geidlinger and Marshall Ward. Keep listening to join the discussion, which was both, light hearted and deep. Do send in your comments or feedback about this episode by tweeting them to @acrosshertable or e-mailing them at [email protected]. Don't forget to follow Across Her Table on Instagram @acrosshertable (https://www.instagram.com/acrosshertable) Music credit: Oh My - Patrick Patrikios

Iqra Khalid was a 20 something brown Muslim woman with immigrant parents when she decided to run for the House of Commons in 2015. Even with an exceptional record as a lawyer and a human rights advocate, she put her name on the ballot ‘not really expecting to win’. But she won, not once but twice- from the riding of Mississauga Erin Mills- and she has never looked back since. She introduced for the much debated Bill M- 103- which asked the government to condemn Islamophobia and all forms of...

Acclaimed author Uzma Jalaludin is on a roll! Her first book, 'Ayesha at Last' was a runaway hit and has now been optioned for Hollywood. This 'Muslim edit' of Pride and Prejudice explores the love lives of second generation Toronto Muslims. Her new book 'Hana Khan Carries On' is a retelling of the cult romcom 'You've Got Mail'. Tune in to hear this fun author talk explaining the 'Rishta' system of finding a spouse- "the most awkward blind date ever". Tune in to listen about her lovable...

The Across Her Table podcast has always been committed to telling authentic stories of women and their immigrant experiences. For two seasons we have talked to remarkable women and heard their inspiring stories. Now we would like to add MORE to the conversation. Brewing Ideas will explore ideas, trends, and topics that are relevant to people of color in Canada. YOU may be an immigrant, or not, but if you are a person of color, this series is for you. On our first episode, we talk about...

The scoop on Brewing Ideas - our upcoming podcast miniseries. 

When we talk about mothers and their teenage daughters, we think of typical tropes: the constant arguments, the difference in world views, and diametrically opposite opinions. But what if it doesn’t have to be that way? What if mothers and daughters sat down to listen to what the other has to say? What if, they could become each other’s strongest allies? This Women’s Day join us as we talk to mother-daughter duo Abiha and Madiah Syed as they share how they made a conscious effort to overcome...

Raufikat Oyawoye-Salami arrived in Canada in November 2017 in the town of Milton, Ontario. In less than 3 years she had been selected to be on the Great Canadian Baking show- TWICE. With the fourth season now in full swing, Raufikat is all charged up, rediscovering her love for baking. Listen in as she talks about her experience as a newcomer to Canada, her Nigerian heritage, her baking journey, and of course, the defining moments in that iconic TENT! Tune in to hear her also talk about...

Ginella Massa is an award-winning journalist, who is also the first hijab wearing one ever to host a prime-time TV show in North America. Her daily CBC show ‘Canada Tonight’ is changing how we consume news in the country today. But was it all easy? Ginella talks to Mifrah Abid about: Her Latino-Afro roots and journey to Canada, The scrutiny she faces for her clothing choices, The struggle of picking the right ‘Hijab’ friendly outfit, The seemingly ‘strange’ way of her arranged...

Sheba Siddiqui is a woman with many roles. A journalist, Global News Radio producer, columnist,  host, and most importantly - a mom of four. She is also a great conversationalist. Being a second generation Canadian helps her look at the two cultures that define her - with some level of neutrality. Listen to our latest episode as we discuss: The culture of stigma in South Asian communities (i.e. “Log Kya Kahenge?”) The need for change in mental health conversations in immigrant families (“Stop...

Zena Chaudhry likes breaking hijabi stereotypes. She loves the outdoors and is passionate about camping, kayaking, hunting, sailing, and fishing. She has won several fishing tournaments and proudly states that she has never been ‘skunked’- i.e., come back from a fishing trip without catching any. (She has been at it since she was 3!) But Zena is also the founder and CEO of Sakeenah Homes- a network of transitional homes and shelters for those who desperately need it. She recognized gaps in...

The federal government declared January 29 as the National Day of Remembrance of the Quebec city Mosque Attack and Action against Islamophobia. That doesn't mean that Islamophobia is a thing of the past. Fauzia Mazhar ,the executive director of the Coalition of Muslim Women of Kitchener Waterloo, points out the different ways it still manifests itself and asks some tough questions: -Is Islamophobia only a "Muslim" problem? -What does Quebec's Bill 21 mean for the Muslim woman on the...

In a world where everyone wants to be heard, Kanwal listens. Kanwal Ahmed was already a household name in Pakistan when she launched her web talk show ‘Conversations with Kanwal’. The show was a massive hit- not because of any celebrity presence, but because of the stories. Raw, unfiltered stories of everyday people and their struggles. Stories that need to be heard, stories that make you cry, stories that compel you to think. Kanwal probably knows that just telling these stories may be...

As we talk more and more about race relations, there are some questions that often come up: What is an ally? Can anyone become an ally? Or do you have to be from a dominant group to do so? Do organizations need to have minority ‘quotas’ to be seen as inclusive? Or is that just token allyship? Can newcomers to Canada and Indigenous people have something in common? What does it mean when a person of color (POC) is asked: ‘Where are you *really* from’? And most importantly… What should...

From the land of Ertugrul - a 24-year-old Turkish woman came to Toronto to learn English. The rest, as they say, is history. Filiz Ozmisir is a registered nurse, who also happened to co-found Refugee Girls Worldwide. Why did she start this initiative? Filiz challenges us to rethink when we hear the word ‘refugee’. With over 30 million refugees on the planet today (and 17 million of them being only underage girls), she wants you to understand the lived experience of those on the receiving...

Season 2 begins with a VERY special guest- Anjum Mukadam from Across the Atlantic! What prompted the creation of this podcast? Which episodes really clicked with the audiences? And of course, listener feedback! Two close friends chat, laugh and look back at Season 1 and how it all began. Tune in to join the light hearted banter as we look ahead to more engaging episodes coming up.

Raw, inspiring, and humbling- Rabia Khedr’s story is something we would like to make recommended listening for everyone.   Rabia Khedr has been blind since birth but that has not stopped her from becoming a super-achiever.  She has spent the better part of her life advocating for people with disabilities and for racial equity. She has founded Diversityworx and DEEN Support Services- both that help her serve the people she represents. She is also a founding member of CAM-D- the Canadian...

Schanze Sial has just turned 17 and has already earned a prestigious NASA internship. Tune in to listen how this high school student from Milton, Ontario bagged this opportunity, how other students can plan their careers and what Gen Z thinks about older generations!  Do send in your comments or feedback about this episode by tweeting them to @acrosshertable or e-mailing them at [email protected]  or send us a voice message at http://www.anchor.fm/acrosshertable/message Don't forget...

Habon Ali has accomplished much at her young age. This child of Somali refugees recently graduated from the University of Toronto and was the valedictorian for the class of 2020. But that’s not where her major breakthrough lies. She was selected to be on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s first-ever youth council to advise him and his government on issues that matter to the youth.  She has for long been a very vocal advocate for racial and economic equity in society. She recently earned an...