Sawt by Shahd

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly and Dima Abuolim sit down with anthropologist David Price, author of The American Surveillance State, to unpack decades of previously unseen FBI files and what they reveal about who America's surveillance machine was really built to watch.

Together they trace how the surveillance state was normalized after 9/11, why the FBI targeted civil rights activists, Muslim groups, union organizers, and peace activists instead of criminals, and how the Patriot Act dismantled protections that Congress had put in place after Watergate. David breaks down why Americans have quietly accepted a level of surveillance that...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Clara Reynolds, President of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, to talk about what crisis and trauma really look like behind the scenes.

Together they explore the hidden pressures that can push people to a breaking point, why high-achieving students and adults can be struggling without anyone realizing it, and how trauma can ripple through families and entire communities. Clara shares what decades of crisis work have taught her about listening without judgment, recognizing when someone is asking for help, and why asking someone directly about suicide does not...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Abdulwali, a Uyghur writer, educator, and documenter whose family's story stretches across generations of resistance. From his grandfather serving in the First East Turkestan Republic of 1933, to his father imprisoned for ten years for owning Russian books, to his own arrest and 15 months of interrogation in 2013, Abdulweli shares a testimony that spans nearly a century of the same erasure repeating itself. Along the way, they talk about the family bookstore in Kashgar that led to his siblings' imprisonment, the leaked Xinjiang Police Files that named him as a "terrorist," the Uyghur...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Nasrullah Mehman, president of the People of East Turkestan Youth Group and a born-and-raised Australian Uyghur who has never set foot in his own homeland. Together they talk about what it means to love a country you've only known through your parents' stories, the open doors of Eid back home, the survivor's guilt that hits in the smallest moments, and why he believes those living safely in the West carry a duty they never asked for. A raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about identity, diaspora, mental health, and the quiet...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Fatima Abdulghafoor Seyyeh, a Uyghur exile from Kashgar, for a raw conversation about her homeland, her family, and the story the world keeps getting wrong. Fatima reclaims the truth: Uyghurs are the indigenous people of an occupied land, not a "Muslim minority in China." She shares the loss of her father in a death camp and the courage it takes to keep telling the story anyway.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest: Fatima Seyyeh

#SAWTPodcast #EastTurkestan #Uyghur #UyghurVoices #FreeEastTurkestan #MuslimVoices #HumanRights

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Jackson McDaniel, a 19-year-old from Tampa, to share his quiet but powerful journey to Islam. From rewiring RC cars as a kid to taking his Shahada the day before turning 18, during Ramadan, on a Friday, Jackson shares how curiosity, a Muslim friend, and a mother who raised him with no religion at all opened the door to faith on his own terms. A warm, grounded, and honest conversation about doing the research, asking the right questions, and finding faith without pressure or noise.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest...

n this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans, resident scholar at ALIM, for a rich and deeply personal conversation about a 27-year journey into Islam. From a Malcolm X film that sparked his curiosity at age twelve, to a single line in a school textbook that changed everything, to studying in Yemen and graduating in Sharia from Al-Azhar, Ubaydullah shares the moments that shaped him, including the loss that tested his faith in the heaviest way imaginable. This isn't a lecture. It's one man's honest, sometimes funny, often moving account of how a teenager looking for...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Pat Cruise about a journey from questioning faith to finding clarity in Islam. From early doubts to deep study and personal reflection, Pat shares how Islam became a source of peace, purpose, and lifelong growth. A conversation about identity, sincerity, and building a real connection with your Creator.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest: Pat Cruise

#SAWTPodcast #FaithJourney #RevertStories #PersonalGrowth #IslamicPerspective

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Anna to explore a journey that began with curiosity and led to complete transformation. From searching for structure and meaning in her early 20s to finding peace in Islam, Anna shares how her perspective shifted through real experiences, deep reflection, and moments she couldn’t ignore. From navigating identity as a revert in the West to embracing hijab and redefining purpose, Anna opens up about the realities, challenges, and beauty of her path. A conversation about growth, sincerity, and finding truth in a world full of noise.

Host: Shahd Al...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Adnan Wood Smith to explore a journey from curiosity to conviction. Raised with faith but searching for deeper meaning, Adnan shares how his path through academics and life experiences gradually led him to Islam. What began as learning turned into practice, until a moment of clarity made him realize he had already found what he was searching for. From identity to purpose, this conversation reflects what it truly means to connect with faith without holding back.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest: ‪@adnanwoodsmith‬

Read more about Adnan’s work...

In this episode, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Danielle Loduca to explore a journey from doubt to clarity. What began as curiosity and questioning slowly turned into a deeper search for meaning, ultimately leading her to faith. From discovering the Quran to witnessing faith lived through real experiences, Danielle shares how her perspective shifted and how that transformation reshaped her identity, purpose, and understanding of life. A conversation about truth, growth, and the courage to follow it.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest: Danielle Loduca

#SAWTPodcast #RevertJourney #FaithAndPurpose #IslamicPerspective #PersonalGrowth

What is truly right when every choice feels wrong? This conversation explores powerful moral dilemmas, from the trolley problem to real-life cases, revealing how our decisions are shaped by deeper ethical beliefs. It challenges the way we think about justice, consequences, and human responsibility in everyday life.

Host: Shahd Alasaly

Guest: Michael North

#Justice #MoralPhilosophy #Ethics #SAWTPodcast #CriticalThinking

In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits down with Taylor O’Hare to talk about his journey to Islam, what first sparked his curiosity, and how faith gave him a deeper sense of peace, purpose, and direction. From a typical British upbringing to embracing Islam later in life, Taylor reflects on identity, misconceptions, prayer, and what it means to build a real relationship with God. This conversation also explores the stereotypes people carry about Muslims and reverts, the beauty of being guided step by step, and the quiet strength that faith brings in difficult seasons. It is honest, gr...

In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Basam Alasaly, medical student, researcher, and tech builder to explore how AI can make healthcare more human, not less. From clinical research to building his own app, Basam shares why technology should serve connection, not replace it. They talk about curiosity, community, and what it means to design systems that reduce burnout and actually support people.

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Host: @shahd.alasaly

Guest: @basamalasaly

#SAWT #BasamAlasaly #AIinHealthcare #HumanCenteredTech #FutureOfMedicine

What does it mean to choose joy in a world that keeps trying to harden us? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Jamal Taylor, founder of Let Me Educate You and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker whose life and work are rooted in truth, compassion, and courage. Jamal shares his journey through childhood homelessness, surviving abuse, and the long road toward healing, forgiveness, and self-grace. Jamal reflects on learning to be “joyously imperfect,” the role of therapy and faith in reclaiming his voice, and why kindness toward oneself is essential when life feels overwhelming. He s...

What happens when success looks right on paper, but doesn’t feel right inside? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Mohammed Mubarak, a Tampa Bay trial attorney and TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Mohammed shares how growing up in the Florida panhandle as the child of Middle Eastern immigrants shaped his values, strengthened his faith, and pushed him to lead with humanity first. Mohammed reflects on his mother believing in him before he believed in himself, the pressure that forges resilience, and the mindset he calls “embrace the suck” when life gets hard. He also opens...

What if restoring dignity started with something as simple as water? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly sits with Marcia Hall, founder of Mr. Bubbles and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Raised in Tampa by a mother who shared what little she had, Marcia’s story is shaped by community care, lived empathy, and an unwavering belief in showing up for others. Marcia shares how one question from a unhoused woman changed her life and led to the creation of mobile shower units that offer more than cleanliness. They offer dignity, visibility, and hope. Through her wo...

What if making change didn’t require a title, a platform, or a big moment? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Dyma Abuoleim, founder of 200 Muslim Women Who Care and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Dyma shares how a lifelong commitment to service, leadership, and collaboration shaped her journey and led to building a powerful giving community rooted in consistency and care. Dyma reflects on growing up as a helper, finding purpose beyond routine, and responding to moments of division by choosing action instead of silence. She speaks honestly about faith, identity, and the re...

What if healing wasn’t something you went through alone, but something you offered forward? In this episode of SAWT, Shahd Alsaly sits with Katherine Spitznagle, a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker whose life has been shaped by survival, mentorship, and purpose. A 19 year breast cancer survivor still in treatment, Katherine shares how helping others became a form of healing and how mentorship transformed her journey. From late night phone calls across time zones to pink pearls passed from survivor to survivor, Katherine reflects on the quiet ways care travels, how community shows up when words fall short, an...

What keeps you grounded when everything around you changes? In this episode, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Dr. Michelle Elena, founder and executive director of MAR, Mindful Action for Regeneration, and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Michelle shares how family, chosen community, and time spent in nature shaped her path and helped her rebuild after moments of loss and uncertainty. From founding multiple nonprofits to creating healing spaces through environmental work, Michelle reflects on resilience, renewal, and the quiet strength found in community. She opens up about surviving hurricanes, leaning on neighbors, and learning that healing does not...

In this episode of SAWT, she shares how growing up as the oldest of five shaped her leadership early on. From starting a Save the Rainforest campaign as a teen to leading her youth group in the 30 Hour Famine to fight global hunger, compassion has always moved her to action. With a background in International Affairs and a master’s in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, her work is grounded in understanding communities, culture, and the real tools needed to create meaningful impact. This is a conversation about empathy, responsibility, and choosing to step into the work, even wh...

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