The Safi Bros Podcast

Zahra Billoo joins the Safi Bros Podcast for a powerful conversation about growing up Muslim in America after 9/11, hijab, civil-rights advocacy, Muslim women’s leadership, Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism, mosque culture, workplace discrimination, Quran education and the emotional weight of defending the community. This episode explores how Zahra turned fear into action, why Muslim women are often asked to do the work without being given the title, how anti-Sharia campaigns suppress Muslim expression, and what resilience looks like when pressure comes from outside society and inside community spaces. Zahra also reflects on Know Your Rights work, finding values-aligned people and the responsibility that comes with access and safety. Guest bio: Zahra Billoo is a Muslim civil-rights lawyer, organizer and executive director working on Islamophobia, anti-Palestinian racism and community advocacy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Chapters 00:00 - Welcome and introducing Zahra Billoo 01:06 - Being 17 after 9/11 03:38 - Outrage, citizenship and responsibility 05:28 - Faith, justice and learning to speak out 08:13 - Muslim women without enough role models 09:41 - MSA leadership and being told to lead from behind 11:16 - What leaders should hear about women’s spaces 12:37 - FBI visits and Know Your Rights work 16:28 - Anti-Sharia laws and fear campaigns 21:11 - Learning from women on the front lines 24:21 - Muslim Student Association and finding community 27:08 - Choosing what work to do and what to leave 31:18 - Family finances, work and law school 35:13 - Workplace hijab discrimination case 42:08 - Law school loneliness and values-aligned friends 44:22 - Joining CAIR and being trusted by the community 48:23 - Being a woman and feeling pushed out 48:36 - Quran memorisation and gendered barriers 51:58 - Relationships, marriage apps and public safety 55:43 - Marriage, support and public work 58:36 - Sami’s detention and visiting as lawyers 65:02 - Closing duas and final reflections

In this Safi Bros episode, Maryam Amir shares her journey through doubt, Quran, scholarship, and rediscovering Allah’s mercy. The conversation moves through her early questions about faith, the moment Umrah changed her heart, the importance of women in Islamic learning, and the need for scholarship that understands real people’s lives. Maryam speaks with honesty about spiritual anxiety, misunderstood teachings around women, and why the voice that pushes someone into despair should not be confused with revelation. A reflective and hope-filled conversation for anyone seeking faith with depth, mercy, and purpose.\n\nGuest bio: Maryam Amir is a hafiza, scholar, doctoral candidate, app founder, and advocate for female scholarship.

In this deeply compelling episode of the Safi Bros Podcast, Ahmed and Ibrahim sit down with Sheikh Suleiman Hani for a conversation on Muslim identity, leadership, resilience, and responsibility. Sheikh Suleiman reflects on his Palestinian family’s journey, the powerful story of his father building a mosque from a broken-down warehouse in Detroit, and the racism and Islamophobia his family faced while serving the community. The discussion expands into some of the most urgent challenges facing Muslim youth today: religious rigidity, isolation, the attention economy, toxic social media consumption, leadership failures in our institutions, Gaza, and the need for sincere Muslims to stop waiting and start giving back. This episode is a reminder that every Muslim has something to offer, and that true leadership is forged through persistence, service, consultation, and an unbreakable connection to the Ummah.

Imam Abdul Hafiz shares a powerful life journey shaped by faith, identity, Black history, justice and community responsibility.In this episode, he reflects on growing up through racism and exclusion, the pull of the Black Panther movement, the prison system, reclaiming identity through Islam, and the lessons that helped him build a lasting marriage and life of service. The conversation moves through painful history with clarity, warmth and conviction, offering reminders about dignity, discipline, faith and what it means to stand for your people without losing your soul.A huge thanks to Imam Abdul Hafiz for such an amazing discussion.For the video podcast, find us on:📺: https://www.youtube.com/@SafiBros/✨follow us on socials✨♾️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@safi.bros.podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/safi.brothersss📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safi.bros.podcast

Dr. Ghanim Al-Jumaily is a physicist, optical engineer, humanitarian and former Iraqi diplomat whose journey has taken him from Baghdad to NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, and later into relief work and public service for Iraq.In this episode, Dr. Ghanim shares how his mother's deep belief in education shaped his family, how his work in optics connected to major space missions, and why the suffering of Iraq pushed him to step away from technology and dedicate himself to serving his people. The conversation explores science and faith, mission-driven leadership, corruption, diplomacy, AI, rebuilding institutions and what it means to use your life in service of the ummah.A huge thanks to Dr. Ghanim for such an amazing discussion. For the video podcast, find us on:📺: https://www.youtube.com/@SafiBros/✨follow us on socials✨♾️ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@safi.bros.podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/safi.brothersss📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safi.bros.podcast