You know Reem Edan from her viral videos with her Iraqi baba (father), later her mother, but also a from her exceptional Stand-Up comedy career. In this episode of Arabs in Media, we meet one of the funny fresh voices in media, while we explore the nuances of Iraqi culture and identity, and the role of humor in bridging cultural gaps.

Reem and host Hazem Jamal delve into Iraqi heritage, exploring the cultural significance of food and family expectations. Hear about Reem's journey to discovering her purpose, and how making people laugh wasn't the original path she followed when she moved to LA to work in entertainment.

In the first of two episodes with Reem Edan, we'll test Reem to see how Iraqi is she, and hear where the notion of confidence factored in to pivotal moments of decision, and what "networking" really means. Hope you enjoy the fun time we had, and if you're Iraqi, or a child of immigrants, that you find the relatability of our special struggles is what you needed for a break today.

About our guest:

Reem Edan is an Iraqi-American comedian, content creator, award-winning writer and actress based in Los Angeles. Her performances have captivated audiences globally, performing in nine countries across four continents, while amassing tens of millions of views online for her character-driven sketches and culture-bending commentary.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reemedan/

All her links: https://linktr.ee/reemedan

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

The co-founder of the National Arab Institute and the author of the upcoming book “The History We Carry,” Mariam Sallam tells us the story of how one journalist in Gaza sat with Mona, a young girl who had just witnessed her mother being killed by the IDF. The journalist gave the child some crayons and paper, and the trauma and depiction of her mother's killing came out on the makeshift canvas.

From there, the Bulletproof Dreams Exhibit was a mission to bring the most traumatized humans on the planet today, Palestinian children; their art and drawings of their experience under an active genocide, to light. After an exhibit in Turkey, the goal has been to show their stories to American audiences.

Mariam discusses the viral video of the imagined genocide Remembrance Day in 2040, how it impacted social media and what came of it, and how Mariam as a data scientist could no longer pursue 9-5 work amidst the atrocities on these children, and her focus on bringing their stories to light.

Our conversation is wide-ranging, including Mariam's advice for Arabs on how to best serve their culture and roots.

Our links this week:

See the art from Bulletproof Dreams:
https://www.kursungecirmezdusler.com/en/

Help support bringing Bulletproof Dreams to the US and tell the childrens' stories:
https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/bulletproof_dreams_gaza_child_painters_exhibit?src=3055904

Our guest Mariam Sallam's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/msallam227/

Thanks for listening to Arabs in Media, and independent podcast and Substack, and remember, habibi, genocide is always wrong.

-Hazem Jamal

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch

What can possibly go wrong when you tell Arab voters "Trump will be worse, so STFU"?

Arabs in Media interviews Abdelhalim Abdelrahman, a Palestinian political analyst and journalist who covers Palestinian affairs and the broader Middle East. Based in Dearborn, the epicenter of Arab politics, culture and Arab life in Michigan, the podcast discusses the polls and visceral mood of Arab voters in Michigan - pretty much the most crucial swing state that could decide the election.

It could all come down to the 200,000+ Arab voters in SouthEast Michigan, a margin larger than Biden's win in 2020.

Polls aside, we discuss with Abdel the mood, where he sees outcomes in Michigan, and the realities on the ground regardless of who wins.

Abdel shares the dynamics of the Palestinian cause, the significant addition of Lebanon to the list of countries Israel is bombing, and how that and the affects the political landscape in Michigan of a diverse population led by the largest Iraqi community in the US. (Fans of the Cheneys, they aren't).

Does Kamala Harris have any wherewithal or time left to save Michigan? What does that need to look like, or is it too late?

We share the critiques of Kamala Harris's campaign and the Democratic Party's policy toward Arab and Muslim American voters. How much of this has been an OWN GOAL, and avoidable?

Join us for a fascinating discussion you won't hear in corporate media. And the "shout out" segment at the end is so heartfelt and impactful, it must be shared.

About our guest:

Abdelhalim Abdelrahman is a Palestinian political analyst and journalist who covers Palestinian affairs and the broader Middle East. His work has been featured in Foreign Policy Magazine, The Hill, The New Arab, Responsible Statecraft, and Antiwar. Abdelhalim is a graduate from Michigan State University where he double-majored in International Relations and Political Theory. He obtained a Master's Degree in International Relations from American University.

Abdelhalim's X/Twitter:

https://x.com/AbdelA1924

Send a text message with any feedback. I won't see your number, and I can't reply, but it is a way to leave a comment. Or, you can send a message on Substack or IG @ ArabsinMedia

About the host:

Hazem Jamal is a first-generation Iraqi-American who worked in as a programming exec in American radio for many years.

Hazem founded Arabs in Media to offer an independent platform for new stories, information and entertainment missing in corporate media.

Support independent media: To join the Arabs in Media community, sign up at the free Arabs in Media Substack for more multi-media content, and email notifications for new episodes dropping.

https://arabsinmedia.substack.com/

Instagram @arabsinmedia

Featured media and social links here:

https://linktr.ee/arabsinmedia

Support Operation Olive Branch, providing humanitarian assistance to families devastated by g-cide:

https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch