What does it really mean to do good, and who gets to decide?
Saadia sits down with Dr. Rhea Rahman, an anthropologist at Brooklyn College, CUNY, and the author of Racializing the Umma: Muslim Humanitarians Beyond Black, Brown, and White. After more than a decade embedded with Islamic Relief, the largest Muslim NGO in the West, Dr. Rahman asks the questions most of us avoid: when Muslim organizations fly across the world to help, whose definition of "help" are they using?
The episode gets into:
The "good Muslim" trap-how Islamic charities are pressured to depoliticize themselves to gain Western acceptance
Racial hierarchies inside Muslim communities and why South Asian Muslims are often disconnected from Black Muslim struggles
The savior mentality immigrants unknowingly inherit and the hard work of unlearning it
A radical reframe of Zakat: it's not charity. It's returning what was never yours to begin with
What abolitionist Muslims and mutual aid movements are building as an alternative
Whether you work in a nonprofit, donate to Islamic causes, or have ever questioned whether your good intentions are actually good, this one will sit with you.
Join us in creating new intellectual engagement for our audience. You can find more information at http://immigrantlypod.com.
Please share the love and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify to help more people find us!
You can connect with Saadia on IG @itssaadiak
Email:saadia@immigrantlypod.com
Host & Producer: Saadia Khan I Content Writer: Saadia Khan I Editorial review: Shei Yu I Sound Designer & Editor: Lou Raskin I Immigrantly Theme Music: Simon Hutchinson | Other Music: Epidemic Sound
Immigrantly Podcast is an Immigrantly Media Production.
For advertising inquiries, contact us at info@immigrantlypod.com
BOYOT (Belong On Your Own Terms) is the next step. It’s our new app, designed to help you think through identity, culture, ambition, relationships, and the stories we carry — with guided reflections, prompts, and frameworks developed over years of conversations on this show.
It’s thoughtful. It’s challenging. And honestly, it’s the kind of space many of us wish existed earlier in our lives.
If you’re ready to go deeper than the podcast, subscribe to BOYOT and start the journey.
Don't forget to subscribe to Immigrantly Uninterrupted for insightful podcasts. Follow us on social media for updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices