She Speaks:

Academic Muslimahs

A podcast by Saba Fatima, PhD.

About the Podcast:

She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs is on indefinite hiatus

She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs is a podcast hosted by Saba Fatima, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Muslimah is the feminine form of the word Muslim in Arabic.

She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs features interviews with folks who self-identify as Muslimah and are in academia. The conversations revolve around a diverse array of topics; from mental health and climate change to Palestine and Christmas!

Generally, episodes are released every other Friday.

The podcast provides a platform to discuss all things Muslim, women, and academia. The purpose is to elevate the profile of Muslimah academics, shed light on important issues, and connect us via conversations.

Please listen, subscribe, review, and share the podcast. Support representation of marginalized voices!

Intro and outro music by Husain Yaseen

Cover Art (copyrighted) by Naomi Giddings

Season Eight

Saba Fatima

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Ep. 44: FeeAmaanAllah

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/G5bF8bESHvb

Season Seven

Produced by Gabrielle Quarles (ep 39 & 40) & Melessa Herzberg (41 onward)

Elora Shehabuddin

Professor of Transnational Asian Studies

Core Faculty in the Center for the Study of Women, Gender, and Sexuality.

Rice University

Ep. 43: Feminisms in Conversation

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/043-Elora-Shehabuddin-e1g6qng

Linda Hyökki

PhD Candidate

Civilization Studies

Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul

Ep. 42: Whiteness & Anti-Muslim Racism in Finland

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/042-Linda-Hykki-e1finm6


Sara Abdalla

PhD Candidate

University of Middlesex

Ep. 41: Inclusive Art

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/041-Sara-Abdalla-e1et3id


Aminah Beverly McCloud Al Deen

Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies and Director of Islamic World Studies program

DePaul University

Ep. 40: Islam in America

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/040-Aminah-Beverly-McCloud-Al-Deen-e1e852g


Sana Rizvi

Senior Lecturer in Education

Division of Education

Liverpool John Moores University

Ep. 39: Undoing Whiteness in Disability Studies

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/039-Sana-Rizvi-e1df0l4

Transcript by Melessa Herzberg & Saba Fatima


Season Six

Produced by Gabrielle Quarles


Saima Ansari

University of Salford


Ep. 38: Identity, religion, and clothing


https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/038-Saima-Ansari-e19509o



Conversation with Dr. Sana Rizvi

(Bi-lingual - Urdu/English)


Ep. 35: #MeToo & Aurat March


https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/035-Aurat-March-MeToo-Pakistan-e152fs7


Julie Prior

Assistant Professor

English Department

Oklahoma Panhandle State University

Ep. 36: Spiritual Journey

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/036-Julie-Prior-e17qt1l


Fatemeh Mardi

Instructional Designer

Office of eLearning

University of Missouri System

Ep. 37: Toll of the academic job market

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/037-Fatemeh-Mardi-e18geor

Season Five


Maha Nassar

Associate Professor

School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies

University of Arizona

Ep. 34: Palestine

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/034-Maha-Nassar-e11a70f


Saba Fatima

Host of She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Ep. 35A: Hiatus/ Mental Health

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/035A-Hello-World-e152j7e

Season Four

Produced by Madison Sample


Saba Fatima

Host of She Speaks: Academic Muslimahs

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Ep. 33: Gender & Academia

Interview with Shannon Strom

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/033-Saba-Fatima-e10dm8b


Banafsheh Madaninejad

Founder of Sisters in Leadership Training and I-AMM

Co-host of The Defining Moment

& Red Peace Machine

Ep. 32: Interconnecting Arabs, Muslims and Middle Easterners

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/032-Banafsheh-Madaninejad-eue9bn



Amani Hassani


2020 Sociological Review Fellow

Keele University

Ep. 31: Systemic Racism and Islamophobia in Denmark

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/031-Amani-Hassani-ethgnb



Elora Halim Chowdhury

Associate Professor

Women’s & Gender Studies

Director of the Human Rights Program

University of Massachusetts Boston

Ep. 30: Bangladeshi Identity and Transnational Cinema

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/030-Elora-Halim-Chowdhury-esb3mq


Shehnaz Haqqani


Assistant Professor of Religion

Mercer University

Ep. 29: Islamic Feminism

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/029-Shehnaz-Haqqani-er3ni2



Aalih Hussein

PhD candidate

Social Work , Joint Doctoral Program

North Carolina University Greensboro and

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Ep. 28: Self-Care

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/028-Aalih-Hussein-eq9vem


Shabana Mir

Associate Professor

Dept of Anthropology and Director of Undergraduate Studies

American Islamic College

Ep. 27: Experiences of Muslim American Women

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/027-Shabana-Mir-epknp4

Sanae Elmoudden

Associate Professor

Rhetoric, Communication and Theatre Department

St. John's University

Ep. 26: Mental Health Awareness

https://anchor.fm/academicmuslimah/episodes/Ep026-Sanae-Elmoudden-eot0i8

Season Three

Produced by Blerta Beluli

Lubaaba Al-Azami

PhD candidate

English Literature, University of Liverpool

Visiting Doctoral Researcher , University of Oxford

Ep. 25: English Encounters with the Mughal Empire

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/025-Lubaaba-Al-Azami-env3li

Nazita Lajevardi

Michigan State University

Assistant Professor

Department of Political Science


Ep. 24: American Islamophobia and Political Participation

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/024-Nazita-Lajevardi-enb11n

Shireen Al-Adeimi

Michigan State University

Assistant Professor

Department of Teacher Education


Ep. 23: Yemeni Crisis


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/023-Shireen-Al-Adeimi-emo314


Conversation with Sana Rizvi


Ep. 22: Elections 2020


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Ep022-Election-2020-em3kr6

Maha Hilal

Justice for Muslims Collective


Ep. 21: Islamophobia in Grad School


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/021-Maha-Hilal-el2fne



Hawraa Al-Hassan

University of Cambridge

Research Associate

Centre of Islamic Studies

Ep. 20: Iraqi Women's Literature

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/020-Hawraa-Al-Hassan-ek2kmp


Sahar Aziz

Rutgers University Law School

Professor of Law


Ep. 19: 9/11


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/019-Sahar-Aziz-ejddj8


Conversation with Sana Rizvi


Ep. 18: Ashura


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/018-Ashura-eiplai



Nadia B. Ahmad

Barry University School of Law

Associate Professor

Ep. 17: Democratic Party

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/017-Nadia-B--Ahmad-ei4eso



Season Two

Season 2 Finale

Ep 16: Eid / Ramzan/Ramadan Special

Katherine Bullock

University of Toronto at Mississauga

Lecturer Department of Political Science

Ep 15: Hostility to the Hijab

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/015-Katherine-Bullock-edp4la


Melinda González

Louisiana State University

PhD Candidate Anthropology

Ep 14: Mental Health & Decolonizing Academic Spaces

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/014-Melinda-Gonzlez-ed62q9


Conversation with Sana Rizvi

Ep. 13: Living Through a Pandemic

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Living-Through-a-Pandemic-ec0ies

Kayla Wheeler

Grand Valley State University Assistant Professor of Area & Global Studies and Digital Studies

Ep. 11: Black Muslimah Fashion

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Kayla-Wheeler-eb0pf6


Sadaf Jaffer

Princeton University

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Ep. 10: Muslim American political participation

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/010-Sadaf-Jaffer-eaq63j


Narjis Hyder

Walden University

Core Faculty at The Riley College School of Education & Leadership

Ep. 9: On Caregiving

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/009-Narjis-Hyder-eahbn4


Nyla Ali Khan

Kashmiri American Scholar


Ep. 8: Kashmir

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/008-Nyla-Ali-Khan-ea2cc5


Season One

produced by Erica Green

Season 1 Finale:

Christmas Special

The episode features Dr. Sakina Jangbar, Dr. Noor-Aiman Khan, Dr. Elham Mireshghi, Dr. Neelofer Qadir, Nur Shahir, and Dr. Sophia Spadavecchia

Ep. 7: Muslims moving through Christmas https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Christmas-Episode-Repeat-ent8gh

Anbreen Bashir

Harris–Stowe State University

Associate Professor of Biology


Ep. 6: Bio-genetics & Climate Change

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/006-Anbreen-Bashir-e9bbs0

Tasneem Zaihra

The College at Brockport

Assistant Professor Department of Mathematics


Ep. 5: Immigrant Journey

https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/005-Tasneem-Zaihra-e98em1

Khadijah Elshayyal

University of Edinburgh

Visiting Fellow at Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World

Ep. 4: Islamophobia in UK https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Khadijah-Elshayyal-e94339


Sakina Jangbar

St. John's University

Assistant Professor of Rhetoric, Communication and Theatre

Ep. 3: Feminist Expressions https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Sakina-Jangbar-e90odn

Ep. 2: Episode Unavailable

Sana Rizvi

University of Exeter

Lecturer in Education


Ep. 1: Fat-phobia


https://anchor.fm/saba-fatima/episodes/Sana-Rizvi-e8ggs4



Want to come on

She Speaks:

Academic Muslimahs?

Email us! We are always open to having Muslimahs in academia who self-identify as Muslim.

You can email us at sfatima@siue.edu

There is no one type of guest. Email me if you want to talk about:

  • your life journey (personal or professional or both!)

  • your book

  • your research (esp. if its of significance to the general public)

  • your pedagogical style

  • your college/university work environment

  • the cult of academia

  • U.S./ U.K./ European politics as it impacts Muslim locally and/or Muslims at-large

  • literally anything you are passionate about and have some degree of expertise on from your research and/or life experiences!

We are especially interested in featuring marginalized voices and perspectives within Muslim communities (Black, Latina, Native American, LGBTQ, Muslimahs or lived experiences regarding poverty, mental health, religious judgment, joint family, etc.).

About myself:

I am an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

I love learning and thinking about the social and political aspects of the world we live in.

More about me: https://sites.google.com/view/sabafatimaphd/