Jasmine sat down with Mira Awad, a Palestinian Israeli singer and peace activist who has had to grapple with her complex dual identity her whole life. She asked Mira what it was like to live in that in between space and how it’s impacted her life and activism.

Mira was also the first, and only, Palestinian Israeli to represent Israel in the Eurovision Song Contest back in 2009, despite facing significant pressure from both Israelis and Palestinians to withdraw, for different reasons. Jasmine asked Mira whether she would make the same decision today, and what has changed between now and then.

At a time when people are becoming ever more polarized, Jasmine and Mira discuss whether people with dual identities can serve as a bridge to foster more understanding--not necessarily agreement--between different sides.

As Iranians take to the streets in what is now the largest protest movement in recent history, and President Trump says help is on the way, Jasmine spoke to Iranian-American analyst Negah Angah to unpack the latest from Iran.

Jasmine and Negah delve into what the current protests mean and how they differ from past movements. Negah highlights the diverse patchwork of religions and ethnicities that make up Iranian society, and what Iran's history can tell us about what might come next, including whether the Islamic Republic can survive in the long term.

The former colleagues, who worked together during the Obama administration, examine US policy in the Middle East and what lessons Trump should be learning from the Arab Spring.

Finally, Negah shares what advice she would be giving the President right now if she were still in government.

Episode Notes:

With thousands dead, the Iranian regime may survive these protests--but not in its current form, by Sanam Vakil

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/13/thousands-dead-iranian-protests-regime-saddam-hussein-iraq

Following the explosive events of January 3, 2026, when a high-risk U.S. military operation targeted the capital of Venezuela, Caracas and resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, Jasmine goes beyond the headlines to unpack what this all means, politically, socially, and economically:

🎙️ The View from Venezuela:

Venezuelan analyst and journalist César Báez describes how ordinary Venezuelans are experiencing this moment of upheaval, including the astonishing pivot of Venezuela’s leadership to acting president Delcy Rodríguez amid local disputes over her legitimacy. Báez traces the rise and evolution of Chavismo, the strains of everyday life under Maduro, and what a leadership vacuum could mean for Venezuelan society.

🌎 Regional and international implications:

Former Latin America advisor to President Obama, Ricardo Zuniga, offers a deep, critical perspective on U.S. policy, situating the January 3rd operation within the context of U.S.–Latin America relations. He assesses how recent U.S. actions reflect a departure from long-standing diplomatic norms, and what these choices portend for hemispheric stability and U.S. foreign relations.

Episode Notes:

Venezuela's Acting Dictator is Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro Regime Ally with a History of Human Rights Violations, by César Báez: https://reason.com/2026/01/06/who-is-delcy-rodriguez-venezuelas-acting-dictator/

This is What Venezuelans Really Want, by Colette Cabriles: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/opinion/venezuela-maduro-trump-people.html

Is the Trump administration betraying our wartime allies by shutting down immigration?

On November 26, a 29-year old Afghan man, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, shot two National Guardsmen in Washington, DC, 20 year old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and 24 year old Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolf. Sarah died of her injuries.

The Trump administration is using this tragic incident to crack down on immigration, and have mentioned the Afghan community specifically.

But there is more to the picture. Rahmanullah had reportedly suffered from severe mental health challenges, and tried to reach out for help from the CIA, who he had worked with in Afghanistan, before coming to the US in 2021 as part of an effort initiated by the Biden administration to help our wartime allies. He was granted asylum this year under the Trump administration.

To understand the full picture behind this story, I spoke to Shawn Van Diver, a Navy veteran and the founder of Afghan Evac, an organization which helps our Afghan allies secure a new life in the United States with their families.

Episode Notes:

Afghan Evac: https://afghanevac.org/

Afghan Evac on Substack: https://afghanevac.substack.com/

In part two of the Muslims in America episode, I spoke to local New York historian, City University of New York lecturer and small business owner Asad Dandia, who made history himself when he sued the New York Police Department in 2017 after they sent an informant to spy on his community.

In doing so, Asad helped change the course of New York history. We spoke about his journey, as well as his work helping to get Zohran Mamdani elected as the first Muslim mayor of New York, and what the future holds for our beloved city.

This week, the view is from New York.

Episode notes:

Asad's tour company, New York Narratives: http://newyorknarratives.com/

I was a Muslim teen under NYPD surveillance: https://www.aclu.org/news/national-security/i-was-muslim-teen-under-nypd-surveillance-now-i-have

Bloomberg's NYPD spied on me for being Muslim: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/02/20/bloombergs-nypd-spied-me-being-muslim-he-has-never-apologized/

The man behind the radical walking tours of New York City: https://www.thenation.com/article/society/asad-dandia-radical-walking-tours-new-york-city/

I sat down with Wael Al Zayat, the CEO of Emgage, an organization working to empower Muslim Americans through civic engagement. We talk about what it means to lead a national organization in this moment—one in which Muslim Americans are becoming more politically active, but also more targeted, as we saw during the mayoral race in New York City recently.

Wael walks us through the trends he’s seeing within the community, how attitudes are shifting and what issues are driving people to the polls. We also talked about Emgage’s experiences engaging with the Biden administration and the Trump and Harris campaigns last year, and about anti Muslim hate and whether it is being normalized. I also asked Wael about allyship across communities: what we can all do as people who care about human rights, equality, and international law to affect a political system that seems to work for the privileged few.

Episode notes:

Emgage USA: https://emgageusa.org/

What Zohran Mamdani's Victory Tells Us About America, Wael Al Zayat https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/zohran-mamdani-victory-america

Muslim Americans Share Political Attitudes With Both THe Democrat And Republican Parties: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/21/muslim-americans-share-political-attitudes-with-both-the-democratic-and-republican-parties/

I wanted to start this season with a topic that has been severely underreported in the media and under prioritized by governments, and that is Sudan.

Sudan has been in the headlines recently after the city of el-Fasher was captured by the RSF, the Rapid Support Forces, one of two parties, the other being the Sudanese Armed Forces, to a conflict that has ravaged the country in unimaginable ways.

More than 150,000 people have died in the conflict across the country, and about 12 million have fled their homes in what the United Nations has called the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

But this didnt happen overnight. For many months, everyone from Sudanese activists and journalists to the UN has been warning of the exact scenario we see unfolding today.

So what happened? Why were all these warnings ignored? And what were some of the historic and structural factors in Suday that led to this moment?

I spoke to Kholood Khair, a Sudanese political analyst and the founding director of Confluence Advisory, a "think-and-do" tank based in Khartoum, to unpack the issues for us and tell us what both policymakers and ordinary people can do to help.

This week, the view is from Sudan.

We want to hear from you! Email us on jasmine@viewfromherepod.com

The View from Here aims to showcase a wide range of views and opinions, which do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host.

Episode Notes:

Articles by Kholood:

The World Once Tried to Stop a Genocide in Sudan. Now It Looks Away: https://time.com/7017127/sudan-darfur-crisis/

Sudan's Dangerous Descent Into Warlordism: https://time.com/6342732/sudan-burhan-hemedti-descent-warlordism/

Local Aid Groups Are Keeping Sudan Alive: https://www.chathamhouse.org/publications/the-world-today/2024-12/local-aid-groups-are-keeping-sudan-alive

Article by Ahmed Gouja:

An Atrocity Foretold: How the RSF Seige of Al Fasher Turned Into Genocidal Slaughter: https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2025/10/30/atrocity-foretold-how-rsf-siege-el-fasher-turned-genocidal-slaughter

How You Can Help:

Mutual Aid Sudan: https://www.mutualaidsudan.org/

Sudan Solidarity Collective: https://www.sudansolidarity.com/

Sudanese-American Physicians Association (SAPA): https://sapa-usa.org/

In the season finale of "The View From Here," Jasmine reflects on the key themes and lessons learned from season one: the importance of human security and the responsibility to protect;  the role of trust, whether between states or between societies and their governments; why exhibiting empathy in negotiations is not a weakness, but rather, sound strategy; why recognizing and understanding human fear is necessary to breaking cycles of violence; and why accountability in politics is a key factor in a healthy society.

Jasmine highlights the need for a people-centered approach to national security and domestic and foreign policy. She invites audience feedback and encourages listeners to engage with the podcast as it moves into its second season.

This week, the view is from Jasmine.

We want to hear from you! Email us on jasmine@viewfromherepod.com

The View from Here aims to showcase a wide range of views and opinions, which do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast or its host.