A podcast to help you get over the pity party
“Are you having a pity party yet? We’re three Muslim women from three different parts of the world living in the Greater Toronto Area and we all happen to have disabilities - combined we have over 150 years of lived experiences of disability,” remarked Rabia Khedr, CEO of DEEN Support Services at the start of the new ‘Pity Party Podcast’ that was launched in September by DEEN Support Services.
“This podcast will be an informal conversation where we hope to have a lot of fun, share a lot of stories and hopefully help you get over the pity party!”
Hosted by Rabia Khedr along with Rafia Haniff-Cleofas, Community Relations Manager of DEEN Support Services, and Omaya Rakieh, Disability Advocate, the podcast is billed as “an exciting podcast that will share stories that will make you laugh and maybe even make you cry sometimes!”
On the first episode, posted on September 17, 2021, the three women opined about the Canadian federal elections and they certainly had something to say about the issues that matter to them in the elections.
According to the co-hosts, “the podcast aims to raise awareness about the day-to-day realities of people with disabilities, their trials and triumphs, their opinions and ideas.
The podcast covers topical issues including a recent episode on Truth and Reconciliation and how Canada is falling short of its duties towards Indigenous peoples.
On the Thanksgiving episode, “Cooking Big Birds,” they reflected on gratitude and spoke of what they end up doing on these holidays.
“We always take advantage of this time of the year because when else can we get halal birds, halal turkeys.”
In the 6th episode their conversation was about Islamic History Month and Islamic Heritage Month.
“As Canadians and Muslim women we take pride in this month. Often Muslims with disabilities get left out of the stories told about Islamic contributions to society.
“To make sure this doesn’t happen anymore, in this episode we talk about the legacy of Muslims with disabilities. We want to educate others about Islam and disability so those that came before us can be recognized and celebrated.”
Check out ‘The Pity Party Podcast’ at the Deen Support Services YouTube channel.