Gen Z Talks: Recent Episodes

Firdaous Alaoui

Gen Z Talks is a podcast created as a form of advocacy to give voice to Zoomers' thoughts on social and political issues. The voices behind it are Firdaous, Sarah, and Yousra, three Muslim women from different parts of the world and with different views that join to talk everything about culture, politics, and activism.

Follow the podcast on social media @genztalkspod for more content!

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One of the biggest sins in Islam is usury or riba; in fact, taking any type of interest is prohibited. In today's episode, Firdaous and Sarah have a conversation with Matthew Hutchison, a recent Muslim revert, businessman and YouTuber, on the dangers usury has in society. They discuss the reasons why it doesn't work, as well as how money has become the new religion in the West.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod Thank you for listening! -- Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui, Sarah Mohammed Cover designer: Helen Writer: Zaineb Abdulsatar

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What does come to mind when you think of immigrant parents? Maybe that they’re odd, after all, it’s difficult for them to integrate after migrating. In today’s episode, Firdaous talks about the struggles immigrant parents go through, as well as how they view their host country and how they feel about their home.

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For many people, Eurovision shouldn’t be made political at all, it’s just a cultural show they say… Then why did they ban Russia? Why did Ukraine win last year? And why is Israel still taking part when they are unaliving Palestinians day after day? In today’s episode, Firdaous and Zaineb talk about the contest that took part last Saturday and its double moral.

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Growing up in a low-income family taught us to appreciate the value of money and prioritize meeting basic needs. In this episode, Firdaous and Sarah share their experiences of growing up in different social classes. Firdaous also discusses the culture shock she faced when she began studying and working with people from diverse backgrounds, and how she is adapting to understanding that not everyone shares her perspective on life.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui, Sarah MohammedCover designer: Helen

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Everyone knows the American dream is a lie, but what if TikTok sells it to us? The Lucky Girl Syndrome is Gen Z’s version of America’s propaganda. In this episode, Firdaous talks about how achieving your dream has less to do with believing that you are lucky enough to get them and more with the privileged that made it easy for you to get there.

P.S. I apologize for the annoying noise you might hear; I kept playing with my mic, but now I know I shouldn't lmaoBECOME GEN Z TALKS' SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER: https://forms.gle/kYaAgGgJTiRVBE1S8Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host: Firdaous AlaouiCover illustrator: Helen

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Sudan is on the verge of war; just a week ago, the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group started a fight that left hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. Today Firdaous is joined by Reem Shawkat, founder of Project Taghyir (@project.taghyir), who gives insight into what is happening in the country. They briefly cover the context that led to the current conflict and how it is affecting the Sudanese people, the international response and what we can do to help.TAKE ACTION: https://linktr.ee/projecttaghyirFollow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host: Firdaous AlaouiCover illustrator: Helen

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“I still remember the day my brother died vividly.”Osama lived through the Syrian war, and he escaped from it. His brother died, and his house was bombed before his eyes. And amid everything, he still had to leave his family and friends behind and start a new life in Spain. In today’s episode, Firdaous is joined by Osama, an 18-year-old Syrian who explains his experience living through the Syrian Revolution.Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host: Firdaous AlaouiCover illustrator: Helen

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Starting your career is difficult, especially if you want to work internationally. In today’s episode, Firdaous interviews Victoria Zagitova (@victoriaspeaking // @youngandhired), a youth advocate, content creator, IR graduate and former UN worker. They talk about everything career-wise, from her experience working in IR and diplomacy to imposter syndrome and failure. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host(s): Firdaous AlaouiEditor: Ulme GarcíaCover illustrator: Helen

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Sometimes all you want to do is crawl into your bed and stay there forever, even the thought of doing anything is too much. But when everyone around you is achieving so much, it’s inevitable to feel like you’re falling behind. In today’s episode, Firdaous talks about being burned out and how that shaped the way she does things now. She also explains the reasons behind Gen Z Talks not being as consistent as she wants it to be and what she’s trying to do to change that. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host(s): Firdaous AlaouiEditor: Ulme GarcíaCover illustrator: Helen

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Does being Jewish mean you support the state of Israel? Can you be Jewish and anti-Zionist? In today’s episode, Firdaous sits with Daniel, a German Jewish, and briefly talk about his point of view as an anti-Zionist Jew and his thoughts on Palestine, Israel and everything in between. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspodThank you for listening!--Host(s): Firdaous AlaouiEditor: Ulme GarcíaCover designer: Helen

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Being religious in the West is almost mission impossible; it's not a society for anyone who wants to become more traditional with their way of living or values. In today's episode, Firdaous and Yousra talk from different perspectives about their experiences with religion and how they see themselves in the future as  Muslims. They also discuss other topics like purity and friendships.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod
Thank you for listening!
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Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui, Yousra Jenkal
Editor: Ulme García
Cover designer: Helen

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This World Cup is way more than football; it’s about history, identity and even faith. In today’s episode, Firdaous and Yousra, two Moroccans raised in the west, have a conversation on how they see their country being qualified for the quarter-finals (by the time this was recorded) and the semi-finals (by the time this was published). They also discuss how Moroccan players being openly Muslim has impacted young Muslims and how Palestine was present even if they weren’t playing.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod
Thank you for listening!
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Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui, Yousra Jenkal
Editor: Ulme García
Cover designer: Helen

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TW: mention of anxiety, depression, self-harm, drug use and suicidal thoughts.

Among Gen Z, talking about mental health is nothing taboo; we talk about it a lot, maybe even too much. In today’s episode, Firdaous reflects on the dangers of being so open about mental health issues and the romanticization of depression and anxiety on TikTok. 

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod

Thank you for listening! 

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Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui 

Editor: Ulme García 

Cover designer: Helen

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From women's perspective, feminism is the only movement/ideology that hears us and gives us a voice; after all, we were the ones who started it. But sometimes, you realize that it is not as ideal as you thought, and not everyone benefits from it. In today's episode, Firdaous reflects on her journey trying to be a feminist (keyword: trying) and how she felt more alone than in a sisterhood. She also talks about why she "left" feminism and how she now sees the concept of relationships and freedom of choice. Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod Thank you for listening! -- Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui Editor: Ulme García Cover designer: Helen

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After the devastating death of Mahsa Amini in Iran last September, people on social media have shown solidarity but is that support really about Iranian women or is it something else? Is this western solidarity that altruistic, or is there a hidden agenda? In this episode, Firdaous and Yousra answer these questions while discussing whether this showed support actually helped.

Follow us on Instagram, Twitter & TikTok: @genztalkspod

Thank you for listening!

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Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui, Yousra Jenkal

Editor: Ulme García

Cover designer: Helen

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Welcome to Gen Z Talks, a podcast by Gen Z for Gen Z about Gen Z. Here we talk about culture, politics and activism. A safe space to chat, discuss and differ in opinions. If you want to join us in an episode, email us at genztalkscontact@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram (@genztalkspod).

Thank you for listening!

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Host(s): Firdaous Alaoui

Editor: Ulme García

Cover designer: Helen

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GZT hosts, Firdaous, Yousra, and Sarah ramble about random topics after a meeting with Gen Z Talks' team. Put this episode in the background while you do other tasks and enjoy!

Website: genztalks.carrd.co | Socials: @genztalkspod · @firdaous.etc · @sarahmohamed.x | Email: genztakscontact@gmail.com

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GZT hosts, Firdaous and Sarah have a conversation with some quite uncomfortable questions and realizations around race. They talk about their own privilege as Muslim Arab women while addressing the racism and colorism in their own communities and families.

Website: genztalks.carrd.co | Socials: @genztalkspod · @firdaous.etc · @sarahmohamed.x | Email: genztakscontact@gmail.com

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In today's episode, Firdaous and Sarah sit after a long time together with Hajar Yagkoubi and have a chat about the role of young people (Gen Z ;p) in politics. They discuss various topics as how politicians value our opinions and how we could start a career in public speaking/advocacy.

Follow Gen Z talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous and Sarah (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2) on Instagram. Follow Hajar Yagkoubi on Instagram (@hajaryagkoubi) and visit her webpage https://www.hajaryagkoubi.com/

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In this week’s episode, Sarah and Firdaous sit and have a chat for back to school. They cover topics from mental health to sexual education. They also give advice at the end, so keep listening for that!!

Follow Gen Z talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous and Sarah (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2) on Instagram.

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In this week’s episode, Sarah and Firdaous spend more than an hour with @omaaaar23, an Afghan living in the US, and talk about the history and people of Afghanistan. They also cover topics like the ways western media portrays the country, as well as the white savior complex and how the Islamic Shari’a is perceived.

Follow Gen Z talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous and Sarah (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2) on Instagram. Follow Omar on Instagram (@omaaaar23).

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In this week’s episode Firdaous and Sarah sit with Maria Serra (@petitamer) and talk about the latest happenings around the climate crisis. Some news they talk about are the fires going on in Turkey, Greece and Algeria, the Amazon rainforest being a source of CO2 and the IPCC report.

Follow Gen Z talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous, Sarah and Yousra (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2 // @ysraaa.j) on Instagram.

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In todays episode Yousra and Sarah talk about ED, fat shaming, diet culture and so much more. This was difficult one to film, as we didn't want to invalidate anyone's experiences with any of the above topics. If anyone has any experiences you want to share, you can always reach out to us!

Follow Gen Z talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous, Sarah and Yousra (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2 // @ysraaa.j) on Instagram.

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In this week’s episode, Firdaous, Yousra and Sarah discuss the latest hijab ban bill passed by the European Court. They also talk about the “my body, my choice” statement and how society sexualizes women’s bodies.

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous, Sarah and Yousra (@firdaous.etc // @sarah2xx2 // @ysraaa.j) on Instagram.

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After a few months on pause, Gen Z Talks is back for a second season with a whole team! In this week's episode, you will get to know the three co-hosts, Firdaous, Sarah and Yousra. Join them while they talk about how they met and play "We're Not Really Strangers."

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow Firdaous, Sarah and Yousra (@firdaousalaouii // @sarah2xx2 // @ysraaa.j) on Instagram.

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In this week's episode, Firdaous is joined by Donia, a poet, for World Poetry Day. They talk for over an hour about poetry and literature, Islam, and other topics as being an influencer and the power of words.

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Follow Donia and Firdaous (@withlovedonia // @firdaousalaouii) on Instagram.

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In this week's episode, Firdaous talks all alone about what she believes is the problem in feminism. She explains why she doesn't see white feminism as valid, the problems it causes, and we should avoid that branch in the movement. Grab a drink and join her!

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Follow Firdaous (@firdaousalaouii) on Instagram.

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In this week's episode, Firdaous sits with Leyla Ahmetova, a 20-years-old theology master student living in Sweden, and they discuss the topic of nationalism, its problems, and its role in society. Join them to learn about the subject! 

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok! Follow Leyla and Firdaous (@7ey1aa // @firdaousalaouii) on Instagram.

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In this episode, Firdaous sits alone and reflects on the representation of Muslim women in literature and audiovisuals productions. She talks about the common stereotypes found in movies and novels and explains their origin. She also tells what a good representation would be and shares her favorite books.

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In this episode, Firdaous talks with Laura (she/her), a feminist activist, about internalized misogyny. They also discuss other problems women face inside the community, such as slut-shaming, putting down others to reach goals, and how men and women can help to end this.

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok.

Follow Laura (@lovesoundly) on Instagram and Twitch, and Firdaous (@firdaousalaouii) on Instagram.

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In this episode, Firdaous presents Gen Z Talks, a podcast where Zoomers get to express their struggles and opinions about current social issues. She also talks briefly about herself and her passions. The next episode, the first long one, is going to be uploaded next Sunday, so stay tuned!

Follow Gen Z Talks (@genztalkspod) on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and Firdaous (@firdaousalaouii) on Instagram.