Pehchaan

Pehchaan
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Extra-ordinary Pakistani American Stories.

  1. 4d ago

    Untold Story of Jewish Holocaust Survivor Who Returned to Lahore

    Did you know Pakistan had a Jewish community? In this episode, we chat with New York based Pakistani filmmaker Hina Ali, director of Salam Shalom, a documentary exploring a hidden chapter of Pakistan’s Jewish history through the extraordinary story of Hazel Selzer Kahan, an 86-year-old Jewish woman born and raised in Lahore to Jewish physicians who had fled Nazi Germany and found refuge in Pakistan, but eventually were forced to leave. Forty years after leaving Pakistan, Hazel returns to her hometown, confronting memories of her childhood & questions of identity and belonging. Hina first discovered Hazel’s story while researching during the COVID-19 pandemic. What began as an unexpected discovery became a five-year filmmaking journey that took Hina from New York back to Pakistan, through Karachi’s Jewish history and spaces. The film reveals and preserves a hidden chapter of the Jewish diaspora and Holocaust history while challenging our understanding of Pakistan as a homeland belonging only to Muslims. Hina first arrived in the United States on a 2013 Fulbright scholarship. After years of traveling between Pakistan and the U.S., she eventually settled in New York to pursue documentary filmmaking. Her own journey, from being the first in her family to go to college working as a journalist in Pakistan to resisting marriage pressure, shapes the way she approaches her stories. She discusses her desire to make films that show a more nuanced story about Pakistan and what it means to preserve histories that have been forgotten and denied. Support the Film: https://www.salamshalomdoc.com/

  2. May 4

    How i-Care Foundation is Changing the Way Pakistani Americans Donate | Meet Wasiq Ismail

    In this episode, we’re joined by Wasiq Ismail, CEO of the i-Care Foundation — the largest and only donor-advised fund that is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivileged Pakistanis by harnessing the diaspora’s economic capital and goodwill. Every year, i-Care generates $10 million of Pakistani American donations through a network of 150+ vetted nonprofits on their platform supporting critical causes from healthcare to education to climate change. We explore the why behind i-Care’s creation, the inspiring story of its visionary founder, how the Pakistani American community has responded and its donation trends, challenges faced along the way, and the powerful donor stories driving change. 🔗 Learn more or get involved: i-care-america.org or 📩 info@i-care-america.org #PakistaniAmerican #PakistaniCharity #PehchaanPodcast #Philanthropy #Pakistan #DiasporaGiving

  3. 12/01/2025

    Unpacking Muslim Mental Health with Ruh Care | Meet Omar Khan

    In this episode, we’re joined by Omar Khan, CEO of Ruh Care — the world’s largest network of Muslim therapists, with 900+ providers across 23 countries in 17 languages where we dive into a vulnerable, but necessary conversation about mental health in the Pakistani and Muslim American community.Our host Bilal opens with his own journey through depression, how Omar’s personal struggles led to the creation of Ruh, the evolution from a Muslim mindfulness app into a global therapy platform, why mainstream mental-health solutions weren’t meeting Muslim needs, Islam’s forgotten mental-health legacy, variations between Muslim subcultures, progress our community has made and ways to expand. 🔗 Learn more: https://www.ruhcare.com/#PakistaniAmerican #PehchaanPodcast #MuslimAmerican #MuslimMentalHealth #MentalHealth #MuslimTherapist

  4. 10/27/2025

    Running 1000 miles across Pakistan to try raising $1 million for charity! Meet Tabarak Rehman

    Running for Change: Tabarak Rehman's Journey from Pakistan to NYC In this episode, we have a special guest, Tabarak Rehman, who undertook an incredible journey of running a thousand miles across Pakistan to raise funds for the Citizens' Foundation. Tabarak shares his experiences of overcoming physical, mental, and emotional challenges during this feat. He also discusses his mission to build a community of young Pakistani professionals in New York City, and his efforts in helping Pakistani students with their educational pursuits through his platform, Dream Bridge. 00:00 Introduction to the Tabarak Rehman 00:55 The Thousand-Mile Run Across Pakistan 04:40 Challenges and Triumphs During the Run 10:16 Fundraising Efforts and Community Support 21:34 Building a Pakistani American Community in NYC 31:26 Exploring Cultural Similarities 32:40 Organizing Successful Events 35:32 Future Vision for PYP 35:51 Introducing Dream Bridge 41:34 Navigating Higher Education Abroad 51:12 The Influencer Journey

  5. 10/18/2025

    Pakistani Mamdani: Mussab Ali, From Cancer Survivor to Jersey City Mayoral Candidate

    In this episode, we’re joined by Mussab Ali, a Pakistani American leader who was the youngest Muslim elected official in the U.S., a stage 4 cancer survivor, a Harvard Law School graduate, and current candidate for Mayor of Jersey City. Born in Lahore and raised in Jersey City after immigrating at age 3, his journey weaves together family sacrifice, faith, resilience, and a deep commitment to public service.In this convo, he shares why he’s running for mayor today and the fight for an affordable city, what it means to grow up a Pakistani American Muslim post 9/11 and in public life, and lessons from surviving cancer & finding purpose in service.#podcast #pehchaan #bilallakhani #PehchaanpodcastConnect with Host: Bilal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.bilal.lak/Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pehchaanpodcast/

  6. 10/18/2025

    Unboxing Tariq Khan: From growing up with parents in jail to marketing visionary in America

    In this episode, we’re joined by Tariq Khan, a trailblazer in the realm of multicultural marketing. Tariq pioneered multicultural marketing at MetLife in the 1990s, long before it became a mainstream concept. He later founded a successful consulting firm focused on helping brands reach diverse audiences. We unpack his journey from a tumultuous childhood in Pakistan to becoming a prominent marketing professional, entrepreneur in the U.S. and the President of OPEN Global.#podcast #pehchaan #bilallakhani #PehchaanpodcastConnect with Host: Bilal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.bilal.lak/Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pehchaanpodcast/

  7. 10/18/2025

    On becoming an American citizen / Launch of Season 3.

    I became an American citizen. And the marriage of excitement & nervousness produced some dramatic comedy on the day I became a citizen. Launching season three of Pehchaan to process my emotions of becoming a citizen and what it means to be Pakistani-American.#podcast #pehchaan #bilallakhani #PehchaanpodcastConnect with Host: Bilal's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.bilal.lak/Podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pehchaanpodcast/

  8. 07/03/2024

    Guilt of leaving Pakistan. Birth of The NewsRun.

    How do you deal with the guilt of leaving Pakistan behind? In this episode of Pehchaan, we’re joined by Anam Khan, Founder of The NewsRun. We talk about our love-hate relationship with passions we pursued to overcome the guilt of leaving Pakistan. And how lonely this journey can be.

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About

Extra-ordinary Pakistani American Stories.

Information

  • Creator
    Pehchaan
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Pehchaan
  • Show Website
    Pehchaan