Not From Here

Jaafar Issa
  • 5.0 (46)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

You don't feel like you belong here, you go home and don't feel like you belong there either. Congratulations, you're not from here. Join the club.

  1. I Found 200 Dead Babies in A Hospital Basement | Najah Bazzy

    APR 12

    I Found 200 Dead Babies in A Hospital Basement | Najah Bazzy

    Najah Bazzy has spent 40+ years inside American hospitals, Iraqi refugee homes, and the living rooms of families most people never see. She's the founder of Zaman International, a CNN Hero, a nurse, a mother of four, and one of the most requested guests we've ever had on Not From Here. This conversation covers the questions she asks young people before they get married, why she thinks 60% of marriages are failing, what she found in the basement of a Dearborn hospital in 2002, and the 12-page document she wrote for her own funeral. We get into: * The moment under the Golden Gutter at the Kaaba that changed how she prays * Growing up in a "Sushi" household (Sunni father, Sunni mother) in 1960s Dearborn * The 1967 Detroit race riots through the eyes of a 7-year-old * How her family arrived in America 135+ years ago * The green disposition form that led to hundreds of Muslim babies being cremated * Her actual checklist of questions to ask before you marry someone * Why she thinks kitchens, privacy, and grandparents are the missing pieces * Point of entrance to point of exit: the leadership model she teaches young people * What she wants her kids to carry when she's gone Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: https://vtclosings.com/ 🛏️ Detroit Furniture: https://detfurniture.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Hajje Najah: https://www.instagram.com/zamaninternational/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 0:00 Trailer & Intro 1:36 How Najah sees herself: servant first 4:30 The moment everything started 9:30 Growing up in a "Sushi" household (Sunni-Shia) 14:03 135 years in America: her family's arrival story 28:30 Nursing school, her mother, and pulling all-nighters 37:30 The Iraqi refugee family and the baby on the ventilator 47:32 The green disposition form and cremated babies 1:04:30 "Servant" vs. being created to serve 1:21:32 Why the kitchen matters and privacy in an age of social media 1:24:30 What's broken: divorce, discipline, and raising kids 1:31:30 Why she studied world religions 1:41:31 Zaman's cookie program and who it's really for 2:09:30 Lower brain vs. higher brain at the end of life 2:14:01 Point of entrance to point of exit

    2h 24m
  2. Why Most People Don't Donate (And Why They're Wrong)

    APR 6

    Why Most People Don't Donate (And Why They're Wrong)

    You think your donation doesn't make a difference. You're wrong. In this episode, I sat down with Haj Emo to break down what's really happening on the ground in Lebanon right now, and more importantly, what your money actually does when it gets there. We're talking a million people displaced, medicine completely cut off, families sleeping in cars, rent going from $600 to $2,000 overnight, and organizations that won't help people because they're from the wrong village. Emo runs Amity, a nonprofit that delivered over 54,000 hot meals, 12,000 medical services, 35,000 articles of clothing, and 4,800 mattresses and blankets, in three weeks. He brought the receipts. He showed me what $10 does, what $100 does, and why the people who think their contribution is too small are the ones who need to give the most. Sponsors: 🏠Venture Title Agency: Close on your house with the best title agency! https://vtclosings.com/ 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Amad:
https://www.instagram.com/elzayatemo/ Donate through Amity: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/2649dc79-3c26-4fca-8941-21bd49584853 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 0:00 Intro 1:51 How Bad Is It on the Ground in Lebanon? 4:47 The Medicine Crisis 7:31 Shelter, Price Gouging & Displacement 8:55 Ad Break 9:53 Sectarianism Is Killing the Relief Effort 13:50 The Stadium They Turned Into Housing 16:50 Donor Fatigue & Trusting Where Your Money Goes 19:30 What Your $10, $100, and $1,000 Actually Does 23:00 It's a Marathon Not a Sprint 26:06 Ad Break 27:10 The Emotional Toll on the Diaspora 30:30 Looting, Tribalism & Moral Collapse in Wartime 35:00 Keep Giving

    40 min
  3. How Do We Deal With The War (Living in the West)

    MAR 30

    How Do We Deal With The War (Living in the West)

    This episode was highly requested since the beginning of the war. What are we supposed to do here, living in the West, while our families and communities back home are living through a nightmare every single day? In this solo episode, I break down the psychology behind what you're feeling and why these are normal, documented responses to what we're going through. Then I explore what the research says about why some people break under this kind of pressure and others grow through it. And finally, what we can actually do about it. This podcast is a self-development tool. For me and for you. I learn from prepping these episodes and they make me a better person. I hope this one brings you value. If this resonated, leave a comment and let me know what solo episode topics you want next. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 — Intro 01:40 — How personal is this war to us? 03:05 — Learned Helplessness 06:28 — Compassion Fatigue 08:33 — Ad Break 09:54 — Why numbness doesn't mean you stopped caring 12:23 — Survivor's Guilt 15:04 — Why some people break and others grow 17:37 — Faith is not mysticism 18:46 — Post-Traumatic Growth 19:48 — Locus of Control 22:14 — So what can we actually do? 25:16 — Ad Break 25:49 — Moral Elevation: Your goodness is contagious 27:12 — Tawakkul 29:19 — Performative vs. meaningful action 31:53 — Why your donation matters more than you think 34:52 — Final message

    36 min
  4. Food Specialist: This is Why You Haven't Been Able to Lose Weight (and keep it off)

    MAR 23

    Food Specialist: This is Why You Haven't Been Able to Lose Weight (and keep it off)

    We've been lied to about the Mediterranean diet. In this episode, licensed dietitian Zeinab Soueidan breaks down the biggest misconceptions around food, weight loss, and health. From detox myths and carb fear to the truth about Ozempic, emotional eating, and why the scale isn't the full picture. If you've ever struggled with dieting, cravings, or figuring out what actually works long term, this one's for you. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Zeinab:
https://www.instagram.com/haydahealthy/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:28 Who is Zeinab 03:05 Losing Home: Zeinab's Story from Gaza 06:00 "Clean" vs "Dirty" Food: The Toxic Labels 10:59 Ad Break 11:46 The Detox Myth & Dangerous Food Trends 17:22 Restrictive Diets & Why You Regain the Weight 21:34 The Mediterranean Diet Myth 28:42 Cutting Sugar: What Actually Happened 34:21 Building a System That Works 41:41 Move More Before You Eat Less 46:27 Why "Cheat Meals" Need a New Name 48:00 Ad Break 48:38 Weekend Indulging: Are You Ruining Your Progress? 54:20 PCOS, Insulin Resistance & Women's Health 58:50 Sleep, Stress & Why You Crave Junk 01:03:49 Ramadan, Delayed Gratification & Self-Control 01:09:34 The Truth About Ozempic 01:13:05 Beyond the Scale: What Actually Matters

    1h 22m
  5. The Psychology Of Evil (And Why You're Not Immune)

    MAR 18

    The Psychology Of Evil (And Why You're Not Immune)

    We spend so much energy asking how people become capable of evil. The answer isn't as far from us as we think. Jeffrey Epstein didn't operate alone. He operated inside a network of powerful, wealthy, influential people who knew, looked away, and protected him. Netanyahu has millions of people who have walked every step of that road alongside him, justifying, rationalizing, cheering. These aren't monsters from another world. These are people who walked a road. Step by step. And they had company the entire way. In this episode I'm breaking down the psychology behind what's happening in the Muslim world right now, the sectarian divide, the dehumanization, the tribalism tearing the Ummah apart at the moment we need each other most. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v

    30 min
  6. Sleep Doctor: The Most Shocking Sleep Facts Nobody Ever Told You

    MAR 9

    Sleep Doctor: The Most Shocking Sleep Facts Nobody Ever Told You

    In this episode, I sit down with sleep doctor Dr. Miriam Jaziri for a real conversation about what sleep is actually doing for your brain, and why so many of us feel tired, foggy, and overstimulated even when we think we’re “getting enough.” We break down how learning and memory are shaped during sleep, what deep sleep vs REM vs light sleep really means, and how to interpret your wearable data without letting a “sleep score” control your life. We also get into the stuff nobody wants to admit: insomnia, waking up throughout the night, caffeine timing, late-night food, doomscrolling, and how the news cycle keeps your nervous system on high alert. We also discuss how to protect your rest during Ramadan, when your schedule shifts, your nights get longer, and your energy can crash if you don’t adapt intentionally. If you’ve been running on empty, this episode will help you understand your sleep, protect your focus, and build a routine that actually works. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... 🚗 Nasser Insurance Agency: Get a Quote on your Home, Auto, Business, & Life Insurance https://www.nasserinsuranceagency.com/ +1 (313) 899 - 7888 🏦 West Capital Lending: START BUILDING YOUR HOME’S EQUITY WITH WEST CAPITAL LENDING: https://heloc.westcapitallending.com/account/heloc/register?referrer=a5aab5a8-6bbf-4c7c-9b2b-3abef973d673 +1 (313) 367-4400 ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:42 Who is Dr. Miriam 06:04 Learning happens during sleep 07:48 Sleep through culture’s lens 12:07 How accurate are your wearables? 19:01 Ads 20:04 Deep Sleep, REM Sleep, Light Sleep 21:28 How long should your naps be 22:31 Caffeine 26:48 Insomnia (When you can’t fall asleep) 33:07 Night Owl vs Early Bird 37:21 Society isn’t optimized for sleep 38:51 Waking up a lot during the night 42:12 Food and your sleep quality 50:51 Ads 51:59 Doomscrolling before sleep 54:28 Watching the news 57:56 How your bedroom should be 1:03:49 Ramadan and Sleep 1:21:40 Closing thoughts

    1h 26m
  7. Parenting Specialist: Married Women Are At Their Breaking Point (they're not okay)

    FEB 22

    Parenting Specialist: Married Women Are At Their Breaking Point (they're not okay)

    This episode is a straight conversation about what breaks homes from the inside: family dynamics, cultural expectations, and people crossing boundaries like it’s normal. Fatimah and I talk about the gap between parents and kids today, how mothers can unintentionally shape their sons in a way that harms his future marriage, and why in-laws end up controlling the household. We also get into broken marriages, the double standard between boys and girls, and what it takes to raise kids who can handle the real world without losing themselves. In this day and age there is a new way to parent kids and we have no idea what that is. Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... 🚗 Nasser Insurance Agency: Get a Quote on your Home, Auto, Business, & Life Insurance https://www.nasserinsuranceagency.com/ +1 (313) 899 - 7888 🏦 West Capital Lending: START BUILDING YOUR HOME’S EQUITY WITH WEST CAPITAL LENDING: https://heloc.westcapitallending.com/account/heloc/register?referrer=a5aab5a8-6bbf-4c7c-9b2b-3abef973d673 +1 (313) 367-4400 ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Fatimah: https://www.instagram.com/fatimahybazzi/ https://www.youtube.com/@Fatimah-Bazzi Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 02:08 Fatimah’s re-introduction 04:08 Living in a different generation 07:00 The gap between mothers and their kids 10:34 Ads 11:52 Mom channeling love from husband to son + Outlook on his wife 17:44 Psychological breakdown of the mothers 24:40 The Letter Test 31:44 Broken marriages 37:44 In-laws disrupting the household + challenging culture 48:04 How broken women treat their children 58:18 Double Standard between boys and girls 1:01:50 Ads 1:02:53 Men unrealistic in their pursuit for marriage 1:05:10 Training daughters for the real world 1:14:43 Reacting to parenting videos 1:28:10 How do we reclaim our kids

    1h 44m
  8. What Really Happens When a Muslim Gets Elected into a Political Position in the United States?

    FEB 16

    What Really Happens When a Muslim Gets Elected into a Political Position in the United States?

    Every time a Muslim enters politics, the question isn’t “What will they do?”, it’s “When will they sell out?” In this conversation, Abbas Alawieh and I dig into the distrust many Arabs and Muslims feel toward politicians, even when they’re “one of us.” We talk about how money actually functions in American politics, whether the system forces compromise, and why suspicion toward Muslims in authority didn’t come out of nowhere. We break down the real tension:
Can you change the law from the inside?
Should you always agree with “your” politician?
And what happens when foreign policy, party pressure, and community expectations collide? Sponsors: 💆🏻‍♂️💆🏻‍♀️ Thrive Physical Therapy and Massage: Book your next session NOW! https://thrive1.simplybook.me/v2/#book +1 (313) 429-9079 ☕️ Detroit Perk Coffee: Try The Best Coffee In Town https://detroitperk.com/ Download the app: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detroit... 🚗 Nasser Insurance Agency: Get a Quote on your Home, Auto, Business, & Life Insurance https://www.nasserinsuranceagency.com/ +1 (313) 899 - 7888 🏦 West Capital Lending: START BUILDING YOUR HOME’S EQUITY WITH WEST CAPITAL LENDING: https://heloc.westcapitallending.com/account/heloc/register?referrer=a5aab5a8-6bbf-4c7c-9b2b-3abef973d673 +1 (313) 367-4400 ⚖️ Hall Makled: When You Can’t Afford to Lose, Make the Right Call https://www.hallmakled.com/ +1 (313) 788-8888 Connect with Abbas: https://www.instagram.com/abbasformi/ Connect with Jaafar: https://www.instagram.com/podnotfromhere/ https://twitter.com/JaafarrIssa https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaafar-issa-8046a419b/v 00:00 Intro 01:30 Who is Abbas? 06:17 Relationship with grandmother 13:57 Ads 15:42 How money functions in our politics 22:30 Arabs/Muslims that go into politics 39:58 Should you always agree with the politician? 50:42 Ads 51:55 Can you change the law? 57:51 Mayor Amer Ghaleb example 1:04:21 The Uncommitted campaign + Making real change 1:19:18 Pressure from both sides of the aisle 1:24:53 Abbas calling his grandmother after the win

    1h 32m
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5
out of 5
46 Ratings

About

You don't feel like you belong here, you go home and don't feel like you belong there either. Congratulations, you're not from here. Join the club.

Information

  • Creator
    Jaafar Issa
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118

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