Sahar Pirzada

Advocacy and West Coast Programs Manager for HEART & Co-Director of Vigilant Love

Listen Now

In a powerful moment during the interview, Sahar explains how religion and political thought has become pathologized through CVE’s inclusion of mental health professionals.

How has mental health been used to scapegoat the Muslim community in CVE programs? Why is it important to address the mental health component? What does mental health do for counterterrorism frameworks? 

Sahar’s Story Offers Lessons in:

• Building coalitions  across local and national levels 

• Creating spaces of healing and mental health wellbeing when organizing for abolitionist futures

• Addressing experiences of gender islamophobia both within and outside of the Muslim community 

• The impact of organizing on the organizer 

In Singapore, Sahar was active with a non-profit that worked on women’s rights issues. During her time there, she quickly learned how organizing in Singapore differed from the United States. How did Sahar’s organizing change when in Singapore?

What does Sahar’s story reveal about gender and carceral regimes in places that brand themselves as contemporary and modern?

Sahar mentions how her identity has changed over the course of her activism. Based on what you know about Sahar, what do you think were the most transformative moments that have changed her outlook on her personal life and life in activism?

How can organizers better support their work and their mental health in this field?