🎙️This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Mehdi Hasan—Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Zeteo, an independent media platform built to challenge power and amplify silenced voices. Known worldwide for his fearless debate style and sharp fact-checking, Mehdi has spent 25 years exposing propaganda and holding leaders to account.
His layered identity has shaped his worldview: the son of Indian immigrants, a Shia Muslim growing up in the UK as a “minority within a minority,” and now himself an immigrant navigating life across the U.S. and U.K. These experiences of being both insider and outsider inform his politics, his journalism, and his commitment to truth in an era of disinformation.
From his book Win Every Argument to his viral debates on TV, Mehdi’s work blends storytelling with accountability. As a Muslim with immigrant Indian parents who grew up in England and now works across the U.S. and U.K., he reflects on what it means to be a minority within a minority—and how identity, politics, and media intersect in today’s polarized world.
And beyond his career highlights, Mehdi opens up about the struggles of independent journalism, the danger faced by Palestinian reporters in Gaza, and why disinformation remains one of the greatest threats to truth.
🔑 In this conversation, we explore:
➡ Why Mehdi built Zeteo to rival corporate media
➡ How lies and propaganda became his “antagonist”
➡ Growing up Muslim in the West
➡ Lessons from Win Every Argument on debate & persuasion
➡ Advice for Palestinian and pro-Palestinian students facing attacks
➡ The murder of Gaza’s journalists and why their voices matter
This video is for educational purposes only. It provides historical and political analysis to inform and educate viewers.
📌 Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:28 – The Birth of Zeteo & Challenging Power
03:19 – Propaganda, Lies & Mehdi’s “Antagonist”
07:09 – Growing Up Shia Muslim in the West
10:24 – Sectarianism, Geopolitics & Divide-and-Rule
13:23 – Debate Lessons from Win Every Argument
19:54 – Advice for Palestinian & Pro-Palestinian Students
24:56 – Rapid Fire Questions
32:52- Final Message: Support Independent Media
Email at feedback@sumudpod.com to get your free book “Win Every Argument”
📲 Follow: @Zeteo
🎙 Follow our host: @dredhasan
Shop his book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/win-every-argument-the-art-of-debating-persuading-and-public-speaking-mehdi-hasan/18308276?ean=9781250853462&next=t
🌐 Explore more: https://sumudpod.com
Check out: https://zeteo.com/
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