Saadia Khan & Asad Butt

Saadia Khan and Asad Butt are the hosts of Invisible Hate. Follow Saadia on Twitter here, Asad on Twitter here, Invisible Hate on Twitter here.

Explain Invisible Hate in 10 words or less.
Saadia: A true crime podcast with a purpose.

Fill in the blank: You will like Invisible Hate if you like ______.
Saadia: Serial/Morbid/Crime Junkie

Why are you the prefect hosts for this show?
Saadia: As a Muslim woman of color, I have faced numerous microaggressions due to my identity. For instance, "go back to where you came from" or "you only have a voice as a woman because you are in America." Although I have not necessarily been hate-crimed because I don't visibly look Muslim as perceived by the broader American society, I know many friends and community members who have been targeted. Even my daughter was called "the queen of Taliban" when she was only 11 years old, which took a huge mental toll on her and us. So for me, highlighting these stories ensures people are aware of the crimes, and we can honor the victims. This is crucial in promoting a more inclusive and equitable society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. And I am best suited to tell these stories because they impact me at a personal level. 

Asad: To add to what Saadia said, we also have both been podcasters for a few years now and have a deep understanding of how to make an engaging podcast. Hopefully, we’ve assembled a great team to deliver a top notch podcast each week that highlights our journalistic and podcasting abilities. 

Was there a podcast that served as inspiration for Invisible Hate?
Saadia: I am a fan of the Serial podcast. I currently listen to true crime podcasts like Crime Junkie and Morbid. Still, the inspiration came from the urgent need to amplify voices and stories often sidelined or misrepresented in mainstream media. Our team saw a void in compelling storytelling and decided to fill it with an honest and respectful account of the mistreatment of marginalized groups in America.

Asad: Outside of the crime genre, The Daily was an inspiration for me. Usually its one journalist sharing a new story with the host. Excellent sound design. Succinct. Great content and production.

How does your previous work fit into this project?
Saadia: My other podcast Immigrantly is focused on featuring unadulterated and intentional conversations around race, identity, and the immigrant experience in America. Invisible Hate is an extension of my commitment to holding spaces for people whose stories are often forgotten or underreported. In addition, invisible Hate allows me to investigate further and bring to the fore the harmful effects of how innocent people are targeted based on their identity. 

Asad: In 2021, my company produced King of the World, a narrative series about American Muslim life after 9/11. Researching that podcast, it was illuminating to see just how many hate crimes or suspected hate crimes have occurred to the Muslim community. We shared some of the big stories on that podcast series. As we did more research on minority crimes in general, the numbers and impact were staggering. It was clear more reporting needed to be done

Does it take a toll on you to report on these stories? 
Saadia: Yes, it does. I continuously worry about how to tell the story without exploiting the victims or leveraging their trauma. Further, these stories constantly remind me that these heinous crimes happen around us, to people we love, and within our communities, and that nobody is safe until all of us are safe. 

How are each of you different? What do you each bring to the table?
Saadia: Asad is calmer, more organized, and a great listener. I am a bit impatient, more passionate, and intentional about how the narrative is formed and eventually shared with the listeners. Despite some differences, we have open communication, which helps with effective execution. 

Asad: Saadia is the creative driving force of this series. She keeps the trains running on time and on schedule. She also brings a lot of insight about podcasting, true crime, and  the immigrant experience into the production and execution of the show. She’s also a lot better at expressing her thoughts and opinions in real time, whereas weeks later i’ll have come up with something I should have said 🙂.

How is this different from other true crime shows?
Saadia: Invisible Hate is a true crime podcast to honor victims from marginalized communities and create awareness about inequities in our legal and social discourse. 

Pretend you were going to make another podcast…don’t worry about the logistics or whether or not anyone would like it. Your budget is $1M. What’s the show?
Saadia: American pop culture seen from the perspective of people from diverse backgrounds. So basically, pick a song/movie/tv show every week and dissect it with wit and humor.

What’s a show you love that everybody loves?
Saadia: Serial and Ultra

Asad: Pivot and Breaking Points.

What’s a show you love that not enough people know about?
Saadia: Maintenance Phase/King of the World

Thanks, Saadia and Asad!