392. From Iran to the U.S.: Dr. Annahita West on Politics, Identity, and Change

The New Evangelicals Podcast

Tim Whitaker

News, Religion & Spirituality, Politics, Christianity

4.6 • 936 Ratings

🗓️ 28 July 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In today's episode, Tim interviews Dr. Annahita Madhavi West, a psychologist and Iranian-American immigrant. They discuss her journey from Iran to the U.S., the cultural and religious landscape of Iran, the impact of American intervention in Iranian politics, and the current state of immigration and asylum in the U.S. Dr. West shares her critical views on the Democratic Party and emphasizes the importance of hope and advocacy for justice in the face of political challenges. Annahita on Instagram | @dr_annahitamahdaviwest Chapters 01:40 Growing Up in Iran: A Personal Journey 07:43 Cultural and Religious Dynamics in Iran 17:21 The Current State of Immigration in the U.S. 25:31 Political Landscape: Trump, Biden, and Beyond 34:09 Faith, Hope, and Advocacy ____________________________________________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you'd like to support our work, you can DONATE here!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Us On Instagram @thenewevangelicals Subscribe On YouTube @thenewevangelicals The New Evangelicals exists to support those who are tired of how evangelical church has been done before and want to see an authentic faith lived out with Jesus at the center. This show is produced by Josh Gilbert Media | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joshgilbertmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We are committed to building a caring community that emulates the ways of Jesus by reclaiming the evangelical tradition and embracing values that build a better way forward. If you’ve been marginalized by your faith, you are welcome here. We’ve built an empathetic and inclusive space that encourages authentic conversations, connections and faith. Whether you consider yourself a Christian, an exvangelical, someone who's questioning your faith, or someone who's left the faith entirely, you are welcome here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to the new evangelicals podcast.
0:12.5	All right, friends, what's up?
0:14.0	Welcome back to the podcast.
0:15.6	Good to be with you.
0:16.9	This is a great conversation.
0:19.0	I say that every time because it's true. Like I try and bring you
0:22.0	great conversations. And frankly, all these conversations are great. So it's not just like a habit.
0:28.0	I really mean it when I say that. On this episode, I interviewed Dr. Anahita Madhavi West. She's fantastic.
0:36.0	She's a psychologist. She's an Iranian-born American. She has a
0:40.9	humongous resume of experience and wealth and knowledge. And she's married to Dr. Cornell West.
0:48.2	And I brought her on to talk about a little bit about Iran, what it was like growing up there,
0:52.4	how the country has changed. And then we talk about American politics. And I get her thoughts on what do we do going forward. And I'm going to, I'm going to just warn you now. She is not a fan of the Democratic Party. I'm just letting you know. So she's one of these people that is going to bend some of your categories. I think that's a really good thing. So I'll let her explain all that in the episode. Thank you so much for being here,
1:14.7	friends. It means the world. If you want to support the work that we're doing, please consider
1:18.4	becoming a donor of the show. We are a nonprofit organization, educating people on the dangers
1:24.1	of Christian nationalism, helping folks find a better path forward in faith, politics, and culture. So, yeah, and we do that because of your support. So thank you
1:31.9	so much for your generosity. And also, do not forget, we have a community space called TNE Connect.
1:37.5	It's not only an iOS and Android app. It's also a website. So you can get to it from the web or
1:43.4	from an app. It's completely free.
1:45.1	It's a great way to connect with people who are like-minded,
1:47.7	trying to find that better way forward.
1:49.1	All right, enjoy this conversation.
1:50.4	See ya.
	...

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