This Being Human

Marina Tabassum is an acclaimed Bangladeshi architect whose work includes Bangladesh’s underground Museum of Independence and the award-winning Bait Ur Rouf Mosque. She talks about working with local materials, the rich landscape of Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, and why she designed $200 mobile houses to address climate change. Marina Tabassum is the founder of Marina Tabassum Architects and t...

Ian Whiteman was a fixture of the 60’s UK music scene and member of the cult classic bands Mighty Baby and The Habibiyya. He reflects on the early early days of psychedelic rock, and talks about how Islam became a major part of that scene, leading to his own conversion and his friendship with Yusuf Islam, A.K.A. Cat Stevens. His latest album is called Poor Man’s Prayer. The Museum wishes to thank...

As the founder of the popular online community Muslim Mamas, Nargis Jahan-Uddin has a front row seat to the ongoing interests and concerns of Muslim mothers. She gives us a look into the contemporary online world of Muslim motherhood, and talks about her own journey from an impoverished neighbourhood of London, to creating this growing online community, which now includes a lifestyle website and a...

Tasneem Alsultan is a photographer based in Saudi Arabia. Her work has documented major changes in Saudi culture for The New York Times, National Geographic and others. But she also captures the more ordinary aspects of life. She won first prize in the 2017 World Photography Organisation Awards for Saudi Tales of Loves, a series showcasing love stories of all kinds, from divorcees and widows to ha...

Shahzia Sikander is a visual artist who revolutionized miniature painting, and is now widely credited for creating the neo-miniaturist movement. She looks back on her life and her thirty-year career in the arts. A retrospective of Shahzia Sikander’s work, called Extraordinary Realities, is currently on display at The Morgan Library and Museum. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed fo...

Anissa Helou is an award-winning cookbook author, whose books include Lebanese Cuisine, Mediteranean Street Food and Feast: Food of the Islamic World. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Asad Ali Jafri spent his early childhood in Kuwait, but found himself in the suburbs of Chicago after the outbreak of war. Hip hop became his entry point to American culture, quickly taking over his life and leading him down a path to the arts and community organizing. He started DJing under the name Man-O-Wax, staged major festivals, and became a visionary curator of contemporary Muslim arts. Tod...

Brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have composed some of the biggest anthems in India as the film composing duo Salim-Sulaiman. They’ve also produced pop songs, devotionals, a sports anthem, and remixed Lady Gaga. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shireen Ahmed is a sports journalist and advocate. She’s a go-to voice for TSN and The Guardian and co-hosts the podcast Burn It All Down. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wafaa Bilal has pushed his body to extreme lengths in the name of art. He has subjected himself to waterboarding, mounted a camera to the back of his head, and spent a month living in a gallery, where strangers shot him with tens of thousands of paintballs. He talks about escaping Iraq during the war and why he puts his body on the line for art. Wafaa is currently a professor at the Tisch School o...

Tanya Muneera Williams is a poet and member of the hip-hop duo Poetic Pilgrimage. She talks about her childhood in Bristol, England, the city’s rich music scene, and the spiritual journey she took from her mother’s church to her conversion to Islam. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Nadir Nahdi runs the popular YouTube channel BENI, where he documents contemporary Muslim life around the world. Nadir comes from a tradition of thought and debate. His father, Fuad Nahdi, was a well-known journalist and satirist, as well as a giant in the UK Muslim community and a major figure in interfaith discussions. Nadir talks about what he’s learned from his parents, his mixed feelings abou...

Kevork Mourad is an Armenian-Syrian artist who collaborates with musicians, creating visual art in front of live audiences. He has worked with some of the most celebrated performers in classical music including Yo-Yo Ma, violist Kim Kashkashian and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. He talks about growing up as an Armenian in Syria, developing his unique practice, the thrill of creating art in front...

Dr. Ayesha Khanna is a global leader in artificial intelligence and an advocate for good governance in the tech sector. As the co-founder and CEO of ADDO AI, she has helped develop projects like smart cities and financial innovations. She talks about why she believes the world should look east for models of tech governance, the ethical struggles involved in AI and what technology can teach us abou...

Omid Safi is a leading expert on 13th century poet Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, who is the best-selling poet in modern day America. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Alaa Murabit was born in Saskatoon, but moved to Zawiya, Libya at the age of 15 to study medicine. While she was there, she witnessed the 2011 Revolution, which changed the course of her life. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is a member of the ruling family of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, and the founder of the Barjeel Art Foundation. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ginella Massa is the host of Canada Tonight on CBC, making her the first national news anchor who wears a hijab in Canada. She talks about her upbringing in a Catholic Afro-Latina family, growing up as an immigrant in Toronto and how she ended up in TV news. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of  This Being Human . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...

In spring of 2020, when America was first grappling with COVID-19, Dr. Craig Considine wrote an article for  NewsWeek  about what the Prophet Muhammad had to say about living through a pandemic. He found a lot that still resonates today. He talks about those lessons and others, what the current state of the world could mean for interfaith dialogue and how, as a Catholic from Boston, he b...

Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talks about what propelled her to expose social injustices in unflinching documentaries like  Saving Face  and  A Girl In the River . It’s a journey that took her from a childhood in Karachi, Pakistan to the offices of the New York Times, to winning two Academy Awards. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of&n...

Wajahat Ali became one of the most high-profile Muslims in the American media following the September 11th attacks, making regular appearances on  CNN , writing for  The New York Times  and hosting a show on  Al Jazeera America. He talks about growing up in a Pakistani-American household, writing an acclaimed play about the American Muslim experience, and dealing with his young...

This Being Human  is a new podcast by the Aga Khan Museum. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an incredible person at the top of their game on Muslim art, culture, history, and society. They'll explore everything from prayer and pilgrimage, politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, and film, sports and music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversat...