This Being Human

Farah Alibay often sounds more like a philosopher than an engineer. She works at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she helps operate the Perseverance Rover, which searches for evidence of ancient life on Mars. She talks about how her job has changed her views of Earth, her rise through a male-dominated field, and why she thinks the prospect of extraterrestrial life raises major questions around how we understand humanity. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman This Being Human is generously supported by The Aga Khan Museum. If you would like to support the Museum, please visit https://agakhanmuseum.org Additional resources: Follow Farah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FarahAlibay Follow the Perseverance Rover on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NASAPersevere/ Read more about the Perseverance Rover: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zarqa Nawaz is going through a bit of a rebirth. It's been roughly decade since the end of her hit show 'Little Mosque on the Prairie'. Recently, Zarqa got into stand-up comedy, she's about to star in the web series ZARQA, and she is on the verge of releasing her first novel, 'Jameela Green Ruins Everything', a dark comedy about American intervention in the Middle East.Zarqa talks about using comedy to address uncomfortable or taboo topics, from dating and divorce in Muslim culture, to the rise of ISIS. She also discusses how she has dealt with backlash from her community and what it's like to step out from behind the camera. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, click here for show notes, biographies, and additional resources relating to this conversation.  This Being Human is generously supported by The Aga Khan Museum. For more on the Museum, please visit https://agakhanmuseum.org/ Additional resources: ZARQA official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP9NVAZUdHA Zarqa’s website: https://zarqanawaz.com/ Zarqa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealzarqa/?hl=en Jameela Green Ruins Everything: https://zarqanawaz.com/books/jameela-green-ruins-everything/ More on Little Mosque on the Prairie: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/little-mosque-on-the-prairieSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hamid Dabashi calls himself “the first Muslim intellectual.” He is the author of more than twenty books, a consultant on major Hollywood films, a curator and juror of film festivals, and a professor of Iranian Studies and comparative literature at Columbia University. He talks about how an early love of Indian musicals, his mother’s poetry and travelling storytellers led him towards a life of writing and criticism. And he reflects on his friendship with renowned cultural critic Edward Said. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roni Helou is a rising star from Lebanon’s fashion scene. The young designer talks about making fashion with a message, why he staged a photoshoot on a mountain of garbage, and surviving the explosion that devastated Beirut in 2020. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Misha Euceph is the host of the podcast Tell Them, I Am and CEO of Dustlight Productions. Tell Them, I Am features major Muslim celebrities telling stories of little moments that changed their lives. She talks about her rise to podcast fame, her struggle to gain ownership over her show, and making the Quran more accessible. You can watch her Quran Book Club on her Instagram page. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Khalid Albaih is a Sudanese political cartoonist, who publishes cartoons online under the name Khartoon! as well as in galleries and publications around the world. He talks about how Superman shaped his worldview, the dangers of his work, and why he's trying to change his relationship with the internet. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 the academic director of the Bengal Institute for Architecture, Landscapes and Settlements. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 public Facebook page with over 130,000 followers. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 happily married couples. She talks about breaking stereotypes, capturing intimate moments and a time she had to wear a disguise to get the job done. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anissa Helou is an award-winning cookbook author, whose books include Lebanese Cuisine, Mediteranean Street Food and Feast: Food of the Islamic World.  She talks about why she actively avoided cooking for much of her life, her dramatic and unlikely path to her current profession, and why she undertook the massive project of trying to capture the food of Muslim societies all around the world. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy 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.  Today, Asad Ali Jafri is the executive director of the South Asia Institute in Chicago. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. They talk about the chance meeting that led them from writing jingles to scoring movies, why they take issue with the term Bollywood, and what it’s really like to work with a sibling. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy 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. Shireen was an outspoken critic of FIFA’s seven-year hijab ban. She talks about how that ban affected her personally, her childhood in a Pakistani household in Halifax, and breaking into the world of mainstream sports broadcasting. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy 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 of the Arts at New York University. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 about being called a social media influencer and the deeply personal journey he took to find his roots while the world watched in real time.  If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 of a crowd, and how war has changed the way he paints. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 about humanity. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghumanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.