The Scholar and The Student

(... although we didn't actually have tea...)   

We welcome back to the show Teezy, who was (coincidentally?) on the 6th  episode of last season.  We spoke on a range of subjects, from parents to how the pandemic has changed the landscape of the arts. We also briefly spoke about our relationships with God. Tjisewa Kahuku was born in the village of Mahalapye, Botswana. He goes by the stage name, Teezy K, as a hip-hop artist. He is also an actor, comedian, host, creative writer and motivational speaker.   
Contains some crass humour and language, but nothing would fetch it more than a TV-14 Rating.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

Be sure to check out Teezy on all his platforms:  
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/teezy_k_kahawa  
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/youngteezy.kahuku 
Facebook (page) ➔ https://facebook.com/Teezy-K-1878250139125718 
Facebook (Kahawa) ➔ https://facebook.com/kahawaent 
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8gUiwUF_QfiMJS82mmXY2Aw

Credit for the background vocals in the intro and outro ➔ https://www.noiiz.com/sounds/free_packs/1317
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

We welcome to the show Professor James Hodkinson of Warwick University to discuss a controversial topic we had previously glared over. Being a  Muslim musician, we asked James about his own journey to Islam, how he kept on playing music even after embracing the faith as well as the  arguments in favour of the permissibility of music from classical  scholars. The discussion progressed to larger questions of identity as  well as certain genres which may still be deemed taboo.
P.S.:- I used the word 'bastards' when translating the name of the band,  The Kominas. Be wary if that bothers you, but I did not envision this  podcast to be for kids anyway.

James Hodkinson is a UK-based academic, specialising in research into Islam in Germany. Following a year in Melbourne, Australia (2019-20) he now lives in Hertfordshire UK with his family and is a Professor at Warwick University. In 2019 he accepted Islam and became a Muslim.
James was born in Liverpool (1973) and has spent his live balancing his time between academic study, work and his other great passion – music. In 2015 he began a programme of public engagement work, that took him out from the university campus to work with Muslim communities across the UK, seeking ways in which his knowledge and experience could bring benefit to those communities. The close working and personal relations he formed had a profound impact on him; Islam ceased to be a merely academic interest and became his new faith: he made shahada in Liverpool in 2019 in the presence of Shaykh Ibrahim Osi Efa.
He lived in Melbourne, Australia with his family during 2019-20, where he was attached to Monash University, attended the Elsedeaq Mosque in Heidelberg and immersed himself in the Muslim community. Now back in the UK, he has resumed his work at Warwick University, where he again teaches German language and culture, but is responsible, too, for engaging with the wider public and bringing the university’s messages and work to less privileged communities. During lockdown he has rekindled his love of music and creates electronic music for cultural and, indeed, spiritual purposes. Together with award winning artist Mohammed Ali (AKA Aerosol Ali), brother James is a member of the Birmingham based arts collective Soul City Arts (www.soulcityarts.com), and he is especially interested in the role the arts can play in communicating and celebrating the values of Islam and keen to engage in debates in this often misunderstood and misrepresented area.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
Be sure to check out James on all his platforms:
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/james_hodkinson 
Facebook ➔ https://web.facebook.com/james.hodkinson.7  
Facebook (page) ➔ https://facebook.com/James.Hodkinson.Music 
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/Dr_James_H  
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChzcuda1mNO4AtfbMJJ3LVw

The music in the intro and outro is sampled from 'The Adoration',  composed by James Hodkinson himself. You can check it out here ➔ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYYG7HsKSRE
All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

We welcome to the show MJ Khan to speak about all things gaming, pop culture and how being Muslim impacts one's interaction with these  circles. We asked MJ about how he balances his duties as a husband, father, digital marketer and gamer as well as how he intends to raise his child in a multicultural environment.
MJ is a PRISA accredited Chartered Public Relations Practitioner, academic, award-winning strategist, Bookmarks judge, public speaker and  chocolate eclairs connoisseur. He is the Manager: Group Digital  Platforms at Sasol, an international integrated energy and chemicals company. MJ is responsible for social media, online and digital  campaigns across 31 countries that Sasol operates in. He headed the social media department (Jozi) at Quirk, South Africa's largest full-service digital agency, and worked on a variety of accounts for local and international clients. He has also worked at large advertising  networks including Ogilvy and Mather and TBWA Hunt Lascaris. He has lectured media studies, journalism and public relations at various institutions across South Africa including the University of Kwa Zulu  Natal, the University of Witwatersrand, Triple A among others. MJ is  proud to have been chosen as one of the Top 200 Young South Africans  (Mail and Guardian 2015), one of the Top 100 Brightest Young Minds  (2013), a finalist for Social Media Marketer of the Year (BookMarks  2013) and part of the Golden Key Honours Society (2001)He writes for  online and print publications, and is regularly interviewed by news  anchors (particularly around social media reactions to the news) . He has presented at a variety of prestigious conferences, including the  Marketingmix Social Media conference, and the ITweb Social Media Summit.  He likes to immerse himself in the world of media, and has even acted  and worked on a local movie (Attack of The Indian Werewolf) that saw a  limited cinema release in January 2010. Unfortunately he was killed off  in the first ten minutes, with his death scene receiving a thunderous  applause from the audience. He is still not sure whether that is a good  thing. At least he still has his chocolate eclairs.
DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

Be sure to check out MJ on all his platforms:  
LinkedIn ➔ https://www.linkedin.com/in/concerningmj/ 
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/concerningmj 
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/concerningmj 
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/concerningmj

All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw

Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

In the 3rd episode of Season 2, we are joined by our very own Tumisang  Ramarea, hailing from Kanye East (although he did journey to the West!).
We spoke about how Mos and the son of Mos (Ramarea) met, their experiences in debate circles of Botswana, Ramarea's TEDx Talk (YES, I actually interviewed a TED speaker!), Ramarea's proposals on how  Botswana can solve some of its glaring problems and last but not least,  CANCEL CULTURE :D
With regards to the last point, Ramarea also shares a personal story and  why he feels cancel culture is counter-productive to progressing as a society.

TRIGGER WARNING 
The episode contains a discussion about a sexual assault allegation which ultimately could not be proven. If you find this discussion  disturbing and/or triggering, we advise that you skip this episode entirely or navigate using the timestamps.
The aforementioned discussion takes place from 47:35 to 1:01:00.  Immediately afterward, a similar discussion starts about cancel culture  in the anime fandom, once again concerning sexual harassment crimes, as  well as references to certain musicians who have been convicted of such  crimes. 1:07:00. Finally an in-depth discussion on musicians who have  been convicted of heinous crimes, ending at 1:12:00.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of    their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team   behind  The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable   for any  controversial/damaging statements.

Ramarea is a man on a journey of healing from and unlearning the oppressive structures that make up our society. He is also curious about  the ways in which resources can be allocated more effectively in a  society and aspires to someday be a part of the people who will re-engineer how Botswana is run. Ramarea is due to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford in June 2021. His masters program is focused on the modeling of  risky decisions in high-uncertainty environments. Additionally, Ramarea holds a Bachelor of Science degree in MS&E from Stanford and  completed his International Baccalaureate Diploma at the United World  College of Costa Rica. He is a proud alumnus of Seepapitso Senior  Secondary School in Kanye where he was born and raised. Outside of work,  he enjoys cooking, journalling, and spending time with loved ones.

Be sure to check out Ramarea on all his platforms:
Website ➔ https://www.ramarea.com/
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/ramareabw
Facebook (personal) ➔ https://facebook.com/imut.aeramar
Facebook (page) ➔ https://facebook.com/ramareabw
YouTube ➔ https://www.youtube.com/user/Ramarea94
The famous TEDx Talk ➔ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7drOcQs1vCw

All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

In the second episode of Season 2, we sat down with Dominic Fwamba, a friend who is more acquainted with Botswana than he lets on.

Dominic is the Executive Director of Tanzania Competitive Rhetoric Organisation (TCRO), the first debate organisation in Tanzania. He is also a freelance writer. When he is not juggling the two roles, he enjoys spending time at home.

The episode focuses on Dominic's educational journey and formative years in Botswana, the state of debate during the pandemic as well as a few words on how Botswana could potentially improve its Internet services.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of   their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team  behind  The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable  for any  controversial/damaging statements.
At around the 30 minute mark the audio duplicates itself on my end. No idea how this happened but we apologise for the inconvenience!


Be sure to check out Dominic on all his platforms:
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/yebula
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/dominic.fwamba

As well as his organisation, TCRO:
Facebook ➔ https://www.facebook.com/RhetoricTanzania
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/tzcro


All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com
If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

SEASON PREMIERE
The Scholar and The Student, Botswana's first Muslim Podcast, is back for its second season!
Our first guest is Imam Mazhar Mahmood, hailing all the way from Canada but currently based in the USA.
Imam Mazhar completed the memorisation of the Qur'an at a young under the tutelage of his late father, before studying for a Bachelors of Islamic Sciences under the wing of Mufti Adam Konya of Canada. During this time, he also travelled across different cities extensively and studied under scholars such as Shaykh Hamza Wald Maqbul, Shayk S'ad Baig, Shaykh Yusuf Badat and Shaykh Habib Ali. After completing both his Bachelors and secondary school education, Imam Mazhar studied for his Masters in Islamic Sciences in Darul Uloom Zakariyya, South Africa. He  has earned authorizations in Ḥadīth from many prominent Scholars, such  as, the Grand Muftī of South Africa, Shaykh Ridhā-ul-Haq, Shaykh  Sulaiman Choksī, Shaykh Muḥammad al ‘Awwāmah, the renowned Scholar of  Ḥadīth in Madinah, and many others. Aside from his Islamic degrees, Imām  Mazhar also holds diplomas in Astronomy and Counselling.
Currently he fulfills his duty as an Imam and is active on social media as well as various interfaith projects.

The conversation centred around Imam's journey through life and faith; discovering and embracing new opinions within Islam and letting go of the overzealous, cult-like mentality that unfortunately pervades many faith-based gatherings. He also speaks about getting cancelled by his colleagues, particularly for going on platforms with other prominent (naughty, naughty!) scholars.

We also expect to be cancelled en masse for this episode :D

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind  The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any  controversial/damaging statements.
We tried to bleep out the word 'kaafir' (which means 'disbeliever' in Arabic and does not carry the racial undertones it does in Southern Africa), but one may have gone uncensored. Understand the context!

Be sure to check out Imam Mazhar on all his platforms: 
Website ➔ https://www.imammazhar.com/
Instagram ➔ https://instagram.com/MazharMahmood89
Facebook ➔ https://facebook.com/imammazharmahmood
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/mazharmahmood89
TikTok ➔ https://tiktok.com/@mazhar_mahmood
Snapchat ➔ https://snapchat.com/add/mazharmahmood89

All sound effects are courtesy of zapsplat.com

If you've got the funds, consider helping us out on the following platforms;
Ko-fi (one-time donations) ➔ Ko-fi.com/snspodbw
Patreon (monthly pledges for early episode access as well as other exclusive perks) ➔ patreon.com/snspodbw

By the grace of Allah, look at where we are! Once upon a time this podcast was just a dream, now we have already wrapped up the first season! Allahu Akbar!
Initially this was conceived to be a chillstream in which we would look back at the episodes this season and see where we could improve. However, we could not help but speak on current events surrounding the death of George Floyd and other atrocities against black people in the USA. It is also in light of this that this episode was delayed. 
Joining Mos is Hashmat Cheema from Palapye, Botswana, currently living in Malaysia pursuing a Bachelors degree in Business Systems Analysis and Design. His passion, however, lies somewhere in the realms of philosophy and world politics. One of his goals is to improve the lives of others beginning on a micro level in his community and then extending on to a macro level with a non-profit organisation in the near future, God willing.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

It was an absolutely humbling experience to interview a scholar of such calibre.
This episode covers topics that are not the easiest to address, and therefore are seldom spoken about in Botswana. There remains a need to observe the proper decorum and consult the right people with the right knowledge when dealing with them; hence it was a blessing that Sheikh Ismail Kamdar accepted the invitation to be hosted on The Scholar and The Student.
Ismail Kamdar began his study of Islam at age 13. Over the next two decades, he completed a traditional Alimiyyah program, as well as a Bachelors in Islamic Studies. He has also attended private lessons under a variety of famous scholars. He has almost two decades of experience in the field of Dawah. Currently, he serves as the faculty manager of the International Open University, Founder of Islamic Self Help, and is also the author of over a dozen books including Getting the Barakah and Productivity Principles of Umar II.
Follow Sheikh Ismail Kamdar:
Website ➔ https://www.islamicselfhelp.com
Twitter ➔ https://twitter.com/IsmailKamdar
Facebook ➔ https://www.facebook.com/ShIsmailKamdar/
Instagram ➔ https://www.instagram.com/ismailkamdar/
In this session we dive into topics such as sectarianism and adapting Islam to the local customs of each country. We'll also be dropping a lot of Arabic terminology to show how these ideas are rooted in Islamic tradition and are not as radical as some may make them out to be. Some viewers may not be Muslim, or are generally unfamiliar with these. Here are some to keep you from getting lost, but keep an eye on the timestamps for updated lists:
Sheikh - literally means 'old man' but is more commonly used to refer to Islamic clergy in a respectable manner
Ulama - lit. 'those who have knowledge', in this case Islamic knowledge, i.e. Scholars or Clergy. The singular form is 'Alim'
JazakAllahu Khayran - 'may Allah reward you with good', often used as an expression of thanks
Barakah - blessing
Maaf - a somewhat colloquial way of asking for forgiveness
Deobandi - an Islamic movement originating in the Indian subcontinent. Both Mos and Sheikh Ismail come from Deobandi backgrounds. The Wikipedia page is better for more in-depth research.
Salafi - an Islamic movement originating in Najd, Saudi Arabia. Again, an in-depth study into them can be done at your own time.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.
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We are joined by Odirile Mothoyomotona, a young entrepreneur and entertainer, amongst other things, in Palapye. Join in as we discuss topics such as the entertainment industry in Botswana, monetising art and music; Mos was pleased that for once he was receiving some pushback on his stance!
Odirile Mothoyomotona is 19 years of age and schooled at Kediretswe Primary School, where he started debate. Later he went to Rutwang Junior School in Tonota and then Palapye Junior Secondary School in 2016. He got First Place in Debate at a Social Studies Regional and Cluster Fair and also won the Ministry of Wildlife National and Regional Debate competition. Continuing schooling at Lotsane Senior School 2018 and he became captain of the school debate team in 2019. His team went on to achieve Second Place at the All Schools Debate Championships (ASDC) but Odirile himself won Best Overall Speaker at said event. Also a young man active in the corporate world, he started event organizing and brokering entertainment deals in 2015 at Tonota and became part of several movements between the period of 2015 and 2017. In 2015 he was part of My Time; a social organization focused on giving young creatives a platform to shine. Upon arrival in Palapye, 2016 he became part of Kings Mayne which was later recognized as Prime Legacy comprising of several artists and managers in Palapye, and was also a movement for the same course until 2017 when he decided to go solo. He worked solo with a couple of artists in Palapye amongst them were Grizzly Gang and Sean Ramzy between years 2018 and 2019. He was contracted to Sean Ramzy's 25K Movement which he became popularly known for, during that period he also worked with several events such as Shisanyama Spin Fest, Sphala Sunday sessions and Miss Melanin. He organized his first solo event in 2019, Palapye All Schools Prom, which was also a success. Odirile Mothoyomotona is now a business partner in Happy Cabins Pty LTD and a founding member and director of Co-Op security Pty LTD.

DISCLAIMER
Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any controversial/damaging statements.

We welcome to the podcast Mr. Jannie Kleynhans, former Principal of  Kgaswe International High School. 
Mr. Kleynhans boasts an unprecedented teaching career that came to an  end only after 49 years. He has had the privilege of teaching at various  schools all over the African continent, including the prestigious Aga  Khan Academy, Nairobi and Westwood International School, Gaborone.  Kgaswe was where he served his final tenure as principal. It was also  where he began a very warm relationship with Mos.
As Mos and Mr. Kleynhans have shared thoughts plenty of time before,  there is a casual atmosphere in this episode although there do remain  hints of professionalism. We speak on many topics such as education,  jobs, life in Apartheid South Africa as well as nature conservation. 
45 minutes is insufficient to truly leech off all the wisdom that this  man has. If you're in the Tuli block, we hope that you'll bump into him,  make friends and spend many days and nights in his company!

DISCLAIMER Hosting any person does not mean a wholehearted endorsement of any of  their views, be they religious, political or otherwise. The team behind  The Scholar and The Student will not be held personally liable for any  controversial/damaging statements.