This Being Human

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-prairie

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In this bonus episode, we share rapid-fire Q&As with food writer Anissa Helou, photographer Tasneem Alsultan, performance artist Wafaa Balal and women’s rights advocate Dr. Alaa Murabit.

Thanks for listening to This Being Human. Stay tuned for Season 2.

If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman

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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/thisbeinghuman

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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

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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/thisbeinghuman

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Leah V made her name as a Black, Muslim, plus-size model. She has worked on major campaigns for companies like Dove and Fitbit, while also being outspoken around issues she sees in the industry. Now, she’s also a sci-fi author. She recently released her debut novel, The Union, a dystopian thriller that turns contemporary notions around race and body size upside down. She talks to AR about her love of sci-fi, her inspiring career, and about having difficult conversations.

The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of This Being Human. 

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Shanaaz Majiet is a disability rights advocate. Struck by a bullet at 17 years of age, she eventually returned to her studies, then went on to become National Advocacy manager for South Africa’s leading disability rights and inclusion organization, Disabled People South Africa. She is now a leading public policy thinker and city government troubleshooter in South Africa and her work is recognized around the world.

The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of This Being Human. 

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Mariam Ghani is an artist, writer, and filmmaker. Her work looks at places, spaces and moments where social, political and cultural structures take on visible forms, and spans multiple disciplines.

The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of This Being Human. 

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Charles Kettaneh and Nicolas Fayad are the founders of EAST Architecture Studio, an architectural design and research collective based in Beirut. They have worked on various projects ranging from master planning to interior design with a focus on sustainability, adaptive reuse, and history.

The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their founding support of This Being Human. 

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Anida Yoeu Ali’s art mixes humour, public confrontation, and science fiction to explore issues of identity. As a Muslim Khmer woman, Anida is a minority whether she’s in her native Cambodia or in the United States, where her family relocated to escape the regime of Pol Pot. She talks about her work across disciplines, from absurdist poetry to public performances such as the Buddhist Bug, where she meets the public, dressed as a large, orange worm-like creature.

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.