This Being Human
Kanaal Besonderhede
This Being Human
This Being Human is the Aga Khan Museum’s video podcast that explores conversations about Muslim art, cultural exchange, and the stories that connect us. Hosted by Mai Habib, the series brings together artists, thinkers, and cultural leaders to explore how creativity opens doors—sparking curiosity,...
Onlangse Episodes
135 episodes
Episode 8 - Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Elamin Abdelmahmoud’s new book Son of Elsewhere is about struggling to find a place between two worlds: his birthplace of Sudan and his home in Canada...
Episode 6 - Mark Gonzales
Mark Gonzales is a futurist, but much of his work involves looking to the past. He believes the key to a better society is not just about the latest t...
Episode 5 - Fariha Róisín
Faria Róisín spent 18 years working on her debut novel, Like a Bird, since dreaming about it as a child. She talks to AR about art, migration, the “ne...
Episode 4 - Yasir Khan
Yasir Khan has covered wars, revolutions, and has chased camels through the Australian Outback. As a journalist and documentary filmmaker, he has work...
Episode 3 - Aïda Muluneh
Aïda Muluneh’s photographs are almost like paintings, featuring women in majestic outfits and facepaint, set against vivid, stylized backdrops. She ta...
Episode 2 - Farah Alibay
Farah Alibay speaks more like a philosopher than an engineer. She works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she helps operate the Perseverance...
Episode 1 - Zarqa Nawaz
Zarqa Nawaz is going through a bit of a rebirth. It’s been roughly a decade since the end of her hit show Little Mosque on the Prairie. Recently, Zarq...
Season 2 Teaser
A new season of This Being Human is almost here! We'll be back soon with more fascinating conversations with amazing people whose lives, ideas, and ar...
Bonus Episode: Tea or Coffee?
In this bonus episode, we share rapid-fire Q&As with food writer Anissa Helou, photographer Tasneem Alsultan, performance artist Wafaa Balal and women...
Episode 25 - Dr. Hamid Dabashi
Hamid Dabashi calls himself “the first Muslim intellectual.” He is the author of more than twenty books, a consultant on major Hollywood films, a cura...
Episode 23 - Misha Euceph
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 st...
Episode 21 - Marina Tabassum
Marina Tabassum is an acclaimed Bangladeshi architect whose work includes Bangladesh’s underground Museum of Independence and the award-winning Bait U...
Episode 20 - Ian Abdal Latif Whiteman
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 ear...
Episode 19 - Nargis Jahan-Uddin
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 m...
Episode 17 - Shahzia Sikander
Shahzia Sikander is a visual artist who revolutionized miniature painting, and is now widely credited for creating the neo-miniaturist movement. She l...
Episode 16 - Anissa Helou
Anissa Helou is an award-winning cookbook author, whose books include Lebanese Cuisine, Mediteranean Street Food and Feast: Food of the Islamic World....
Episode 14 - Salim-Sulaiman
Brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have composed some of the biggest anthems in India as the film composing duo Salim-Sulaiman. They’ve also produce...
Episode 12 - Wafaa Bilal
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...
Episode 7 - Professor Omid Safi
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 wi...
Episode 6 - Dr. Alaa Murabit
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 Rev...
Episode 4 - Ginella Massa
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 upbring...
Episode 3 - Dr. Craig Considine
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 h...
Episode 2 - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talks about what propelled her to expose social injustices in unflinching documentaries like Saving Face and A Girl In...
Beyond Boundaries with Pakistani Artist Yousuf Bashir Qureshi
In this episode, we sit down with Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, known to many as YBQ, a visionary artist whose work blends music, culture, and storytelling t...
Hisham Matar on Friendship and Writing from the Margins
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hisham Matar joins This Being Human to discuss his latest novel, My Friends. He reflects on themes of friendship, exile,...
Krista Tippett on Wisdom, Love, and the Art of Deep Listening 20
In this episode of This Being Human, host Abdul-Rehman Malik sits down with Krista Tippett, the celebrated creator of On Being. Known for her gift of...
Stories That Shape Us: Saima Hussain on Libraries, Identity, and Heritage
In this episode, we sit down with writer, editor, and librarian Saima Hussain. From her book The Arab World Thought of It: Inventions, Innovations and...
Finding Joy and Connection in Storytelling with Marguerite Richards
In this episode, we sit down with Marguerite Richards, editor of The Ordinary Chaos of Being Human, an anthology of personal stories from around the w...
The Legacy of Qawwali with Bilal Chishty
Join us as we journey into the heart of Qawwali with Bilal Chishty, a descendent of the great Chishti Sufi lineage and a musician devoted to preservin...
Gardens of the Soul: Emma Clark on the Sacred Art of Islamic Gardens
In this episode of This Being Human we sit down with Emma Clark, an expert in Islamic garden design, to explore her journey from a childhood surrounde...
Art Fazil's Revival of the Folk Music of Nusantara
Join us for a captivating conversation with Art Fazil, as we explore his journey through the rich cultural tapestry of Nusantara. Celebrating 30 years...
Kazem Abdullah: Conducting Change in Classical Music
In this episode, we delve into the life and career of Kazem Abdullah, exploring his path from a clarinetist to a prominent conductor. We will discuss...
Nasir Sirikhan’s Philosophy of Dance
Nasir Sirikhan and Abdul-Rehman Malik discuss Nasir's viral wedding dance video and the joy and connection it brought to millions of viewers. They tal...
Faig Ahmed Melts Tradition with His Mind-Bending Rugs
In this episode we sit down with renowned contemporary artist Faig Ahmed, celebrated for his revolutionary approach to traditional Azerbaijani carpet...
Aanchal Malhotra Collects Stories of Partition
In this episode of This Being Human, Abdul-Rehman Malik sits down with Aanchal Malhotra, author and oral historian, to explore the emotional legacies...
How Deeyah Khan Faces Hate With Humanity (Live!)
In this episode of "This Being Human," we sit down with Deeyah Khan, an acclaimed filmmaker and activist renowned for her transformative documentaries...
dina Amin's Treasure Trove of Trash
In this episode of This Being Human we sit down with dina Amin, an innovative stop motion artist from Cairo, Egypt. dina shares her unique journey fro...
Data Dreams: The Artistic Universe of Refik Anadol
In this episode we delve into the artistic universe of Refik Anadol, a Turkish-American new media artist renowned for his innovative use of data-drive...
Alia Syed's Career In Experimental Filmmaking
On this episode of This Being Human, we speak with Alia Syed, a British experimental filmmaker whose work has been shown all around the art world for...
The Sci-Fi Sufism of Saks Afridi
Saks Afridi is an artist who refers to his work as ,scfi-fi sufism., His pieces include prayer rugs depicting UFOs, visual art that blends images of c...