This Being Human
Episodes
Dreaming Your Own Museum with Ohida Khandakar
26 May 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Some museums you visit. Others, you dream.In this episode of This Being Human, host Mai Habib sits down with artist and filmmaker Ohida Khandakar to d...
Manifesting Light: Designing the Aga Khan Museum
28 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Before the Aga Khan Museum became a landmark in Toronto, it started with a letter about light.In this episode of This Being Human, host Mai Habib sits...
Season 5 Teaser
21 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
New host. New format. Now on video.Welcome to the relaunch of This Being Human, the Aga Khan Museum’s podcast about Muslim art, global cultures and ...
Episode 13 - Mokhtar Alkhanshali
20 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mokhtar Alkhanshali is a coffee historian, entrepreneur, and innovator. After several years as a community organizer working on civil rights issues af...
Episode 12 - Humaira Abid
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Humaira Abid gathers ordinary objects from everyday life and transforms them into something extraordinary. Her wood sculpture and paintings — known ...
Episode 11 - Jamaluddin Aram
19 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Jamaluddin Aram is a documentary filmmaker, producer, and writer from Kabul, Afghanistan. He is the associate producer of the Academy Award-nominated ...
Episode 10 - Shahjehan Khan
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Shahjehan is a voice-over artist, actor, and musician based in Boston. He is the current host of the award-winning King of the World Podcast...
Episode 9 - Zakir Hussain
18 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Zakir Hussain’s name is practically synonymous with the tablas. His work ranges from classical Indian compositions to Hollywood film scores to colla...
Episode 7 - Nazeem Hussain
17 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nazeem Hussain has fast become one of the biggest stars of Australian comedy, and a much-loved television and radio personality. He is the creato...
Episode 6 - Noor Tagouri
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Noor is an award-winning journalist and producer, a touring speaker for over 10 years, and has told stories in every medium, from radio and print to d...
Episode 5 - Murad Subay
16 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Murad Subay is a street artist from Yemen. His campaigns such as “Faces of War,” “Ruin” and “Color the Walls of Your Street”...
Episode 4 - Voice of Baceprot
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
The heavy metal band Voice of Baceprot was formed by three middle schoolers in a small town in Indonesia. Over the years, they built an international ...
Episode 3 - Coleman Barks
15 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Coleman Barks is an American poet and translator whose translations brought Jalaluddin Rumi, the 13th-Century Persian mystic, to mass contemporary aud...
Episode 21 - Leah Vernon
14 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 outsp...
Episode 20 - Shanaaz Majiet
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Episode 19 - Mariam Ghani
13 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Mariam Ghani is an artist, writer, and filmmaker. Her work looks at places, spaces and moments where social, political and cultural structures take on...
Episode 18 - EAST Architecture Studio
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Charles Kettaneh and Nicolas Fayad are the founders of EAST Architecture Studio, an architectural design and research collective based in Beirut. They...
Episode 17 - Anida Yoeu Ali
12 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 mino...
Episode 16 - Soumik Datta
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Soumik Datta is an award-winning musician, composer and television presenter. He plays the 19 stringed sarod and connects his Indian classical roots w...
Episode 15 - Malak Mattar
11 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Malak Mattar is an artist from the Gaza Strip. She paints expressionist faces, figures and semi-abstract designs. Malak started painting at the a...
Episode 14 - Yazz Ahmed
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Yazz Ahmed is a British-Bahraini Trumpet and Flugelhorn player. Through her music, Yazz Ahmed seeks to blur the lines between jazz and electronic soun...
Episode 13 - Karimah Hassan
10 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Born in Wales with Yemeni and Bangladeshi heritage, Karimah Hassan has an expressive, bold aesthetic and is heralded for “taking stories of communit...
Episode 12 - Uzma Jalaluddin
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Uzma Jalaluddin is a writer, high school teacher, and published author of her debut novel Ayesha At Last and her latest bestselling novel th...
Episode 11 - Ali Hassan
09 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Hassan is a stand-up comic, actor, and host of both CanadaReads and the CBC Radio show Laugh Out Loud. He talks about Canadian fame, being forced ...
Episode 9 - Alsarah
08 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
With her band Alsarah and the Nubatones, Alsarah brings a modern sensibility to the music she grew up with in Sudan. She talks about developing her un...
Episode 8 - Elamin Abdelmahmoud
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Elamin Abdelmahmoud’s new book Son of Elsewhere is about struggling to find a place between two worlds: his birthplace of Sudan and his ho...
Episode 7 - Gulshan Khan
07 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Gulshan Khan talks about her path from social advocacy to becoming an acclaimed photojournalist. She also discusses her ongoing project documenting Mu...
Episode 6 - Mark Gonzales
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
06 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 “...
Episode 4 - Yasir Khan
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
05 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Aïda Muluneh’s photographs are almost like paintings, featuring women in majestic outfits and facepaint, set against vivid, stylized backdrops. She...
Episode 2 - Farah Alibay
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Farah Alibay speaks more like a philosopher than an engineer. She works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where she helps operate the Perseveranc...
Episode 1 - Zarqa Nawaz
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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. Recentl...
Season 2 Teaser
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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?
03 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this bonus episode, we share rapid-fire Q&As with food writer Anissa Helou, photographer Tasneem Alsultan, performance artist Wafaa Balal and w...
Episode 25 - Dr. Hamid Dabashi
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Hamid Dabashi calls himself “the first Muslim intellectual.” He is the author of more than twenty books, a consultant on major Hollywood films, a ...
Episode 24 - Roni Helou
02 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 o...
Episode 23 - Misha Euceph
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 22 - Khalid Albaih
01 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Khalid Albaih is a Sudanese political cartoonist, who publishes cartoons online under the name Khartoon! as well as in galleries and publications arou...
Episode 21 - Marina Tabassum
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Marina Tabassum is an acclaimed Bangladeshi architect whose work includes Bangladesh’s underground Museum of Independence and the award-winning Bait...
Episode 20 - Ian Abdal Latif Whiteman
31 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
Episode 19 - Nargis Jahan-Uddin
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 18 - Tasneem Alsultan
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Tasneem Alsultan is a photographer based in Saudi Arabia. Her work has documented major changes in Saudi culture for The New York Times, National Geog...
Episode 17 - Shahzia Sikander
29 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Anissa Helou is an award-winning cookbook author, whose books include Lebanese Cuisine, Mediteranean Street Food and Feast: Food of the Islamic World....
Episode 15 - Asad Ali Jafri
28 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 po...
Episode 14 - Salim-Sulaiman
27 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Brothers Salim and Sulaiman Merchant have composed some of the biggest anthems in India as the film composing duo Salim-Sulaiman. They’ve also produ...
Episode 12 - Wafaa Bilal
26 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 10 - Nadir Nahdi
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Nadir Nahdi runs the popular YouTube channel BENI, where he documents contemporary Muslim life around the world. Nadir comes from a tradition of thoug...
Episode 9 - Kevork Mourad
25 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 8 - Ayesha Khanna
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 A...
Episode 7 - Professor Omid Safi
24 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Museu...
Episode 6 - Dr. Alaa Murabit
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 5 - Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 Mus...
Episode 4 - Ginella Massa
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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
22 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In spring of 2020, when America was first grappling with COVID-19, Dr. Craig Considine wrote an article for NewsWeek about what the Prophet ...
Episode 2 - Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy talks about what propelled her to expose social injustices in unflinching documentaries like Saving Face and...
Episode 1 - Wajahat Ali
21 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Wajahat Ali became one of the most high-profile Muslims in the American media following the September 11th attacks, making regular appearances on CNN,...
Beyond Boundaries with Pakistani Artist Yousuf Bashir Qureshi
17 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
03 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
19 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
22 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
08 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
27 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
30 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
16 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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!)
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Amir Sulaiman's Journey From Poet to Screenwriter
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of This Being Human we delve deep into the profound significance of poetry in modernity through the lens of renowned poet and artist, ...
Kiran Ahluwalia on blending cultures and making music
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kiran Ahluwalia is a true innovator-her songs blend the music of India with influences from Mali and western blues, rock, R&B and jazz to create a sou...
Jude Chehab Made A Beautiful Film about her Mother
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jude Chehab is a young filmmaker whose first feature film, Q, has cemented her in lists of best new directors to watch. Q is a beautifully shot and in...
Season 4 Teaser
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Haroon Siddiqui's Love Letter to Canada
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Haroon Siddiqui has had many titles. Reporter, columnist, editor... the list goes on. He can now add author to his resume with the release of his memo...
Sandra Saenz on the art of makeup
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sandra Saenz joins us to talk about the art of makeup, navigating the world of beauty as a Mexican Muslim, and her first video art exhibition.She is t...
Hassan Hajjaj on his Iconic Photography
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Photographer Hassan Hajjaj has an iconic style that blends elements of pop art, hip hop culture and North African fashion. It spans series like Kesh A...
Wael Shawky Doesn't Believe in History
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Egyptian artist Wael Shawky explores the connections between history and myth. His work includes installations and sculpture, as well as films like Ca...
Shezad Dawood's Virtual Garden of Love
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Shezad Dawood is a multidisciplinary artist whose work blends stories, reality and symbolism to engage with big questions about humanity, and explore ...
Best of: Marina Tabassum
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marina Tabassum is a Bangladeshi architect whose work includes Bangladesh's underground Museum of Independence and the award-winning Bait Ur Rouf mosq...
Kameelah Janan Rasheed isn't interested in being legible
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Kameelah Janan Rasheed is an artist whose work focuses on Black knowledge production, re-shaping history, and unlearning the things we think we know. ...
A.R. interviews his sister, Toronto Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ausma Malik was the first woman in a hijab to be elected to public office in Canada, and the first Muslim-identifying, hijab-wearing woman on Toronto ...
Yasmeen Lari on Rethinking the Values of Architecture
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As Pakistan's first female architect, Yasmeen Lari left a major imprint on the country's visual identity, with modern buildings like the Finance and T...
Episode 8 - Deqo Mohamed
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Deqo Mohamed spent her teen years coordinating with NGOs, teaching, and arranging breakfast for thousands of displaced people. That’s because he...
Episode 2 - Abbas Rattani
30 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Abbas Rattani is an academic, entertainer, and founder of MIPSTERZ. He is a strong advocate for individuality and self-expression in minority com...
Najwa Zebian, the Oracle of Instagram
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Najwa Zebian is a bestselling writer of poetry and inspirational books, including Mind Platter and Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your S...
Season 3 Teaser
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This Being Human is coming back with more conversations from incredible people all over the world whose life, ideas and art are shaped by Muslim cultu...
Episode 10 - Mohammed Ali (Aerosol Arabic)
18 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Under the name Aerosol Arabic, Mohammed Ali was a pioneer in blending street art with Arabic script and imagery. He has made murals, installations, vi...
Episode 13 - Shireen Ahmed
30 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Episode 11 - Tanya Muneera Williams
29 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Welcome to This Being Human
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 the...