Humaira Abid is an artist who works in wood sculpture and miniature painting. Her pieces, which are intricately detailed, contain strong social messages around topics like motherhood and the plight of refugees. She talks to AR about why she chose the male-dominated craft of wood sculpture to tell stories about women and about using her art to encourage conversation about taboo topics.

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 their game on Muslim art, culture, history, and society. They'll explore everything from prayer and pilgrimage, politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, and film, sports and music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversation, this one-of-a-kind podcast hopes to bridge divides, dispel myths, and learn things we didn’t know about the kaleidoscope of the Muslim experience.

This Being Human is produced by Antica Productions. The Museum wishes to thank Nadir and Shabin Mohamed for their leadership support to develop and produce This Being Human.

This Being Human is a new podcast by the Aga Khan Museum.

This Being Human

This Being Human is a podcast by the Aga Khan Museum and TVO. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an insightful guest about Muslim art, culture, history and society. You’ll hear fascinating explorations of everything from prayer and pilgrimage to politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, film, sports, music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversations, this one-of-a-kind podcast aims to bridge divides, dispel myths, and allow us to learn things we didn’t know about the kaleidoscope of Muslim experiences in our world today.

This Being Human is a podcast by the Aga Khan Museum and TVO. In every episode, host Abdul-Rehman Malik interviews an insightful guest about Muslim art, culture, history and society. You&rsquo;ll hear fascinating explorations of everything from prayer and pilgrimage to politics and pop culture, love and education, feminism, film, sports, music, and so much more. Through deep, thoughtful conversations, this one-of-a-kind podcast aims to bridge divides, dispel myths, and&nbsp;allow us to&nbsp;learn things we didn&rsquo;t know about the kaleidoscope of&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;experiences in our world today.

Humaira Abid on wood carving and breaking taboos

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 Amazing Facts, to the anthology The Muslimah Who Fell to Earth, Saima's work uncovers the forgotten contributions and personal stories of Muslim cultures. She shares her journey from Pakistan to Canada, her reflections on the power of storytelling, and how libraries serve as spaces for connection, learning, and equality.

Saima also discusses the importance of oral histories, the complexities of identity, and her mission to make knowledge accessible to everyone, especially through her work with young people in library spaces.

To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey.

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

Stories That Shape Us: Saima Hussain on Libraries, Identity, and Heritage

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 world. Marguerite opens up about her love for helping writers bring their visions to life, the intimate relationship between editor and author, and the power of memoir in understanding our shared humanity. We also explore themes of identity, home, and connection across cultures. Listen in for an inspiring conversation about storytelling and the human experience.

Learn more about Marguerite's work at margueriterichards.com.

To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey.

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

Finding Joy and Connection in Storytelling with Marguerite Richards

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 preserving this sacred art form. In this episode, Bilal shares his stories of learning under Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, reflects on the history of Qawwali, and discusses the delicate balance between maintaining tradition and embracing modernity. We explore the profound spiritual power of Sufi music and Bilal’s mission to keep this timeless tradition alive.

Listen in for an inspiring conversation on music, mysticism, and the search for divine love.

Follow Bilal’s work on Instagram @dhruvsangarimusic, or listen to his music on Spotify by searching Dhruv Sangari.


To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey.

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

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 preserving this sacred art form. In this episode, Bilal shares his stories of learning under Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, reflects on the history of Qawwali, and discusses the delicate balance between maintaining tradition and embracing modernity. We explore the profound spiritual power of Sufi music and Bilal’s mission to keep this timeless tradition alive.
Listen in for an inspiring conversation on music, mysticism, and the search for divine love.
Follow Bilal’s work on Instagram @dhruvsangarimusic, or listen to his music on Spotify by searching Dhruv Sangari.
 To fill out our listener survey, go to agakhanmuseum.org/tbhsurvey.
If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, go to agakhanmuseum.org/thisbeinghuman.

Humaira Abid on wood carving and breaking taboos

In 1 playlist(s)

This Being Human

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips