Taher Adel is a British poet of Bahraini descent. His phenomenal poetry can be found all over Instagram and in a variety of publications, which tackle life, love, faith and the Arabic language. He published his first poetry collection Lost&Foundin April 2018. The collection is chronicling selections of his work from his first dabblings in poetry to the present day, much of the work in this book focuses on the relationship between the Almighty and his creations.
He was also poet in residence for Wells-next-the-sea in 2019 alongside Jennifer Lee Tsai. His poetry has also been published in Ambit, SMOKE Magazine, The New European, Gulf Daily News, Glassworks Magazine, Tedx, Poetry London Magazine and Poetry Salzburg Review.
We were lucky enough to have a deep and insightful conversation with Taher, where we discussed relearning poetry, taking on criticism, battling with the ego, separating poetry from the self and trying to answer the biggest question of all: what makes a poet?
Ahmad Asaad is an incredibly talented cinematographer and editor. Hailing from Texas and currently residing in DC, he works behind the scenes at AJ+, currently shooting and editing the ‘Backspace’ series, presented by Sana Saeed and produced by Sana and Nick Garbaty. He also uses his talents to elevate various short films and music videos, both for clients and as passion projects.
In this episode, we’ll be discussing some of the grind that goes into AJ+, the balancing act between dream chasing and living in the moment, and the grind of filmmaking.
Young n Muslim is one of America’s favourite Muslim podcasts. Jibraeel and Mohammed endeavour to explore the real issues that young Muslim Americans experience, giving their own takes and personal experiences in a hilarious fashion that is rarely seen on the topic of Islam.
We’ll be speaking to the brothers on their journey, why they got into podcasting, the challenges they faced along the way and advice to those who want to start their own podcast.
Omar Esa is an award-winning and chart topping nasheed artist who uses vocals only in his nasheeds. In his old life, he was a promising RnB/Pop singer who decided to leave music to focus on nasheeds after reconnecting with his faith. Omar has since topped the iTunes world chart multiple times and his nasheeds are watched and heard all across the globe.
We'll be having a conversation with this Nasheed sensation on his unapologetic approach to expressing his Muslimness and his faith, leaving behind a music industry rife with corruption and battling with the absence of instruments in his creative work.
Dune is the 2021 American epic sci-fi film we've all heard of, directed by Denis Villeneuve. Set in the distant future amidst a feudal intersteller society, various noble houses battle over resources on a desert planet.
The basic plot of Dune is perhaps one of orientalist tropes, involving White hero Paul heading to the planet Arrakis to liberate the Arab/Muslim-like Fremen.
We'll be discussing the themes of Dune with our guest Margari Aziza Hill, longtime fan of Dune and Executive Director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collective. Margari adjunct professor, blogger, editor, and freelance writer with articles published in How We Fight White Supremacy (2019) Time, Huffington Post, Al Jazeera English, Islamic Monthly, and MuslimMatters. She has over 15 years teaching experience at various capacities including substitute teacher, instructor, curriculum design, school policy, teacher training, as well as teaching assistant and teaching fellow. Her research includes colonial perceptions mixed-raced identities in Northern Nigeria, anti-colonial resistance among West Africans in Sudan during the early 20th century, transformations in Islamic learning in Northern Nigeria, and International student programs at Al-Azhar and Cairo University. We'll be discussing what we thought of Dune, what Frank Herbert's intentions were for the obvious Islamic influences, the debate around the lack of MENA representation in the movie and more.
Huda Fahmy is an author and cartoonist whose webcomics you have certainly seen all over the internet. Her hilarious comics poke fun at the real life situations that Muslims find themselves in every day. She has published numerous best-selling comic books including Yes, I’m Hot in This, That Can Be Arranged and the upcoming Huda F Are You.
We’ll be having an insightful and occasionally emotional conversation with Huda on the story behind her craft, using humour to deal with anxiety, and overcoming painfully outdated Muslim tropes.
Pre-order Huda F Are You? here: https://bit.ly/3jGFip0
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786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali, who have conversations with Muslim artists and creatives at the intersection of culture, art, spirituality.
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @786Boulevard
This week's guest are our sponsors - USHUB! USHUB is an exciting new streaming service featuring Muslim made films, shows, documentaries and more. The platform is opening opportunities for Muslims from every corner of the globe; providing them with a home for their work to be seen.
We'll be chatting with co-founders Mir Ali and Sohaib Ali on the platform due to launch this fall, the hard work going into it, and the incredible content they'll be putting forward, as well as why it's time to not just empower Muslim filmmakers but empower balanced, 'halal' narratives that both the practicing and non practicing can enjoy.
USHUB will be available to download on all iOS and android devices including Roku and Amazon Fire TV. USHUB will be launching in Fall 2021. Please check out ushubtv.com for more information.
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786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali, who have conversations with Muslim artists and creatives at the intersection of culture, art, spirituality.
Check us out on Instagram and Twitter: @786Boulevard
Zuhair Hussaini is a New York City-based architectural designer, who completed his thesis at the New York Institute of Technology, on the rebuilding of the Jannat Al-Baqi cemetery in Medina, Saudi Arabia. Zuhair is an incredible Islamic art designer and Arabic calligraphist, and experiments with contemporary and traditional styles through paintings, digital art and more.
In this episode we’ll be talking about Muharram and artistic expression, how we can use art to connect with the Ahlulbayt, the story of Imam Hussain being specific to the Shia narrative, Zuhair’s challenges in manoeuvring his artistic process and much more.
Arij Mikati is the managing director of storytelling and culture change work at Pillars Fund. Her work with her team at Pillars Fund helps to support Muslims who want to tell authentic and provocative stories full of mess, nuance and beauty, looking for infuse the existing landscape of media with fresh ideas and voices. Alongside actor Riz Ahmed, USC Annenberg and Ford Foundation, Pillars Fund recently unveiled their blueprint for Muslim inclusion, which found Muslims missing or misrepresented in aa study of top grossing films from 2017-2019.
Alongside Riz Ahmed and his production company Left Handed films, Arij and her team at Pillars Fund have helped create the Pillars Artist Fellowship program, which seeks to empower Muslim writers and directors on their pathways to success, and features an all star advisory committee with names like Mahershala Ali, Hasan Minhaj, Lena Khan and others, a group who have affectionately been dubbed by Riz as the Muslim Avengers.
We’ll be speaking to Arij about the helping build this initiative and why it’s so important to empower Muslim storytellers.
0:48 – Bassam Tariq is directing the next Blade movie!
5:00 – Logistics of getting a dynamic team for the Pillars Fund
10:30 – How to repair the damage islamophobia in the industry?
17:04 – Was the Riz test a blueprint for the Pillars Fund?
21:28 – difficulties for Muslims to ascend in Hollywood?
24:01 – Hasnain is coming to the party with his butterbeer. Lack of resources/funding for Muslim filmmakers to progress forward.
30:16 – Muslim art community is so special!
32:36 – Criteria for individuals to submit to the Pillars Fund grants.
37:29 – The importance of good Muslim representation and how important is that you the public psyche.
43:03 – Relationship between spirituality and your art craft?
45:55 – Arij’s piece of advice to upcoming and new Muslim Filmmakers.
Helwa is the author of the international bestseller, Secrets of Divine Love. Secrets of Divine Love teaches you how to unlock your spiritual potential and unveil your divine purpose. In the book Helwa uses a rational yet heart-based approach toward the Quran, weaving together inspiring mystical stories, Quranic verses, poetry, psychology and science, breaking down Islam in a way that is digestible and inspiring for millennial Muslims.
We’ll be discussing her journey in writing the book, her decision to make it an inclusive experience, faith, sectarianism and true love of God.
0:10 – How did Nouri get his hands on Secrets of Divine Love by A.Helwa?
1:22 – What inspired you to write this book?
7:05 – Hasnain giving away books like Oprah! The issue of translating the book to different languages.
8:46 – What was the reaction to the book as it reached international best seller?
14:55 – Who are your readers and why has this book hit home for so many Muslims?
20:29 – Practicing from a place of Love
29:26 – Theory of faith to the practicality of faith 3
5:35 – Hasnain goes off on his unusual questions again – asks Helwa how she filter through the amount of information and knowledge to be specific within her book?
41:00 – The struggles of self-publishing. Advice for future authors.
46:15 – Importance of practicing faith from a place of love
#secretsofdivinelove #ahelwa #islam #muslimpodcast
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786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali, who have conversations with Muslim artists and creatives at the intersection of culture, art, spirituality. We're on the Podcast platforms below - subscribe!
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3f1svZ0
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/786boulevard
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cDTnNf
Check us out on Instagram: @786Boulevard And Twitter: @786Boulevard
Azhar Usman is a standup comedian, actor, writer and producer based in Chicago. He has worked on a variety of shows including Ramy as a staff writer and co-executive producer, and the upcoming Disney-Marvel series Ms. Marvel on screen in a recurring role. He is the co-creator of Allah Made Me Funny-The Official Muslim Comedy Tour, the groundbreaking stand up comedy tour that found mainstream success in 2008. In this episode we’ll be travelling on an introspective and spiritual journey, picking apart the idea of Hollywood and mainstream media, how the art we create fits into our spiritual metaphysical journeys, exploring Sufiism and so much more.
0:34 - Azhar gives us a small glimpse of Ms. Marvel and show business
21:45 - Distinction between Muslim Media and Mainstream media
48:43 - The founding of Azhars Numinous Company (Creative Producing and Consulting)
54:49 - What is the hardest part of the artistic process?
1:06:22 - "You blossom where you are planted", Azhar enlightens us about his journey in Sufism
1:13:51 - Relationship between art and your spirituality
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786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali, who have conversations with Muslim artists and creatives at the intersection of culture, art, spirituality.
We're on the Podcast platforms below - subscribe!
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3f1svZ0
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/786boulevard
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cDTnNf
Check us out on Instagram: @786Boulevard And Twitter: @786Boulevard
Kayem is a Libyan-American hip-hop artist. The son of a Libyan political prisoner who helped form a pro-democracy movement for Libya after escaping prison, he was filmed in the docuseries “Sing Freedom” when returning to Libya for the first time after living in exile. Kayem relaunched his career after a three-year hiatus due to US government restrictions. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, Complex Mag, the New York Times, and today on 786 Boulevard. We’ll be discussing his connection to Libya after a lifetime living in exile, the concept of home, building his art form, using art in general to voice resistance and giving a voice to the voiceless, and how his art intertwines with his spirituality.
Ruby Jaffrey is a Calligraphy Artist specializing in Arabic script and modern Islamic Art. Born and raised in London, England, Ruby moved to Dallas, Texas in 2002. Her love for the arts was nurtured at home by her mother who is an an Urdu lecturer and poet. Ruby became increasingly interested with the aesthetics of written script. Encouraged by her husband, Ruby began her artistic journey in 2007. Her works are a celebration of color, spirituality and faith that are in keeping with the stylistic zeitgeist - expressed with a modernism that she hopes will resonate with the artistic sensibilities of today’s youth. Her work has been exhibited al over the world in London, Washington DC, Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Dallas, New York, Los Angeles, and Karachi. We’ll be chatting to Ruby about her art, cultivating her talent, becoming another Brit lost in the US and how her artistic craft impacts her spirituality and vice versa.
1:10 – Experience of Brits migrating to the U.S? How was the transition?
4:47 – Ruby’s fascination with written script.
10:06 – Pushing the boundaries and pursuing your art as a career?
12:48 - Challenges of being a female artist.
15:33 – Art as a career in the South Asian community. Advice from Ruby.
20:24 – Hasnain always talking business. Ruby’s business model to monetize from her art.
29:13 – Art and mental health.
34:24 – What role does spirituality play in your art?
37:52 – Hasnain shifting the conversation again and asks how Ruby’s differentiates herself from other artist within her industry.
47:01 – Hasnain’s art film idea shattered, Ruby art process from idea to final canvas.
Ahmed Twaij zealously tells stories as a means to promote equality, as well as holding those in power to account. An independent freelance journalist, his work has been published in numerous outlets including The Independent, The Guardian, New York Times, Vice, BBC and many more. His work focuses on US politics, social justice issues and the Middle East.
Ahmed is also a manager of everydayiraq, an online social media platform dedicated to shedding light on the daily life of Iraqis and providing a new narrative for the nation. We speak to Ahmed about his journey, his ventures into journalism and filmmaking, and reclaiming Iraqi narratives.
1:22 – Nouri forgets to turn off the soundtrack but asks Ahmed about his journey within Journalism without actually going to school for Journalism
3:32 – Shifting from being a medical doctor to Journalism
7:18 – Where do you find the motivation to want to help people?
10:02 – Everyday Iraq (Instagram) platform
15:01 – Changing (humanize/normalize) the Iraqi narrative
19:28 – Hasnain goes off on his random thoughts – asks Ahmed how he deals with normalization of target killings towards specific people
24:01 – Ahmed shares his experience during the mall bombing in Baghdad
29:04 – Nouri asks how he feels to see his country in a tough situation
31:55 – Post 2003 Iraq, how has art suffered?
39:25 – Hasnain ponders again, resistance art
43:06 – Ahmed’s venture into filmmaking
47:15 – What role does your craft mix with your spirituality?
With the recent images and videos coming out of Palestine, a resurgence in pro-Palestinian voices has taken over social media, with many artists from various fields highlighting the atrocities being committed against the Palestinians.
In this episode, we speak to Mazzi, an artist based out of New York and hailing from Jersey City, New Jersey. Mazzi has been vocal about the Palestinian cause his entire career, visiting Palestine multiple times for humanitarian work, conducting workshops, talent shows and live performances for Palestinian youth. Committed to philanthropy, he has donated 100% of all the proceeds of his albums to charitable causes.
We’ll be speaking to him about Palestine, speaking up for Palestine, his charitable work and his career.
Serena Rasoul started her acting career in 2013 by appearing on the award-winning House of Cards. She founded Muslim American Casting to highlight incredible Muslim talent and to consult industry professionals on how to best include Muslims in the creative process. We’ll be discussing her journey as an actress, what sparked her inspiration into founding Muslim American Casting, changing the tide of Muslim representation in the industry, and more.
2:08 - Becoming an actress
9:25 - Being a Palestinian-American Muslim in the Film Industry
15:57 - Nouri and Serena tag team and ask Hasnain about doing intimacy and hope in the film industry scenes
27:15 - We get into Muslim-American Casting
42:58 - Why is it important to have correct representation of Muslims in film?
52:13 - What is the future of American-Muslim Casting?
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786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali, who gather Muslims of all kinds to discuss culture, art, spirituality, and how the three intertwine.
We're on the Podcast platforms below - subscribe!
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3f1svZ0
Anchor: https://anchor.fm/786boulevard
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cDTnNf
Check us out on Instagram: @786Boulevard
And Twitter: @786Boulevard
Sukaina Rajabali is a Dubai-based food photographer, entrepreneur and world traveller. Her photography has been featured in a long list of best-selling books and popular magazines.
Sukaina is also an avid traveller, travelling the world and sharing her travels on Instagram, where she aims to inspire modest, hijabi travellers to explore the world, through incredible images and honest and inspiring write ups.
We’ll be chatting with her about her love for travel, her passion for food photography, the downsides of social media, and empowering Muslim women.