On the hills in and around Cape Town, you will find 300 year old Muslim graves belonging to notable individuals who arrived on the southern tip of the African continent in chains, as slaves or political prisoners of colonisers. They brought nothing with them, except faith in their hearts and the remembrance of God on their tongues.
Zara talks to author and Arabist Diana Darke about her most recent book Stealing From The Saracens: How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe. Diana explains how cultural exchanges between Europe and Islamic Syria shaped Gothic architecture, and why this has become a point of controversy in Europe today.
Sana Gillani visits the tombs of her ancestors: the parents of the influential scholar and saint Shakyh Abdul Qadir al-Gilani in Iran.
Abdullah Sattar explores the roots of Sufism in Punjab, which spread, in large part, through the words of poets that are still recited and resonate today.
Alex Reynolds from Lost With Purpose shares her experiences/conclusions/insights from more than four years of full time travel.
Mustafa Briggs speaks to Professor Rudolph Ware, author of the 'Walking Quran', about models of liberation in West Africa. They talk about the West African approach towards power and religion, and consider the diverse response of the ulama to the challenges presented by the transatlantic slave trade and European colonialism. They also discuss how racist colonial policies had the unintended effect of preserving sufism and traditional Islam in the region.
For our first ever crossover episode, Zara speaks to Imran Ali Malik, host of the American Submitter podcast. They discuss the concept of travel as a 'mutual unveiling' and share 'transformative' travel experiences. Imran talks about his time in Guinea Bissau, where tribes were converting to Islam after an elder dreamt of the Prophet Muhammad (saw), and tells us about the Wali Songo, the 'Nine Saints' of Indonesia.
Omar Rais speaks to Alyssa Ratkewitch, a third generation Tatar Muslim living in Brooklyn and the vice president of the board at the historic Brooklyn Mosque. Also joining the conversation is travel writer, journalist and broadcaster, Tharik Hussain who specialises in the Muslim heritage of the West. Together they explore the migratory roots of Brooklyn’s Tatar community, the longest serving mosque in the United States, and discuss the identity-shaping of Muslims in the West.
Muazzam Mir speaks to fellow Kenyans, activist and founder of Halal Safaris, Samia Bwana and conservationist and Mandela Washington Fellow, Raabia Hawa, about the conservation of wildlife and the environment, specifically from a Muslim perspective. They discuss the responsibility of travellers to ensure their travel practices are ethical and not harmful.
Zara speaks to Shahroze Khan, about the walled city of Lahore. Shahroze explains its history, from its somewhat contentious roots, steeped in Hindu mythology, to the heights of its splendour under the Mughals, followed by its brief period as capital of the Sikh Empire in the 19th century.
Zara is joined by Sacred Footsteps' writers and photographers Ali and Omar Rais, and Chirag Wakaskar, a photographer based in Mumbai, India and creator of the @everydaymumbai project on Instagram.
In episode seven, Zara and Yasmine talk to Ali and Zain Haider about the legacy of Edward Said and look at modern day travel photography through the lens of Orientalism. They discuss the ways in which ‘othering’ still takes place, and how well regarded photographers, intuitions and publications are still promoting that narrative. They also examine questions of identity and consent; and ‘self-Orientalisation’ among poc photographers and communities.