786 Boulevard

Rami Ismail is a video game developer who is vocal about Muslim representation and misrepresentation in the video game industry. Alongside being the co-founder of game studio Vlambeer, he is also the Executive Director of gamedev.world — a global game developer conference that seeks to showcase developers from all around the world. I'll be taking to Rami about how Muslims have been depicted in video games and how they fare behind the scenes, how Muslim representation in video games is changing and what we can look forward to in the future.

Zaki Hasan is a film critic. Hailing from Chicago and spending 10 years of his early life in Saudi Arabia, he currently resides in San Fransisco and is a media scholar and critic with over twenty years of experience. A member of the San Fransisco Film Critics Circle, he has written for The San Francisco Chronica, IGN, Huffington Post and more. He has also contributed to books on Star Wars, Planet of the Apes and Blade Runner.   We'll be discussing the crazy world of film critics, how Star Wars began Zaki's lifelong love of film, and how he navigates the film world as a Muslim. -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar & Hasnain Ali dedicated to finding Islam in film, art, fashion and culture. Check us out on Instagram and Twitter: @786Boulevard

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 -- 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. -- 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.

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 -- 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 -- 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? -- 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

Aicha Lasfar is an artist who focuses on pyrography, the art of burning designs into a wood surface. She uses pyrography to express experiences, identities and cherished moments. In 2020 she moved into the activism world, auctioning off a piece of art for the Black Lives Matter movement. Living in Alberta, Canada, Aicha has an incredible story of reconnecting to God and herself through nature and art.

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.

Back after a long hiatus, in episode 27 Sheikh Faiyaz parks up at 786 Boulevard to discuss Islam and artistic expression. Is there precedent for artistic expression in Islam? What role does Islam play for those who delve into forms of artistic expression? And how should Muslims navigate what is an incredibly liberal industry? All that and more. 2:25 - Why is New York City the best city in the world? 8:17 - What basis is there (if any) for artistic expression in Islam? 14:19 - Poetry (art) in Islamic tradition 25:10 - Using ones own perspective to navigate between artistic forms which are deemed improper in today's time. 28:18 - Lack of progression in art within our communities 32:48 - Does the end justify the means 35:40 - Where does Music stand in regards to artist expression? 40:42 - Advice in helping people navigate liberal movements within the arts 45:53 - Forbidding the evil, Muslims right to call out injustice in their perspective fields 50:55 - Should Muslim produced art be rooted in Islam?

Aadil Abedi is an acclaimed artist and designer, whose original contemporary artwork gives ancient traditions a modern twist, using Arabic calligraphy, Sufism, poetry and religious history. He has toured the world with his work and gifted his work to celebrities. His work has also been featured on American serials and he has even collaborated with motivational speaker Jay Shetty. We're going to be discussing Adil's journey into a full time artist, becoming another Brit lost in the US, the relationship between his spirituality and his work and much much more. 1:15 - Aadil and Nouri reconnect after a long time 2:38 - Aadil takes a look back and reflects on his journey 4:02 - Nouri and his freelancing …. Again 6:03 - Aadil and Hasnain talk about the film industry 12:36 - Trepidation, Aadil and the clients vision 17:40 - Advice for artist when dealing with clients 20:25 - The business of art 31:41 - Aadil's move to the U.S from England 44:54 - Relationship with the Holy Quran 52:25 - What is the relationship between your art and spirituality? 1:00:02 - Calligraphy in other languages 1:03:27 - Aadil's speaks about his most proudest and challenging piece -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

In episode 25, Nouri & Hasnain come to the (red?) table to work out their issues. Nouri, Hasnain and Ali also talk the NFL's first Muslim head coach, what they're watching, plans for the podcast and America's new President. 1:10 - How has 2021 been for us so far? 5:24 - Nouri's update on being a freelancer 10:17 - What are we watching? 22:17 - What have we seen that we dislike? 26:27 - First Muslim coach in the NFL 35:15 - Joe Biden new President has been sworn in 42:43 - Hasnain and Nouri come to the red table -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Ali The Soulful Poet is an Arab-Canadian independent poet, creative an artist from Ottawa, Ontario. He has performed across Canada and has gained awards, accolades and recognition from Muslims and Faces Magazine. In Episode 24 we talk about our own personal perspectives on music and on understanding and appreciating different perspectives that we may disagree with. We'll also be talking with Ali about his transition from spoken word to hip hop and his own drive toward chasing his passions. 3:18 - Personal perspectives of music 14:01 - Where it all started, Ali's story on Muslim fest in Canada 22:41 - Thoughts on the whole Muslim music movement? 25:07 - Importance of being committed to your passion 25:53 - Advice from Ali the Soulful Poet on dedicating time to their passion. 36:19 - Transition from spoken word poetry to music 38:07 - Facing backlash 45:41 - Connection to music 47:43 - Process of writing your music 49:10 - Taking Nouri's poetry and rapping it? 51:03 - Perception around the tunes and beats when it comes to music 56:44 - Do Muslims misunderstand music? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Sahar Jahani is an Iranian-American writer/director raised and residing in Los Angeles. After receiving an MFA in Film and Television Screenwriting, Sahar worked in development at YouTube Originals before transitioning to the writers room on Hulu's award winning Ramy. She also wrote and directed Just One Night, an award winning short film, and was a writer on Season 4 of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. In episode 23, Sahar talks about her journey into the film industry and landing a writer's role on Ramy. We'll be discussing the negative Muslim reactions to the show and the hunger for Muslim representation on film and TV. We'll also be talking about the writer's room on TV shows, tips for getting into screenwriting and the relationship between the art of film and our spirituality. 2:02 - Muslim pioneer in the film industry or just doing what you love? 4:04 - Is the Muslim story essential in the industry as a Muslim? 11:02 - Sahar's journey to screenwriting 23:23 - Relationship between film and spirituality? 30:39 - Sahar's short film "Just One Night" and the difference between writing for film vs. television 40:51 - Muslim backlash to Ramy 48:58 - Hasnain's perspective on Ramy 55:15 - What was it like being in the writers room? 1:03:12 - Adapting to working with other writers 1:09:12 - Advice from Sahar to aspiring Muslim screenwriters 1:15:46 - Iranian filmmaking 1:20:55 - Do Muslims belong in Hollywood? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Hanan Abdel- Khalek, featured in British GQ, is a fashion creative who collaborated with Nike on her very own sneaker. She stops by 786 Boulevard to talk about sneakers, ethical fashion, starting her own business selling jewellery at Young Never Titi, Muslim entrepreneurship, spirituality and mental health. 3:14 - What are your favorite sneakers right now? 7:38 - What does our footwear say about us? 11:45 - Spending money 15:01 - Wear your fresh kicks to the mosque? 17:54 - Nouri's reminder that he is a freelancer and adjusting his lifestyle 20:05 - Hanan speaks on balancing between god bounty and materialism 25:18 - Ethical side of the fashion industry 31:41 - Hasnain's perspective on ethics in the fashion industry 35:28 - Hanan talks about her experience with Nike and designing her own sneaker 44:29 - Importance of rediscovering oneself? 49:00 - Gemstones and jewelry 54:45 - Hasnain's perspective on jewelry and what does it say about you? 58:46 - Working for yourself and starting your own business 1:04:45 - Hanan's podcast! Check it out! 1:07:42 - Mental health discussion -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Iman Zawahry is a female Muslim filmmaker who is attempting to break down stereotypes using comedy, and is currently working on her film, American-ish, which follows three Pakistani Muslim women pursuing their dreams in Queens, New York. We speak to her about her journey into filmmaking, the place of Muslim women in Hollywood, what her tips are for up and coming filmmakers and some tips for screenwriting. 2:11 - Ms. Marvel and Muslim representation 5:36 - The progression in Muslim Representation 8:15 - Is Marvel simply doing a cash-grab or do they care about the Muslim narrative? 10:35 - What got you into film? 15:45 - Forging your own path 21:41 - Backlash from your own community? 25:01 - Hollywood and the Hijab 29:12 - Why not show practicing Muslims on film? 37:58 - American-ish 42:00 - Marketing and producing a film 44:02 - Iman's Screenwriting tips 52:06 - Raising the stakes in film-writing? 59:45 - Advice to newcomers in the film industry 1:01:16 - What's next for Iman Zawahry? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Nouri, Hasnain and Ali review and reflect on the crazy year that was 2020. They discuss how they personally evolved this year, how COVID changed the world, reflecting on lost loved ones, the Black Lives Matter movement, Bernie Sanders, Trump, the US on the brink of war, Aya Hachem and sectarianism, the start of the 786 Boulevard podcast and more! 2:23 - Short reflections 4:59 - How did we change in 2020? 13:54 - The almost war with Iran 17:57 - Trump's final year 23:50 - The Bernie Train 32:22 - COVID, loss and fear 39:30 - Life during lockdown 50:17 - Aya Hachem and sectarianism 1:01:43 - The Black Lives Matter movement 1:12:18 - The start of 786 Boulevard 1:20:17 - Where are we going in 2021? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Aarish Mustafa built The Tailored Foundation from the ground up, which offers bespoke measure-to-measure suits for gentlemen. He joins Nouri, Ali & Hasnain to have a talk about entrepreneurship and building a successful business. The quartet also discuss freelancing vs. employment and our relationship to money. 1:50 - Relationship with work and business 7:42 - Financial freedom 20:34 - What does a suit say about a man? 26:45 - Why suits? 29:35 - The process of designing a suit 32:12 - The time it takes to tailor a suit 35:00 - What does Ali Alvi really do in life? 37:02 - Challenges faced by businesses during COVID 30:01 - Building solid relationship with clients 40:48 - Did you ever feel like quitting? 49:25 - Our relationship to money 1.01:15 - How does one build a successful business? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

The Riz Test, inspired by Riz Ahmed's viral speech on minority representation, is a litmus test that holds Hollywood films to account for Muslim representation. Shaf Choudry of The Riz Test joins Nouri, Hasnain and Ali to talk Hollywood's horrible track record of Islamophobic tropes, why and how he co-founded The Riz Test, and whether or not the tides are changing with the emergence of Muslim Hollywood A-listers such as Riz, Hasan Minhaj, Ramy Youssef and others. -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, who gather Muslims of all kinds to discuss culture, art, spirituality, and how the three intertwine. Check us out on Instagram: @786Boulevard And Twitter: @786Boulevard

Netflix's Mosul, produced by Anthony and Joe Russo (Directors, Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame) and directed by Matthew Michael Carnahan (Screenwriter, World War Z, The Kingdom) tells the story of an elite Iraqi SWAT team battling ISIS in the last period of their occupation of Mosul. The gripping high octane action thriller cast real Iraqis to make the film as authentic as possible. Actors Thaer Al Shayei and Mohimen Mahbuba join Nouri and Hasnain to talk Iraqi, Arab and Muslim representation in film, why the story was important for them, and some of the films more controversial scenes. 4:41 - Hasnain's thoughts and reactions to the film 4:54 - What does the film mean to you? 9:43 - Iraqi Identity 20:25 - The film's depiction of the PMF 32:14 - Religious diversity in the film 36:35 - Suhail Dabbach's Acting 41:46 - Hasnain's thoughts 44:37 - Growing up in Iraq during turmoil 47:22 - Mohimen's acting debut 56:19 - What's next for the actors? -- 786 Boulevard is a podcast by Nouri Sardar, Hasnain Ali and Ali Alvi, 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

Hira Qureshi, food reporter for USA today, focuses her writings and conversations around the Muslim-American food experiences. She parks up at 786 Boulevard to discuss celebrating Ramadan in lockdown, how food can be used to fight Islamophobia, and Muslim representation in the food reporting industry. 0.58 - What is your favourite kind of food? 4.00 - Ramadan in 2020 13.15 - Hira's food career 18.55 - What can food do for the narrative for people? 23.15 - Food and identity 31.55 - Food media and misrepresentation 35.46 - Social media and food media 38.15 - Changing the industry 46.30 - Hira's Podcast 54.44 - What does Halal mean to you?

Justin Mashouf is an emmy award winning Iranian-American filmmaker based out of Los Angeles. He parks up at 786 Boulevard to talk filmmaking, balancing faith and Hollywood, and more!

Farhan Momin, Masterchef Season 9 contestant and owner of Farmo Cooks, joins Nouri, Hasnain, and Ali for a discussion on how what we eat represents our identity, what halal says about Muslims in the West and how much we should really be spending on food!

Jeremy McLellan is using comedy to build bridges - the devout Christian also devotes his time to stand up and making Muslims laugh. He chats to Nouri, Hasnain and Ali about his journey into comedy, real interfaith engagement, and the spirituality that goes into his craft.

Kevin Shakil founded America's Islamic Radio - the first Islamic radio station in the United States. He speaks to Nouri, Hasnain and Ali about why he decided to start a radio station during a digital revolution. They also discuss the upcoming US elections and what the fears of American-Muslims are, as  well as Sunni-Shia relations in light of Kevin's decision to include Shia Muslims on his platform.

Hafsa Khan uses art to explore themes of spirituality, Pakistani identity, and American culture. The renowned artist talks to Nouri, Hasnain and Ali about her journey toward becoming an artist, discovering herself in her artistic expression, and how we can use art to explore the deepest strands of our confusing identities.

Zahraa Berro, hijabi fashionista and founder of Zahraa the Label joins Nouri, Hasnain and Ali to discuss the controversial world of hijabi influencers, modest fashion and Insta fame.

As Shia demographics have moved toward the West, commemorations of Ashura have begun to grow and evolve accordingly. Ali Fadhil joins Nouri, Hasnain and Ali to discuss his tracks 'Higher' and 'Cry Ya Hussain' - some of the first lamentations on Ashura to have distinct Western melodies, as well as his journey in seeking to help artistic expressions of Ashura evolve. 

How does spirituality connect to what we wear and how we choose to express ourselves in clothing and style? Nouri, Hasnain and Ali are joined by Co-Founder of Profound Aesthetic Nabil Zaidi, as they discuss he helped grow a business that started by selling Islamic tees into a clothing brand now sold all over the world. They also discuss his venture into Nour - a faith-based brand for Shia Muslims that became a social media phenomenon.

Ali Nuri, author of Rain and Embers (2019) use poetry to explore his relationship with his home country of Iraq after being forced to flee in 1990. Now residing in the US, he tells Nouri, Hasnain and Ali of his journey in rediscovering himself through poetry and his challenges as a writer.

Qasim Arif, aka ILLM fuses Islamic calligraphy with Western culture. Nouri and Hasnain quiz him on his artistic process, how faith and spirituality inspires his art, and what advice he has for young Muslims who want to get involved in calligraphy-based artwork.

With the billion dollar sneaker industry attracting Muslims from all over, what do sneakers mean to us? Do they represent excessiveness? Where does spirituality fit in to sneaker culture? And can Muslims wear sneakers made in unfair work environments? Nouri and Hasnain are joined by Streetwear Fashion Creative Zaahid MA to delve into the relationship between Islam and sneaker culture.

Does Islam belong in Hollywood? Given the film industry's indulgence in sex, nudity and violence, is there a clash of interest? And how do our affections for film and storytelling affect our spirituality? Nouri, Hasnain and Ali discuss this and how Muslim actors can get involved in the film industry.

What are some of the struggles of being a Black Muslim woman in the film industry? Award winning filmmaker Muhyi Ali joins Hasnain and Nouri to discuss her journey in storytelling, her award-winning film Undefined: A Muslim-American Musical (2017) and how she balances her passion for the arts with her spirituality.

Nouri, Hasnain and Ali discuss positive Muslim representation in film - looking at examples of Hollywood's horrible track record of Islamophobic Muslim representation, and how that lack of representation affected them growing up. They also look at examples of modern day Muslim representation in film and TV that are generally praised as being positive, and discuss if that's the kind of Muslim representation Muslims actually need. Subscribe to 786 Boulevard on the following platforms: YouTube: https://bit.ly/2MNtC2F Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3f1svZ0 Anchor: https://anchor.fm/786boulevard Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cDTnNf

In the first episode of 786 Boulevard, Nouri, Ali & Hasnain, along with special guest Carrell Lasso, reflect on what is happening right now in America and the systematic oppression of African Americans. They also reflect on the importance of telling minority stories on film and TV, and what films/serials about the African American experience have inspired them the most.