Being An Asian In Modern British Society

And we're back! Thank you for tuning it to this episode of the podcast! I hope the first four months of 2024 have been brilliant and to add to the fun, I've got an exciting new episode for you. I'm super psyched for this one as I am in conversation with my digital marketer, PA and business owner herself, Alinah Rajah. Alinah is a qualified football coach and has launched her own business Power Up this year which strives to encourage women to get fit through football. She talks us through her journey into football and the hurdles she had to pass. I found her story so endearing and I hope you do too. If you would like to get in touch, please message me at bambswithshaz on instagram. Bye for now!

Happy New Year!!! I hope you all had a lovely festive break and all are geared up for 2024! Me, Monisha and Nimah finally did it! We've been itching to have this conversation on air for a while and finally sat down yesterday to record it. This episode is all about the ways we seek validation and how it links back to our inner child, societal expectations, our self perceptions with friends and family as well as healing old wounds. Disclaimer: This episode does contain bad language and is a product of our opinions and thoughts. We do not wish to offend anyone. If you find yourself wanting to get in touch, please contact @bambswithshaz on Instagram.

Well hello there - I'm back after a little break from the podcast. If this is the first episode you're listening to, I'm giving you a warm welcome and for my returning listeners,  a warm virtual hug for you too! Life have really caught up on me but I'm so pleased to announce that this is the 20th episode so far! To honour it, I thought it would fitting to invite my friend Nimrah Zaman, who is not only wife of the content creator Ahmed Zaman but is a project manager by day and a fully blown Asian Bridal Model and Content Creator by night! Nimrah has featured in several modelling shoots around the country and today we are both going to shine light on what's its like being a British Asian Muslim woman working in the UK modelling industry. This is going to be a good one so whether you're driving the long commute to or back from work, snuggled on the sofa or relaxing in a steamy bath - make sure to just turn the volume ever so slightly and enjoy If you are affected by any of the topics today, please don't hesitate to contact me @bambswithshaz on instagram! Bye for now!

Hey everyone and welcome back to being an Asian in modern British society. Tonight, I invite three of my good friends from the University of Bradford, Hamza Yousaf, Zarafshaan Hussain and Fatouma Sanyang to talk about a very important yet often disregarded topic – our names. Have you ever been annoyed because you've had to repeat your name more than once because someone simple couldn't pronounce it? Or you've perhaps shortened it because Sims was easier to say than Simran or Naz was just easier than Nazia? Well, in this episode, we shine light on the origins of names, how we've altered them to suit western pronunciation, the stigma behind our names and how we've come to embrace them. This episode does have bad language, references to death and stories about racism, so if this isn't for you, please check out another episode. So now put your feet up, sit back and enjoy this episode! This episode is dedicated to our dear friend Hamza Butt who we lost earlier this year. We miss Hamza and thank you for making this happen. Disclaimer: This episode contains our personal thoughts and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone, however if you find yourself affected by this episode, or wanting to get in touch, please contact @bambswithshaz on Instagram.

Welcome back to the podcast of Being an Asian in Modern British Society. I'm going to hit you with a very sciencey episode today so brace yourselves because this topic is very close to my heart. On Wednesday 26th October at midnight, I was admitted into the hospital with the paramedics and doctors not knowing what was wrong with me. I couldn't move, I couldn't talk but I was completely aware of my surroundings. You're probably thinking whattt, was it nazar, was it something supernatural? Well, this is why you need to listen into this episode all about functional neurological disorder or for short, FND. To give you a comprehensive yet concise overview of FND, I invite Haseel Bhatt onto the podcast who is a clinical researcher and physiotherapist based in Toronto who specialises in FND and helps people living with the disorder through education, rehabilitation and research. Now kick your shoes off, plonk those earphones in and shut off from the world for an hour. If you find yourself being affected by our conversation today, please do no hesitate to contact me on @bambswithshaz on instagram. You're not alone and the more we talk about it, the better – bye for now!

Thank you for tuning in to another episode of Being an Asian in Modern British Society. Today I decided to take a break from the PhD and pay a visit to see my dad. It dawned on me that a lot of our conversations often revolve around fighting the battles life throws our way and I know one person who truly understands that is my dad. My dad's family were very poor and at the age of 17, my grandfather died which meant that he was the only breadwinner for his little sister, brother and mother. He was desperate to find multiple ways to put food on the table and this episode is dedicated to him sharing his life story of how he went from a young boy chasing a penny to becoming a self made millionaire. As a disclaimer, this episode may contain controversial views, references to racism and some bad language, so please tune into another episode if that's not for you. This was a very unplanned conversation so you might need your headphones to make out some words, but I promise it'll be worth it. So as usual, make yourself comfortable and enjoy what you're about to hear.

Thank you for tuning in yet again to another episode of the podcast! So we've done Defining Success in a Desi Household from a girls perspective - now let's flip it over! Sanjai is a good friend of mine from University who brings a unique angle to defining success from a males perspective. He grew up in Singapore and moved to England to study medicine. Now we do go off on our tangents in this episode, but I promise it's all worth hearing! Some parts of our conversation is a little controversial so please tune in to another episode if that's not for you. So whether you're driving home from work, whining down on the sofa or just out for a walk - turn the volume up ever so slightly and enjoyyyyy! As a disclaimer, all of the content is based on personal opinion, we do not wish to offend anyone. However, if you would like to get in touch, please message me @bambswithshaz on Instragram :)

Thank you for tuning into this episode of the podcast. I am currently recording this during the Christmas limbo of eating neverending blocks of cheese, living in my pyjamas and fluffy socks and watching mindless TV. It just seemed like the perfect time to record a conversation with one of my new friends, Monisha about a topic we frequently talk about… What success is perceived as in a Desi Household from a female's perspective. Me and Monisha met at a friend's wedding and instantly clicked with our mutual interest in dance and forever trying to adapt the conventional mindsets our community still hold. She is a recently graduated dentist, part-time dancer and is based near London. I am really excited for you guys to listen to what she has to say… so as always, grab those headphones, make some chai, maybe even light some candles and enjoy. This episode may contact some bad language so please check out another episode if that's not for you.

It's been MONTHS since I've sat at my desk, put my headphones back on, dusted off the microphone and tuned back in. I'm about to take you on an emotional rollercoaster with this episode as we delve into my mother's past as well as many of your parents pasts as well. To fully understand the background of this fight for freedom in Bangladesh, we need to travel back to 1947, when India won its independence from the British. At this time India was a huge country, even bigger than it is today, but after British rule there ended, the country split into two new states: India and Pakistan, who would both rule themselves. Pakistan was split across two areas - Pakistan and East Pakistan - which were 1,240 miles apart. Partition happened in this way because the majority of Indian people were part of the Hindu religion, but the people living in the areas that became Pakistan and East Pakistan, were mainly Muslim. Although the people living in East and West Pakistan were both Muslim, they had little else in common with different cultures and language. Most people in East Pakistan were part of a racial group called Bengali, and were the majority in Pakistan overall. However they feared being dominated and controlled by minority group in West Pakistan. Over time people living in East Pakistan began to feel more and more controlled by the government in West Pakistan. To tell her perspective of this story, I invite my mother Nazma Begum on to the podcast who witnessed the war unravel and is still somewhat suffering from the generational trauma it carried with it. Just as a disclaimer, me and Ma are not historians so please keep in mind that not all of the information disclosed will be factually correct. Our aim was to provide a perspective and we hope you enjoyed our conversation, see you next time!

In celebration of International Women's Month, I thought it was fitting to invite my old school friend Ayesha to share her amazing story into academia. Me and Ayesha went to underperforming schools where most of us didn't make it very far. However, Ayesha has broken the mould by not only being the first in her family to go to University but she is also pursuing a PhD in exploring the emotional geographies of third spaces established and used by British Asian Muslim women. Her journey wasn't linear but adds emphasis on the idea that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. This episode is aimed at inspiring young British Asian women to aim higher and pursue further education or to pursue something that potentially isn't academic but something they enjoy!

In Part II of this episode, Saquib talks about exploring his sexuality at university, marrying and divorcing his ex girlfriend, his journey into therapy, moving to Belgium, the common struggles the LGBT community may have and the workshops he currently runs in Belgium and England. The element of "shame" we have in the South Asian Community can be detrimental to our mental health, especially those that are fighting an internal battle with their sexuality. This episode aims to provide comfort to those going through a particular situation and also aims to educate all of us on the struggles members of the LGBT community may go through. This episode can be quite triggering so be weary as you're listening in. Enjoy!

On this episode, I have my guest Saquib Ahmad who is a Psychotherapist based in Brussels and London. He runs many therapy workshops for the LGBT community and plays an active role in raising awareness about homosexuality and bisexuality. Saquib talks about his struggles emigrating to the UK from Pakistan, coming out as bisexual and how this has impacted his religious journey. Now, just as a disclaimer, this is personally a very new topic for myself so apologies if there are any remarks made of an insensitive nature. This conversation is very controversial, so if that's not for you, please check out one of my lighter episodes. If you are affected by anything discussed, please do not hesitate to contact myself or Saquib. Our Instagram accounts are @shaz.khan and @gayboystomen. I hope this episode provides those who can relate with some comfort and has helped to open the minds of those who perhaps have a family member or friend going through the same thing. We do not wish to offend anyone in our conversation but simply discuss our personal experiences. In Part II of this episode, Saquib will discuss his University experience, his marriage and divorce to his wife, emigrating to Brussels and becoming LGBT community activist so stay tuned.

Hello! You have landed yourself on the very episode that kickstarted this whole podcast off! In this episode, me and my friend Neel (who is now a qualified doctor whoop whoop) dissect areas of our life that may have contributed or triggered our 'identity crisis'. The purpose of this conversation is to raise awareness about the struggles some British Asians may go through and to make a point that "YOU ARE NOT ALONE!" We are all on our own journeys of discovering ourselves, so hopefully this episode helps you to shine light on areas that you may have suppressed or to help aid others in understanding your journey! DISCLAIMER: This episode is based on personal thought and opinions. Don't like what you hear? Or perhaps love the content? If so, please contact me on @bambswithshaz. Bye for now!

In this episode, I am in conversation with my friend Ayesha Firoze who is a brilliant school teacher and an extra ordinary dancer. Together we discuss the stigma behind dance within the South Asian Muslim community and where it may have rooted from. We explore the art and works of Tawaifs during the Mughal era which eventually became a dying profession during the British Empire ruling. DISCLAIMER: This episode is quite controversial and heavily based on both of our life experiences. We do not wish to offend anyone, however if you would like to get in touch, please contact me @bambswithshaz!

It's time to really take those demons out of the closet and take a good, hard look at ourselves and the community we live in. Mental health is very under discussed and often brushed underneath the carpet to avoid 'sharam' i.e. embarrassing situations. We live in a society where it's become more important to 'maintain the family honour' or avoid being the 'local gossip topic' than it is to support individuals in our family/ community that require medical attention. In this episode, I am joined by two psychiatrists, Sameena and Murtaza who break down the sharam associated with mental health in the South Asian community and how we can overcome this. DISCLAIMER: The conversations discussed in this episode are meant to act as an aid to anyone who is or knows someone that is suffering from a mental health issue. We do not wish to offend anyone and are trying to shine light on a topic hidden in our community for years. This is a sensitive topic so if you find yourself wanting to get in touch, please contact @bambswithshaz.

In this episode, I am joined by my talented friend Ahmed Zaman who walks us through his journey into acting. We discuss the challenges and opportunities he has experienced during his acting career and what he hopes to achieve in the next coming years.  DISCLAIMER: All of the content discussed in this episode is based on personal thought and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone but simply offer an insight into our experiences. If you do find yourself wanting to reach out, please contact me on @bambswithshaz on Instagram. 

Dedicated to my dear late Khala who passed away one week ago from COVID-19. In this episode, me, Nimah and Rez share our experiences of Ramadan before and after lockdown. We talk about the challenges we have faced during the fasting period in lockdown and how we have chosen to cope with them.  If you have been affected by any of the topics discussed in this episode, please reach out on @bambswithshaz.

In this episode, Sunita shares her unique, inspiring story about her journey to marrying Denzil and giving birth to her baby girl Aarya. Sunita addresses the social stigmas she had to break through to fight for her relationship and offers an insight into the transition of emotions felt by herself and her family. DISCLAIMER: All the content in this podcast is based on personal thought and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone but instead offer an insight into our experience. However you find yourself wanting to reach out, please contact @bambswithshaz on Instagram.

This episode is dedicated to providing an overview of what happened during the Partition of India in 1947. Many of us are not aware of where we originate from and I believe that it is imperative to acquire this knowledge. I hope this episode helps to soothe the identity crisis that we all experience and pulls out some of the demons in your closet.  DISCLAIMER: All of the content in this episode is based on personal thought and opinions. Aunty Debjani and myself are not historians therefore some information may be slightly inaccurate and potentially biased. However, if you find your wanting to get in touch, please message @bambswithshaz on Instagram. 

This episode is all about ‘Growing Up in A Muslim Household' from a girls perspective. We'll be addressing all sorts of experiences we've encountered surrounding our clothing, going to mosque as a child and common struggles we face in our everyday lives. DISCLAIMER: All the content in this podcast is based on personal thought and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone but instead offer an insight into our own personal experiences. However, if you find yourself wanting to get in touch, please contact @bambswithshaz on Instagram.

In this episode, me and my friend Rez talk about something us millennials have ‘invented' as a mapping tool to finding ‘the one'. We call this 'The Halal and Haram Ratio'. We're going to talk about how Uni may act as a breaking point in a young Muslims life and shapes who they may become and how this may impact their life choices in areas such as marriage, faith and general lifestyle. DISCLAIMER: All the content in this podcast is based on personal thought and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone but instead offer an insight into our own personal experiences. However, if you find yourself wanting to get in touch, please contact @bambwithshaz on Instagram.

Every new project has a story behind it and I thought you'd like to know the story behind this one. This episode is a recitation of the article that I wrote when I was 17 years old. Obviously, things have changed since then so excuse the outdated comments or exaggerations, but I figured it was a nice way of starting off the episodes. I hope the next upcoming episodes resonate with all of you as I discuss with my friends the struggles and perks we have growing up as British Asians.  DISCLAIMER: All the content in this podcast is based on personal thought and opinions. We do not wish to offend anyone but instead offer an insight into our experiences. This particular episode was a recitation of an article I wrote when I was 17 so please excuse any "outdated" comments. If you find yourself wanting to get in touch, please directly message @bambswithshaz on Instagram.