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Zarqa Nawaz is a writer, film and television producer, published author, public speaker, journalist, creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, former broadcaster, and star of Zarqa, the CBC Gem comedy series in which she plays a woman named Zarqa, who sells gullible white people brown people things. In season one, a recently divorced Zarqa worked on her business while being pursued by a gaggle of men, ending in a fantastic brawl in the mosque between her ex, her imam, and her white brain surgeon boyfriend. Season two – which hit CBC Gem last fall – began with Zarqa choosing to focus on herself and her business instead of any of the men. Zarqa's pinning all of her hopes on her new product, Love Masala, an intoxicating new scent and love potion from her company, Zarqish Delights. And what better way to reach the masses than with an endorsement from global brand ambassador Pious Pinky Pervez, a Muslim social media influencer with millions of followers played with pious pink perfection by friend of the podcast Aliza Vellani? Aliza portrayed Layla on Little Mosque on the Prairie, and so Zarqa is something of a reunion between Zarqa and Aliza, except this time, they're on the same side of the camera. In this compelling conversation with Sabrina Rani Furminger, Zarqa and Aliza reflect on Little Mosque on the Prairie, their experience shooting Zarqa more than a decade later, what diversity and representation looks like in the comedy sphere, and Zarqa's adventures in stand-up comedy. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA
Aliza Vellani originally joined us in July 2021 to talk about her work in the first season of Netflix's Sweet Tooth. Sweet Tooth draws its inspiration from Jeff Lemire's comic book series about a boy who's half-human and half deer navigating a world that has been devastated by a virus that has killed a lot of people and led to the mysterious emergence of human-animal hybrid babies. Aliza plays Rani Singh. Rani has the virus, but is a rare long-term survivor, thanks to her doctor-husband Aditya's devotion and mysterious life-saving treatments, which we discover involves slaughtering hybrid children. The series shoots in New Zealand but features two Vancouver actors: Aliza as Rani and Christian Convery as the titular Sweet Tooth himself. Both Aliza and Christian won awards for their Sweet Tooth performances at the 2022 Leo Awards.Earlier this month, Sweet Tooth and Rani were back for another eight-episode journey that somehow managed to at once thrill, chill, entertain, and devastate audiences. Throughout season two, Rani reckons with karma, and the moral quandary of her predicament. As she says early on, “How many lives for mine? Will we reap what we sow?” But as another character observes in that same episode, Rani is one tough cookie. Rani is so very human: vulnerable, loving, conflicted, a little Lady MacBeth, and still feisty as shit. In this wildly fascinating interview, Sabrina Rani Furminger talks Rani and Sweet Tooth with the inimitable Aliza Vellani, and also gets the 4-1-1 on her latest project: a reunion of sorts with the work of Zarqa Nawaz, the brilliant mind behind Little Mosque on the Prairie, in Zarqa. Episode sponsor: UBCP/ACTRA
Interview with Zarqa Nawaz, author of the novel Jameela Green Ruins Everything.You can support the podcast today by buying me a coffee.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/reading-and-writing-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
Catching up with Rizwan Manji (Outsourced, Schitt's Creek, Peacemaker), we got to hear the REAL origin story behind his iconic mustache, reflected with him on his journey as a brown Muslim building a career in media, as well as a reflection on his latest role as the Imam in Zarqa Nawaz's comedy series title "ZARQA".
Award-winning Canadian reggae artist Jay Douglas talks about his first ever blues album, Confession. Poet and musician Saul Williams discusses his directorial debut, Neptune Frost, and the decades-long artistic journey that inspired it. Our books columnist Jael Richardson fills us in on her pick for the perfect beach read: Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz. Composer and musician Jonathan Kawchuk talks about his momentous new project, Everywhen, which he recorded in the Rocky Mountains.
We sit down with Zarqa Nawaz, the creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie, the world's first sitcom about a Muslim community living in the west. She has recently released both a new book and a new show (out now on CBC Gem), and joins us to share her insights on storytelling — from how her faith informs her writing process, to her personal journey in bringing stories like hers to the mainstream, to the inherent value of depicting the ordinary.Links:Watch ZARQA on CBC GemJameela Green Ruins Everything, Zarqa's newly published bookZarqa Nawaz had a hit show, then a decade-long dry spell. She's ready for her second act. by Marie-Danielle Smith, the Maclean's article we bring upActing Muslim — Representing Our Authentic Stories, the session Rebecca mentionsRead about Christian Cooper (the Central Park birder), who will be hosting a birding series for National GeographicFor more from Zarqa, check out her site, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram We love hearing from our listeners! Leave us a voice message, write to the show email, or send us a DM on any of our socials.If our conversations support you in your own reframing practice, please consider a donation on our Patreon — where you can also hear bonus episodes. Subscribe to the Sister On! Newsletter. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram too.We love hearing from our listeners! Leave us a voice message, write to the show email, or send us a DM on any of our socials.If our conversations support you in your own reframing practice, please consider a donation on our Patreon, where you can also hear bonus episodes, or tipping us on Ko-fi. Subscribe to the Reframeables Newsletter. Follow us on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube too.
Rapper Cadence Weapon discusses his new memoir, Bedroom Rapper, and reflects on his career journey from growing up in Edmonton to winning the 2021 Polaris Music Prize. Actor Mark O'Brien talks about stepping out of his comfort zone with his directorial feature debut, The Righteous, which asks big questions about faith, sin, penance and grief. Little Mosque on the Prairie creator Zarqa Nawaz tells us how a friend's harsh words at a dinner party led her to make her first new comedy series in 10 years, Zarqa. Film critic Jason Gorber shares his review of Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited follow-up to Tom Cruise's action hit from the '80s.
It was a LOT of fun interviewing Zarqa Nawaz to discuss storytelling, narratives, and speaking honesty through popular media. We talked about her groundbreaking TV series from 2007, Little Mosque on the Prairie, and how she developed into a Producer and Actor for her new series, ZARQA, which premiered on Canadian TV in May of 2022. Full episode up on Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts!
This week, Angela talks to documentarian, writer, and comedian Zarqa Nawaz, whose new book, Jameela Green Ruins Everything, is out now. Angie and Zarqa talk about Zarqa's career, including her documentary Me and The Mosque, her TV show Little Mosque on the Prarie, and how years writing pilots in Hollywood lead her to write a memoir. They also talk about how to make fun of ISIS. Zarqa talks about textbooks created by America to radicalize children in Afghanistan. Here's the Washington post article about that story. We'll be back in two weeks with Elizabeth Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This week, Angela talks to documentarian, writer, and comedian Zarqa Nawaz, whose new book, Jameela Green Ruins Everything, is out now. Angie and Zarqa talk about Zarqa's career, including her documentary Me and The Mosque, her TV show Little Mosque on the Prarie, and how years writing pilots in Hollywood lead her to write a memoir. They also talk about how to make fun of ISIS. Zarqa talks about textbooks created by America to radicalize children in Afghanistan. Here's the Washington post article about that story. We'll be back in two weeks with Elizabeth Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s victory could sideline the search for the billions his father stole; a digital policy expert says it's time to shut down Ottawa's COVID Alert App; Afghan journalist Zahra Joya confronts the Taliban from exile; Zarqa Nawaz on the importance of putting flawed, middle-aged Muslim women on the screen; the original women of stand-up comedy get their due in In On The Joke, a new book telling their stories and more.
Jameela Green Ruins Everything by Zarqa Nawaz “I think we got off on the wrong foot, with you telling me I had to be killed and then me getting all upset about it. Let's start again. My name is Jameela, and I'm a writer. What do you do, besides . . . assassinations? Is that a hobby or more of a full-time thing?” Jameela Green has only one wish: to see her memoir on the New York Times bestseller list. When that doesn't work out, she decides that her best next step is to make a deal with God, so she heads over to her local mosque. The idealistic new imam, Ibrahim Sultan, is appalled by Jameela's shallowness but agrees to assist her, on one condition—that she perform a good deed. Jameela reluctantly accepts his terms, kicking off a series of unfortunate events. The homeless man they try to help gets recruited by a terrorist group, causing federal authorities to become suspicious of Ibrahim. When the imam mysteriously disappears, Jameela is certain that the CIA has captured her new friend for interrogation and possibly torture. Despite having no talent for this sort of thing, Jameela decides to set off on a one-woman operation to rescue him. Her quest soon lands her at the center of an international plan targeting the leader of the terrorist organization—a scheme that puts Jameela and count-less others, including her hapless husband and clever but disapproving daughter, at risk. A no-holds-barred satire about the international cost of the American Dream, Jameela Green Ruins Everything is a compulsively readable, darkly comedic, yet unexpectedly touching story of one woman's search for meaning and connection.
Ep58: Whiteness in TV - Zarqa Nawaz is a canadian creator and producer for film and television, published author, public speaker, journalist, and former broadcaster. You might know her from her hit sit com “Little Mosque in the Prairie” which premiered to the highest ratings CBC had in over 20 years, and won multiple awards, or her most recent publication “Jameela Green ruins everything.” She joins me to talk subverting stereotypes on screen, building your own and success on God's time.
On this week's episode, Angela speaks with musician, author, and broadcaster Clemency Burton-HIll. Clemency wants to make classical musical more accessible, and has brought this mission to her work at New York Public Radio, WNYC, and the BBC. Angie and Clemency talk about her books Year of Wonder and the follow-up Another Year of Wonder, both of which introduce the listener to a new piece of classical music every day. They also talk about Clemency's recovery from a brain hemorrhage in 2020, which only deepened her relationship to music. We'll be back in two weeks with Zarqa Nawaz. See you then! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's episode, Angela speaks with musician, author, and broadcaster Clemency Burton-HIll. Clemency wants to make classical musical more accessible, and has brought this mission to her work at New York Public Radio, WNYC, and the BBC. Angie and Clemency talk about her books Year of Wonder and the follow-up Another Year of Wonder, both of which introduce the listener to a new piece of classical music every day. They also talk about Clemency's recovery from a brain hemorrhage in 2020, which only deepened her relationship to music. We'll be back in two weeks with Zarqa Nawaz. See you then! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode, we are joined by Canadian journalist, author, and filmmaker Zarqa Nawaz (creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie) who spoke to us about her recently released novel, Jameela Green Ruins Everything. Find more information about our podcast, including links to our guests' books here. If you're ready to start your publishing journey, visit kobo.com/writinglife.
This episode of Breaking Brave is brought to you by: SOULSNACKS! Soul snacks are single ingredient, eco conscious dog and cat treats! Sourced directly from farms in Ontario and wrapped in fully compostable packaging. Treating your pets never felt so good. Head to https://soulsnacks.ca/ and use coupon code BREAKINGBRAVE for 15% off your purchase!!! & CRANK COFFEE the newest member of the Neal Brothers family. Crank Coffee is a new Canadian whole bean coffee brand that is certified organic and fair trade. Founded by the Neal Brothers Peter and Chris. This brand was influenced by cycling, coffee lovers, and experts! Check it out at the Neal brothers online shop here: https://shop.nealbrothersfoods.com/collections/crank%C2%AE-coffee-co and USE COUPON CODE BRAVE for 20% OFF Your first Crank Coffee purchase! -- ZARQA NAWAZ is a Canadian producer for film and television, a published author, public speaker, journalist, and former broadcaster. In 2007, Zarqa created the internationally renowned CBC comedy series, Little Mosque on the Prairie, the world's first sitcom about a Muslim community living in the west. Little Mosque on the Prairie premiered to the highest ratings CBC had in over 20 years. The show went on to win a Gemini, and was nominated for Best Television Series – Comedy at the 2007 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directors_Guild_of_Canada (Directors Guild of Canada) Awards. Internationally, Little Mosque won awards for Best International Television Series and Best Screenplay at the 2007 Roma Fiction Fest. In 2012, it made its American debut on Hulu, and is now broadcast in over 60 countries. The Los Angeles Times said “the genius of ‘Mosque' is that the characters resonate with viewers all over the world.” After the success of Little Mosque on the Prairie, Zarqa successfully sold comedy pilots to ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox Studios.Little Mosque on the Prairie was inspired by the National Film Board documentary, Me and the Mosque Her ground-breaking documentary which premiered at the Montreal International Film Festival in 2005. Using original animation, archival footage and interviews with Muslim women and Islamic scholars, Zarqa examined how patriarchal cultural traditions have become mixed up with theology. Zarqa also has a significant presence in the publishing world. In 2014, her comedic memoir, Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, published by HarperCollins, appeared on the bestseller list of The Globe and Mail, and was shortlisted for the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, Kobo Emerging Writer's Award and Saskatchewan Book Award of the Year. It was Chatelaine Magazine's Book Club Pick and Canadian Living's Book of the Summer. Zarqa's work in the media world has not just been as a television creator, but also as an advice columnist for the Globe & Mail, host of The Morning Edition, Saskatchewan's CBC Radio's morning show, and anchor of CBC Saskatchewan's six o'clock news. A frequent public speaker on Islam and comedy, Zarqa received a Doctor of Divinity from the University of Saskatchewan for her interfaith work in the community. In recognition for her contribution to the world of arts, she received The Brampton Walk of Fame in 2019. Zarqa completed a Bachelor of Science from University of Toronto in 1990 and a second degree in journalism at Ryerson University in 1992. She lives in Regina with her loving but long-suffering family and is the proud mother of four children. -- As always, thank you so much for listening to Breaking Brave! If you like the show, please subscribe, review, and/or send us your suggestions or questions via the platforms below! For more from Marilyn Barefoot or to get in touch with her directly, please connect via: Marilyn's website: https://marilynbarefoot.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynbarefootbigideas/ Twitter: @MarilynBarefoot Instagram: @marilynbarefoot ABOUT Marilyn Barefoot, the Host of Breaking Brave:...
Esi Edugyan on Washington Black , Mariko Tamaki takes our Proust questionnaire, Zarqa Nawaz on Jameela Green Ruins Everything, and more.
Zarqa Nawaz is a Canadian icon. When she produced the award-winning show ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie' in 2007, the show became a household name. An avowed fan of Nora Efron, Zarqa created an all-Canadian sitcom that had funny and well-rounded Muslim characters. This was a far cry from the stereotypical cookie-cutter Muslim characters that the West had been churning out. And the timing was critical too. In 2007, post 9/11 Islamophobia was at its peak. A Muslim point of view in the arts was practically nonexistent and there was little portrayal of Muslims beyond the tired tropes of either ‘terrorist' or ‘victim'. It's been 15 years since then and Zarqa Nawaz is ready for 2022 with two offerings- her first pop fiction novel ‘Jameela Green Ruins everything' and a web series on CBC Gem called ‘Zarqa'. Her new book is a noir comedy about Jameela who wants to be on the New York Times bestseller list, but instead gets unwittingly entangled in an international conspiracy around a missing Imam. To add to the comical escapades, her CBC web series ‘Zarqa' is about a shallow, self-centered Muslim woman who will stop at nothing to create her own wellness empire- much like Gwyneth Paltrow's ‘Goop'. Hilarity ensues as she also tries to get even with her ex-husband for dating a White yoga instructor half her age! Join us as we talk about her producing one of Canada's most successful sitcoms, her immigrant upbringing (“Failure was never an option!”), and growing up as a bullied brown kid in Canada. Do send in your comments or feedback about this episode by tweeting them to @acrosshertable or e-mailing them at feedback@acrosshertable.com or send us a voice message at http://www.anchor.fm/acrosshertable/message Don't forget to follow Across Her Table on Instagram @acrosshertable (https://www.instagram.com/acrosshertable) Music credit: Oh My - Patrick Patrikios
11:58 | McGill University political scientist, Dr. Aaron Erlich on the disinformation campaigns waged by Russia to control its citizens and reinforce the illegal invasion of Ukraine. 39:36 | The creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie and author of the new book, Jameela Green Ruins Everything, Zarqa Nawaz discusses how the "freedom convoy", and now Putin, are making Muslims look good. 1:17:50 | #PositiveReflections | Ryan shares about kind acts in the world to get the week started on a lighter note. Presented by Kuby Energy.
News with a Bite is written and hosted by Mariam Sobh. It is produced in collaboration with Todd Manley of EarSight Studios.Learn more about Zarqa Nawaz's projects and get her new book here.
Zarqa Nawaz is going through a bit of a rebirth. It's been roughly decade since the end of her hit show 'Little Mosque on the Prairie'. Recently, Zarqa got into stand-up comedy, she's about to star in the web series ZARQA, and she is on the verge of releasing her first novel, 'Jameela Green Ruins Everything', a dark comedy about American intervention in the Middle East.Zarqa talks about using comedy to address uncomfortable or taboo topics, from dating and divorce in Muslim culture, to the rise of ISIS. She also discusses how she has dealt with backlash from her community and what it's like to step out from behind the camera. If you enjoyed this episode and want to learn more, click here for show notes, biographies, and additional resources relating to this conversation. This Being Human is generously supported by The Aga Khan Museum. For more on the Museum, please visit https://agakhanmuseum.org/ Additional resources: ZARQA official trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP9NVAZUdHA Zarqa’s website: https://zarqanawaz.com/ Zarqa’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealzarqa/?hl=en Jameela Green Ruins Everything: https://zarqanawaz.com/books/jameela-green-ruins-everything/ More on Little Mosque on the Prairie: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/little-mosque-on-the-prairieSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The human brain comes hardwired to pay attention to stories—whether in the form of personal narrative, collective myths or gossip—and prioritize them over dry facts and figures. So how can storytelling be used to challenge racism and Islamophobia? Why are counter-stories so important for nurturing equity and what lessons are relevant for organizational leaders? Join Shakil Choudhury in conversation with Zarqa Nawaz, author of the award-winning book, Laughing All the Way to the Mosque, and creator of the internationally acclaimed show Little Mosque on the Prairie, the world's first sitcom featuring Muslim characters living in the West. Shakil and Zarqa will be talking about their new books, what it's means to occupy a Muslim identity 20 years after 9/11, and they use stories to educate as well as entertain.
Your September Upload has appeared. I take a look at the first episode of Little Mosque on the Prairie and also have the opportunity to chat with the show's creator Zarqa Nawaz! We speak about Muslims in media, how she became a film maker and her brand new show she's in the process of developing.Check Zarqa's links here: Website / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / YouTubeAnd Eh Plus can be found on Facebook / Instagram
A Muslim father in Ontario is in a fight with his local school board as he wants to pull his kids from music class due to his religious beliefs. Joining us to discuss this is Zarqa Nawaz, creator of Little Mosque on the Prairie and author of Laughing all the way to the mosque. You can read her column on the issue here http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/to-the-muslim-music-banning-father-rejecting-compromise-is-extremism/article31742899/