Shows
KalamCastEP 41: Spider-Man and Beyond | Arman HaqueArman Haque is a special effects artist (specialising in lighting). He and his team have worked along a number of feature films including "Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings" and most recently "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Furqan spoke to him about his interest in the field and what he aims to do with the skills and expertise he has gained in his profession.
2021-12-2754 min
KalamCastEP 40: On Books and Barakah | Sheikh Ismail KamdarSheikh Ismail Kamdar graduated from the ʿĀlimiyyah program in 2006 and completed a BA in Islamic Studies at International Open University in 2014. Specializes in the fields of Fiqh, Tafsir, and History. The author of over a dozen books in the fields of Islamic Studies and Personal Development. He is the founder of Islamic Self Help, and the research manager at Yaqeen Institute. In this episode, Sheikh Ismail discusses his writing process as well as his latest publication "Earning Barakah: An Islamic Guide to Blessed Sustenance."
2021-11-0148 min
KalamCastEP 39: Islamic Finance FAQ | Almir ColanKalamCast asked listeners for questions they would like answered on Islamic finance. Almir answered and discussed the answers for these questions. Almir is the Director at Australian Centre for Islamic Finance (AUSCIF) and CEO at Olive Investments. He is also an adviser to a number of institutions that provide Islamic finance and member of a working group at AAOIFI (Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions).
2021-10-1749 min
KalamCastEP 38: My Journey to Weight Loss | Adam KaanAdam Kaan is the creator of "Fit Dad Life Mastery Program." He states that his mission is to help professional "Desi Dads" lose 20 to 30 kg or more in a few short months. He aims to help men to take control of their health and perform better in all areas of their lives. In this episode, Adam talks about his own journey into weight loss and speaks of the unique elements of his program.
2021-10-1059 min
KalamCastEP 37: Into the World of Cyber Security | Dr Atif AhmadCybersecurity is the protection of computer systems and networks from information disclosure, theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. Dr Atif Ahmed is an Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne where he serves as Deputy Director for the Academic Centre of Cyber Security Excellence. He leads a unique team of Cybersecurity Management researchers drawn from information systems, business administration, security intelligence, and information warfare. He spoke to KalamCast about what Cyber Security is, some of the pressing issues within the field...
2021-09-3050 min
KalamCastEP 36: Muslim Revert Issues | Isa Graham & AbdulShaheed DrewIsa and AbdulShaheed get together with Furqan over zoom and discuss typical issues which reverts to Islam face upon embracing Islam and things they have encountered through their own experiences including difficulties pertaining to the community, some of the early challenges they faced and what they think works.
2020-09-061h 12
KalamCastEP 35: Coronavirus Concerns & Conspiracies Panel | Dr Ziauddin Ansari, Dr Shumaila Panhwar & Dr Shiraz MehkriFurqan met with a panel of doctors: Dr Ziauddin Ansari, Dr Shumaila Panhwar & Dr Shiraz Mekhri (via Zoom) to discuss some of the frequently mentioned concerns surrounding the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is also discussion concerning the various conspiracy theory claims which have emanated as a result of the pandemic.
2020-08-161h 08
KalamCastEP 34: The Christchurch 'Joke' - A Critique of Comedy Culture | Almir ColanAn Australian comedian’s joke about the Christchurch mosque shootings has sparked a fierce debate online. In his recently-released comedy special Anti-Hero, comedian Isaac Butterfield references the 2019 terror attack during which Brenton Tarrant killed 51 people and injured 49. A clip of that joke was tweeted by Almir Colan, the Director of Australian Centre for Islamic Finance, on the weekend. Almir sat down with Furqan via Zoom to further elaborate on his throughts as well as offering a commentary on Butterfield's response.
2020-08-051h 00
KalamCastEP 33: Ertugrul to Ataturk | Sh Bilal IsmailSheikh Bilal Ismail was born in Durban, South Africa. He is one of three siblings and comes from a religious traditional hanafi family. He memorized the Quran while studying at school and went on to complete high school in 1998. Sheikh Bilal then went on to do a diploma in Computer Science in 1999, as well as qualifying as a Microsoft certified systems engineer. He was accepted into the Islamic University of Madinah in 2001 where he completed his Diploma in Arabic followed by a BA in Islamic Law from the faculty of Shariah. In this episode, Sheikh Bilal discussed his interest i...
2020-07-1832 min
KalamCastEP 32: Adventures with Zaky | Subhi AlshaikFurqan caught up with Subhi Alshaik, the creator of Zaky. Subhi speaks of his past in the music industry, his 'religious awakening' and how he started One4Kids (a children’s animation company that focuses on producing educational entertainment for kids all over the world). He discusses some of his challenges in having created and popularising "Zaky" as well as future projects he is working on such as "Leith and Leila."
2020-07-1144 min
KalamCastEP 31: ISRA & Studying Islamic Studies | Dr Zuleyha KeskinDr Zuleyha Keskin is a Senior Lecturer and Course Director. She co-founded ISRA Australia with the vision to establish university level Islamic studies courses which teach both traditional and contemporary Islamic studies in a university context. This led to the establishment of the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation (CISAC) at CSU. Zuleyha has been the Course Director at CSU for these courses since their inception in 2010. Zuleyha is also the Managing Editor of the Australian Journal of Islamic Studies (AJIS) and the Vice President of the Australian Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies (AAIMS).
2020-07-0327 min
KalamCastEP 30: The Ertugrul Sequel | Almir ColanAlmir Colan sits down with Furqan to share his opinions regarding the new series Kuruluş: Osman (sequel to the famous Ertugrul series). Almir explains that the series has some high expectations that it is to live up to and discusses what the current series actually covers. For those interested, Almir did an earlier episode sharing his opinions regarding the original series (Episode 3).
2020-06-2726 min
KalamCastEP 29: Technology & Social Media Causes | Bilal RamnacRAMNAC RETURNS to discuss perspective towards technology within the Muslim world. The discussion then shifts to analyses of social media causes. Bilal uses this as an opportunity to discuss his perception of how people have been reacting to the recent BLM movement as well as the polarisation which sometimes place.
2020-06-191h 00
KalamCastEP 28: The Psychology of Adhkar | Sheikh Abdi Nur WeliSh Abdinur Weli is the religious advisor of the Sanad Foundation. He is the Head Imam for Islamic Council of Victoria [ICV] and member of the Board of Imams Victoria [BOIV]. He spoke with Furqan about a topic which he highly passionate of, the personal and psychological implications of remembering and invocating Allah in one's day to day affairs.
2020-06-0627 min
KalamCastEP 27: Preston Mosque & Islamic Museum of Australia | Moustafa FahourMoustafa Fahour OAM is the founder of Islamic Museum of Australia and was formerly the CEO and Managing Director of one of the leading diversified international contractors in the Middle East, based in Dubai. He has over 15 years of experience in the banking industry, construction, management and has held senior roles with CIMIC Group, Macquarie Bank, National Australia Bank, UBS and Citigroup. He was recognised with the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) by the Australian Government in 2015, was selected as one of The World’s Most Influential Young Arabs under the age of 40, by Arabian Business and th...
2020-05-2226 min
KalamCastEP 26: The Muslim Footballer | Adam SaadKalamCast had been trying to arrange a recording for a while but was unable to do so due to Adam's hectic schedule, matters became slightly more complicated due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Adam kindly agreed to offer an interview discussion with Furqan over Zoom. In the recording, he discusses his spiritual motivations, how he began as a professional footballer and what parents can do to support their own children if they wish to pursue sports professionally.
2020-05-1531 min
KalamCastEP 25: Relaxing Restrictions | Dr Ziauddin AnsariDr Ziauddin Ansari is an Australian-based health professional. Ziauddin is trained as an Intensive Care Specialist. Furqan and returning guest (turned co-host) Dr Shiraz Mekhri speak with Dr Ziauddin regarding where we currently lie with dealing with the pandemic. Dr Ziauddin shares some of his opinions regarding lifting restrictions and what he feels life will be like in the months to come.
2020-05-0940 min
KalamCastEP 24: Coronavirus Conspiracy Theories | Almir ColanAlmir Colan returns to share his thoughts regarding conspiracy theories prevalent in the Muslim community (as well as the larger community) concerning the coronavirus. Furqan and Almir discuss some of the motivations behind these conspiracy theories and share advice regarding how one should proceed in the face of such claims.
2020-05-0347 min
KalamCastEP 23: National Zakat Foundation | Munir AbdellaMunir Abdella is the National Manager for the National Zakat Foundation. Furqan spoke with Muneer much prior to Ramadan in order to discuss Zakat and how NZF works. NZF has handled over 8,000 cases nationally since 2013 with an outlay of over $7m. It has offices across Australia with the Melbourne office based in 29 Sydney Road, Coburg. Assistance can be in the form of financial support (via vouchers and not cash) to pay bills, for medication and medical services.
2020-04-2427 min
KalamCastEP 22: Atheism in the COVID-19 Era | Bilal RamnacRAMNAC RETURNS! Bilal and Furqan talk about atheism in the era of the coronavirus. Bilal's plans to travel overseas have been postponed as a result of the current situation. Thankfully, we get to record more episodes with him. As a convert to Islam, Bilal shares perspectives regarding his spiritual journey and presents his perspectives regarding atheism as well as desim (a philosophical belief he used to hold prior to embracing Islam). This episode was recorded responsibly via zoom.
2020-04-1242 min
KalamCastEP 21: Social Media and Social Distancing [Facebook Live] | Zohra SarwariIn an online event in which Furqan intended to talk with Zohra Sarwari about responsible use of social media, Furqan was also able to talk about responsible use of social media. For those who are not aware, Zohra Sarwari is a Muslim author, life and business coach, entrepreneur, and international speaker living in Sacramento, CA, United States. She is the author of more than 14 books and several e-books. [zohrasarwari.com]
2020-04-0656 min
KalamCastEP 20: Coronavirus Concerns and the Muslim Community | Dr Abdul-Latif HalimiRecorded via Zoom (in order to maintain social distancing), Dr Abdul-Latif Halimi updated Furqan with regards to the coronavirus epidemic and provided his opinion on how the Muslim community has coped with such an unprecedented epidemic. Furqan and Dr. Dr Abdul-Latif Halimi also discussed when and how things would be resuming to normal, the importance of 'staying in one's lane,' closure of mosques and the dynamic nature of Islamic law in dealing with such pandemics.
2020-03-2739 min
KalamCastEP 19: Coronavirus Discussion Panel | Dr Shiraz Mehkri, Dr Zahid Haider & Dr Matheen MohammedDue to the recent concern regarding the coronavirus, Furqan met and spoke with a panel of Muslim medical doctors to unravel and understand aspects pertaining to the virus. Specific references and examples have been used relevant to members of the Muslim community such as praying in mosques, attending Friday prayers during the outbreak etc. Panel members have included Dr Zahid Haider and Dr Shiraz Mehkri (both general practitioners) and Dr Matheen Mohammed (a specialist). The doctors answered a few frequently asked questions, dispelled myths regarding the virus and shared some of their own thoughts and experiences.
2020-03-2146 min
KalamCastEP 18: The Tables are Turned | Furqan JabbarThe tables are turned as we decide to do something different for this episode. Furqan is interviewed by Mustafa, who usually helps out with his technical support and know-how. In this episode, we explore what the KalamCast podcast is meant to be all about, what motivated it and where we would like it to go.
2020-03-1523 min
KalamCastEP 17: A Passion for the Creative Arts | Beray UzunbayBeray is a post-impressionist artist who explores emotions and social issues through her landscape paintings. She teaches art within the community, exhibits her work and frequently sells her art at The Brunswick Artist Market and on Etsy. She also happens to a law student and one of the hosts of the Creative Lens podcast. Furqan caught up with her to discuss her artistic interests and inspirations, views on the Muslim community's approach towards the arts and the future of the creative arts within the Muslim community.
2020-03-0729 min
KalamCastEP 16: The Productive Introvert | Sheikh Ismail KamdarIsmail Kamdar is an Islamic Studies Graduate, author of over a dozen books, the founder of Islamic Self Help, a freelance writer and the faculty manager of Islamic Open University (IOU). Furqan got up at 2am in the morning to speak with Sheikh Kamdar during office hours in Durban, South Africa where he resides. Furqan spoke with Sheikh Kamdar about introversion as source of benefit, the concept of introverts gaining proficiency in public speaking, his experience as someone who works primarily from home and finally his advice to those wishing to write.
2020-03-0140 min
KalamCastEP 15: Muslim Nurse, Paramedic and Influencer | The Hijabi NurseAs the episode title suggests, The Hijabi Nurse (whose real name has not been mentioned due to privacy concerns) is a Muslim nurse, paramedic and Instagram influencer (the.hijabi.nurse) who uses her social media platform to inform and educate. She talks about her motivations for getting into her chosen field, how they are linked to her religious motivations, what she wishes to achieve through her social media activities as well as some of her experiences in each of these respective roles.
2020-02-221h 07
KalamCastEP 14: Podium Magazine | Eva Mal, Aseel Sammak & Muntasser Al HabsiPodium Magazine is a Melbourne-based magazine which aims to "amplify the voices of those struggling to be heard." It aims to capture the wide variety of talents and voices belonging to members of Muslim youth in Australia. Furqan met up with two of the magazine's founders (Eva Mal and Aseel Sammak) as well as a member of the content research team (Muntasser Al Habsi) to discuss the what it is that they wish to achieve through the magazine and to share some of their experiences thus far.
2020-02-1533 min
KalamCastEP 13: Plight of the Uighurs | Alim Osman & Meyassar AblatAlim Osman (President of the Uyghur Association of Victoria) & Meyassar Ablat (Deputy President of the East Turkistan Australian Association) joined Furqan for an insightful discussion regarding the current situation faced by the the Uighurs. Br Alim started off by discussing the history behind the oppression. Sr Meyassar further elaborated by giving us an accurate understanding of what life in the region is currently like for the Uighur community. Another point of discussion included proposed facial recognition technology that will be used to spy upon the Uighur community.
2020-02-0955 min
KalamCastEP 12: A Fictional Caliphate | Bilal RamnacBilal Ramnac returns to discuss a fictional novel he is currently working on. Furqan and Mustafa (but mostly Furqan) talk to him about fictional world-building, portrayal of Muslims within the media and his writing process. Bilal is in the middle of completing his book, he hopes that we can do another episode after the book has actually been completed. Unfortunately, this will not be for a while as Bilal will shortly be heading off for higher education at the Islamic University of Madinah.
2020-02-0224 min
KalamCastEP 11: Netflix's "Messiah": Review & Commentary | Almir ColanIn late 2019, Netflix announced the coming of a series called "Messiah." It chronicles the modern world's reaction to a man (referred to as "Al-Masih") who first appears in the Middle East creating a groundswell of followers around him claiming he is the Messiah. Is he sent from God or is he a dangerous fraud bent on dismantling the world's geopolitical order? Furqan gets together with returning guest Almir Colan (who previously discussed Ertugrul) to discuss his opinion on "Messiah."
2020-01-2443 min
KalamCastEP 10: Islamic Wills Made Easy | Adel MohamedAdel Mohamed is a Melbourne-based lawyer and the founder of Wasiyyah, a service dedicated to helping Muslims who live in countries where Islamic law is not recognised, to prepare for death by leaving a Will that is in accordance with Islamic principles and values. Furqan and Mustapha met up with Adel who explained to them what goes in to making an Islamic will, how well his services have been recieved and his motivation behind running Wasiyyah in the first place.
2020-01-1823 min
KalamCastEP 9: The Muslim Firefighters | Asim Siddiqui & Ahmad JhaffarAhmad Jhaffar (a volunteer for over 2.5 years) and Asim Siddiqui (a volunteer for 7 years) stopped by to talk about their experiences as volunteer firefighters with Furqan and Mustapha. They discussed what it has been like for them so far, the type of commitment and training that is required for such a job, their interaction with other firefighters, their experiences with recent bushfire relief efforts, some of the general dangers involved in the work and how they link such volunteer activities to their Islamic belief.
2020-01-1249 min
KalamCastEP 8: My Experience in Da'wah | Hamza TzortzisHamza Andreas Tzortzis is a British public speaker and researcher on Islam. He came to Australia in 2016 to deliver an AlKauthar course in Sydney and Melbourne. During that time, he was also able to visit Canberra for a talk or two. Furqan was able to interview him on top of Telstra tower (a telecommunications tower and lookout that is situated above the summit of Black Mountain in Australia's capital city). In this recording, Hamza speaks of some of the things he has learned whilst intellectually promoting and defending Islam, his opinions towards certain approaches and his own motivations. Hamza...
2019-12-271h 01
KalamCastEP 7: Remembering Imam Fehmi | Ahmed HelouAhmed Helou is an educator who is currently working on an initiative to educate and inform others about aspects of modern history concerning the Muslim community. The project aims to discuss and inform others on the biographies of those who worked to establish the Australian Muslim community whilst in it's infancy. Among the individuals that are studied in this project are those such as Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Imam (d. 2016) who was previously the Imam of Preston mosque, a founding member of the Board of Imams Victoria and previously held the position of Grand Mufti of Australia. The project aims...
2019-12-2128 min
KalamCastEP 6: Knocking Down Doors | Abdul Kariim BarkerAbdul Kariim Barker is the dynamic founder of AMIN (which stands for "Australian Muslims in Need" and was formerly known as SPINvic). He is known in the local community for his commitment, charitable work and willingness to quickly ‘get the job done.’ In this episode, we discuss the diverse community-level initiatives he is involved in, his motivation, his (positive and negative) experiences with the community, his (perceived) failures and what keeps him going even in the face of disappointment.
2019-12-1344 min
KalamCastEP 5: Muslim History in Australia | AbdulShaheed DrewAbdul Shaheed Drew (author of 40 Hadiths Relating to Islamic Finance), is currently writing a book on the history of Muslims in Australia, he stops by to update us on his book and discuss some of his findings regarding the history of Muslims in Australia.
2019-12-0742 min
KalamCastEP 4: Anti-Islamic Sentiments | Sheikh Alaa El ZokmIn the aftermath of an appalling incident where a man became violent towards a pregnant Muslim woman (Rana Elasmar) in a Parramatta cafe, Furqan speaks with Sheikh Alaa El Zokm (Imam of Heidelberg mosque, ANIC member and executive member of the Board of Imams Victoria) regarding his thoughts about the incident and how we as Muslims should be dealing with such violent forms of behaviour.
2019-11-3040 min
KalamCastEP 3: The Ertugrul Phenomenon | Almir ColanIn this episode, we are joined with Almir Colan, well-known for his Islamic finance commentaries and discussions on YouTube. We discuss another topic dear to him, the famous series Diriliş: Ertuğrul. Almir discusses why he finds the series to be so endearing, how it is a source for change and some of the lessons we can learn from the series in general.
2019-11-2348 min
KalamCastEP 2: Far-Right Extremism | Bilal RamnacBilal Ramnac gets right into it to discuss a topic he is quite passionate about; the Far-right. As well as explaining why we should be giving such a discussion greater importance, Bilal mentions some of his own experiences with the far right.
2019-11-1751 min
KalamCastEP 1: The World of Da'wah | Waseem RazviThis was the very first Kalamistan podcast (later renamed to KalamCast by Episode 4), hosted by 'Cute' Mustafa (sort of) and Furqan. In it, we meet with Da'wah specialist Waseem Razvi to discuss some of his experiences, opinions and controversies. Enjoy!
2019-11-1149 min