This Being Human: Live at the Aga khan Museum

Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 6:30 pm
Price: Tickets for this event are free.
Please register below.

Presented in partnership with TVO, This Being Human is an arts and culture podcast devoted to amplifying the voices of leaders and redefining what it means to be Muslim in today’s world. Through expert storytelling and thoughtfully cast interviews, the series aims to break down stereotypes, highlight connections between cultures, and uncover new insights into the human condition. Currently in its third season, the podcast has had extraordinary guests ranging from legendary musicians such as Zakir Hussain to groundbreaking journalists like Noor Tagouri. In this live podcast event marking the beginning of Islamic Heritage Month, host Abdul-Rehman Malik will sit down with his sister, Ausma Malik, Deputy Mayor of Toronto. 

Ausma Malik has made history twice. In 2014, she became the first hijab-wearing Muslim woman to win public office in Canada as a school board Trustee. In Fall of 2022, she was the first Muslim to be elected to Toronto City Council for Ward 10, Spadina-Fort York. This summer, she was appointed the Deputy Mayor of Toronto by Mayor Olivia Chow and her fellow city councillors. In this live podcast taping, Abdul-Rehman will talk to Ausma about her path to political life, when she first realized her true calling was to be a champion for public issues, and what convinced her to make the leap into politics. They will swap stories about their upbringing, discuss how family and faith shaped their public life, how Ausma has dealt with being a historic first in terms of representation, and what a promising vision of a future Toronto looks like.

About Ausma Malik

Recently appointed Deputy Mayor of Toronto, Ausma Malik is known for staring down hate and inspiring hope for racial justice, economic reconstruction, and democratic renewal. Malik has spent her life working to build a better city, more caring communities, and inclusive civic spaces. From student organizing to environmental activism, from child care advocacy and education accessibility to policy innovation that improves lives, she has experienced first-hand the power of working together. From 2014 to 2018, Malik served downtown Toronto communities as a Trustee elected to the Toronto District School Board, where she was successful in getting Jean Lumb Public School built — the first new downtown public school in over twenty years. From 2016 to 2022, she was the Director of Advocacy and Organizing at the Atkinson Foundation, where she collaborated with grassroots organizers, policy innovators, and other movement builders to advocate for decent work and a fair economy. Malik’s vision for Toronto is a green, just, and caring city — a Toronto that works for, includes, and gives a voice to all of us.

About Abdul-Rehman Malik

Abdul-Rehman Malik is an award-winning journalist, educator, and cultural organizer. Currently Lecturer and Associate Research Scholar at the Yale Divinity School, he also serves as the Program Coordinator for Cultural Literacy programming at Yale University’s Council on Middle East Studies and also serves as Director of the Muslim Leadership Lab, an innovative student leadership program. Over the past 25 years, Abdul-Rehman’s work has spanned the UK, United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sudan, Mali, Morocco, Singapore, Canada, and Malaysia. His travels, journalism, and writing have taken him even farther afield. With a passion for storytelling, Malik works at the intersection of arts and social change and is committed to building Muslim cultural capital, cultural leadership, and supporting cutting-edge artistic production.

The Museum wishes to thank The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation for their generous support of This Being Human.

Please note this event will be filmed. Audience members may be recorded.