Sacred Footsteps - The Podcast

Zara speaks to Shahroze Khan, a politics and history student and photographer, about the walled city of Lahore. Shahroze explains its history, from its somewhat contentious roots, steeped in Hindu mythology, to the heights of its splendour under the Mughals, followed by its brief period as capital of the Sikh Empire in the 19th century. He discusses the politicisation of history after Partition and the creation of Pakistan, and talks about his favourite buildings and monuments in the Old City. Lastly, we talk about whether enough is being done to preserve the Old City and its historic sites, as well as the controversy surrounding the Tourism Summit recently held by the government of Pakistan.

Islam arrived in the Malay world through “good word” and quickly established itself though various kingdoms that would later become centres of learning. Zain al-Haddad speaks to Syed Muḥiyuddīn Al-ʿAṭṭās about the major Muslim figures in the Malay world and the development of an indigenous Islamic scholarship which was nevertheless rooted in networks of authenticated scholarly chains across the centuries.

Abdullah Sattar explores the roots of Sufism in Punjab, which spread, in large part, through the words of poets that are still recited and resonate today.

Alex Reynolds from lostwithpurpose shares her experiences/conclusions/insights from more than four years of full time travel.

Zara talks to Dr Abu Bakr Sirajuddin Cook and Dr Rami Dawood about the history of Islam in Australia- beginning with the arrival of the Makassan traders, that pre-dates European settlement, to the Afghan Cameleers, who set up the first mosques in the country. They discuss the legacy of the early Muslims in the country, their interaction with Aboriginal tribes, and the discovery of a Sufi Qadiri manuscript in Broken Hill Mosque.