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This weekend, 5th / 6th July (10th Muharram), sees many Shia Muslims all over the world mark the Day of Ashura. A commemoration of the martrydom of Muhammad's grandson, Husayn who died standing up for justice. In 2025 this fight is still poignant. Zam Hussain has already done an episode on Ashura which if you haven't listened then please do. But this week he joins us to tell us about his own personal pilgrimage to Karbala to visit the grave of Husayn. In his moving, human and deeply spiritual account of this pilgrimage. We discuss;

• What the pilgrimage is and what happens
• The history of this pilgrimage
• How it links to Shia teachings
• The challenges faced and what practical things were put in place to support the pilgrims
• Fun stories along the way
• The emotions at the grave
• The impact of completing this pilgrimage

Zam has recently had a tattoo relevant to this pilgrimage - listen to find out more!

Please also look at this incredible thread with pictures alongside the episode to get a sense of what it looked like as Zam speaks

https://x.com/MrZHussain/status/1830714068795355512?t=5nJ_45aNpWkWl9gi4cbMug&s=08

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This week, I speak with Alexandra Brown, RE Teacher, speaker, poet, and researcher.

Her unique intersection between race, gender, neurodiversity, and sexuality has caused many people to put up barriers as she attempts to put her research into practice. At great personal cost, she has had to navigate these barriers.

Alex speaks to us with humility and passion, from a place of pain and triumph, about her journey.

And wait till the end for something deeply profound.

To find out more about the work Alex does;

Artistic collaboration (which she does not often get to share)- Entitled ‘ Pain and womanhood

https://magicalwomen.co.uk/project/facilitated-collaboration-for-black-lives-matter/
Below is the link to the artistic reflection Alex did about the initial piece

https://magicalwomen.co.uk/project/alexandra-brown/

She also presented a paper entitled ‘A Black Queering of Encanto: Unearthing atmospheres of violence’
Reparative Queering of Religious Institutions | Queer(ing) Religion conference

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7D3Bd0Ypbis&t=1342s

Alex's section is from 22mins 28secs- 45mins 16secs

https://blackfeministcollective.com/contributor-alexandra-brown/

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If you are like me and really struggle to engage in and with REsearch, or know someone who does, then listen to this episode. I have left in parts I usually edit out to give you a sense at how vulnerable I was making this episode, and you will here at the end my leg bouncing with nerves. I have ADHD, so I really struggle to read things, remember things and organise new information. Listen to how Culham St Gabriel have helped me overcome my barriers to research and create some research on those barriers. I really hope it inspires you.

It might also give you an insight into the ADHD minds of your students and explain how the poor behaviour they present is masking an internal struggle they can't articuate.

If you want to find out more about the Culham St Gabriel Scholarship Leadership programme, then click on the link below.

https://www.cstg.org.uk/scholarship-programmes/leadership/

Support the show

Find out more;
Twitter: @TheREPodcast1
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Webiste: www.therepodcast.co.uk