King of the World

A Pakistani American Muslim teenager comes of age post-9/11 and, twenty years later, tries to figure out what the hell happened to him and to us. Hosted by Shahjehan Khan, King of the World is his journey through addiction, identity, creativity, and what it means to belong as a Muslim in America in the 20 years after 9/11. A story told in seven parts. AWARDS WON ***WEBBY Award Honoree for BEST DOCUMENTARY Podcast for 2022*** ***BEST PRODUCTION - Golden Crane Awards, Asian American Podcasters Association*** ***Platinum Winner - Podcast Series, Hermes Creative Award*** ***Platinum Winner - Podcast Episode (Episode 1) Hermes Creative Award*** ***2022 Award of Excellence - Communicator Awards*** ***Platinum Winner (Episode 1) - Audio Production - AVA Digital Award*** Nominated for: Best Podcast Host, Ambie Awards Best Podcast Production, Ambie Awards Best Mental Health Podcast, Golden Crane Awards, Asian American Podcasters Association Best Society & Culture Podcast, Golden Crane Awards, Asian American Podcasters Association Best Sound Design, Golden Crane Awards, Asian American Podcasters Association Best Asian Culture: Stories and Experiences Podcast, Golden Crane Awards, Asian American Podcasters Association For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Episodes

Introducing King of the World - Official Trailer

August 16, 2021 • 1 min

Rifelion Media presents King of the World, a seven-part podcast series about a Pakistani American Muslim teenager who comes of age post-9/11 and, twenty years later, tries to figure out what the hell happened to him and to us. Hosted by Shahjehan Khan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Episode 1: 9/11

September 1, 2021 • 53 mins

Host Shahjehan Khan acquaints us with his family—a fivesome in a predominantly white suburb of Boston by way of Pakistan—and his conflicted identity. Despite his name literally meaning “king of the world,” young Shahjehan feels increasingly powerless. We learn three of his favorite things: a shiny red Fender Strat, weed, and figure skating. September 11th, 2001, starts out like any other school day, then the first plane hits the Wo...

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Episode 2: Terrifying Wars

September 8, 2021 • 60 mins

The United States initiates the War on Terror in response to 9/11, starting with Afghanistan and then moving seamlessly into Iraq, despite the disconnect. Historian Dr. Huma Gupta helps us understand Afghanistan’s relationship with the U.S. pre-9/11 and its history of being a World Power staging ground. We meet Bashir Ahmad, who shares his experience joining the National Guard after being kicked out of college for smoking weed a fe...

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Episode 3: Islamophobia

September 15, 2021 • 55 mins

Shahjehan introduces us to two American Muslims profiled after 9/11 in very different ways: one’s arrival in his “dream country” nearly costs him his life as the other’s family trip becomes an interrogation. Everyone seems to be on high Muslim alert, and the American Muslim community comes out in droves to publicly denounce any and all terrorist or suspected terrorist activity by anyone Muslim or seemingly Muslim, anywhere. Islamop...

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Episode 4: Muslims and The Media

September 22, 2021 • 57 mins

Shahjehan and guests walk us through the history of Brown representation in Hollywood, politics, and American pop culture. From swarthy villains and caricatures with funny accents to slightly more nuanced and uncensored depictions in the early 2000s, Muslim actors move beyond making their bread by portraying terrorists as Muslim politicians and musicians start appearing on the scene. The highly uncensored Kominas cause a stir as th...

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Episode 5: Watch Us, Listen to Us—Surveillance

September 29, 2021 • 59 mins

It’s 2008 and Shahjehan has just booked a one-way ticket to Pakistan. He moves in with his best friend and Kominas bandmate in Lahore, where new musical and social highs are interwoven with drug relapses, encounters at gunpoint, and Al-Faida conspiracy theorists. News from his hometown mosque in Wayland reveals that a childhood friend has been convicted of terrorist activities, which brings to question government-orchestrated spyin...

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Episode 6: Recovery, Rebirth, and Resilience: Trump USA

October 13, 2021 • 59 mins

Shahjehan takes us along on The Kominas international tour, where a career pinnacle at the BBC coincides with a critical relapse into substance abuse. The consequences are dire but lead to a sincere shot at recovery with a lovable sponsor. After the Boston Marathon bombing and targeted expletives cast from a carful of dude bros, Shahjehan speaks out, this time without the cover of the band. Islamic law expert Sumbul Ali-Karamali wa...

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Episode 7: The Improbable Now—Mental Health, Wellness, Wholeness

October 27, 2021 • 69 mins

Shahjehan starts touring the East Coast as an actor in a troupe for people in long-term recovery, and meets an unanticipated fan. We wrap up the “anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, racial, racist, white supremacist kind of mindset” that took hold during Trump’s presidency and its trickle-down effects, while also examining its function as a catalyst for the uptick in activism, improved representation, more diverse pop culture, and the eve...

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Bonus: Listener Calls

November 10, 2021 • 11 mins

Bonus Episode: Listeners of King of the World share their own experiences post 9/11 and what the series means to them. Check out the Rifelion blog. Also visit podinbox.com/kingoftheworld to send us an audio message, some of which will play on future episodes. For more information on King of the World, visit our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Bonus: "We Do It For The Culture" by Tanzila Ahmed

November 24, 2021 • 11 mins

Bonus Episode: Tanzila Ahmed, an artist writer, political activist, and co-host of the good Muslim bad Muslim podcast, shares her reflections on 20 years since 9/11. Follow Taz on Twitter, read her articles on Substack, and visit her website. Listeners of King of the World can share their own experiences post 9/11 and what the series means to them. Check out the Rifelion blog. Also visit podinbox.com/kingoftheworld to send us a...

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