What’s up with Shako Mako?

Photos courtesy of Mustafa Ghazai

When Mustafa Ghazai of Greenfield launched Shako Mako in March, he had not anticipated the quick growth and popularity of his multi-platform storytelling about Wisconsin’s Muslim community.

Milwaukee Muslims are buzzing about Shako Mako, a new phenomenon on social media with stories about southeastern Wisconsin’s Muslim community. 

Shako mako, an Iraqi Arabic phrase like English speakers’ “How are you?” or “What’s new?” is a casual greeting that literally translates to, “What’s there? What’s not there?” As the Iraqi American Association says on its website, “in practice, it’s a warm way of asking … what’s new in your world?” It shows you care about the other person’s life. It’s an invitation to connect.

Mustafa Ghazai, a 33-year-old civil engineer, began posting video clips in March with news updates about happenings in Milwaukee’s Muslim community and features about Muslim organizations and businesses. Now Shako Mako Milwaukee is everywhere: Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, WhatsApp and Facebook.

What inspired a professional, a husband and a father of four to squeeze time out of his busy days to interview nonprofit leaders and business owners about their lives, and post videos about them? What’s his story? 

The Wisconsin Muslim Journal decided to find out. In an interview with Ghazai this week, WMJ asked, “So, Mr. Ghazai, shako mako?”

Let’s start with who you are

I’m a parks engineer for Milwaukee County’s planning team. Our marketing department created a very good YouTube video where you can learn about what we do. 

My wife Nadia and I both like to raise our kids ourselves at home without a nanny, and not just because it’s pricey. We have four children. And we both work as professionals. Nadia is a registered nurse and got herself certified as a lactation consultant. She has four degrees now. She sometimes takes FMLA (unpaid leave) to make it all work.

Are you Iraqi?

 Yes. After the 2003 war, our family (my parents, my brother and I) moved to Jordan, where my parents applied to the United Nations as refugees. 

We came here in 2010. I was 16. I joined Ronald Reagan High School in Milwaukee as a senior with zero English but I learned fast. Other students called me a F.O.B. It wasn’t until I went to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee that I realized it meant “fresh off the boat.”

How did you start making videos?

Since I was a little kid, I was always into Adobe programming. I loved editing photos and videos. 

I needed a side job just to keep up with the cost of living so I got my real estate license. I started making videos on TikTok to say, “Hey, I’m a realtor with a background in civil engineering. I can help you.” I’d do skits, little scenarios about buying and selling property. 

I discovered I really enjoy creating videos, going out there in front of the camera and talking. 

People in the community started reaching out to me and telling me, “You have charisma. You have a personality we like watching.” 

Where did the idea for Shako Mako come from?

One of my closest friends suggested I make a channel where I interview people in the community who have success stories. I liked the idea because I like networking, making connections and sharing inspiring stories.

Initially, I planned to do podcasts but that proved difficult with a studio at home and kids running around. I decided to do video interviews instead.

What was your first Shako Mako video about?

In March of 2025, I did a quick interview inside Milano Clothing Store. The owner, from Palestine, started the business because his grandpa was in the clothing business. His story is really inspiring. He started with nothing and made his way up to a large, well-known store.

What kinds of videos have you done?

For a while, I was making news updates on TikTok. Each week, I’d read about what was happening around us in Wisconsin—things like fishing season is about to start so you’ll need a license. Here’s the website where you go to apply. Or community events at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, or iftar times for Ramadan, or events at Hanan Relief Services and the Muslim Women’s Coalition, whatever I could gather and put into a one-minute show and tell.

Then I reached out to nonprofits like ISM. I don’t take money from any nonprofit organizations, even if they reach out to me. I told them, “Hey, I’m starting this thing and would love to show and tell our community about what you are doing.”

Businesses started reaching out to me to ask me to create advertisements for them. I did restaurants, shops and services like Brothers Tile Flooring, started by Syrian refugees who came to Milwaukee in 2017. 

M5 Jiu Jitsu Gym was a fun one. Because it’s a movie and we were acting in it, they were training me, showing me how to do certain moves to defend myself. I ended up signing up my son there for classes. 

I was proud of the Fatty Patty video. I was able to interview the owner and learned he is a mechanical engineer who now operates five food trucks. He shared his story about how he grew his business and it is such good storytelling. 

I want to mention that I have stopped making restaurant videos for the time-being because of the forced starvation in Gaza.

What special experiences have you had doing Shako Mako videos?

I was happy to do a video on the two companies here that take people to Haj and Umrah. I felt like that video served an important purpose, that I made something good.

There was another video that came out of nowhere. I was driving next to Amana Market and I saw a young lady, an artist, spray painting a mural on the wall. My son was with me in the car.

I pulled up and asked her, “Do you mind if I do a quick interview?” She agreed. I grabbed my microphones, got my phone and had my son help me record the video.

One of the best videos I did was an interview with a Milwaukee doctor who served in Gaza, Dr. Aziz Rahman.

I heard him being interviewed by Theo Von and was surprised he wasn’t all over the local news. I’m very proud of sharing his story.

I also want to unite us. I noticed that within our Muslim community, each group has its own clique. With Shako Mako, I’m doing videos about everybody—a Palestinian American artist, a doctor from Pakistan—it doesn’t matter where you’re from, whether you’re Rohingya, Burmese, Iraqi, Syrian, Somali or anything else. 

What’s next?

These days I don’t go look for stories. People reach out to me. And, truly, I don’t have time to go out and ask if I can do a video for you. Shako Mako has taken off. 

I am beyond grateful for where I’m at. I’m really happy with the results. This has become bigger than I ever imagined. That’s why I need to step back and soak in what has happened. I want to really provide value.

Next, I’d like to start my podcast. I’ll need help with setting it up. 

Another big thing that takes a lot of time is editing the video. It eats up so much time I could be spending with my family. And, with someone’s help, they would be better because I don’t have the time to go back and make it how I really want it to be. I would like to get some younger people involved who can take over, and I can help guide them or help them with connections. 

I’m doing some volunteer work, setting up a basketball camp for third and fourth graders at Salam School. My son is in third grade. We have 19 kids every Monday. We are about to wrap up after nine sessions. This experience has me thinking about the possibility of starting something for Salam School high schoolers who are interested in content creation. I would love to teach them how to create videos, create content, how hashtags work, how to incorporate music and sound effects, edit videos and how the whole social media algorithm works.

I’ve reached out to some individuals at Salam School and told them my idea. They really loved it. We will be meeting about it soon.

What’s next? I just want to keep the Shako Mako name going. I feel it has made a huge impact. I want it to continue and grow.