By Habib Battah, "Arab American Voters Feel Ignored" - NYU Live Wire - New York, NY, USA
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Neither presidential campaign seemed eager for their endorsement, community leaders say
Arab Americans are expected to vote in large numbers this November, despite concerns over voter intimidation and weak outreach from the presidential candidates, representatives of major community organizations say.
The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee has set up a voter protection unit staffed by lawyers, to help dispel rumors that may have prevented some from going to the polls in the past.
“As always, there will be voter intimidation,” predicted Abed Ayoub, one of five attorneys attached to the unit. Enthusiasm for the election is higher than it was in 2004, he contended, pointing to a recent ADC-sponsored event in Michigan that saw at least 500 Arab Americans register in just two days.
At the same time, the ADC has received hundreds of calls over recent months from Arab Americans who mistakenly believed they may have been ineligible to vote.
“One rumor was that if you are in foreclosure, you can’t vote,” Ayoub said. Another is the misconception that those who couldn’t read or write in English – often a problem for elderly Arab Americans – would not be allowed to use translators.
But the greatest fear is of an incident like the one at the 1999 municipal election in Hamtramck, Michigan, where dozens of dark-skinned Arab Americans were asked to take a citizenship oath before voting. The move caused many to avoid the polls for fear of embarrassment. Even in more recent elections, a number of complaints were made to ADC, though never made public, the lawyer said. “This year we want to attack the problem before it happens.”
Votes of the estimated 3.5 million Arab Americans could be pivotal, especially in swing states. And though a September poll by the Arab American Institute showed that Sen. Barack Obama was far more popular - with a 54% to 33% lead over Sen. John McCain-it also found that 20 percent of Arab Americans are not enrolled in any political party. And Arab organizations say both presidential campaigns have largely failed to recognize Arab Americans as an important voting bloc.
“Neither party has done a lot of outreach to the community,” said Lelia Al-Qatami, ADC’s communications and cultural affairs director. “Ethnic outreach is very common, but we haven’t seen any with regards to the Arab community.”
The Obama campaign briefly had a liaison to the Arab American community, she acknowledged. But the liaison, Mazen Asbahi, resigned 10 days after his appointment in early August, after the Wall Street Journal ran a story alleging that he may have had ties to a fundamentalist imam.
The Arab American Institute called the Journal’s claim “vague and specious.” But the incident was just one of many that upset Arab Americans.
Many Arab Americans also felt let down by the Obama campaign this summer when two Muslim women wearing headscarves were barred from appearing seated behind the senator in a television shot at Detroit rally. And there’s been disappointment over McCain’s recent response to supporters who called Obama “an Arab.” By defending Obama as “a decent family man,” McCain drew fire from Arab American Institute director James Zogby, who issued a statement noting that Arab Americans were “also decent men and women.”
“We would have liked to have better contact from both sides (of the presidential race),” said Christina Zola, AAI communications director. “The racism on behalf of staff or supporters should have been dealt with better.”
A feeling of alienation from the two campaigns was also voiced by the Arab American Political Action Committee, which decided not to endorse either presidential candidate. And neither campaign requested an endorsement, the AAPAC said.
“Those candidates who are not willing to make the effort to request our support and pursue it respectfully are not worthy of our vote, regardless of who they are,” the AAPAC said in its Oct. 11 statement.
Both Obama and McCain have also been criticized by Ralph Nader, an Arab American of Lebanese descent and the Green Party presidential candidate. Nader challenged both McCain and Obama to visit a Muslim place of worship before Election Day, “like they [visited] churches and synagogues,” according to a statement on Nader’s campaign website.
Still, hundreds of Arab Americans are campaigning for Obama or McCain, the ADC said, while the AAI has recruited several hundred volunteers to help register Arab voters, as part of the Yalla Vote Campaign. (Yalla means “come on/let’s go” in Arabic.)
“We need to be involved in this election,” said Mohammad Al Filali, outreach director for the Islamic Center of Passaic County, N.J., home to one of the greatest concentrations of Arab Americans. “We cannot allow our voices to be muzzled.”
At least 100 Arab Americans registered to vote in the space of a few hours during an event to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in early October, Al Filali said. He said the community was energized by the election, despite the perception that the word Arab has “all of a sudden become a curse” in campaign rhetoric.
Samir Issa, a software engineer who took part in the event, said he was still supporting Obama, the abrupt departure of the candidate’s Arab American liaison notwithstanding. “I lost some trust in him [Obama], but not all, because the other choice is even worse,” said Issa, 36. “He’s just trying to win, whatever the cost.”
Community involvement is another problem. The campaigns “pay closer attention to people with money,” Al Filali said.
“We are new to the game of politics. We have to make ourselves known.”
Habib Battah is a Student of Journalism at Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and can be contacted at Habib.battah@gmail.com
NYU Livewire
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New York University
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Friday, October 31, 2008
The Civilised Do Not Collide
By Ayeda Naqvi, "Why Al Qaeda supports McCain"- Daily Times - Lahore, PakistanTuesday, October 28, 2008
One side is intent on destroying, and the other side is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need
It was an endorsement that caught everybody by surprise. Why would Al Qaeda, the terrorist organisation that prides itself on its hatred for the United States choose to support John McCain, the ultra-conservative, Bush Doctrine-following US Presidential candidate?
How could Al Qaeda possibly benefit from another war hawk in the White House? And, most importantly, what could these two have in common?At first glance, not much. A closer look however suggests that beneath the surface, the rhetoric and the appearances, the American Right and Al Qaeda may actually be two peas in a pod.
Think about the message posted on the al-Hesbah website which, when decoded and translated, said that “Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election”.
The website was confident that McCain would continue the “failing march of his predecessor” which would then lead the US to exhaust its resources and bankrupt its economy.
An expansion of US military commitments in an attempt to take revenge on Al Qaeda is exactly what this group wants. And this is what John McCain promises. So we have one side which is intent on destroying, and the other side which is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need, thriving on the demonisation of each other, without which they would have no reason to exist — or in this case, be elected.
So what do the Republicans and Al Qaeda have in common? Divisiveness. It is the ‘with us or against us’ approach, the delineation of patriotic vs. non-patriotic parts of the country, the Red states vs. the Blue states, the black man vs. the white man that that strikes a chord with Al Qaeda, for they too have the same approach — if you are not with them, you are going to hell.
It is the puritanical attitude that both groups share, the belief that all those who are different are to be shunned and that uniformity is the only way to achieve unity. And it is the use of fear as an operating mechanism that brings these two groups together.
One side woos its voters by telling them the other candidate will take their money, turn their nation into a socialist state, coddle criminals and be an open target for the Russians and the Muslims. The other side recruits its followers by telling them that they will be enslaved by the immoral West, their wives will stop listening to them and there will be lewdness and orgies on the street. Both these groups cater to an uninformed audience. Both these groups preach intolerance. And both lure their followers by claims to “return to the core values” — a proposition which sounds good until you ask, what values? And more importantly, whose values
A great Sufi, Sheikh Ibn Arabi, once wrote, “Beware of confining yourself to one belief — for much good would elude you. Be in yourself a matter for all forms of belief, for God is too vast and tremendous to be restricted to one belief rather than another.”
While the wisdom of this quote eludes both groups, they continue to shun a mindset that encourages inclusion and incorporation. They charge ahead without bemoaning the loss of innocent lives which result from their illegal, unilateral attacks on sovereign nations or blowing themselves up in public spaces. For them, their agendas comes first — in the case of Al Qaeda, doing whatever they can to bring down the West and set up their own rule in the East, in the case of the Republican Right, setting the stage for the Rapture, or the second coming of Christ, which many right-wing Christians, including Bush, believe can only happen once certain events take place.
One of the pre-conditions for Rapture is a clash of civilisations, a polarisation of the world, something both Al Qaeda and the Republican Right seem to be working very hard at.
But as another great Sufi once said, “There can be no clash of civilisations, only barbarisms. The civilised do not collide — they unite.” The question is, how civilised are those running our countries?
Ayeda Naqvi has been a journalist for 17 years. She can be contacted at ayedanaqvi@yahoo.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Praying for Peace
RK News, "Annual Urs of Sufi saint Sheikh-ul-Alam celebrated" - Rising Kashmir - Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir - IndiaSunday, October 26, 2008
Thousands of devotees joined the night-long prayers at the holy shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, also known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir and Nundreshi, at Charar-e-Sharief in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.
People in other parts of the valley also celebrated the urs with religious fervour and gaiety.
Thousands of devotees from all parts of Jammu and Kashmir arrived at the shrine since yesterday morning to offer prayers at the holy shrine, which hit headlines across the globe, after militants occupied the entire area for about two months in Nineties before security forces stormed the complex in which the holy shrine and adjacent Khankah were damaged. However, authorities blamed militants for the damage.
Majority of the devotees also joined the night-long prayers in the shrine, praying for peace in the state.
The authorities had made special transport and other arrangements for the devotees.
[Picture from Kashmir Tourism. Read more about the Shrine: http://www.kashmir-tourism.net/jammu-kashmir/charar-e-sharief.html].
25 Years of Studies on Hafez
TT Culture Desk, "Scholar to publish 25 years of research on Hafez" - Tehran Times - Tehran, IranMonday, October 27, 2008
Iranian scholar Saeid Hamidian plans to publish his 25 years of studies on Hafez in five volumes in the forthcoming year.
“I am not certain what the title of the book will be,” he told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.
“The first volume of the book is about Hafez’s thoughts and artistic concepts in his poetry. It also contains many other issues on Hafez’s poetry. The following volumes will refer to the literature of his sonnets,” he added.
The final editing of the book should be complete by the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2009), he said.
Hamidian, a professor of Persian literature at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, has used virtually all the resources published on Hafez over the past 70 years.
He said that his book is not a correction of the Divan of Hafez, adding, “It is not necessary to publish such a work as many corrected versions are presently available on the book market.”
“Many people who have published corrected versions could have explained their opinions about the Divan of Hafez in an other-than-lengthy article, but instead, they wasted a lot of time and money by writing corrections to the divan,” he said.
Hamidian is also the author of “Sadi in Sonnet”.
Iranian scholar Saeid Hamidian plans to publish his 25 years of studies on Hafez in five volumes in the forthcoming year.
“I am not certain what the title of the book will be,” he told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.
“The first volume of the book is about Hafez’s thoughts and artistic concepts in his poetry. It also contains many other issues on Hafez’s poetry. The following volumes will refer to the literature of his sonnets,” he added.
The final editing of the book should be complete by the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2009), he said.
Hamidian, a professor of Persian literature at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, has used virtually all the resources published on Hafez over the past 70 years.
He said that his book is not a correction of the Divan of Hafez, adding, “It is not necessary to publish such a work as many corrected versions are presently available on the book market.”
“Many people who have published corrected versions could have explained their opinions about the Divan of Hafez in an other-than-lengthy article, but instead, they wasted a lot of time and money by writing corrections to the divan,” he said.
Hamidian is also the author of “Sadi in Sonnet”.
[Click on the link to Persian Poetry http://www.uga.edu/islam/sufipoetry.html].
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Not Just One Shari’a
ByJeffrey Donovan with Abubakar Siddique and Hashem Mohmand, "ARE THEOLOGICAL TENSIONS DISTANCING TALIBAN FROM AL-QAEDA?" - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty // EurasiaNet - New York, NY, USASunday, October 26, 2008
Is this end of a beautiful friendship?
The Taliban and Al-Qaeda have enjoyed a long alliance in Afghanistan. Their relationship, based on a seemingly shared brand of severe and militant Islam, even survived the US-led toppling of the Taliban in 2001, which came after leader Mullah Omar famously refused to turn over to the Americans his Al-Qaeda ally, Osama bin Laden.
To this day, that relationship endures. But will it last? Rifts and tensions between the Taliban and Arab Al-Qaeda, as well as vastly different Islamic traditions, suggest that a basis for separation exists. Whether it occurs could determine whether peace negotiations between the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Taliban foes ever get off the ground.
Afghan Muslim traditions, including the Taliban, are culturally and historically distinct from Al-Qaeda’s Saudi-rooted Salafist Islam, says Francesco Zannini, an expert on modern Islam. In that sense, the two Sunni movements have always been awkward bedfellows.
"The whole Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan, still lives an Islam that is profoundly rooted in local customs," says Zannini, author of the recently published "Islam In The Heart Of Asia: From The Caucasus To Thailand." "So they have always found themselves ill at ease with the strictly Arab Wahhabist doctrine and the entire Salafist movement."
With the Afghan war worsening, NATO officers and political leaders have made it clear that the seven-year conflict won’t be resolved militarily.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that reconciliation among Afghan warring parties is not only necessary but constitutes NATO’s "obvious exit strategy." And last month, in a first sign that reconciliation efforts may be afoot, Saudi officials hosted an encounter in Mecca between Taliban allies and envoys of Karzai.
While both sides have played down the Mecca meeting, insisting that no peace talks took place, sources who attended the gathering told RFE/RL’s Afghan Service that it might have served as a prelude to future peace negotiations.
However, the Afghan government says it will not engage in talks with people who maintain ties to Al-Qaeda. That has led some Islamists to fret about the Taliban ditching Al-Qaeda for a place in the government. The BBC on October 24 quoted one militant as saying on an Islamist Internet forum: "The Taliban are not the kind of people who would sell out Al-Qaeda in exchange for political power."
Differing Ambitions
But tensions and differences have long existed between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. They came into view in 2005 when Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s deputy, criticized the Taliban in a letter to a fellow Islamist.
Zawahiri lamented that after the U.S.-led invasion, Taliban members retreated to their tribes and villages and showed little attachment to the global Islamist struggle. He unfavorably compared that behavior to Arab Sunni resistance to U.S. attacks on the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Al-Ramadi.
That letter, which was sent to Iraqi Al-Qaeda chief Abu al-Zarqawi and intercepted by the U.S. military, pointed out a key ideological difference between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda: their ambitions.
Al-Qaeda is a pan-Islamist group that does not recognize the borders that separate Muslim countries. The Taliban, partly the creation of the Pakistani intelligence services, has always been focused on Afghanistan and largely eschews pan-Islamism.
Beyond that lies of a sea of cultural and historical differences between the austere and puritanical Islam that developed in Saudi Arabia and an Islam rooted in much different local cultural traditions that grew up in South Central Asia.
Islam’s traditions in Afghanistan include mystical sects such as Sufism and the generally more open disposition of Hanafi Islam on the Indian subcontinent. That stands in contrast with the more severe Arabic Wahhabist traditions that Al-Qaeda has sought to impose in Afghanistan.
"I often tell my students that in Afghanistan, there’s not just one Shari’a -- there are several different Shari’as tied to the traditions of the various ethnic and tribal groups present in Afghanistan," says Zannini, who is a professor at the Pontifical Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Rome. "This makes it easy to understand the difficulty of a dialogue with Al-Qaeda, which has reduced Shari’a to a few fixed norms that are clear for its political militants. But this goes against everything represented by the Islamic traditions of the Indian subcontinent."
Taliban’s Spiritual Influences
The Taliban, in part, is said to follow Deoband Islam, a revivalist movement that started in the Uttar Pradesh region of India. Last February, the Deoband madrasah, in a gathering in India, announced a total rejection of "all forms of terrorism."
While the Taliban has made no such pledge, the Deoband’s announcement has already triggered changes in Pakistan. There, the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam party, an important Islamic political force, split up in Baluchistan Province precisely over the issue of terrorism after the Deoband statement.
The Taliban have also since been engaged in a reported internal debate about their own tactics. Some members, possibly including Omar, have come out against targeting civilians, aid workers, and key infrastructure. Some reports also claim that Omar has severed all his ties with Al-Qaeda.
Complicating things in Afghanistan is that the insurgency is far from monolithic. Within it, two groups appear to enjoy closer ties to Al-Qaeda than the Taliban: One in the east led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a longtime Al-Qaeda ally and rival of Omar; the other led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a veteran commander who is seen as strongly pan-Islamist.
For any peace talks to succeed, however, it would seem necessary to include all insurgents. But how that might happen, given the Afghan government’s precondition that militants sever all ties to Al-Qaeda, remains far from clear.
Indeed, few commentators have expressed optimism that such talks could get off the ground, let alone succeed. But the participation of Saudi Arabia, a symbolic seat of Muslim moral authority as well as a former Taliban paymaster, has at least inspired hope that progress can be made. Saudi backing is seen as partly motivated by concerns about stability in nuclear-armed Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda-allied Taliban groups have emerged as a major threat.
Significantly, there has also been encouragement from other authoritative Muslim voices. Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi, the grand imam of Cairo’s important Al-Azhar Mosque, added his influential voice last week to the call for Afghan peace talks.
"The job of Islamic associations, led by Al-Azhar, is to help the [Afghan) government in the peace process and help that nation develop peacefully," Tantawi, who is acknowledged as the highest spiritual authority for the world’s nearly 1 billion Sunni Muslims, said in an address in Cairo.
[Visit the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamics Studies in Rome http://www.pisai.it/inglese/english.html].
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Fanaa-o-Baqa
By Shahab Ansari, "Group exhibition opens at Ejaz Galleries" - The Post - Lahore, PakistanSaturday, October 25, 2008
An exhibition of the young artists’ paintings titled “Inter-Linked,” was inaugurated at the Ejaz Galleries here on Friday.
The exhibition is showing 27 paintings (three each by every artist) in different mediums by nine artists, including Hajrah Khan, Shoaib Mahmood, Hiba Schahbaz Lotia, Khadim Ali, Habiba Zaman, Mahwish Chisti, Farah Jabeen, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Murad Khan.
Khadim Ali’s paintings titled ‘Jashn-e-Gul-e-Surkh’ (a part of a series of paintings with the same name) and an untitled one are a visual incarnation of Khadim’s view of the world as it is and how he wishes it to be. It is a kind of blend of ‘Dream’ and ‘Reality.’ The purpose of life, as Khadim perceives it, and its sharp contrast he finds in reality, is quite striking for the viewers.
Hajrah Khan has painted flowers in a semi-abstract and rich-coloured style, while contemplating that ‘nature is being forced to inhabit in an un-natural habitat’ as a plant grows in its natural habitat, but later taken to be planted somewhere else, one never knows whether it will adjust to its environment, or if it will wither away.
Farah Jabeen is another artist who is found grappling with ‘Intricate Realities’ in her paintings. Her creations brought to the exhibition are an attempt on her part to share her thoughts about how she would look at the realities of life, which she finds quite complex as it is evident in her paintings. Farah’s three paintings at display in the exhibition are titled “Deformation,” “Intricate Realities” and “Shehr-e-Zat.”
Murad Khan Mumtaz’ three creations are titled “Variation on a Persian Theme,” “Night I” and “Night II”. He believes that “imagery revolves around characters and organic life forms that live an absurd, awkward existence.” He says he gets inspiration from the Persian drawings of the Safavid and Timurid era. He says: “Initially, I started as an explorer of these archaic, anthropomorphic studies, but with the passage of time, I developed my own imagery that was more personal and relevant to our time.”
Ahsan Jamal has brought three-dimensional motifs to the exhibition with a mission. He is concerned about the situation in the country. He says: “it was after the Lal Masjid fiasco that I began working with several motifs related to religion and identity,” adding that the decision to bring three-dimensional relief to the text was a means of further highlighting how, despite differences and conflict, our identity as Muslims begins and ends with God. He presents his two ‘Untitled’ creations and a third one with the title “Mashallah” to send his message across.
Mahwish Chishti has been investigating Kufic calligraphic scripts for the last three years, which she has also used in the form of personalised stamps in her recent paintings. She says: “I believe that this specific exhibition has provided me with an opportunity to be connected with my classmates. “We were all trained at the same time but now live in different parts of the world,” she said. Mahwish has brought three of her paintings to the show by the artists of Pakistan, which are titled “Sanctuary,” “Sanctuary II” and an untitled one.
Shoaib Mahmood’s three creations in the exhibition are aptly titled “Dialogue with Tradition.” The paintings raise a question about the Western influences on the Pakistani youth. He says: “The Pakistani youth are misguided by Western influences.The influx of foreign brands, which is rapidly changing our world, is the focus of my work.”
Habiba Zaman Khan questions the taboo of giving preference to a male child, over a female one. Her work revolves around the preference to have a male child in our society due to certain social and personal issues. She says: “I am trying to show the beauty of having a child, but also the mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement of the soon-to-be-mother slowly washing away when she is put under ‘pressure,’ knowing that this is not in her hands. She has brought her three paintings to this Show titled “Preferences.”
Hiba Schahbaz Lotia explores the world of spirituality and Sufism while trying to interpret Jalauddin Rumi’s poetry through mirror images and reflections of the female form in her recent works. In the two paintings titled “Fanaa-o-Baqa,” Hiba has incorporated text from of a Persian poem by Jalauddin Rumi into the painting. Retaining the original Farsi text was important so as not to dilute the meaning of the poem with a translation.
It would not be unrealistic to state that the amalgamation of extraordinary intellectual brilliance and a grand demonstration of unmatched artistic skills by the nine artists of a versatile perception should certainly contribute towards bringing the artists’ community together to work as a whole.
All the paintings are online at Ejaz Gallery http://www.ejazartgallery.com//forsale.php?cid=6 Click on each painting to enlarge it
[Picture: 02
Hiba Lotia, Fanna o Buqa
32x32 cm /12.5 inches
Gad Rang, Haldi and gold leaf on - Sold].
Monday, October 27, 2008
One Minute for Devotees
Associated Press of Pakistan, "One minute stop for 3 trains approved" - The Post - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lahore: The railway authorities have approved one minute stop for 9-up/10-down Allama Iqbal Express, 143-up/144-down Bahawalpur Express and 171-up/172-down Sialkot Express at Ali Pur Sayyedan railway station on the occasion of annual Urs of Syed Jamaat Ali Shah.
The railway authorities have taken this decision to facilitate devotees of Sufi saint on the annual urs starting from October 31.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lahore: The railway authorities have approved one minute stop for 9-up/10-down Allama Iqbal Express, 143-up/144-down Bahawalpur Express and 171-up/172-down Sialkot Express at Ali Pur Sayyedan railway station on the occasion of annual Urs of Syed Jamaat Ali Shah.
The railway authorities have taken this decision to facilitate devotees of Sufi saint on the annual urs starting from October 31.
As a Potter Turns the Wheel...
OT Culture Desk, "Janice Mason Steeves presents Turn at Abbozzo Gallery" - Oakville Today - Oakville, Ontario, CanadaThursday, October 23, 2008
Janice Mason Steeves unveils brand new work from The Vessels Series in TURN, an exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery until November 23
The title of the exhibit and the imagery are rooted in Mason Steeves’ pilgrimage in 2007 to Turkey to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Sufi poet and mystic, Rumi.
As a potter turns the wheel to center the clay, so the Sufi Dervishes whirl around the axes of their hearts. The heart is the center of their turning. Like the clay pot transformed through fire, Rumi said we must be transformed by the intense fire of love.
Through this line of contemplation, Mason Steeves came upon the vessel as an iconic image that distilled the essence of her journey to Turkey.
She explores the relationship between a three-dimensional space and a plane, painting on a heavily patterned surface that overlays an image of a light-filled vessel.
After applying surface patterning, the artist applies paint with her hands, and then wipes the darker pigment away to expose the light underneath. This procedure of uncovering can be seen on another level: as a process of self-discovery between the surface and depths of one’s being.
Below the surface is an inner world, like the goal in a visual quest.
The opening reception for TURN is on Oct. 30, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Abbozzo Gallery, 179 Lakeshore Road East in Oakville, Ontario. Phone: 905-844-4481.
[Picture: Vessel: 74, 2008 Oil on panel 36 x 40 inches (91.4 x 101.6 cm). See more paintings at the Gallery Website http://janice-mason-steeves.abbozzogallery.com/turn-exhibition.htm].
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Havva's Will Fulfilled
By Aydin Hizlica, "Soccer star Zidane, actor De Niro invited to Şeb-i Arus festival" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul,TurkeyThursday, October 23, 2008
Konya: The Konya Metropolitan Municipality has invited a number of renowned international figures, including famous Hollywood actor Robert De Niro and French soccer player Zinedine Zidane, to attend Şeb-i Arus festivals scheduled to take place on Dec. 1-17 in Konya.
While no response has yet been received to the invitations, the municipality will honor the last wish of researcher Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch, who translated all the works by Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi and Muhammad Iqbal into French, and move her grave to the city.
A number of firsts will be seen during this year's Şeb-i Arus festivals. Metropolitan Municipality Cultural and Social Affairs Director Ercan Uslu said prominent individuals who have expressed an interest in Islam and Mevlana's works were invited to the Şeb-i Arus festivals this year.
These include domestic and foreign names, including artists, athletes and politicians -- of which De Niro and Zidane's invitations attracted the most attention.
Although no reply has yet come, Uslu said: "To make sure that the Remembering Mevlana ceremonies will be observed with great enthusiasm, our municipality is making the necessary preparations. We want foreign guests from all over the world to enjoy and experience this enthusiasm as well. It is for this reason that we invited a number of renowned persons who made great achievements in their fields to the ceremonies either through embassies or direct contact. We hope all invitees will accept and come to Konya to attend the ceremonies."
Notable figures often request a fee for their appearance, but this has not been the case with the invitees. "Individuals we invited have made no such request. We invited Robert De Niro, who has expressed interest in Islam and Mevlana, famous French soccer player Zinedine Zidane and a number of others in an attempt to promote Konya and Mevlana throughout the world," Uslu said.
Grave of Rumi translator to be moved to Konya
Great progress has been made in regards to the will of Vitray-Meyerovitch, who asked to be buried in Konya. The illustrious scholar is known for her commitment to translating Iqbal and Mevlana into French.
After convincing Vitray-Meyerovitch's family to fulfill the scholar's will, Uslu said: "Our efforts have paid off, and we have convinced Vitray-Meyerovitch's family. We will take her grave from the Paris cemetery to the Konya Üçler Cemetery, where it will lie in the shadow of Mevlana's mausoleum. A ceremony for this will be held on Dec. 17. Many individuals have worked to fulfill this last wish of the notable scholar, and I would like to thank all of them."
Who is Vitray-Meyerovitch?
Vitray-Meyerovitch was born in 1909 to an aristocratic family. She studied law and philosophy; her works primarily focused on literature, philosophy and Sufism. She served as administrator and expert at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), a renowned research institute.
She translated works by Iqbal and Mevlana into French and gave lectures and conferences at universities around the world, including at al-Azhar University in Egypt. She authored a number of books and articles.
Vitray-Meyerovitch, who viewed Mevlana as her guide, also loved Turkey and its people. She took the name Havva after converting to Islam. Professor Vitray-Meyerovitch died on July 24, 1999.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
From the Cup of Love
By Pranav Khullar, "Amir Khusro's lasting tryst with love" - The Times Of India - IndiaThursday, October 23, 2008
At the heart of the Sufi mystical experience lies the Zikr or remembrance of God.
In its musical expression through the Qawwali, it has become synonymous with the name of Amir Khusro, whose musical idiom facilitated a unique synthesis of the Persian and Hindu-Braja cultures.
His prodigious literary and musical experimentation is a unique effort at creating a universal Sufi language of Love and he forged a new mystical Sufi consciousness. This could have been a forerunner of the Nirguna Bhakti movement.
Khusro's compositions are rooted in the theme of separation from the Beloved, a metaphor for the God within. His verses bring out the intense Sufi longing to merge into this state of mind. His Qawwali music touches that inner space in every listener, transporting him to a different dimension beyond the outer world of duality.
"Thou hast taken away my identity by a single glance,
By making me drink from the cup of love,
Thou hast intoxicated me by a single glance"
sang Khusro and to this day the song is part of every significant Qawwali presentation. He alludes to the mysterious paradox of love, referring to it as a tempestuous river, into which those who enter must drown, but at the same time, paradoxically, only those who drown get across.
Khusro's tryst with Love arose out of the special bond he shared with his preceptor Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and the Chisti Silsilah, a bond that transcended all other relationships. It was the bridge to the Beloved which he sought.
Khusro believed that the preceptor alone can transform the secular into the divine, and this requires a surrender of the ego through service, which Amir Khusro himself exemplified by serving in the kitchen of Nizamuddin Auliya's daily langar.
He advocated this spiritual seeking amid all other worldly dispensations which destiny places each man in. He felt that this would provide the right perspective and balance to all ambitions and pursuits. He himself got transformed from poet laureate to seeker, a Qalandar free soul a Sufi.
This seeking characterises all of Khusro's creative endeavours, including the Tarana style of singing which he created and improvised in fast tempo. This genre has been seen as a mystic's dialogue with God, meant to arouse the trance-ecstatic state (haal).
Ustad Amir Khan in a seminal work on the origins of the Tarana , was to establish the meaning of the words used by Amir Khusro in the Tarana as Persian words connoting deeper mystical meaning, derived from Sufi philosophy, in which the seeker calls out to and becomes one with Higher Being.
So complete was his surrender to his teacher that at the passing away of Hazrat Nizamuddin, he composed mystical lyrics, a call from beyond the world of dualities, and passed away soon after himself:
"The lovely maiden lies on finally on a wreath of flowers,
her tresses covering her face/
O Khusro, turn back home now, dusk has set in all over."
Just as the Mevlevis use the swirling dance to induce the mystical kaifiyat (enchanted state), the Chisti Sufi tradition sees the Qawwali music as one of the means to enter into that state of being. It is through this musical outpouring that one celebrates the Urs of Amir Khusro at the Dargah of his mentor, Hazrat Nizamuddin, where he himself sought to be buried.
House of Learning
By Kate Darcy, "Heart of Arabia" - The National - Abu Dhabi, UAEWednesday, October 22, 2008
As one might expect from a city which name translates as “house of learning”, Shiraz – Iran’s fifth most populated metropolis – is a treasure trove of historical delights.
The perfect destination for culture vultures and history lovers alike, this magical destination boasts an array of tempting attractions for the more pensive tourist.
From the exquisite mosques and mausoleums to the restful gardens and stunning mountain views, Shiraz is full of cultural attractions.
According to Islamic historians, Shiraz came into existence after the Arab takeover of Iran. The invasion, in fact, contributed to the city’s importance, and by the 13th century it had grown into one of the largest and most popular Islamic areas of the era. Since then it has become a hub for art and literature due to the many scholars and artists who have lived and died there.
Consequently, a slew of stunning tombs and monuments erected in honour of these talented souls dot Shiraz, showing that although gone, they are far from forgotten.
One of the city’s most famous sights is the Tomb of Hafez, a homage to Hafez-e Shirazi, an eminent 14th century poet, mystic and scholar renowned for his lyrical poems, which are said to have possessed a modern surrealism.
Hafez’s resting place has become a hot spot for literature lovers. A short walk from the town centre, the mausoleum, which is housed in an open pavilion, is marked by a marble tombstone, engraved with the poet’s work.
(...)
[Picture: The Khoda Khane, or House of Qurans, stands in the courtyard of Friday Mosque. Photo: Roger Wood / Corbis].
Friday, October 24, 2008
Space for Many Meanings
By Anahi Alviso-Marino, "The artistic scene in Sana'a: painters speak (I)" - Yemen Observer - Sana'a, YemenTuesday, October 21, 2008
With this new series of interviews, The Yemen Observer enters into the artistic scene of Sana’a to find out about artists, their work and their concerns over the challenges and achievements of the arts in Yemen.
Artist, art critic and university lecturer, Amnah al-Nasiri, opens the debate about the current situation of art in Yemen.
A long list of solo exhibitions, participation in international shows as well as book and article publications precedes one of the most renowned Yemeni artists whose work seems to be an infinite dialogue between philosophy and art.
After accomplishing her doctoral studies in aesthetics in Russia, al-Nasiri returned to Yemen where she currently works as an artist and teaches at the Philosophy department of the University of Sana’a. Every Thursday morning she receives artists, students, and whoever is interested in art at an atelier located in Bab al-Yemen, where her paintings are permanently on display together with those of other artists.
What do you wish to transmit with your paintings?
Many things. One of my concerns is that now most of the interest is fixed in the postmodernist movement and the word culture. With this, art is going far away from the human being, from humanism. My work follows a more humanist line. I try to talk about people, about who we are, about life. For example, two years ago I had an exhibition called “Creatures” in which I tackled life in general, from animals to anything that can be a form of life. If we think about art in material terms and forget or leave aside the human aspect, then we face a big problem. This is the main philosophy of my art work. I also mix Sufism, folklore, ornaments, and philosophy of course. Circles, figures of all types…symbols in the end, visual symbols that are part of Sufism are very present in my work as well. The relationship between art and others is important to me too, for example the relationship between a butterfly and a fly; I put them at the same level of the human. It’s all life.
Speaking about Sufi symbols in your work, is the calligraphy you draw in your paintings part of this influence as well?
No, the calligraphy has nothing to do with Sufism in my work, it is something different. It also comes from Islamic art but it does not have any connection with Sufi philosophy. In my work, calligraphy is “a form” and I try to use it without any meanings, without poetry or any religious meaning. I like the form of the writing.
Cats and birds are very present in your pieces, what is the meaning you give to them?
I use animals because I think they provoke the imagination. I want to put them out of context to provoke this.
There is a very impressive piece of yours, an installation I think, in which we see hands tied with wires. What was the message implied in this work?
“Al hasar,” you mean. This work created a lot of discussion because I used one of my abayas and on the place where the head was supposed to be, I put three hands tied with this wire that is used to secure prison walls. It was all illuminated with a red light. The hands are trying to go out from where the head should be. Around it there were a lot of hands also wired with this spiky wire. To me, this piece speaks about women that want to go out, women that want to break limits. However, and what is important, is that it is open to interpretation because above all I wanted people to decide by themselves what this piece could mean. It is very important in art to give the opportunity to interpret, to leave the space for many meanings to appear. This installation took place in Egypt and people liked it very much. I am planning on showing it in Yemen and also I want to do a video installation to bring different ideas here.
You mentioned the abaya and this idea about women sort of rebelling or breaking limits, is there anything you wish to address regarding women?
No, and it is because I don’t care, and you know why? Because I am not a feminist, both women and men have difficult lives in Yemen at several levels, but is not a matter of being a woman or a man. The problem is the mentality of the society, the education and these among other things are the things that have to change.
Sometimes in your work it is difficult to say if your human figures are male, female, both or neither. Is this something you do in purpose?
Yes, completely. If I draw women, people will think that I focus on women’s problems. When you draw a man no one asks or assumes anything. I don’t want to highlight any gender problem or difference in my paintings. I want to draw human beings, nothing else.
You also have a long trajectory writing in different newspapers and art publications, what is the focus of your concerns as a writer?
I write about philosophy and problems that are present in society or in religion. For that I research, and as a researcher I care about many things, but as an artist I focus on other things. I work on different areas and my work also depends on the audience I am addressing. For instance, when I write for newspapers, I try to explain art to people who are not very familiar with it; when I write in a research capacity it is often to explain more complex issues – for instance in my latest writings I wrote on violence as it is presented or used though art. Violence is present everywhere and now artists use it too. I talked in my studies about video games and movies that children watch, strong violence that some artists later also incorporate into their work. In Germany for instance, some artists killed an elephant on the street and at that time it was something above all very “unusual” and thus it provoked a big effect. Now some artists use dead people in art exhibitions. These uses are a problem in my view and I discuss all this in my new book. It is a problem that reflects part of what is happening in the world, the wars now taking place.
Speaking of this, two years ago in 2006 you participated in an exhibition held in Sana’a called “We will not forget.” Was it related to any of these concerns?
It was about the war in Lebanon.
It seems that a lot of your work has a political meaning as well…
Well, sometimes you must. In any case though you cannot deal with everything that is happening around you and I don’t want to reflect this in my work, so my work is not explicit. Of course I cannot be outside society so I care, but I express that by other means, like when I write. If I include politics in my art, in my paintings, then they could become just posters.
How would you describe the artistic scene in Yemen? What are the obstacles, challenges and achievements you see?
There are many problems; one of them is economic. Artists are not well paid and since they need money for their projects they focus on portraits or realistic art, which is what people buy here. Avant garde, abstract art is not appreciated or well understood. This is also a problem because it leaves abstract art behind. In Yemen this art is more appreciated by the intelligentsia, but even then, they don’t understand it completely and sometimes they buy it without really having a deep appreciation of it. I say this because sometimes you go to houses that belong to very wealthy people and they have pieces of art hanging next to framed pictures “Made in China”. Foreigners also buy, but sometimes as a way to bring with them part of Yemen’s folklore. When I paint I don’t think about this, but I know it is a problem, especially for young artists because is hard to live out of your art pieces. In my case I decided to work as a professor so I could remain free and do really what I want because I don’t depend on art to make my living. But for young artists that have no other better jobs, this is a problem and makes them turn into what the “clients” want instead of what they want to express. This problem affects the region as well, there is a lack of appreciation of abstract art and some people, like in the Gulf, buy pieces of art because they represent “culture” but again, not because it represents something to them or because they understand it. They buy it as products. In general, there is a need to educate people about art in order to create a better understanding of non-realistic art. What is positive is that the younger generations care more about this lack of appreciation and are filling this gap, something I see with some of my students.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Meeting Ground
By Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan, "The question of identity" - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, Kashmir, IndiaMonday, October 20, 2008
Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan on Silk Route and Kashmiri Identity Consciousness
Sufism, through the Silk route, allowed ready discourse with other cultures at the intellectual and social levels.
This trend that particularly developed in Central Asia had a far-reaching impact on the gradual but orderly evolution of Kashmiri Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit societies.
Sufis who particularly settled in the traditional part of Srinagar, the nerve centre of the Brahmans, were intrinsically peaceful missionaries. But for this fact intimate neighbourly relations would not have existed between the Brahmans and the Saiyid families tracing their ancestry to various territories of Central Asia and Persia.
Persian became the official language during the reign of the sultans. Kashmiri Brahmans learnt Persian with avidity so much so that they did not feel any inhibition in composing verses in it in praise of their deities. Until the middle of the last century, there was no dearth of Kashmiri Brahmans who could freely quote verses from Shaikh Sa‘di’s Gulistan and Bostan or the Masnavi of Maulana Rumi in their everyday conversation. One significant consequence of intermingling of cultures was certainly the gradual assimilation of the pious Brahman families in Islam over longer periods of time. This explains why such families proudly retained their Brahman titles such as Kaul, Pandit, Raina and so on. It was thus at the intellectual and personal level that the Brahmans were reduced to a minority during a period of nearly five centuries of Islamic acculturation. Considering this fact together with the assimilation of the agriculturalists, artisans and the working people in Islam through either khanqahs of the immigrant Sufis from Central Asia and Persia as well as ziarats of the Rishis, it would be incorrect to say that the entire Brahman community of Kashmir resisted Islam.
As a matter of fact, the Brahmans who stuck to their religion with dogged tenacity were men of integrity and conviction in their own right. Considering themselves to be the purest lot of the whole human species, they sought to retain their ancient links with the Brahmans of the rest of India. Undergoing acute crisis of identity under the reeling impact of Central Asia and Persia, they kept alive the memory of being a branch of the Saraswat Brahmans. Although they continued to invoke their Vedic past, they could not resist the impact of fairly cosmopolitan or broad-based, sophisticated and multi-ethnic environment of Central Asia on their social life. Their cuisine bore striking resemblance to those of Muslims in respect of cooking fish or choosing lamb for the meat course. Unlike the most Brahmans of the rest of India who regarded Shiva as the Destroyer, in Kashmir Saivism, he is projected as the enduring revelation of cosmos and of all life, both visible and invisible.
Kashmiri Brahmans were not antagonistic to Sufism. This explains the conversion of both Brahmans and other sections of Kashmir society to Islam at various levels: discussion and debate, group conversion of the tribes and assimilation of the commoners. It goes to the credit of the Brahmans that so long as members of their community embraced Islam out of conviction or suasion of a Sufi or so long as the khanqahs of the Sufis proved to be catalysts of social conversion, they did not bother about such developments. Thus, for example, the first Brahman convert to Islam in Kashmir in recorded history was Srikanth. He belonged to a respectable Brahman family of Srinagar. It is not known at whose hands he embraced Islam long before Mir Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani landed in Kashmir. But it is certain that his conversion was voluntary. His son also embraced Islam and was named Shaikh Ahmad. Srikanth first visited Samarqand and, after obtaining education there, travelled to Kolab where he entered the discipleship of Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani. The lesser known and the hitherto least stressed historical fact is that it was the Kashmiri Brahman who first looked to Central Asia for spiritual inspiration. It is most likely that the earnest disciple must have furnished first-hand information about the religious situation in Kashmir to his pir.
What, however, prompted Kashmiri Brahmans to assert their identity in ethnocentric terms in a historical context and antagonistic terms in contemporary context was not Sufism but radicalization of Islam. The first attempt at radicalization of Islam was not made by the Sufis but by converts themselves. This was resented by the Brahmans in strongest terms so much so that their chroniclers concocted myths about the persecution of their community and their mass exodus to the plains. There is strong reason to believe that several Saiyids who accompanied Saiyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir played an important part in imparting true Islamic education to such members of Kashmiri elite as were wedded to syncretistic practices even while assuming Muslim names. The dignified presence of such Saiyids in the nerve centre of the Brahmans in Srinagar or for that matter in Avantipur was not looked with disfavour by the Brahmans. However, the problem arose during the reign of Sultan Sikandar whose reign was marked by the advent of Mir Saiyid Muhammad Hamadani, the son of illustrious Saiyid Ali Hamadani, along with a group of Saiyids from Central Asian and Persia. What caused ferment in Kashmiri society was not so much the conversion of a prominent Brahman minister of the sultan at the hands of the Saiyid as the religious zeal of the convert. Suha Bhat assumed the name of Saifu’d-Din, the Sword of Religion. Notwithstanding Sultan Sikandar’s initial disapproval of his minister’s hostility to Brahmanism, Saifu’d-Din, in an attempt at securing the forcible conversion of Brahmans, relegated the essential egalitarian and peaceful spirit charactering the missionary work of the Central Asian and Persian Sufis to the background, though temporarily.
Sultan Sikandar’s successor, Zainu’l-‘Abidin, however, made amends for the wrongs committed by his father’s fanatic minister. He allowed the migrant Brahmans to return to their homeland, encouraged reconversion of those who had been forcibly converted to Islam, made endowments to the temples and hostels of the Brahmans, sought to promote a better understanding of Islam and Hinduism through translation of classic Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit works, encouraged closer interaction at the literary and cultural level with Central Asia and Persia by purchasing Persian and Arabic manuscripts, sponsored the visit of two Kashmiris to Samarqand in order to enable them learn the art of manufacturing paper and the art of book-binding, encouraged craftsmen from Iraq and Central Asia to impart their skills to Kashmiris, patronised a musician from Khurasan and, above all, maintained intimate contact with the Sufis of both Central Asian and indigenous order, the Silsilah-i Rishiyyan.
Despite the divide between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits, caused unfortunately by the onset of militancy in 1990, Sufism still continues to be a meeting ground for them. Can they weld themselves into dynamic and creative self-consciousness as Kashmiris? Doesn’t the Central Asian experience stress the importance of preserving the identity of nationalities on the basis of ethnicity, geography and history?
(Summary of the paper presented at the international conference on the Silk Route organised under the auspices of Central Asian Studies, Kashmir University, October 14-17).
Links to News reports about the conference:
http://www.risingkashmir.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=7620
http://etalaat.com/english/News/news-scan/3214.html]
[A geopolitical perspective about nowadays's Silk Road: "Kashmir's Silk Fantasy" by Arjimand Hussain Talib http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=19_10_2008&ItemID=11&cat=17]
[Picture from: US Central Asia Travel Agency
http://www.east-site.com/].
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Start of Construction
Staff Reporter, "Construction of big mosque starts in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan" - Turkmenistan.Ru - Ashgabat, TurkmenistanSaturday, October 18, 2008
A ceremony to mark the start of construction of a big mosque was held on 17 October in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan.
Turkmen government officials, the Ambassador of Turkey in Turkmenistan Hussein Avni Bychkaly, province top-management, clerics and honorary elders of Turkmenistan attended the ceremony.
The new mosque with a praying room for 1500 people is meant as a gift from the people of Turkey to Turkmenistan.
The mosque will also have a big museum and a conference hall as well as a room for ritual meals, sadaka, for 1000 people.
The construction will be carried out by Turkish GAP Inshaat company, the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat.
The ancient mausoleum of Nejmeddin Kubra will be the center of this architectural ensemble.
Nejmeddin Kubra was the ancient Turkmen theorist and practitioner of Sufism, author of many treatises, interpreter of Koran and poet. This unique monument of Oriental architecture of XIV century was included in the UNESCO's world heritage book.
[Picture: Shaykh's Kubra Shrine. Photo by Dr. Alan Godlas, 2008].
“Dot”
By Asli Saglam, "Zaim promotes Turkish art via his films" - Turkish Daily News - Ankara, Turkey
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Antalya: Derviş Zaim says traditional Turkish art inspires his cinematic productions, many of which have earned awards. This year he brings Turkish calligraphy to the silver screen and his film “Dot” to the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey with his first novel “Ares in Wonderland” in 1995. A year later, Zaim made an auspicious debut as a feature film director and screenwriter with his film “Somersault in a Coffin,” which received the Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Editing awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996.
The film also won several prizes at international film festivals, bringing Zaim critical acclaim as a first time director. He repeated his success with his next feature film, “Elephants and Grass,” and then again with “Mud,” which ran in the Counter Currents category of the Venice Film Festival and won the UNESCO Award.
Zaim also shot a documentary titled “Parallel Trips” in 2004 before he started work on a film trilogy. “Waiting for Heaven” was the first in the trilogy, followed by “Dot,” which is currently competing in the National Feature Film Competition at the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim wants to create a different cinema and approach to film. “Turkish culture and history contains interesting motivations within its art. In ‘Waiting for Heaven,' I incorporated traditional miniature painting into the film. The people who watch ‘Dot' will see the art of calligraphy,” said Zaim. “The last film of the trilogy will exploit porcelain and ceramic tile.”
Zaim, who always adds a social dimension to his films, believes that cheap optimism can get people down. “The leading character of Ahmet, played by Mehmet Ali Nuroğlu, aims to be forgiven after facing unfortunate circumstances. Films don't have to have happy endings," said Zaim.
The action starts with a character named Ahmet, a calligraphy artist who decides to help his friend Selim sell a rare and invaluable 13th century Koran owned by his family. However, this decision pushes him into unwanted and unfamiliar territory. The film advances along a trajectory of crime and punishment and organically incorporates the traditional art form of calligraphy.
After Ahmet contacts the local mafia, they kidnap Selim and request the Koran as ransom from Selim's father, leaving Ahmet feeling guilty. After the dust from the shady affair settles, both Selim and the gangsters are dead. Ahmet then tries to track down Selim's family to ask for forgiveness.
The film was shot at Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Turkey and the source of the local salt market.
“The emptiness was a new thing for me. The passage of time shown through filming the connection between the sky and the salt brings a new inspiration to Turkish cinema,” said Zaim, who emphasized that Salt Lake was like an empty piece of paper for him.
Zaim also draws connections between the danger faced by Salt Lake from industrial pollution and the illegitimate use of water, and the danger faced by Ahmet due to his illegal activities.
After reading a lot of history, art, Sufism and philosophy, Zaim shot the movie in 12 days. “I cannot copy and paste the ideas of the thinkers, I want everyone to understand my films. A butcher, a driver and a man in the street should understand the film. What I want to do is to send a clear message,” said Zaim.
Noting his interest in Turkish art started at the same time he was thinking about the creation of distinctive and unique cinema, Zaim said, “I benefit from Turkish culture in generating ideas for my films.”
”Dot” will be one of five films competing at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Nov. 11 in Australia.
Who is Derviş Zaim?
Derviş Zaim was born in 1964 in Famagusta, North Cyprus. He graduated from the Economic and Administrative Sciences Department at Bosphorus University in 1988 and also holds a graduate degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick, England. He began work in film in 1991 with the experimental video, “Hang the Camera,” followed by the TV documentary, “Rock Around the Mosque.” Between 1992 and 1995 he worked as a television writer and producer, and directed numerous television shows. “Somersault in a Coffin” was his first feature film.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Antalya: Derviş Zaim says traditional Turkish art inspires his cinematic productions, many of which have earned awards. This year he brings Turkish calligraphy to the silver screen and his film “Dot” to the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey with his first novel “Ares in Wonderland” in 1995. A year later, Zaim made an auspicious debut as a feature film director and screenwriter with his film “Somersault in a Coffin,” which received the Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Editing awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996.
The film also won several prizes at international film festivals, bringing Zaim critical acclaim as a first time director. He repeated his success with his next feature film, “Elephants and Grass,” and then again with “Mud,” which ran in the Counter Currents category of the Venice Film Festival and won the UNESCO Award.
Zaim also shot a documentary titled “Parallel Trips” in 2004 before he started work on a film trilogy. “Waiting for Heaven” was the first in the trilogy, followed by “Dot,” which is currently competing in the National Feature Film Competition at the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim wants to create a different cinema and approach to film. “Turkish culture and history contains interesting motivations within its art. In ‘Waiting for Heaven,' I incorporated traditional miniature painting into the film. The people who watch ‘Dot' will see the art of calligraphy,” said Zaim. “The last film of the trilogy will exploit porcelain and ceramic tile.”
Zaim, who always adds a social dimension to his films, believes that cheap optimism can get people down. “The leading character of Ahmet, played by Mehmet Ali Nuroğlu, aims to be forgiven after facing unfortunate circumstances. Films don't have to have happy endings," said Zaim.
The action starts with a character named Ahmet, a calligraphy artist who decides to help his friend Selim sell a rare and invaluable 13th century Koran owned by his family. However, this decision pushes him into unwanted and unfamiliar territory. The film advances along a trajectory of crime and punishment and organically incorporates the traditional art form of calligraphy.
After Ahmet contacts the local mafia, they kidnap Selim and request the Koran as ransom from Selim's father, leaving Ahmet feeling guilty. After the dust from the shady affair settles, both Selim and the gangsters are dead. Ahmet then tries to track down Selim's family to ask for forgiveness.
The film was shot at Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Turkey and the source of the local salt market.
“The emptiness was a new thing for me. The passage of time shown through filming the connection between the sky and the salt brings a new inspiration to Turkish cinema,” said Zaim, who emphasized that Salt Lake was like an empty piece of paper for him.
Zaim also draws connections between the danger faced by Salt Lake from industrial pollution and the illegitimate use of water, and the danger faced by Ahmet due to his illegal activities.
After reading a lot of history, art, Sufism and philosophy, Zaim shot the movie in 12 days. “I cannot copy and paste the ideas of the thinkers, I want everyone to understand my films. A butcher, a driver and a man in the street should understand the film. What I want to do is to send a clear message,” said Zaim.
Noting his interest in Turkish art started at the same time he was thinking about the creation of distinctive and unique cinema, Zaim said, “I benefit from Turkish culture in generating ideas for my films.”
”Dot” will be one of five films competing at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Nov. 11 in Australia.
Who is Derviş Zaim?
Derviş Zaim was born in 1964 in Famagusta, North Cyprus. He graduated from the Economic and Administrative Sciences Department at Bosphorus University in 1988 and also holds a graduate degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick, England. He began work in film in 1991 with the experimental video, “Hang the Camera,” followed by the TV documentary, “Rock Around the Mosque.” Between 1992 and 1995 he worked as a television writer and producer, and directed numerous television shows. “Somersault in a Coffin” was his first feature film.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
People of the Bench
By Kunal Ghosh, "Sufism, Wahabism and Kashmiriyat" - Mainstream Weekly - New Delhi, India
October 11-17, 2008 / Vol XLVI No 43
I enjoyed reading Badri Raina’ article, “J&K Heal and Renew” (Mainstream, New Delhi, August 30, 2008, pp. 11-13). He appears to write poetry in lucid prose, aimed straight for the heart, when he describes Kashmiri syncretism between the Muslim and Hindu faiths, its past and fraying present.
I hope that his message touches the heart of the common Kashmiri man, but I am afraid it may not. Here are the reasons why I think the message may miss the mark. Raina says (ibid.):
“…some Sunni Muslim groups propagate… That Muslims are enjoined, as in Arab countries, to follow the pristine Salafi/Wahabi path which forbids notions of personal discovery of godhead, the ethic of eros, music, worship at Sufi dargahs, esctatic ritual, commingling with non-believers, and so on.”
He clearly implies that ‘personal discovery of godhead’ and the Sufi practices are a non-Arab phenomenon, and the Salafi/Wahabi path followed by the Arabs is the pure form of Islam. This is exactly what the Wahabis are saying and it is a monstrous lie. His statement would only help the separatist and Wahabi cause, because he portrays by implication the Sufi way as an impure way, not being among the fundamentals of original Islam. This type of ignorant chatter has become a constant factor in the Indian media, and it confuses the common Muslim man. He too has started thinking that Sufism is an impure importation into Islam. Why does Raina have to add force to the propagation of this untruth? If this was not his intention, he should have been more careful in his presentation.
Firstly, all Arab countries do not follow Wahabi Islam. Even the region which is now Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries had been steeped in Sufism before the advent of Wahabism in the 18th century. One just has to read the famous stories of Hatim Tai to get proof of this. Right now there are many well established Sufi orders in the North African Arab states, Syria and Iraq.
Secondly, Sufism is to be found among the fundamentals of Islam. Wahabism’s claim to be the pristine form of Islam is a false claim, I am going to show in the following paragraphs.
Sufis draw inspiration from the central Quranic doctrine of ‘Tauhid’ meaning unity of existence. “Direct seeing” or intuitive personal realisation is at the core of Sufism. Annmarie Schimmel in her Mystical Dimensions of Islam (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975) has traced the roots of Sufism to the Quran and Sunnah, the tradition of the Prophet.
J.S. Trimingham says in his Sufi Orders of Islam (Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1971):
“Sufism was a natural development within Islam, owing little to non-Muslim sources, though receiving radiations from the ascetical mystical life and thought of Eastern Christianity.”
This is the most accurate assessment, judging by the fact that Jesus, the prophet of Christianity, is also one of the respected prophets of Islam and Syrian Christian mystics use a language with certain commonality with Islamic terms. This is natural since both religions in Syria use the Arabic language.
Sufi orders abound in Syria and Iraq. In North Africa too from Morocco to Egypt and Sudan there are tens of flourishing Sufi orders, and I request Raina to refer to a graphic chart given by Trimingham (ibid.) that gives the lineage and names of all these orders.
All schools (silsila) of Sufism trace their root to Hasan Basri (AD 728, belonging to Basra in Iraq) and through him to the companions of the Prophet of Islam. Among the companions were a group of people called Ahle Suffah or ‘people of the bench’. They had given up all worldly possessions and had no wife or child.
One of the prominent Sufi orders of North Africa is the Shahdilliyya. Ibn Ata Allah of this order in the 14th century wrote a treatise on the ‘Jujiyya’ method describing all 84 poses of the Indian Yoga system. It should be noted that the famous 13th century scholar, Al Beruni, had translated Patanjali’s Yogasutra along with many Sanskrit scientific texts. Hindu influences did reach the Arab Sufis but not before Al Beruni. There had been Sufi orders in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries too. But they were destroyed by the Wahabi sect who rose in the 18th century.
Kamal Ataturk of Turkey confiscated all the pro-perties of the Sufi Khanekas in his secularisation drive and the Sufi orders of Turkey went into a decline, but not for long. Since then there is strong revival of the Mevleviyya order started by the famous Maulana-cum-Sufi, Jalaluddin Rumi or Maulana Rum, well known for his mystical poetry written in Persian.
Buddhist influences did reach the Arab world prior to arrival of prophet Hazrat Mohammad. He seems to have given his seal of approval to the continuance of some of them. For instance, consider going round and round the shrine at Mecca seven times by the Haj pilgrim. Circumambulation or parikrama of a shrine, and that seven times, is not inherited from Chrstianity or Judaism. It was carried to Central and West Asia by the Buddhists.
Again consider the dress code of the Haj pilgrim. He shaves his head and wraps an unstitched white cloth round his waist and over his left shoulder, exactly in the fashion of a Buddhist monk. Shaving the head or wearing an unstitched cloth is not a part of the Judaic-Christian tradition. So how and wherefrom did it arrive in Arabia?
Once I saw a photograph of what appeared to be a Buddhist monk in The Guardian, a noted news daily of the UK, only to read the caption, “Prince Abdullah of Jordan in Haj”. If these Buddhist influences are a taint then both the Wahabi and Sufi are tainted by it.
Kashmiriyat
EVERYONE, including Raina, talks about Kashmiriyat but no one pays attention to the development of the Kashmiri language. Urdu as the medium of education (even in the primaries) and administration rules the roost in Kashmir. Yet in census after census the Kashmiri Muslim returns his mother-tongue as Kashmiri.
Contrast this with the behaviour of Muslims in Andhra and Karnataka; the common Muslim man in the street speaks a fractured version of Urdu/Hindustani, in a southern accent, sprinkled with Telugu or Canara words and expressions. Yet he returns his mother-tongue as Urdu in every census.
The syncretic Kashmiri traditions are contained in the folkores and poetry of Lal Ded (Lalla Yogeshwari) and Sufi Nuruddin Noorani (Nand Rishi).
The modern generation is losing this tradition because they do not know Kashmiri, particularly so in the cities. It is the urban youth which is in the vanguard of all political parties as well as militancy.
To conclude, traditional Islam consists of the Sufi’s tariqa (spiritual path) and Ulema’s sharia (the law), in a delicate bi-polar balance. Wahabism is a maverick form of Islam, a new arrival, which negates Sufism and has tried in the past to wipe out Sufi orders by mayhem and persecution.
Traditional Kashmiriyat consists of Sufism and Kashmiri folk literature. The separatists are systematically striking at these two roots, but syncretists are ill organised and often make statements which help the separatist case.
Dr Kunal Ghosh is a Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT, Kanpur.
October 11-17, 2008 / Vol XLVI No 43
I enjoyed reading Badri Raina’ article, “J&K Heal and Renew” (Mainstream, New Delhi, August 30, 2008, pp. 11-13). He appears to write poetry in lucid prose, aimed straight for the heart, when he describes Kashmiri syncretism between the Muslim and Hindu faiths, its past and fraying present.
I hope that his message touches the heart of the common Kashmiri man, but I am afraid it may not. Here are the reasons why I think the message may miss the mark. Raina says (ibid.):
“…some Sunni Muslim groups propagate… That Muslims are enjoined, as in Arab countries, to follow the pristine Salafi/Wahabi path which forbids notions of personal discovery of godhead, the ethic of eros, music, worship at Sufi dargahs, esctatic ritual, commingling with non-believers, and so on.”
He clearly implies that ‘personal discovery of godhead’ and the Sufi practices are a non-Arab phenomenon, and the Salafi/Wahabi path followed by the Arabs is the pure form of Islam. This is exactly what the Wahabis are saying and it is a monstrous lie. His statement would only help the separatist and Wahabi cause, because he portrays by implication the Sufi way as an impure way, not being among the fundamentals of original Islam. This type of ignorant chatter has become a constant factor in the Indian media, and it confuses the common Muslim man. He too has started thinking that Sufism is an impure importation into Islam. Why does Raina have to add force to the propagation of this untruth? If this was not his intention, he should have been more careful in his presentation.
Firstly, all Arab countries do not follow Wahabi Islam. Even the region which is now Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries had been steeped in Sufism before the advent of Wahabism in the 18th century. One just has to read the famous stories of Hatim Tai to get proof of this. Right now there are many well established Sufi orders in the North African Arab states, Syria and Iraq.
Secondly, Sufism is to be found among the fundamentals of Islam. Wahabism’s claim to be the pristine form of Islam is a false claim, I am going to show in the following paragraphs.
Sufis draw inspiration from the central Quranic doctrine of ‘Tauhid’ meaning unity of existence. “Direct seeing” or intuitive personal realisation is at the core of Sufism. Annmarie Schimmel in her Mystical Dimensions of Islam (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975) has traced the roots of Sufism to the Quran and Sunnah, the tradition of the Prophet.
J.S. Trimingham says in his Sufi Orders of Islam (Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1971):
“Sufism was a natural development within Islam, owing little to non-Muslim sources, though receiving radiations from the ascetical mystical life and thought of Eastern Christianity.”
This is the most accurate assessment, judging by the fact that Jesus, the prophet of Christianity, is also one of the respected prophets of Islam and Syrian Christian mystics use a language with certain commonality with Islamic terms. This is natural since both religions in Syria use the Arabic language.
Sufi orders abound in Syria and Iraq. In North Africa too from Morocco to Egypt and Sudan there are tens of flourishing Sufi orders, and I request Raina to refer to a graphic chart given by Trimingham (ibid.) that gives the lineage and names of all these orders.
All schools (silsila) of Sufism trace their root to Hasan Basri (AD 728, belonging to Basra in Iraq) and through him to the companions of the Prophet of Islam. Among the companions were a group of people called Ahle Suffah or ‘people of the bench’. They had given up all worldly possessions and had no wife or child.
One of the prominent Sufi orders of North Africa is the Shahdilliyya. Ibn Ata Allah of this order in the 14th century wrote a treatise on the ‘Jujiyya’ method describing all 84 poses of the Indian Yoga system. It should be noted that the famous 13th century scholar, Al Beruni, had translated Patanjali’s Yogasutra along with many Sanskrit scientific texts. Hindu influences did reach the Arab Sufis but not before Al Beruni. There had been Sufi orders in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries too. But they were destroyed by the Wahabi sect who rose in the 18th century.
Kamal Ataturk of Turkey confiscated all the pro-perties of the Sufi Khanekas in his secularisation drive and the Sufi orders of Turkey went into a decline, but not for long. Since then there is strong revival of the Mevleviyya order started by the famous Maulana-cum-Sufi, Jalaluddin Rumi or Maulana Rum, well known for his mystical poetry written in Persian.
Buddhist influences did reach the Arab world prior to arrival of prophet Hazrat Mohammad. He seems to have given his seal of approval to the continuance of some of them. For instance, consider going round and round the shrine at Mecca seven times by the Haj pilgrim. Circumambulation or parikrama of a shrine, and that seven times, is not inherited from Chrstianity or Judaism. It was carried to Central and West Asia by the Buddhists.
Again consider the dress code of the Haj pilgrim. He shaves his head and wraps an unstitched white cloth round his waist and over his left shoulder, exactly in the fashion of a Buddhist monk. Shaving the head or wearing an unstitched cloth is not a part of the Judaic-Christian tradition. So how and wherefrom did it arrive in Arabia?
Once I saw a photograph of what appeared to be a Buddhist monk in The Guardian, a noted news daily of the UK, only to read the caption, “Prince Abdullah of Jordan in Haj”. If these Buddhist influences are a taint then both the Wahabi and Sufi are tainted by it.
Kashmiriyat
EVERYONE, including Raina, talks about Kashmiriyat but no one pays attention to the development of the Kashmiri language. Urdu as the medium of education (even in the primaries) and administration rules the roost in Kashmir. Yet in census after census the Kashmiri Muslim returns his mother-tongue as Kashmiri.
Contrast this with the behaviour of Muslims in Andhra and Karnataka; the common Muslim man in the street speaks a fractured version of Urdu/Hindustani, in a southern accent, sprinkled with Telugu or Canara words and expressions. Yet he returns his mother-tongue as Urdu in every census.
The syncretic Kashmiri traditions are contained in the folkores and poetry of Lal Ded (Lalla Yogeshwari) and Sufi Nuruddin Noorani (Nand Rishi).
The modern generation is losing this tradition because they do not know Kashmiri, particularly so in the cities. It is the urban youth which is in the vanguard of all political parties as well as militancy.
To conclude, traditional Islam consists of the Sufi’s tariqa (spiritual path) and Ulema’s sharia (the law), in a delicate bi-polar balance. Wahabism is a maverick form of Islam, a new arrival, which negates Sufism and has tried in the past to wipe out Sufi orders by mayhem and persecution.
Traditional Kashmiriyat consists of Sufism and Kashmiri folk literature. The separatists are systematically striking at these two roots, but syncretists are ill organised and often make statements which help the separatist case.
Dr Kunal Ghosh is a Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT, Kanpur.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Next Door to Each Other
By Aryn Baker, "Living Traditions Exhibit Explores Art in War-torn Afghanistan" - Time - USAFriday, October 17, 2008
A major art exhibition has opened in the Afghan capital Kabul. Given its location in a war-torn country known better for anarchy than aesthetics, this is remarkable.
But even if one were to ignore that fact, Living Traditions, an exhibition of contemporary pieces from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, is extraordinary on its own merits as a moving meditation on modernity, tradition, beauty and horror.
Running until Nov. 20 at the elegant Queen's Palace, in the newly renovated gardens of the Mughal era Emperor Babur, the exhibition has been expertly brought together by former Tate Gallery curator Jemima Montagu, and features modern interpretations of two genres that have long defined the region: calligraphy and miniature painting.
"I wondered if it was possible to bring contemporary art to Afghanistan while at the same time going back to the traditions of the past and seeing how they still have links to modern day," says Montague, who now works with Turquoise Mountain, a foundation dedicated to revitalizing Afghanistan's cultural heritage.
Among the 15 participating artists is British-Iranian Jila Peacock, who plays with the Persian calligraphic practice of turning poetic verses into images of plants and animals. Peacock takes this one step further, breathing life into the images through mesmerizing animation accompanied by music and readings from the 14th century poet Hafez.
The work of Khadim Ali, an Afghan born as a refugee in Pakistan, incorporates classical miniature techniques honed at Lahore's renowned National College of Arts. He uses the flat planes, thick gouache, gold leaf and impeccable brushwork, all typical of 18th century Mughal miniatures, to portray scenes from the Shahnameh, a Persian epic familiar to Afghan children. Ali is a member of Afghanistan's Hazara minority, and his people's persecution by the Taliban during the late stages of the civil war is also reflected in the dark panels of his miniatures. His Herculean hero, Rustam, is ambiguous, portrayed as a demonic figure with horns and a monster's face, often bristling with an arsenal of modern weapons — AK-47s, bayonets and grenade launchers. This is an allusion to Taliban videos in which militants declare themselves to be the new Rustam. Nothing is sacred, Ali seems to be saying. Even heroes can be co-opted.
Another renowned miniaturist, the Pakistani Muhammad Imran Qureshi, has contributed an installation entitled "Changing Times." In the pools of light coming through the exhibition venue's French windows, he has painted the delicate foliage common to traditional miniatures. They were executed at different moments of the day, indicating the passage of time, but also the ravages of history: it is as if the building's marble floors are witnesses to Afghanistan's eras of light and destruction. Some are filled in completely, others are more fragmented, as if indicating the slow state of reconstruction in Afghanistan today.
Qureshi, who teaches modern miniature painting at the National College of Arts in Lahore, was nervous at first about coming to Afghanistan. But this exhibition, bringing together work from three countries that suffer contentious relations even if they share a common heritage, has opened his eyes, he says.
"We all live next door to each other, but there is no communication between our peoples. This experience may be able to bring about understanding, tolerance and the beginnings of change."
[Picture: Khadim Ali, Untitled (Rustam series), 2007, acrylic and gold leaf on wasli. Photo: Courtesy of Khadim Ali / Green Cardamom / Turquoise Mountain Foundation]
[Visit the Foundation http://www.turquoisemountain.org/].
Baba Jee's Silver Jubilee
Staff Reporter, "M Sadiq (RA) 25th annual urs begins today" - The Post - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Friday, October 17, 2008
Grand celebrations will be kicked off as the silver jubilee annual Urs of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA) begins today (Friday) at the tomb of the noted Sufi saint located in Mughalpura.
Wave after wave of devotees from across the country will come to attend the 25th annual urs of the late spiritual leader. The three-day celebrations will begin from November 17 and remain continue till the annual Duwa on November 19 (Sunday).
The urs will have three sessions based on spiritual enlightenment and spreading the message of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA). The Holy Quran will be recited. Naats will be recited. Scholars will deliver lectures on the teachings of Sufism.
Special arrangements are made for the thousands of people staying at the Darbar overnight. Exceptional measures are taken to ensure appropriate welfare of the people.
The tomb is a landmark of sorts in the City. It is a centre of inspiration not only for the people of Lahore but also for the Muslims across the board. It is one of the busiest of places in the Lahore. A large number of devotees daily visit the shrine and the number multiplied during the Urs celebrations.
The members of the tomb governing body including Chairman M Ishaq, President Rustam Ali and Senior Vice President Pervaiz Khan jointly organize the Urs every year in a great manner as it is not an easy task to facilitate thousands of devotees without any contribution from the government side.
"Preparations start several weeks early, thousands of people are expected to attend the Urs this year, the task to ensure all necessary arrangements is huge. People from all walks of life attend the Urs. The whole of country is moved by the Urs activities. Devotees come from each and every district of Punjab to pay rich tribute to the Baba Jee, said Pervaiz Khan while talking about the silver jubilee Urs Celebrations.
The members of the governing body have appealed to the participants to take care of discipline and the shrines sanctity during the event. They urged the people to remain vigilant and inform the security about any dubious character spotted at the shrine to avert any untoward situation.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Grand celebrations will be kicked off as the silver jubilee annual Urs of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA) begins today (Friday) at the tomb of the noted Sufi saint located in Mughalpura.
Wave after wave of devotees from across the country will come to attend the 25th annual urs of the late spiritual leader. The three-day celebrations will begin from November 17 and remain continue till the annual Duwa on November 19 (Sunday).
The urs will have three sessions based on spiritual enlightenment and spreading the message of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA). The Holy Quran will be recited. Naats will be recited. Scholars will deliver lectures on the teachings of Sufism.
Special arrangements are made for the thousands of people staying at the Darbar overnight. Exceptional measures are taken to ensure appropriate welfare of the people.
The tomb is a landmark of sorts in the City. It is a centre of inspiration not only for the people of Lahore but also for the Muslims across the board. It is one of the busiest of places in the Lahore. A large number of devotees daily visit the shrine and the number multiplied during the Urs celebrations.
The members of the tomb governing body including Chairman M Ishaq, President Rustam Ali and Senior Vice President Pervaiz Khan jointly organize the Urs every year in a great manner as it is not an easy task to facilitate thousands of devotees without any contribution from the government side.
"Preparations start several weeks early, thousands of people are expected to attend the Urs this year, the task to ensure all necessary arrangements is huge. People from all walks of life attend the Urs. The whole of country is moved by the Urs activities. Devotees come from each and every district of Punjab to pay rich tribute to the Baba Jee, said Pervaiz Khan while talking about the silver jubilee Urs Celebrations.
The members of the governing body have appealed to the participants to take care of discipline and the shrines sanctity during the event. They urged the people to remain vigilant and inform the security about any dubious character spotted at the shrine to avert any untoward situation.
Celebrating Islam and African Heritage
By Madeleine Wall, "Foreign cinema spotlight: I Bring What I Love" - The Strand - Victoria University of Toronto - Toronto, CanadaThursday, October 16, 2008
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love chronicles the life of Senegal's greatest musical export, Youssou Ndour.
Documenting his early life and then focusing on the controversy that surrounded his Grammy- winning Egypt album, the film shows Ndour for what he is: a man combining his heritage and tradition in a way that has rarely been done before.
The film begins with Ndour's early life, growing up in Senegal a Sufi Muslim, but learning about the traditions of the Girot, the African singer-storyteller. Ndour combined his Girot heritage with his music, and soon became a household name in Senegal.
It was a duet with Peter Gabriel and a performance at the Live 8 concert, a long with the song "7 Seconds," Senegal's first platinum record, which made him known around the world. With his success he soon turned to social activism, a powerful African voice raising awareness and funds to various issues in Africa. But the film's focus is on the early 2000s when Ndour decided to make his Egypt album.
Ndour attempted to show the world what Islam meant to him through this album, chronicling the story of the great Muslim leaders of Senegal. The film explores the various influences of Ndour such as Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, the pacifist Muslim leader Cheikh Amadou Bamba and Senegal's holy city of Touba, each of which have an important impact on the album, Ndour, and the life of a Senegalese Sufi Muslim.
The album was initially met with disdain from with Senegalese, who believed it was blasphemy and refused to buy it. The film focuses on Ndour overcoming controversy and disdain from his Senegalese counterparts and shooting into international fame with the album.
The films highlights are Ndour's performances. A captivating singer and performer, he is a joy to watch and listen to. It is he that moves the film forward, telling his own story and mixing it with his religious beliefs and African tradition.
The Egypt album attempted to show a different side of Islam, Ndour's Islam, hoping to change the world's perspective. What the album accomplishes is what the film accomplishes as well, showing a side of Islam that most Western audiences have not seen before. Though music is not a key part in the Islamic faith, Ndour manages to make it a part of his faith, celebrating Islam and African heritage through song.
[Picture: Youssou Ndour mugs for the camera: Media Credit: Time Inc.].
Their Souls Into Mine
By Rania Khallaf, "Life in a picture" - "Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt16 - 22 October 2008/Issue No. 918
Popular markets and moulids make up Taha El-Qurani's intimate world
After the smashing success of Taha El-Qurani's mural Friday Market, which hung at the Al-Hanager Art Centre last year in an event that caught the interest of art lovers, critics and media alike, another mural, The Moulid, was unveiled yesterday at the same venue.
El-Qurani has surprised his audience with a piece even more adventurous than Friday Market, this time depicting the rituals of moulids throughout Egypt. The cost and effort required to produce such a huge mural -- 323 (?) metres wide and 140 cm in height [1'059 (?) feet wide and 4.59 feet in height] -- poses the question of the real motive behind this unusual genre.
"Since the second half of the 20th century there has been a gap between plastic arts and their audience, because of some abstract and surrealist trends that began appearing at the time," El-Qurani says. "So I was thinking about this gap, and I saw that there should be some interaction with real people: popular markets and moulids have been my key."
The son of Sheikh Mohamed El-Qurani, a distinguished Quran reader in the 1960s, Taha El-Qurani grew up under the influence of his father's Quran reading. The atmosphere in his home was intellectual, as his father was a friend of the colloquial poet Salah Jaheen and musician Sayed Mekkawi, two leading figures associated with the development of contemporary Egyptian popular art.
It took El-Qurani seven years to complete the two murals. Although he started working on both simultaneously, Friday Market mural was exhibited first because, at 20 metres [(?) 65 feet] in length, it was a little smaller.
"It is a kind of very unique and emotional experience that one feels in such crowded places," the artist says.
This is where dervishes, dancers, worshippers and Sufi enchanters meet together." El-Qurani adds that there are about 12 million Sufi followers in Egypt who are sincere participants in Egypt's 3,362 regular moulids, which are held at all times of year. It is this fact that initially moved his artistic senses towards that "peculiar portrait of life".
El-Qurani, who is listed in the Genes Encyclopaedia as the first Arab artist to have produced such gigantic artistic portraits, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1982. He began showing in the mid-1980s, mainly exhibiting portraits and still life. El-Qurani's move towards painting murals depicting rare features in Egyptian popular culture started seven years ago.
"It all came as a coincidence," he says. "I was once involved in drawing models, and the idea jumped to my mind of sketching one of Cairo's most popular moulids. So I started with one portrait, then another, until I had produced a 32-metre- [104 feet] long mural.
The popular hidden culture in Sufi followers; their customs, clothing, and traditions, have not been recorded by any social research academy. Sufi chanters at moulids do not just chant meaningless songs, on the contrary they memorise the poetry of the most notable Sufi poets such as Ibn Arabi, Al-Halag and Ibn Al-Farid. All this results in a very rich popular culture that should be respected and recorded. And here comes the documentary role of this mural, and its peerless capacity to convey the feelings and problems of these marginalised people."
Although they might look similar, the two murals differ on some points: Friday Market, also known as the Souq Al - Imam mural, depicts street vendors, the people who come from various modest villages to trade or make other transactions, or for marriage. "The mural has brought the cause of these marginal people to the fore. These are people who can scarcely find food or clean water, and most importantly respect," El-Qurani says.
His vision has already made an impact: in reaction to the mural Abdel-Azim Wazir, the governor of Cairo, has donated LE7 million [USD 1,285,253] to develop facilities at the market.
Far from being a distant observer of the market or of moulids, El-Qurani interacted with the people, lived with them and loved their rituals. "It was like a transmigration of their souls into mine," he says. "In many cases I found myself acting as if I were one of them. It is very clear in the heavy brush strokes which reveal my interaction with such peculiar characters."
The artist's emotional interaction with the Sufi followers when working on The Moulid, meanwhile, was different. Here his religious passion drove him to become more involved in the moulids' rituals and people. To produce The Moulid, El-Qurani studied the rituals and history of several local moulids in addition to photographing and video-recording some of the most interesting such as those of Al-Hussein, Al-Sayeda Zeinab, and Al-Imam El-Shafie.
"I could not have worked on this mural without the influence of Quran recitations by El-Banna, Mustafa Ismail and Mohamed Refaat," he says.
The popular appreciation of El-Qurani's murals is shown by the honorary title "Artist of the People", which has been given him by the public and critics alike. His passion for people is not restricted to marginalised people alone. Talented individuals who have not had the chance to enrol in academic art studies are most welcome in his Creativity Centre, which offers a peculiar artistic experience for talented people from the age of 16 to 80.
With an estimated value of about LE200,000 [USD 36,721] each, and with no sponsorship, the future of the murals is unknown. Several businessmen have offered to buy them but have been turned down by El-Qurani.
"I have one condition, that Friday Market is exhibited at the People's Assembly so that it will remind politicians of the miserable status of marginal people in Egypt," El-Qurani says.
This suggestion has been officially rejected, but El-Qurani still hopes to find a good future sponsor so he can pursue his biggest dream: producing a mural entitled Egypt that would portray Egypt's ancient history and contemporary life.
"I hope Egypt will be a travel spot not just because of its ancient art and architecture, but also for its contemporary art. Such a mural could be exhibited in the new museum area, adjacent to the Pyramids Plateau. I am sure that it would attract many more visitors. All we need is a sponsor, because such a project will need a lot of money that I can't afford alone."
Some have criticised El-Qurani's works on the grounds that they are no more than an imitation of the more passionate works of the Orientalists, who portrayed popular aspects of Cairo in the 18th and 19th centuries. "The only difference, I believe, is that I do my work with a vision that sides with simple people and their daily tragedies," he protests.
A leftist artist, El-Qurani believes that art should be supportive of simple people. "My work has nothing to do with other murals such as the ones exhibited in Alexandria by artist Farouk Abdel-Salam, which has been used just as décor," he says. "Instead any artistic work, especially murals, should show some interaction with or against the subject of the work, which is what my murals have done successfully."
El-Qurani has gone further to criticise the term mural itself. "Why do critics insist on calling it a mural, and not an artistic epic that reveals many dramatic features of life in Egypt, and the pains and dreams of people?"
Art itself, he feels, should be for ordinary people. "Art should be extended outside the realm of elite districts such as Zamalek and Garden City, and reach people. This is my goal, and I am heading towards it," he says.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Trying to Overcome
By Melora Koepke, "Mile End in sight" - Hour Ca - Montreal, Quebec, CanadaThursday, October 16, 2008
"Adam's Wall" lends fresh eyes to age-old themes and a Montreal neighbourhood
Mile End, and Montreal in general, has rarely looked as lovely as it does in Michael MacKenzie's Adam's Wall, a coming-of-age story set in our city's storied Jewish quarter.
In the film's opening sequence, powdery snow blows off the rooftops of triplexes as the wind blows through the trees of the Mountain, and an intro voiceover by Adam (Jesse Aaron Dwyre) tells us his life story thus far. Adam's parents are dead, and he grew up in the house of his grandfather, a rabbi, surrounded by ancient books and the mournful timbre of a life without parents.
When he meets Yasmine (Flavia Bechara) at a pro-Palestinian demo, his world expands exponentially. Yasmine is a pretty young Lebanese literature student (who wants to translate the words of Sufis) living in Montreal with her art-dealer dad (Paul Ahmarani) while her mom stays in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Adam's grandfather objects to a naked-breasted statue in the window of Yasmine's father's gallery on behalf of his community's children.
The rift between their two cultures deepens. Then bombs fall on Beirut, and Yasmine's mother goes missing. The drama between Paul and Yasmine deepens. Winding through all this is an interplay of mystical secrets of Sufism and Kabbalah being kept by a bookstore owner named Mostapha (Tyrone Benskin).
Adam's Wall is a very local sort of story about the communities hidden from the outside view in our city, and the overt exposition in the script seems most appropriate for a younger audience - a Mile End afterschool special, if you will, with a fresh take on an old theme.
Beautiful soundtrack contributions by Patrick Watson add to the youthful appeal in this fresh take on old differences and two young people who are trying to overcome them.
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Friday, October 31, 2008
Pivotal Votes
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politics
By Habib Battah, "Arab American Voters Feel Ignored" - NYU Live Wire - New York, NY, USA
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Neither presidential campaign seemed eager for their endorsement, community leaders say
Arab Americans are expected to vote in large numbers this November, despite concerns over voter intimidation and weak outreach from the presidential candidates, representatives of major community organizations say.
The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee has set up a voter protection unit staffed by lawyers, to help dispel rumors that may have prevented some from going to the polls in the past.
“As always, there will be voter intimidation,” predicted Abed Ayoub, one of five attorneys attached to the unit. Enthusiasm for the election is higher than it was in 2004, he contended, pointing to a recent ADC-sponsored event in Michigan that saw at least 500 Arab Americans register in just two days.
At the same time, the ADC has received hundreds of calls over recent months from Arab Americans who mistakenly believed they may have been ineligible to vote.
“One rumor was that if you are in foreclosure, you can’t vote,” Ayoub said. Another is the misconception that those who couldn’t read or write in English – often a problem for elderly Arab Americans – would not be allowed to use translators.
But the greatest fear is of an incident like the one at the 1999 municipal election in Hamtramck, Michigan, where dozens of dark-skinned Arab Americans were asked to take a citizenship oath before voting. The move caused many to avoid the polls for fear of embarrassment. Even in more recent elections, a number of complaints were made to ADC, though never made public, the lawyer said. “This year we want to attack the problem before it happens.”
Votes of the estimated 3.5 million Arab Americans could be pivotal, especially in swing states. And though a September poll by the Arab American Institute showed that Sen. Barack Obama was far more popular - with a 54% to 33% lead over Sen. John McCain-it also found that 20 percent of Arab Americans are not enrolled in any political party. And Arab organizations say both presidential campaigns have largely failed to recognize Arab Americans as an important voting bloc.
“Neither party has done a lot of outreach to the community,” said Lelia Al-Qatami, ADC’s communications and cultural affairs director. “Ethnic outreach is very common, but we haven’t seen any with regards to the Arab community.”
The Obama campaign briefly had a liaison to the Arab American community, she acknowledged. But the liaison, Mazen Asbahi, resigned 10 days after his appointment in early August, after the Wall Street Journal ran a story alleging that he may have had ties to a fundamentalist imam.
The Arab American Institute called the Journal’s claim “vague and specious.” But the incident was just one of many that upset Arab Americans.
Many Arab Americans also felt let down by the Obama campaign this summer when two Muslim women wearing headscarves were barred from appearing seated behind the senator in a television shot at Detroit rally. And there’s been disappointment over McCain’s recent response to supporters who called Obama “an Arab.” By defending Obama as “a decent family man,” McCain drew fire from Arab American Institute director James Zogby, who issued a statement noting that Arab Americans were “also decent men and women.”
“We would have liked to have better contact from both sides (of the presidential race),” said Christina Zola, AAI communications director. “The racism on behalf of staff or supporters should have been dealt with better.”
A feeling of alienation from the two campaigns was also voiced by the Arab American Political Action Committee, which decided not to endorse either presidential candidate. And neither campaign requested an endorsement, the AAPAC said.
“Those candidates who are not willing to make the effort to request our support and pursue it respectfully are not worthy of our vote, regardless of who they are,” the AAPAC said in its Oct. 11 statement.
Both Obama and McCain have also been criticized by Ralph Nader, an Arab American of Lebanese descent and the Green Party presidential candidate. Nader challenged both McCain and Obama to visit a Muslim place of worship before Election Day, “like they [visited] churches and synagogues,” according to a statement on Nader’s campaign website.
Still, hundreds of Arab Americans are campaigning for Obama or McCain, the ADC said, while the AAI has recruited several hundred volunteers to help register Arab voters, as part of the Yalla Vote Campaign. (Yalla means “come on/let’s go” in Arabic.)
“We need to be involved in this election,” said Mohammad Al Filali, outreach director for the Islamic Center of Passaic County, N.J., home to one of the greatest concentrations of Arab Americans. “We cannot allow our voices to be muzzled.”
At least 100 Arab Americans registered to vote in the space of a few hours during an event to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in early October, Al Filali said. He said the community was energized by the election, despite the perception that the word Arab has “all of a sudden become a curse” in campaign rhetoric.
Samir Issa, a software engineer who took part in the event, said he was still supporting Obama, the abrupt departure of the candidate’s Arab American liaison notwithstanding. “I lost some trust in him [Obama], but not all, because the other choice is even worse,” said Issa, 36. “He’s just trying to win, whatever the cost.”
Community involvement is another problem. The campaigns “pay closer attention to people with money,” Al Filali said.
“We are new to the game of politics. We have to make ourselves known.”
Habib Battah is a Student of Journalism at Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and can be contacted at Habib.battah@gmail.com
NYU Livewire
Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute
New York University
20 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003
U.S.A
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Neither presidential campaign seemed eager for their endorsement, community leaders say
Arab Americans are expected to vote in large numbers this November, despite concerns over voter intimidation and weak outreach from the presidential candidates, representatives of major community organizations say.
The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee has set up a voter protection unit staffed by lawyers, to help dispel rumors that may have prevented some from going to the polls in the past.
“As always, there will be voter intimidation,” predicted Abed Ayoub, one of five attorneys attached to the unit. Enthusiasm for the election is higher than it was in 2004, he contended, pointing to a recent ADC-sponsored event in Michigan that saw at least 500 Arab Americans register in just two days.
At the same time, the ADC has received hundreds of calls over recent months from Arab Americans who mistakenly believed they may have been ineligible to vote.
“One rumor was that if you are in foreclosure, you can’t vote,” Ayoub said. Another is the misconception that those who couldn’t read or write in English – often a problem for elderly Arab Americans – would not be allowed to use translators.
But the greatest fear is of an incident like the one at the 1999 municipal election in Hamtramck, Michigan, where dozens of dark-skinned Arab Americans were asked to take a citizenship oath before voting. The move caused many to avoid the polls for fear of embarrassment. Even in more recent elections, a number of complaints were made to ADC, though never made public, the lawyer said. “This year we want to attack the problem before it happens.”
Votes of the estimated 3.5 million Arab Americans could be pivotal, especially in swing states. And though a September poll by the Arab American Institute showed that Sen. Barack Obama was far more popular - with a 54% to 33% lead over Sen. John McCain-it also found that 20 percent of Arab Americans are not enrolled in any political party. And Arab organizations say both presidential campaigns have largely failed to recognize Arab Americans as an important voting bloc.
“Neither party has done a lot of outreach to the community,” said Lelia Al-Qatami, ADC’s communications and cultural affairs director. “Ethnic outreach is very common, but we haven’t seen any with regards to the Arab community.”
The Obama campaign briefly had a liaison to the Arab American community, she acknowledged. But the liaison, Mazen Asbahi, resigned 10 days after his appointment in early August, after the Wall Street Journal ran a story alleging that he may have had ties to a fundamentalist imam.
The Arab American Institute called the Journal’s claim “vague and specious.” But the incident was just one of many that upset Arab Americans.
Many Arab Americans also felt let down by the Obama campaign this summer when two Muslim women wearing headscarves were barred from appearing seated behind the senator in a television shot at Detroit rally. And there’s been disappointment over McCain’s recent response to supporters who called Obama “an Arab.” By defending Obama as “a decent family man,” McCain drew fire from Arab American Institute director James Zogby, who issued a statement noting that Arab Americans were “also decent men and women.”
“We would have liked to have better contact from both sides (of the presidential race),” said Christina Zola, AAI communications director. “The racism on behalf of staff or supporters should have been dealt with better.”
A feeling of alienation from the two campaigns was also voiced by the Arab American Political Action Committee, which decided not to endorse either presidential candidate. And neither campaign requested an endorsement, the AAPAC said.
“Those candidates who are not willing to make the effort to request our support and pursue it respectfully are not worthy of our vote, regardless of who they are,” the AAPAC said in its Oct. 11 statement.
Both Obama and McCain have also been criticized by Ralph Nader, an Arab American of Lebanese descent and the Green Party presidential candidate. Nader challenged both McCain and Obama to visit a Muslim place of worship before Election Day, “like they [visited] churches and synagogues,” according to a statement on Nader’s campaign website.
Still, hundreds of Arab Americans are campaigning for Obama or McCain, the ADC said, while the AAI has recruited several hundred volunteers to help register Arab voters, as part of the Yalla Vote Campaign. (Yalla means “come on/let’s go” in Arabic.)
“We need to be involved in this election,” said Mohammad Al Filali, outreach director for the Islamic Center of Passaic County, N.J., home to one of the greatest concentrations of Arab Americans. “We cannot allow our voices to be muzzled.”
At least 100 Arab Americans registered to vote in the space of a few hours during an event to celebrate the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in early October, Al Filali said. He said the community was energized by the election, despite the perception that the word Arab has “all of a sudden become a curse” in campaign rhetoric.
Samir Issa, a software engineer who took part in the event, said he was still supporting Obama, the abrupt departure of the candidate’s Arab American liaison notwithstanding. “I lost some trust in him [Obama], but not all, because the other choice is even worse,” said Issa, 36. “He’s just trying to win, whatever the cost.”
Community involvement is another problem. The campaigns “pay closer attention to people with money,” Al Filali said.
“We are new to the game of politics. We have to make ourselves known.”
Habib Battah is a Student of Journalism at Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute and can be contacted at Habib.battah@gmail.com
NYU Livewire
Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute
New York University
20 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003
U.S.A
The Civilised Do Not Collide
By Ayeda Naqvi, "Why Al Qaeda supports McCain"- Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
One side is intent on destroying, and the other side is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need
It was an endorsement that caught everybody by surprise. Why would Al Qaeda, the terrorist organisation that prides itself on its hatred for the United States choose to support John McCain, the ultra-conservative, Bush Doctrine-following US Presidential candidate?
How could Al Qaeda possibly benefit from another war hawk in the White House? And, most importantly, what could these two have in common?At first glance, not much. A closer look however suggests that beneath the surface, the rhetoric and the appearances, the American Right and Al Qaeda may actually be two peas in a pod.
Think about the message posted on the al-Hesbah website which, when decoded and translated, said that “Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election”.
The website was confident that McCain would continue the “failing march of his predecessor” which would then lead the US to exhaust its resources and bankrupt its economy.
An expansion of US military commitments in an attempt to take revenge on Al Qaeda is exactly what this group wants. And this is what John McCain promises. So we have one side which is intent on destroying, and the other side which is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need, thriving on the demonisation of each other, without which they would have no reason to exist — or in this case, be elected.
So what do the Republicans and Al Qaeda have in common? Divisiveness. It is the ‘with us or against us’ approach, the delineation of patriotic vs. non-patriotic parts of the country, the Red states vs. the Blue states, the black man vs. the white man that that strikes a chord with Al Qaeda, for they too have the same approach — if you are not with them, you are going to hell.
It is the puritanical attitude that both groups share, the belief that all those who are different are to be shunned and that uniformity is the only way to achieve unity. And it is the use of fear as an operating mechanism that brings these two groups together.
One side woos its voters by telling them the other candidate will take their money, turn their nation into a socialist state, coddle criminals and be an open target for the Russians and the Muslims. The other side recruits its followers by telling them that they will be enslaved by the immoral West, their wives will stop listening to them and there will be lewdness and orgies on the street. Both these groups cater to an uninformed audience. Both these groups preach intolerance. And both lure their followers by claims to “return to the core values” — a proposition which sounds good until you ask, what values? And more importantly, whose values
A great Sufi, Sheikh Ibn Arabi, once wrote, “Beware of confining yourself to one belief — for much good would elude you. Be in yourself a matter for all forms of belief, for God is too vast and tremendous to be restricted to one belief rather than another.”
While the wisdom of this quote eludes both groups, they continue to shun a mindset that encourages inclusion and incorporation. They charge ahead without bemoaning the loss of innocent lives which result from their illegal, unilateral attacks on sovereign nations or blowing themselves up in public spaces. For them, their agendas comes first — in the case of Al Qaeda, doing whatever they can to bring down the West and set up their own rule in the East, in the case of the Republican Right, setting the stage for the Rapture, or the second coming of Christ, which many right-wing Christians, including Bush, believe can only happen once certain events take place.
One of the pre-conditions for Rapture is a clash of civilisations, a polarisation of the world, something both Al Qaeda and the Republican Right seem to be working very hard at.
But as another great Sufi once said, “There can be no clash of civilisations, only barbarisms. The civilised do not collide — they unite.” The question is, how civilised are those running our countries?
Ayeda Naqvi has been a journalist for 17 years. She can be contacted at ayedanaqvi@yahoo.com
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By Ayeda Naqvi, "Why Al Qaeda supports McCain"- Daily Times - Lahore, PakistanTuesday, October 28, 2008
One side is intent on destroying, and the other side is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need
It was an endorsement that caught everybody by surprise. Why would Al Qaeda, the terrorist organisation that prides itself on its hatred for the United States choose to support John McCain, the ultra-conservative, Bush Doctrine-following US Presidential candidate?
How could Al Qaeda possibly benefit from another war hawk in the White House? And, most importantly, what could these two have in common?At first glance, not much. A closer look however suggests that beneath the surface, the rhetoric and the appearances, the American Right and Al Qaeda may actually be two peas in a pod.
Think about the message posted on the al-Hesbah website which, when decoded and translated, said that “Al Qaeda will have to support McCain in the coming election”.
The website was confident that McCain would continue the “failing march of his predecessor” which would then lead the US to exhaust its resources and bankrupt its economy.
An expansion of US military commitments in an attempt to take revenge on Al Qaeda is exactly what this group wants. And this is what John McCain promises. So we have one side which is intent on destroying, and the other side which is content to be destroyed, for it is through its own destruction that will come the annihilation of its enemy. It is a sick relationship and yet one that both sides need, thriving on the demonisation of each other, without which they would have no reason to exist — or in this case, be elected.
So what do the Republicans and Al Qaeda have in common? Divisiveness. It is the ‘with us or against us’ approach, the delineation of patriotic vs. non-patriotic parts of the country, the Red states vs. the Blue states, the black man vs. the white man that that strikes a chord with Al Qaeda, for they too have the same approach — if you are not with them, you are going to hell.
It is the puritanical attitude that both groups share, the belief that all those who are different are to be shunned and that uniformity is the only way to achieve unity. And it is the use of fear as an operating mechanism that brings these two groups together.
One side woos its voters by telling them the other candidate will take their money, turn their nation into a socialist state, coddle criminals and be an open target for the Russians and the Muslims. The other side recruits its followers by telling them that they will be enslaved by the immoral West, their wives will stop listening to them and there will be lewdness and orgies on the street. Both these groups cater to an uninformed audience. Both these groups preach intolerance. And both lure their followers by claims to “return to the core values” — a proposition which sounds good until you ask, what values? And more importantly, whose values
A great Sufi, Sheikh Ibn Arabi, once wrote, “Beware of confining yourself to one belief — for much good would elude you. Be in yourself a matter for all forms of belief, for God is too vast and tremendous to be restricted to one belief rather than another.”
While the wisdom of this quote eludes both groups, they continue to shun a mindset that encourages inclusion and incorporation. They charge ahead without bemoaning the loss of innocent lives which result from their illegal, unilateral attacks on sovereign nations or blowing themselves up in public spaces. For them, their agendas comes first — in the case of Al Qaeda, doing whatever they can to bring down the West and set up their own rule in the East, in the case of the Republican Right, setting the stage for the Rapture, or the second coming of Christ, which many right-wing Christians, including Bush, believe can only happen once certain events take place.
One of the pre-conditions for Rapture is a clash of civilisations, a polarisation of the world, something both Al Qaeda and the Republican Right seem to be working very hard at.
But as another great Sufi once said, “There can be no clash of civilisations, only barbarisms. The civilised do not collide — they unite.” The question is, how civilised are those running our countries?
Ayeda Naqvi has been a journalist for 17 years. She can be contacted at ayedanaqvi@yahoo.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Praying for Peace
RK News, "Annual Urs of Sufi saint Sheikh-ul-Alam celebrated" - Rising Kashmir - Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir - India
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thousands of devotees joined the night-long prayers at the holy shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, also known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir and Nundreshi, at Charar-e-Sharief in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.
People in other parts of the valley also celebrated the urs with religious fervour and gaiety.
Thousands of devotees from all parts of Jammu and Kashmir arrived at the shrine since yesterday morning to offer prayers at the holy shrine, which hit headlines across the globe, after militants occupied the entire area for about two months in Nineties before security forces stormed the complex in which the holy shrine and adjacent Khankah were damaged. However, authorities blamed militants for the damage.
Majority of the devotees also joined the night-long prayers in the shrine, praying for peace in the state.
The authorities had made special transport and other arrangements for the devotees.
[Picture from Kashmir Tourism. Read more about the Shrine: http://www.kashmir-tourism.net/jammu-kashmir/charar-e-sharief.html].
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saints and shrines
RK News, "Annual Urs of Sufi saint Sheikh-ul-Alam celebrated" - Rising Kashmir - Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir - IndiaSunday, October 26, 2008
Thousands of devotees joined the night-long prayers at the holy shrine of Sufi saint Sheikh Nooruddin Wali, also known as Alamdar-e-Kashmir and Nundreshi, at Charar-e-Sharief in the central Kashmir district of Badgam.
People in other parts of the valley also celebrated the urs with religious fervour and gaiety.
Thousands of devotees from all parts of Jammu and Kashmir arrived at the shrine since yesterday morning to offer prayers at the holy shrine, which hit headlines across the globe, after militants occupied the entire area for about two months in Nineties before security forces stormed the complex in which the holy shrine and adjacent Khankah were damaged. However, authorities blamed militants for the damage.
Majority of the devotees also joined the night-long prayers in the shrine, praying for peace in the state.
The authorities had made special transport and other arrangements for the devotees.
[Picture from Kashmir Tourism. Read more about the Shrine: http://www.kashmir-tourism.net/jammu-kashmir/charar-e-sharief.html].
25 Years of Studies on Hafez
TT Culture Desk, "Scholar to publish 25 years of research on Hafez" - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
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art and arts
TT Culture Desk, "Scholar to publish 25 years of research on Hafez" - Tehran Times - Tehran, IranMonday, October 27, 2008
Iranian scholar Saeid Hamidian plans to publish his 25 years of studies on Hafez in five volumes in the forthcoming year.
“I am not certain what the title of the book will be,” he told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.
“The first volume of the book is about Hafez’s thoughts and artistic concepts in his poetry. It also contains many other issues on Hafez’s poetry. The following volumes will refer to the literature of his sonnets,” he added.
The final editing of the book should be complete by the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2009), he said.
Hamidian, a professor of Persian literature at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, has used virtually all the resources published on Hafez over the past 70 years.
He said that his book is not a correction of the Divan of Hafez, adding, “It is not necessary to publish such a work as many corrected versions are presently available on the book market.”
“Many people who have published corrected versions could have explained their opinions about the Divan of Hafez in an other-than-lengthy article, but instead, they wasted a lot of time and money by writing corrections to the divan,” he said.
Hamidian is also the author of “Sadi in Sonnet”.
Iranian scholar Saeid Hamidian plans to publish his 25 years of studies on Hafez in five volumes in the forthcoming year.
“I am not certain what the title of the book will be,” he told the Persian service of MNA on Sunday.
“The first volume of the book is about Hafez’s thoughts and artistic concepts in his poetry. It also contains many other issues on Hafez’s poetry. The following volumes will refer to the literature of his sonnets,” he added.
The final editing of the book should be complete by the end of the Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2009), he said.
Hamidian, a professor of Persian literature at Tehran’s Allameh Tabatabai University, has used virtually all the resources published on Hafez over the past 70 years.
He said that his book is not a correction of the Divan of Hafez, adding, “It is not necessary to publish such a work as many corrected versions are presently available on the book market.”
“Many people who have published corrected versions could have explained their opinions about the Divan of Hafez in an other-than-lengthy article, but instead, they wasted a lot of time and money by writing corrections to the divan,” he said.
Hamidian is also the author of “Sadi in Sonnet”.
[Click on the link to Persian Poetry http://www.uga.edu/islam/sufipoetry.html].
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Not Just One Shari’a
ByJeffrey Donovan with Abubakar Siddique and Hashem Mohmand, "ARE THEOLOGICAL TENSIONS DISTANCING TALIBAN FROM AL-QAEDA?" - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty // EurasiaNet - New York, NY, USA
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Is this end of a beautiful friendship?
The Taliban and Al-Qaeda have enjoyed a long alliance in Afghanistan. Their relationship, based on a seemingly shared brand of severe and militant Islam, even survived the US-led toppling of the Taliban in 2001, which came after leader Mullah Omar famously refused to turn over to the Americans his Al-Qaeda ally, Osama bin Laden.
To this day, that relationship endures. But will it last? Rifts and tensions between the Taliban and Arab Al-Qaeda, as well as vastly different Islamic traditions, suggest that a basis for separation exists. Whether it occurs could determine whether peace negotiations between the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Taliban foes ever get off the ground.
Afghan Muslim traditions, including the Taliban, are culturally and historically distinct from Al-Qaeda’s Saudi-rooted Salafist Islam, says Francesco Zannini, an expert on modern Islam. In that sense, the two Sunni movements have always been awkward bedfellows.
"The whole Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan, still lives an Islam that is profoundly rooted in local customs," says Zannini, author of the recently published "Islam In The Heart Of Asia: From The Caucasus To Thailand." "So they have always found themselves ill at ease with the strictly Arab Wahhabist doctrine and the entire Salafist movement."
With the Afghan war worsening, NATO officers and political leaders have made it clear that the seven-year conflict won’t be resolved militarily.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that reconciliation among Afghan warring parties is not only necessary but constitutes NATO’s "obvious exit strategy." And last month, in a first sign that reconciliation efforts may be afoot, Saudi officials hosted an encounter in Mecca between Taliban allies and envoys of Karzai.
While both sides have played down the Mecca meeting, insisting that no peace talks took place, sources who attended the gathering told RFE/RL’s Afghan Service that it might have served as a prelude to future peace negotiations.
However, the Afghan government says it will not engage in talks with people who maintain ties to Al-Qaeda. That has led some Islamists to fret about the Taliban ditching Al-Qaeda for a place in the government. The BBC on October 24 quoted one militant as saying on an Islamist Internet forum: "The Taliban are not the kind of people who would sell out Al-Qaeda in exchange for political power."
Differing Ambitions
But tensions and differences have long existed between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. They came into view in 2005 when Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s deputy, criticized the Taliban in a letter to a fellow Islamist.
Zawahiri lamented that after the U.S.-led invasion, Taliban members retreated to their tribes and villages and showed little attachment to the global Islamist struggle. He unfavorably compared that behavior to Arab Sunni resistance to U.S. attacks on the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Al-Ramadi.
That letter, which was sent to Iraqi Al-Qaeda chief Abu al-Zarqawi and intercepted by the U.S. military, pointed out a key ideological difference between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda: their ambitions.
Al-Qaeda is a pan-Islamist group that does not recognize the borders that separate Muslim countries. The Taliban, partly the creation of the Pakistani intelligence services, has always been focused on Afghanistan and largely eschews pan-Islamism.
Beyond that lies of a sea of cultural and historical differences between the austere and puritanical Islam that developed in Saudi Arabia and an Islam rooted in much different local cultural traditions that grew up in South Central Asia.
Islam’s traditions in Afghanistan include mystical sects such as Sufism and the generally more open disposition of Hanafi Islam on the Indian subcontinent. That stands in contrast with the more severe Arabic Wahhabist traditions that Al-Qaeda has sought to impose in Afghanistan.
"I often tell my students that in Afghanistan, there’s not just one Shari’a -- there are several different Shari’as tied to the traditions of the various ethnic and tribal groups present in Afghanistan," says Zannini, who is a professor at the Pontifical Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Rome. "This makes it easy to understand the difficulty of a dialogue with Al-Qaeda, which has reduced Shari’a to a few fixed norms that are clear for its political militants. But this goes against everything represented by the Islamic traditions of the Indian subcontinent."
Taliban’s Spiritual Influences
The Taliban, in part, is said to follow Deoband Islam, a revivalist movement that started in the Uttar Pradesh region of India. Last February, the Deoband madrasah, in a gathering in India, announced a total rejection of "all forms of terrorism."
While the Taliban has made no such pledge, the Deoband’s announcement has already triggered changes in Pakistan. There, the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam party, an important Islamic political force, split up in Baluchistan Province precisely over the issue of terrorism after the Deoband statement.
The Taliban have also since been engaged in a reported internal debate about their own tactics. Some members, possibly including Omar, have come out against targeting civilians, aid workers, and key infrastructure. Some reports also claim that Omar has severed all his ties with Al-Qaeda.
Complicating things in Afghanistan is that the insurgency is far from monolithic. Within it, two groups appear to enjoy closer ties to Al-Qaeda than the Taliban: One in the east led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a longtime Al-Qaeda ally and rival of Omar; the other led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a veteran commander who is seen as strongly pan-Islamist.
For any peace talks to succeed, however, it would seem necessary to include all insurgents. But how that might happen, given the Afghan government’s precondition that militants sever all ties to Al-Qaeda, remains far from clear.
Indeed, few commentators have expressed optimism that such talks could get off the ground, let alone succeed. But the participation of Saudi Arabia, a symbolic seat of Muslim moral authority as well as a former Taliban paymaster, has at least inspired hope that progress can be made. Saudi backing is seen as partly motivated by concerns about stability in nuclear-armed Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda-allied Taliban groups have emerged as a major threat.
Significantly, there has also been encouragement from other authoritative Muslim voices. Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi, the grand imam of Cairo’s important Al-Azhar Mosque, added his influential voice last week to the call for Afghan peace talks.
"The job of Islamic associations, led by Al-Azhar, is to help the [Afghan) government in the peace process and help that nation develop peacefully," Tantawi, who is acknowledged as the highest spiritual authority for the world’s nearly 1 billion Sunni Muslims, said in an address in Cairo.
[Visit the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamics Studies in Rome http://www.pisai.it/inglese/english.html].
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ByJeffrey Donovan with Abubakar Siddique and Hashem Mohmand, "ARE THEOLOGICAL TENSIONS DISTANCING TALIBAN FROM AL-QAEDA?" - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty // EurasiaNet - New York, NY, USASunday, October 26, 2008
Is this end of a beautiful friendship?
The Taliban and Al-Qaeda have enjoyed a long alliance in Afghanistan. Their relationship, based on a seemingly shared brand of severe and militant Islam, even survived the US-led toppling of the Taliban in 2001, which came after leader Mullah Omar famously refused to turn over to the Americans his Al-Qaeda ally, Osama bin Laden.
To this day, that relationship endures. But will it last? Rifts and tensions between the Taliban and Arab Al-Qaeda, as well as vastly different Islamic traditions, suggest that a basis for separation exists. Whether it occurs could determine whether peace negotiations between the government of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his Taliban foes ever get off the ground.
Afghan Muslim traditions, including the Taliban, are culturally and historically distinct from Al-Qaeda’s Saudi-rooted Salafist Islam, says Francesco Zannini, an expert on modern Islam. In that sense, the two Sunni movements have always been awkward bedfellows.
"The whole Indian subcontinent, including Afghanistan, still lives an Islam that is profoundly rooted in local customs," says Zannini, author of the recently published "Islam In The Heart Of Asia: From The Caucasus To Thailand." "So they have always found themselves ill at ease with the strictly Arab Wahhabist doctrine and the entire Salafist movement."
With the Afghan war worsening, NATO officers and political leaders have made it clear that the seven-year conflict won’t be resolved militarily.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that reconciliation among Afghan warring parties is not only necessary but constitutes NATO’s "obvious exit strategy." And last month, in a first sign that reconciliation efforts may be afoot, Saudi officials hosted an encounter in Mecca between Taliban allies and envoys of Karzai.
While both sides have played down the Mecca meeting, insisting that no peace talks took place, sources who attended the gathering told RFE/RL’s Afghan Service that it might have served as a prelude to future peace negotiations.
However, the Afghan government says it will not engage in talks with people who maintain ties to Al-Qaeda. That has led some Islamists to fret about the Taliban ditching Al-Qaeda for a place in the government. The BBC on October 24 quoted one militant as saying on an Islamist Internet forum: "The Taliban are not the kind of people who would sell out Al-Qaeda in exchange for political power."
Differing Ambitions
But tensions and differences have long existed between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. They came into view in 2005 when Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s deputy, criticized the Taliban in a letter to a fellow Islamist.
Zawahiri lamented that after the U.S.-led invasion, Taliban members retreated to their tribes and villages and showed little attachment to the global Islamist struggle. He unfavorably compared that behavior to Arab Sunni resistance to U.S. attacks on the Iraqi cities of Fallujah and Al-Ramadi.
That letter, which was sent to Iraqi Al-Qaeda chief Abu al-Zarqawi and intercepted by the U.S. military, pointed out a key ideological difference between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda: their ambitions.
Al-Qaeda is a pan-Islamist group that does not recognize the borders that separate Muslim countries. The Taliban, partly the creation of the Pakistani intelligence services, has always been focused on Afghanistan and largely eschews pan-Islamism.
Beyond that lies of a sea of cultural and historical differences between the austere and puritanical Islam that developed in Saudi Arabia and an Islam rooted in much different local cultural traditions that grew up in South Central Asia.
Islam’s traditions in Afghanistan include mystical sects such as Sufism and the generally more open disposition of Hanafi Islam on the Indian subcontinent. That stands in contrast with the more severe Arabic Wahhabist traditions that Al-Qaeda has sought to impose in Afghanistan.
"I often tell my students that in Afghanistan, there’s not just one Shari’a -- there are several different Shari’as tied to the traditions of the various ethnic and tribal groups present in Afghanistan," says Zannini, who is a professor at the Pontifical Institute of Islamic and Arabic Studies in Rome. "This makes it easy to understand the difficulty of a dialogue with Al-Qaeda, which has reduced Shari’a to a few fixed norms that are clear for its political militants. But this goes against everything represented by the Islamic traditions of the Indian subcontinent."
Taliban’s Spiritual Influences
The Taliban, in part, is said to follow Deoband Islam, a revivalist movement that started in the Uttar Pradesh region of India. Last February, the Deoband madrasah, in a gathering in India, announced a total rejection of "all forms of terrorism."
While the Taliban has made no such pledge, the Deoband’s announcement has already triggered changes in Pakistan. There, the Jamiat Ulema-e Islam party, an important Islamic political force, split up in Baluchistan Province precisely over the issue of terrorism after the Deoband statement.
The Taliban have also since been engaged in a reported internal debate about their own tactics. Some members, possibly including Omar, have come out against targeting civilians, aid workers, and key infrastructure. Some reports also claim that Omar has severed all his ties with Al-Qaeda.
Complicating things in Afghanistan is that the insurgency is far from monolithic. Within it, two groups appear to enjoy closer ties to Al-Qaeda than the Taliban: One in the east led by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a longtime Al-Qaeda ally and rival of Omar; the other led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a veteran commander who is seen as strongly pan-Islamist.
For any peace talks to succeed, however, it would seem necessary to include all insurgents. But how that might happen, given the Afghan government’s precondition that militants sever all ties to Al-Qaeda, remains far from clear.
Indeed, few commentators have expressed optimism that such talks could get off the ground, let alone succeed. But the participation of Saudi Arabia, a symbolic seat of Muslim moral authority as well as a former Taliban paymaster, has at least inspired hope that progress can be made. Saudi backing is seen as partly motivated by concerns about stability in nuclear-armed Pakistan, where Al-Qaeda-allied Taliban groups have emerged as a major threat.
Significantly, there has also been encouragement from other authoritative Muslim voices. Mohammed Sayyid Tantawi, the grand imam of Cairo’s important Al-Azhar Mosque, added his influential voice last week to the call for Afghan peace talks.
"The job of Islamic associations, led by Al-Azhar, is to help the [Afghan) government in the peace process and help that nation develop peacefully," Tantawi, who is acknowledged as the highest spiritual authority for the world’s nearly 1 billion Sunni Muslims, said in an address in Cairo.
[Visit the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamics Studies in Rome http://www.pisai.it/inglese/english.html].
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Fanaa-o-Baqa
By Shahab Ansari, "Group exhibition opens at Ejaz Galleries" - The Post - Lahore, Pakistan
Saturday, October 25, 2008
An exhibition of the young artists’ paintings titled “Inter-Linked,” was inaugurated at the Ejaz Galleries here on Friday.
The exhibition is showing 27 paintings (three each by every artist) in different mediums by nine artists, including Hajrah Khan, Shoaib Mahmood, Hiba Schahbaz Lotia, Khadim Ali, Habiba Zaman, Mahwish Chisti, Farah Jabeen, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Murad Khan.
Khadim Ali’s paintings titled ‘Jashn-e-Gul-e-Surkh’ (a part of a series of paintings with the same name) and an untitled one are a visual incarnation of Khadim’s view of the world as it is and how he wishes it to be. It is a kind of blend of ‘Dream’ and ‘Reality.’ The purpose of life, as Khadim perceives it, and its sharp contrast he finds in reality, is quite striking for the viewers.
Hajrah Khan has painted flowers in a semi-abstract and rich-coloured style, while contemplating that ‘nature is being forced to inhabit in an un-natural habitat’ as a plant grows in its natural habitat, but later taken to be planted somewhere else, one never knows whether it will adjust to its environment, or if it will wither away.
Farah Jabeen is another artist who is found grappling with ‘Intricate Realities’ in her paintings. Her creations brought to the exhibition are an attempt on her part to share her thoughts about how she would look at the realities of life, which she finds quite complex as it is evident in her paintings. Farah’s three paintings at display in the exhibition are titled “Deformation,” “Intricate Realities” and “Shehr-e-Zat.”
Murad Khan Mumtaz’ three creations are titled “Variation on a Persian Theme,” “Night I” and “Night II”. He believes that “imagery revolves around characters and organic life forms that live an absurd, awkward existence.” He says he gets inspiration from the Persian drawings of the Safavid and Timurid era. He says: “Initially, I started as an explorer of these archaic, anthropomorphic studies, but with the passage of time, I developed my own imagery that was more personal and relevant to our time.”
Ahsan Jamal has brought three-dimensional motifs to the exhibition with a mission. He is concerned about the situation in the country. He says: “it was after the Lal Masjid fiasco that I began working with several motifs related to religion and identity,” adding that the decision to bring three-dimensional relief to the text was a means of further highlighting how, despite differences and conflict, our identity as Muslims begins and ends with God. He presents his two ‘Untitled’ creations and a third one with the title “Mashallah” to send his message across.
Mahwish Chishti has been investigating Kufic calligraphic scripts for the last three years, which she has also used in the form of personalised stamps in her recent paintings. She says: “I believe that this specific exhibition has provided me with an opportunity to be connected with my classmates. “We were all trained at the same time but now live in different parts of the world,” she said. Mahwish has brought three of her paintings to the show by the artists of Pakistan, which are titled “Sanctuary,” “Sanctuary II” and an untitled one.
Shoaib Mahmood’s three creations in the exhibition are aptly titled “Dialogue with Tradition.” The paintings raise a question about the Western influences on the Pakistani youth. He says: “The Pakistani youth are misguided by Western influences.The influx of foreign brands, which is rapidly changing our world, is the focus of my work.”
Habiba Zaman Khan questions the taboo of giving preference to a male child, over a female one. Her work revolves around the preference to have a male child in our society due to certain social and personal issues. She says: “I am trying to show the beauty of having a child, but also the mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement of the soon-to-be-mother slowly washing away when she is put under ‘pressure,’ knowing that this is not in her hands. She has brought her three paintings to this Show titled “Preferences.”
Hiba Schahbaz Lotia explores the world of spirituality and Sufism while trying to interpret Jalauddin Rumi’s poetry through mirror images and reflections of the female form in her recent works. In the two paintings titled “Fanaa-o-Baqa,” Hiba has incorporated text from of a Persian poem by Jalauddin Rumi into the painting. Retaining the original Farsi text was important so as not to dilute the meaning of the poem with a translation.
It would not be unrealistic to state that the amalgamation of extraordinary intellectual brilliance and a grand demonstration of unmatched artistic skills by the nine artists of a versatile perception should certainly contribute towards bringing the artists’ community together to work as a whole.
All the paintings are online at Ejaz Gallery http://www.ejazartgallery.com//forsale.php?cid=6 Click on each painting to enlarge it
[Picture: 02
Hiba Lotia, Fanna o Buqa
32x32 cm /12.5 inches
Gad Rang, Haldi and gold leaf on - Sold].
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By Shahab Ansari, "Group exhibition opens at Ejaz Galleries" - The Post - Lahore, PakistanSaturday, October 25, 2008
An exhibition of the young artists’ paintings titled “Inter-Linked,” was inaugurated at the Ejaz Galleries here on Friday.
The exhibition is showing 27 paintings (three each by every artist) in different mediums by nine artists, including Hajrah Khan, Shoaib Mahmood, Hiba Schahbaz Lotia, Khadim Ali, Habiba Zaman, Mahwish Chisti, Farah Jabeen, Ahsan Jamal Khan and Murad Khan.
Khadim Ali’s paintings titled ‘Jashn-e-Gul-e-Surkh’ (a part of a series of paintings with the same name) and an untitled one are a visual incarnation of Khadim’s view of the world as it is and how he wishes it to be. It is a kind of blend of ‘Dream’ and ‘Reality.’ The purpose of life, as Khadim perceives it, and its sharp contrast he finds in reality, is quite striking for the viewers.
Hajrah Khan has painted flowers in a semi-abstract and rich-coloured style, while contemplating that ‘nature is being forced to inhabit in an un-natural habitat’ as a plant grows in its natural habitat, but later taken to be planted somewhere else, one never knows whether it will adjust to its environment, or if it will wither away.
Farah Jabeen is another artist who is found grappling with ‘Intricate Realities’ in her paintings. Her creations brought to the exhibition are an attempt on her part to share her thoughts about how she would look at the realities of life, which she finds quite complex as it is evident in her paintings. Farah’s three paintings at display in the exhibition are titled “Deformation,” “Intricate Realities” and “Shehr-e-Zat.”
Murad Khan Mumtaz’ three creations are titled “Variation on a Persian Theme,” “Night I” and “Night II”. He believes that “imagery revolves around characters and organic life forms that live an absurd, awkward existence.” He says he gets inspiration from the Persian drawings of the Safavid and Timurid era. He says: “Initially, I started as an explorer of these archaic, anthropomorphic studies, but with the passage of time, I developed my own imagery that was more personal and relevant to our time.”
Ahsan Jamal has brought three-dimensional motifs to the exhibition with a mission. He is concerned about the situation in the country. He says: “it was after the Lal Masjid fiasco that I began working with several motifs related to religion and identity,” adding that the decision to bring three-dimensional relief to the text was a means of further highlighting how, despite differences and conflict, our identity as Muslims begins and ends with God. He presents his two ‘Untitled’ creations and a third one with the title “Mashallah” to send his message across.
Mahwish Chishti has been investigating Kufic calligraphic scripts for the last three years, which she has also used in the form of personalised stamps in her recent paintings. She says: “I believe that this specific exhibition has provided me with an opportunity to be connected with my classmates. “We were all trained at the same time but now live in different parts of the world,” she said. Mahwish has brought three of her paintings to the show by the artists of Pakistan, which are titled “Sanctuary,” “Sanctuary II” and an untitled one.
Shoaib Mahmood’s three creations in the exhibition are aptly titled “Dialogue with Tradition.” The paintings raise a question about the Western influences on the Pakistani youth. He says: “The Pakistani youth are misguided by Western influences.The influx of foreign brands, which is rapidly changing our world, is the focus of my work.”
Habiba Zaman Khan questions the taboo of giving preference to a male child, over a female one. Her work revolves around the preference to have a male child in our society due to certain social and personal issues. She says: “I am trying to show the beauty of having a child, but also the mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement of the soon-to-be-mother slowly washing away when she is put under ‘pressure,’ knowing that this is not in her hands. She has brought her three paintings to this Show titled “Preferences.”
Hiba Schahbaz Lotia explores the world of spirituality and Sufism while trying to interpret Jalauddin Rumi’s poetry through mirror images and reflections of the female form in her recent works. In the two paintings titled “Fanaa-o-Baqa,” Hiba has incorporated text from of a Persian poem by Jalauddin Rumi into the painting. Retaining the original Farsi text was important so as not to dilute the meaning of the poem with a translation.
It would not be unrealistic to state that the amalgamation of extraordinary intellectual brilliance and a grand demonstration of unmatched artistic skills by the nine artists of a versatile perception should certainly contribute towards bringing the artists’ community together to work as a whole.
All the paintings are online at Ejaz Gallery http://www.ejazartgallery.com//forsale.php?cid=6 Click on each painting to enlarge it
[Picture: 02
Hiba Lotia, Fanna o Buqa
32x32 cm /12.5 inches
Gad Rang, Haldi and gold leaf on - Sold].
Monday, October 27, 2008
One Minute for Devotees
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saints and shrines
Associated Press of Pakistan, "One minute stop for 3 trains approved" - The Post - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Friday, October 24, 2008
Lahore: The railway authorities have approved one minute stop for 9-up/10-down Allama Iqbal Express, 143-up/144-down Bahawalpur Express and 171-up/172-down Sialkot Express at Ali Pur Sayyedan railway station on the occasion of annual Urs of Syed Jamaat Ali Shah.
The railway authorities have taken this decision to facilitate devotees of Sufi saint on the annual urs starting from October 31.
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Friday, October 24, 2008
Lahore: The railway authorities have approved one minute stop for 9-up/10-down Allama Iqbal Express, 143-up/144-down Bahawalpur Express and 171-up/172-down Sialkot Express at Ali Pur Sayyedan railway station on the occasion of annual Urs of Syed Jamaat Ali Shah.
The railway authorities have taken this decision to facilitate devotees of Sufi saint on the annual urs starting from October 31.
As a Potter Turns the Wheel...
OT Culture Desk, "Janice Mason Steeves presents Turn at Abbozzo Gallery" - Oakville Today - Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Janice Mason Steeves unveils brand new work from The Vessels Series in TURN, an exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery until November 23
The title of the exhibit and the imagery are rooted in Mason Steeves’ pilgrimage in 2007 to Turkey to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Sufi poet and mystic, Rumi.
As a potter turns the wheel to center the clay, so the Sufi Dervishes whirl around the axes of their hearts. The heart is the center of their turning. Like the clay pot transformed through fire, Rumi said we must be transformed by the intense fire of love.
Through this line of contemplation, Mason Steeves came upon the vessel as an iconic image that distilled the essence of her journey to Turkey.
She explores the relationship between a three-dimensional space and a plane, painting on a heavily patterned surface that overlays an image of a light-filled vessel.
After applying surface patterning, the artist applies paint with her hands, and then wipes the darker pigment away to expose the light underneath. This procedure of uncovering can be seen on another level: as a process of self-discovery between the surface and depths of one’s being.
Below the surface is an inner world, like the goal in a visual quest.
The opening reception for TURN is on Oct. 30, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Abbozzo Gallery, 179 Lakeshore Road East in Oakville, Ontario. Phone: 905-844-4481.
[Picture: Vessel: 74, 2008 Oil on panel 36 x 40 inches (91.4 x 101.6 cm). See more paintings at the Gallery Website http://janice-mason-steeves.abbozzogallery.com/turn-exhibition.htm].
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OT Culture Desk, "Janice Mason Steeves presents Turn at Abbozzo Gallery" - Oakville Today - Oakville, Ontario, CanadaThursday, October 23, 2008
Janice Mason Steeves unveils brand new work from The Vessels Series in TURN, an exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery until November 23
The title of the exhibit and the imagery are rooted in Mason Steeves’ pilgrimage in 2007 to Turkey to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the birth of the Sufi poet and mystic, Rumi.
As a potter turns the wheel to center the clay, so the Sufi Dervishes whirl around the axes of their hearts. The heart is the center of their turning. Like the clay pot transformed through fire, Rumi said we must be transformed by the intense fire of love.
Through this line of contemplation, Mason Steeves came upon the vessel as an iconic image that distilled the essence of her journey to Turkey.
She explores the relationship between a three-dimensional space and a plane, painting on a heavily patterned surface that overlays an image of a light-filled vessel.
After applying surface patterning, the artist applies paint with her hands, and then wipes the darker pigment away to expose the light underneath. This procedure of uncovering can be seen on another level: as a process of self-discovery between the surface and depths of one’s being.
Below the surface is an inner world, like the goal in a visual quest.
The opening reception for TURN is on Oct. 30, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. at Abbozzo Gallery, 179 Lakeshore Road East in Oakville, Ontario. Phone: 905-844-4481.
[Picture: Vessel: 74, 2008 Oil on panel 36 x 40 inches (91.4 x 101.6 cm). See more paintings at the Gallery Website http://janice-mason-steeves.abbozzogallery.com/turn-exhibition.htm].
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Havva's Will Fulfilled
By Aydin Hizlica, "Soccer star Zidane, actor De Niro invited to Şeb-i Arus festival" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul,Turkey
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Konya: The Konya Metropolitan Municipality has invited a number of renowned international figures, including famous Hollywood actor Robert De Niro and French soccer player Zinedine Zidane, to attend Şeb-i Arus festivals scheduled to take place on Dec. 1-17 in Konya.
While no response has yet been received to the invitations, the municipality will honor the last wish of researcher Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch, who translated all the works by Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi and Muhammad Iqbal into French, and move her grave to the city.
A number of firsts will be seen during this year's Şeb-i Arus festivals. Metropolitan Municipality Cultural and Social Affairs Director Ercan Uslu said prominent individuals who have expressed an interest in Islam and Mevlana's works were invited to the Şeb-i Arus festivals this year.
These include domestic and foreign names, including artists, athletes and politicians -- of which De Niro and Zidane's invitations attracted the most attention.
Although no reply has yet come, Uslu said: "To make sure that the Remembering Mevlana ceremonies will be observed with great enthusiasm, our municipality is making the necessary preparations. We want foreign guests from all over the world to enjoy and experience this enthusiasm as well. It is for this reason that we invited a number of renowned persons who made great achievements in their fields to the ceremonies either through embassies or direct contact. We hope all invitees will accept and come to Konya to attend the ceremonies."
Notable figures often request a fee for their appearance, but this has not been the case with the invitees. "Individuals we invited have made no such request. We invited Robert De Niro, who has expressed interest in Islam and Mevlana, famous French soccer player Zinedine Zidane and a number of others in an attempt to promote Konya and Mevlana throughout the world," Uslu said.
Grave of Rumi translator to be moved to Konya
Great progress has been made in regards to the will of Vitray-Meyerovitch, who asked to be buried in Konya. The illustrious scholar is known for her commitment to translating Iqbal and Mevlana into French.
After convincing Vitray-Meyerovitch's family to fulfill the scholar's will, Uslu said: "Our efforts have paid off, and we have convinced Vitray-Meyerovitch's family. We will take her grave from the Paris cemetery to the Konya Üçler Cemetery, where it will lie in the shadow of Mevlana's mausoleum. A ceremony for this will be held on Dec. 17. Many individuals have worked to fulfill this last wish of the notable scholar, and I would like to thank all of them."
Who is Vitray-Meyerovitch?
Vitray-Meyerovitch was born in 1909 to an aristocratic family. She studied law and philosophy; her works primarily focused on literature, philosophy and Sufism. She served as administrator and expert at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), a renowned research institute.
She translated works by Iqbal and Mevlana into French and gave lectures and conferences at universities around the world, including at al-Azhar University in Egypt. She authored a number of books and articles.
Vitray-Meyerovitch, who viewed Mevlana as her guide, also loved Turkey and its people. She took the name Havva after converting to Islam. Professor Vitray-Meyerovitch died on July 24, 1999.
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By Aydin Hizlica, "Soccer star Zidane, actor De Niro invited to Şeb-i Arus festival" - Today's Zaman - Istanbul,TurkeyThursday, October 23, 2008
Konya: The Konya Metropolitan Municipality has invited a number of renowned international figures, including famous Hollywood actor Robert De Niro and French soccer player Zinedine Zidane, to attend Şeb-i Arus festivals scheduled to take place on Dec. 1-17 in Konya.
While no response has yet been received to the invitations, the municipality will honor the last wish of researcher Eva de Vitray-Meyerovitch, who translated all the works by Mevlana Muhammed Jelaluddin Rumi and Muhammad Iqbal into French, and move her grave to the city.
A number of firsts will be seen during this year's Şeb-i Arus festivals. Metropolitan Municipality Cultural and Social Affairs Director Ercan Uslu said prominent individuals who have expressed an interest in Islam and Mevlana's works were invited to the Şeb-i Arus festivals this year.
These include domestic and foreign names, including artists, athletes and politicians -- of which De Niro and Zidane's invitations attracted the most attention.
Although no reply has yet come, Uslu said: "To make sure that the Remembering Mevlana ceremonies will be observed with great enthusiasm, our municipality is making the necessary preparations. We want foreign guests from all over the world to enjoy and experience this enthusiasm as well. It is for this reason that we invited a number of renowned persons who made great achievements in their fields to the ceremonies either through embassies or direct contact. We hope all invitees will accept and come to Konya to attend the ceremonies."
Notable figures often request a fee for their appearance, but this has not been the case with the invitees. "Individuals we invited have made no such request. We invited Robert De Niro, who has expressed interest in Islam and Mevlana, famous French soccer player Zinedine Zidane and a number of others in an attempt to promote Konya and Mevlana throughout the world," Uslu said.
Grave of Rumi translator to be moved to Konya
Great progress has been made in regards to the will of Vitray-Meyerovitch, who asked to be buried in Konya. The illustrious scholar is known for her commitment to translating Iqbal and Mevlana into French.
After convincing Vitray-Meyerovitch's family to fulfill the scholar's will, Uslu said: "Our efforts have paid off, and we have convinced Vitray-Meyerovitch's family. We will take her grave from the Paris cemetery to the Konya Üçler Cemetery, where it will lie in the shadow of Mevlana's mausoleum. A ceremony for this will be held on Dec. 17. Many individuals have worked to fulfill this last wish of the notable scholar, and I would like to thank all of them."
Who is Vitray-Meyerovitch?
Vitray-Meyerovitch was born in 1909 to an aristocratic family. She studied law and philosophy; her works primarily focused on literature, philosophy and Sufism. She served as administrator and expert at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), a renowned research institute.
She translated works by Iqbal and Mevlana into French and gave lectures and conferences at universities around the world, including at al-Azhar University in Egypt. She authored a number of books and articles.
Vitray-Meyerovitch, who viewed Mevlana as her guide, also loved Turkey and its people. She took the name Havva after converting to Islam. Professor Vitray-Meyerovitch died on July 24, 1999.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
From the Cup of Love
By Pranav Khullar, "Amir Khusro's lasting tryst with love" - The Times Of India - India
Thursday, October 23, 2008
At the heart of the Sufi mystical experience lies the Zikr or remembrance of God.
In its musical expression through the Qawwali, it has become synonymous with the name of Amir Khusro, whose musical idiom facilitated a unique synthesis of the Persian and Hindu-Braja cultures.
His prodigious literary and musical experimentation is a unique effort at creating a universal Sufi language of Love and he forged a new mystical Sufi consciousness. This could have been a forerunner of the Nirguna Bhakti movement.
Khusro's compositions are rooted in the theme of separation from the Beloved, a metaphor for the God within. His verses bring out the intense Sufi longing to merge into this state of mind. His Qawwali music touches that inner space in every listener, transporting him to a different dimension beyond the outer world of duality.
"Thou hast taken away my identity by a single glance,
By making me drink from the cup of love,
Thou hast intoxicated me by a single glance"
sang Khusro and to this day the song is part of every significant Qawwali presentation. He alludes to the mysterious paradox of love, referring to it as a tempestuous river, into which those who enter must drown, but at the same time, paradoxically, only those who drown get across.
Khusro's tryst with Love arose out of the special bond he shared with his preceptor Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and the Chisti Silsilah, a bond that transcended all other relationships. It was the bridge to the Beloved which he sought.
Khusro believed that the preceptor alone can transform the secular into the divine, and this requires a surrender of the ego through service, which Amir Khusro himself exemplified by serving in the kitchen of Nizamuddin Auliya's daily langar.
He advocated this spiritual seeking amid all other worldly dispensations which destiny places each man in. He felt that this would provide the right perspective and balance to all ambitions and pursuits. He himself got transformed from poet laureate to seeker, a Qalandar free soul a Sufi.
This seeking characterises all of Khusro's creative endeavours, including the Tarana style of singing which he created and improvised in fast tempo. This genre has been seen as a mystic's dialogue with God, meant to arouse the trance-ecstatic state (haal).
Ustad Amir Khan in a seminal work on the origins of the Tarana , was to establish the meaning of the words used by Amir Khusro in the Tarana as Persian words connoting deeper mystical meaning, derived from Sufi philosophy, in which the seeker calls out to and becomes one with Higher Being.
So complete was his surrender to his teacher that at the passing away of Hazrat Nizamuddin, he composed mystical lyrics, a call from beyond the world of dualities, and passed away soon after himself:
"The lovely maiden lies on finally on a wreath of flowers,
her tresses covering her face/
O Khusro, turn back home now, dusk has set in all over."
Just as the Mevlevis use the swirling dance to induce the mystical kaifiyat (enchanted state), the Chisti Sufi tradition sees the Qawwali music as one of the means to enter into that state of being. It is through this musical outpouring that one celebrates the Urs of Amir Khusro at the Dargah of his mentor, Hazrat Nizamuddin, where he himself sought to be buried.
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By Pranav Khullar, "Amir Khusro's lasting tryst with love" - The Times Of India - IndiaThursday, October 23, 2008
At the heart of the Sufi mystical experience lies the Zikr or remembrance of God.
In its musical expression through the Qawwali, it has become synonymous with the name of Amir Khusro, whose musical idiom facilitated a unique synthesis of the Persian and Hindu-Braja cultures.
His prodigious literary and musical experimentation is a unique effort at creating a universal Sufi language of Love and he forged a new mystical Sufi consciousness. This could have been a forerunner of the Nirguna Bhakti movement.
Khusro's compositions are rooted in the theme of separation from the Beloved, a metaphor for the God within. His verses bring out the intense Sufi longing to merge into this state of mind. His Qawwali music touches that inner space in every listener, transporting him to a different dimension beyond the outer world of duality.
"Thou hast taken away my identity by a single glance,
By making me drink from the cup of love,
Thou hast intoxicated me by a single glance"
sang Khusro and to this day the song is part of every significant Qawwali presentation. He alludes to the mysterious paradox of love, referring to it as a tempestuous river, into which those who enter must drown, but at the same time, paradoxically, only those who drown get across.
Khusro's tryst with Love arose out of the special bond he shared with his preceptor Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and the Chisti Silsilah, a bond that transcended all other relationships. It was the bridge to the Beloved which he sought.
Khusro believed that the preceptor alone can transform the secular into the divine, and this requires a surrender of the ego through service, which Amir Khusro himself exemplified by serving in the kitchen of Nizamuddin Auliya's daily langar.
He advocated this spiritual seeking amid all other worldly dispensations which destiny places each man in. He felt that this would provide the right perspective and balance to all ambitions and pursuits. He himself got transformed from poet laureate to seeker, a Qalandar free soul a Sufi.
This seeking characterises all of Khusro's creative endeavours, including the Tarana style of singing which he created and improvised in fast tempo. This genre has been seen as a mystic's dialogue with God, meant to arouse the trance-ecstatic state (haal).
Ustad Amir Khan in a seminal work on the origins of the Tarana , was to establish the meaning of the words used by Amir Khusro in the Tarana as Persian words connoting deeper mystical meaning, derived from Sufi philosophy, in which the seeker calls out to and becomes one with Higher Being.
So complete was his surrender to his teacher that at the passing away of Hazrat Nizamuddin, he composed mystical lyrics, a call from beyond the world of dualities, and passed away soon after himself:
"The lovely maiden lies on finally on a wreath of flowers,
her tresses covering her face/
O Khusro, turn back home now, dusk has set in all over."
Just as the Mevlevis use the swirling dance to induce the mystical kaifiyat (enchanted state), the Chisti Sufi tradition sees the Qawwali music as one of the means to enter into that state of being. It is through this musical outpouring that one celebrates the Urs of Amir Khusro at the Dargah of his mentor, Hazrat Nizamuddin, where he himself sought to be buried.
House of Learning
By Kate Darcy, "Heart of Arabia" - The National - Abu Dhabi, UAE
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
As one might expect from a city which name translates as “house of learning”, Shiraz – Iran’s fifth most populated metropolis – is a treasure trove of historical delights.
The perfect destination for culture vultures and history lovers alike, this magical destination boasts an array of tempting attractions for the more pensive tourist.
From the exquisite mosques and mausoleums to the restful gardens and stunning mountain views, Shiraz is full of cultural attractions.
According to Islamic historians, Shiraz came into existence after the Arab takeover of Iran. The invasion, in fact, contributed to the city’s importance, and by the 13th century it had grown into one of the largest and most popular Islamic areas of the era. Since then it has become a hub for art and literature due to the many scholars and artists who have lived and died there.
Consequently, a slew of stunning tombs and monuments erected in honour of these talented souls dot Shiraz, showing that although gone, they are far from forgotten.
One of the city’s most famous sights is the Tomb of Hafez, a homage to Hafez-e Shirazi, an eminent 14th century poet, mystic and scholar renowned for his lyrical poems, which are said to have possessed a modern surrealism.
Hafez’s resting place has become a hot spot for literature lovers. A short walk from the town centre, the mausoleum, which is housed in an open pavilion, is marked by a marble tombstone, engraved with the poet’s work.
(...)
[Picture: The Khoda Khane, or House of Qurans, stands in the courtyard of Friday Mosque. Photo: Roger Wood / Corbis].
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saints and shrines
By Kate Darcy, "Heart of Arabia" - The National - Abu Dhabi, UAEWednesday, October 22, 2008
As one might expect from a city which name translates as “house of learning”, Shiraz – Iran’s fifth most populated metropolis – is a treasure trove of historical delights.
The perfect destination for culture vultures and history lovers alike, this magical destination boasts an array of tempting attractions for the more pensive tourist.
From the exquisite mosques and mausoleums to the restful gardens and stunning mountain views, Shiraz is full of cultural attractions.
According to Islamic historians, Shiraz came into existence after the Arab takeover of Iran. The invasion, in fact, contributed to the city’s importance, and by the 13th century it had grown into one of the largest and most popular Islamic areas of the era. Since then it has become a hub for art and literature due to the many scholars and artists who have lived and died there.
Consequently, a slew of stunning tombs and monuments erected in honour of these talented souls dot Shiraz, showing that although gone, they are far from forgotten.
One of the city’s most famous sights is the Tomb of Hafez, a homage to Hafez-e Shirazi, an eminent 14th century poet, mystic and scholar renowned for his lyrical poems, which are said to have possessed a modern surrealism.
Hafez’s resting place has become a hot spot for literature lovers. A short walk from the town centre, the mausoleum, which is housed in an open pavilion, is marked by a marble tombstone, engraved with the poet’s work.
(...)
[Picture: The Khoda Khane, or House of Qurans, stands in the courtyard of Friday Mosque. Photo: Roger Wood / Corbis].
Friday, October 24, 2008
Space for Many Meanings
By Anahi Alviso-Marino, "The artistic scene in Sana'a: painters speak (I)" - Yemen Observer - Sana'a, Yemen
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
With this new series of interviews, The Yemen Observer enters into the artistic scene of Sana’a to find out about artists, their work and their concerns over the challenges and achievements of the arts in Yemen.
Artist, art critic and university lecturer, Amnah al-Nasiri, opens the debate about the current situation of art in Yemen.
A long list of solo exhibitions, participation in international shows as well as book and article publications precedes one of the most renowned Yemeni artists whose work seems to be an infinite dialogue between philosophy and art.
After accomplishing her doctoral studies in aesthetics in Russia, al-Nasiri returned to Yemen where she currently works as an artist and teaches at the Philosophy department of the University of Sana’a. Every Thursday morning she receives artists, students, and whoever is interested in art at an atelier located in Bab al-Yemen, where her paintings are permanently on display together with those of other artists.
What do you wish to transmit with your paintings?
Many things. One of my concerns is that now most of the interest is fixed in the postmodernist movement and the word culture. With this, art is going far away from the human being, from humanism. My work follows a more humanist line. I try to talk about people, about who we are, about life. For example, two years ago I had an exhibition called “Creatures” in which I tackled life in general, from animals to anything that can be a form of life. If we think about art in material terms and forget or leave aside the human aspect, then we face a big problem. This is the main philosophy of my art work. I also mix Sufism, folklore, ornaments, and philosophy of course. Circles, figures of all types…symbols in the end, visual symbols that are part of Sufism are very present in my work as well. The relationship between art and others is important to me too, for example the relationship between a butterfly and a fly; I put them at the same level of the human. It’s all life.
Speaking about Sufi symbols in your work, is the calligraphy you draw in your paintings part of this influence as well?
No, the calligraphy has nothing to do with Sufism in my work, it is something different. It also comes from Islamic art but it does not have any connection with Sufi philosophy. In my work, calligraphy is “a form” and I try to use it without any meanings, without poetry or any religious meaning. I like the form of the writing.
Cats and birds are very present in your pieces, what is the meaning you give to them?
I use animals because I think they provoke the imagination. I want to put them out of context to provoke this.
There is a very impressive piece of yours, an installation I think, in which we see hands tied with wires. What was the message implied in this work?
“Al hasar,” you mean. This work created a lot of discussion because I used one of my abayas and on the place where the head was supposed to be, I put three hands tied with this wire that is used to secure prison walls. It was all illuminated with a red light. The hands are trying to go out from where the head should be. Around it there were a lot of hands also wired with this spiky wire. To me, this piece speaks about women that want to go out, women that want to break limits. However, and what is important, is that it is open to interpretation because above all I wanted people to decide by themselves what this piece could mean. It is very important in art to give the opportunity to interpret, to leave the space for many meanings to appear. This installation took place in Egypt and people liked it very much. I am planning on showing it in Yemen and also I want to do a video installation to bring different ideas here.
You mentioned the abaya and this idea about women sort of rebelling or breaking limits, is there anything you wish to address regarding women?
No, and it is because I don’t care, and you know why? Because I am not a feminist, both women and men have difficult lives in Yemen at several levels, but is not a matter of being a woman or a man. The problem is the mentality of the society, the education and these among other things are the things that have to change.
Sometimes in your work it is difficult to say if your human figures are male, female, both or neither. Is this something you do in purpose?
Yes, completely. If I draw women, people will think that I focus on women’s problems. When you draw a man no one asks or assumes anything. I don’t want to highlight any gender problem or difference in my paintings. I want to draw human beings, nothing else.
You also have a long trajectory writing in different newspapers and art publications, what is the focus of your concerns as a writer?
I write about philosophy and problems that are present in society or in religion. For that I research, and as a researcher I care about many things, but as an artist I focus on other things. I work on different areas and my work also depends on the audience I am addressing. For instance, when I write for newspapers, I try to explain art to people who are not very familiar with it; when I write in a research capacity it is often to explain more complex issues – for instance in my latest writings I wrote on violence as it is presented or used though art. Violence is present everywhere and now artists use it too. I talked in my studies about video games and movies that children watch, strong violence that some artists later also incorporate into their work. In Germany for instance, some artists killed an elephant on the street and at that time it was something above all very “unusual” and thus it provoked a big effect. Now some artists use dead people in art exhibitions. These uses are a problem in my view and I discuss all this in my new book. It is a problem that reflects part of what is happening in the world, the wars now taking place.
Speaking of this, two years ago in 2006 you participated in an exhibition held in Sana’a called “We will not forget.” Was it related to any of these concerns?
It was about the war in Lebanon.
It seems that a lot of your work has a political meaning as well…
Well, sometimes you must. In any case though you cannot deal with everything that is happening around you and I don’t want to reflect this in my work, so my work is not explicit. Of course I cannot be outside society so I care, but I express that by other means, like when I write. If I include politics in my art, in my paintings, then they could become just posters.
How would you describe the artistic scene in Yemen? What are the obstacles, challenges and achievements you see?
There are many problems; one of them is economic. Artists are not well paid and since they need money for their projects they focus on portraits or realistic art, which is what people buy here. Avant garde, abstract art is not appreciated or well understood. This is also a problem because it leaves abstract art behind. In Yemen this art is more appreciated by the intelligentsia, but even then, they don’t understand it completely and sometimes they buy it without really having a deep appreciation of it. I say this because sometimes you go to houses that belong to very wealthy people and they have pieces of art hanging next to framed pictures “Made in China”. Foreigners also buy, but sometimes as a way to bring with them part of Yemen’s folklore. When I paint I don’t think about this, but I know it is a problem, especially for young artists because is hard to live out of your art pieces. In my case I decided to work as a professor so I could remain free and do really what I want because I don’t depend on art to make my living. But for young artists that have no other better jobs, this is a problem and makes them turn into what the “clients” want instead of what they want to express. This problem affects the region as well, there is a lack of appreciation of abstract art and some people, like in the Gulf, buy pieces of art because they represent “culture” but again, not because it represents something to them or because they understand it. They buy it as products. In general, there is a need to educate people about art in order to create a better understanding of non-realistic art. What is positive is that the younger generations care more about this lack of appreciation and are filling this gap, something I see with some of my students.
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art and arts
By Anahi Alviso-Marino, "The artistic scene in Sana'a: painters speak (I)" - Yemen Observer - Sana'a, YemenTuesday, October 21, 2008
With this new series of interviews, The Yemen Observer enters into the artistic scene of Sana’a to find out about artists, their work and their concerns over the challenges and achievements of the arts in Yemen.
Artist, art critic and university lecturer, Amnah al-Nasiri, opens the debate about the current situation of art in Yemen.
A long list of solo exhibitions, participation in international shows as well as book and article publications precedes one of the most renowned Yemeni artists whose work seems to be an infinite dialogue between philosophy and art.
After accomplishing her doctoral studies in aesthetics in Russia, al-Nasiri returned to Yemen where she currently works as an artist and teaches at the Philosophy department of the University of Sana’a. Every Thursday morning she receives artists, students, and whoever is interested in art at an atelier located in Bab al-Yemen, where her paintings are permanently on display together with those of other artists.
What do you wish to transmit with your paintings?
Many things. One of my concerns is that now most of the interest is fixed in the postmodernist movement and the word culture. With this, art is going far away from the human being, from humanism. My work follows a more humanist line. I try to talk about people, about who we are, about life. For example, two years ago I had an exhibition called “Creatures” in which I tackled life in general, from animals to anything that can be a form of life. If we think about art in material terms and forget or leave aside the human aspect, then we face a big problem. This is the main philosophy of my art work. I also mix Sufism, folklore, ornaments, and philosophy of course. Circles, figures of all types…symbols in the end, visual symbols that are part of Sufism are very present in my work as well. The relationship between art and others is important to me too, for example the relationship between a butterfly and a fly; I put them at the same level of the human. It’s all life.
Speaking about Sufi symbols in your work, is the calligraphy you draw in your paintings part of this influence as well?
No, the calligraphy has nothing to do with Sufism in my work, it is something different. It also comes from Islamic art but it does not have any connection with Sufi philosophy. In my work, calligraphy is “a form” and I try to use it without any meanings, without poetry or any religious meaning. I like the form of the writing.
Cats and birds are very present in your pieces, what is the meaning you give to them?
I use animals because I think they provoke the imagination. I want to put them out of context to provoke this.
There is a very impressive piece of yours, an installation I think, in which we see hands tied with wires. What was the message implied in this work?
“Al hasar,” you mean. This work created a lot of discussion because I used one of my abayas and on the place where the head was supposed to be, I put three hands tied with this wire that is used to secure prison walls. It was all illuminated with a red light. The hands are trying to go out from where the head should be. Around it there were a lot of hands also wired with this spiky wire. To me, this piece speaks about women that want to go out, women that want to break limits. However, and what is important, is that it is open to interpretation because above all I wanted people to decide by themselves what this piece could mean. It is very important in art to give the opportunity to interpret, to leave the space for many meanings to appear. This installation took place in Egypt and people liked it very much. I am planning on showing it in Yemen and also I want to do a video installation to bring different ideas here.
You mentioned the abaya and this idea about women sort of rebelling or breaking limits, is there anything you wish to address regarding women?
No, and it is because I don’t care, and you know why? Because I am not a feminist, both women and men have difficult lives in Yemen at several levels, but is not a matter of being a woman or a man. The problem is the mentality of the society, the education and these among other things are the things that have to change.
Sometimes in your work it is difficult to say if your human figures are male, female, both or neither. Is this something you do in purpose?
Yes, completely. If I draw women, people will think that I focus on women’s problems. When you draw a man no one asks or assumes anything. I don’t want to highlight any gender problem or difference in my paintings. I want to draw human beings, nothing else.
You also have a long trajectory writing in different newspapers and art publications, what is the focus of your concerns as a writer?
I write about philosophy and problems that are present in society or in religion. For that I research, and as a researcher I care about many things, but as an artist I focus on other things. I work on different areas and my work also depends on the audience I am addressing. For instance, when I write for newspapers, I try to explain art to people who are not very familiar with it; when I write in a research capacity it is often to explain more complex issues – for instance in my latest writings I wrote on violence as it is presented or used though art. Violence is present everywhere and now artists use it too. I talked in my studies about video games and movies that children watch, strong violence that some artists later also incorporate into their work. In Germany for instance, some artists killed an elephant on the street and at that time it was something above all very “unusual” and thus it provoked a big effect. Now some artists use dead people in art exhibitions. These uses are a problem in my view and I discuss all this in my new book. It is a problem that reflects part of what is happening in the world, the wars now taking place.
Speaking of this, two years ago in 2006 you participated in an exhibition held in Sana’a called “We will not forget.” Was it related to any of these concerns?
It was about the war in Lebanon.
It seems that a lot of your work has a political meaning as well…
Well, sometimes you must. In any case though you cannot deal with everything that is happening around you and I don’t want to reflect this in my work, so my work is not explicit. Of course I cannot be outside society so I care, but I express that by other means, like when I write. If I include politics in my art, in my paintings, then they could become just posters.
How would you describe the artistic scene in Yemen? What are the obstacles, challenges and achievements you see?
There are many problems; one of them is economic. Artists are not well paid and since they need money for their projects they focus on portraits or realistic art, which is what people buy here. Avant garde, abstract art is not appreciated or well understood. This is also a problem because it leaves abstract art behind. In Yemen this art is more appreciated by the intelligentsia, but even then, they don’t understand it completely and sometimes they buy it without really having a deep appreciation of it. I say this because sometimes you go to houses that belong to very wealthy people and they have pieces of art hanging next to framed pictures “Made in China”. Foreigners also buy, but sometimes as a way to bring with them part of Yemen’s folklore. When I paint I don’t think about this, but I know it is a problem, especially for young artists because is hard to live out of your art pieces. In my case I decided to work as a professor so I could remain free and do really what I want because I don’t depend on art to make my living. But for young artists that have no other better jobs, this is a problem and makes them turn into what the “clients” want instead of what they want to express. This problem affects the region as well, there is a lack of appreciation of abstract art and some people, like in the Gulf, buy pieces of art because they represent “culture” but again, not because it represents something to them or because they understand it. They buy it as products. In general, there is a need to educate people about art in order to create a better understanding of non-realistic art. What is positive is that the younger generations care more about this lack of appreciation and are filling this gap, something I see with some of my students.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
A Meeting Ground
By Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan, "The question of identity" - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, Kashmir, India
Monday, October 20, 2008
Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan on Silk Route and Kashmiri Identity Consciousness
Sufism, through the Silk route, allowed ready discourse with other cultures at the intellectual and social levels.
This trend that particularly developed in Central Asia had a far-reaching impact on the gradual but orderly evolution of Kashmiri Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit societies.
Sufis who particularly settled in the traditional part of Srinagar, the nerve centre of the Brahmans, were intrinsically peaceful missionaries. But for this fact intimate neighbourly relations would not have existed between the Brahmans and the Saiyid families tracing their ancestry to various territories of Central Asia and Persia.
Persian became the official language during the reign of the sultans. Kashmiri Brahmans learnt Persian with avidity so much so that they did not feel any inhibition in composing verses in it in praise of their deities. Until the middle of the last century, there was no dearth of Kashmiri Brahmans who could freely quote verses from Shaikh Sa‘di’s Gulistan and Bostan or the Masnavi of Maulana Rumi in their everyday conversation. One significant consequence of intermingling of cultures was certainly the gradual assimilation of the pious Brahman families in Islam over longer periods of time. This explains why such families proudly retained their Brahman titles such as Kaul, Pandit, Raina and so on. It was thus at the intellectual and personal level that the Brahmans were reduced to a minority during a period of nearly five centuries of Islamic acculturation. Considering this fact together with the assimilation of the agriculturalists, artisans and the working people in Islam through either khanqahs of the immigrant Sufis from Central Asia and Persia as well as ziarats of the Rishis, it would be incorrect to say that the entire Brahman community of Kashmir resisted Islam.
As a matter of fact, the Brahmans who stuck to their religion with dogged tenacity were men of integrity and conviction in their own right. Considering themselves to be the purest lot of the whole human species, they sought to retain their ancient links with the Brahmans of the rest of India. Undergoing acute crisis of identity under the reeling impact of Central Asia and Persia, they kept alive the memory of being a branch of the Saraswat Brahmans. Although they continued to invoke their Vedic past, they could not resist the impact of fairly cosmopolitan or broad-based, sophisticated and multi-ethnic environment of Central Asia on their social life. Their cuisine bore striking resemblance to those of Muslims in respect of cooking fish or choosing lamb for the meat course. Unlike the most Brahmans of the rest of India who regarded Shiva as the Destroyer, in Kashmir Saivism, he is projected as the enduring revelation of cosmos and of all life, both visible and invisible.
Kashmiri Brahmans were not antagonistic to Sufism. This explains the conversion of both Brahmans and other sections of Kashmir society to Islam at various levels: discussion and debate, group conversion of the tribes and assimilation of the commoners. It goes to the credit of the Brahmans that so long as members of their community embraced Islam out of conviction or suasion of a Sufi or so long as the khanqahs of the Sufis proved to be catalysts of social conversion, they did not bother about such developments. Thus, for example, the first Brahman convert to Islam in Kashmir in recorded history was Srikanth. He belonged to a respectable Brahman family of Srinagar. It is not known at whose hands he embraced Islam long before Mir Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani landed in Kashmir. But it is certain that his conversion was voluntary. His son also embraced Islam and was named Shaikh Ahmad. Srikanth first visited Samarqand and, after obtaining education there, travelled to Kolab where he entered the discipleship of Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani. The lesser known and the hitherto least stressed historical fact is that it was the Kashmiri Brahman who first looked to Central Asia for spiritual inspiration. It is most likely that the earnest disciple must have furnished first-hand information about the religious situation in Kashmir to his pir.
What, however, prompted Kashmiri Brahmans to assert their identity in ethnocentric terms in a historical context and antagonistic terms in contemporary context was not Sufism but radicalization of Islam. The first attempt at radicalization of Islam was not made by the Sufis but by converts themselves. This was resented by the Brahmans in strongest terms so much so that their chroniclers concocted myths about the persecution of their community and their mass exodus to the plains. There is strong reason to believe that several Saiyids who accompanied Saiyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir played an important part in imparting true Islamic education to such members of Kashmiri elite as were wedded to syncretistic practices even while assuming Muslim names. The dignified presence of such Saiyids in the nerve centre of the Brahmans in Srinagar or for that matter in Avantipur was not looked with disfavour by the Brahmans. However, the problem arose during the reign of Sultan Sikandar whose reign was marked by the advent of Mir Saiyid Muhammad Hamadani, the son of illustrious Saiyid Ali Hamadani, along with a group of Saiyids from Central Asian and Persia. What caused ferment in Kashmiri society was not so much the conversion of a prominent Brahman minister of the sultan at the hands of the Saiyid as the religious zeal of the convert. Suha Bhat assumed the name of Saifu’d-Din, the Sword of Religion. Notwithstanding Sultan Sikandar’s initial disapproval of his minister’s hostility to Brahmanism, Saifu’d-Din, in an attempt at securing the forcible conversion of Brahmans, relegated the essential egalitarian and peaceful spirit charactering the missionary work of the Central Asian and Persian Sufis to the background, though temporarily.
Sultan Sikandar’s successor, Zainu’l-‘Abidin, however, made amends for the wrongs committed by his father’s fanatic minister. He allowed the migrant Brahmans to return to their homeland, encouraged reconversion of those who had been forcibly converted to Islam, made endowments to the temples and hostels of the Brahmans, sought to promote a better understanding of Islam and Hinduism through translation of classic Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit works, encouraged closer interaction at the literary and cultural level with Central Asia and Persia by purchasing Persian and Arabic manuscripts, sponsored the visit of two Kashmiris to Samarqand in order to enable them learn the art of manufacturing paper and the art of book-binding, encouraged craftsmen from Iraq and Central Asia to impart their skills to Kashmiris, patronised a musician from Khurasan and, above all, maintained intimate contact with the Sufis of both Central Asian and indigenous order, the Silsilah-i Rishiyyan.
Despite the divide between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits, caused unfortunately by the onset of militancy in 1990, Sufism still continues to be a meeting ground for them. Can they weld themselves into dynamic and creative self-consciousness as Kashmiris? Doesn’t the Central Asian experience stress the importance of preserving the identity of nationalities on the basis of ethnicity, geography and history?
(Summary of the paper presented at the international conference on the Silk Route organised under the auspices of Central Asian Studies, Kashmir University, October 14-17).
Links to News reports about the conference:
http://www.risingkashmir.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=7620
http://etalaat.com/english/News/news-scan/3214.html]
[A geopolitical perspective about nowadays's Silk Road: "Kashmir's Silk Fantasy" by Arjimand Hussain Talib http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=19_10_2008&ItemID=11&cat=17]
[Picture from: US Central Asia Travel Agency
http://www.east-site.com/].
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politics
By Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan, "The question of identity" - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, Kashmir, IndiaMonday, October 20, 2008
Prof. Muhammad Ishaq Khan on Silk Route and Kashmiri Identity Consciousness
Sufism, through the Silk route, allowed ready discourse with other cultures at the intellectual and social levels.
This trend that particularly developed in Central Asia had a far-reaching impact on the gradual but orderly evolution of Kashmiri Muslim and Kashmiri Pandit societies.
Sufis who particularly settled in the traditional part of Srinagar, the nerve centre of the Brahmans, were intrinsically peaceful missionaries. But for this fact intimate neighbourly relations would not have existed between the Brahmans and the Saiyid families tracing their ancestry to various territories of Central Asia and Persia.
Persian became the official language during the reign of the sultans. Kashmiri Brahmans learnt Persian with avidity so much so that they did not feel any inhibition in composing verses in it in praise of their deities. Until the middle of the last century, there was no dearth of Kashmiri Brahmans who could freely quote verses from Shaikh Sa‘di’s Gulistan and Bostan or the Masnavi of Maulana Rumi in their everyday conversation. One significant consequence of intermingling of cultures was certainly the gradual assimilation of the pious Brahman families in Islam over longer periods of time. This explains why such families proudly retained their Brahman titles such as Kaul, Pandit, Raina and so on. It was thus at the intellectual and personal level that the Brahmans were reduced to a minority during a period of nearly five centuries of Islamic acculturation. Considering this fact together with the assimilation of the agriculturalists, artisans and the working people in Islam through either khanqahs of the immigrant Sufis from Central Asia and Persia as well as ziarats of the Rishis, it would be incorrect to say that the entire Brahman community of Kashmir resisted Islam.
As a matter of fact, the Brahmans who stuck to their religion with dogged tenacity were men of integrity and conviction in their own right. Considering themselves to be the purest lot of the whole human species, they sought to retain their ancient links with the Brahmans of the rest of India. Undergoing acute crisis of identity under the reeling impact of Central Asia and Persia, they kept alive the memory of being a branch of the Saraswat Brahmans. Although they continued to invoke their Vedic past, they could not resist the impact of fairly cosmopolitan or broad-based, sophisticated and multi-ethnic environment of Central Asia on their social life. Their cuisine bore striking resemblance to those of Muslims in respect of cooking fish or choosing lamb for the meat course. Unlike the most Brahmans of the rest of India who regarded Shiva as the Destroyer, in Kashmir Saivism, he is projected as the enduring revelation of cosmos and of all life, both visible and invisible.
Kashmiri Brahmans were not antagonistic to Sufism. This explains the conversion of both Brahmans and other sections of Kashmir society to Islam at various levels: discussion and debate, group conversion of the tribes and assimilation of the commoners. It goes to the credit of the Brahmans that so long as members of their community embraced Islam out of conviction or suasion of a Sufi or so long as the khanqahs of the Sufis proved to be catalysts of social conversion, they did not bother about such developments. Thus, for example, the first Brahman convert to Islam in Kashmir in recorded history was Srikanth. He belonged to a respectable Brahman family of Srinagar. It is not known at whose hands he embraced Islam long before Mir Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani landed in Kashmir. But it is certain that his conversion was voluntary. His son also embraced Islam and was named Shaikh Ahmad. Srikanth first visited Samarqand and, after obtaining education there, travelled to Kolab where he entered the discipleship of Saiyid ‘Ali Hamadani. The lesser known and the hitherto least stressed historical fact is that it was the Kashmiri Brahman who first looked to Central Asia for spiritual inspiration. It is most likely that the earnest disciple must have furnished first-hand information about the religious situation in Kashmir to his pir.
What, however, prompted Kashmiri Brahmans to assert their identity in ethnocentric terms in a historical context and antagonistic terms in contemporary context was not Sufism but radicalization of Islam. The first attempt at radicalization of Islam was not made by the Sufis but by converts themselves. This was resented by the Brahmans in strongest terms so much so that their chroniclers concocted myths about the persecution of their community and their mass exodus to the plains. There is strong reason to believe that several Saiyids who accompanied Saiyid Ali Hamadani to Kashmir played an important part in imparting true Islamic education to such members of Kashmiri elite as were wedded to syncretistic practices even while assuming Muslim names. The dignified presence of such Saiyids in the nerve centre of the Brahmans in Srinagar or for that matter in Avantipur was not looked with disfavour by the Brahmans. However, the problem arose during the reign of Sultan Sikandar whose reign was marked by the advent of Mir Saiyid Muhammad Hamadani, the son of illustrious Saiyid Ali Hamadani, along with a group of Saiyids from Central Asian and Persia. What caused ferment in Kashmiri society was not so much the conversion of a prominent Brahman minister of the sultan at the hands of the Saiyid as the religious zeal of the convert. Suha Bhat assumed the name of Saifu’d-Din, the Sword of Religion. Notwithstanding Sultan Sikandar’s initial disapproval of his minister’s hostility to Brahmanism, Saifu’d-Din, in an attempt at securing the forcible conversion of Brahmans, relegated the essential egalitarian and peaceful spirit charactering the missionary work of the Central Asian and Persian Sufis to the background, though temporarily.
Sultan Sikandar’s successor, Zainu’l-‘Abidin, however, made amends for the wrongs committed by his father’s fanatic minister. He allowed the migrant Brahmans to return to their homeland, encouraged reconversion of those who had been forcibly converted to Islam, made endowments to the temples and hostels of the Brahmans, sought to promote a better understanding of Islam and Hinduism through translation of classic Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit works, encouraged closer interaction at the literary and cultural level with Central Asia and Persia by purchasing Persian and Arabic manuscripts, sponsored the visit of two Kashmiris to Samarqand in order to enable them learn the art of manufacturing paper and the art of book-binding, encouraged craftsmen from Iraq and Central Asia to impart their skills to Kashmiris, patronised a musician from Khurasan and, above all, maintained intimate contact with the Sufis of both Central Asian and indigenous order, the Silsilah-i Rishiyyan.
Despite the divide between Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits, caused unfortunately by the onset of militancy in 1990, Sufism still continues to be a meeting ground for them. Can they weld themselves into dynamic and creative self-consciousness as Kashmiris? Doesn’t the Central Asian experience stress the importance of preserving the identity of nationalities on the basis of ethnicity, geography and history?
(Summary of the paper presented at the international conference on the Silk Route organised under the auspices of Central Asian Studies, Kashmir University, October 14-17).
Links to News reports about the conference:
http://www.risingkashmir.com/?option=com_content&task=view&id=7620
http://etalaat.com/english/News/news-scan/3214.html]
[A geopolitical perspective about nowadays's Silk Road: "Kashmir's Silk Fantasy" by Arjimand Hussain Talib http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=19_10_2008&ItemID=11&cat=17]
[Picture from: US Central Asia Travel Agency
http://www.east-site.com/].
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Start of Construction
Staff Reporter, "Construction of big mosque starts in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan" - Turkmenistan.Ru - Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Saturday, October 18, 2008
A ceremony to mark the start of construction of a big mosque was held on 17 October in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan.
Turkmen government officials, the Ambassador of Turkey in Turkmenistan Hussein Avni Bychkaly, province top-management, clerics and honorary elders of Turkmenistan attended the ceremony.
The new mosque with a praying room for 1500 people is meant as a gift from the people of Turkey to Turkmenistan.
The mosque will also have a big museum and a conference hall as well as a room for ritual meals, sadaka, for 1000 people.
The construction will be carried out by Turkish GAP Inshaat company, the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat.
The ancient mausoleum of Nejmeddin Kubra will be the center of this architectural ensemble.
Nejmeddin Kubra was the ancient Turkmen theorist and practitioner of Sufism, author of many treatises, interpreter of Koran and poet. This unique monument of Oriental architecture of XIV century was included in the UNESCO's world heritage book.
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saints and shrines
Staff Reporter, "Construction of big mosque starts in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan" - Turkmenistan.Ru - Ashgabat, TurkmenistanSaturday, October 18, 2008
A ceremony to mark the start of construction of a big mosque was held on 17 October in Dashoguz province of Turkmenistan.
Turkmen government officials, the Ambassador of Turkey in Turkmenistan Hussein Avni Bychkaly, province top-management, clerics and honorary elders of Turkmenistan attended the ceremony.
The new mosque with a praying room for 1500 people is meant as a gift from the people of Turkey to Turkmenistan.
The mosque will also have a big museum and a conference hall as well as a room for ritual meals, sadaka, for 1000 people.
The construction will be carried out by Turkish GAP Inshaat company, the Turkmenistan.ru correspondent reports from Ashgabat.
The ancient mausoleum of Nejmeddin Kubra will be the center of this architectural ensemble.
Nejmeddin Kubra was the ancient Turkmen theorist and practitioner of Sufism, author of many treatises, interpreter of Koran and poet. This unique monument of Oriental architecture of XIV century was included in the UNESCO's world heritage book.
[Picture: Shaykh's Kubra Shrine. Photo by Dr. Alan Godlas, 2008].
“Dot”
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cinema
By Asli Saglam, "Zaim promotes Turkish art via his films" - Turkish Daily News - Ankara, Turkey
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Antalya: Derviş Zaim says traditional Turkish art inspires his cinematic productions, many of which have earned awards. This year he brings Turkish calligraphy to the silver screen and his film “Dot” to the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey with his first novel “Ares in Wonderland” in 1995. A year later, Zaim made an auspicious debut as a feature film director and screenwriter with his film “Somersault in a Coffin,” which received the Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Editing awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996.
The film also won several prizes at international film festivals, bringing Zaim critical acclaim as a first time director. He repeated his success with his next feature film, “Elephants and Grass,” and then again with “Mud,” which ran in the Counter Currents category of the Venice Film Festival and won the UNESCO Award.
Zaim also shot a documentary titled “Parallel Trips” in 2004 before he started work on a film trilogy. “Waiting for Heaven” was the first in the trilogy, followed by “Dot,” which is currently competing in the National Feature Film Competition at the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim wants to create a different cinema and approach to film. “Turkish culture and history contains interesting motivations within its art. In ‘Waiting for Heaven,' I incorporated traditional miniature painting into the film. The people who watch ‘Dot' will see the art of calligraphy,” said Zaim. “The last film of the trilogy will exploit porcelain and ceramic tile.”
Zaim, who always adds a social dimension to his films, believes that cheap optimism can get people down. “The leading character of Ahmet, played by Mehmet Ali Nuroğlu, aims to be forgiven after facing unfortunate circumstances. Films don't have to have happy endings," said Zaim.
The action starts with a character named Ahmet, a calligraphy artist who decides to help his friend Selim sell a rare and invaluable 13th century Koran owned by his family. However, this decision pushes him into unwanted and unfamiliar territory. The film advances along a trajectory of crime and punishment and organically incorporates the traditional art form of calligraphy.
After Ahmet contacts the local mafia, they kidnap Selim and request the Koran as ransom from Selim's father, leaving Ahmet feeling guilty. After the dust from the shady affair settles, both Selim and the gangsters are dead. Ahmet then tries to track down Selim's family to ask for forgiveness.
The film was shot at Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Turkey and the source of the local salt market.
“The emptiness was a new thing for me. The passage of time shown through filming the connection between the sky and the salt brings a new inspiration to Turkish cinema,” said Zaim, who emphasized that Salt Lake was like an empty piece of paper for him.
Zaim also draws connections between the danger faced by Salt Lake from industrial pollution and the illegitimate use of water, and the danger faced by Ahmet due to his illegal activities.
After reading a lot of history, art, Sufism and philosophy, Zaim shot the movie in 12 days. “I cannot copy and paste the ideas of the thinkers, I want everyone to understand my films. A butcher, a driver and a man in the street should understand the film. What I want to do is to send a clear message,” said Zaim.
Noting his interest in Turkish art started at the same time he was thinking about the creation of distinctive and unique cinema, Zaim said, “I benefit from Turkish culture in generating ideas for my films.”
”Dot” will be one of five films competing at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Nov. 11 in Australia.
Who is Derviş Zaim?
Derviş Zaim was born in 1964 in Famagusta, North Cyprus. He graduated from the Economic and Administrative Sciences Department at Bosphorus University in 1988 and also holds a graduate degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick, England. He began work in film in 1991 with the experimental video, “Hang the Camera,” followed by the TV documentary, “Rock Around the Mosque.” Between 1992 and 1995 he worked as a television writer and producer, and directed numerous television shows. “Somersault in a Coffin” was his first feature film.
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Saturday, October 18, 2008
Antalya: Derviş Zaim says traditional Turkish art inspires his cinematic productions, many of which have earned awards. This year he brings Turkish calligraphy to the silver screen and his film “Dot” to the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim won the prestigious "Yunus Nadi" literary prize in Turkey with his first novel “Ares in Wonderland” in 1995. A year later, Zaim made an auspicious debut as a feature film director and screenwriter with his film “Somersault in a Coffin,” which received the Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Editing awards at the Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival in 1996.
The film also won several prizes at international film festivals, bringing Zaim critical acclaim as a first time director. He repeated his success with his next feature film, “Elephants and Grass,” and then again with “Mud,” which ran in the Counter Currents category of the Venice Film Festival and won the UNESCO Award.
Zaim also shot a documentary titled “Parallel Trips” in 2004 before he started work on a film trilogy. “Waiting for Heaven” was the first in the trilogy, followed by “Dot,” which is currently competing in the National Feature Film Competition at the 45th Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival.
Zaim wants to create a different cinema and approach to film. “Turkish culture and history contains interesting motivations within its art. In ‘Waiting for Heaven,' I incorporated traditional miniature painting into the film. The people who watch ‘Dot' will see the art of calligraphy,” said Zaim. “The last film of the trilogy will exploit porcelain and ceramic tile.”
Zaim, who always adds a social dimension to his films, believes that cheap optimism can get people down. “The leading character of Ahmet, played by Mehmet Ali Nuroğlu, aims to be forgiven after facing unfortunate circumstances. Films don't have to have happy endings," said Zaim.
The action starts with a character named Ahmet, a calligraphy artist who decides to help his friend Selim sell a rare and invaluable 13th century Koran owned by his family. However, this decision pushes him into unwanted and unfamiliar territory. The film advances along a trajectory of crime and punishment and organically incorporates the traditional art form of calligraphy.
After Ahmet contacts the local mafia, they kidnap Selim and request the Koran as ransom from Selim's father, leaving Ahmet feeling guilty. After the dust from the shady affair settles, both Selim and the gangsters are dead. Ahmet then tries to track down Selim's family to ask for forgiveness.
The film was shot at Salt Lake, the second largest lake in Turkey and the source of the local salt market.
“The emptiness was a new thing for me. The passage of time shown through filming the connection between the sky and the salt brings a new inspiration to Turkish cinema,” said Zaim, who emphasized that Salt Lake was like an empty piece of paper for him.
Zaim also draws connections between the danger faced by Salt Lake from industrial pollution and the illegitimate use of water, and the danger faced by Ahmet due to his illegal activities.
After reading a lot of history, art, Sufism and philosophy, Zaim shot the movie in 12 days. “I cannot copy and paste the ideas of the thinkers, I want everyone to understand my films. A butcher, a driver and a man in the street should understand the film. What I want to do is to send a clear message,” said Zaim.
Noting his interest in Turkish art started at the same time he was thinking about the creation of distinctive and unique cinema, Zaim said, “I benefit from Turkish culture in generating ideas for my films.”
”Dot” will be one of five films competing at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards on Nov. 11 in Australia.
Who is Derviş Zaim?
Derviş Zaim was born in 1964 in Famagusta, North Cyprus. He graduated from the Economic and Administrative Sciences Department at Bosphorus University in 1988 and also holds a graduate degree in Cultural Studies from the University of Warwick, England. He began work in film in 1991 with the experimental video, “Hang the Camera,” followed by the TV documentary, “Rock Around the Mosque.” Between 1992 and 1995 he worked as a television writer and producer, and directed numerous television shows. “Somersault in a Coffin” was his first feature film.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
People of the Bench
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faith
By Kunal Ghosh, "Sufism, Wahabism and Kashmiriyat" - Mainstream Weekly - New Delhi, India
October 11-17, 2008 / Vol XLVI No 43
I enjoyed reading Badri Raina’ article, “J&K Heal and Renew” (Mainstream, New Delhi, August 30, 2008, pp. 11-13). He appears to write poetry in lucid prose, aimed straight for the heart, when he describes Kashmiri syncretism between the Muslim and Hindu faiths, its past and fraying present.
I hope that his message touches the heart of the common Kashmiri man, but I am afraid it may not. Here are the reasons why I think the message may miss the mark. Raina says (ibid.):
“…some Sunni Muslim groups propagate… That Muslims are enjoined, as in Arab countries, to follow the pristine Salafi/Wahabi path which forbids notions of personal discovery of godhead, the ethic of eros, music, worship at Sufi dargahs, esctatic ritual, commingling with non-believers, and so on.”
He clearly implies that ‘personal discovery of godhead’ and the Sufi practices are a non-Arab phenomenon, and the Salafi/Wahabi path followed by the Arabs is the pure form of Islam. This is exactly what the Wahabis are saying and it is a monstrous lie. His statement would only help the separatist and Wahabi cause, because he portrays by implication the Sufi way as an impure way, not being among the fundamentals of original Islam. This type of ignorant chatter has become a constant factor in the Indian media, and it confuses the common Muslim man. He too has started thinking that Sufism is an impure importation into Islam. Why does Raina have to add force to the propagation of this untruth? If this was not his intention, he should have been more careful in his presentation.
Firstly, all Arab countries do not follow Wahabi Islam. Even the region which is now Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries had been steeped in Sufism before the advent of Wahabism in the 18th century. One just has to read the famous stories of Hatim Tai to get proof of this. Right now there are many well established Sufi orders in the North African Arab states, Syria and Iraq.
Secondly, Sufism is to be found among the fundamentals of Islam. Wahabism’s claim to be the pristine form of Islam is a false claim, I am going to show in the following paragraphs.
Sufis draw inspiration from the central Quranic doctrine of ‘Tauhid’ meaning unity of existence. “Direct seeing” or intuitive personal realisation is at the core of Sufism. Annmarie Schimmel in her Mystical Dimensions of Islam (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975) has traced the roots of Sufism to the Quran and Sunnah, the tradition of the Prophet.
J.S. Trimingham says in his Sufi Orders of Islam (Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1971):
“Sufism was a natural development within Islam, owing little to non-Muslim sources, though receiving radiations from the ascetical mystical life and thought of Eastern Christianity.”
This is the most accurate assessment, judging by the fact that Jesus, the prophet of Christianity, is also one of the respected prophets of Islam and Syrian Christian mystics use a language with certain commonality with Islamic terms. This is natural since both religions in Syria use the Arabic language.
Sufi orders abound in Syria and Iraq. In North Africa too from Morocco to Egypt and Sudan there are tens of flourishing Sufi orders, and I request Raina to refer to a graphic chart given by Trimingham (ibid.) that gives the lineage and names of all these orders.
All schools (silsila) of Sufism trace their root to Hasan Basri (AD 728, belonging to Basra in Iraq) and through him to the companions of the Prophet of Islam. Among the companions were a group of people called Ahle Suffah or ‘people of the bench’. They had given up all worldly possessions and had no wife or child.
One of the prominent Sufi orders of North Africa is the Shahdilliyya. Ibn Ata Allah of this order in the 14th century wrote a treatise on the ‘Jujiyya’ method describing all 84 poses of the Indian Yoga system. It should be noted that the famous 13th century scholar, Al Beruni, had translated Patanjali’s Yogasutra along with many Sanskrit scientific texts. Hindu influences did reach the Arab Sufis but not before Al Beruni. There had been Sufi orders in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries too. But they were destroyed by the Wahabi sect who rose in the 18th century.
Kamal Ataturk of Turkey confiscated all the pro-perties of the Sufi Khanekas in his secularisation drive and the Sufi orders of Turkey went into a decline, but not for long. Since then there is strong revival of the Mevleviyya order started by the famous Maulana-cum-Sufi, Jalaluddin Rumi or Maulana Rum, well known for his mystical poetry written in Persian.
Buddhist influences did reach the Arab world prior to arrival of prophet Hazrat Mohammad. He seems to have given his seal of approval to the continuance of some of them. For instance, consider going round and round the shrine at Mecca seven times by the Haj pilgrim. Circumambulation or parikrama of a shrine, and that seven times, is not inherited from Chrstianity or Judaism. It was carried to Central and West Asia by the Buddhists.
Again consider the dress code of the Haj pilgrim. He shaves his head and wraps an unstitched white cloth round his waist and over his left shoulder, exactly in the fashion of a Buddhist monk. Shaving the head or wearing an unstitched cloth is not a part of the Judaic-Christian tradition. So how and wherefrom did it arrive in Arabia?
Once I saw a photograph of what appeared to be a Buddhist monk in The Guardian, a noted news daily of the UK, only to read the caption, “Prince Abdullah of Jordan in Haj”. If these Buddhist influences are a taint then both the Wahabi and Sufi are tainted by it.
Kashmiriyat
EVERYONE, including Raina, talks about Kashmiriyat but no one pays attention to the development of the Kashmiri language. Urdu as the medium of education (even in the primaries) and administration rules the roost in Kashmir. Yet in census after census the Kashmiri Muslim returns his mother-tongue as Kashmiri.
Contrast this with the behaviour of Muslims in Andhra and Karnataka; the common Muslim man in the street speaks a fractured version of Urdu/Hindustani, in a southern accent, sprinkled with Telugu or Canara words and expressions. Yet he returns his mother-tongue as Urdu in every census.
The syncretic Kashmiri traditions are contained in the folkores and poetry of Lal Ded (Lalla Yogeshwari) and Sufi Nuruddin Noorani (Nand Rishi).
The modern generation is losing this tradition because they do not know Kashmiri, particularly so in the cities. It is the urban youth which is in the vanguard of all political parties as well as militancy.
To conclude, traditional Islam consists of the Sufi’s tariqa (spiritual path) and Ulema’s sharia (the law), in a delicate bi-polar balance. Wahabism is a maverick form of Islam, a new arrival, which negates Sufism and has tried in the past to wipe out Sufi orders by mayhem and persecution.
Traditional Kashmiriyat consists of Sufism and Kashmiri folk literature. The separatists are systematically striking at these two roots, but syncretists are ill organised and often make statements which help the separatist case.
Dr Kunal Ghosh is a Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT, Kanpur.
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October 11-17, 2008 / Vol XLVI No 43
I enjoyed reading Badri Raina’ article, “J&K Heal and Renew” (Mainstream, New Delhi, August 30, 2008, pp. 11-13). He appears to write poetry in lucid prose, aimed straight for the heart, when he describes Kashmiri syncretism between the Muslim and Hindu faiths, its past and fraying present.
I hope that his message touches the heart of the common Kashmiri man, but I am afraid it may not. Here are the reasons why I think the message may miss the mark. Raina says (ibid.):
“…some Sunni Muslim groups propagate… That Muslims are enjoined, as in Arab countries, to follow the pristine Salafi/Wahabi path which forbids notions of personal discovery of godhead, the ethic of eros, music, worship at Sufi dargahs, esctatic ritual, commingling with non-believers, and so on.”
He clearly implies that ‘personal discovery of godhead’ and the Sufi practices are a non-Arab phenomenon, and the Salafi/Wahabi path followed by the Arabs is the pure form of Islam. This is exactly what the Wahabis are saying and it is a monstrous lie. His statement would only help the separatist and Wahabi cause, because he portrays by implication the Sufi way as an impure way, not being among the fundamentals of original Islam. This type of ignorant chatter has become a constant factor in the Indian media, and it confuses the common Muslim man. He too has started thinking that Sufism is an impure importation into Islam. Why does Raina have to add force to the propagation of this untruth? If this was not his intention, he should have been more careful in his presentation.
Firstly, all Arab countries do not follow Wahabi Islam. Even the region which is now Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries had been steeped in Sufism before the advent of Wahabism in the 18th century. One just has to read the famous stories of Hatim Tai to get proof of this. Right now there are many well established Sufi orders in the North African Arab states, Syria and Iraq.
Secondly, Sufism is to be found among the fundamentals of Islam. Wahabism’s claim to be the pristine form of Islam is a false claim, I am going to show in the following paragraphs.
Sufis draw inspiration from the central Quranic doctrine of ‘Tauhid’ meaning unity of existence. “Direct seeing” or intuitive personal realisation is at the core of Sufism. Annmarie Schimmel in her Mystical Dimensions of Islam (University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1975) has traced the roots of Sufism to the Quran and Sunnah, the tradition of the Prophet.
J.S. Trimingham says in his Sufi Orders of Islam (Oxford at the Clarendon Press, 1971):
“Sufism was a natural development within Islam, owing little to non-Muslim sources, though receiving radiations from the ascetical mystical life and thought of Eastern Christianity.”
This is the most accurate assessment, judging by the fact that Jesus, the prophet of Christianity, is also one of the respected prophets of Islam and Syrian Christian mystics use a language with certain commonality with Islamic terms. This is natural since both religions in Syria use the Arabic language.
Sufi orders abound in Syria and Iraq. In North Africa too from Morocco to Egypt and Sudan there are tens of flourishing Sufi orders, and I request Raina to refer to a graphic chart given by Trimingham (ibid.) that gives the lineage and names of all these orders.
All schools (silsila) of Sufism trace their root to Hasan Basri (AD 728, belonging to Basra in Iraq) and through him to the companions of the Prophet of Islam. Among the companions were a group of people called Ahle Suffah or ‘people of the bench’. They had given up all worldly possessions and had no wife or child.
One of the prominent Sufi orders of North Africa is the Shahdilliyya. Ibn Ata Allah of this order in the 14th century wrote a treatise on the ‘Jujiyya’ method describing all 84 poses of the Indian Yoga system. It should be noted that the famous 13th century scholar, Al Beruni, had translated Patanjali’s Yogasutra along with many Sanskrit scientific texts. Hindu influences did reach the Arab Sufis but not before Al Beruni. There had been Sufi orders in Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries too. But they were destroyed by the Wahabi sect who rose in the 18th century.
Kamal Ataturk of Turkey confiscated all the pro-perties of the Sufi Khanekas in his secularisation drive and the Sufi orders of Turkey went into a decline, but not for long. Since then there is strong revival of the Mevleviyya order started by the famous Maulana-cum-Sufi, Jalaluddin Rumi or Maulana Rum, well known for his mystical poetry written in Persian.
Buddhist influences did reach the Arab world prior to arrival of prophet Hazrat Mohammad. He seems to have given his seal of approval to the continuance of some of them. For instance, consider going round and round the shrine at Mecca seven times by the Haj pilgrim. Circumambulation or parikrama of a shrine, and that seven times, is not inherited from Chrstianity or Judaism. It was carried to Central and West Asia by the Buddhists.
Again consider the dress code of the Haj pilgrim. He shaves his head and wraps an unstitched white cloth round his waist and over his left shoulder, exactly in the fashion of a Buddhist monk. Shaving the head or wearing an unstitched cloth is not a part of the Judaic-Christian tradition. So how and wherefrom did it arrive in Arabia?
Once I saw a photograph of what appeared to be a Buddhist monk in The Guardian, a noted news daily of the UK, only to read the caption, “Prince Abdullah of Jordan in Haj”. If these Buddhist influences are a taint then both the Wahabi and Sufi are tainted by it.
Kashmiriyat
EVERYONE, including Raina, talks about Kashmiriyat but no one pays attention to the development of the Kashmiri language. Urdu as the medium of education (even in the primaries) and administration rules the roost in Kashmir. Yet in census after census the Kashmiri Muslim returns his mother-tongue as Kashmiri.
Contrast this with the behaviour of Muslims in Andhra and Karnataka; the common Muslim man in the street speaks a fractured version of Urdu/Hindustani, in a southern accent, sprinkled with Telugu or Canara words and expressions. Yet he returns his mother-tongue as Urdu in every census.
The syncretic Kashmiri traditions are contained in the folkores and poetry of Lal Ded (Lalla Yogeshwari) and Sufi Nuruddin Noorani (Nand Rishi).
The modern generation is losing this tradition because they do not know Kashmiri, particularly so in the cities. It is the urban youth which is in the vanguard of all political parties as well as militancy.
To conclude, traditional Islam consists of the Sufi’s tariqa (spiritual path) and Ulema’s sharia (the law), in a delicate bi-polar balance. Wahabism is a maverick form of Islam, a new arrival, which negates Sufism and has tried in the past to wipe out Sufi orders by mayhem and persecution.
Traditional Kashmiriyat consists of Sufism and Kashmiri folk literature. The separatists are systematically striking at these two roots, but syncretists are ill organised and often make statements which help the separatist case.
Dr Kunal Ghosh is a Professor, Aerospace Engineering, IIT, Kanpur.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Next Door to Each Other
By Aryn Baker, "Living Traditions Exhibit Explores Art in War-torn Afghanistan" - Time - USA
Friday, October 17, 2008
A major art exhibition has opened in the Afghan capital Kabul. Given its location in a war-torn country known better for anarchy than aesthetics, this is remarkable.
But even if one were to ignore that fact, Living Traditions, an exhibition of contemporary pieces from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, is extraordinary on its own merits as a moving meditation on modernity, tradition, beauty and horror.
Running until Nov. 20 at the elegant Queen's Palace, in the newly renovated gardens of the Mughal era Emperor Babur, the exhibition has been expertly brought together by former Tate Gallery curator Jemima Montagu, and features modern interpretations of two genres that have long defined the region: calligraphy and miniature painting.
"I wondered if it was possible to bring contemporary art to Afghanistan while at the same time going back to the traditions of the past and seeing how they still have links to modern day," says Montague, who now works with Turquoise Mountain, a foundation dedicated to revitalizing Afghanistan's cultural heritage.
Among the 15 participating artists is British-Iranian Jila Peacock, who plays with the Persian calligraphic practice of turning poetic verses into images of plants and animals. Peacock takes this one step further, breathing life into the images through mesmerizing animation accompanied by music and readings from the 14th century poet Hafez.
The work of Khadim Ali, an Afghan born as a refugee in Pakistan, incorporates classical miniature techniques honed at Lahore's renowned National College of Arts. He uses the flat planes, thick gouache, gold leaf and impeccable brushwork, all typical of 18th century Mughal miniatures, to portray scenes from the Shahnameh, a Persian epic familiar to Afghan children. Ali is a member of Afghanistan's Hazara minority, and his people's persecution by the Taliban during the late stages of the civil war is also reflected in the dark panels of his miniatures. His Herculean hero, Rustam, is ambiguous, portrayed as a demonic figure with horns and a monster's face, often bristling with an arsenal of modern weapons — AK-47s, bayonets and grenade launchers. This is an allusion to Taliban videos in which militants declare themselves to be the new Rustam. Nothing is sacred, Ali seems to be saying. Even heroes can be co-opted.
Another renowned miniaturist, the Pakistani Muhammad Imran Qureshi, has contributed an installation entitled "Changing Times." In the pools of light coming through the exhibition venue's French windows, he has painted the delicate foliage common to traditional miniatures. They were executed at different moments of the day, indicating the passage of time, but also the ravages of history: it is as if the building's marble floors are witnesses to Afghanistan's eras of light and destruction. Some are filled in completely, others are more fragmented, as if indicating the slow state of reconstruction in Afghanistan today.
Qureshi, who teaches modern miniature painting at the National College of Arts in Lahore, was nervous at first about coming to Afghanistan. But this exhibition, bringing together work from three countries that suffer contentious relations even if they share a common heritage, has opened his eyes, he says.
"We all live next door to each other, but there is no communication between our peoples. This experience may be able to bring about understanding, tolerance and the beginnings of change."
[Picture: Khadim Ali, Untitled (Rustam series), 2007, acrylic and gold leaf on wasli. Photo: Courtesy of Khadim Ali / Green Cardamom / Turquoise Mountain Foundation]
[Visit the Foundation http://www.turquoisemountain.org/].
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art and arts
By Aryn Baker, "Living Traditions Exhibit Explores Art in War-torn Afghanistan" - Time - USAFriday, October 17, 2008
A major art exhibition has opened in the Afghan capital Kabul. Given its location in a war-torn country known better for anarchy than aesthetics, this is remarkable.
But even if one were to ignore that fact, Living Traditions, an exhibition of contemporary pieces from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, is extraordinary on its own merits as a moving meditation on modernity, tradition, beauty and horror.
Running until Nov. 20 at the elegant Queen's Palace, in the newly renovated gardens of the Mughal era Emperor Babur, the exhibition has been expertly brought together by former Tate Gallery curator Jemima Montagu, and features modern interpretations of two genres that have long defined the region: calligraphy and miniature painting.
"I wondered if it was possible to bring contemporary art to Afghanistan while at the same time going back to the traditions of the past and seeing how they still have links to modern day," says Montague, who now works with Turquoise Mountain, a foundation dedicated to revitalizing Afghanistan's cultural heritage.
Among the 15 participating artists is British-Iranian Jila Peacock, who plays with the Persian calligraphic practice of turning poetic verses into images of plants and animals. Peacock takes this one step further, breathing life into the images through mesmerizing animation accompanied by music and readings from the 14th century poet Hafez.
The work of Khadim Ali, an Afghan born as a refugee in Pakistan, incorporates classical miniature techniques honed at Lahore's renowned National College of Arts. He uses the flat planes, thick gouache, gold leaf and impeccable brushwork, all typical of 18th century Mughal miniatures, to portray scenes from the Shahnameh, a Persian epic familiar to Afghan children. Ali is a member of Afghanistan's Hazara minority, and his people's persecution by the Taliban during the late stages of the civil war is also reflected in the dark panels of his miniatures. His Herculean hero, Rustam, is ambiguous, portrayed as a demonic figure with horns and a monster's face, often bristling with an arsenal of modern weapons — AK-47s, bayonets and grenade launchers. This is an allusion to Taliban videos in which militants declare themselves to be the new Rustam. Nothing is sacred, Ali seems to be saying. Even heroes can be co-opted.
Another renowned miniaturist, the Pakistani Muhammad Imran Qureshi, has contributed an installation entitled "Changing Times." In the pools of light coming through the exhibition venue's French windows, he has painted the delicate foliage common to traditional miniatures. They were executed at different moments of the day, indicating the passage of time, but also the ravages of history: it is as if the building's marble floors are witnesses to Afghanistan's eras of light and destruction. Some are filled in completely, others are more fragmented, as if indicating the slow state of reconstruction in Afghanistan today.
Qureshi, who teaches modern miniature painting at the National College of Arts in Lahore, was nervous at first about coming to Afghanistan. But this exhibition, bringing together work from three countries that suffer contentious relations even if they share a common heritage, has opened his eyes, he says.
"We all live next door to each other, but there is no communication between our peoples. This experience may be able to bring about understanding, tolerance and the beginnings of change."
[Picture: Khadim Ali, Untitled (Rustam series), 2007, acrylic and gold leaf on wasli. Photo: Courtesy of Khadim Ali / Green Cardamom / Turquoise Mountain Foundation]
[Visit the Foundation http://www.turquoisemountain.org/].
Baba Jee's Silver Jubilee
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saints and shrines
Staff Reporter, "M Sadiq (RA) 25th annual urs begins today" - The Post - Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan
Friday, October 17, 2008
Grand celebrations will be kicked off as the silver jubilee annual Urs of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA) begins today (Friday) at the tomb of the noted Sufi saint located in Mughalpura.
Wave after wave of devotees from across the country will come to attend the 25th annual urs of the late spiritual leader. The three-day celebrations will begin from November 17 and remain continue till the annual Duwa on November 19 (Sunday).
The urs will have three sessions based on spiritual enlightenment and spreading the message of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA). The Holy Quran will be recited. Naats will be recited. Scholars will deliver lectures on the teachings of Sufism.
Special arrangements are made for the thousands of people staying at the Darbar overnight. Exceptional measures are taken to ensure appropriate welfare of the people.
The tomb is a landmark of sorts in the City. It is a centre of inspiration not only for the people of Lahore but also for the Muslims across the board. It is one of the busiest of places in the Lahore. A large number of devotees daily visit the shrine and the number multiplied during the Urs celebrations.
The members of the tomb governing body including Chairman M Ishaq, President Rustam Ali and Senior Vice President Pervaiz Khan jointly organize the Urs every year in a great manner as it is not an easy task to facilitate thousands of devotees without any contribution from the government side.
"Preparations start several weeks early, thousands of people are expected to attend the Urs this year, the task to ensure all necessary arrangements is huge. People from all walks of life attend the Urs. The whole of country is moved by the Urs activities. Devotees come from each and every district of Punjab to pay rich tribute to the Baba Jee, said Pervaiz Khan while talking about the silver jubilee Urs Celebrations.
The members of the governing body have appealed to the participants to take care of discipline and the shrines sanctity during the event. They urged the people to remain vigilant and inform the security about any dubious character spotted at the shrine to avert any untoward situation.
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Friday, October 17, 2008
Grand celebrations will be kicked off as the silver jubilee annual Urs of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA) begins today (Friday) at the tomb of the noted Sufi saint located in Mughalpura.
Wave after wave of devotees from across the country will come to attend the 25th annual urs of the late spiritual leader. The three-day celebrations will begin from November 17 and remain continue till the annual Duwa on November 19 (Sunday).
The urs will have three sessions based on spiritual enlightenment and spreading the message of Hazrat Muhammad Sadiq (RA). The Holy Quran will be recited. Naats will be recited. Scholars will deliver lectures on the teachings of Sufism.
Special arrangements are made for the thousands of people staying at the Darbar overnight. Exceptional measures are taken to ensure appropriate welfare of the people.
The tomb is a landmark of sorts in the City. It is a centre of inspiration not only for the people of Lahore but also for the Muslims across the board. It is one of the busiest of places in the Lahore. A large number of devotees daily visit the shrine and the number multiplied during the Urs celebrations.
The members of the tomb governing body including Chairman M Ishaq, President Rustam Ali and Senior Vice President Pervaiz Khan jointly organize the Urs every year in a great manner as it is not an easy task to facilitate thousands of devotees without any contribution from the government side.
"Preparations start several weeks early, thousands of people are expected to attend the Urs this year, the task to ensure all necessary arrangements is huge. People from all walks of life attend the Urs. The whole of country is moved by the Urs activities. Devotees come from each and every district of Punjab to pay rich tribute to the Baba Jee, said Pervaiz Khan while talking about the silver jubilee Urs Celebrations.
The members of the governing body have appealed to the participants to take care of discipline and the shrines sanctity during the event. They urged the people to remain vigilant and inform the security about any dubious character spotted at the shrine to avert any untoward situation.
Celebrating Islam and African Heritage
By Madeleine Wall, "Foreign cinema spotlight: I Bring What I Love" - The Strand - Victoria University of Toronto - Toronto, Canada
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love chronicles the life of Senegal's greatest musical export, Youssou Ndour.
Documenting his early life and then focusing on the controversy that surrounded his Grammy- winning Egypt album, the film shows Ndour for what he is: a man combining his heritage and tradition in a way that has rarely been done before.
The film begins with Ndour's early life, growing up in Senegal a Sufi Muslim, but learning about the traditions of the Girot, the African singer-storyteller. Ndour combined his Girot heritage with his music, and soon became a household name in Senegal.
It was a duet with Peter Gabriel and a performance at the Live 8 concert, a long with the song "7 Seconds," Senegal's first platinum record, which made him known around the world. With his success he soon turned to social activism, a powerful African voice raising awareness and funds to various issues in Africa. But the film's focus is on the early 2000s when Ndour decided to make his Egypt album.
Ndour attempted to show the world what Islam meant to him through this album, chronicling the story of the great Muslim leaders of Senegal. The film explores the various influences of Ndour such as Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, the pacifist Muslim leader Cheikh Amadou Bamba and Senegal's holy city of Touba, each of which have an important impact on the album, Ndour, and the life of a Senegalese Sufi Muslim.
The album was initially met with disdain from with Senegalese, who believed it was blasphemy and refused to buy it. The film focuses on Ndour overcoming controversy and disdain from his Senegalese counterparts and shooting into international fame with the album.
The films highlights are Ndour's performances. A captivating singer and performer, he is a joy to watch and listen to. It is he that moves the film forward, telling his own story and mixing it with his religious beliefs and African tradition.
The Egypt album attempted to show a different side of Islam, Ndour's Islam, hoping to change the world's perspective. What the album accomplishes is what the film accomplishes as well, showing a side of Islam that most Western audiences have not seen before. Though music is not a key part in the Islamic faith, Ndour manages to make it a part of his faith, celebrating Islam and African heritage through song.
[Picture: Youssou Ndour mugs for the camera: Media Credit: Time Inc.].
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cinema
By Madeleine Wall, "Foreign cinema spotlight: I Bring What I Love" - The Strand - Victoria University of Toronto - Toronto, CanadaThursday, October 16, 2008
Youssou Ndour: I Bring What I Love chronicles the life of Senegal's greatest musical export, Youssou Ndour.
Documenting his early life and then focusing on the controversy that surrounded his Grammy- winning Egypt album, the film shows Ndour for what he is: a man combining his heritage and tradition in a way that has rarely been done before.
The film begins with Ndour's early life, growing up in Senegal a Sufi Muslim, but learning about the traditions of the Girot, the African singer-storyteller. Ndour combined his Girot heritage with his music, and soon became a household name in Senegal.
It was a duet with Peter Gabriel and a performance at the Live 8 concert, a long with the song "7 Seconds," Senegal's first platinum record, which made him known around the world. With his success he soon turned to social activism, a powerful African voice raising awareness and funds to various issues in Africa. But the film's focus is on the early 2000s when Ndour decided to make his Egypt album.
Ndour attempted to show the world what Islam meant to him through this album, chronicling the story of the great Muslim leaders of Senegal. The film explores the various influences of Ndour such as Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum, the pacifist Muslim leader Cheikh Amadou Bamba and Senegal's holy city of Touba, each of which have an important impact on the album, Ndour, and the life of a Senegalese Sufi Muslim.
The album was initially met with disdain from with Senegalese, who believed it was blasphemy and refused to buy it. The film focuses on Ndour overcoming controversy and disdain from his Senegalese counterparts and shooting into international fame with the album.
The films highlights are Ndour's performances. A captivating singer and performer, he is a joy to watch and listen to. It is he that moves the film forward, telling his own story and mixing it with his religious beliefs and African tradition.
The Egypt album attempted to show a different side of Islam, Ndour's Islam, hoping to change the world's perspective. What the album accomplishes is what the film accomplishes as well, showing a side of Islam that most Western audiences have not seen before. Though music is not a key part in the Islamic faith, Ndour manages to make it a part of his faith, celebrating Islam and African heritage through song.
[Picture: Youssou Ndour mugs for the camera: Media Credit: Time Inc.].
Their Souls Into Mine
By Rania Khallaf, "Life in a picture" - "Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt
16 - 22 October 2008/Issue No. 918
Popular markets and moulids make up Taha El-Qurani's intimate world
After the smashing success of Taha El-Qurani's mural Friday Market, which hung at the Al-Hanager Art Centre last year in an event that caught the interest of art lovers, critics and media alike, another mural, The Moulid, was unveiled yesterday at the same venue.
El-Qurani has surprised his audience with a piece even more adventurous than Friday Market, this time depicting the rituals of moulids throughout Egypt. The cost and effort required to produce such a huge mural -- 323 (?) metres wide and 140 cm in height [1'059 (?) feet wide and 4.59 feet in height] -- poses the question of the real motive behind this unusual genre.
"Since the second half of the 20th century there has been a gap between plastic arts and their audience, because of some abstract and surrealist trends that began appearing at the time," El-Qurani says. "So I was thinking about this gap, and I saw that there should be some interaction with real people: popular markets and moulids have been my key."
The son of Sheikh Mohamed El-Qurani, a distinguished Quran reader in the 1960s, Taha El-Qurani grew up under the influence of his father's Quran reading. The atmosphere in his home was intellectual, as his father was a friend of the colloquial poet Salah Jaheen and musician Sayed Mekkawi, two leading figures associated with the development of contemporary Egyptian popular art.
It took El-Qurani seven years to complete the two murals. Although he started working on both simultaneously, Friday Market mural was exhibited first because, at 20 metres [(?) 65 feet] in length, it was a little smaller.
"It is a kind of very unique and emotional experience that one feels in such crowded places," the artist says.
This is where dervishes, dancers, worshippers and Sufi enchanters meet together." El-Qurani adds that there are about 12 million Sufi followers in Egypt who are sincere participants in Egypt's 3,362 regular moulids, which are held at all times of year. It is this fact that initially moved his artistic senses towards that "peculiar portrait of life".
El-Qurani, who is listed in the Genes Encyclopaedia as the first Arab artist to have produced such gigantic artistic portraits, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1982. He began showing in the mid-1980s, mainly exhibiting portraits and still life. El-Qurani's move towards painting murals depicting rare features in Egyptian popular culture started seven years ago.
"It all came as a coincidence," he says. "I was once involved in drawing models, and the idea jumped to my mind of sketching one of Cairo's most popular moulids. So I started with one portrait, then another, until I had produced a 32-metre- [104 feet] long mural.
The popular hidden culture in Sufi followers; their customs, clothing, and traditions, have not been recorded by any social research academy. Sufi chanters at moulids do not just chant meaningless songs, on the contrary they memorise the poetry of the most notable Sufi poets such as Ibn Arabi, Al-Halag and Ibn Al-Farid. All this results in a very rich popular culture that should be respected and recorded. And here comes the documentary role of this mural, and its peerless capacity to convey the feelings and problems of these marginalised people."
Although they might look similar, the two murals differ on some points: Friday Market, also known as the Souq Al - Imam mural, depicts street vendors, the people who come from various modest villages to trade or make other transactions, or for marriage. "The mural has brought the cause of these marginal people to the fore. These are people who can scarcely find food or clean water, and most importantly respect," El-Qurani says.
His vision has already made an impact: in reaction to the mural Abdel-Azim Wazir, the governor of Cairo, has donated LE7 million [USD 1,285,253] to develop facilities at the market.
Far from being a distant observer of the market or of moulids, El-Qurani interacted with the people, lived with them and loved their rituals. "It was like a transmigration of their souls into mine," he says. "In many cases I found myself acting as if I were one of them. It is very clear in the heavy brush strokes which reveal my interaction with such peculiar characters."
The artist's emotional interaction with the Sufi followers when working on The Moulid, meanwhile, was different. Here his religious passion drove him to become more involved in the moulids' rituals and people. To produce The Moulid, El-Qurani studied the rituals and history of several local moulids in addition to photographing and video-recording some of the most interesting such as those of Al-Hussein, Al-Sayeda Zeinab, and Al-Imam El-Shafie.
"I could not have worked on this mural without the influence of Quran recitations by El-Banna, Mustafa Ismail and Mohamed Refaat," he says.
The popular appreciation of El-Qurani's murals is shown by the honorary title "Artist of the People", which has been given him by the public and critics alike. His passion for people is not restricted to marginalised people alone. Talented individuals who have not had the chance to enrol in academic art studies are most welcome in his Creativity Centre, which offers a peculiar artistic experience for talented people from the age of 16 to 80.
With an estimated value of about LE200,000 [USD 36,721] each, and with no sponsorship, the future of the murals is unknown. Several businessmen have offered to buy them but have been turned down by El-Qurani.
"I have one condition, that Friday Market is exhibited at the People's Assembly so that it will remind politicians of the miserable status of marginal people in Egypt," El-Qurani says.
This suggestion has been officially rejected, but El-Qurani still hopes to find a good future sponsor so he can pursue his biggest dream: producing a mural entitled Egypt that would portray Egypt's ancient history and contemporary life.
"I hope Egypt will be a travel spot not just because of its ancient art and architecture, but also for its contemporary art. Such a mural could be exhibited in the new museum area, adjacent to the Pyramids Plateau. I am sure that it would attract many more visitors. All we need is a sponsor, because such a project will need a lot of money that I can't afford alone."
Some have criticised El-Qurani's works on the grounds that they are no more than an imitation of the more passionate works of the Orientalists, who portrayed popular aspects of Cairo in the 18th and 19th centuries. "The only difference, I believe, is that I do my work with a vision that sides with simple people and their daily tragedies," he protests.
A leftist artist, El-Qurani believes that art should be supportive of simple people. "My work has nothing to do with other murals such as the ones exhibited in Alexandria by artist Farouk Abdel-Salam, which has been used just as décor," he says. "Instead any artistic work, especially murals, should show some interaction with or against the subject of the work, which is what my murals have done successfully."
El-Qurani has gone further to criticise the term mural itself. "Why do critics insist on calling it a mural, and not an artistic epic that reveals many dramatic features of life in Egypt, and the pains and dreams of people?"
Art itself, he feels, should be for ordinary people. "Art should be extended outside the realm of elite districts such as Zamalek and Garden City, and reach people. This is my goal, and I am heading towards it," he says.
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art and arts
By Rania Khallaf, "Life in a picture" - "Al-Ahram Weekly - Cairo, Egypt16 - 22 October 2008/Issue No. 918
Popular markets and moulids make up Taha El-Qurani's intimate world
After the smashing success of Taha El-Qurani's mural Friday Market, which hung at the Al-Hanager Art Centre last year in an event that caught the interest of art lovers, critics and media alike, another mural, The Moulid, was unveiled yesterday at the same venue.
El-Qurani has surprised his audience with a piece even more adventurous than Friday Market, this time depicting the rituals of moulids throughout Egypt. The cost and effort required to produce such a huge mural -- 323 (?) metres wide and 140 cm in height [1'059 (?) feet wide and 4.59 feet in height] -- poses the question of the real motive behind this unusual genre.
"Since the second half of the 20th century there has been a gap between plastic arts and their audience, because of some abstract and surrealist trends that began appearing at the time," El-Qurani says. "So I was thinking about this gap, and I saw that there should be some interaction with real people: popular markets and moulids have been my key."
The son of Sheikh Mohamed El-Qurani, a distinguished Quran reader in the 1960s, Taha El-Qurani grew up under the influence of his father's Quran reading. The atmosphere in his home was intellectual, as his father was a friend of the colloquial poet Salah Jaheen and musician Sayed Mekkawi, two leading figures associated with the development of contemporary Egyptian popular art.
It took El-Qurani seven years to complete the two murals. Although he started working on both simultaneously, Friday Market mural was exhibited first because, at 20 metres [(?) 65 feet] in length, it was a little smaller.
"It is a kind of very unique and emotional experience that one feels in such crowded places," the artist says.
This is where dervishes, dancers, worshippers and Sufi enchanters meet together." El-Qurani adds that there are about 12 million Sufi followers in Egypt who are sincere participants in Egypt's 3,362 regular moulids, which are held at all times of year. It is this fact that initially moved his artistic senses towards that "peculiar portrait of life".
El-Qurani, who is listed in the Genes Encyclopaedia as the first Arab artist to have produced such gigantic artistic portraits, graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts in 1982. He began showing in the mid-1980s, mainly exhibiting portraits and still life. El-Qurani's move towards painting murals depicting rare features in Egyptian popular culture started seven years ago.
"It all came as a coincidence," he says. "I was once involved in drawing models, and the idea jumped to my mind of sketching one of Cairo's most popular moulids. So I started with one portrait, then another, until I had produced a 32-metre- [104 feet] long mural.
The popular hidden culture in Sufi followers; their customs, clothing, and traditions, have not been recorded by any social research academy. Sufi chanters at moulids do not just chant meaningless songs, on the contrary they memorise the poetry of the most notable Sufi poets such as Ibn Arabi, Al-Halag and Ibn Al-Farid. All this results in a very rich popular culture that should be respected and recorded. And here comes the documentary role of this mural, and its peerless capacity to convey the feelings and problems of these marginalised people."
Although they might look similar, the two murals differ on some points: Friday Market, also known as the Souq Al - Imam mural, depicts street vendors, the people who come from various modest villages to trade or make other transactions, or for marriage. "The mural has brought the cause of these marginal people to the fore. These are people who can scarcely find food or clean water, and most importantly respect," El-Qurani says.
His vision has already made an impact: in reaction to the mural Abdel-Azim Wazir, the governor of Cairo, has donated LE7 million [USD 1,285,253] to develop facilities at the market.
Far from being a distant observer of the market or of moulids, El-Qurani interacted with the people, lived with them and loved their rituals. "It was like a transmigration of their souls into mine," he says. "In many cases I found myself acting as if I were one of them. It is very clear in the heavy brush strokes which reveal my interaction with such peculiar characters."
The artist's emotional interaction with the Sufi followers when working on The Moulid, meanwhile, was different. Here his religious passion drove him to become more involved in the moulids' rituals and people. To produce The Moulid, El-Qurani studied the rituals and history of several local moulids in addition to photographing and video-recording some of the most interesting such as those of Al-Hussein, Al-Sayeda Zeinab, and Al-Imam El-Shafie.
"I could not have worked on this mural without the influence of Quran recitations by El-Banna, Mustafa Ismail and Mohamed Refaat," he says.
The popular appreciation of El-Qurani's murals is shown by the honorary title "Artist of the People", which has been given him by the public and critics alike. His passion for people is not restricted to marginalised people alone. Talented individuals who have not had the chance to enrol in academic art studies are most welcome in his Creativity Centre, which offers a peculiar artistic experience for talented people from the age of 16 to 80.
With an estimated value of about LE200,000 [USD 36,721] each, and with no sponsorship, the future of the murals is unknown. Several businessmen have offered to buy them but have been turned down by El-Qurani.
"I have one condition, that Friday Market is exhibited at the People's Assembly so that it will remind politicians of the miserable status of marginal people in Egypt," El-Qurani says.
This suggestion has been officially rejected, but El-Qurani still hopes to find a good future sponsor so he can pursue his biggest dream: producing a mural entitled Egypt that would portray Egypt's ancient history and contemporary life.
"I hope Egypt will be a travel spot not just because of its ancient art and architecture, but also for its contemporary art. Such a mural could be exhibited in the new museum area, adjacent to the Pyramids Plateau. I am sure that it would attract many more visitors. All we need is a sponsor, because such a project will need a lot of money that I can't afford alone."
Some have criticised El-Qurani's works on the grounds that they are no more than an imitation of the more passionate works of the Orientalists, who portrayed popular aspects of Cairo in the 18th and 19th centuries. "The only difference, I believe, is that I do my work with a vision that sides with simple people and their daily tragedies," he protests.
A leftist artist, El-Qurani believes that art should be supportive of simple people. "My work has nothing to do with other murals such as the ones exhibited in Alexandria by artist Farouk Abdel-Salam, which has been used just as décor," he says. "Instead any artistic work, especially murals, should show some interaction with or against the subject of the work, which is what my murals have done successfully."
El-Qurani has gone further to criticise the term mural itself. "Why do critics insist on calling it a mural, and not an artistic epic that reveals many dramatic features of life in Egypt, and the pains and dreams of people?"
Art itself, he feels, should be for ordinary people. "Art should be extended outside the realm of elite districts such as Zamalek and Garden City, and reach people. This is my goal, and I am heading towards it," he says.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Trying to Overcome
By Melora Koepke, "Mile End in sight" - Hour Ca - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Thursday, October 16, 2008
"Adam's Wall" lends fresh eyes to age-old themes and a Montreal neighbourhood
Mile End, and Montreal in general, has rarely looked as lovely as it does in Michael MacKenzie's Adam's Wall, a coming-of-age story set in our city's storied Jewish quarter.
In the film's opening sequence, powdery snow blows off the rooftops of triplexes as the wind blows through the trees of the Mountain, and an intro voiceover by Adam (Jesse Aaron Dwyre) tells us his life story thus far. Adam's parents are dead, and he grew up in the house of his grandfather, a rabbi, surrounded by ancient books and the mournful timbre of a life without parents.
When he meets Yasmine (Flavia Bechara) at a pro-Palestinian demo, his world expands exponentially. Yasmine is a pretty young Lebanese literature student (who wants to translate the words of Sufis) living in Montreal with her art-dealer dad (Paul Ahmarani) while her mom stays in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Adam's grandfather objects to a naked-breasted statue in the window of Yasmine's father's gallery on behalf of his community's children.
The rift between their two cultures deepens. Then bombs fall on Beirut, and Yasmine's mother goes missing. The drama between Paul and Yasmine deepens. Winding through all this is an interplay of mystical secrets of Sufism and Kabbalah being kept by a bookstore owner named Mostapha (Tyrone Benskin).
Adam's Wall is a very local sort of story about the communities hidden from the outside view in our city, and the overt exposition in the script seems most appropriate for a younger audience - a Mile End afterschool special, if you will, with a fresh take on an old theme.
Beautiful soundtrack contributions by Patrick Watson add to the youthful appeal in this fresh take on old differences and two young people who are trying to overcome them.
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cinema
By Melora Koepke, "Mile End in sight" - Hour Ca - Montreal, Quebec, CanadaThursday, October 16, 2008
"Adam's Wall" lends fresh eyes to age-old themes and a Montreal neighbourhood
Mile End, and Montreal in general, has rarely looked as lovely as it does in Michael MacKenzie's Adam's Wall, a coming-of-age story set in our city's storied Jewish quarter.
In the film's opening sequence, powdery snow blows off the rooftops of triplexes as the wind blows through the trees of the Mountain, and an intro voiceover by Adam (Jesse Aaron Dwyre) tells us his life story thus far. Adam's parents are dead, and he grew up in the house of his grandfather, a rabbi, surrounded by ancient books and the mournful timbre of a life without parents.
When he meets Yasmine (Flavia Bechara) at a pro-Palestinian demo, his world expands exponentially. Yasmine is a pretty young Lebanese literature student (who wants to translate the words of Sufis) living in Montreal with her art-dealer dad (Paul Ahmarani) while her mom stays in Beirut.
Meanwhile, Adam's grandfather objects to a naked-breasted statue in the window of Yasmine's father's gallery on behalf of his community's children.
The rift between their two cultures deepens. Then bombs fall on Beirut, and Yasmine's mother goes missing. The drama between Paul and Yasmine deepens. Winding through all this is an interplay of mystical secrets of Sufism and Kabbalah being kept by a bookstore owner named Mostapha (Tyrone Benskin).
Adam's Wall is a very local sort of story about the communities hidden from the outside view in our city, and the overt exposition in the script seems most appropriate for a younger audience - a Mile End afterschool special, if you will, with a fresh take on an old theme.
Beautiful soundtrack contributions by Patrick Watson add to the youthful appeal in this fresh take on old differences and two young people who are trying to overcome them.
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