A Sea of Humanity

By Dr. Eugene D’Souza, "Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti – A Saint of the Downtrodden " - Daiji World - Mangalore, India
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The annual ten days Urs commemorating the death anniversary of one of the most revered Sufi Saints of India, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, who is also referred as the ‘Garib Nawaz’, which means 'the one who shows kindness to the poor', comes to an end on July 15 at his magnificent mausoleum (dargah) at Ajmer.

During these ten days millions of devotees visit and pay respect and offer floral tribute to the saint for the favours that they had received or seeking favours of different kinds.

Eminent political leaders make it a point to present ‘cheddars’ amidst fanfare and media glare to be offered at the tomb of this medieval saint whose spirituality and love of humanity has been attracting thousands of devotees not only during his lifetime but even after his death year after year for the past 772 years.

This shrine is also known as the ‘Dargah Sharif’ (Holy Tomb).

Not only during the ten days Urs, but throughout the year, devotees, pilgrims and tourists throng the mausoleum of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. People of all walks of life and faith from all over the world, irrespective of their caste, creed and belief, visit this great shrine to offer flowers and devotion.

The rich and the poor stand side by side to pay homage and respect to this divine soul.

The mystic saints in Islam known as the Sufis were instrumental in spreading the ethical and spiritual values of Islam. Through spiritual attainment, piety and humanism they won over the hearts of hundreds of thousands of people.

They preferred to live among the masses of people, especially among the poor and downtrodden rather than living aloof from the society in mysticism and penance. Their service and love inspired the people and enabled them to realize the Eternal Truth.

Among the Sufi saints of medieval times, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti not only gained great spiritual and moral power but also manifested through practice his love and dedication to humanity without any worldly resources.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was born in Sajistan, East Persia, in the first half of the twelfth century (around 1139).

Right from his childhood he manifested a spiritual bent of mind. At the age of 16, following the death of his parents, Moinuddin came under the influence of a spiritual leader and gave up his worldly belongings, distributed the money among the poor and took up the life of an ascetic.

He visited great centers of Islamic learning at Samarkand, Bokhara and other places and sought the guidance of a spiritual guide (Pir). Thereafter, he proceeded to Mecca and Medina on religious pilgrimage (Haj).

From Medina Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti proceeded to India and passing through Bokhara, Heart, Lahore and Delhi and meeting a number of Sufi saints arrived at Ajmer in Rajasthan at the age of 52 in 1290. At that time Ajmer was under the rule of Prithviraj Chauhan.

At Ajmer, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti attracted a large number of followers and acquired a great deal of respect amongst the residents of the city. Those who came in touch with him, especially the poor and downtrodden received kindest treatment and blessings from him and many became his disciples.

His simple teaching made great impact on common masses and his message of universal love and peace transcended the entire humanity without the distinction of creed and caste.

His strong faith in the unity of God provided the necessary ideological background to his mission of bringing about an emotional integration of the people amongst whom he lived.

Apart from the common people even the rulers and kings, both Hindu and Muslim used to visit the Khwaja and seek his intervention to solve their problems. However, he neither sought any favour nor any land grant from these rulers.

He lived a simple life relying on cultivation or alms.

Generosity to others, especially through sharing of food and wealth and tolerance and respect for different religions were the cardinal points of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti’s teachings.

Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti interpreted religion in terms of human service and asked his disciples “to develop river-like generosity, sun-like affection and earth-like hospitality.” The highest form of devotion, according to him, was “to redress the misery of those in distress – to fulfill the needs of the helpless and to feed the hungry.”

In order to continue his mission of service to humanity, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti founded the so called Chishti Silsila (Order of Sufis) in India and sent his disciples to different parts of India to carry on his mission.

After living a simple and dedicated life in the service of common people, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti passed into eternity at the ripe age of 97 in 1236. After his death a mausoleum (dargah) was erected on his tomb at Ajmer by Iltutmish, the Sultan of Delhi. It was beautified and enlarged later by the Mughal Emperors Humayun and Akbar.

The tomb is a square white marble structure with a domed roof and two entrances.

The mausoleum of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, popularly known as ‘The Dargah Sharif’ (holy tomb) has been a center of pilgrimage for both Muslims and Hindus. However, the terrorists did not even spare this shrine that represents communal harmony and universal brotherhood.

On 11th October 2007, when thousands of Muslim devotees were breaking their day-long Ramzan fast, the terrorists triggered a bomb inside the dargah complex that killed three persons and injured seventeen.

In spite of this the spirit of the pilgrims to this shrine of the most revered Sufi Saint of Medieval India has not dampened and the stream of devotees has become a sea of humanity during these ten days of Urs.

Beyond Literal

By Ramaa Sharma, "Is there room for music in Islam?" - BBC London - London, UK
[Old News] Thursday, December 20, 2007

Some Muslims believe music is "haram," forbidden in Shariah Law, but one East London Sheikh believes Sufi music can be a passage to God

The use of music in Islam is not as obvious as it appears in most other religions. Buoyant choirs, classical instruments and ceremonial processions do not accompany prayers as they do in many eastern faiths for example.

This could be due to the fact many Muslims interpret the use of melody and musical instruments as "haram" or forbidden in Islam. Some believe the Hadeeth scripture (words of the Prophet) states that the sounds of bells, in particular, have the devil behind them.

Other reservations include the belief that there is only one possible way to reach God, and that would be on judgement day. However, Sufis believe it is possible to reach God during ones life and that’s through musical meditation.

Sheikh Alley, a Malaysian priest based in East London says there is room for music in Islam and that you just need to have an understanding of its relevance. He says: - “We are living in an age of confusion, a very complicated age where people have diverted from their own tradition. They may understand the tradition that they have, but not at its core.

People tend to focus on the literal and not beyond literal. They have a shallow understanding of that aspect.”

On Thursday evenings in Leyton, many devout Muslims get together for “Dhikr.” A session whereby the group chant recitations from the Qu’ran and also sing "Naseeds" or praises of the Prophet.

Nazia Abbasi attends the Sheikh's sermons and Dhikr regularly, she says the sessions help her to pray. Nazia Abbasi says:

“The recitation of the Dhikr has helped me to focus more internally. It has allowed me to meditate and think about the state of my heart and mind."

The Sheikh's followers believe his lineage stems back to the Prophet himself. So his appreciation for Sufi Musicians is permeating as a result.

Sufi Musicians
Historically, Hazrat Inayet Khan and poet Jalaluddin Rumi first drew attention to this mystic tradition. The late Ustad Nusret Fateh Ali Khan was and still is considered a highly accomplished Qawalli artist. His passionate renditions were known to engage people of all faiths.

The Sufi Daf
The ‘daf,’ is a deep sounding bass drum, traditionally used by Sufis in the Middle East. Many artists believe the sound of the daf simulates the sound of a heart beat.

[To listen to the full interview with Shaykh Alley, click on the title of this article in order to go to the original article, then click on to the audio links on the right side of the article. Should it require a password, just press the "enter" key on your keyboard, and it should start].

About the Journey of Life

Music Editor, "Rock on... the Sufi way"- The Times Of India - India
Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sufism, Islam’s mystical tradition, has always been popular in South Asia, where it sought to reunite people with love, peace and goodwill

Music played a large part in popularising Sufism like the Qawwali genre, which originated in 14th century India.

Through the 20th century, western and sub-continental musicians experimented by fusing these two very different strains.

The process peaked in the 90s, when Indian and Pakistani musicians mixed conventional rock with traditional sufi music. The resultant genre has been christened as ‘Sufi Rock’.

Conventional wisdom has it that Sufi rock began in 1996, when the Pakistani band Junoon released its third album, Azadi, featuring an eclectic mix of Sufi poetry and imagery, backed by hard rock rhythms.

However, cultural historian and musician, Madan Gopal Singh, feels otherwise: “Sufi rock is not an entirely Pakistani creation. In India, post-1991, the process of reviving Sufi music was going on.
It was a period of turmoil. The Punjab militancy had ended, Kashmir was boiling. Post-Babri Masjid, many NGOs organised Sufi concerts to stress communal harmony’s importance.
Then there were bands like Indian Ocean and artistes like Shubha Mudgal, who used a lot of Kabir in their songs.”

Agrees Palash Sen, lead singer of Euphoria, “We always assume that only Pakistani bands play Sufi music. But, we have a lot of Sufi elements in our music.”

So, what are Sufi rock’s distinct traits? “Spirituality. A lot of Sufi qalam (poetry) is about the love of God. Since Sufi rock fuses qalam with rock strains, the result is unique,” feels popular Sufi rocker, Rabbi Shergill.

Sufi imagery feel some is why Sufi rock is such a rage with the youth.

“The Sufi tradition is about pain, the search for happiness, and the journey of life, which makes Sufism attractive to the youth as they are asking similar questions in their lives,” says singer Zubeen Garg.

But, is Sufi rock the best way of bringing the wisdom of the revered Sufis to to-day’s youth? Filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, the man who introduced us to Sufi festivals like ‘Jahan-e-Khusro’, feels that it is both, good and bad.

“It is bad since these songs are more about titillation and don’t touch exactly where they should. Also, these bands remix lyrics which are a Sufi composition’s spine. But, as most people are not fully aware of Sufism, for now, this is an effective way of putting the message across to audiences.”

Singh puts it best when he says nobody denies such bands to brand their music as Sufi.

“Sufi music was never dogmatic, monolithic or homogenous. The various Sufi Tariqas and Silsilas differed vastly in their approaches to music and other aspects of life. Some, like the Naqshbandiyyah Tariqah even frowned on music. Others advocated music as a means to achieving God.

Most orders frowned on women and under-age males singing qalams. But, Abida Parveen and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan defied this injunction.

Sufism always has involved interpolation and has never been puritan,” he adds. And it never will be, dare we say.

[Picture: Kailash Kher. Photo by TOI (The Times Of India)].

To Be the Captain of Your Ship

By Mark Silver "The Five Surprisingly Necessary Qualities for Small Business Owners" - The Huffington Post - NY, NY, USA
Sunday, July 13, 2008

It's no joke, many small businesses end at a young age. Their owners, burnt out, broke, or simply preoccupied, give them up for good.

It can be a long, winding, rough path to get a business going. I've heard the same stories you have about the overnight sensations. But, for the vast majority of small business owners, it can take a lot of elbow grease and a lot of time before there seems to be any solidity.

When someone does move the sewing machine back into their home office, dusts off the resume, and heads back out into the job market, sometimes my heart aches for the missed opportunity and broken dreams. Other times I just nod, thinking it's the best choice.
What determines where a business owner ends up?


A Baseline Assumption Before We Begin
There are obvious questions: Are you providing a quality product or service? Do people need, use, and pay for things similar to what you're offering? I'm going to start with the assumption that these are already established.

The real issue is that business comes, but not easily. You've been working really hard at it, and you're exhausted and wondering if you should give up.

What Does It Really Take To Raise A Business?
It doesn't take an MBA from Harvard, or anywhere else. It doesn't take spiritual enlightenment (although a grounded spiritual practice helps tremendously). And, it certainly doesn't take a once-in-a-era miracle.

The usual things we hear about- determination, confidence, courage, know-how, sure, they all help. But there are some surprising spiritual qualities that seem to truly separate the "A" players from the rest.

Five of them, in fact.

The Top Five Qualities
Everyone I've seen who's gone from struggling to successful in business has been able to access these qualities, perhaps imperfectly and inconsistently, but they've got 'em, and they cultivated them. And it pays off.

1. Vulnerability
It's okay to take off that armor, Lancelot. It's too heavy and hot, anyway. Vulnerability is when you are open to letting things in.

Want more money? You need to be vulnerable. Need help from others? Vulnerability. Learning about your blind spots, or something new about marketing... yup, vulnerability.

It's the ability to say "I don't know." It's the willingness to risk falling in love, and opening your heart. It's when you say: "I can't do it on my own. Can you help me?"

On this entire list, I rate vulnerability as the single most important success indicator for small business owners. Without it, you're alone in the world, and can't receive what you need. And, it's hard to access the other four qualities without it.

2. Creativity
Here's how I define creativity: the ability to see how unlike things go together. Kinda like Sufism and Business, right?

Creativity isn't the power to create something out of nothing- it's the insight to see what odd, strange, unlike things can be combined to be useful.

This helps in creating unique offers. This helps in finding a place to fit your home office when there isn't a spare bedroom. This helps in spotting opportunities and niches.

It's actually a poetic quality- and successful business owners cultivate this ability to fit odd pieces together in (sometimes) useful ways.

3. Trust (or Faith)
The stereotype is working seven days a week, late into the night, getting it all done. Yet, you can't work ten to twelve hours every day and be truly productive.

Things start to break down. You miss opportunities, fall blind to miracles. You need spaciousness.

And to get that spaciousness, you have to have trust. Without the deep trust in your heart that you are going to be okay, you can't wrestle your to-do list to the ground and leave things, sometimes important things, undone, so you can access your creativity and aliveness.

4. Sovereignty
You are in charge. It's important, with vulnerability, to get advice, to learn, to let other sources of wisdom and experience guide you. But, when it comes down to it, you set the course.

Your business is a precious being, a vehicle for hopes, dreams, and transformational work in the world. It can provide a living for you, and perhaps others, and can help many people with some problem that's creating struggle for them.

Finding inside yourself the willingness to act, sometimes with less care and more boldness. To take actions and make decisions, even if they are at times messy and imperfect.

To be the captain of your ship. Without Sovereignty, you don't have a business, you have a job.

5. Patience
Wait for it... wait for it... Actually, the quality of Patience isn't about waiting for your ship to come in.

Patience is described by Sufi author and scholar Neil Douglas Klotz, in his book *The Sufi Book of Life*, as a pathway:

"This pathway can also help us work with projects or relationships where progress is likely to be slow, over a long period of time. The heat of patience and discomfort may, like a cooking compost pile, produce amazing future effects, ones we couldn't dream of..."

You aren't going to make (six figures, a million, insert your lofty goal here) by New Year's. Or by next New Year's. But maybe three or five New Year's hence, you just might.

If you have Patience.

Can You Order These Qualities on Amazon?
Uh... no. You can't. (Although you can get Mr. Klotz's book there.) That's the troubling thing with these kinds of intangibles, you can't buy them, you can't create them, you can't quantify them.

So, how do you get them? Let's do the quick one-two-three.

Keys to Cultivating the Top Five Qualities

• Start with Vulnerability
As I said above, the keystone quality is Vulnerability. Although all the qualities tend to help develop each other, that initial willingness to open up and let things in is the first step.

There are many ways to cultivate that vulnerability in yourself and the most effective I've found personally is some kind of spiritual practice, because it connects me to a larger Reality.

Whether it's devotional prayer, silent meditation, study of sacred texts, yoga or other movement, connecting to Source is a wonderful way to soften your heart, without flopping over and collapsing into powerlessness.

Our free workbook, *Getting to the Core of Your Business*, involves a simple, powerful, ancient Sufi practice called Remembrance that can be done in moments.

• Identify the quality you're needing in the moment
Rather than trying to get them all at once, all the time, notice what you're trying to do, and see if you can use the vulnerability of "I don't know" to ask your heart which quality is really needed in the moment.

Your heart may surprise you- you may have thought you needed Sovereignty to force something through, when in fact you needed Patience, or Trust.

Identifying which Quality allows you to proceed with focus and intention.

• Bring that softness of heart to the Quality in question
We tend to have assumptions about what 'creativity' or 'sovereignty' really is. And those assumptions come up most strongly when we are needing them and wishing we had them.

By bringing Vulnerability to your approach of Patience, for example, you can ask in your heart: "Please help me experience Patience in this situation. I'm curious what it looks like here?"

Again, allow the vulnerability and a willingness to be surprised.

These Qualities are intangibles and hard to grasp mentally, especially when you've got a long a to-do list and you feel stuck.

And yet, by giving them some attention and space, rather than trying to to push through anyway, you'll find that you begin to cultivate them, and your business will start to shine with success, too.

And you? What's your relationship to these Qualities in your business? Especially vulnerability?

[To receive the free workbook from the Author, click on Getting to the Core of Your Business
To buy Mr. Klotz's book, click on The Sufi Book of Life].

Something Akin to a Sufi Order

By Hamid Golpira, "Kicking" - Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran
Sunday, July 13, 2008

Kicking the drug habit is one of the most difficult things to do in life.

Any recovering drug addict will tell you that this is true. Fortunately, most people will never have to go through this experience personally.

There are basically four ways to kick drugs: (1) you can call on God for help and seek out the assistance of a support network of friends or professionals; (2) you can call on God for help without seeking out the assistance of a support network; (3) you can do it with a support network but without calling on God for help; or (4) you can try to do it all on your own without calling on God for help and without a support network.

(...)

Another problem faced by drug addicts is the fact that most of these individuals have addictive personalities.

A person with an addictive personality has an even harder time quitting than people who don’t have this condition. Perhaps they could be encouraged to become infatuated with stamp collecting, modern art, or other interests which are less harmful than drugs.

Thus, their addictive personalities could be channeled in a more positive direction.

Narcotics Anonymous is a group that has many branches around the world that have helped thousands and thousands of people kick the drug habit and begin to lead clean lives.

NA uses group meetings and the 12–step program, in which the recovering addicts are encouraged to believe in a “higher power” -- which is a non-denominational expression that NA uses so that they can be more inclusive.

Narcotics Anonymous has been criticized for the fact that only 25 percent of all the people who have attended meetings are able to stay clean for a long time, but this criticism is unfair since some people only join for one meeting and then disappear. And a 25 percent success rate is a lot better than a 0 percent success rate.

You can see the glass as one-quarter full and not three-quarters empty.

Narcotics Anonymous even has branches in Iran now, and they are doing excellent work by most accounts. In fact, some of Iran’s recovering drug addicts have a quasi-religious reverence for NA, as if they view it as something akin to a Sufi order.

So some positive things are happening amidst all this gloom. But there is an even darker side to the drug world.

The drug trade is a multi-billion dollar business worldwide, and some shadowy elements are trying to get people hooked on illicit drugs in order to control the masses and reap huge profits.

So where do we go from here? Well, clearly, a comprehensive international strategy must be formulated to address the world’s drug problem and all of society must play a role in implementing this strategy.

[Picture: NAIran logo. Image from: http://www.nairan.org/index.asp

To visit NA World click on this link http://www.na.org/].

With the Marvellous Dignity of Sufism

By Ahmad Mustafa, "Loss of a towering personality" - Gulf News - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Thursday, July 10, 2008

Long before Francis Fukuyama published his famous article by the end of last century, an Arab thinker coined the term "End of History" in a different context.

As it was in Arabic, it did not attract a lot of attention and the author was not much credited. That was one of the early books of Dr Abdul Wahab Al Messiri, who died in Cairo in the early hours of last Thursday, aged 70.

In the book, End of History: An Introduction to Structural Study of Zionist Thought, published in 1972, Al Messiri suggested that the notion of "end of history" is a sort of Western hegemonic theory imposed on the world.

An outstanding professor of English literature, Al Messiri was predominantly known for his Encyclopedia on Jews, Judaism, and Zionism. Though some dogmatic propagandists accused him of anti-Semitism, Al Messiri was the most enthusiastic proponent of Semitism, yet staunchly against Zionism as a fascist outcome of Western imperialism.

In the Encyclopedia, which took 25 years of hard and continuous work, Al Messiri establishes the difference between Jews, their religion, and Zionism.

He refutes the misleading demagoguery linking Zionism to Judaism, and in all his other writings he was for the peaceful co-existence of Jews, Christians and Muslims in the region.

But he was always clear about the nature of the Zionist entity in occupied Palestine, created as a spearhead for Western powers to keep the region under their influence for good.

In his last year, while suffering from cancer, he led the opposition movement Kefaya (Enough) calling for political reform in Egypt. That was part of the spirit of that great thinker - determination and leading by example.

Besides the Encyclopedia, Al Messiri wrote tens of books, hundreds of articles, and gave as much lectures on wide range of subjects.

He was a model of the comprehensive intellectual, though the main contribution was his unrivalled, in-depth analysis of Zionism and its relevance to the Arab-Israeli struggle.


Intellectual foundation
Al Messiri spent years in the US early in the second half of last century, where he completed his post-graduate studies and worked on the early seeds of his literary project.

His exposure to Western culture enriched his experience, without deforming his genuine intellectual foundations.

The most important example, for the wider public aside from his academic colleagues and apprentices, Al Messiri will be remembered with is being genuine, consistent and principled.

Devotion and dedication to a cause were the mantra of the time, and he kept inspiring those who worked with him by the same principles.

He was one of the knights of a generation of great people that included economist Dr Ramzi Zaki, and politician and writer Adel Hussain, who left our world before him. There remains a few of this brand such as the socio-economist Galal Ameen and writer Mohammad Hasanin Heikal.

One of the things not that well-known is Al Messiri's contribution to the renewal of Islamic thought, in a more rational yet fundamentalist way.

Like many of his generation, he started as a Marxist. Then, like many others also, he moved closer to political Islam - without sacrificing the critical mentality and the scientific way of thinking.

I knew Al Messiri through his books before I met him two decades ago. Since then we met in Egypt and abroad, and every time I got that impression of a man who lives what he thinks and says - without any pretence or hypocrisy.

Personal integrity, like intellectual genuine consistency, was a common feature among that generation of pioneers.

I did not work closely with him in academia, nor was one of his students, but I learnt a lot from him.

One precious thing about the great Arab thinker we lost is the humility of a great scholar mixed with the marvellous dignity of Sufism.

Besides his philosophical work, he was a great literary critic, a poet and novelist. I remember one of his recent analysis a few years ago was a comparison between Lebanese singer Nancy Ajram and her Egyptian colleague Ruby, and how he concluded that Nancy is more real than Ruby.

His solid belief that Palestine will one day be for the Palestinians was never shaken, and it was no coincidence that he spent his last week of his life in Palestine Hospital in Heliopolis, where he died.

Al Messiri will live, not only through his literary creativity but also through the example he was living all the time.

Dr Ahmad Mustafa is a London-based Arab writer.

No Space for ‘Hatred’

MNA, "Imitation leads to superficial productions: vocalist Nazeri" - Mehr News - Tehran, Iran
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Iranian vocalist Shahram Nazeri is convinced that imitation leads to superficial productions.

In a press conference held here on Tuesday at the Iranian Artist Forum, Nazeri said that Iranian music is heading toward imitation by some masters of music, and that, “we are encountering an unpleasant situation for music these days.”

“Following a spectacular decade of music that we experienced right after the Islamic Revolution, some masters began to train students to imitate their own styles. This has spoiled ‘creativity’ which, of course, is the major essence of any artist,” he added.

He went on to say, “The old masters used to train their students in such a way that each one would find his own style and feeling and as a result would create something new, leading to variety in the art of music.”

Nazeri remarked that he considers himself a musician first, then a singer. As a musician he has always been trying to study and to do research work, saying “I never liked to be an imitator and always liked to exalt my art and music.”

“I believe in change and I hope these changes will lead to great results and that I can carry new messages about my homeland to the rest of the world,” he explained.

In Nazeri’s opinion, one of the major messages of art and music is “peace” and that there is no space for ‘hatred’ in an artist’s heart.

Nazeri who has been making use of ‘blank verse’ poetry in his songs, continued, “I mainly focus on poetry by Rumi, Ferdowsi as well as Persian blank verse.”

Nazeri and his band “Molavi” are resuming concert tours after a lapse of five years, with a two-night performance in Qazvin on July 15 and 16.

They will travel to other cities including Yazd, Isfahan, Shiraz, Kerman, Rasht, Sari and Tehran.

Nazeri was presented with the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur medal, one of the most coveted trophies in the world of art and culture, by the French government during a ceremony in Paris in September 2007.

It was given to him in recognition of the meticulous attention he has paid to the musical interpretation and vocalization of the transcendent lyrics of the Iranian poet and mystic Molana Jalal ad-Din Rumi.

[Picture: Iranian vocalist Shahram Nazeri attends a press conference at the Iranian Artist Forum in Tehran on July 8 for his upcoming tour concert in Iran. Photo: Mehr/Azin Zanjani].

On a Ride to Another World

By Shoeb Khan, "An affair with Sufiana art" - The Times of India - India
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The Sufi message of peace and harmony is being propagated through an exhibition of paintings called 'Sufi art exhibition' organized by Salman Chishti, a Sufi Scholar and a curator of art paintings

He is displaying his collection of 100 paintings on handmade khadi paper at the Chishti Manzil here.

The theme of exhibition revolves around calligraphy and paintings depicting Sufi values.

At the exhibition, the Sufi paintings of Najmul Hasan Chishti, a khadim of the Khwaja and a calligraphy artist. The unique feature of this exhibition is the representation of the saying of Sufis in calligraphy, along with its meaning illustrated through a painting in the background.

The principal essence of Najmul's works is portraying life in 'Sufi Islam' and especially on 'Sama, a form of mediation, widely practiced by the Sufi 'dervish'.

One can observe Rumi poetry in many of his paintings. He had beautifully portrayed the whirling 'dervishes' in ecstasy.

The most prominent painting of an artist has been named 'Vajd', the meditating 'dervish', this painting captivates the mood of a 'dervish', swathed in a multi-coloured clock, although their eyes are open by their gaze, it is directed inward away from the world.

Another painting which is receiving appreciation is depiction of 'Basant' on the verses of Amir Khusrau, the famous Sufi poet of thirteenth century. The painting portrays 'dervishes' traveling to the shrine on Basant clad to offer garlands of yellow flowers while singing Qawwalis.

The paintings appear to be miniatures at first sight, but a closer look reveals the artist's beautiful use of watercolors. Artist Najmul began his affair with brush and paint years back when he was a student of fine arts. His deep love and faith in Sufi values helps him in coming up with ideas.

Salman, the organizer of the exhibition, have successfully created a Sufi ambiance at the venue of exhibition. The art lovers can be seen lost in themselves, when they encountered with the aroma of scented incense and in a background the Turkish Sufi music takes them on a ride to
another world.

"The objective of this exhibition is to encourage the dying art of calligraphy as well as to revive the tenets of Sufism, that preaches universal brotherhood," said Salman.

The exhibition, which was inaugurated on Saturday morning and will continue till July 14, is attracting a lot of attention from the devotees coming to the dargah to participate in the 796th annual Urs.

Apparently exhilarated by the paintings, Fahim Hussain from Mumbai said, "It's a soothing experience, which will take you to a different world".

The Core of the Sufi

By Pranav Khullar, "The magic of Ajmer Sharif" - The Times of India - India
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

To enter the sanctum of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti to offer the customary ‘chadar’, the ornamental spread, is to touch the core of the Sufi, the one for who the heart is the true shrine of God.

You enter a sacred space where all distinctions dissolve, where the “power of now”, as Eckhart Tolle puts it, seems to draw into its vortex all other outer preoccupations of the mind.

Such is the magnetic call of the heart of the Khwaja that seekers and pilgrims alike have sought inspiration and blessings from Ajmer Sharif through centuries.

The spectacle of the nazrana or offerings at the tomb is symbolic of human ego bowing down to the austere and compassionate spirit of the Khwaja. You can feel your heart expand as you experience liberation suffused with a mystical love even as the mehfils and the qawwalis rise to a crescendo, creating the right ambience.

The Urs of Ajmer serves as an annual reminder of the need to humble the individual self in the presence of the divine. For such was the faith of the Khwaja himself in the need to surrender to God through service to others while leading a strict spartan life himself, that this became the Sufi way of transcending the ego.

The stress on generous sharing and serving is embodied in the cooking and serving of large quantities of kheer. The milk pudding is prepared in two large cauldrons to be distributed later as ‘tabarruk’, the blessed food.

His uncommon love for the common man, his defining religion in the context of service to all, has earned the Khwaja the epithet of Garib Nawaz, the benefactor of the poor. While his own simple life was a living example of all that he believed in, his teachings reflect a rare compassion for all, transcending all barriers.

He would say: “Develop river-like generosity, sun-like affection and earth-like hospitality.”

His message was carried forward by Chisti Silsilah disciples like Bakhtiar Kaki, Baba Farid and Nizamuddin Auliya.

A true friend of God must learn to be as generous as the river that does not discriminate between good and bad, belief and disbelief. A true friend of God must develop sun-like affection for all. Doesn’t the sun bestow its light and warmth on all, irrespective of divisions made by man?

Unless we’re generous and compassionate, we would continue chasing shadows, getting deluded all the time. Mother Earth cradles us all in her lap, generous to a fault, giving all to her children. Only when we emulate this quality can we curb our acquisitive nature and become loving and giving, believed the Khwaja.

Only then would the “Wahdut-ul-Wujud” — Unity of Being — be realised here. This can happen only when the heart is immersed in silent remembrance — dhikr-i-khafi — of God, not merely through recitation but with remembrance.

Compassion is cultivated not merely by the swirling of the body but by the swirling of the soul, for only then would the dance of the dervish be truly understood.

It is the selfishness and ego of man which has to be swirled out, and cosmic love swirled in through surrender.

The Urs (death anniversary) of the Khwaja is but an occasion to seek and restore one’s faith in humanistic values by reaching out to all, just as the Khwaja has beckoned one and all through the passage of time.

[Picture: Entrance. Photo from: http://www.chishtihijazi.com/Teachings.htm].

How Many Raka'ah?

By Yulia Latynina, "Painting All Muslims With a Broad Brush" - The Moscow Times - Moscow, Russia
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

On behalf of all Muslims living in Russia, Geidar Dzhemal, head of the Islamic Committee of Russia, has called for an end to the persecution of Muslims in the country.

Otherwise, he warned, Russia will lose the Caucasus. It is untrue, however, that Muslims are persecuted in Russia, much less in the Caucasus. Visit a Friday service in any of the hundreds of mosques in Makhachkala, for example, and you will see thousands of people praying freely.

The persecution is directed at those who profess Wahhabism. It is also untrue that you can't distinguish Wahhabis from Sufi Muslims, the traditional branch of Islam in the Caucasus.

It is just as easy to find the difference between these branches of Islam as you can between Catholics and Protestants.

Ask a Muslim how many raka'ah -- a set of 11 ritual procedures when reciting prayers -- he reads on Friday services. If he answers "two," he's a Wahhabi; "six" and he's a Sufi. It's a basic question, like the difference between Communion in Catholic and Protestant churches.

It is true that those who give up drinking and smoking and who are engrossed in their thoughts of God are not rebels plotting against the state. It is ridiculous to interpret their prayers as a subversive act aimed at Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's overthrow.

After all, look at where Putin is compared to Allah.

But it is also untrue that Wahhabism is a peaceful religion for those who merely "pray differently." First, too many of its Russian adherents -- beginning with the founder of the Russian movement, Bagaudin Kebedov -- have openly declared that their mission is to kill "infidels."

Second, while there is generally a surprising tolerance between Islam's various branches, this is not so with Wahhabism. In the North Caucasus, nobody ever heard that members of the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam claimed that adherents of the Shafi'i movement were not true Muslims, or that the various orders of the Sufi faith did not recognize each other's legitimacy.

Followers of the great Chechen ulema Kunt-Kadzhi whirl while reading prayers, but the Avartsi believers do not. And what of it? They don't call each other munafiq, or religious hypocrites, over it.

This is not the case with the Wahhabi. Take even the most peaceful of them, and they will inevitably say that the traditional ribbon tied onto the tombs of the sheiks is a heathen practice, that reading six raka'ah during the ritual prayer instead of two is unacceptable and that everybody who prayers differently is an apostate and a hypocrite.

Nonetheless, the followers of traditional Islam wield far greater administrative power. They also enjoy the support of the authorities.

The Kremlin-installed Chechen president, son of a mufti and fanatical Muslim, Ramzan Kadyrov, persecutes the Wahhabis in the same way that Saint Ignatius of Loyola persecuted the Protestants.

Unfortunately, the Kremlin has chosen to side with the traditional Muslims in this theological dispute. But this is indefensible. A secular government should not take a position on how many raka'ah Muslims should read during their ritual prayers.

People who read two raka'ah should not be blacklisted and convicted unless it can be proven in court that they have engaged in illegal activity, such as taken up arms against authorities.

But this is not a case of persecuting Muslims. This is a case of one group of Muslims -- for example, the fanatical supporters of Kadyrov -- persecuting a different group of Muslims, the Wahhabi.

Similarly, you can't say that Henry I, Duke of Guise, persecuted all Christians during the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572, because he targeted only one branch -- the Huguenots.

Yulia Latynina hosts a political talk show on Ekho Moskvy radio.

A Third Image of Islam

By Bramantyo Prijosusilo, "What can NU offer to mitigate prejudice against Islam in the West?" - The Jakarta Post - Jakarta, Indonesia

Monday, July 7, 2008

A group of Ph.D. students affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) declared on June 28, 2008, in Boston, Massachusetts, the formation of their U.S.-NU community (KNU-AS). The community aims to mitigate the prejudices between the Islamic world and the West and strengthen the NU to help solve the problems Indonesia is currently facing.

KNU-AS declares that Islam and the West need not be mutually antagonistic, for both worlds should enrich one another. The curious thing was that the press release distributed by the KNU-AS did not specify just how Islam and the West could be mutually enriching.

The benefits and hazards of the West to the world are obvious. The West offers ever-developing sciences and technologies that alleviate suffering and open possibilities.
The West also offers a free and tolerant society that equally protects its minorities, including Muslims. The down side of the Western civilization is that it depletes resources and encourages runaway greed.

While science, technology, democracy and the rule of law make the human experience richer and safer, capitalism and the free-market concentrate power and access to resources in the hands of an elite, making the rich richer and the poor more wretched in a world that has ever less resources to share. Ultimately, Western civilization might devour the whole world.

The hazards of certain interpretations of Islam are also blatantly obvious: Terrorism and religious totalitarianism.

Terrorism is the weapon of the weak in their imagined jihad, materialized to match the perceived and real onslaughts against Islam and Muslims. Theocratic totalitarianism is the political system offered to the world by groups from the violent al-Qaeda to pseudo-intellectual Hizbut Tahrir, as an alternative to capitalism and democracy.

The violent, anti democratic image created by the actions of militant fundamentalists and projected by the media obscure the benefits that Islam might offer to the world. Even so, the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the West, testifies that more and more people find something they need in the religion of Muhammad.

There must be something less obvious and more appealing in Islam than the severity of the harsh, patriarchal Sharia, even though that particular morbid image is widely broadcasted by the media. The newly established KNU-AS must take upon itself the task defining and demonstrating to the West the benefits that Islam has to offer.

Westerners who embrace Islam often cite that the materialism and consumerism of the West has resulted in spiritual malaise, boredom and alienation. In response to this condition, the spirit of free enterprise in the West has successfully packaged and marketed spirituality.

Since the Beatles visited Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in India in 1968, the pursuit of spirituality as an alternative to the Western lifestyle has become ever more popular. In a way, the West's fascination with the positive aspects of Islam is part of this thirst for exotic spiritualism.

The successes of Sufi orders such as the Naqshbandi or the Qadiri Rifai in the U.S. and Europe reflect this very thirst. The recent facility to take bayyath (oath that connects the disciple with the master) into a Sufi order through a website, as well as the use of the internet in recruiting, planning and executing terrorist attacks, illustrates how deeply current Western technology has penetrated into the Islamic world.

KNU-AS is not a pioneer of Islam in the USA. The NU community founded in Boston is in an America that already houses at least two opposing images of Islam.

The violent suicide bomber represents the first, while otherworldly whirling dervishes represent the second. Both use the latest information technology to broadcast their diametrically opposed interpretations of Islam.

Because of its unique position as a part of the biggest Islamic organization in Indonesia that happens to follow traditionalist interpretations of Islam, a successful KNU-AS should be able to establish a third image of Islam in the U.S -- an interpretation of Islam that is neither otherworldly nor violent but down to earth and welcoming, as most Indonesians imagine themselves to be.

If it succeeds in this, KNU-AS efforts to fertilize the growth of an inclusive, tolerant Islam in Indonesia will be much more successful.

So, back to the main question: what does the KNU-AS have to offer the West?

KNU-AS's main attraction to the West is its potential to influence Islam in Indonesia, which lately has shown unsettling tendencies towards militant fundamentalism. To bring the potential to influence the NU and thus Islam in Indonesia to fruition, KNU-AS must firstly muster energy vital enough to influence the perception of Islam in the U.S.

To rise to this formidable challenge, KNU-AS might look into the possibilities of engaging in cultural diplomacy.

NU communities in Java have many amateur but excellent music, theater and martial arts groups that given the opportunity could easily capture a Western audience for a breathtaking hour or two. The very rich and sophisticated but relatively unknown performing arts of Banyuwangi (a traditional NU stronghold) for example, would be a safe bet to help shift perceptions of Islam in the U.S.

The same goes for the beautiful but devastating, obscure martial art of pencak silat. NU and its Pagar Nusa schools of pencak silat have many young and old masters who cannot only apply punches, kicks, takedowns, throws and joint locks, but can also, to an extent, defy gravity and demonstrate invincibility to fire and sharp blades.

Managed creatively NU's artists could put together a show as entertaining as the famous Chinese State Circus, guaranteed to inspire and capture people's imagination.

The only obstacle to doing this would be funds, especially as the members of KSA-NU are mostly students. However, considering many of the Indonesian elite have been caught giving and receiving bribes of large sums, there must be cartloads of that elusive stuff floating idly around, just waiting for a worthy cause.

The writer is an artist and former journalist. He can be reached at bramn4bi@yahoo.com

[Picture: Myristica fragrans (nutmeg). Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indonesia].

Hands Raised in the Air

By Sohail Chaudhry, "Summer Art Show" - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Sunday, July 6, 2008

Work of 16 artists goes on display at Nomad

Islamabad: The Summer Art Show, comprising works of 16 artists portraying their feelings about the society, social issues, nature and spiritualism, started at Nomad Art Gallery on Saturday.

The works of these artists have been displayed side-by-side to establish a close link between the artists and the art lovers, said Nageen Hayat, Nomad Art Gallery curator while talking to Daily Times.

She said these artists included from the emerging ones to leading names in the field of art in the country. “Nomad has been offering the platform to artists to exhibit their works for the last 15 years, which has proved quite helpful in exploring the young talent in the field of arts,” she added.

Artist Mehmood Ali in his works has depicted the culture and daily life of Rawalpindi using acrylics as a medium. He has painted these images in a very strong composition, which grasps the attention of a viewer at the first sight.

Nadeem Ahmed, who is associated with Nomad for the last fours years, has depicted political and social issues, especially the underprivileged, deprived and vulnerable segment of the society. He has used acrylics as medium to portray the decline of the society from the individual to institutional levels.

Ahmed has used different symbols to depict his feelings. The symbols of hands raised in the air depict the trend of beggary prevailing in the society in one or the other way.

He has pointed out that despite beggary at the governmental level no special change has occurred for improvement in the life of common man. He has used bold colours to highlight the gravity of the issue.
Sufism is another theme of his paintings displayed in the exhibition.

Hamid Alvi has wonderfully depicted landscapes with dissolved images using mix media and acrylics as the mediums. In his landscapes he has used subtle and bold colours.

Transformation of spiritualism to practical visualisation on canvas can be seen in Zia Zaidi’s abstract synthesis. Zaidi is a serious painter of modern concept. He avoids illustrating and imitating nature. His endeavour to depict the depth of mystery in spiritual theme with classic elements of painting compositions is no doubt a living example of creative reflection.
He has used strong and bold images wonderfully in his paintings displayed in the gallery.

Omar Khan, a graduate from National College of Arts (NCA), has masterly presented the traditional calligraphy in modern form. He has depicted verses of Holy Quran and names of God in a delicate and vibrant way. He is a good painter besides being perfect at calligraphy.

Nahid Raza, a leading artist, has chosen the feminine issues as her theme. In her paintings she has used very dark and rich colours to depict the undeniable role of women in society. She has masterly depicted different moods of women to describe their emotions and feelings.

Her works advocated that due status and rights should be given to women. Raza has used bold colours to depict the integrity of women through acrylics and mix medium.

Salma Mnazoor is an idealistic in her work. She has depicted aspiration of a woman using butterflies as symbols.

Najmul Hassan Najm’s works are a simple reflection of his inspiration and fascination, which he always derived from endless raw beauty of nature around him. He has presented landscapes in oil and strong brush strokes. Tranquillity of sea, calmness of empty spaces, wideness of the sky are his subjects.

Anjum Ayub has depicted the helplessness of the masses in front of power of state. She has presented people many times smaller in front of pillars symbolically used for the power of state. She has used mix media to depict her work on canvas.

Nasreen Aurangzeb has depicted landscapes of Northern Areas in oil and water perfectly.

AQ Arif with history as his theme, Moazam Ali with women of Tharparkar and Zarah David with dream like paintings are the artists whose works have been displayed in the show, which continue till July 30.

A Strong Plea for Love

Staff report, "Bulleh ki jana mein kaun" - Daily Times - Lahore, Pakistan
Saturday, July 5, 2008

Islamabad: Paying tribute to legendary mystic Bulleh Shah, Ajoka Theatre on Friday staged the most celebrated play ‘Bulleh’, based on the story of his life.

Written by Shahid Nadeem and directed by Madeeha Gauhar, the play portrays Bulleh’s poetry, reflecting events of his life as communicated through historical records and popular myths.

His search for truth, devotion to his mentor Shah Inayat, conflict with the intolerant clergy, opposition to wars and violence in the name of religion - all were highlighted in the play.

The performance had a strong plea for love, peace and an indictment against intolerance, violence and hatred.

Mian Shaharyar composed music for the play and Uzra Butt did the choreography. The set design was simple and effective, featuring one of the most exemplary theatre groups performing to an appreciative audience.

Bulleh is personification of the rich and vibrant culture of Punjab while Ajoka strives to revive the dying culture of folk theatre in the country.

The play was presented by Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) in collaboration with Sungi Development Foundation at the auditorium of National Art Gallery.

Ajoka aims at promoting theatre in Pakistan. It presents plays with references to socio-political situations and highlights various issues in strong scripts and simple sets, says Madeeha Gauhar.

Alian Aamir, a viewer, said the Bulleh’s poetry meant to educate general public so that they could differentiate truth from lie. Rizwan Ruanaq, another viewer, said Sufism could contribute towards elimination of exploitation, religious biases and social injustice.

He said peace and tolerance was the main message of Sufism, and it should be adopted if the nation wanted to come out of crises.

Ghazala Najam said the government should support companies like Ajoka Theatre so that they spread the message of Sufism widely.

A Wild Lover of God

Bureau Report, "'Rumi’s a bridge between east & west'" - The Times Of India - India
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

The maker of the all-time classic Umrao Jaan is all set to end his over-a-decade-long hiatus from filmmaking.

Muzaffar Ali, the filmmaker-turned-fashion designer has turned a movie maker again, and is planning an epic on the life of the 13th century mystic poet Rumi – often regarded as the epitome of Sufi tradition.

Being widely read, the Persian poet is the Oriental world’s apt ambassador in the West, believes Muzaffar, who is yet to decide on the lead actors.

“Rumi is a bridge between East and the West, and is the right person to dispel the incorrect notions that West harbours for the other side of the world,” says he, adding, “he is also the most widely read poet in America.”

Describing his concept of the protagonist in Rumi – The Fire of Love, Muzaffar says the poet was a scholar who went on to become a “wild lover of God”.

“My film traces the journey from his initial life to the making of a poet who wrote about the oneness of God,” says Muzaffar. “It will also explore the mystic friendship he shared with the dervish Shams-e-Tabrizi,” he added.

Ali, says he arrived at the final script for the historical after setting aside 25 initial drafts, and that he has done intensive research on the subject, sifting through the history of 13th century Persia, what now comprises Turkey.

The filmmaker also studied in detail the rise of the Seljuk dynasty, which ruled the region from the later part of the eleventh century till the onset of the fourteenth century. The Seljuk period, which brought Muslim rule at the doorstep of Europe by defeating the Byzantine empire thereby spawning a new era, was central to the period in which Rumi lived, the director said.

“I read about the Seljuk period intensively – its art and culture, the architecture and textiles. I also read a lot of literature belonging to that period,” he said. “Come to my house to see the quantum of research I have carried out on the subject,” he added.

The film, which will be produced in collaboration with the Qatar Foundation run by the wife of the Gulf state’s Emir, will take another year to go on the floor, revealed Ali, who has been assisted on the script by American Sufi expert Kabir Helminsky and noted scriptwriter, Shama Zaidi.

“The moment the financial issues are settled we will put in place casting directors,” the director said, when asked whether the actors who will play the lead roles have been decided upon.

The director, whose critical acclaim rests on films like Umrao Jaan and Gaman also confessed to be a lover of period dramas. “I love making period films because they enable me to create magic on screen. It is the idea of being possessed by a particular period through its imagination,” he said.

The director, however, believes Indian film makers have not done justice to historically important events of the country, including independence and the first war of independence. “Despite 1857 and 1947 being water-shed years in the history of our country, films based on the periods are so few, they can counted on fingertips,” Ali said.

“There should have been hundreds films on the subjects, the medium of cinema should have been better used to make people aware of the history of our independence and the massive tragedy it brought in its wake,” he added.

Compassion

ANI, "Dalai Lama offers prayer at Ajmer Sufi shrine" - Thai Indian News - Bangkok, Thailand
Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Ajmer: Tibetan Spiritual leader the Dalai Lama visited the revered Ajmer Sharif shrine in Rajasthan this morning to offer prayers on the occasion of ”Urs”, the 796th death anniversary of Sufi saint, Khwaja Moin-ud-Din Chishti.

The Tibetan Spiritual leader offered prayers at the Dargah Sharif during his two days visit to Rajasthan.

The Dalai Lama said promotion of harmony for lasting world peace has been his life-long commitment.

“All major religions of the world present the same potential to promote wholeheartedness or compassion. Through that way, genuine and lasting world peace can exist. You know for that reason, harmony among different traditions is very essential. This is my life-long commitment,” said the Dalai Lama.

Thousands of devotees congregate at the Ajmer Sharif shrine every year to offer prayers on the occasion of Urs, which began on July 5 this year.

The shrine is a symbol of religious convergence as people of all religions throng here in large numbers with the belief that all their wishes would be fulfilled once they offer prayers at the shrine.

An estimated one million devotees from India and abroad visit the saint’’s shrine during the six-day long Urs. The shrine also brings devotees from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The annual gathering is considered to be second largest congregation of Muslims at one place after Mecca.

[Picture from Tibetan Buddhist Learning Center Lehigh University: http://www3.lehigh.edu/dalailama/index.html].

A Higher Level of Consciousness

By John Payne, "Homay and the Mastan Group at Walt Disney Concert Hall" - Los Angeles Times - Los Angeles, CA, USA
Saturday, July 5, 2008

Presenting traditional sounds of Persia, the musicians astound their audience at Walt Disney Concert Hall

The rapturous reception given Iran's traditional music ensemble Homay and the Mastan Group in their debut U.S. performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall on Thursday night was well-deserved, not just for their dazzling innovations on old musical forms, but for the inspiring audacity shown by the group's very formation.

The seven-member ensemble was founded by Parvaz Homay, a young man (still in his 20s) carrying on the Persian tradition of chameh soraei, in which a musician composes, writes his own lyrics and sings.

His ensemble comprises handpicked experts on the customary Persian instrumentation, including the four-stringed tar, the reedy, flute-like ney, the upright fiddle called kamanche and the multistringed hammered zither, santoor.

Calling their performance "A Forbidden Journey" -- also the name of the ensemble's latest album -- Homay and his colleagues, inspired by the Sufi poets Rumi and Hafez, aimed to reestablish the old Persian practice of creating music that can make the listener reach a higher level of consciousness.

Their nearly three-hour performance at Disney Hall achieved this effect via Homay's heartfelt lyrics and groundbreaking music, which builds on the older folklorical styles with bold new structures, rhythms and melodic schemes.

These 18 pieces were performed in exhilarating style, with each player functioning as both soloist and ensemble member. The pieces generally were worked out in formats that accommodated substantial personal interpretation by the individual players.

The opening "Man az Jahani Degaram" presented the basic outline of the evening's works, which were characterized by lengthy elaborations on the traditional song-shape. Other pieces used a set-up of introductory duet by the vocalist with various instruments -- such as the lute-like oud or the tombak.

The entire group would then play a more orchestrated version based on themes and/or rhythms alluded to in the preliminary duet.The modernity of the group's approach to this mainly non-harmonic music (i.e., it's not built on chords) became even more evident by its emphasis on a textural harmony that resulted from the blending of tones emanating from the particular instrumentation Homay had selected.

While many of these pieces were of extended length and of unpredictable pattern and pulse (which created a few amusingly failed attempts by the audience to clap along), they were nevertheless highly engaging and often even quite simply presented.

The words of revered Persian poets Parvin Etesami and Saghir Esfahani were interpreted by Homay himself in a high-pitched, richly nuanced vocal style as he conducted the band with bold strokes on twin clay drums.

These were mesmerizing performances that produced a euphoric goodwill in the listener, a feeling that lingered long after departure from the concert hall.

[Picture: Homay sings during his U.S. debut on Thursday evening. Photo by Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times].

At the Heart of "Sufi traditions"

By Arjimand Hussain Talib "NC's Sins, PDP's Lies" - Kashmir Observer - Shrinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
Sunday, July 6, 2008

What we have seen so far is probably just a ripple on the surface. There is much more behind the diabolic curtain

It is like a false wirlwind after a real storm. The Jammu & Kashmir cabinet's land revocation order seems to have stirred a new wave of paranoia among Hindu fanatics. Suddenly over all they are up in arms – accusing J&K government of "surrender". But has J&K government really surrendered?

The people in J&K are today rejoicing, for they feel they have got their prized land back. On the other hand, the Sangh Parivar has rallied up, unleashing a wave of xenophobia against Kashmiri Muslims throughout India. But could the land revocation order of the State cabinet in any way hinder or undemine the Amarnath Yatra?

(...)

One of the most important aspects that is being missed around the whole debate on the forest land transfer of Baltal is India's new environmental laws and its National Environmental Policy (NEP). The whole area around Amarnath cave falls under what internationally is called Environmentally Sensitive Zone (ESZ). An ESZ has to be protected through proper laws.

That is why the first thing the current government needs to do is to frame an Environment Policy for the State. It must go beyond the old-fashioned discourse of the Pollution Control Board (PCB). I believe if we use the term "environmentally affordable number (EAN)" to argue why we want the number of people going to the cave to remain under control, our argument would make better sense.

In the absence of an Environmental Policy in J&K, NEP by default applies on J&K state as well. It is strange that neither the erstwhile National Conference government at the time of drafting the SASB Act [Shri Amarnath Shrine Board] nor the present coalition at the time of transfer of the forest land at Baltal obtained the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance.

It is possible that in the future facing further pressure government might undertake an EIA. Going by the past experience with EIA done at governmental levels, it is a foregone conclusion that such assessment would be a sham. We must demand an EIA, which must have international expert involvement from agencies like UNEP, World Conservation Union (IUCN) Green Peace and Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Without international involvement no environmental impact assessment would be credible.

(...)

One of the most significant aspects of the NEP is that it calls to regulate tourist inflows into mountain regions. In section 5.2.6 on Mountain Ecosystems it says, "[governments must] Take measures to regulate tourist inflows into mountain regions to ensure that these remain within the carrying capacity of the mountain ecology and consider particular unique mountain scapes as entities with "Incomparable Values", in developing strategies for their protection."

The promotion of the idea of "Sufi syncretism" in Kashmir over the years – mainly by the Governor's office - has committed a grave folly: it has sought to subscribe religious brotherhood, pluralism, tolerance to "Sufi ethos", rather than Islamic principles. This approach has been self-defeating.

As a spin off, this approach has resulted in misunderstanding about Islam and its demonization, closing the doors on understanding Islam's ethos of pluralism. It has also sought to vilify Islamic teachings - as drawn from the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) - as unaccomodative and ambiguous.

Resultantly, most non-Muslims fail to appreciate that it is Islam as a religion that has given this world the concept of human equality as never practised before. It is basically the universal message of brotherhood of Islam which lies at the heart of what are today called "Sufi traditions".

To vilify Islam as "intolerant" and "radical" closes the door of understanding of Islam and its universal appeal of human brotherhood. There has been a serious aversion by certain Hindu groups to accepting that the ethos of compassion, tolerance and accommodation among Kashmiri Muslims, which are ascribed to Sufism, are basically rooted in Islam.

And it is this approach of sidelining Islam - while promoting Sufism as an antithesis to Islam - that has given rise to a situation where Kashmiri Muslims find their faith under attack.

That is one reason that explains the groundswell of public anger and outcry on Kashmir's streets today. Kashmiri Muslims are today, by virtue of their struggle for justice, most vulnerable to be labelled as "intolerant communalists."

The occasion might even be used to show case to a section of the international community susceptible to Islamophobia "the radical danger in Kashmir." This has the potential, in turn, of even turning the sympathisers of Kashmiri political cause away. That should not be allowed to happen.

We must begin with an Environment Policy and lobby with international environment agencies to argue why we are calling for an EAN for Amarnath yatra. Afterall, every human imperative – including religion - must reconcile with the imperatives of environment for the larger well-being of humanity.

Faith over Fear

By Rajan Mahan, "Faith overrules terror as Urs arrives" - NDTV - New Delhi, India
Monday, July 7, 2008

The annual Urs in memory of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti is now attracting a huge turn out.

A prime symbol of India's composite culture, the Ajmer Dargah had suffered a terrorist blast in 2007, raising worries that the Urs this time may be a low-key affair.

But in a triumph of faith over fear, countless devotees are now pouring into Ajmer. Ignoring safety worries and security hassles, thousands of devotees are now flocking to the Ajmer Dargah.

Given the terrorist blast at this Sufi shrine in October 2007, many had predicted that the turn out for the annual Urs may be rather dismal. But faith in Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti has helped pilgrims to overcome all fears.

''Khwaja Gareeb Nawaz gives us courage and fills our hearts with faith. We will never sit at home because of fear of terrorists. No matter what they do, we will always come to this Dargah. Nothing will ever stop us,'' said a devotee.

For nearly 800 years, people of all castes and religions have been to Ajmer to seek the Khwaja's blessings.

And the Khadims, the traditional servers of the Dargah, say the Khwaja will never allow terrorists to succeed in their divisive designs.

''Despite the plans of terrorists, the bomb blast at this Dargah did not lead to a big tragedy. In that way, Khwaja Sahab had already responded to the terrorists. And now by turning up in large numbers, the devotees have given a fitting reply to terrorists,'' said Irfan Rizvi, senior Khadim of the Ajmer Dargah.

And as the Khwaja's favourite Qawaali echo in all corners of the Dargah, it is clear that faith has scored a resounding victory over terrorist fears.

My Life to This Quran

By Shoeb Khan, "Biggest hand-written Quran on display at Ajmer" - TNN/The Times of India - India
Monday, July 7, 2008

Ajmer: The annual congregation at the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinudin Chishti's mausoleum brings millions of devotees from around the world to Ajmer every year.

This year, apart from the usual spiritual pursuit, the devotees have something more to look forward to - the biggest hand-written Quran in the world, which was put on display at the dargah premises on Sunday.

The man behind the record-breaking Quran, Najmul Hasan Chishti, 56, said it was the result of unwavering spirit and nine years of hard work. "It's the biggest Quran in terms of size and font, which was compiled in one volume," Chishti said, adding, "It has 63 pages and the size of each page is 60x88 inch[m 1,5x2,23]."

Chishti, a Sufi research scholar and a khadim at the dargah, said the Quran represents the true essence of Quranic calligraphy. "I feel honoured after accomplishing the gigantic feat," he said, adding that every page has an average of 40 lines.

"Each page has a colourful border around the text, featuring flowers of different sizes and seasons," he said, adding, "At the beginning of each surah (verse), the word ‘Bismillah' (in the name of God) is written in a different calligraphic styles, which go back to the Prophet Mohammed's time," he said.

He said the Guinness Book of World Records has also expressed interest in the Quran. "A Guinness team is likely to reach Ajmer soon to verify our claim," he said.

Chishti said he began his professional life as an Urdu teacher in a government school, but gave it up in 2003 for the devotional endeavours.

"Thereafter, I dedicated my life to this Quran," Chishti, who is also a Urdu poet and writer, said.

He said the moral support of his family was crucial in accomplishing the extraordinary feat.

"My family supported me with creative ideas to enrich the style of writing. Valuable suggestions from my daughters helped me in coming up with innovative styles of calligraphy," he said.

Like Bricks in a Spiral

By Ruzik Tuzik, "Perspectives: Y.Z. Kami" - Huliq PR / Gagosian Gallery - Hickory, NC, USA
Friday, July 4, 2008

The Perspectives series of contemporary Asian art resumes with an exhibition of new works by artist Y.Z. Kami.

Born in Tehran, Y.Z. Kami draws from Eastern and Western aesthetic and mystical traditions to create large-scale works that explore the movement between the physical world and the inward spiritual journey.

A student of philosophy, he developed a particular interest in the human face and its relationship to the divine which has inspired several groups of portraits.

The exhibition will be on view through October 13, 2008.

This exhibition presents two monumental portraits from his current series depicting individuals in meditation. Each subject, rendered with a soft focus and simple palette, emanates a sense of peace and introspection.

In the third and largest work on view, poetry and religious architecture also give form to the divine.

Using collage and verses from the Mathnawi of Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273), the artist arranges words like bricks in a spiral of calligraphy that invokes the feeling of looking through a dome or the ecstatic movement of a ritual dance.

Y.Z. Kami at Freer Gallery of Art / Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

[Visit the Freer & Sackler Galleries http://www.asia.si.edu/default.htm
Visit the Gagosian Gallery Website http://www.gagosian.com/news/2008_3_20_yz-kami-at-the-arthur-m-sac/].