Category Culture/subculture
On a recent trip to India, we participated in a Qawwali performance at a mosque in Fatehpur Sikri. We were there to study Islamic Art and Architecture, but participated in the performance to experience some of the local culture as… Continue Reading →
What about Bouazizi’s friend? I believe this is the fourth blog I am writing due to a topic we had previously discussed in class. I promise, our class discussions serve as Narnia doors to a new dimension. They stretch my… Continue Reading →
Recently, I was procrastinating in a library study room around 10pm (as one does) by scrolling aimlessly through my Instagram Explore page. I then happened upon a meme with a punchline that focused on forgetting to say ayat al kursi… Continue Reading →
“Say Bismillah and dive right in.” Ishqr.com, formerly known as HipsterShaadi.com, is a matchmaking website for ‘hipster Muslims’. Created by Muslim-Americans, the website aims to bridge the gap between dating cultures of Muslim parents and those of their Muslim-American children…. Continue Reading →
In the above clip from Song of Lahore, the performers bring the artistry of their Pakistani musical heritage to New York City, to perform in a jazz festival at the world-famed Lincoln Center. It looks like a beautiful film, very well… Continue Reading →
The incredible dance of Sheema Kermani As Sheema Kermani graciously swiped the air with her palms and gently touched the floor with her bare feet, I could not help but wonder about the connection of her rhetoric and the… Continue Reading →
I think I might have a problem with the international language of music I consider myself fortunate for participating in Yo-Yo Ma’s workshop with The Silk Road Ensemble a couple of days back. I found it quite humbling… Continue Reading →
Reading Susana Galan’s piece on the Women2Drive resistance movement, I cannot help but think of Pascal Menoret’s meditation on youth resistance movements in Joyriding in Riyadh: Oil, Urbanism and Road Revolt. Menoret’s book documents the development of ‘joyriding’, a phenomenon of… Continue Reading →
Malaysia: The cave that almost echoed Sufism This spring break I visited incredible Malaysia and this blogpost makes a small window into some of my experiences that I wanted to connect with our class material. One particular excursion… Continue Reading →
Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers were, true to their name, labelled as jazz ambassadors and messengers to the outside world, a symbol of the melting pot that was the United States. To many, these jazz musicians transcended their entire… Continue Reading →