Music and Muslim Classicists
As regards music, or any cultural products including movies, the stand of Islam is ambiguous. A certain section of scholars argue that music is out of sync with the Islamic value system. Yet, many great traditions of music have grown in the landscape of Islam. I would like to be enlightened on the position of […]
Bank Interest Contested
Interest is a category Islam strongly denies. But, is bank interest as objectionable, either? I doubt. Because the money-lending practice of banks is not so unbridled and unregulated as the money-lenders in primitive societies including the Pre-Islamic Arabia. I think Muslims can accept bank loan and vehicle loan, since bank is a system of money […]
Indescribable Magic of Mehdi Hassan
“Ab ke hum bichde to shayad kabhi khabon me mile…” (As we part now, let’s hope to meet in dreams…) Mehdi Hassan keeps singing and his magical voice, with ihsaas and jazbaat, enchanting you timelessly. Great voices are like great memories. They do not recede into past; they keep alive and keep you alive. When […]
Towards the Sacred Music
Maher Zain believes in bringing in Islamic thoughts and teachings in to the music by not missing the fragrance and flavour of the mainstream music. Maher Zain had the passion for music within him since his child hood and the inspiration was indeed his father who himself was a singer, but got involved into it […]
Marcel Khalife: Oud, Darvish and Revolt
Mahmoud Darwish was an inspiration for many, especially among peace workers and human rights activists all over the world. Through his simple but highly powerful poems, the Palestinian writer attracted millions of people and persuaded them to line up against the Israel occupation. Many revolutionary movements, especially the musical groups used Dervish’s verses and words […]
Ramadan on the Move
Ramadan brings change and unity. Aman Ali and Bassam Tariq wanted to have a novel way of approaching the Ramadan and to consolidate their friendship. They conceived the project 30 Mosques in 30 days in 2009 and had iftar that year at 30 mosques in New York. This year they are visiting 30 different mosques […]
Ramadan in the Farthest North
Disembark at the fog-shrouded, mountain-rimmed, Arctic-gateway harbor of Tromsø, Norway, walk along the cobbled main street with its wooden homes and shops painted bright reds, blues and yellows, and take a left just before the pet shop. There, next to the Natural Medicine Center, you will find Alnor Senter, a simple square building. The former […]
When Istanbul Sings; We Hear Many Istanbuls
Turkish music is irresistibly intoxicating. The more you listen to it, the more it binds you inside. Once you begin to indulge in its soothing pleasure, it engages you to endless entrapment. Here, modernity cohabits with tradition as in the historic city of Istanbul, where a symbiosis between the east and the west is sharply […]
Muhammara: the Taste of Aleppo
Bilad al-Sham aka Sham aka Syria is where the Ottaman taste still lingers in our tongue. The country is also known as Levant and Levantine Cuisine is part of the lore of foodies all over the world. Mezze or the West Asian small dishes; Tabbouleh the famed Arabian Salad; hummus-the West Asian dip (Tasty mixture […]
Her Song, Her Voice and Her Landscapes
What is the difference between when she sings and when he sings? What is the difference between her song and his song?, or, in other words, the difference between when she sings songs she has made and when she sings the songs he has made?. Had change of pronouns been merely a linguistic issue, the […]
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