Iftar and art combine during an evening of religious revelation

By: Supreetha Gubbala

Posted: 9/23/08

On Sept. 18, the Muslim Students Association, with sponsorship from the International Center of Ethics, Justice and Public Life, hosted an "Islam and the Arts" night at Cholmondeley's. This event was the first of its kind for the MSA. It sought to express the various views of Islam through the media of photography and the spoken word.

On any other weeknight during this month, the Muslim community at Brandeis (which includes students, professors and graduate students) would meet at the MSA suite in Usdan for iftar, the meal with which Muslims break their fast during the holy month of Ramadan after having abstained from eating since the break of dawn.

Iftar begins at sundown, usually around 6:45 p.m. As people gather in the suite, they break the fast with the traditional dates and milk and then assemble in the prayer room to pray before eating dinner. But Thursday night was an iftar like no other, as it allowed the entire Brandeis community to experience the intimate side of the modern Islamic culture with the students and staff of the University.

The intertwining of the talent and perspectives of Brandeis students revealed their personal takes on their religion and culture. Two first-year photographers, Hyder Kazmi and Wajida Syed, displayed their portfolios along the walls of Chum's as amazed guests struggled to decide which of the photographs was their favorite. Kazmi displayed the cultural aspects of Islam through photographs of Pakistan that he took this past summer. "I go to Pakistan once every two or three years, but this was the first time I went with the conscious intention of keeping my eyes open to the culture around me, Kazmi told the Justice. "I wanted to immerse myself in the country and its people, to walk around on the streets and in the mosques and see something different for a change."

The other featured photographer, Syed, said "The Chum's event served to reflect the ways in which the Muslim students at Brandeis express themselves spiritually through art." This belief was seen, in particular, through her photograph "Girl with the Eyes."

Said Syed: "I originally meant for this photo to be a sarcastic comment on the Muslim woman-someone who is veiled, whose voice is hushed, who seems oppressed. She even has a bindi [forehead ornament], which is not even from the Muslim tradition, and that's the point. Perhaps the real veil to be lifted is not the one she wears but the veils in your mind about who a Muslim woman is." This theme of revealing the true nature behind the stereotypical Muslim woman carried on to be the focus of the night as photography shifted to the spoken word.

Spoken-word performance proved to be the most eye-opening of all the arts showcased that night. Performances were given by Kaamila Mohamed '11 and Neda Eid '11. Although back-to-back, the performances displayed the stark differences in the way modern Muslim women interpret their religion as well as their particular role in Islam. As Marci McPhee from the International Center of Ethics, Justice and Public Life commented to the Justice, "It seemed so authentic to each one, and each spoke in such radically different way about their connection to Allah, and you've got the feeling that these are questions ... that they have grappled with for a long time and have come to this place and are able to express it and give it power through the spoken word and through the photographs."

By way of consecutive performances and the relaxed atmosphere of Chum's, a vast community of people was brought together in this celebration of true diversity. In the words of Jessica Kent '09, "I liked the community dynamic; I liked that it was not infiltrated by outsiders and that it was really for the people who it was servicing and that everybody was welcome."

Moreover, the diversity was present in the simple art of prayer above all else, the core of a regular iftar. As Beth Bowman '11 pointed out, "You can just look at the group of people who are praying and see the huge diversity within that: You will see me praying, a white 6' 1" American girl. You'll see Hindus praying, Lebanese women, darker Muslim women and it goes to show that Islam is very multifaceted, and that's something people don't understand a lot of the time."

Overall, the night seemed to be an aesthetic and intellectual success, with everyone leaving feeling fulfilled by a revealing experience.