Spring Break
Iftar and art combine during an evening of religious revelation
by Supreetha Gubbala
Arts | 9/23/08
Posted online at 10:49 PM EST on 9/22/08
/ Last updated at 12:17 AM EST on 9/22/08
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."
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."
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