Ray,
Are there not any Ismaili groups in New York, as in members of the Imam
Aga Khan's Islamic following? They're a Shia sect who accept music and
art as natural expressions of and celebration through the Creator's
gifts. There's got to be other groups, considering that about 90% of
Muslims don't go to mosque. The internet alone is enlisting millions of
Islamic music fans, and there are musical pop stars in every land.
Though the latter might not have been the supporters you were looking
for, even once exiled opera stars are being accepted back into
traditional music-less countries for special performances and in some
cases, repatriation /(before they die)/. Don't know about their
religion, if any, nor if their following is religious, but I'd assume
their first fans were out of their country of origin, given their
expulsion in the first place.
I just listened to Gitti Khosravi (with Prof. Elizabeth Bengston Optiz)
performing Karawane. She has a website, http://www.gittikhosravi.com
<http://www.gittikhosravi.com>
Perhaps she could steer you towards some contacts in future.
Googling Iranian opera stars, I also found now deceased Evelyn
Baghcheban, who died in October in Istanbul, and a younger current
sensation Darya Dadvar, who, much like Measha Brueggergosman, does it all.
I suspect traditional mosques would not attract candidates for such a
fare, but not all Muslims are going to be opposed to musical expression.
*Natalia*
On 12/17/2010 9:28 PM, Ray Harrell wrote:
Thanks Lawry, The music part has been confusing to me ever since I
tried to enlist some Mosques in a nationwide "Day of Reconciliation"
with a new song by Ned Rorem. Needless to say it didn't get off the
ground. The Christians were no more willing either but I couldn't
get any dialogue at all from the Muslims. Later I was told that
their view of the music and mine were diametrically opposed. That's
what you stated below. Interesting what our logic does to our
remembrance of what Indian People call "The Original Instructions."
I'll let both Christians and Islam speak for themselves on that one.
REH
*From:*[email protected]
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *de
Bivort Lawrence
*Sent:* Friday, December 17, 2010 12:02 PM
*To:* RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION
*Subject:* Re: [Futurework] Astonishing architecture
Greetings, everyone,
I have been wanting to share with you some thoughts on the rich
exchanges between Keith and Ray, but found that this note on Qatar
impelled me to reply. Thoughts on the rewarding RAy/Keith exchange, I
hope, are to follow.
No, the mullahs are recognizing that many non-Muslims will be coming
to Qatar and they are simply confirming the traditional Arabic
hospitality that will be extended to visitors. Sharia is not
"suspended" or even "relaxed" and will continue to guide/influence the
law as it pertains to Qataris. The World Cup event poses a particular
challenge to the mores of any host country: the advent of tens of
thousands of fans who expect to get drunk and have their way,
regardless of those mores. What the mullahs, apparently, are saying is
that they won't expect Qatari law enforcement to exercise the normal
standards in the face of this onslaught. Their motive won't be to
"make a buck" as I take it Der Spiegel is proposing, but to help the
Qatari authorities find the best way of maintaining the best semblance
of law and order possible, given their expectations of the behavior of
some fans.
It is important for Europeans and Americans to realize that sharia law
is viewed by Muslims as being the direct expression of god's
instructions for good, respectful and healthy living. It is not viewed
as oppressive; rather it is viewed as the embodiment of justice and
social harmony. Muslims generally feel blessed to have such guidance,
and feel sorry for those who don't have it, or who don't follow it.
Thus the "relaxation" of sharia as it applies to the masses of
non-Muslims descending upon Qatar is undoubtedly viewed sadly as a
concession to their nominally unchangeable lack of good morals and
behavior.
Second, the Taliban are not representative of fundamentalist groups in
Islam. They are an ultra-conservative tribal (Pashtun) manifestation
that emerged, surprisingly to many, as a genuine reformist group
working against the corruption and undemocratic ways of Afghanistan's
numerous and self-centered warlords. They have morphed into fighters
for national liberation and in so doing have applied their
ultra-conservative social beliefs (e.g. re. women and education) to
areas of Afghanistan in which even when they dominated the government
in the post-USSR period they did not hold sway. The US invasion and
occupation has given the Taliban a nation-wide legitimacy that they
never possessed before, and so doing has left Afghanis with terrible
choices -- support a corrupt, warlord-centric, and anti-democratic
Karzai, or support an ultra-conservative, anti-woman Taliban. The US
occupation has left no room or opportunity for a third moderate,
democratic, and pluralistic choice to emerge.
So, as to music: music is a fundamental cultural aspect of the Arabic
and Muslim worlds. Two million people attended the funeral of one of
Egypt's extraordinary singers, Um Kalthum. If anyone reading this
doubts this, please consider down-loading her "Baid anak" (38 minutes
uninterrupted of some of the most heartfelt and beautiful music you
will ever hear) from iTunes. Some "fundamentalist" groups, including
several sufi ones, have music at the heart of their religious
practices. Others, including many salafi groups, do not, though
adherents may have a lot of music in their non-religious lives. And
then, yes, there are some groups that actively avoid music, feeling
that it is a distraction form what is important in life.
Some people, including me and, i think, Ray, view music as a form of
harmony, or a medium through which harmony in society can be sought.
And this latter group of Muslim traditionalists (and certainly not
"most" of them) holds the opposite view: that music distracts,
seduces, attracts people away from those practices and beliefs that
are the basis for such harmony. I would love to sit in on a
discussion between advocates of these two opposite perspectives.
In Qatar, music is a standard aspect of cultural life, in the past as
it is today. "The mullahs" are not, as far as I know, opposed to this,
and it would not in any case be considered contrary to sharia.
I hope these notes are of interest.
Cheers,
Lawry
On Dec 17, 2010, at 10:34 AM, Keith Hudson wrote:
You've answered this yourself. The mullahs are agreeing to the soccer
event because it will bring business. However, soccer, like the arts,
is an offpsring of an economy and not a main driver. What the mullahs
of Qatar think of music, I don't know. Most traditional Islamic sects,
such as the Taliban in Afghanistan, regard music as sinful and it's
proscribed. Not for them the great festivals of the Baltic countries
when scores of thousands of people meet for days of singing.
KSH
At 09:52 17/12/2010 -0500, you wrote:
Thanks for the pictures Keith. Traditionally we called the
ballgamea sacred act. Its subtext was the little warand it diffused
tension between nations, cities and groups. Still works. How
do you justify you comments about the Arts (and Sports) with what the
Mullahs are doing here to drum up business and replace the declining
revenues as oil runs out. South Korea is doing something similar as
well as they invest a billions dollars a year in culture business
through their version of the National Endowment of the Arts. Of
course the Germans call it Heilige Kunst.
REH
*From:* [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected]] *On Behalf Of *Keith Hudson
*Sent:* Friday, December 17, 2010 3:10 AM
*To:* RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, , EDUCATION
*Subject:* [Futurework] Astonishing architecture
For quite the most astonishing architectural photographs that I've
ever seen, go to:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,734621,00.html
This also raises two more points in my mind. The */Der Spiegel/*
article mentions that, apparently, the Qatari mullahs are prepared to
relax Sharia law for those who will be attending the World Soccer
Championship in 2022. It may be seriously suggested to Western
politicians and diplomats that soccer might be a much more effective
way to dissolve the tensions that now exist with Islamic countries.
(And what about cricket also?) Secondly, the German architects of the
stadia are putting their faith in solar-cell technology for the vast
amount of energy that will be required. However, see the companion
piece to this for a breakthrough which might be a superior way
forward, perhaps even by 2022.
Keith
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