Sufi-Rock and its Political Message Come to KSG and Harvard
Maryam Usman-Zia
Issue date: 12/12/05 Section: Features
The pews of Memorial Church at Harvard experienced music quite different from the usual choir music, the night of November 29th, 2005. It was Salman Ahmed, the lead guitarist of South Asia's biggest rock band Junoon, playing to a full-house of his fans and curious music lovers. Ahmed, a UN Goodwill Ambassador from Pakistan, conveyed a message of introspection, peace and multi-culturalism through his genre of Sufi-rock music.
Kathryn Klohre, Research Manager, Pluralism Project at Harvard said, "I thought that the sound resonated beautifully in the chapel… it was an unusual, and thus interesting setting for a rock concert. It helped me to consider God's role in what we were doing." The concert was free to the public and raised $ 7,100 for the Edhi Foundation's South Asian Earthquake Relief Funds.
Speaking about one of Ahmed's songs, Prabakar Sakthi Kaivalyan (MPA/MC) from India said, '"Sayonee' (Soul-mate) went straight into my heart. It conveyed a lot of inner meaning and warmth to me - something more than what we exist for."
Ashok Mittal (MPA/MC) said that Ahmed has a strong following in India and hoped that his music would mobilize more people toward mutual understanding.
"Solutions evolve over time. In short term, such cultural exchanges and stronger economic ties between India and Pakistan will result in vested interests on both sides for resolving conflicts", said Mittal.
In an interview earlier, Ahmed summed up his vision of Sufism (the mystical side of Islam); "Tolerance, love, contemplation, introspection." He referred to John Lennon, a self-proclaimed atheist as a Sufi and said, "Sufism is all-inclusive. It is oneness with God. For that oneness to be complete, you have to love people. It's not about fighting for the market share of God."
Ahmed's philosophy and his message is not something unique or new, however, at a time when popular media is bent on presenting extremists as the face of Islam, Ahmed's message and his music were a welcome relief for a KSG student from Pakistan, Ali Qazi (MPP1).
Kathryn Klohre, Research Manager, Pluralism Project at Harvard said, "I thought that the sound resonated beautifully in the chapel… it was an unusual, and thus interesting setting for a rock concert. It helped me to consider God's role in what we were doing." The concert was free to the public and raised $ 7,100 for the Edhi Foundation's South Asian Earthquake Relief Funds.
Speaking about one of Ahmed's songs, Prabakar Sakthi Kaivalyan (MPA/MC) from India said, '"Sayonee' (Soul-mate) went straight into my heart. It conveyed a lot of inner meaning and warmth to me - something more than what we exist for."
Ashok Mittal (MPA/MC) said that Ahmed has a strong following in India and hoped that his music would mobilize more people toward mutual understanding.
"Solutions evolve over time. In short term, such cultural exchanges and stronger economic ties between India and Pakistan will result in vested interests on both sides for resolving conflicts", said Mittal.
In an interview earlier, Ahmed summed up his vision of Sufism (the mystical side of Islam); "Tolerance, love, contemplation, introspection." He referred to John Lennon, a self-proclaimed atheist as a Sufi and said, "Sufism is all-inclusive. It is oneness with God. For that oneness to be complete, you have to love people. It's not about fighting for the market share of God."
Ahmed's philosophy and his message is not something unique or new, however, at a time when popular media is bent on presenting extremists as the face of Islam, Ahmed's message and his music were a welcome relief for a KSG student from Pakistan, Ali Qazi (MPP1).
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Russian Singles
posted 3/18/10 @ 11:20 AM EST
Good and interesting article, thanks!
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