One of a series of stamps issued by Turkey in 2008 to commemmorate the 800th birth anniversary of Hodja One day the Hodja was invited to a grand wedding where lavish food was being served. Having arrived in his old shabby robe nobody seemed to take any notice of him. This annoyed him! He slipped out of the party and went ...
Profile: Nazim Bhimani who calls himself Deaf 1 Naz, is sixteen years old and is deaf. Please see his profile in his own words at Nazim Bhimani: The Deaf World. The following poem was composed by him when he was twelve. "You came with a beautiful name and took everything in vain" pens Deaf 1 Naz Hurricane Katrina OH MY GOD! ...
Profile: Here is Nazim Bhimani's profile in his own words: "My name is Nazim Bhimani, but I like to call myself 'Deaf 1 Naz' as I am a deaf rap-poet, since I was four. I believe I am very blessed because I can hear with my heart. I write and recite only to make a difference in the world. "I've been ...
Arif Babul, one of Canada's top astrophysicist's Profile: Arif Babul is Professor and Director of Canadian Computational Cosmology Collaboration, in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada, where he researches on how our universe evolved from an extremely smooth state into a rich network of galaxies. He describes poetically the texture of the ...
Folio from a Koran; ink, color, and gold on parchment. The verse is from the end of the second sura (chapter) of the Koran, known as al-Buqara (The Cow) - Sackler Gallery and Freer Art Gallery Please browse the Fatimid artificats and Islamic Art at the Freer and Arthur Sackler Galleries by clicking the links shown below. If in (or visiting) ...
Shellyza Moledina, passionate about science...and poetry Profile: Shellyza Moledina is a university student currently enrolled in a Pharmacy degree in the United Kingdom. Aside from having a substantial passion for science and healthcare, this 21 year old is also a poet and singer and lyricist. Shellyza currently has one album titled Your Light Inside, which is composed of eleven English songs ...
Profile: Salim-el-azhar Ebrahim was previously based in Seattle, USA and is presently stationed in Karachi. He is an epigrammatist, poet, essayist, dialogist, and film-maker, and author of a newly released book Reason! The Measure of Thought, a collection of 500 original epigrams (publisher: www.amazon.com: kindle books). His previous work, The Hourglass and the Pen - the Measures of Thought, a short ...
Fez Meghani of Irving, Texas, seeks to reach out to the Muslim World Profile: Fez Meghani, aged 33, received his degree in Business from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is currently a music producer for PlaneTunity Records. He has in the past produced musical works such as Aag, City of Light, The Evolution of Creation and A Golden Sunrise, ...
Please click on each poet to read their profile and poetry (arranged by poet's last name): Arif Babul, Vancouver/Victoria, British Columbia Canada Arif Babul: Midnight Meditation (with profile) Nazim Bhimani, Ontario Canada Nazim Bhimani: The Deaf World (with profile) Nazim Bhimani: Hurricane KatrinaNazim Bhimani: Who Am I? Salim-el-azhar Ebrahim, Karachi Pakistan Salim-el-azhar Ebrahim: Epigrams I (with profile) Salim-el-azhar Ebrahim: The Pragmatist, ...
The ship occupies a unique position in the Islamic tradition. The Qur'an counts it among the ayat (miracles) of God and devotes twenty-eight verses enumerating its benefits to mankind. For Shaykh Khudr, a contemporary of the Ismaili Imam Nizar, Imams are the Ships of Salvation The following poem is a composition by Shaykh Khudr of Syria. He was a contemporary of ...
Parrot in a cage There was once a merchant who owned a beautiful parrot. The parrot's ability to sing kept the merchant very happy for years. The merchant looked after the parrot very well. But the parrot, who was confined in a cage, missed the freedom that many other birds of its kind had, and longed to be with them in ...
Modern Artistic Expressions Please read the precursor article Modern Artistic Expressions first, before you review the guidelines below. For the time being, images and your poetic compositions should be emailed to simerg@aol.com. A special form will be designed and available at a later date to facilitate on-line submissions. All the following must be provided in your email (except for option fields) ...
"The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) focuses on a small number of specific development problems by forming intellectual and financial partnerships with organisations sharing its objectives. Most Foundation grants are made to grassroots organisations testing innovative approaches in the field. With a small staff, a host of cooperating agencies and thousands of volunteers, the Foundation reaches out to vulnerable populations on four continents, ...
On May 6, 2009 President Obama had three pivotal meetings with leaders from two pivotal countries. He was joined by Vice President Biden first for a meeting with President Karzai of Afghanistan, then with President Zardari of Pakistan, and finally for a trilateral meeting with both of them. The following is a press briefing by National Security Advisor General James Jones ...
....the Hussein moulid is an incredible and eye-poppingly chaotic experience of music and religious fervour. It's definitely not for the weak, but something everyone should experience once. Article by: Hadeel al Shalchi, published in The National, Abu Dhabi, UAE. See Men, women and their children sleeping in alleyways, old men smoking shisha pipes on the kerb, young boys dancing to ...
Solar power drives Earth's climate. Energy from the Sun heats the surface, warms the atmosphere, and powers the ocean currents. NASA Photo Even After All this time The sun never says to the earth, "You owe Me." Look What happens With a love like that, It lights the Whole Sky. Poem by Hafiz, 14th Century, Translation by Daniel Ladinsky Sir Sultan ...
The following are some of my Letters to Editor which were published in The Christian Science Monitor (USA), The Independent (UK) and the Pakistan Daily Times (Pakistan). Note, the titles or headings under which the Letters were published were determined by the editors of the respective newspapers, and are not mine. "Show Islamic Face of Peace",The Christian Science Monitor, December 5, ...
One afternoon a man from Hodja's native village paid a visit to him and brought a fat duck as a present. The Mullah was extremely happy. Without delay he plucked the duck and prepared a delicious soup, which he shared with his guest. The day after, another man came to see the Hodja. He brought no present but he explained: "I ...
By Farouk M. Topan I: Introduction The relationship between man and God forms the focus of most religious literature. Of paramount importance to the relationship is the conduct, behaviour and action of man during his sojourn on earth. What he says and does is deemed to affect that relationship: good deeds strengthen it, bad deeds impair it. It is thus considered ...
...As a Muslim leader speaking in Washington this evening, it seems appropriate that I cite the words of President Obama, in his recent speech in Ankara. As he put it, pledging a"broader engagement with the Muslim world, we will listen carefully, we will bridge misunderstandings, and we will seek common ground." I know that the vast majority of the Islamic world ...
Hodja, deep in thought, was walking down a road near the palace when he bumped into a man. The man got very angry and began shouting at Hodja. "Do you know who I am!", he screamed. "I am the king's advisor in his court!" "That is nice", said Hodja. "As for me I am King," he added. "A King?" asked the ...
Introduction: Shams-e-Tabrizi (d.1248) was an Iranian Sufi mystic born in the city of Tabriz in Iranian Azerbaijan. He introduced Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, usually known as Rumi in the West, to Islamic mysticism, for which he was immortalized in Rumi's poetry collection Diwan-e Shams-e Tabriz-i ("The Works of Shams of Tabriz"). Shams lived together with Rumi in Konya, in present-day ...
One day a Dervish arrived in a village while he was crossing a desert with his donkey. He was exhausted and decided to rest at an inn in the village. First, he placed his donkey in the care of a boy at a stable beside the Inn. The inn was filled to capacity with men of different backgrounds. Some were upright ...
Introduction: Saadi Shirazi or Saadi was an Iranian poet who was born in Shiraz in 1184. He wrote the Bustan (in Persian, meaning "The Orchard" ) in 1257, the Golistan (in Persian, meaning "The Rose Garden" ) in 1258, and a collection of lyrics (Divan). When Saadi was very young, he left Shiraz for Baghdad to study Arabic literature and Islamic ...
Introduction of His Highness the Aga Khan by Vartan Gregorian, 16th President of Brown His Highness the Aga Khan at "The Green" at Brown University, 1996. Simerg Photo. At the Class of 1996 baccalaureate service, Brown President Vartan Gregorian introduced His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, leader of the Ismaili Muslims, who delivered the baccalaureate address. The University's 232nd baccalaureate ...
Carnegie Corporation of New York on April 7, 2009 announced an initial $10 million investment to enrich the quality of America's public dialogue on Islam and Muslim societies. Many of the foundation's long-term programmatic priorities-from international security and immigrant integration to journalism and support for individual scholars-have integrated a focus on Islam into their grantmaking. The Corporation's comprehensive strategy focuses on ...
Hodja, Questioning God's Wisdom. Illustration by Jillian GilliandIntroduction: Nasreddin Hodja is Turkey's (and perhaps all of Islam's) best-known trickster. His legendary wit and droll trickery were possibly based on the exploits and words of a historical imam. Nasreddin reputedly was born in 1208 in the village of Horto near Sivrihisar. In 1237 he moved to Aksehir, where he died in the Islamic ...
A parable is a brief, succinct story, in prose or verse, that illustrates a moral or religious lesson. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human characters. (Wikipedia definition) In many faiths and cultures, the teaching of ethics and morals is often taught by parables. ...
This is a Place for Uninvolved People. But you never know - you could get involved, by reading something in Sidelines where you will get opinions and perspectives on any subject that matters. Sidelines (latest at top) Five East African Serena Resorts in Condé Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice AwardsOur Incredible 'Yellowstone' Holiday: Part III - The Yellowstone Caldera and Geysers of ...
Earth Day is celebrated every April 22 and is the largest celebrated environmental event worldwide. First launched as an environmental awareness event in the United States, one billion people across the globe now participate in various Earth Day activities every year. Six million of these participants are Canadian. Over the years, Earth Day has grown into Earth Week and Earth Month ...
The springtime of a friend of 'Ali is always full of the efflorescence of 'Ali; None deserves eminence and praise among the people except he who befriends 'Ali. The heart of every Shi'i is protected from Satan in the fortress of 'Ali; As 'Ali is from the Prophet's family the true Shi'i belongs to the family of 'Ali. 'Ali's cave is ...
Call Yourself A Barefooter for a Week, Serve a Purpose...and Become Stress Free Become a Barefooter and Leave Your Imprint Barefooter Going 'barefoot' (also 'barefooted') means for a person not to use, or to go without, any type of foot covering. It is traditional to go barefoot in many developing world, but less common in industrialized due to greater societal taboos, ...
Al-Hazen discussed the density of the atmosphere, and correctly explained the refraction of light in the atmosphere. From his studies of refraction he determined that the atmosphere has a definite height, which he calculated to be about 50 km, and also that twilight is caused by refraction of solar radiation from beneath the horizon. For his pioneering work in these areas, ...
Hazrat Ali (a.s.) was a person of deep knowledge and wisdom. There were many people who came to him for guidance. He taught them about Islam, the meaning of the Quran, and how to live together as good Muslims. Hazrat Ali's words are remembered to this day by Muslims everywhere. Here are some of the sayings of the first Shia Imam: ...
All Images shown below are from the Private Collection of Mr. Bruno Freschi, 1985. Photos by Mr. Gary Otte. Please click on image for larger version of the photo. Please note that the larger images are not necessarily high resolution images.A Sketch of the Burnaby Darkhana Jamatkhana.Foundation Ceremony: July 26, 1982; Opening Date: August 23, 1985; Site Area: 14171.8 square metres; Area ...
All Images shown below are from the Private Collection of Mr. Bruno Freschi, 1985. Photos by Mr. Gary Otte. A Sketch of the Burnaby Darkhana Jamatkhana. Foundation Ceremony: July 26, 1982; Opening Date: August 23, 1985; Floor Areas: Site 14172 square metres, area covered by building 3870 square metres, parking 134 spaces. The Aga Khan noted at the Foundation ceremony: "I succeeded ...
Poem Composed by: Fida'i Khurasani He is always present a witness with his followers; but who has seen his beauty except the blessed? He who is the cupbearer of the fount of paradise is aware altogether of the hearts of his followers He is the Imam of the time the guide and comforter the protector of his followers whether young or ...
A Brilliant Architect and a Visionary Imam Combine to Build First Iconic Ismaili Landmark in North America Twenty Four Years Ago Mr. Bruno Freschi pictured recently at Vij's restaurant in Vancouver. Photo: Nurin Merchant In a personal message to Mr. Bruno Freschi dated 20th October, 1985, His Highness the Aga Khan wrote: "With my deep and sincere gratitude for conceiving, designing ...
Vij's in Vancouver One can't plan for an evening dinner at Vij's with any certainty. The restaurant doesn't have a reservation policy - no exceptions. My requests to get one on the pretext that my daughter, Nurin, and I had travelled far or that our guest had to leave early were politely turned down. Vikram Vij himself sent me an email ...
An Invitation to all Visual Artists and Poets in the Ismaili Community Circular Plate showing leader watching his community celebrating. Issued by Midori Mint, Limited Edition Please click on the following links for works published at this website: Poetic Expressions: The Poets and their Poetry Visual Arts: The Artists and their Works ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SPECIAL PRESENTATION: THE FESTIVAL OF POETIC EXPRESSIONS Please ...
