Performed by AKMM Composed by Feras Charestan Jul (pronounced Yule) Dance was inspired by folk music--specifically, the folk music of Sweden, where Feras Charestan now makes his home after leaving his native Syria. He wrote the piece as his contribution to a Christmas concert at the Swedish university where he was studying. Wu Man is an acclaimed performer on the pipa, a four-stringed ...
Canadian Arabic Orchestra member Majd Sekkar sets aside the clarinet for his special spring-themed mini-concert for the #MuseumWithoutWalls. Hear him sing in Syriac and improvise on a traditional Armenian instrument, the duduk. Majd Sekkar is a Syrian clarinetist based in Toronto, Canada. In addition to being an active member of the Canadian Arabic Orchestra, he is currently in the Music program at ...
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Composed and performed by Feras Charestan Samai (also transliterated sama'i or sema'i) is a venerable compositional form in Arabic and Ottoman classical music, typically in 6/8 meter. Performed both as secular art music and as part of the liturgical musical repertoire that accompanies the sacred dance of the Mevlevi Sufi order ("whirling dervishes"), samai continues to serve contemporary composer-performers, like Feras Charestan, as ...
USA -- Through service we express our love for our Imam and hope to acquire intimacy with Allah. It is a way for us to enact our humanity. Service also provides us with an opportunity to get to know each other and form bonds of brotherhood and sisterhood. Let us re-commit to maintaining this wonderful tradition. In seventh-century Arabia, a woman ...
UK -- In December, Ismaili CIVIC Brighton partnered with The Trussell Trust and The Whitehawk Foodbank to collect donations of non-perishable food items such as rice, pasta and tinned food to support the homeless and vulnerable in the city. Food poverty during the pandemic has escalated significantly. At the beginning of 2020, The Whitehawk Foodbank served around 48 local beneficiaries. By ...
Events -- 22nd April 2021 -- Islamic History and Thought Lecture Series Sign up to IIS academic news, publications and events alerts. Register for this lecture The traditional account of the early occultation-era Imami Shiʿi community depicts a series of four agents as mediating for the hidden Imam between 874 and 940 CE. Hitherto, scholarship has taken the authority of these agents ...
Global -- Even before a baby is conceived, lifestyle factors can influence the health of the fetus and child. It was this fact that motivated Saima Sachwani, assistant professor at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery, to pursue a career in public health as a researcher. She was also recently recognised as one of the World Health Organization's ...
Global -- Nine Ismaili nurses and midwives have been honoured in the World Health Organization's 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives list, in recognition of their vital role in providing health services. Throughout their careers, they have worked to promote women's health and empowerment in their respective regions and beyond. The list of 100 outstanding health leaders features nine members of the ...
Performed by AKMM Arranged by Wu Man Wu Man is an acclaimed performer on the pipa, a four-stringed Chinese lute with ancient roots that, due in large part to her efforts, has become a leading instrument of contemporary music in both East and West. Wu Man performs both traditional and contemporary music on the pipa, and many new works have been commissioned specially ...
In a new Lunchtime Lecture for the #MuseumWithoutWalls, Baku-based contemporary artist Faig Ahmed, in conversation with internationally renowned textile researcher Dr. Jessica Hemmings, untangles the ideas and inspiration behind his art practice and Dissolving Order, the Museum exhibition celebrating his work. Moderated by Assistant Curator Bita Pourvash, the discussion unpacks the role of centuries-old weaving traditions in the artist's playful and sometimes ...
A hands-on workshop designed for sixteen years and older will be conducted on Saturday, March 13, 2021 from 1-3 pm (Eastern Time USA/Canada) by Sayeh (Saya) Behnam, an Iranian American artist based in northern Virginia who works with materials from nature, such as flowers, spices (saffron, turmeric), teas, and minerals to paint decorative eggs and postcards with Persian motifs. No art ...
UK -- The Shia Ismaili Muslim community in the UK has joined forces with food charity FareShare to provide essential meal supplies for disadvantaged and vulnerable people across the UK. The 3.5 tonne food donation - providing 8,500 meals for people at risk of hunger - was made as a collective with Spectrum Buying Consortium and Bidfood, as part of a ...
News story -- Attiya Nathoo is in her final year of the IIS's Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP). Here she shares her experience of the course, the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the three biggest lessons she's learned as she approaches graduation. As I write this, I reflect on my journey from being a STEP student to pursuing this dream of ...
Global -- On 21 March 2020, as nation after nation succumbed to the largest lockdowns of our time, Mawlana Hazar Imam issued a directive to establish a Covid-19 Global Task Force and Steering Committee to coordinate the Jamati and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Hazar Imam stressed that the most urgent priority was to ensure ...
Compiled and prepared by MALIK MERCHANT (Publisher-Editor, Barakah, Simerg and Simergphotos) With March 21, 2021 only ten days away, Simerg is pleased to compile this list of Navroz books for children. The books will give families opportunities to experience the different aspects of the great cultural tradition of Navroz. All the books listed here can be delivered as early as next ...
IJKC USA: Fareed Ayaz Abu Muhammad and Group: An Enchanting Night with the Legendary Sufi Musicians. ...
Basel Rajoub, saxophone; Jasser Haj Youssef, viola d'amore; Feras Charestan, qanun Composed by Basel Rajoub (b. 1982) Basel Rajoub is a saxophonist and composer-improviser whose inspirations include traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and melodies as well as jazz. Born in Aleppo, Syria, he graduated from the Damascus High Institute of Music and creates new music that brings together musicians from the Middle East, North ...
Global -- This week, on the third episode of The Ismaili TV's Trailblazers, we are joined by Latif Nasser, the host and executive producer of the Netflix documentary series 'Connected: The Hidden Science of Everything', and host of two podcast series'. He received a PhD in the history of science from Harvard University and is the recipient of the 2021 duPont ...
Portugal -- Uma a uma, as participantes vão chegando à sala virtual onde o maestro as aguarda. Com o seu traje de cerimónia branco e um xaile (pacheri) verde e vermelho, acomodam-se nos seus lugares com aparente calma e confiança. Este é o cenário semanal do Coro Ismaili Maiter. Venha conhecer mais um pouco sobre este fantástico grupo. Passados breves minutos ...
Portugal -- Leia o artigo académico desenvolvido pelo Dr. Farhad Daftary e pelo Professor Azim Nanji sobre o conceito de "Shia Islam". English A formação histórica da comunidade muçulmana mundial ou Ummah, como é conhecida em árabe, resultou numa grande diversidade que reflete um rico pluralismo intelectual, espiritual, e institucional. Ao procurarem expressar uma resposta à mensagem dos primórdios do Islam, ...
Portugal -- "The Prophet Muhammad", por Stephen Burge, apresenta um retrato esclarecedor de Hazrat Muhammad na sua qualidade de mensageiro de Deus e uma figura exemplar para os muçulmanos. English Revelando os desafios e os triunfos da profecia, Stephen Burge examina como os profetas inspiraram a relação das comunidades de fé com o Divino e uns com os outros. Ao fazê-lo, ...
"Muhammad's is one of those rare lives that is more dramatic in reality than in legend. In fact the less one invokes the miraculous, the more extraordinary his life becomes. What ...
By: Sadruddin Noorani, Chicago, USA Mi'raj is a very important and significant event in the Muslim tradition which celebrates an experience in the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be ...
UK -- A 'lover' to be, I saw you many a time but ignored you. Yet thousands would have eloped with you, I knew nothing of you. Times were plenty, when I was in the social hall with my parents or family all gathered together because of a religious celebration; New Year, Ramadan and many such festivities. People socialising eating snacks ...
USA -- An education used to help those in need and the youth of the Jamat. Shaheen Ebrahim and her husband, Tabrezali, came from Karachi, to visit New York City in 1980, almost as a delayed honeymoon, but then they decided to stay and search for opportunities in this country. To survive, Shaheen found a job at a restaurant and her ...
Composed and performed on viola d'amore by Jasser Haj Youssef Jasser Haj Youssef was born in Monastir, Tunisia and studied both classical European music and classical Arabic music (maqām) from an early age. His first instrument was the violin. Later he began playing the Baroque viola d'amore, which has sympathetic string that are not bowed, but create a rich, resonant sound. Haj Youssef's ...
Two elite players with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra take on powerful 20th-century compositions in a new a Pocket Performance for the #MuseumWithoutWalls. In the fall, the TSO's Camille Watts (flute) and Roberta Janzen (cello) recorded one solo each and one duet in the Museum's Auditorium. As you watch the performance, marvel at how these two masterful musicians soar both in melodic conversation ...
The Ismaili is pleased to present "Ya Ali, Ya Ali," a song in praise of our first Imam. The film was shot in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, among scenery of snowy peaks, evergreen trees, and crystal clear lakes, reminding us of the beauty of the natural world. ...
Global -- Art historians and enthusiasts often recognize the 10th through 13th centuries as a period that marked an increase in the usage of symmetrical, geometric patterns in the Muslim world. Most likely aided by Muslim mathematicians, artists and artisans produced a large variety of designs. Many of these geometric models developed interpretations of ornament that embody metaphysical intent. Throughout Islamic ...
Ismaili Digest Exclusive for February 2021 -- Each month enjoy the most popular new articles and videos viewed by the Jamat from over 36 of the best Ismaili websites with just one click! 'Most popular' means most viewed post(s) on each website (excluding duplicate postings, Event Alerts and COVID-19 advice) without social media influence. NOTE: Posts are randomly ordered.
Basel Rajoub, saxophone; Jasser Haj Youssef, viola d'amore; Feras Charestan, qanun Composed by Basel Rajoub "Tashkent" was inspired by Rajoub's first visit to that city, which is the capital of Uzbekistan, where he found "sunshine, peace, and the smell of home." Said Rajoub, "I walked your streets and found this sound. I salute you." Basel Rajoub is a saxophonist and composer-improviser whose inspirations ...
News story -- For International Women's Day, we asked IIS staff and students to highlight one woman from Muslim societies and cultures who inspires them--and who they think more people should know about. From scholars to singers to activists to writers, every woman chosen and her life and actions express this year's theme: "Choose to Challenge". Here, staff and students tell us ...
Today is International Women's Day. In this short video, students and faculty from across the Aga Khan Academies in Hyderabad, Maputo and Mombasa share their thoughts and pledges to challenge gender bias and inequity. ...
"We don't need to prove that women are strong. Women are already strong. Our mission is to change the perception of people." Adiba grew up in a rural community in northern Pakistan, where traditional gender roles prevent women and girls from making decisions about their bodies and lives. Now 20 years old, she gathers girls and young women in her community to discuss issues of gender equality ...
Global -- Yasmin Nadeem Parpio, an Assistant Professor at Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM), is an advocate for mental health and wellbeing and was recently recognised as one of the World Health Organization's 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives. Yasmin is a public health nurse and also the first regional coordinator from South Asia to represent the Middle ...
Global -- When choosing to breastfeed, new mothers are often faced with uncertainty on how to best support their baby's health. What should a breastfeeding mother's diet look like? Is it safe to consume caffeine? What about other medications? Covid-19 further complicated breastfeeding, adding the question of whether the virus could be spread through a mother's breast milk. Dr Shela Hirani ...
Global -- Sadaf Saleem Murad wears multiple hats: providing care as a bedside nurse in dementia lockdown units, working as a lecturer at the University of Alberta undergraduate nursing department, and serving as a research assistant and PhD candidate investigating rehabilitation in older adults with dementia. Sadaf was also recently recognised as one of the World Health Organization's 100 Outstanding Nurses ...
Global -- Neelam Punjani graduated from the Aga Khan University as a nurse and has gone on to expand the boundaries of women's reproductive health in Pakistan through her clinical experience and research. Now, she has appeared on the World Health Organization's list of 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives. Born in Pakistan, Neelam was inspired to attend AKU's nursing programme after ...
Global -- Samina Vertejee, an assistant professor at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKUSONAM), paved the way for many nurses during her professional journey as a public health nurse. For this, and many other reasons, she recently appeared on the World Health Organization's list of 100 Outstanding Nurses and Midwives. Academically, she received a Master's degree in ...
