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SHIFTING IMAGES

MILIA ALI
THERE is usually a lull in the Washington social scene after the Christmas and New Year festivities. Like nature, people seem to take time off to hibernate and interactions tend to be limited to intimate gatherings around the fire or low-profile intellectual and scholastic events organised by the community.
So far, 2012 has ambled on at a pace much to my liking. It has not made a grand entrance on the world stage. Given the massive turmoil of the past few years, one hopes that this languid tempo heralds the beginning of a slow but steady phase of recovery. Fortunately, two simple but uplifting events I attended this month propelled me to a smooth take-off for the year ahead and provided much food for introspection.
The first event was a celebration of Scottish National Poet Robert Burns' birthday. Burns, who was born on January 25,1759, is internationally acclaimed as the pioneer of the Romantic Movement. In his short life of 37 years he wrote prolifically and his repertoire includes poems/songs like "A Red, Red Rose," "A Man's A Man for A' That" and "Auld Lang Syne." (The last was translated by Tagore into Bengali: Purano shei diner kotha.) Interestingly, the discussion on Burns revealed that he was not just a romantic. His poems touched on diverse social themes like equality, freedom and dignity of human life.
What made the Burns presentation especially attractive was its sheer simplicity. It was organised in a modest community centre located in the middle of a wooded Park in Annandale, Virginia. Seated in a book-lined reading room, we were treated to a brief introductory lecture, some poetry reading, and two beautiful compositions of his work played on the harp. The event was rounded off with English Tea replete with freshly baked scones, strawberry jam and clotted cream! The entire ambiance was low-key (no overheads, racy clips or multimedia), but sublimely beautiful. A reminder that one does not need high tech gadgets, ostentatious surroundings or even complicated literary theories to be touched by poetry.
The second event was different, yet, in many ways a similar soulful experience. It was the presentation of a book written by a compatriot, Dr. Abdun Noor. The book, "Thy Names," is a compilation of Allah's ninety-nine names; each explained with references from the Quran and followed by a prayer (munajat). It is prefaced with an extensively researched introduction where the author discusses the monotheistic concept of Unity in Diversity as expounded by the idea that all human beings originate from the same source, but have eclectic characteristics and views.
Referencing the Quran, Dr. Noor cites Islamic scholar Muhammad Asad to assert that the diversity of races as well as the plurality of faiths exist by Divine Will to help man develop intellectually, morally and socially. Hence there is, as such, no preferred or "chosen" race or religion. The author also draws a convincing parallel between human diversity and the diverse attributes of Allah as demonstrated in His names.
The audience, consisting of South Asians, Americans and Europeans, showed a keen interest in the underlying concept of Allah's many names, and the Universal Message of Islam as articulated by Dr. Noor. The follow-up Q&A session included an animated discussion on interfaith issues and concerns.
"Thy Names" is an aesthetically produced book with colourful graphics. The artistic calligraphy by Bangladeshi artist Yasmin Nahar deserves a special mention. But, what is really impressive is the way the author explores a very complex topic and breaks it down into a simple message: that all men are equal in the eyes of an all-forgiving and all-knowing God.
You might ask what the two occasions — Burns' poetry session and Dr. Noor's book presentation -- had in common. In terms of content, perhaps, very litde. However, the seemingly disparate events served a common purpose: they demonstrated how the profound pleasures of life can be derived from simple experiences. We do not need complex settings or elaborate arrangements to partake of the beauty of poetry and music or for discovering answers to life's intricate questions through the mystical teachings of the Quran.
Unfortunately, in our frantic quest for solutions to the multiple problems of the world (job crisis, financial collapse and political upheaval) we lose ourselves in the quagmire of complicated theories, models and strategies. If we step back and align our physical beings to our spiritual selves we may stumble on the right answers. The answers may not be precisely what we expect but they may help us find a tranquil existence within ourselves, despite the turmoil in the world outside.
The writer is a renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent and a former employee of the World Bank.