Event: The Virani Lectures in Islamic Studies featuring performances by acclaimed Sufi folksinger Mukhtiar Ali, mini-film festival/lecture series on Islam in India and Pakistan
Concerts: October 16 at 7:30 p.m./October 17 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: UBC Frederic Wood Theatre, 6354 Crescent Road, Vancouver
Map: Find location and closest parking at: http://www.maps.ubc.ca?376
Films/lectures: October 18-21, various locations
Media and the public are invited to attend the Virani Lectures in Islamic Studies devoted to advancing public understanding of contemporary Islam in India and Pakistan from Oct. 16-21.
Highlights will include:
- The first-ever North American performances by Sufi folksinger Mukhtiar Ali, a rising world music star who has been dubbed “the next Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan”
- Documentaries by Indian filmmaker Ajay Bhardwaj, including Where the Twain Shall Meet, which investigates the legacies of the 1947 partition of Punjab, and O Divine One! Tell Me, What Shall I Do Now?, which explores the plight of low caste “untouchables” in India.
- Lectures by top Islamic Studies scholars, including Prof. Ken Bryant of UBC’s Dept. of Asian Studies, on contemporary Islam in South Asia and Muslim artists and performers.
Editors: For media passes, high-resolution photos of Ali or interviews with Ali, Bhardwaj or the Virani family, contact organizer Prof. Anne Murphy, or Basil Waugh, UBC Public Affairs.
“These events will show a side of Islam that we do not often see portrayed in the media, especially since 9/11,” says Prof. Anne Murphy, UBC Asian Studies. “Namely, an Islam of song, beauty and complexity that is experienced and celebrated around the world.”
UBC’s annual Virani Lectures in Islamic Studies are made possible by the generous support of Amir and Yasmin Virani. Now in its fourth year, the series focuses on advancing public understanding of Islam, with a particular focus on its South Asian forms.
For ticket info and more information, visit: www.asia.ubc.ca/news-and-events/events/virani-lecture-series-fall-2010.html
Listen and watch clips of Mukhtiar Ali at: http://www.mirmukhtiyarali.com/
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