Islamic Worlds Festival - Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech

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Islamic Worlds FestivalTuesday, April 7–Saturday, April 11, 2015

Cover Photo: Maz Jobrani

ISLAMIC WORLDS FESTIVALTuesday, April 7–Saturday, April 11, 2015

The Islamic Worlds Festival aims to promote understanding about Muslim societies in their diverse political, social, religious, historical, and cultural contexts; cultivate civility; and celebrate the cultural traditions practiced in Muslim societies.

To program this multi-day series of performances, lectures, and workshops, numerous cultural student groups shared their ideas and a committed team of Virginia Tech students, faculty, and community members met biweekly since February 2014, articulating important themes, researching artists and scholars, and, ultimately, designing five days of bridge-building experiences.

To guide the selection of main-stage performers and engagement activities, the Islamic Worlds Festival team first discussed and articulated five key themes to explore: Colors, What Islam Means to Me, Gender and Islam, Crossing Boundaries, and Words. Colors disrupts essentialist notions of Islam by highlighting the diversity of Muslim societies around the globe. Colorful aspects of art and culture, such as traditional and contemporary fashion and visual arts, are also explored. What Islam Means to Me complicates singular definitions of Islam and fosters inclusivity among Muslims and non-Muslims, alike. Through art pieces, scholarly presentations, and community dialogues that combat gender stereotypes, Gender and Islam unpacks the complex relationship between myriad interpretations of the Qur’an and cultural codes that dictate gender roles. Crossing Boundaries defies the historical fallacy of Muslim societies’ insularity by illustrating the creative collaborations between Muslims and non-Muslims, and illuminating the ways in which artists in Muslim societies are bridging communities through their fusion of artistic traditions from around the world. Finally, Words explores the many voices within Muslim societies through the spoken and written word.

Islamic Worlds Festival TeamHossein Abtahi, Iranian Society at Virginia Tech

Turki Al Zahrani, Saudi Students Club

Ali Buhisi, Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine

Omar Barkawi, Students for Peace and Justice in Palestine

Willie Caldwell, MFA candidate, arts leadership, School of Performing Arts

Shamin Dabiri, Iranian Student Association at Virginia Tech

Selma Elouardighi, PhD candidate, planning, governance, and globalization

Noha Elsherbiny, Egypt Friends, Council of International Student Organizations

Nahid Farhady Ghalaty, Iranian Society at Virginia Tech

Khaled Hassouna, associate director, Middle East and North Africa initiatives, Office of International Research, Education, and Development

Faruk Hesenjan, master’s student, urban and regional planning

Marc Lucht, director, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Institute

Raghib Qureshi, Muslim Students Association

Sana Rauf, Muslim Students Association

Ali Roghani, Iranian Student Association at Virginia Tech

Mohammed Seyam, PhD student, Department of Computer Science

Sara Shashaani, PhD student, School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University

Nadine Sinno, assistant professor of Arabic, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures

Amber Smith, assistant director, University Honors

Debra Stoudt, associate dean, academic policies and procedures, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Anne Elise Thomas, ethnomusicologist

Michelle Wright, undergraduate student, wildlife science


Thursday, February 12–Sunday, April 12

LALLA ESSAYDIFrancis T. Eck Exhibition Corridor

Moroccan-born artist Lalla Essaydi’s stunning, large-scale photographs of Arab women confront gender and cultural stereotypes in powerful images that explore female identity through both Arab and Western lenses. In her work, Essaydi explores the power of space—architectural, sociocultural, and the space of the body—and how space is used to define what is woman and, more importantly, to prescribe what woman can and cannot be.

Much of Essaydi’s early life in Morocco was defined by traditional laws of gender, in which the female body is a regulated space, existing as both symbol and subject of patriarchal dominance. Essaydi also explores the Western view of the Arab and Muslim world, from the objectifying voyeurism of early Orientalist paintings to current criticisms of and assumptions about “the veil.”

On view is a selection of prints from the artist’s acclaimed Converging Territories series (2002–2004). Depicted in these evocative and poetic images are women draped in yards of fabric, with all surfaces, including their skin, covered in calligraphy. Calligraphy, a traditionally masculine art in Arab cultures, is applied in Essaydi’s work using henna, the application of which is a traditionally female practice, the first of many provocative contradictions exposed through Essaydi’s work. Converging Territories highlights tensions between masculine and feminine, objectification and individuality, Eastern and Western ideologies, and opposing ideas of freedom and oppression.

Lalla EssaydiConverging Territories #26, 2004Chromogenic print mounted on aluminum30 x 40 inchesCourtesy of the artist and Edwyn Houk Gallery

Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 10 AM

MY TAKE TALK: Selma ElouardighiGrand Lobby

Selma Elouardighi is a PhD candidate in planning, governance, and globalization in the School of Public and International Affairs at Virginia Tech. Born and raised in Morocco, Elouardighi has lived in the United States for the past 15 years, has a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western cultures, and views herself as an ambassador for both.

Elouardighi will be discussing the work of Lalla Essaydi.

The My Take Talk series invites people from all walks of life to share their “take” on the art in the center’s galleries. These short talks provide an inviting space for university faculty, students, and community members to experience exemplary works of art through the lenses of diverse disciplines.

Free


Tuesday, April 7, 2015, 8 PM

ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND THE EMERGENCE OF MODERNITYJohanna Buisson, assistant professor, École de Gouvernance et d’Économie, Rabat, MoroccoMultipurpose Room, Newman Library

It is commonly assumed that “modernity” emerged in Europe as the outcome of an intellectual, scientific, economic, social, and political process that occurred from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. However, such a Eurocentric discourse of modernity tends to ignore other, former intellectual, scientific, philosophical, and civilizational contributions, such as the key role of Islamic thought in the making of “Early Modernity.” The dominant historical narrative of “modernity” is indeed being challenged today.

Buisson received a PhD in comparative literature and philosophy from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, U.K., and an MA in Islamic studies from the Islamic College for Advanced Studies, London, U.K.

Made possible by support from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS) Dean’s Council on International Initiatives; the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention; the Departments of Philosophy, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Religion and Culture, Political Science, and Women and Gender Studies; the Center for the Arts; and the CLAHS Undergraduate Research Institute.

Free

Wednesday, April 8, 2015, 8 PM

GENDER SEGREGATION IN ISLAM: A Contemporary ControversyJohanna Buisson, assistant professor, École de Gouvernance et d’Économie, Rabat, MoroccoMultipurpose Room, Newman Library

Gender segregation, often termed as the prescriptive prohibition of free-mixing in Islam, is commonly presented as a means of individual and societal protection. Men and women would be commanded by God not to interact or socialize with one another, except for their spouse(s) and respective mahram (relatives). This is presented as a necessary prevention against moral corruption at the individual and societal levels. However, such a frightening picture could be misleading with regard to Islamic ethics and how Muslims are expected to behave along the line of the dynamics set by the Qur’ān.

Buisson received a PhD in comparative literature and philosophy from Trinity College, University of Cambridge, U.K., and an MA in Islamic studies from the Islamic College for Advanced Studies, London, U.K.

Made possible by support from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences (CLAHS) Dean’s Council on International Initiatives; the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention; the Departments of Philosophy, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Religion and Culture, Political Science, and Women and Gender Studies; the Center for the Arts; and the CLAHS Undergraduate Research Institute.

Free

Johanna Buisson


Thursday, April 9, 2015, 10 AM

MY TAKE TALK: Marc LuchtGrand Lobby

Marc Lucht is director of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Institute (URI), where he oversees the URI’s efforts to support student research, supervises the student editors of undergraduate research journal Philologia, and coordinates the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences’ student exchange program with a school in Morocco. Holding a PhD in philosophy from Emory University, his scholarly work focuses on the philosophy of art and beauty; on moral philosophy, peace studies, phenomenology, and animal rights; and on intercultural dialogue. He has published and delivered numerous conference papers on the moral implications of the aesthetic consciousness, and recently has co-edited two books, one dealing with non-human animals and other creatures in Kafka, and one dealing with group violence.

Lucht will be discussing the work of Lalla Essaydi.

Free

Thursday, April 9, 2015, 6 PM

STUDENT GROUP DISPLAYSGrand Lobby

Connect with a variety of Virginia Tech cultural student groups. Presented in collaboration with the Muslim Students Association.

Free

Thursday, April 9, 2015, 6:30 PM

FASHION SHOWCube

View traditional dress from Muslim societies around the globe. Presented in collaboration with the Muslim Students Association.

Free

Thursday, April 9, 2015, 8 PM

OMAR OFFENDUMwith guests VT ExpressionsStreet and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

Omar Offendum is a Syrian-American hip-hop artist, designer, poet, and peace activist. He was born in Saudi Arabia; raised in Washington, D.C.; and now lives in Los Angeles, California. He tours the world performing at international music festivals, lecturing at major academic institutions, and fundraising for humanitarian relief organizations. In 2013 he was a featured speaker at The Nobel Peace Prize Forum in Minneapolis. Offendum has created critically acclaimed songs about the popular democratic uprisings throughout the Middle East and North Africa among other new projects, while touring to promote his solo release SyrianamericanA. Opening the evening’s program is VT Expressions, a student social organization dedicated to free expression in art, music, and poetry, which was created to build a network of artists who exchange ideas, support other progressive programs, and represent the images, voices, sounds, movement, and thoughts of the student body.

General admission $25, students with I.D. and children 18 and under $10

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Omar Offendum


Friday, April 10, 2015, 4 PM

THE ESSENCE OF UYGHUR CULTURE: The 12 MuqamCube

Uyghurs are a Turkic-Muslim nationality living in the Xinjian Uyghur autonomous region of Northwestern China. Throughout the history of Central Asia, they left a lasting imprint on both the culture and tradition of the Silk Road. A Muqam is the melody type used in the music of Xinjiang, a musical mode and set of melodic formulas used to guide improvisation and composition. Uyghur Muqam is a composite of songs, dances, and folk and classical music that is characterized by its diversity of content, dance styles, musical morphology, and instruments used. In 2005, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science, and Culture (UNESCO) designated the Uyghur Muqam as part of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Join Faruk Hesenjan, graduate student of urban and regional planning at Virginia Tech, for a presentation of this musical tradition.

Free, registration required through the box office

Friday, April 10, 2015, 5:45 PM

FACULTY PANEL DISCUSSIONCubePanelists: Rachel Scott, Carmen Gitre, Nadine Sinno, Marc Lucht

Join Virginia Tech faculty members—Rachel Scott, PhD, associate professor, Islamic studies; Carmen Gitre, PhD, assistant professor, history; and Nadine Sinno, PhD, assistant professor, Arabic, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures—for a cross-disciplinary discussion prompted by the five themes of the Islamic Worlds Festival: What Islam Means to Me, Gender and Islam, Crossing Boundaries, Words, and Colors. This discussion is moderated by Marc Lucht, PhD, director, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Institute.


Friday, April 10, 2015, 8 PM

AN EVENING OF COMEDY:Maysoon Zayid and Maz JobraniStreet and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

Laughter and personal observations from two brilliant comedians, as they reflect on culture, families, stereotypes, and building bridges across boundaries:

Maysoon Zayid is a Palestinian-American actress, professional standup comedian, writer, and the co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival. She is a recurring columnist at The Daily Beast and was a speaker at TEDWomen 2013. Zayid has performed as a comedian in top New York clubs and has toured extensively at home and abroad. She was a headliner on both the Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Tour and The Muslims Are Coming! Tour. She is the founder of Maysoon’s Kids, an education and wellness program for disabled and wounded refugee children. Zayid, who has cerebral palsy, was a 2013 honoree of United Cerebral Palsy of NYC’s Women Who Care Awards.

Maz Jobrani is a founding member of The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which first aired on Comedy Central, and has had two Showtime specials, most recently, I Come in Peace. Born in Tehran, Iranian-American Jobrani performs stand-up around the world, including the Middle East, where he performed in front of the King of Jordan. Most recently, he co-wrote, produced, and starred as the title character in the award-winning indie film comedy, Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero. He can next be seen (summer 2015) playing the role of Jafar (from Aladdin) in the Disney movie, The Descendants. With more than 50 guest star appearances, Jobrani can regularly be seen on television’s most popular shows, and has been featured on CNN, the BBC, and in The New York Times and Time Magazine. He has given two TED talks on breaking stereotypes through comedy. He is a regular panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! His book, I’m Not a Terrorist but I’ve Played One on TV, published by Simon & Schuster, hit shelves in February 2015.


Maz Jobrani

Maysoon Zayid


Saturday, April 11, 2015, 10 AM

YALLA BINA! LET’S MAKE MUSIC! Cube

A one-hour workshop introducing instruments, scales, and rhythms of Arabic music, led by Anne Elise Thomas. Learn an Arabic song and dance the Dabke. Families welcome!


Saturday, April 11, 2015, 3 PM

LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATIONKayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn RiderStreet and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

Prior to the evening performance, learn about the string instruments in a quartet and kamancheh from Brooklyn Rider and a master of the “spiked fiddle,” Kayhan Kalhor.


Saturday, April 11, 2015, 6:30 PM

ITRAAB ENSEMBLECube

Join us for the inaugural performance of the Arabic music ensemble, Itraab. Translated as “delectation” or “diversion by music,” Itraab is composed of Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff, and community members and led by Anne Elise Thomas. This 30-minute program includes traditional and contemporary Arabic songs, accompanied by percussion, qanun (78-string zither), ̀ ud (11-string lute), and guitar.


Anne Elise Thomas demonstrates how the `ud is played in traditional and contemporary Arabic songs.

Members of the Itraab Ensemble learn and practice the maqsum rhythm on frame drums.


Saturday, April 11, 2015, 8 PM

KAYHAN KALHOR AND BROOKLYN RIDERfeaturingKayhan Kalhor, kamancheh (spiked fiddle)Johnny Gandelsman, violinColin Jacobsen, violinNicholas Cords, violaEric Jacobsen, celloStreet and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre

This stunning collaboration between Iranian kamancheh virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor and American string quartet Brooklyn Rider has been hailed by the critics as “superbly conceived, organically evolved and wonderfully rich” (Gramophone). Born in Tehran, Iran, Grammy Award-nominated soloist and composer Kayhan Kalhor has toured the world with various ensembles and orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic. He is co-founder of the renowned ensembles Dastan, Ghazal: Persian and Indian Improvisations, and Masters of Persian Music; and is a member of Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project. Brooklyn Rider also crosses many borders, and their collaborations include programs with Chinese pipa virtuoso Wu Man, Syrian/Armenian visual artist Kevork Mourad, traditional and technology-based Japanese shakuhachi player Kojiro Umezaki, singer/songwriter Christina Courtin, and the Silk Road Ensemble, with whom they have performed throughout the world, recorded three albums for Sony Classical, and taken part in a series of residencies.


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Kayhan Kalhor and Brooklyn Rider

Center for the Arts (0916), Moss Arts Center, 190 Alumni Mall, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061

Box Office: 540-231-5300, www.artscenter.vt.edu

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Islamic Worlds Festival - Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech