spent the day in manhattan with our daughter. what a treat to see our hardworking child (who is studying, working part time and doing an internship at IRC). a lovely sunny day and central park is glorious right now. more pictures on IG @mara__ahmed
#centralpark #nyc #newyorkcity #manhattan #daughtersareablessing #walkinthepark #sunnydayinnyc #weekendfamilytime
friends living on long island, pls join us for the opening reception of this exhibition celebrating asian american art. my work is included. on may 6th, 7-9pm, at westbury arts. it’s a free event but registration is needed. hope to see u then.
It is often said that Pakistan is a hard country. That it demands too much of its people. Even its children…
Repost from @purana_pakistan:
Iqbal Masih was born in 1983 to a low-income Christian family in Muridke, a commercial city outside of Lahore.
At age four, he was put to work by his family to pay off their debts. Iqbal’s family borrowed 600 rupees ($3.23) from a local employer who owned a carpet weaving business. In return, Iqbal was required to work until the debt was paid off. The work was intensive. Child labourers were bound with chains to carpet looms to prevent escape.
Iqbal worked 14 hours a day, six days a week, with only a 30-minute break. He made 1 rupee a day, but the loan continued to increase due to interest and his family’s need to take on more loans.
At the age of 10, Iqbal escaped his slavery, after learning that bonded labour had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He went to the police to report his employer, Arshad, but the police brought him back to Arshad. Iqbal managed to escape a second time. He attended the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) School for former child slaves where he acquired his education in two years.
Iqbal went on to help over 3,000 Pakistani bonded laborers get freedom and made speeches about child labour throughout the world.
He expressed a desire to become a lawyer and began to visit other countries including Sweden and the United States to share his story and encourage others to join the fight to eradicate child slavery.
Iqbal was fatally shot by Ashraf Hero, a heroin addict, while visiting relatives in Muridke on 16 April 1995, Easter Sunday. He was 12 years old. His mother said she did not believe her son had been the victim of a plot by the “carpet mafia”. However, the Bonded Labour Liberation Front disagreed because Iqbal had received death threats from individuals connected to the Pakistani carpet industry.
His funeral was attended by over 800 mourners. ‘The Little Hero: One Boy’s Fight for Freedom’ tells the story of his legacy.
Repost from @roco137:
Letting your breath and mind pulse as though it is water. Taking time for self reflection and healing is important when we allow ourselves to grow from these past two years.
Here are three storytellers expressing their reflections from their time in nationwide quarantine. Read and listen to their whole story in our main gallery today as part of our current Warp & Weft exhibit curated by @mara__ahmed.
@zazafl @electrajesh @shadia_something
#TheWarpAndWeft #FaceToFace #Storytelling #VideoExhibition #QuarantineReflections #TakeAMomentToBreath #Inhale #Exhale #BreathAsTheTide
Last week on April 21st, 11 writers and artists from the Warp & Weft met one another on Zoom and shared important insights about their stories. We had storytellers joining us from Gaza/Palestine, the Gambia, Ireland, California and New York. It was a rich and dynamic discussion. Multidimensional – for the personal is always political. Pls check it out and visit the Warp & Weft [Face to Face] at Rochester Contemporary Art Center. It will be on until May 7th.
saw ‘everything everywhere all at once’ in a movie theater (with a mask on) last night. it’s insane. the craziest film i’ve ever seen. also hilarious (was shaking with laughter) and full of emotion in places. not sure i loved it but michelle yeoh is a boss. just incredible. want to see her as a lead in all hollywood films. more michelle yeoh, less nicole kidman pls.
My artwork has been accepted for Westbury Arts’ Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Exhibition! First time my work will be shown on Long Island! Opening on May 6th, exhibition will be on view until May 27th. Thx Jaishri Abichandani for sharing the open call from Westbury Arts with me.
#asianpacificamericanheritagemonth #westburyarts #exhibition #artexhibition #asianpacificheritagemonth #longisland #westbury #maraahmed #thisheirloom
This is coming up on Thursday! Pls register and join us.
Repost from Rochester Contemporary Art Center:
Join us on April 21 for a virtual conversation with the writers, artists and activists behind The Warp & Weft. From across the globe, the speakers will share their reflections about 2020 and the inspiration behind their stories. Together they will highlight the crucial role storytelling can play in times of uncertainty and upheaval.
Our speakers will connect with us from Gaza (Palestine), the Gambia, Ireland, Oakland (California), Rochester (New York) and Long Island. Registration is necessary. Please register at the RoCo website.
yesterday avalon nature preserve in stony brook with loulou. such a beautiful day <3
#avalonnaturepreserve #stonybrook #avalonnaturewalk #walkinthepark #sundaywalk #alaskankleekai #minihusky #dogsarethebest #babysittinglife
a tribute to bilquis bano edhi (august 1947 – april 2022), the mother of orphans, who together with her husband abdul sattar edhi created the edhi foundation, pakistan’s largest welfare organization. the stats are incredible: 50,000 orphans and 20,000 abandoned infants rescued, more than 40,000 nurses trained, a fleet of 1,800 ambulances, 28 rescue boats, and a helicopter for air ambulance service. it all started with Rs 5,000 and the drive to do god’s work and help others. no nobel prize for empowered people from the global south, but today i read a tribute to bilquis edhi by a young woman who was abandoned as an infant, was raised by bari amman (bilquis edhi as she was called by her many adopted children), went to school and won scholarships, studied law and is now a successful executive. thank u bilquis ji for all u have done. the stars will shine brighter as u are welcomed to eternal life. inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.
[artwork by @maria_riaz_illustrates]
#biquisedhi #bilquisbanoedhi #abdulsattaredhi #edhifoundation #godswork #helpingothers #motheroforphans
it was a beautiful sunny day today so we went to north fork with our son and loulou. checked out some wineries and downtown greenport.
#onewomanvineyard #frontstreetstation #greenport #northfork #longisland #sunnyfriday #familyouting #familydrive
Drove two hours each way to visit Branch Brook Park in NJ. “With more than 5,200 trees, Branch Brook Park in Newark is the country’s largest collection of Japanese cherry blossom trees.” The 360-acre park was designed by the Olmsted brothers in 1895. Felt like I was in the center of a water color painting. For lunch stopped over in Paterson and had Turkish red lentil soup and koftas at Toros. 70F and sunny. Heaven <3
#branchbrookpark #branchbrookparknj #branchbrook #torosrestaurant #paterson #newark #cherryblossoms #japanesecherryblossoms #cherryblossomtrees #spring
This unique exhibition is on until May 7th at Rochester Contemporary Art Center. Don’t miss it!
some spring yard-cleaning today and then a crisp 20 min evening walk from our house to the beach.
#setauket #eveningwalk #sunset #silvermaples #longislandlight #longisland #spring #springhope #naturetherapy #walkingislife
evening walk in our neighborhood.
the long island light i write about. spring. hope. eternal.
#setauket #eveningwalk #sunset #silvermaples #longislandlight #longisland #spring #springhope #naturetherapy #walkingislife
