Category: local

Support BLACK at the National Convening for Black Lives

Help local activists (and members of BLACK) attend the National Convening for Black Lives by supporting this fundraiser.

“B.L.A.C.K. | Building Leadership And Community Knowledge is a grassroots collective created to empower the Black community through education, awareness, leadership development, cooperative economics, social media, and tactful action in an effort to combat the many disparities caused by institutionalized racism. Through a unique focus on Black cultures, as opposed to race, the group strives to help emphasize the value of Black lives and promote solidarity amongst peoples of the African diaspora.”

the beauty of diversity

i find religious traditions to be rich, diverse and vibrant. in my home, i have a small number of religious artifacts: a framed piece with verses from the quran painted on cloth (a gift from mamoona aunty), a painting of jesus that i bought in puerto rico, hand-painted icons with images of christian saints, a buddha’s head i bought from the asia society in new york, etc. all of these pieces mean something special to me. i wanted a jewish artifact in my home and i had an idea. i asked my friend hershel weiss, an artist who works with wood and has produced beautiful pieces rooted in his sephardic ancestry, to create something which i would place next to the framed ayatul kursi. hershel carved a simple yet gorgeous piece with the hebrew word echad, meaning one. it’s the last word in the shema, the central prayer in judaism. the darker wood is jarrah from australia and the lighter wood is swiss pear. it’s the first thing i see every morning as i get out of my bedroom. and it looks perfect with the ayatul kursi.

ayatul kursi

echad

religious artifacts

Commemoration of Srebrenica genocide on July 11, 2015

July 11th 2015 marks 20 years since the genocide in Srebrenica, a city in Bosnia, where Serbian troops killed over 8,000 Muslim boys and men. The Bosnian community in Rochester will commemorate this event this Saturday (July 11 at 7.45 pm) at their local mosque, located at 312 Fisher Road, Rochester, NY 14624. This event is free and open to the public. Pls attend.

If you would like to learn more about the Bosnian community in Rochester, pls contact my friend Aisa Purak who has written a research paper on the subject. The paper is an attempt to study the Bosnian community as a part of the larger Muslim community in the Rochester metropolitan area. Because of the State Department sponsored Refugee Resettlement Program in Rochester, the Catholic Family Center facilitated the resettlement of refugees from all over the world, and two decades ago, on September 17, 1993, it opened its doors to the first refugees from the former Yugoslavia. According to a Catholic Family Center unofficial report, there are approximately five thousand refugees from the former Yugoslavia living in the Greater Rochester area, the majority of whom, about 80 %, are Bosnian Muslims, from Bosnia and Herzegovina. This research project is focused on the lives and experiences of a sample of 100 Bosnian families living in Rochester who successfully adjusted and adapted to a new environment, but are still facing many challenges including religious, cultural, language and identity issues.

my essay in post magazine

a while back i was approached by post magazine for an interview about my work (thx carlie fishgold), mostly my film “the muslims i know.” once they learned more about my entire body of work, which includes art, film, photography and writing, they decided to let me write my own story, in my own words. it was an incredibly empowering editorial decision. it moved me immensely. i sent them two essays: one based on what i thought they were looking for (being a filmmaker in rochester) and then another one which was more loosely autobiographical and tackled my “muslimness.” they chose the second essay. it was published in the july/august issue of post magazine, with some wonderful photography by betsy traub. here are some pictures. more about post magazine here.

post mag 1

post mag 2

post mag 3

post mag 4

post mag 5

Black Lives Matter March

Black Lives Matter March today, Friday, 5/1 at 3:30 pm. Meet at Wilson Foundation Academy: 200 Genesee Street (Rochester) at Samuel McCree Way. Support Baltimore, Freddy Gray, and ALL lives brutalized by systemic racism.

Black Lives Matter

‘A Thin Wall’ Puts People’s Stories at Forefront of History

Derek Scarlino and Stephanie Inserra both traveled from Utica to Rochester to attend the premiere of A THIN WALL for the Love and Rage Media Collective. Here is their wonderful review!
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Through its personal stories, artwork and animation, Mara Ahmed’s A Thin Wall is a moving, thoughtful addition to the stories of refugees and immigrant communities throughout the melting pot of the United States. It provides a refreshing, organic look at history how it was lived by its actual witnesses as opposed to being told in a more traditional fashion by third parties focusing exclusively on notable social movements and leaders. More here.

jeff beal at eastman theatre

April 20, 2015: yesterday we attended an evening of film and music at the eastman theatre. the ensemble was conducted by jeff beal, composer extraordinaire who scores films, most famously “house of cards,” and who had returned to his alma mater, the eastman school of music. we were accompanied by a group of artists from all over the world who use art for social intervention. they were musicians, artists and filmmakers from pakistan, bahrain, ethiopia, saudi arabia, poland, and uruguay. rochester rocks!

jeff beal at eastman theatre
jeff beal at eastman theatre

Metro Justice and DUPC present “The Muslims I Know”

As Part of the YWCA’s Stand Against Racism, Metro Justice and Downtown United Presbyterian Church present the film “The Muslims I Know” followed by talkback featuring filmmaker Mara Ahmed on Monday, April 20, 2015 6:30 PM.

Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 N. Fitzhugh Street
(free parking across street in City Hall lot)

Admission is free.

This personal documentary focuses on the Pakistani American community in Rochester and addresses serious issues in an edgy, fast-paced, tightly edited, modern format. It is a much needed platform for Muslims to express their views about what’s happening in the world. Being both American and Muslim they have a unique insight into the complex inner workings of American foreign policy and the role of the media. Filmmaker Mara Ahmed acts as the film’s narrator, taking the audience on a journey into a little-known, but much talked about American community. The Muslims I Know premiered at the Dryden Theatre in 2008. It was part of the High Falls Film Festival in 2009 and broadcast on PBS in the Rochester area.

YWCA Stand Against Racism is an annual event in the month of April to raise awareness about the negative impact of institutional and structural racism. For Information call Metro Justice at 585-325-2560.

the muslims i know by mara ahmed
the muslims i know by mara ahmed

A THIN WALL reviewed in City News

Adam Lubitow of City News reviews “A Thin Wall” in today’s paper:

In her lyrically non-linear documentary “A Thin Wall,” local filmmaker Mara Ahmed focuses on the lingering effects of the partitioning of India in 1947. Filmed on each side of the border — in both India and Pakistan — the deeply personal production allows Ahmed and co-producer Surbhi Dewan to examine their individual histories, assembling the recollections of family members and close friends, along with on-the-street conversations with citizens of both countries. What emerges is a complicated portrait of a people torn apart by arbitrary lines and still feeling the effects of the deaths, displacement, and mass migration that resulted.

We hear from each family as they share stories of their lives before and after the division, explaining the devastating effect it had on their loved ones and the culture at large. By focusing on these personal narratives, Ahmed creates a powerful and intimate account of history. “A Thin Wall” mixes in art, animation, music, and literary writing — including pieces by British poet John Siddique, Pakistani writer Uzma Aslam Khan, and Indian historian Urvashi Butalia — weaving together a rich tapestry of history, memory, and loss, while imploring us to retain the lessons taught to us by the past. More here.

Join us for a one-time screening of the film at the Little Theatre on April 10, 2015 at 7:00 pm. More info here.