Arts & Culture

Muslims have been a part of New York City, even before New York was a city. Records show that Muslims arrived in the area as part of the Dutch settlement, New Amsterdam, since the 1600s. Today, there are now over 300 registered mosques in the City. This is how the Muslim Tour of Harlem, a historic neighborhood in New York, begins. Katie Merriman, a doctoral student of religious studies at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill escorted a group of New York City Ismailis on a tour of 400 years of Muslim history in New York. On a three-hour walking tour, participants expanded their knowledge of how Muslims have contributed to their city and continue to do so.

“Diversity is not a burden to be endured, but an opportunity to be welcomed,” said Melia Belli, Associate Professor of South Asian art history at the University of Victoria, in her opening remarks. The occasion was the Islamic Art Symposium entitled “Intersections: Visual Cultures of Islamic Cosmopolitanism,” held at the Dallas Museum of Art between May 4-5. It was cosponsored with the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History, Islamic Art Revival Series, and the Aga Khan Council for the Central United States.

Qyrq Qyz (Forty Girls) is an epic poem in the tradition of famous works like the Iliad and The Odyssey.

The National Jubilee Arts Festival in Los Angeles showcased 18 films of various genres including suspenseful thrillers and documentaries and themes ranging from hope and devotion to pursuing one’s dreams.

A rare collection of Fatimid era (909-1171) colorful glass weights was presented to Mawlana Hazar Imam on the final Mulaqat of his USA visit, in Houston on March 22, 2018.