Can a Pakistani Rock Star, Film Journalist, and UN Goodwill Ambassador, Strike a New Chord in the Hearts of Islamic Fundamentalists?
World renowned film journalist and songwriter/guitarist Salman Ahmad, known as the 'Bono' of the Asian super-band 'Junoon,' comes to the Berkshires for a screening of his award-winning 2003 BBC documentary 'The Rock Star and the Mullahs'
Lenox, MA (PRWEB) September 5, 2005 -- Salman Ahmad, Pakistani rock star and film journalist, will be screening his award-winning documentary film, "The Rock Star and the Mullahs," Friday, September 23, 7:30pm, at Foxhollow Forum, Route 7 (across from Old Stockbridge Rd.) in Lenox, Massachusetts.
The film examines Islamic fundamentalism in Ahmad's native Pakistan. The screening will be followed by a Q & A session and then a reception with Ahmad. The event is part of the Voices from the Edge speakers' series sponsored by EnlightenNext.
In his film, Ahmad challenges extremists' beliefs that all music is evil and should be forbidden according to Islamic law. The result is a fascinating look at what may be the most important battle in the world right now, not between radical Islam and the West, but within Islam itself. The fourteen-hundred-year-old religion has hit a crossroads.
Being pulled apart by the tensions between a movement toward modernity and the insistence on a strict interpretation of Islamic law, Islam's moderates and extremists are vying for influence and power in this ancient tradition. The film paints a rich portrait of the complex and often contradictory predicament facing modern Pakistanis. It also provides an intimate look at the madrassa schools where young Muslims study the Koran.
Ahmad, who is a practicing Muslim in the Sufi tradition, is much more than a celebrated musician. With his rock-star good looks, down-to-earth humanity, and disarming charisma, he has a unique ability to speak to both moderates and extremists and directly challenge their views while respecting the essence of their faith. The result makes for an unusual view into the real human struggles that are shaping contemporary Islam.
As a Muslim American, Salman has broken free of the trappings of his own culture and is questioning so much within it—often at great risk to himself—in order to end the volatile clash between modern and traditional civilizations," says Morgan Dix, co-director of Voices from the Edge. His willingness to question his own assumptions creates space for others to question theirs."
This is why we invited him to participate in our international speakers series. Our mission is to presents thought-leaders and visionaries from all walks of life who challenge their audience to stretch beyond familiar ways of thinking," says Dix. And I believe Salman is a genuine example of what Voices from the Edge is offering people—a new kind of global thinking that doesnt sacrifice the depth of wisdom in our older traditions yet strives to meet the reality of our contemporary world."
Originally trained as a doctor, Ahmad finished medical school in Pakistan in the early 1990s but decided to test the waters of the musician's life for a year before starting a medical practice. Against all conventional wisdom, he stayed in Pakistan, a country where a local rock-and-roll band was simply an oxymoron. Ten years later, with more than 20 million albums sold, "Junoon," which The New York Times dubbed the U2 of Asia," has made history with its homegrown blend of rock-and-roll and spirituality.
Tickets for the screening of "The Rock Star and the Mullahs" and the reception with Salman Ahmad are $15, $7 with student ID and can be purchased online at mktix.com. Ahmad will also be screening his new documentary "Muslims in America: It's My Country Too" followed by Q & A and a reception, Thursday, September 22, 7:30pm, at Harvard Hillel Rosovsky Hall in Cambridge. For more information about the Lenox event call 800.376.3210, for the Cambridge event call 617.492.4091, or visit wie.org/voices.
Salman Ahmad is available for interviews through Hope Cohen, 413.637.6060.
What others are saying about Salman Ahmad and "Junoon:"
One of the biggest bands in the world." Q Magazine
'Junoon' uses soaring guitar rifts to deliver a Sufi message of mystic harmony." Time
'Junoon's' ability to captivate audiences is inspiring Beatles-like reactions." LA Times
Salman, Just wanted to write you a quick note to say how much we here in the rest of the musical world appreciate what you are doing in your own region for peace…You're a great man. Your fan, Bono." --Bono from U2
Salman Ahmad was appointed as U.N. goodwill ambassador for HIV/AIDS in 2004 and personalized the UN poster campaign with the paraphrased Koranic verse saving one life is like saving the whole of humanity." Hes been interviewed or quoted in major newspapers and magazines like The New York Times, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Time and Newsweek. Hes also appeared as a commentator on major television networks like CNN, BBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, MTV and VH-1 to name a few.
Junoon has had the distinction of being the first rock band ever to be invited to perform at the UN general assembly back in 2001. And this summer they participated in the Live 8 concert in England.
EnlightenNext is a nonprofit educational organization founded by Andrew Cohen. It is dedicated to furthering the evolution of human consciousness. It produces a variety of programs and products, including an international speakers' series called Voices from the Edge, an accredited Master's Degree in Conscious Evolution, and online studies, seminars, and retreats worldwide. EnlightenNext's publishing arm, EnlightenNext Media, produces educational websites, books, audios, and videos related to the teachings of Evolutionary Enlightenment, as well as the award-winning What Is Enlightenment? magazine. Its newest venture is a multimedia website featuring audios and videos from today's leading thinkers in business, politics, environmental issues, science, spirituality, and contemporary culture. EnlightenNext is based in Lenox, MA.
—submitted by Hope Cohen for Voices from the Edge and EnlightenNext
For immediate release:
Social/Cultural/Spiritual Lecture
September 2005
Contact: Hope Cohen, Publicist
Voices from the Edge
413.637.6060
[digital images available upon request]
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