Review: Fauzia Khan film | Bangla Season of Drama

Last night [9/11/11] in the nowhere lab, an art studio and venue on Bethnal Green Road, we were treated to the Bangla Season of Drama’s film night. Managed by the good people of The Brady Centre and supported by farsighted community organisation the season is something worthwhile supporting, for all sorts of reasons.


The film night was centred on an autobiographical account of theatrical director and veteran Fauzia Khan I do deform to be deformed, and followed by shorter feature from curator Hamja Ahsan and Drik Gallery’s Chobi Mela. The evening provided a window into a cultural conversations that we see or hear little of on these shores. We have to squint and listen hard for the little that we can witness here, something which should change.

The main feature followed Begum Fauzia over her career of participation in the Bangladesh theatre scene since national formation. Glancing themes of rebellion, roots, collective creative labour and artistic method, the piece depicts the artist’s eye view of her creative processes and self-image. Being this viewer’s first contact with her work, it was difficult to fully grasp at times. I guess a great deal is lost in translational steps. For example, I found the subtitler’s conflation of the Catholic concept of confession and the Islamic concept of tawba a bit silly. Fauzia Khan sure has an awesome singing voice and is someone I will be paying attention to. It was the clear vocal training and lyricism that appealed to me, if not the roles and scenarios played out on stage.

Next, as a here-and-now interlude, a collection of short films from OtherAsias  Hamja Ahsan were shown. The first places a Brick Lane restaurant tout in St Martin’s Art College, much to that institution’s bemusement. The second and third ran two Bangladeshi narratives on Morrisey’s warped worldview down Brick Lane.

In both directions, from the deeply insulted post colonial man in a lunghi and futwa brandishing a sugar cane travelling from banglatown to dickhead town, a Bengali on a platform, to the third generation Asian uberfans heading the other way with no coherent narrative other than badly expressed adulation.

To round up, a video presentation of Drik Gallery’s fifth Chobi Mela in 2010 rammed the point home that there is very good news from Bangladesh, even if it is a little too donor sponsored. Shahidul Alam, the founder of Drik is an activist and photographer of international reknown. The Chobi Mela is a unique expressive event that moves both the socially-engaged international photography community and the national community. The feature again took the position of fly-on-the-rather-interesting-wall and explored the personalities, intentions and social interactions of the festival as it unfolded in the streets, galleries and community centres of Dhaka.

Bangladesh has a great deal of creativity circulating around, and the theatre season is a good initiative to connect those of us formed in the UK to cultural production in our ancestral lands. Yes there are different ideologies and often problematic donor and national politics running through it, but I am sure we can all appreciate the confidence, beauty and inspiration value of it and learn.

This was the second in a string of theatre-based events that will take place over the next month. It is important if we are to collectively move beyond chicken shop and hip hop, with both local and Bangladeshi playwrights and actors featured.

For a the programme of events see the Tower Hamlets Arts page 

Two Ummahtic launches: Shariah Bill of Rights and The Meccan Openings

These are significant points in political-legal practice and poetical expression.

The Shariah Bill of Rights was written by Imran Ahsan Khan Nyazee, a scholar from Pakistan who I find compelling and socially engaged. It is a statement of Islamic political principles arguing for the poor's inalienable Allah given right to,

• A share in Mineral wealth
• Produce of the Land
• Pasturing animals and Commercial assets, amongst other things.

Please do read this piece, think about it critique/whatever and circulate in order that it become part of our space. It was released at the beginning of the year.

The Meccan Openings is a spoken work album released this Eid (mubarak) from Amir Sulaiman, an African American educator from the US, whose 'Danger' on def jam and Rebel Musik electrified us some years ago. It is free to download. There's clearly some kind of Ibn Arabic linkage occuring here.

I wonder what it is.

Post Awami League Bangladesh and reclaiming the Red Maulana

Maulana Bhashani is a figure I am full of admiration for. If I was a political idolator I would go all father of the nation on him. But I'm not so I won't.

He has been backgrounded in the eyes of the current generation. Or coopted. Not sure which is worse.  Reclaiming him with sobriety is part of the struggle of our times and recentring a deenic mojo within our own sweet borders.

Maulana Bhashani does a lot of work when recruited for Bangladesh, providing;

Political creativity
An-Indian posture
Alternate narrative of decolonisation.
Non-secularism
Ecological Transformability
Strength and mobilisation
A counter point to a thoroughly corrupt urban intelligensia that reproduces trash.

A Halal Chicken returns an angry gaze

The halal chicken took her seat
Amongst the Conference of the Birds.
"Such great accomodation,
But my complaint you haven't heard."

I demand a joint action,
For my kith and my kin,
For these Muslims are collecting,
Great barrels of sin.

At two pounds we are valued,
Beak, feathers and all,
Our flesh is devoured,
Rememberance small.

They say that it is lawful, industrial, clean,
Let's wipe them out with their own damned machines.
Our living rights are curtailed in crates and conveyers,
Optimised, efficient, cheap perverted purveyors.

Claiming diminished,
Responsibility,
Believers come to me,
With tales of colonisation and skullduggery.

I bear witness that there is no creature as abominable as mankind.

Occupy a Browner part of Town

Unfortunately the Occupy London Stock Exchange Encampment seems to be attracting too many St Pauls Cathedral headlines. Instead of the city, the greed'n'criminality of some their in and systemic evil of the present political economy.

Got me wondering what would have occured had they decided to camp outside a masjid in London. Surprise events really do bring out the fools in our governance structures or our qualities.

If they set up in Altab Ali Park, the green scultured garden just west of East London Mosque and the London Muslim Centre, how would the people and local institutions respond?

I think they'd probably be fine, would take some convincing i guess at its a bit far from the action.

"The Muslims of Britain would like to let the world that this is one Occupation that they support."

What about Quakers?

Sights we probably wont be seeing.

OccupyBaitulMukkarram
OccupyShahFaisalMasjid
OccupyKaaba. (oh, actually thats hajj right?)

sites we will be seeing

OccupyShoppingComplexes
OccupyFootballStadiums
Occupy Harrods

Babar Campaign video - sign the petition

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/885

Occupy London: Serenity at St Paul's Cathedral

Stayed over last night, clear cold and full on thinkings and voicings. very inspiring indeed.A good 100 or so tents have been pitched up outside the iconic religious space as people take encouragement from occupy wall streets efforts over the past month. Along with people in hundreds of cities on this great Earth.

If you found demonstrations impersonal and mob-like.
If you'd like to contribute to a process of ..building a global empathic civilisation.
If you enjoy heckling the footsoldiers drinking from the teat of Muther Capitali with a good sense of humour, you should join the 'work run'.
Or maybe you just want to talk to someone and connect with others who feel moved enough to show up.
Maybe dont consider yourself on the left cheek and still think there is something terribly wrong with the way things are going.

Please do try and visit /support as best you can.

Niyyat is to last through winter . #occupylondon #occupylsx

[New Word] Farticipatory

Often when people try to tick a box or gain legitimacy (and funding) they invoke the Participatory.

Some years ago i was with some water sector people in Bangladesh. Proper NGOistan.

They were feeding me some stuff on their participatory projects and i came accross an interesting pie chart.
It was a pie chart of their donors/financers. And yes, The Agents of Developmentia were well represented.

What a farce, how farticipatory.

This foul breeze exists in all climes. Im sure it isnt what Paulo Freire was on about.

Sign the Babar Ahmad Petition.

Over the next 4 weeks we will attempt to gather about 80 000 more signatories for a petition to try Babar Ahmad in the UK. He is now in his 8th year of incarceration simply because the US government wants him and won't provide any evidence its really incredible. It could be any of us or our loved ones.

It is this particular loved one.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/885

Please do get everybody in your households and friends circle to sign this.

It creates a unity, whilst promoting justice and dispels this atmosphere of intimidation that is fogging our mind-bodies. Talha Ahsan's case is in a similar predicament and linked to the progress of this issue. Our communities really need to back up people who are victimised and dealt so cruelly with by the state.

The free babar ahmad campaign has released this video to promote the petition



http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/885

[New Word] Episteamology

Its a complicated and delicate matter, accept multiple ways of contributing.