tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post115622524498835448..comments2023-09-16T07:34:36.539-07:00Comments on Green Parenting: On the Legacy of Bismillah KhanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post-1156672262495074532006-08-27T02:51:00.000-07:002006-08-27T02:51:00.000-07:00I will burn a cd of Oum K. for you.-nzI will burn a cd of Oum K. for you.<BR/>-nzAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post-1156348580023507042006-08-23T08:56:00.000-07:002006-08-23T08:56:00.000-07:00There's another factor behind Bismillah Khan's cos...There's another factor behind Bismillah Khan's cosmopolitanism that I didn't mention. The city he lived in, Varanasi, is perhaps the holiest site for Hindus. It is located on the Ganges and is home to hundreds of important temples. The city is also famous for the saris produced and sold there. The shops that sell the saris are owned by Hindus, but the weavers are Muslim. So there is a triangle of trade that binds the Hindu and Muslim communities together. The Hindu temples draw pilgrims, the Hindu shops sell the pilgrims goods and also draw merchants, and Muslims make the goods. So Khan's ability to cross boundaries as a musician and public figure has to do, in part, with the city he lived in. Nevertheless, I think he was also farsighted. <BR/><BR/>Check out this BBC story for more about Varanasi: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4936524.stm. It explains that even after a terrible bombing, the Varanasi remained peaceful.GreenDaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08900051514824318419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post-1156346479096426732006-08-23T08:21:00.000-07:002006-08-23T08:21:00.000-07:00About Bismillah's faith: Am I being too literal or...About Bismillah's faith: <BR/><BR/>Am I being too literal or puritanical in my interpretation of the Qur’an and Islam? I am curious to know your thoughts on how a person could cross such spiritual boundaries and not be executed on the spot. Personally, I think it’s very interesting and… how to put this… “worldly” of Bismillah to mix these two religions.<BR/><BR/>And about Oum:<BR/>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umm_KulthumAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post-1156340925152307012006-08-23T06:48:00.000-07:002006-08-23T06:48:00.000-07:00I've never listened to Oum Kathsoum. I'll look for...I've never listened to Oum Kathsoum. I'll look for that person's music.<BR/><BR/>About a Muslim worshipping a Hindu goddess. I think for most Muslims it would be a major conflict and there are many, many passages that could be quoted from the Koran against worshipping an "idol". And yet India has a rich tradition of Muslims who engage with Hinduism. Some scholars, like Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen, would argue that when you look at Indian history, the tolerance of and engagement with Hindus by Muslims is common. The greatest Mogul ruler of India, Akbar, actually tried to start a new religion called Din-i-Ilahi or "Faith of the Devine."<BR/><BR/>Although Akbar's religion never took off, many of the musicians he supported and their students did continue to foster the kind of dialogue Akbar sought.GreenDaddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08900051514824318419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16788602.post-1156277136250712342006-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:002006-08-22T13:05:00.000-07:00I realyl enjoy music from around the globe. Bismi...I realyl enjoy music from around the globe. Bismillah Khan sounds like an interesting musician. Did you guys ever listen to Oum Kathsoum (sp)?<BR/><BR/>"a devout Muslim and that he also worshipped the Hindu goddess Saraswati."<BR/><BR/>Isn't that a major conflict of Islam?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com