A tribute to #ourthreewinners by Faraz Khan at ISCJ ART Gala 2/14/15
A Few Questions for the Zaytuna College Faculty & Students
I would love to sit in a class and ask some pertinent questions that come up in many conversations about art and Islam. I do understand that Zaytuna defines itself as a liberal arts college and not a seminary of Islamic Studies and thus nurtures discussing issues that are religious and secular in nature.
· Would the staff and students reengage the tradition on art and entertainment and seek new understandings on music, portraits, sculptures, or will they simply follow the tradition that has been explained by the masters?
· How would American Muslims define or be encouraged in various fields of fine arts?
· Can we go beyond Arabic calligraphy or different shades of patterns and writings and still be considered Islamic art?
· How do American Muslim leaders view pop culture? The good, bad, and ugly! And where can we contribute?
· How would Zaytuna view the cultural contributions of the American Muslim community in the fields of arts and entertainment? Will the response endorse isolation from the culture making process? Or will it engage the challenge of shaping a new parallel culture? Or will it simply drop the question as a vain quest of fame and desire?
I look forward to your replies and discussion at Zaytuna College.