Martyrdom & Memory
“Oh soul at peace, return to your Lord, well-pleased, well pleasing.”
(Qur’an 89:27-28)
Martyrdom & Memory
Our annual Muharram program is an immersive, in-person experience that invites the community to reflect on the tragedy of Karbala through personal interpretations and connections. We combine a blend of art, multimedia pieces, and poetry and prose to explore themes of martyrdom, devotion, and memory. With this event, we seek to create a space that highlights specific moments in the history of Karbala to root us to both past and present in order to center the sacrifice of Imam Hussain (as) and the message of Sayyeda Zainab (as) in our lives today.
At Memory’s End
August 31st, 2024 | San Jose, CA
On Saturday, August 31st we embarked upon a collective reflection on the remembrance of Karbala through our in-person event, At Memory’s End. Taking place in the Bay Area, CA, this immersive exhibit was rooted in the intention behind and the actions beyond memory, narrative, and grief. When the story has been told and the tears dry, where do our hearts go next?
Multimedia artwork, a moderated panel, and reflections from community members all explored the role memory plays in upholding the sacred. Today, Sayyeda Zainab’s message echoes through centuries of tradition, commemoration, and communal witnessing. What are we doing to receive, embody, and enact it? How do we weave our community’s practices of remembrance into the witnessing of present-day struggles—where memory ends and our life begins?
Works displayed: Dr. Su’ad Abdul Khabeer, Mirzya Haider, Asad Zaidi, Amna Mehdi and Amjed Al-Ghizi, Sasa Aakil and Hussayn Aakil, Sania Tauqeer, Sanaa Lakhani, Emaan Ali, Komal Zehra, Anne-Fatima Syed, Samya Zitouni, Rida e Zainab, Ismail, Safiya Hasan and Maideh Masiha Orangi
Speakers: Dr. David Coolidge, Fizza Joffrey, Laila Tauqeer
Photography by: Raza Rizvi
Salutations from the River
September 2nd, 2023 | San Jose, CA
On Saturday, September 2nd, we embarked on a pilgrimage of hearts to recollect the sacrifices of Karbala through our in-person event, “Salutations from the River.” Taking place in the Bay Area, CA, this immersive exhibit was rooted in the sacrifice of Abal Fadhl al-Abbas at the Euphrates River.
Reflections from community members, artwork, poetry recitations, and multimedia pieces all asked the question of what victory was to Abbas—and to the martyrs of Karbala. What role did thirst, loss, and devotion play in paving their path towards martyrdom? And, like the final farewell of each martyr, how can our salutations also bear witness to the triumph of Imam Hussain?
Works displayed: Nabi Haider Ali, Nad e Ali, Syed Jeem, Murtuza Zaidi, Anne-Fatima Syed, Kashaf Zaidi, Komeil, Rida Ali, Batool Moosvi, Hiba, Zuhair Hussaini, Zahra Kanji, Danya Jafri, Taher Adel, Nabeel Khimji, Yusuf Ta’er, Life of Imam
Recitations, reflections, and partnerships: Camp Noor, Mohsin Rangwala, Sasa Aakil, Dr. David Coolidge, Christopher Castillo
Photography by: Raza Rizvi
Making Sacred:
In Martyrdom and Memory
September 10th, 2022 | New York, NY
On Saturday, September 10th, we embarked on a pilgrimage of hearts to recollect the sacrifices of Karbala and Shaam, through Ma’rifa’s in-person event, Making Sacred: In Martyrdom and Memory. Taking place in New York City, this immersive, exhibit-style event explored two pillars of Imam Hussain’s and Sayyeda Zainab’s legacy: martyrdom and memory.
Reflections from community members and scholars, work from artists across the country, poetry recitations, and multimedia pieces representing Karbala all asked the question of what martyrdom means to us today. How can we aspire to witness God in our life and in our death? What role do storytelling, history, and community play in rooting us to a collective memory of martyrdom? And finally, how do we revive Karbala in our hearts, and transform our everyday lives and spaces into something sacred?
Works displayed: Nabi Haider Ali, Komal Zehra, Batool Rizvi, Rida Ali, Zahra Abbas, Laila Tauqeer, Nabeel Khimji, Nad e Ali, Syed Jeem, Mariya Ali, Ambarina Zenab, Sakina Abideen, Anne-Fatima Syed
Recitations and reflections: Bassel Ghaddar, Sasa Aakil, Noor Al-Saad
Photography by: Shahzeb Hyder
