Doorway to Islamic Civilization - Hands-on Workshops on Islamic Art & Culture Nov. 9-11, 2012

Islamic civilization boasts an intellectual, artistic, and cultural heritage that spans continents and centuries.   The gradations of shape, color, taste, texture, and sound that exist within and between Muslim peoples and cultures are as rich and diverse as their ideas and attitudes, as well as their languages, races, and ethnicities.  Out of this fertile and potent mix of elements emerged artforms and practices that can enrich and beautify our lives.

Zawaya thus launches an original event:  ”Doorway to Islamic Civilization”, a weekend collection of hands-on workshops on Islamic art and culture set against the current social backdrop of Islamophobia.  These workshops are meant to give those interested the opportunity to get to know Islam and Muslims by providing a safe space within which to explore and experience the Islamic sense of beauty embodied in art, crafts, music, architecture, and more.  In addition to the workshops, there will be a film showing of “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World” followed by a panel discussion between the filmmaker, Michael Wolfe, and Islamic art and architecture experts.  The Mevlevi Order of America will also be present to offer a Dhikr (a devotional act) by Mevlevi musicians and dervish turners.

For registration and complete info on the workshops please click here. Information on some of the the worshops and presented below.

This event is co-sponsored by The Afghan Coalition, The Arab Cultural and Community Center of San Francisco (ACCC), Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC), Aslan Media, The Center for Islamic Studies at GTU in Berkeley, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), Interfaith Coalition for Immigrant Rights (CLUE CA), Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California (ICCNC), Islamic Network Group (ING), and Ziya Art Studio.