Shah ast Hussain (as)

Moharam in Lucknow is a unique experience, majlis hopping, matam on the streets of Nakhas, majlis at Akka Baqar , or Majlis at Nazim Saab Imambara, or Majlis by Maulana Kalbe Jawad Saab at Gufra Map.
At Shia Girls college the lion roars, Maulana Agha Roohi,,recites the majils but seen on a huge screen outside.
Every Maulana has his individualistic style , hordes of followers, hand kissin followers, gawking followers , all kinds of followers.
The ladies of Lucknow crowd to Maulana Kalbe Jawads Saabs Majlis , as he speaks on their enlighment emphasizing on further education, women related topics touched bythe scriptures.
I shot a sequence at Mufti Ganj at Meeran Saab’s Imambara it was totally jampacked with women..after the Majis there were the Taboots , this was a fabulous shoot, all shot on Raw format.
The Dariya Wala Alam, on 8 Moharam, the enormous crowds , this is a horrendously huge Juloos, the Alam of Hazrat Abbas moves from the Masjid of the Djinns to Gufra Map taking hours , reaching in the wee hours of the morning.
The shops markets almost all establishments on Nakhas road are shut, even cybercafes, I used to go to Aminabad to post my stuff at Word Press.
But on Ashura morning there was the huge Juloos starting from Shia College , with Kamazani , Zanzir Zani, this ends at the Karbala Talkatore wgere the hiuse Tazias are buried.. this is avery awesome moment , all roads closed for vehicular traffic, the Shia have a special fast called Faqa, an enforced fast, barefeet , bare head no caps.. this is the saddst day for the Shias.
Unlike other cities, the Shias have a huge Juloos at Hazrat Abbas Dargah, on 11th of Moharam, it is in memory of the venerable fourth Imam Zainul Abedin..I shot some amazing shots atop the Dargah,here the Zanjir Kama Matam is nothing short of Murder..Blood everywhere.
For the Shias anything connected with the Fourth Imam is a very sensitive matter, a sickly somn of Hazarat Imam Hussain who carried forth the Imamat after the Martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain.. Karbala was borne by this Imam , but greater persecution, shame was in store for him at the Court Of Yazid.. the display of the Warrior heads of Imam Hussain members of his family , members of his Army..the pain of the four year old Bibi Sakina youngest daughter of Hazrat Imam Hussain.
This is one of the reasons the Shia can forget any injury to him his family, but Karbala he will never forget nor forgive the killers of Imam HUssain..
Karbala is the greatest Shia Sunni divide..as I see it.
I have not mentioned Janabe Zainab, the indomitable Sister of Imam Hussain, because of her Kutbas, her formidable spirtual moralistic strength the Message of Karbala remains alive even today.

May 9th, 2007

Posted by photographerno1 on 09 May 2007
Filed Under: firoze shakir, hazrat imam hussain, shiasm | No Comments »

We Indians are condemned by our own confusingly moralistic misguidance.
We are holier than thou.
We want everyone to tow a moralistic cultural line , we are not a theocratic state, but we are labeled guilty , because we have to be righteous inthe eyes of those brigands that call the shots, our creativity condemned by those that no nothing about creativity..
MF Hussain was not condemned because of his paintings, he was condemned by a Hardwar resident for being nothing but a Muslim.Miya Bhai.
Muslim baiters flourish, they are nourished so as to create havoc divert the publics mind from bad governance, economic inflation unending law and order problem.
Now the Pandoras box is opening up chilling tales of electrical telephone shocks, because there is no one to discipline rogue cops, they are rogue because sucked up socity has made them so, they see the guys they catch, escape the system because of maverick defence lawyers, continue with their misdeeds without any fear , so the rogue cop who cant beat the system joins the system.
Today kids play robbers and police..but is there any difference.
The uniform was the most respected second skin, but the Mufti rules.
I am not bad mouthing the security forces there are honrable and gentlemen cops who lead from the front protecting us safeguarding us without them we would be victims of rampant extortions, our women at the mercy of rapists, our business our houses under siege by burglars, , but we have allowed this tree of corruption to grow now the roots have started overgrowing, like the peepul tree growing from building walls finally making the foundation loose.
I always felt our outsourcing is mediocre , no proper valuation of a candidates mind , background, just give him a job because he is from the backward class, give him a job, that is most important.. see the malaise , why make the bribe taking constable , our a tax official a fall guy.. the system is supreme , pay to get jobs, grease palms for postings, the Airport , the plush police chowky for the railway official CST is the dream post..
But we will overcome I am positive we will we have some great minds great innovative thinkers , we are better of than American colleges that after seeing the symptoms , the actions of the Virginia Tech killer , kept mum, no gun law can save you , if you are a target of a mad man.I mean the guy was plumb loco, everyone knew it , but waited for the holocaust that he created.This is American larger than life foresight.You guys have Intelligence.. you dont use it till the guy does the harm flies free over the Cuckoos nest.
The most f****** up news..this side of midnight.
Shilpa Shetty Richard Gere the Kiss.
Jahnvi Kapoor Google Search for her porn videos
MF Hussain property attachment .
The fake encounters Gandhiland,
The human trafficking has taken a back seat.
Alistair Pereira.. 5 lacs readily given as soon as the judgement was passed..Ajit Mishra Ko Gussa Kyon Aata Hai.
The Bhojpuri Lip Lock.. well Patna now rocks in Siwan.. Rs 10000 fine.. life imprisonment the Matchlock of Siwan.
The Airoli rape case , it never happened.
A new born child stolen from a Municipal Maternity hospital by a person dressed as a Nurse.
Uttar Pradesh new king makers , new arithmetic new equations..
So this says it all.
Picture shot by Guddu ..on 9th Mharam on the street of Nakhas..
Pain is the only thing that relives short time happiness also as Pain..
Politics is Pain.
Main Stream Media th greatest Pain.
Journalists mid wifes of new born stories that will be stolen by bloggers dressed as a Nurse..
Another Tehalka in the making .
Internationally the biggest story is Wink..Winking at Royalty Some Black Sheep grazing in the White House.
I have been invited to the Hijda Conference in Amsterdam..Laxmi Narayan Tripathi is attending.

From “Publiciteit - Nederlands Transgender Filmfestival” press2007@transgenderfilmfestival.com

To “Nederlands Transgender Filmfestival” ntgf@cs.com

Cc

Date Mon, 7 May 2007 23:18:20 +0200

Subject Uitnodiging opening foto expositie Between the Lines: Hijras of Mumbai - 21 mei Lloyd Hotel .

This is the Dutch Transgender Festival ..
No nothing about going Dutch..
We have to pay for our own tickets
This invitaion was sent by my Belgian photographer friend Marc de Clerq.

I wont go.

I am broke , plumb broke , dysfunctional asexual life, premature miscalculations , a very badly dysfunctional comatose dead Nikon SLRD 70.
Interfoto wants Rs 7000 to bring it back to Life.
Somethings are better Dead than Alive.
I will rest now.

May 9th, 2007

Posted by photographerno1 on 09 May 2007
Filed Under: firoze shakir | No Comments »

I choreograph pain, I do the Tandav stamping the soul of Yazidiyat.It is my form of mourning , I shall do it as long as I live.I dance with the Winds.

“that which is performed in violent mood is called Rudra Tandava”

I wont elaborate but it is what identifies my pain with a Hindu metaphor…

This is Guddu at his best…I dont think I could have shot this better.

May 9th, 2007

Posted by photographerno1 on 09 May 2007
Filed Under: firoze shakir, tandav | No Comments »

A good photographer does not just shoot pictures , but captures unique moments of mans human vulnerabilty , emotional chaos, this is what Guddu who held my camera shot, it was all left up to him, I think for a peson who shoots manual, who has just learnt photography about 2 years back this was no mean achievement.Moharam pictures ar far too fast, this was night photograpy , the flash plays truant.
Athvi pictures that Guddu shot last year were over, 100 frames, but all daytime pictures, a lot of them not properly focussed, but the ones he got of me , were rare , amazingly real larger than life of Photographerno1.
I never once had an urge to see these pictures , or post them in a hurry, no curiosity, I aged them by letting them live on the CD unworked unposted.
Last night I began the task of sorting the Cds that my brother in law Mohomed Arif copied for me, all untitled , I could not post this in Lucknow as I did not have the necessary software.
Moharam is fast action, so I would post at Word Press , but accompanied by old pictures.
Than came the bombshell , attacks on my integrity as a Shia , the hardliner scourge..
It amazes me , when I think about it in retrospection , I always thought my community was far more educated, more intelligible , but I was wrong a certain section of Shia in Lucknow are on a reverse mode, they who behave as though they are the Imams representatives on earth are only hell bent on stopping Azadari..this is what it all boils down, even the clergy can do nothing about this small but forcefully vocal group of discontended right wingers.
Their misguided over enthusiasm will be a backlash on the entire ethos of that one identification of our survival as Shia… Azadari E Hussain.
Maulanas should speak about this issue on Friday namaz or at public opinion forum.
Debate and dialogue bythe heads of both the communities, a healing touch to the families of those who lost their lives during Bara Wafat Shia Sunni riots is of greater importance.
Lets live let others live too.Lets mutually co exist ..let not politics of hate destroy both communities brothers in arms under an Islamic Umbrella of Allah.
I am first a human being, my Shia credentials I do not have to prove by blood shed .. but this one of the way that solidifies us universally on Ashura , Chelum or Athvi.
I honestly am a coward but seeing little kids , I too took my spirtual strength from them.

May 9th, 2007

Posted by photographerno1 on 09 May 2007
Filed Under: firoze shakir | No Comments »