Spending My Shekels on Palestine

Before setting off to Jerusalem, I sat down and thought very carefully about how I wanted to spend my money in the city.

A lot of people who support the Palestinian cause are careful to boycott Israeli products but a lot fewer have the chance to actively support the Palestinian economy. Visiting Jerusalem would be my chance to throw in my shekels for the Palestinian economy so I want to make sure I get it right. Basically I need to avoid propping up Israeli businesses while I am there and although I am not spending thousands, if you put together all the money tourist spend it really does start to add up.

According to the Word Travel Market Global Trends forecast, by 2011 the number of tourist visiting the Middle East will have increased to 55 million people a year. These visitors are estimated to bring in revenue worth $51 billion to the region. Now, that is a lot of money. Spent in the right way a tourist's money could really help Palestinians, especially in Jerusalem where the economy is built on local businesses related to tourism. Hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops and stalls are where Palestinian Jerusalemites make their living and so when a Muslim like me visits, I have a real opportunity to positively contribute to its economy.

How do I support the Palestinian economy?

“It's really quite simple,” answers Mrs. Salhab from the Hashimi Hotel in Jerusalem. “Don't buy from the Jewish Quarter or stay in Israeli hotels and look for Palestinians wherever you are staying or eating. The Arab Hotel Association is really useful as it has a list of Palestinian hotels to stay in across the whole of Palestine.”

The Arab Hotel Association was established in Jerusalem in 1962, to represent Palestinian hotels and currently has 56 members with over 3,700 guest rooms. It also runs a center to train Palestinian tourism professionals to help them compete in an increasingly competitive industry. The Alternative Tourism Group of Bethlehem has also joined forces with other Palestinian organizations to come up with 'A Code of Conduct' which gives advice on how to support “a just and responsible tourism in Palestine.” It has some great suggestions such as using local guides, transportation and spending more time getting to know Palestinians and their way of life.

Another place to support the economy is the particularly vibrant Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem's Old City. You can buy almost anything from here, safe in the knowledge that you are supporting the Palestinian community.

Jerusalem's Economy after the Intifada

The tourism industry is now buoyed by streams of pilgrims and optimism about its future. As recently as 2000, the industry suffered a severe downfall as political turmoil erupted in the country and visitors kept away due to fears for their safety. In the wake of the Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000, the tourism industry fell by the unprecedented amount of 50% and four years later reports were stating that the volume of tourism was still some 45% lower than pre-intifada levels.

“After 2000 things were very bad, and not for a few months but for a very long time,” reaffirms Sarah who runs a Muslim-friendly hotel in the Muslim Quarter. “It took a long time for things to get better and in consideration of the economic situation worldwide and Gaza, things are remarkably strong.”

Even so, reports by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) noted that the Israeli security measures such as checkpoints, curfews and roadblocks fragmented the Palestinian economy and pushed it further into decline. A report by the World Bank this June 2009 also found that recent post-conflict economic recovery has been hampered by Israeli restrictions on Palestinian trade and movement. As a result, Palestinians are becoming more rather than less dependent on foreign aid.

In these circumstances, it is more important than ever that Muslims are supporting the Palestinian economy sustainable by visiting the holy city and investing in its economy. As Sarah add, “Jerusalem sees so much of everyone but it would be great to see more Muslim visitor, especially from the UK and Europe, supporting the Palestinian economy.”

Link to the Article online

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Muslim Fashion: A Leap of Faith?

Integrating faith and fashion is no easy task.

Just ask the millions of Muslims across the Western world, who endure endlessly frustrating trips to the mall, trying to find something- anything- to wear which is remotely suitable. Many complain that when it comes to fashion, the Western world just does not accommodate Muslims. In the last couple of years, however, things have begun to change in the West. Blogs, website and festivals on 'Muslim Fashion' are growing all the time and new Muslim designers are emerging, bringing with them new perspectives on fashion. But is 'wearing' your faith really a positive development?

Whilst many are happy to have more suitable clothing available, others fear that 'Muslim Fashion' is leading young Muslims down a path of senseless consumption and is actually distracting from real Islam. I spoke with two Muslim designers, Melih Kesmen and Sarah Elenany, to tackle this dilemma.

Tackling stereotypes with T-shirts

Melih Kesmen is probably not what you have in mind when you think of a fashion designer. A devout German Muslim of Turkish descent, he is a qualified graphic designer with a wife and young son named Isaak. Yet following 9/11 and the incident involving the offensive caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed printed in Denmark, Kesmen decided to launch StyleIslam. “After September 11th we as Muslims are always on the defensive,” he explains. “Bad articles in the media, propaganda all around the world- my idea was to find a positive way to tackle these media problems.”

StyleIslam is modern and stylish brand of men and women's clothing proudly declaring Muslim values such as the virtues of sunnah and du'a. In fact, it was the caricature incident which motivated Kesmen to design his first T-shirt emblazoned with the words 'I love my Prophet'. These proved to be extremely popular and encouraged Kesmen to launch his brand. “It would have been nice to have launched for a nicer reason but it was a start and as a Muslim you have to say allhamdulillah,” he admits.

Talking to Kesmen, it seems clear that StyleIslam is deeply rooted in Islamic values and was launched by a need to protect Islam rather than commercialize it. The brand, which is available to Muslims across the world, remains outspoken on issues concerning Muslims in the West. Amongst its women's range are items stating 'Hijab, My Right, My Choice, My Life'. Yet what sparked controversy was StyleIslam's now discontinued 'Jesus was a Muslim' t-shirt. “We didn't expect this to be such an issue because for us as Muslims it's nothing new; of course Jesus was a Muslim.”

Kesmen explains that the negative reaction is rooted in a lack of understanding of Islam and Muslims in the West. “There are many that have prejudices and bad views about Muslims and so they think we are being aggressive and say 'These Muslims want to provoke us'.” Kesmen was even contacted by people from Bavaria, in Germany where he lives, and threatened with the police and more. “We want to build bridges, that is our real motivation and so we changed it to 'Jesus and Mohammed, brothers in faith' and since then we haven't had any complaints or radical reactions allhamdulillah!”


Modesty in the mainstream

Luckily for Sarah Elenany, the 24-year old behind the label 'Elenany', the response to her modest clothing range has been less controversial. “From the target Muslim market the expression 'Finally!' keeps popping up. There’s also been good response from non-Muslims and I've had quite a few customers who aren't Muslim!” she says.

Elenany's new range was launched in May 2009 and includes modest clothing with bold graphic designs of two hands held up in prayer. Her background in engineering product design has also been useful as she explains that her collection “is born out a 'design for need' philosophy”. This means that it has been designed with the user, or young Muslim women and their needs, in mind.

The London-based fashion designer explained that the lack of suitable, modest clothing motivated her to launch the clothing range. “Being a young Muslim woman I always found it difficult to find clothing that I felt covered me up properly, which wasn’t the traditional abayas and jilbabs...There was a gap in the market for modest clothing for young people.” Despite, a clear understanding of the business side of the industry, Elenany insists that Muslim fashion is not about commercializing Islam. “I don’t think anything anyone ever does will water down Islam. And if Muslim fashion means bringing Islam into the mainstream- so people have the opportunity to better understand it- then I think that’s a good thing.”


Islamic Values in Fashion


Whilst many warn that Muslim fashion can be an unwelcome distraction from important Islamic values, both Elenany and StyleIslam have stuck to their beliefs. Sarah Elenany explained that while launching her collection was difficult, she was keen that her Islamic values were reflected in the manufacturing process: “I think getting the clothing manufactured will always be a major issue with any clothing label. For me, the process took a bit longer as I had to find a place to get them manufactured where, in line with Islamic ethics, I was confident the workers were getting a fair wage as well as working in good environmental conditions.”


StyleIslam was also adamant that those in need benefited from the commercial success of the label. 'Style and Sadaqa' is major feature of the website which states that 'StyleIslam is not only top street and casual wear for young people with an attitude, it also stands for helpfulness and brotherliness.' Kesmen added: “For me personally, I thought what is my responsibility? Well of course to communicate and convey the messages of Islam and the other thing is to earn your rizk [provision] to feed your family. After that we must help those who need our support and so every time you buy a t-shirt money goes to the orphan kids in Africa.”

Elenany and Kesmen were also keen to dispel any notions that they had fully resigned themselves to a Western way of life obsessed with image and fashion. Elenany insisted that Muslim fashion was not about beautifying yourself to attract other men but was a means of self-expression- something which is a legitimate part of Islam.

Kesmen also hoped that StyleIslam was building a bridge between the two worlds and inspiring young Muslims to embrace their Muslim roots. “Within the Western world, of course there are things that are not compatible with Islam such as drinking and naked women” remarked Kesmen. “But as intelligent people we should be able differentiate and so work with what we can do. As Islam says Allah is beautiful and loves beauty- what more inspiration do you need than that!”


Link to IslamOnline for the article

Lost in the Sacred Book Review

May 2009

Why does the Muslim world lag behind so dramatically? Is Western dominance to blame? Or is the problem with Islam itself?

These are the questions that Dan Diner poses in this book and, ultimately, his response to whether Islam is to blame for lack of progress is a resounding YES. Diner's thesis is based on the assumption that the Muslim/Arab World's desperate need for modernisation- achieved through secularisation- has been hindered by the prevalence of Islam in the region. In Islam every aspect of society such as language, history, politics, trade and law is imbued with the notion of the sacred. Nothing is able to escape its grip and in the process an entire world is separated from reality and the possibility for any kind of progress.

One interesting example Diner uses to illustrate his thesis is the complexity and rigidity of classical Arabic (Fus-ha) which he states stands in the way of social expression and technological change. He explains that real progress could be made if the language were altered but is quick to point out that that this could never happen as Arabic is the language of the Qu'ran and subsequently too sacred. Another case in point is the work of the 14th century Islamic historian Ibn Khaldun, who highlighted the cyclical rise and fall of dynasties. Applying these historical theories, Diner remarks that the Muslim world is constantly looking back to a perceived golden age; attempting to recreate the past rather than following the path of secular progress as demonstrated by the West.

Whilst it makes for interesting reading, it is hard to miss the deep flaw in Diner's work. For instance, he chooses to totally by-pass the issue of what defines progress, how it's measured, compared, and whether progress could ever be possible without secularisation. Does he see no aspects of Islamic civilisation as progressive? What about the influential role of Christianity in the US, the world's symbol of progress and development?

Rather than acknowledge the complexities of religion and the subjective nature of progress, Diner chooses to deduce the Arab/Muslim world’s lack of development entirely from the UN's 2002 Arab Human Development Report. There is also the subtle but inescapable assumption in Lost in the Sacred that the Arab world is not under-developed but backward. Now, I realise that this is contentious especially since the Muslim world is hardly at its peak, but the statement by Diner that “the idea of freedom is a specific outcome of the Western experience” is typical of his false, mixed-up thinking, not to mention the patronizing implications for the Arab (and wider) world.

Furthermore, whilst Diner is highly suspicious of the Muslim world for looking back into its history, it is ironic that his entire thesis is based on events and theories before the nineteenth century. As fascinating as it may be, how influential are the trading laws under the Ottoman empire for the oil-obsessed world market under which the Muslim world now operates? In fact, Lost in the Sacred entirely discounts the profound events of the 20th and 21st centuries such as decolonisation, two World Wars as well as the impact of 9/11 on shaping the Muslim World. It also refuses to acknowledge that the West - the peak of modernisation and progress- had any influence on the Arab world.

Whilst Diner acknowledges the existence of a body of post-colonial studies which ascribe “the unfortunate condition of Muslims mostly to external causes”, he infers the 'arrested development' of the Muslim world entirely to a deficit of secularization. This unwillingness to even engage with the issue of Western dominance and colonisation - which continued well into the 20th century and affected numerous Muslim countries such as Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Syria and Palestine under the British Mandate - is a deep and final blow to the quality of this book.

Overall, Lost in the Sacred is an interesting if one-sided look at the history of the Muslim world. Punctuated with insightful chapters on the history of Muslim countries such as Pakistan as well as the Ottoman Empire, it did however lose its direction. The flow and logic of the book couldn't have been helped by the messy translation, littered with commas and non-statements such as this: “This statement cannot be otherwise than true.” (p179). Ultimately, however, its biggest downfall is its inability or unwillingness to recognise the true complexity of the issue and of the Muslim world. 'Lost in the Sacred' subsequently is nothing more than a one-sided rant which fails to blossom into a meaningful debate about the reasons behind the decline of the Muslim world.

Arwa Aburawa

Lost in the Sacred by Dan Diner is published by Princeton University Press

Islamic Art for a New World

"Geometry is a spiritual and timeless art" Zarah Hussain

For many people in the international art community, Islamic art is an anomaly, an ancient relic of a crumbled civilization, the art form that should be relegated to the museums, ancient archaeological sites and mosques. Many specialists argue that it simply can not relate to the modern artist or even attempt to represent the citizens of an increasingly globalized world.

Yet, there is an increasing number of modern artists who are finding inspiration in the age-old artistic expressions of the Islamic era and are utilizing sacred geometric patterns and calligraphy to express a unity of faith and depict the twentieth- century living. One such artists is Zarah Hussain, a UK-based painter who argues that Islamic art's “strong aesthetic appeal transcends time and space, as well as differences in language and culture."

Hussain's first exhibition, 'Handasah', which means geometry in Arabic, explored the sacred tradition of geometric patterns through elaborate paintings on hand-made paper. For Hussain, the search for unity in Islamic geometric art reflects a search for unity between the Islamic faith and a twenty-first century lifestyle. "Geometry is a spiritual and timeless art and when we contemplate this art we are being drawn inwards to a deeper self-reflection and centeredness."

Hussain's latest exhibition 'Beauty of Abstraction' went even further towards harmonizing the modern world with Islamic art through animated light-installations. These installations of changing kaleidoscopic geometric art are projected onto a dark gallery walls alongside more traditional paintings to represent a harmony of faith and technology.

Click here to see a short clip of Zarah Hussain's geometric art installation animation.

Metaphors for Creation

The geometric patterns which Hussain embraces have always been popular motifs of Islamic art decorating walls, floors, lamps, book covers and textiles across the centuries. Some of the greatest examples of Islamic architecture such as the Dome of the Rock, the walled city Alhambra and the Taj Mahal also display some of the most exquisite examples of geometric designs combined with mosaics, glass window panels and carpets.

Geometric art flourished across the Islamic civilization due to the passion for abstraction as the use of images, such as those which proliferate in the Christian tradition, are discouraged on the basis that they could lead to idolatry. Islamic scholars were also fascinated with Greek philosophy, mathematics and astronomy which are based on abstraction as a means to reaching greater truths.

Zarah Hussain states that her geometric artwork stems from an interest in symmetry, balance and order present in the universe we live, "A universe that has an incredibly reliable set of rhythms of day and night, and of the years together with the circumambulations of the sun moon and planets. I believe that geometric patterns reflect a natural order and are metaphors for creation." Thus, the artist, the mathematician and astronomer integrate into one to explore the subtle symmetries of the very world we inhabit and the inherent harmony of the material and spiritual world.

Hussain has not always worked with her Islamic heritage; in fact her earlier artwork was inspired by the Optical Art movement and Bridget Riley who was popular in the 1960's. "I soon found this work to be clinical and cold," explains Hussain, "searching for a mode of expression that I could understand more fully, I started to rediscover my artistic cultural heritage and this led me to taking a path toward traditional Islamic geometry."

Zarah at work.

Symbolism

Islamic art serves a very different function in comparison to the arts in the Western World. Western artists tend to focus on the direct reflection or personal interpretation of the physical forms which surround us. In contrast, the Muslim artist realizes that to be dazzled by god’s creations misses something vital: the uniting aspect beneath the artificial surface. As Hussain elaborates, this is why Islamic artists do not replicate nature, as they could never do justice to Allah's creations. Instead they attempt to convey what they represent as their divine essence. This is essentially done by attaching meaning to the shapes and patterns through symbolism.

Individual geometric shapes are not simply used for their aesthetic beauty. They are rather symbols which represent certain aspects of the Islamic faith. For example, circles which usually form the centre of a design or contain a wider geometric pattern represent eternity and the infinite bounty of Allah. Triangles are applied as symbols of human consciousness, the square as the physical existence and form of beings and hexagons are representative of heaven.

In Islamic iconography, the star in its various forms also represents unity and the spread of Islam with the points emulating a growth from a central point. Ultimately, the seamless combination of these individual shapes and patterns within large geometric patterns reaffirms the perfect harmonization of all of god's divine creations.

Whilst some specialists have criticized Islamic art as artistically restrictive, Islamic artists who embrace abstraction and geometry actually free their imagination from the constraints of material representation towards the diverse world of symbolic representation.

In recognition of the diverse interaction between Islamic art traditions and the modern artists, the Jameel Prize has been this year launched by the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is a £25,000 international award that intends to raise awareness of the often ignored interaction between rich Islamic traditions and the modern artist.

Aimed at contemporary artists from all over the world, the Jameel Prize will hopefully contribute to a broader debate about Islamic culture. Although some artists are happy to dismiss the contribution that Islamic art has made, it cannot be a coincidence that artists from early Islamic civilization to the twentieth century have recognized Islamic art as a lucid form of expression and exploration.

Check out Zarah Hussain's work on:www.zarahhussain.co.uk
For more information on the Jameel Prize Click Here