Thursday, December 31, 2009
The Shia Ethos of Pain - Ghame Hussain
108,251 items / 704,952 views
a path
of blood
sweat and tears
we choose
they call it heresy
they call it abuse
we are fodder
for a suicide
bombers fuse
eunuch silence
as excuse
bigotry
on the lose
hate only
hate
reproduce
a bombed
shia mosque
an ambushed
shia procession
in the news
muslims love
killing muslims
as refuse
Allah ho Akbar
the skies shed tears
sectarian violence
needs no truce
misplaced martyrdom
wrongly misused
Ghame Hussain in Hyderabad
108,240 items / 704,937 views
Hyderabadi Shias look down upon flagellating blades ,and I saw this at the Shia cemetery Mir Mousavi Deira on 9 Moharam, I was seeing a man tie razor blades with a wire and later when the Alam came and the matam began he was drenched in blood .
I shot over 3500 pictures or more , first I thought I will post them from the time I reached Hyderabad 8 Moharam , but changed my mind , I will post them as sets , 8 Moharam Bargah, 8 Moharam Hussaini Kothi , 8 Moharam Choti Bargah.
9 Moharam a majlis at Iqbal Bhais house and the Shia cemetery.
10 Moharam Ashura at Bargah which I am currently posting at Flickr and the next lot Bibi Ka Alam procession.. on the streets of Old Hyderabad.
A lot of street shots I will add them in a relevant set..
Moharam in Hyderabad , my second attempt was an experience of a life time made possible by good friends contacts and well wishers.
Baqar Saab of Bargah , his family his kids Hyder Raza Imran and cousin Zamin. their uncles and cousins..
Akthar Bhai of Choti Bargah , his family his children nephews etc.
Naqi Bhai who allowed me to stay at his house for the remaining two days..
Sajjad Bhai the cop, Kazim , Abid Bhai painter of Bright Digitals who sat on the elephant this year accompanying the Bii Ka Alam..
Lutfi brothers Abid Bhi and Alamdar Bhai..
Sadik of Darbare Hussaini.
To name just a few including Ali from the Interbest Cybercafe.
Ghazanfer Bhai and his family at Hussaini Kothi and Sharyar Saab of Sharyar palace and many others ..Ejaz and Raza photographers.
Last but not the least Raza Bhai Gen secretary of Congress Party in Hyderabad.
Koie Sagar Gham Ko Behlata Nahin..
108,229 items / 704,909 views
He surprised me with the humility of his love for Imam Hussain , I had my camera eye trained on him, and mind you its not easy shooting the blade matam at Bargah Hyderabad , in the quadrangle below the matam goes on , till the virgin floor is covered with blood ..I moved from one end to another end , this is a war zone but not as terrifying as Rehmatabad Mumbai during Chehlum.. so shooting Moharam in Mumbai honed my technique of survival without any mishap..
I shoot with a 18-70 lens digital on a badly bruised Nikon D 80..if you were to break open this camera you could read the history of my shots , gushing out with blood of Moharam, gulal of Lal Bagh Cha Raja - Lord Ganesha , the sands of Juhu beach while shooting Chhat Puja, the sands of Mahim beach while shooting the piercing of 18 feet rods in the cheek for the Tamil feast of Goddess Maryamma ,I will also pierce my cheeks next year to show my solidarity as a Mumbaikar ..my piercing will be my tribute to Ghame Hussain..
My camera has missed nothing , not even the sands of Dadar beach while shooting the Durga Immersion..
Yes the camera is the greatest instrument of peace it shoots so memories live forever.
My camera has touched the soul of Ajmer Sharif..when I bowed my head to words written on every Moulaiees heart..
Shah ast Hussain, Badshah ast Hussain
Deen ast Hussain, Deen Panah ast Hussain
Sardad na dad dast, dar dast-e-yazeed,
Haqaa key binaey La ila ast Hussain
And my appeal to all once in your life time see the Moharam Ashura or Chehlum in Hyderabad it is a experience you will not find anywhere else in India.
And also see Athvi in Lucknow and dont be surprised among the silence of the Chup Tazia and the funereal notes of Ghabrayegi Zainab..you might see a lady covered weeping as her family leaves India for good , back to Karbala and a little girl turning her back trying to call her Uncle Abbas who sleeps at the Dargah in Lucknow ..to holistically heal those deprived of hope by time and fate..
Yes I shoot all religion as a photographer but I confess I shoot Shiasm as a poet..it is my birthright that extends its poetic vision into the viewfinder of my camera.
Hum Naya Sal Manate Hain Tere Matam Se
108,222 items / 704,888 views
Apni Taqdeer Jagate hain Tere Matam se
Khoon ki Rah Bichate hain Tere Matam se
Apne Izhare Aqidat ka Salika yeh hai
Hum Naya Sal Manate hain Tere Matam se
This was sent as a SMS message to me by Munna Kama of Kaisar Bagh..
Hum Naya Sal Manate Hain Tere Matam Se
108,222 items / 704,888 views
Apni Taqdeer Jagate hain Tere Matam se
Khoon ki Rah Bichate hain Tere Matam se
Apne Izhare Aqidat ka Salika yeh hai
Hum Naya Sal Manate hain Tere Matam se
This was sent as a SMS message to me by Munna Kama of Kaisar Bagh..
Karavan Lut Gaya Karavan Lut Gaya Ek Gharibul Watan Ka Jahan Lut Gaya
Karavan Lut Gaya Karavan Lut Gaya Ek Gharibul Watan Ka Jahan Lut Gaya, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
Phir Saal bhar ke baad Gam-e- Shah Ayega, Zinda jo Rahega wohi ye Gam Manayega
Phir Saal bhar ke baad Gam-e- Shah Ayega, Zinda jo Rahega wohi ye Gam Manayega, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.
"Rahe to Agle Baras Hum hai aur ye gam Phir Hai,
Jo Chal base to ye Apna Salaame Akhir Hai."
Phir Saal bhar ke baad Gam-e- Shah Ayega,
Zinda jo Rahega wohi ye Gam Manayega
Peeto Saro ko saiyade wala chale gaye
Hum bekaso ke gham ka sahara chale gaye
Veeran har makaa huwa maula Chale Gaye.
Alvida Ya Hussain Aye Hussain Alvida
Saal bhar Apni Aakeh bhigoege hum
Dekh kar Behte Pani ko Roege hum
Aye Garibul Watan Aye Hussain Alvida
*Karbobal ke Payase Mehmaan Khuda Hafiz*
*Aye Jaane Nabi Dee ke Sultan Khuda Hafiz*
**
*Ainda Saal phir hum zinda agar Rahege*
* Mazlumiyat pe Hoge Kurbaan Khuda Hafiz*
**
*Har bhool har Khata ko maula Moaaf Karna*
* Mushkil humari karna Asaan Khuda Hafiz*
**
*Jee bhar ke rona paye hum hai Shahe Dee Par*
* Pura huwa na dilka armaan Khuda Hafiz*
**
*Veeran ho rahe hai ab hai Azaa Khane*
* Jaate hai karabala ke mehmaan khuda Hafiz*
**
*Yeh Majlise ye Maatam Aeyge yaad jab bhi*
* Dil me Uthega Ghamka tufan Khuda Hafiz*
courtesy nasir jahan..
Ghame Hussain Se Badkar Koie Gham Nahi
108,179 items / 704,503 views
naye saal main ap
khushiya manate hain
khuda ap ko salamat rakhe
ham naye sal main
apne imam ko apne
ghar ke imambade main
bulate hain ansu bahate hain
ghame hussain se badkar
koie ghama nahi
hum apne ghame ko
yunhi bhool jate hain
apne khoon ko seench kar
hum apna gham bahate hain
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Sleepers
108,092 items / 704,317 views
These are young men , kids that lie on the path of the Alam , and the Alambardar or the carrier of the Alam will gently pass over them , this is a unique emotion , and signifies that the person lying on the floor will be under the protection of Hazrat Abbas ..
I shot more of this within the Bargah..
Hamara Gham Tum Kya Janoge
hamare ansoo
onse tum hame
pahchanoge
hamara gham
ghame hussain
tum kya janoge
The Shia Kids of Hyderabad
bold brave
iron clad
every child
every lad
the shia kids
of hyderabad
bought into
the arena
of pain
by his dad
the razor blade
his launch pad
a poetic pause
reverberating
ya hussain
on my keypad
Allah Humma Lanat Qatalatal Husain
107,959 items / 703,339 views
inshallah
our curses on the killers
of imam hussain
will never end
everytime
we drink water
curses to yazid
we send
hussain
is humanity
a thought
we befriend
we neither bow
we dont bend
we bleed
the skies
with the chant of
Allah Humma
Lanat
Qatalatal Husain
we rend
Hussainyat
with the last drop
of our blood
we defend
to the lovers
of imam hussain
our hand of friendship
we extend
The Rose Water Sprinkler Guy
He is a brave kid moving into the area of the matamdars who cut themselves with a frenzy, he sprinkles the rose water the only cooling remedy..no ointments no anti tetanus shots ..the daggers are merely washed in water and everyone uses it, I too used the same dagger after a person had cut himself..
Shooting the Bargah is an experience of a life time, in the back ground the nohas of Anjumane Parwane Shabbir continue.. and in reply the chest beatings with the blades begin..women sit at two ends of the Bargah and on the hot terrace roof top.. a lady looked like a foreigner head covered silently shot the rituals below..
The covered Alam of Hazrat Abbas has taken the shape of a human body..you can check the pictures I shot..they say the elephant that carries the Bibika Alam cries too, I shot a lot of pictures to captures a tear..yes photography is capturing pain suspended in a drop as it rolls down the cheek...
Yes laughter clubs tout laughter as a good tonic , I found crying more powerful and holistically healing the wounds within...our faith has a drop of tear as a bedrock of our struggle against Yazidiyat..
Yazidaiyat is like a sequel of a horror movie it continues to live and bomb mourners in Ashura processions , using coward as suicide bombers , face covered like a woman in a hijab..if Islam is threatened - it is the Rogue Mullah to blame ..he instigates the crazy minded kids brain washes them for his own vested interests..he hardly cares for the Holy Koran kept in Shia mosques , he cares for nothing only the virgins in the designer mind of his heaven..this is the flip side of Misplaced Martyrdom..
And eunuch silence in the community prevails as it was when he gave his head ..and his familys lives to the wanton lust of Yazid..even his head cut refused to bow before the Son of Satan.. Lanatullah Yazid..
Shah Ast Hussain, Badshah Ast Hussain ,
Deen Ast Hussain, Deen Panah Ast Hussain ,
Sar Dad, Na Dad Dast, Dar Dast-E-Yazeed ,
Haqaa Key Binaey La Ila Ast Hussain
