To Peace in a Pod( Symmetry of Peace )

To Peace in a Pod( Symmetry of Peace ), originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

photo taken by a bystander ...

text by dr glenn losack md

To any publisher interested in an interesting subject for a change:


the sublime creative collaboration between a Shiite Muslim and a Brooklyn born Jew.

For about two years a very dear friend of mine, a Shiite Muslim Firoze Shakir and I have corresponded with one another via email.
He lives in Mumbai. I visited him last year on my solo trip to INDIA 2008.
I am a brooklyn born Jew, a photo journalist, a physician, a psychiatrist, a fighter for the disenfranchised and blessed to have
Firoze in my life.

He has written poetry for my photos and has attracted quite a big fan base @ FLICKR who comment regularly on our
collaboration. This collaboration wasnt planned, it wasnt talked about, it just happened and is happening and growing.

In this tormented world filled with hatred and religious bigotry and strife, where people are blown up by homicidal/suicidal maniacs
going to the market or school or taking out the garbage because they are not of the same religion
the fact that a Shiite Muslim happened to meet and marry his words to the images of a JEW is rare and perhaps
should be made more public than it is at the present moment. ( excuse the run on sentence, you get the point )
The fact that this came about serendipitiously and that it has attracted the eyes of many many people with avid interest
in both the poetry and images is a wonderful god given affair.

True mutual solid friendship and love runs through the veins of both artists and both depend on the other to create and empower the other.
the fact that FIROZE and Glenn are from separate universes, faiths, educations, upbringing and yet seemed cemented in creative artistic bliss
is remarkable.

What a book this would make. The marriage of a muslim and a jew in words and images.
The symmetry of peace. in a world of disharmony comes harmonious poetry and imagery, many of the themes quite difficult to digest
and look at head on and yet evocative poetry and imagery prevail as opposed to curses, guns hatred and dogmatic religiousity.
The symmetry of peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!