A Message of Peace Through Pictures

A Message of Peace Through Pictures, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

The guy standing next to me is Shakil Bhai he owns this prime place and the dhuni too, he organizes the Ali Maulah Dagah urus with a committee ..

He was a pefect host , offering me tea and dinner too.. but I was just interested in shooting them , unfortunately their sandal procession was on 5 December and I missed it.

I shot this dargah on 9 th and 10 th December.

I prefer this place , Dharavi its quaint lanes and kind and friendly people.

And my orange clothes have been put to rest for 2 month eight days , I wear only black no whites no grays.

Because I am very close to my inherited Hindu culture and because I am a Shia ... they began calling me the Shia Pandit..and it does not offend me at all, I take it as my pride of being born a Muslim in India..

I am what I am in the eyes of the beholder , a Muslim mam once asked me if I was a Hindu, I said I was ..as much as he was a Muslim..the strange thing is we are so devilishly condemned as Hinds and Muslims that we have stopped being human completely.

I have eaten food with a beggar on the road , I have begged alms with my Guru at the Nasik Kumbh .. and that moment taught me the purity of humility..

I have met the Aghoris but did not partake their meals ..the only time it was a matter of choice rather than humility..

I sometimes wonder at Facebook, people add me as a friend because I shoot Hijras or because I am a Shia or because I am in Bollywood perhaps only on the periphery..very few add you as a human being with a message of peace though pictures.