On March 22 at East End Temple, Cordoba House organized a Qawwali event led by the Zaman Zaki Taji Qawwals from Pakistan. The program was part of Cordoba’s overall mission of building a wider bridge of understanding across interfaith groups and creating the emerging Muslim American identity.
Cordoba House Executive Director, Naz Ahmed Georgas, opened the performance with a verse from the holy Quran that emphasizes a commitment to realizing Abraham and Ishmael’s prayers for establishing a community of believers:
Oh our sustainer raise up from the midst of our offspring a messenger from among themselves that who will convey onto them your message and impart onto them revelation as well as wisdom and cause them to grow in purity…
Since Cordoba’s first interaction with East End Temple in 2016, the two institutions have been actively working together to develop joint interfaith programs to bring their two communities together. The alliance first began when Naz Ahmed Georgas was met by the temple’s caretaker, Muhammed, providing a sign of welcome for the work to come.
This most recent Qawwali, in addition to the two prior concerts held at the Brotherhood Synagogue and the Church of St Bartholomew, broke barriers of prejudice by sharing space under what East End Temple Rabbi Josh Stanton describes as the ‘Abrahamic tent.’ These initiatives are examples of how Cordoba House strives to build bridges of trust across communities. On March 22, artists sang of the Divine, “Allah and Adonai,” creating resonance between local Jewish and Muslim communities.
Coming from the word ‘Qual,’ to ‘say,’ Qawwali is a living Sufi practice serving the purpose of realizing the spiritual goals of Islamic mysticism. Quranic text, Hadith, the saying of Sufi masters and poets constitute the verses combined with the Qawwals’ improvisation. Through the ritual of “Zikr Allah,” the naming of remembrance of God, the hearts of the audience awakened like the ‘cut reed longing for its home when it was whole and where it belonged.
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Voice of America: NYC Ahmadiyya Muslims Hit with Double Discrimination. Cordoba House Executive Director, Naz Ahmed Georgas, speaks to Voice of America about Cordoba House’s mission of acceptance across lines of faith, both with other faiths and within the Muslim community.
