Return the Light
By Anjali Singh
Ambassador Akbar Ahmed’s World of Islam class at American University completed their final lesson with a reenactment of his play, Noor. The World of Islam class ventured through many topics during the semester, including US relations with Islamic states, women in Islam, and the three identities of Islam. Each of the topics discussed in the course were highlighted in Ahmed’s play: a perfect culmination of the World of Islam.
The class was honored to present the play to an esteemed guest panel of judges, including the renowned journalist for Views & News Ali Imran, honorable Chairman Nasimuddin Mirza and distinguished scholar DrRiazHaider.
Noor shares the story of a young, eighteen-year-old girl who was kidnapped from her home. Her three brothers, the mystic, the modernist, and the literalist, attempt to get their sister back, through portraying the three identities of Islam. The brothers must overcome anti-Muslim sentiments from bigoted soldiers, their aunt’s rejection of their sister, and their own anger. Ultimately, one identity prevails. Students chose their own roles from the cast, diving into the minds of their characters.
Mayra Bokhari, who played Noor in the class reenactment, mentioned, after initially reading the play, “This is a narrative that should be placed at the forefront more than it is at the moment.” Indeed, Noor is about a girl who resembles light and peace through a difficult, pivotal situation, proving the light that needs to be shed on this issue. Mayra resembles Noor, as she encourages the narrative of the peaceful religion of Islam to be heard. These powerful sentiments, were Ahmed’s intention in writing the play, according to the three guest judges.
After the performance, I was able to meet with the three guest judges, who were moved by the performance. Ali Imran, who played the sufi sheikh in the original performance of the play, noted that being a journalist when he played his role was interesting, particularly because “that was the time when the Arab Spring was happening across the Middle East and North Africa.” He remembers, “At that time, there were two kinds of emotions. One was that people would finally get their rights, democracy, access to opportunities and economic well-being, and a great future. The other was that the movements would go wrong and the strong and entrenched institutions would not give rights to people.”
The conflicts within the Muslim society and between the Muslim world and the US, is because of the lack of understanding and ill-informed perceptions of lifestyles. Ahmed has done a wonderful job of proving the importance of the play through the sufi sheikh because this character temperates both extremes and emotions featured in the play, finding a middle ground. He offers a different kind of understanding to Daoud, the literalist brother in the play, as well as people in positions of power. The significant role of each of Ahmed’s characters is a guiding light in situations with deep emotions. Imran concluded that “Noor is light,” an unforgettable line that Ahmed uses to promote the narrative of Islam.
Chairman Mirza and DrHaider both appreciated the efforts of the students, mentioning that “they did justice with all the characters.” After posing for pictures with the students, the two judges wished them great success.
DrRiazHaider also praised the efforts of Ambassador Ahmed saying, “He’s done a great job getting young people together to get a better understanding of the Muslim world.” After acting out the play, students received awards based on their performance from the guest judges. Some of the winners included the two student directors, the three brothers, and the snarky Aunt Fatima. In turn, students presented gifts to the judges for their kind presence and effort in the class.
Ambassador Ahmed has stretched the understanding of the World of Islam in each of his students. I played Fadel, who was a small role in the play, but had a big impact on my understanding of Islam. In the play, Fadel returns Noor to her brothers. The return of Noor, or light, was a product of peace and prayer through the words of Rumi. I found this similarity between Islam and my own religion. Rumi’s words in the play sparked my interest as a Hindu scholar of Islam. At the end of the class, I was shocked by the level of understanding I gained from Ahmed. He has underlined the fact that each of his students has the potential to be an ambassador to build bridges in a world of conflict and violence. I encourage everyone to learn about the peace that is Islam through Noor, as it is our duty to build bridges across faiths and return the light and peace to humanity.
(Anjali Singh is an undergraduate student studying political science and international service at American University in Washington, DC. Anjali hopes to continue her passion for international law and the promotion of interfaith dialogue in law school and beyond. As a young student of Islam, Anjali hopes to work on intermingling between cultures and faiths)
