9/11 events unite University

By: Jill Boucher/Contributing Writer

The week-long series of events rememb

ering 9/11 throughout the University brought many speakers and artistic performances for all to enjoy.

The Office of Global Learning put on the memorial for the University community.

Arianna Caroli, a world-traveler and artist, displayed her artwork on the exterior of the Frost Art Museum. With an admiration of the American flag, Caroli began photographing the flag a few years before 9/11, not knowing how powerful her photographs would soon be.

Caroli spoke in a more personal atmosphere on Thursday, Sept. 8. She presented photos and paintings from her world travels and spoke fondly of the children she has met on her journeys throughout the world.

Images were from her travels within the past four years in Asia, India, Italy and beyond.

“What’s important is not the final portrait, but it’s the process,” said Caroli. “Art is a universal language.”

The hour was filled with personal stories of Caroli. She always related her experiences back to movement, strength and resilience, words commonly associated with 9/11.

To speak about current issues surrounding Muslin-Americans, former Assistant State Attorney Asad Ba-Yunus met with a full house in the Frost Art Museum.

He addressed common misconceptions surrounding Muslim-Americans and why they seem to be a prime target since 9/11.

The theme of his lecture was Islamophobia, an irrational prejudice against Islam and the Muslims who practice it.

“We’re soldiers who have given [our] lives in this war,” said Ba-Yunus, while an image of a military official was projected for the room to see. “We’re integrated in every part of society.”

To begin the night, he showed a number of Muslim-Americans who were government officials, police officers and firefighters to show the commonalities between ethnicities and not the alleged differences.

The hour-long lecture concluded with a question and answer section, where students could ask Yunus anything relating to Islamophobia.

The week concluded on Sept. 11 at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center at the Modesto Maidique Campus. People congregated with an  afternoon of oneness and unity while celebrating Sufism.

Nathan Katz, chairman of the Department of Religious Studies, welcomed the crowd and stressed how uplifting the show would be.

He went on to remind the audience how lucky they were to live in Miami while there was terrible somberness in New York City.

“On such a sunny, beautiful Florida afternoon, we celebrate a great tragedy not only in American history but global history, too.”

Katz then welcomed Peter Rogan, a New York based actor, and the Amir Vahab Ensemble, the first performers of the evening.

Rogan began the show with a brief overview of what Sufi is and what it means.

“The word Sufi means filtered, pure, clean, cleansed. The primary message of Sufi is love,” said Rogan. “There are not much difference between the religions. We all believe in equality.”

Sufi is traditionally an Islamic tradition. With such hatred directed towards those of Islamic decent since 9/11, it was beneficial to show such a different, more positive, side of this ethnicity.

Acts varied between musical productions to poetry readings. During many musical acts, the Amir Vahab Ensemble recited lines of Persian readings.

The instruments used were as unique as the beaded scarfs the artists wore.

Round cloth-like drums made a deep, soothing sound, and instruments such as the wood flute were played.

With each performance came a story. Each story had a similar message: unity.

The theme of the night was the oneness of the world, nature and the people on earth. The performers put 9/11 into a global perspective.