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ENCOUNTERS WITH FARZANA HASSAN
I remember the afternoon when I received an email from my
dear friend Shahid Akhter introducing me to Farzana Hassan and
her translations of
Allama Mohammad Iqbal’s poems into English. I was so
impressed that I wrote her a letter right away praising her
creative work. I also thanked Shahid Akhter for building a
bridge between two writers. Shahid Akhter was the friend who
had introduced me earlier to another friend
Zia-ud-din, the translator of
Ghalib’s poetry into English.
After receiving my email Farzana invited me to her house
for dinner. During our meeting I was pleasantly surprised to
learn that she was not only a writer but also an accomplished
musician. For a while we exchanged ideas about writing a book
together on Music Therapy, as we all know that music can be
healing for physical as well as emotional illnesses. I would
have seriously considered that suggestion as I run the Creative
Psychotherapy Clinic in
Whitby. But
in my clinic I use the medium of writing, especially journal and
letter writing, to heal emotional wounds. Since I did not know
enough of the discipline of music and Farzana did not know
enough of the discipline of psychotherapy we dropped the idea.
While I was talking to Farzana, her daughter came
into the room and on Farzana’s request played a wonderful piece
on the piano. She sounded quite accomplished at the early age of
13. I was sure that she had not only inherited creative genes
from her mother but had also been brought up in a nurturing
environment where her talents had blossomed.
During our dialogue I realized that although
Farzana grew up in an atmosphere in
Pakistan
where many of her relatives were atheists and socialists, she
had developed a keen interest in religious ideology and
philosophy and was an active participant in inter-faith
seminars. At the end of our first meeting I suggested that I
interview her in detail especially to record her experiences as
a female musician and her encounters with Quranic interpretation
and Islamic perspective on art and music.
Although that interview never took place, I had
many opportunities to meet her in different formal and informal
meetings. She is one of the most graceful Asian women I have
come across. She has a sharp mind and a gentle soul. I admire
her creative approach to life generally and religious matters
particularly. Since people who discuss theology are not used to
a creative approach they get bewildered. They judge her on their
own criteria, whether scientific or religious. It is not
uncommon for theological debates to touch extremes.
Unfortunately she has been challenged by both extremes.
Being an artist
Farzana Hassan is able to endure
ambivalence. As a psychotherapist I admire people who have the
quality to live in the gray area philosophically and
psychologically for a long time while most people want to adopt
one extreme or the other because it gives more security even if
it provides less wisdom. She has the artistic and philosophical
attitude of a genuine seeker, who keeps on considering both
sides of the argument, rather, many sides of the argument. Such
a position might seem quite confusing to many dogmatic people.
But for genuine seekers the search is more important than the
final goal and the journey is more significant than the
destination. She is one of the scholars I have met who impresses
others by her humility. She realizes she is still nature’s
unfinished creative product.
While witnessing her style of communication with
people of different points of view I am always impressed by her
gentle, kind and graceful approach. And that gentleness for me
is an expression of her strength rather than weakness. People
who lose control in an argument are usually compensating for
their emotional, rational and moral weakness.
For me it has been refreshing that although
Farzana Hassan, being a Believer and a Muslim and I, being an
Atheist and a Humanist, have opposite philosophies and
ideologies, yet we enjoy having a dialogue, as both of us are
respectful to each other’s points of view.
The more I follow her creative career, the more I
am impressed how she handles herself as an artist in a
traditional atmosphere and patriarchal environment. It is
unfortunate that many times she is judged not because of her
talent and character but because she is a woman and has
non-traditional views about Islam. In an atmosphere where
extremism is on the rise she has hard time being fully heard. In
spite of our differences of opinion I strongly feel that she has
wonderful command of the English language and has unconventional
ideas about Religions and Morality that need to be taken
seriously.
A couple of months ago when
Munir
Pervaiz asked me to say a few words about Farzana Hassan, I
was reluctant to say “yes”. The reluctance was not because I did
not want to express my thoughts about her; the reluctance was
that I did not want her social image to be negatively affected
by her friendship with me. Because of my reputation of
challenging Islam with my book
From Islam to Secular
Humanism…A Philosophical Journey in which I stressed the
need of freedom from religion alongside freedom of
religion and my book
Har Daur Main Masloob in which I
have not only discussed the psychology of homosexuality but also
expressed my views openly and honestly in favour of the human
rights of gay and lesbian people, I was nervous that my
presentation might negatively affect her reputation. But when
Farzana Hassan sent me a personal invitation to attend the
function, then I thought that she is a strong and brave woman
and would be able to handle the consequences. We are both in
favour of women’s rights and one of the rights for contemporary
women is to choose friends of their own liking and not be
controlled by the conservative and religious communities.
I feel strongly that Farzana Hassan has reached
that level of personal growth where she can make sacrifices
while sharing her creative truth and can demand a leadership
role whether in religious, spiritual or creative circles.
Farzana Hassan is a symbol of female leadership in a Muslim
community. She is asking all of us, ‘If women can be teachers in
schools, nurses in hospitals, professors in the universities and
prime ministers in some countries, why can they not be heads of
religious orders? If we can have female ministers in United and
Unitarian
Churches,
why can’t they be priests in the Catholic Church, rabbis in
Jewish Synagogues and muftis and maulanas in Muslim mosques?
Would we see a day when a Christian woman be a Pope in the
Catholic Church in the
Vatican
and a Muslim woman lead prayers in the Kaaba in
Mecca?
Those are women like Farzana Hassan who challenge us to review
our out-dated traditions and ask us why women are penalized and
persecuted in the 21st century These are questions
for all communities in general and Muslim countries in
particular. As a supporter of human rights I feel the time has
come for Muslim communities to defend why women are still
second-class citizens and are not given equal rights politically
and religiously in those societies.
While Farzana Hassan and I agree on most human
rights issues, we have our differences and I keep on asking her
challenging questions as a Humanist.
Why are women ostracized in Muslim communities because of
their sexual orientation?
Can lesbian Muslim women lead prayers?
Would gay and lesbian couples be ever respected
socially and accepted legally in Muslim countries the way they
are respected and accepted in
Canada and
Scandinavian countries?
Whether they are women’s rights or gay and
lesbian rights Farzana Hassan and I can have an honest and
respectful dialogue about those issues.
In the end all I can say is that I am proud to be her
friend and I hope one day she receives the credit and
acknowledgment she deserves. Today’s function is a step in the
right direction. In my opinion women like Farzana Hassan are
wonderful role models for the next generation of Eastern and
Muslim women.
Farzana Hassan is a wonderful artist and human being and if
she can endure the notoriety of being my friend and co-author,
we might be able to write a book together, a book that would
highlight the journeys of two Eastern writers living in the West
sharing their struggles with traditional God, Religion and
Morality.
Khalid Sohail
Nov 2005
http://www.drsohail.com |
