Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood

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Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

www.glennlosackmd.com/-/glennlosackmd/

Picture shot by Dr Glenn Losack MD

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , chehlum, dr glenn losack md, firoze shakir, moharam, mumbai, shiasm

Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood

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Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

www.glennlosackmd.com/-/glennlosackmd/

Picture shot by Dr Glenn Losack MD

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , chehlum, dr glenn losack md, firoze shakir, moharam, mumbai, shiasm

Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood

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Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

www.glennlosackmd.com/-/glennlosackmd/

Picture shot by Dr Glenn Losack MD

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , chehlum, dr glenn losack md, firoze shakir, moharam, mumbai, shiasm

Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood

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Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

www.glennlosackmd.com/-/glennlosackmd/

Picture shot by Dr Glenn Losack MD

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , chehlum, dr glenn losack md, firoze shakir, moharam, mumbai, shiasm

Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood

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Firoze Shakir -Series in Blood, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , chehlum, dr glenn losack md, firoze shakir, moharam, mumbai, shiasm

Shiasm a 1400 Year Protest against Global Terrorism..

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Shiasm a 1400 Year Protest against Global Terrorism.., originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

With this picture I bring to end at my Flickr photostream the 617 picture story of the Hallauris and the Arhvi Amary Juloos at Govandi..

I am surprised it was a long series two days and thanks to Cassim Hallauri who helped me and took me to Govandi on his bike to record the love of these Shia devout migrants of Hallaur.

Khurshid Hallauri is the most famous Hallaur with a Bollywood connection a lyricist and a Nohakar , who is very close to my father in law Abbas Qasim Qazilbash of Diamond Cassettes Nakhas , he is also close to my brother in law Mohomed Arif.

There are other Hallauris like Nayab , Khushtar and Betab.. of these I have met Khushtar once at the Shia Rehmatabad Chehlum event.. two years back.

Cassim and Mohsin are the ones close to home , among my dear friends.

The picture is of Zuljana moving out back to the stables from where he came , he symbolises a Faith of the Shias in Ahle Bayt.

Shiasm is a metaphor of universal Peace taking on Yazidiyat and global terrorism the illegitimate child of Yazidiyat – head on from one generation to the next unbroken for 1400 years , fear may have made the Shias of old opt for Taqqaiya , but today even a little chld unafraid sheds blood that personifies our religious faith in Hussainiyat ..
the path we have chosen to reach Allahs doorsteps through Ahle Rasool..

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , amary, finale, hallauri, Shî'ah, sheee, shi ...athvi juloos, shia, shiaism, shias, shiasm, SHIITES AND SHIAISM

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada

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Amary Finale Hallauri Imambada, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

Filed under: Athvi at Govandi , athvi amary juloos, finale, govandi, hallauri

Chelum..My Day Off

posted march 20 2006 sword matam on the streets of mazgaon

I have been slowly but silently copying my main gallery at buzznet to my personal site photographerno1.com.

And it has made me see my earlier posts and pictures in a new light.. I have grown an inch or two in the esteem of this journal.. thank you Steve Haldane ..we India Indian folks try not to forget the person that let drop a drop of water on our parched throat. Tomorrow is Chehlum the 40 th day of the Martydom of Imam Hussain a very big day ..I will be celeberating this event in Mumbai after 2 years, there will be no less than 10 lacs Shias on the road for the juloos that will start at JJ hospital and proceed to the Shia Cemetry; at Mazgaon ..Rehmatabad.A majlis by Maulana Abbas Irshaad who will cut open his forehead and there will be blood flowing all over  as the event of scourging and kama matam is unbelievable over here. .I will carry my blades 2 cameras .. Its 12 am and I am going home typing one fiinger the weight of my rings is insane .. but if you dont hear my voice tomorrow you know where to find me.. I have kept my shop shut tomorrow. I have copied over 600 pictures or more to my site.. Good Night Shri Shakir.. F**** Firoze

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , Buzznet Memories, chehlum, firoze shakir, shiaism, sword matam

Karbala on the Gangetic Plains of my Heart

This is the daughter of a Shia guy kmown as Munna from Bhendi Bazar area  and he has another daughter , both look alike and are twins.

She accompanies her father at all Moharam events dressed as Sakina the daughter of Imam Hussain who underwent great torture under the Ummayad Caliphate and died a terrible death dreaming of her fathers chest that was the comfort of her childish bed.

Munna walks the fire and this event is to signify the burning sands and the conditions of the Imam s family that traversed bare feet manacled on the hot sands to Sham or Damascus.

Walking on embers of fire is called Aag Ka Matam..

Munna recites the Namaz on fire  and these pictures are in my Moharam galleries at Buzznet and my home site.

I walked on fire for the first time at Mira Road a few years back, and I have walked at various places in India including the giant sized one at Hussain Tekri Jaorah.

Every Shia awaits Moharam.. a 1400 year pain that never fades.. the sands of Karbala and the resonance of blood sounds of

Ya Hussain

Ya Hussain.

As I wrote on American sites  and distanced myself completely  from the parochialism of Shia sites  and most often bigoted shia thought , I would not give  my web address to others who see me each year shooting in different parts of India.

As I dabble in erotica poetry and thought , and live with Naga Sahus at the Kumbh and the Rafaees  or Sufi Body piercers  for pictorial reasons,  and my blasphemiously coloful language , my penile platitudes gift unwrapped   metaphorically, I did not want to shock Mullahs with  more heresy besides being a Shia and a sensitivity of man  and mankind in the view finder of my camera.

And I have blown up my Moharam self inflicting pictures at my shop to keep away some Wahabbi elements that  move around  in the vicinity of my shop, preaching the gospel of Hate and Islamic division and searching for converts among the empty stomached and downtrodden.

And I stay away from Mullahs , though I have very good friends who are Shia Mullahs .

And I look like a Hindu, and I am one by default culturally and proud of my gangetic roots..my cultural inheritance that is Hinduism.

My religious beliefs are my own.. and I am proud to be a Shia born in India.

My Karbala resides in my heart that is draped in the tricolor of the love of my country.

http://www.photographerno1.com

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , hussainiyat, indian shiasm, maksade fatima, maksade hussain, moharam, munnas daughter, sakina

One EYED Cry. Shab E Ashur

I have had almost all kinds of experience in life and my experience are strange and border on dementia..I dont drink or do drugs.. I have done all this Castaneda crap.. I have seen all this the gloomy 60s and the ebullient 70s.
Last evening I was to got to town to shoot the most important day of Moharram called Shabe Ashur..Eve Of Ashura..but I got delayed at work and when I reached Byculla after changing two cabs , one broke down on the way  the jaloos or procession had already left miles away and I had to catch up on foot..

This is a road procession.. and I caught up with it at the corner of Bhendi Bazzar..shot some pictures and I was sad and had foreboding thoughts.. just before Moghul Masjid I once again cut my forehead and quite badly and the bleeding would not stop .. and from there I came to Fotowat an Iranian stronghold and bleeding, I shot pictures.. all negatives and scared the blood does not seep into my camera each time I had to change the rolls..from there I went to Amin and just managed to squeeze in.. and here I was shooting the zanjir matam and these are old hands rough customers.. they hit with a madness and don’t care who’s around.. I took a wrong move and someone’s zanjeer hit my eye and cut open my eyelid I fell down.. But believe me it was a single moment of my life I was so close to becoming a one eyed monster.. I knew I needed stitches but they bandaged me after pushing back my eyelid skin..and cleaning the wound with rose water , I asked someone later to take my picture so you guys can see the life of a street photographer in a war zone condition. I have just given the rolls for developing..

I was crying and from there I rushed to HazratAbbas s shrine at Pala Galli and thank him and my crying did not stop for almost an hour.. this was a spiritual moment ..or an introspective one I dont know but this is not going to deter me to take the kind of pictures I take with my 20 mm as close to life as I can touch it .. and share it with all you guys.. I shot the Kaiser Bagh juloos at about midnight .. and wife caught up with me and I was narrating her my experience in the cab.. and I came home.. the family left me and went to an Imambara Rizvi at Carter Road Bandra because they keep awake all night praying and Saif telling me to go and get stitches.. and Saif really feels for me.. and once during my drinking days had slapped me for misbehaving …and I am ashamed to say further..but he loves me but tries not to show it..fatherhood too has its maternal moments..I am sure maam you understand..

As this is a rented place where we stayed at White House Bandra Bazar road, they locked me and left.. you wont believe it it does not even have a lock from inside.. just a latch and if I fall asleep they cant come in.. but I could not sleep and I was  being lashed with words and sat down and wrote my stuff in Hindi..and the family turned up at 5 am.. she gave me some mox,, and I got up at 11.30 so I missed the morning Jaloos at Amin and haven’t gone to town,, I will go at 4 pm when all the alams will head from Bhendi Bazaar to Rehmatabad our Shia cemetery and on the roads till it reaches its destination people will do matam.. and inside the cemetery afer Shame Gariba a last Majlis of the Imam and the bloodshed in the cemetery is a sight your eyes wont be able to take.. I might scourge but my blades are lying at the Sanwala the sharpner and I did not pick them yesterday.

I keep my shop shut today but wanted to tell you all this and I don’t have internet at the new place. It’s about 1 pm now…and this I had to unload..the heaviness ,, and so much that  would exceed 5000 emotional words ..

Posted on 02/08/2006 11:31 PM

Buzz: 0

Filed under: moharam in mumbai , firoze shakir, moharam, shab e ashur, shiaism

Moharam at Kaiser Bagh Dongri

Kaiser Bagh is the fortress of the Khoja Shai Ashnasheris. believers of Ahle Bait  and  the spirit of Islam safe gaurded by the sacrifice of Imam Hussain on the sands of Karbala.

Every night Majlis is recited  and from the 6th of Moharram (Islamic calendar ) that was last night ,  there was a short Majlis and soon as it got over men removed their shirts started scourging.. known as Zanzeer matam and cutting of the forehead known as Kama matam..

I was on the top of the stage with  my Nkon F100..(My Nikon  D70 had konked for the N th time)  shooting the procession,, and it was maddening the jostling for space the alams, standard bearers, the zari of Kassim son of Imam Hassan and nephew of the Imam Hussain and yesterday was to commemorate the martyrdom of the Imam ’s 6 month son Ali Asghar who instead of a drop of water was shot by an arrow used to shoot wild animals.. so last night the fervour in the crowd was overwhelming.. and the procession that revolves round the hall a couple of times and the zanzeer matam unstoppable in the centre,,

I jumped from the stage removed my turban.. snatched the sword like daggar from the hand of the guy using it and slashed my head with three rapid slashes.. it hurt and the blood started flowing .. and I pulled out my new flagellating blade that I had just bought for about  rs 130 made of tempered carbonised steel and leaving the camera bag on the floor and my shawl too.. I leapt in the air and started slashing my back… in the mean time my friend Habib  who is a photograher began shooting my pictures.. we are not the best of friends.. but much of my faith  or my return to my faith is because of HabibNassar and his kid brother Baqar….Baqar shot 2 pictures  on my camera.. and my Moharam had begun,,I forewarned my wife on the mobile not to open the door as she faints on the sight of blood.. and this is the first time I have cut my forehead in Mumbai.. and at home I cleaned my wound with rose water.. the kama with which we cut our forehead is also washed in rosewater when the next guy takes it.. I was waiting for the pictures to come from the lab.. once I get them I shall post them.. and Moharam in words and Moharam in pictures is to separate things..
Tonite I am taking two French guys..to Kaiser Bagh.. I only hope they can stomach all this..and they are here to to a deal with clients  for a Bollywood Buddha bar kind of restaurant ..they have a sponsor they want my fashion stuff..I said I was game provided I was paid and not just laid…

I am definitely stuck in Mumbai.. No Kargil  No Ladakh.

My Moharam pictures can be seen at Buzznet photo galleries or my home site

http://www.photographerno1.com

02/09/2006 9:22 AM buzznet

kaiser bagh dongri

This is shot by Baqar Nasser I think Baqar has the making of a great photographer , his late father Yusuf Nasser was highly acclaimed cinematographer for Hindi films had come from Africa.. was a staunch believer and along with the late Maulana Abbas Rizvi really gave us our space as Shias to celebrate Moharram as it was banned in Mumbai for quite sometime , Baqars dad lies peacefully next to the grave of his mentor Abbas Rizvi.. I am proud that Baqar is following his dads footsteps today in the juloos Baqar remindd me how we met at the same spot 4 years back,,, he too help in bringing me closer to my beliefs..thank you Baqar…
This picture is of the 8th day of Moharram at Kaisar Bagh,, its real .. The Pain,
such is pain my feet dont touch the floor.

Baqar is a celebrity runs a spin cycling gym was a national cycling champ too.
Baqars mom , is one of the finest ladies , I see in her my mother , as my mom too loved plants cats, human beings, we keep in touch , her prayers and blessings for me .. take me ahead in LIfe.

Filed under: Shiasm In India, moharam in mumbai , baqar nasser, firoze shakir, kaiser bagh, shiaism