Search results for ""Author Ali S. Asani""

The devotional literature of the Ismailis in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is a rich seam of creativity in the cultural heritage of Islam. This book looks at the "ginans", a large corpus of hymns and poems composed in a variety of Indic languages and attributed to a series of preacher-saints who propagated Ismaili Islam in the subcontinent over several centuries. The work explores the origins of this literature in the larger historical, cultural and religious contexts of the Sufi, Bhakti and Sant movements in medieval India. The characteristics of the "ginans" are explored and the Khojki script in which they were written. There is also a look at the continuing enthusiasm for this poetic tradition in the religious life of contemporary Nizari Ismaili communities of South Asian origin.

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The devotional and mystical literature of the Ismailis in the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent is a little known but rich seam of creativity in the cultural heritage of Islam. This book focuses on the ginans - a large corpus of hymns and poems composed in a variety of Indic languages and attributed to a series of preacher-saints who propogated the Ismaili form of Islam in the subcontinent over several centuries. Situating the gians in the larger context of Sufi, Bhakti and Sant poetry in medieval India, the author explores their history, characteristics, themes and prosody, as well as the unique Khojki script in which they were recorded. He also highlights the continuing vitality of this tradition in the religious life of Nizari Ismaili communities of South Asian origin.

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Let’s Study Urdu! is a comprehensive introduction to the Urdu language that draws on a range of real-life contexts, popular film songs, and prized works of Urdu literature. A variety of effective aural, oral, and written drills will help students master the language while keeping them entertained. Let’s Study Urdu! provides students of diverse backgrounds, including heritage speakers, the opportunity to enhance their competency over basic grammatical structures so that they can comfortably use the language in Urdu-speaking milieus from South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

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Architecture of Coexistence: Building Pluralism This book investigates how architecture can shape an open-minded and inclusive society, highlighting three internationally renowned projects: the White Mosque in Visoko, Bosnia-Herzegovina (1980); the Islamic Cemetery Altach in Altach, Austria (2012); and the Superkilen public park in Copenhagen, Denmark (2012). Scholarly essays across various disciplines, along with interviews with the architects and users of these projects, provide intriguing insights into architecture’s ability to bridge cultural differences. Soliciting a wide array of questions about migration, transculturalism, visibility, inclusion, and exclusion, the book sheds light on the long-term social processes generated between architectural form and its users. Architecture of Coexistence offers a truly interdisciplinary perspective on a very timely subject: “Building pluralism” means designing for a respectful inclusion of different cultural needs, practices, and traditions. With contributions by Azra Akšamija, Mohammad al-Asad, Ali S. Asani, Simon Burtscher-Matis, Amila Buturović, Farrokh Derakhshani, Robert Fabach, Eva Grabherr, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Tina Gudrun Jensen, Jennifer Mack, Nasser Rabbat, Barbara Steiner, Helen Walasek and Wolfgang Welsch. Photo essays by Velibor Božović, Cemal Emden, Jesper Lambaek, and Nikolaus Walter.

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