Islam is much more than a religion; it’s a culture filled with normal people making beautiful things. That’s the message the Roswell Community Masjid wanted to get across the weekend of Nov. 7, when they opened ‘Inflections: An Exhibit for Islamic Arts’.
The exhibit at the mosque, located in Roswell, Georgia, the US, connected all five senses - sound, sight, touch, smell, and taste - with Islam through its art. Items in the exhibit showed the delicate, intricate workings of artists over the centuries in rugs, carpets, pottery, metalwork and jewelry. Imported exotic scents wafted through the air while traditional Islamic food was sampled and chants were sung in the background.
Through geometric designs or vegetal patterns, the artwork displayed was often intricate and expressive, Northfulton.com reported.
With so much turmoil in the Middle East today, the only interaction many people around the world may have with Islam is through graphic and violent images shown by the media.
“These images evoke fear, shock and outrage,” said Hounada Sinno, a volunteer at the masjid who curated the exhibit. “These are the feelings people associate with Islam. I want people to have different images of Islam”.
“Muslims want to tell others this [violence] is not part of Islam, but we are running out of ideas to do it. We do not want people to be scared of Muslims and mosques. The true meaning of Islam is through the art,” Sinno said. “It makes you think of beauty, love, mercy.”
