"Salman Ahmad, renowned musician and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, delivered a lecture – part of Aga Khan University’s Special Lecture Series (SLS) – to a packed audience. The SLS venture, now nine years old, is studded with a history of notable luminaries from around the world including King Hassan of Jordan, author Karen Armstrong and Pakistani pioneers like Nazir Sabir and Asma Jahangir, amongst others.
Salman’s unique background as a musician and peace activist made his talk on Culture without Borders only more apt. He focused on the ‘four Cs’ that he felt were the DNA, the basis, of human interaction and understanding: communication which allows us to stimulate others with our ideas, compassion that helps receive us knowledge from those around us, creativity that generates new ventures, all necessary ingredients for collaboration that brings it all together. Salman delivered his message in terms that the audience could connect to, and in the medium he felt most comfortable with – music. Much of his talk was interspersed with short musical performances that helped draw the crowd into his lecture, highlighting how much music stimulates, enthrals and unites.
The crux of his lecture lay in a quote he borrowed from the 13th century Persian poet, Jalal-ud-din Rumi, “If you follow the music, it will show you the way.” Salman has interpreted the statement in many different ways: in how music helped him find his own identity and later on, his own experience in how music can bridge differences and cultures, how it can unite society. In his words, the Sufi mysticism espoused in his music, deemed the understanding of the self to be the path to knowledge of the divine.
Salman’s emphasis on acquiring knowledge, and the common ground between Islamic scientific endeavours and the path to knowledge, was very well received. To him, a society in regression is one that starts accepting answers blindly. In this spirit, he was very articulate in the question and answer session, frequently using music to respond to the audience, which included noted luminaries and students from across the city.
By the end of the lecture, there was great enthusiasm in the crowd. Salman’s words forced everyone to at the least, think about his call for dialogue to open up the doors of knowledge. In doing so, he continued the great tradition of intellectualism prized by the University."
"Salman Ahmad, renowned musician and UNAIDS Goodwill Ambassador, delivered a lecture – part of Aga Khan University’s Special Lecture Series (SLS) – to a packed audience. The SLS venture, now nine years old, is studded with a history of notable luminaries from around the world including King Hassan of Jordan, author Karen Armstrong and Pakistani pioneers like Nazir Sabir and Asma Jahangir, amongst others.
Salman’s unique background as a musician and peace activist made his talk on Culture without Borders only more apt. He focused on the ‘four Cs’ that he felt were the DNA, the basis, of human interaction and understanding: communication which allows us to stimulate others with our ideas, compassion that helps receive us knowledge from those around us, creativity that generates new ventures, all necessary ingredients for collaboration that brings it all together. Salman delivered his message in terms that the audience could connect to, and in the medium he felt most comfortable with – music. Much of his talk was interspersed with short musical performances that helped draw the crowd into his lecture, highlighting how much music stimulates, enthrals and unites.
The crux of his lecture lay in a quote he borrowed from the 13th century Persian poet, Jalal-ud-din Rumi, “If you follow the music, it will show you the way.” Salman has interpreted the statement in many different ways: in how music helped him find his own identity and later on, his own experience in how music can bridge differences and cultures, how it can unite society. In his words, the Sufi mysticism espoused in his music, deemed the understanding of the self to be the path to knowledge of the divine.
Salman’s emphasis on acquiring knowledge, and the common ground between Islamic scientific endeavours and the path to knowledge, was very well received. To him, a society in regression is one that starts accepting answers blindly. In this spirit, he was very articulate in the question and answer session, frequently using music to respond to the audience, which included noted luminaries and students from across the city.
By the end of the lecture, there was great enthusiasm in the crowd. Salman’s words forced everyone to at the least, think about his call for dialogue to open up the doors of knowledge. In doing so, he continued the great tradition of intellectualism prized by the University."
