Latest news with #Mek
New Straits Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Indian classical rhythms to grace DFP stage
FRESH from its presentations of Mek Mulung Putera Cahaya Bulan, Randai Mudo Pak Belalang, Jit Sin High School's Chinese Orchestra and Sanggar Seni last year, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP) will present soul-stirring rhythms and colours of Indian performing arts by the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA) at 8pm on Sept 6. The highly anticipated showcase promises an immersive journey into the heart of Indian culture. MELODIES Audiences will be transported to a unique experience through the soulful melodies of Hindustani and Carnatic classical music. Adding a vibrant visual splendour to the evening, the DFP stage will come alive with exquisite presentations of four classical Indian dances, 'bharatanatyam', 'odissi', 'kathak' and 'kuchipudi'. The theme "Ragas and Mudras" is specially curated for this performance at DFP. FRAMEWORK 'Ragas' is essentially a melodic framework or a "mode" in Indian classical music, a combination of notes ('swaras') along with phrases and nuances ('gamakas'). 'Mudras' is a symbolic ritual gesture, primarily performed with the hands, fingers, the entire body or even eye movements. The word 'mudra' is a Sanskrit word which means 'mark' or 'gesture'. YOUTH Founded in 1981, TFA is an organisation dedicated to the development and inculcating Indian arts and culture among the youth. It has presented more than 20 major productions and 300 short works, including explorations of different cultural themes. TFA has staged its productions in tours around the world, including Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It has also received recognition and support from the government, and has performed at many major official events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit and the Commonwealth Cultural Festival, all in 1998. It has also won many accolades at the BOH Cameronian Arts Awards. GRATEFUL The special performance by TFA is part of the DFP Seni Festival extravaganza which includes Mistik Pura Masyrik (a performance of enticing East Coast legendary folktales on Aug 9) and Sanggar Seni (a collection of music, dance and songs at the DFP foyer presented free from Sept 5 to 7). In a recent interview, the show's music director, Prakash Kandasamy, said: "We are very grateful to DFP for bringing our dancers and musicians centrestage. "Our show has two parts for classical music and dance, each section is 45 minutes." Prakash added that the four dance styles were taught in TFA, and each will have 20 dancers. "All students learn different things and do not confine themselves to one genre." MPYO The TFA musicians are aged from 20 to 55, and the dancers are aged from 18 to 35. Prakash said TFA first performed in DFP in 2012 with the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra or MPYO. "We've got 20 musicians and dancers, and they are all rehearsing daily." VOCALISTS Music director Jyotsna Nithyanandan said: "The DFP is greatly helping promote our work and we are delighted to perform in this state-of-the-art venue." She added that there will be six musical instruments in the showcase, as well as two main solo vocalists and five supporting vocalists. "They will show audiences the beauty of Indian classical music and dance, in ensemble and solo acts." Jyotsna said one of the less-known but stylishly beautiful classical instruments featured was the 'veena', a traditional string instrument. "All of us have had a lot of fun working on this and discovering new things to perform," she said, adding that there will also be a piano accompaniment to give the concert a modern touch. VIBRANT One of the main dancers, Kishore Krishnan, said each item was 10 minutes long, and there will be six to 10 dances. "What we teach is what is presented, and it will be a vibrant and colourful evening," he said. "Best of all, our performances are Malaysianised, combining Indian cultural elements with Malay and Chinese ones." MALAYSIA DAY DFP head of business and strategic relations management Effendy Khalid said it was an honour to have the TFA perform in DFP. "We focus on culture and heritage including cross cultural performances. "It is our aim to give a platform for such performances, especially in September, the month of Malaysia Day," he said, adding that the concert hall could accommodate 920 people.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What to know about the 'Sharia city' development planned in Texas
In March 2025, claims (archived) circulated online that a "sharia city" — Shariah being the body of guidance Muslims follow to live a righteous life — was under construction in Texas. Islam critic and RAIR founder Amy Mek shared early versions of the claim on X. Mek's post centered on EPIC City, a development east of Dallas, managed by EPIC Community Capital Partner, a nonprofit organization set up by the East Plano Islamic Center, a mosque and community center near Plano. Another development, EPIC Ranches, is planned nearby. Other claims accusing EPIC City of being a "sharia city" also appeared across X and Facebook (archived) (archived) (archived) (archived). One of Mek's posts also was shared by Texas' governor. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. foreign-policy think tank, Shariah is "the divine counsel that Muslims follow to live moral lives and grow close to God." Interpretations of Shariah, the principles of which stem from the Quran and hadith — sayings attributed to the Prophet Muhammad — form the basis of Islamic law. Therefore, according to the CFR, "most Muslims worldwide follow aspects of sharia in their private religious practices," and, more likely than not, Muslims living in EPIC City would follow aspects of Shariah, too, when practicing their religion. However, Yasir Qadhi, a spokesman for the projects, told The Dallas Morning News that EPIC City would enforce only Texas and federal laws. We reached out to Qadhi, EPIC City and EPIC Ranches to ask how Shariah would be incorporated into their communities, and await a reply. The EPIC projects were in the early stages of development at the time of this writing, with plots still for sale to prospective buyers. The developers of EPIC City and Ranches clearly advertised the projects' connection to the East Plano Islamic Center. According to EPIC City's website, the project is managed by EPIC Community Capital Partner, a nonprofit organization set up by EPIC specifically to manage the developments. The planned city would consist of nearly 1,100 single -family lots, a private school, commercial space and a mosque, according to investor documents on EPIC City's website. CCP would donate land to EPIC for the construction of the mosque and school, according to the documents. The school would be run either by EPIC or an "affiliate." The EPIC Ranches, announced in February 2025, added 130 additional lots within a short distance of EPIC City. The face of the EPIC City project, Yasir Qadhi, is also a resident scholar at EPIC. While the website for EPIC City and Ranches did not make mention of Shariah, the EPIC City website did advertise the development as "a safe purpose-built community to serve the growing needs of a Muslim community." (Screenshot from According to The Dallas Morning News, a February project update featuring Qadhi described the development as a "Muslim neighborhood" and "a role model community of thousands of Muslims living well-integrated." The cited video update could not be found on EPIC City's website and social media channels at the time of this writing. However, the CCP also told The News it would adhere to the Fair Housing Act, meaning it would not enforce "blanket bans" on any group of people but assess buyers individually for suitability to buy within the developments. The CCP had changed text on its website, according to The News, to make it clear that the EPIC projects could be home to "people of every background, faith, and culture" who "align with our goals of safety and security." Mek's posts, viewed millions of times on X, repeatedly (archived) associated (archived) the EPIC developments with Shariah. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott spread Mek's claims further. On Feb. 24, Abbott reposted (archived) one of Mek's posts about EPIC City, writing: To be clear, Sharia law is not allowed in Texas. Nor are Sharia cities. Nor are "no go zones" which this project seems to imply. Bottom line. The project as proposed in the video is not allowed in Texas. We reached out to Abbott's office to ask what legislation the governor's statements were based on and whether his office would investigate or take action against the EPIC developments, and await a reply. On Feb. 27, Texas state Rep. Jeff Leach sent a letter (archived) to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, writing that: "Reports indicate that this large-scale real estate development may seek to incorporate elements of Sharia law into its operations, raising serious legal and constitutional concerns." We have reached out to Leach to ask which reports he was referring to. We also asked him and Paxton whether investigations into the development were planned or ongoing. We will update this report if we receive responses. Snopes reported in December 2024 about a bill that allegedly made Shariah illegal in Texas. We've reported on claims about Shariah being imposed in Texas since 2015. @AmyMek. "🚨 ALERT TEXAS! 🚨." X, 14 Mar. 2025, ---. "🚨 ALERT TEXAS! 🚨." X, 14 Mar. 2025, ---. "ALERT TEXAS! ." X, 24 Feb. 2025, ---. "Texas' First Sharia City - A Glance at Their Sharia Schools! ." X, 14 Mar. 2025, Civil Rights Division | The Fair Housing Act. 6 Aug. 2015, EPIC City: Thriving Muslim Community by Capital Partners. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025. Epic Ranches. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025. EPIC's Team – EPIC Masjid. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025. FAQs: Your Questions Answered - EPIC City. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025. @GregAbbott_TX. "To Be Clear, Sharia Law Is Not Allowed in Texas." X, 24 Feb. 2025, @JeffOli47397071. "Yet You're Allowing Muslim's Build a City near Dallas and Implement Sharia Law?" X, 18 Mar. 2025, Jimenez, Marco A. "Allahu Akbar, Texas… A New Sharia City Near Dallas! ." Facebook, 18 Mar. 2025, @leachfortexas. "Thanks, Mitch. Appreciate Your Support on This and Look Forward to Partnering Together on It." X, 28 Feb. 2025, Spainhouer, Fredd Steven. "𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫-𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐲." Facebook, 17 Mar. 2025, @TXNSWINDLER. "We Have Way Bigger Issues Currently. ." X, 17 Mar. 2025, Understanding Sharia: The Intersection of Islam and the Law | Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed 19 Mar. 2025. Wooten, Nick, and Adrian Ashford. "They Dream of Building Muslim-Centric Neighborhoods near Dallas. Will It Work?" The Dallas Morning News, 24 Feb. 2025,
