iRead recap: Dr. Michael Rex

On Tuesday, February 23, Cumberland University English Professor Dr. Michael Rex spoke about Afghani art, literature, dance, and music.

Background
The arts in Afghanistan are influenced by three major things: 1) Geographic location. Goods and people traveling from the East and into Europe passed through this area had a great effect. 2) Various groups of people. The three major groups that make up the Afghanistan population are the Pashtuns, the dominant ruling class, the Tajik, a large percentage of people of various origin who have settled here, and the Hazar who are wanderers or nomads. Other minor tribes make up a small percentage of the population. 3) Philosophical standpoint. This culture, influenced by the mysticism from Buddhism in the East, is always seeking the “middle way.”

Music
There are two major instruments used in Afghani music. The national instrument called a Rubab, is a stringed instrument similar to the lute. The zerbaghali, or tabla, are head drums made of goat leather.


Dance
The national dance of Afghanistan is called the Attan and is based on an ancient dance for the goddess Artemis. It is danced by a group or men or a group of women, not couples. When the dance is done with a prop, it is called Khattah. Formerly dancers used swords as props, but now they use scarves. Kuchi is the dance characterized by a lot of jumping and tossing of the head. During the rule of the Taliban from 1996-2001, dancing was declared illegal and punishable by death.



Art
The Afghan region is known for art created during the Grecco-Buddhist period which was from 400 BCE to 700 CE. Two famous statues of Buddha, called the Bayman Buddahs were carved into the side of cliffs. These 1,700 year old statues were destroyed by the Taliban in March 2001. Discovered inside when they were destroyed were frescoes painted in oil on canvases made from woven straw; these are the first known oil paintings.
Other popular art forms are Beggram ivory carvings and jewelry carved out of gold. Afghani art differs from much of the art in the Islam world because they still depict people and animals in their art work.
Rug making and kite making are almost exclusive to Afghanistan. The kites are used for kite fighting and are made of paper or silk and bamboo. The strings are made of a combination of glass and glue. Kite flying was also banned under the Taliban regime.

Buddha statues:













Beggram ivory carving:


Afghani Jewelry:


Afghani Rugs:



Literature
The two most influential poets in Afghanistan are Rahman Baha and Rabia-al Adawiyya. Rahman Baha is considered the father of Afghan letters, and his only surviving work is a book of 60,000 rhyming couplets. Rabia-al Adawiyya, a woman who lived during the 8-9th century, ascribed to the Islamic movement known as Sufi, and this connection to the divine is apparent in her writings.
Contemporary writers from Afghanistan include Malalai Joya, a member of Parliament, and Khaled Husseini, a novelist and the author of bestsellers including The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.


Today
Currently, the arts in Afghanistan are still recovering from the oppression during the Taliban rule. Most Afghanis who are preserving the arts from this area do not actually live in Afghanistan, but are living in other countries and plan to return to Afghanistan in the future. Contemporary writers and artists hope to achieve a synthesis of the classical and contemporary art, to preserve and progress Afghanistan in the modern age.


Please join us on Tuesday, March 23 as a representative from the Olive Tree Foundation will speak about women in Muslim life.