At a time when hate crimes against Black churches, synagogues and mosques are spiking, we need to connect the dots between anti-Black racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, understand white supremacy, and build collective resistance to it.
Category Archives: Projects
I’ve always described myself as an activist filmmaker. The desire to illuminate stories from the periphery, to create dialogue, challenge pieties, and disturb oppressive systems is why I became a filmmaker. Community projects, where diverse groups of people congregate, exchange ideas and transform one another, are also a form of art. So are collabs with other artists and activists. Recent projects I’ve been involved in.
Co-taught a workshop on ‘Race, Racism, and Relationships: Microaggressions and the Beloved Community’ at the First Unitarian Church of Rochester. Used Claudia Rankine’s work to frame the discussion.
Two years ago, Amanda Chestnut, Rachel DeGuzman and I organized a celebration of Frederick Douglass’ 199th birthday at his gravesite in Mount Hope Cemetery. The following year, in 2018, the city of Rochester was energized to mark Douglass’s 200th birthday with multiple community events. Part of this process of excavation included a work of art by Isaac Julien, commissioned by the Memorial Art Gallery.
Analyzing the White Supremacist Roots of Anti-Muslim Violence
The White Supremacist Roots of Anti-Muslim Violence: Commentary and Analysis by Mara Ahmed, Halima Aweis, and Hibah Arshad, in the aftermath of the terror attacks on two New Zealand mosques, on March 15, 2019, that killed 50 people and wounded another 50.
We, the members of Rochester Jewish Voice for Peace as well as the broader Rochester community, stand by Ilhan Omar and her right to critique the influence that Zionism has on US politics. Join us as we rally outside congressman Joe Morelle’s office to demand an end to Islamaphobia, anti-blackness, and malicious mis-appropriation of anti-semitism.
An audio poem written and read by Mara Ahmed, sound design by Darien Lamen
The goal of this conversation is to take diversity beyond the niceness of multiculturalism and inclusion, and to focus on how full equity can revitalize and transform systems and societies.
Connections: Discussing the diversity advantage
The Gandhi Institute is preparing to host a program about the “diversity advantage” — how society benefits when inclusion transforms into full equality.
Kundiman is a national organization based in NYC, which was inspired by Cave Canem, and which supports and promotes the work of Asian American writers. Kundiman Northeast will hold its first western New York reading at the wonderful Spirit Room.
Connections: Discussing satire, and the controversy surrounding the cartoon of Serena Williams
An Australian political cartoonist created an image of Serena Williams stomping on her racket; her features were exaggerated and a pacifier was at her feet. Cartoonist Mark Knight and his defenders called it satire; others called it racist and sexist.
This event at Gallery 74 is an artistic exploration of anti-Muslim racism, which is on the rise in the United States and beyond. It is an event of “At the Crossroads: Activating the Intersection of Art and Justice” presented by 21st Century Arts in collaboration with Mara Ahmed of Neelum Films.
Join a fascinating panel discussion featuring women immigrants who have made a positive difference in Rochester.
