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.
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 about rain, its varied moods, geographies, and contexts. 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.
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.
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.
This Heirloom was exhibited at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, in California, as part of a retrospective including screenings of A Thin Wall and The Muslims I Know.
Readings by Pakistani novelist Uzma Aslam Khan and Indian American writer Sejal Shah on January 19th at the University of Rochester, followed by screenings of films directed by Ajay Bhardwaj and Mara Ahmed on January 20th at the Indian Community Center.
Dr. Maya Haber, from Partners for Progressive Israel, talks about “Muslim-Jewish Solidarity: Resisting the Occupation and Islamophobia Together” at the Islamic Center of Rochester.
