शंकर की सीरत

पिछली बार की तरह इस बार भी होली और ईद मिलादुन नबी साथ ही पड़ रहे हैं तकरीबन पूरा हिंदुस्तान रंगों और मिठाइयों की चाशनी में डूबा रहेगा हज़रात मोहम्मद (सल्) की सीरत पर तकरीरें और नात ख्वानी का सिलसिला आम होगा मस्जिदों में सजदे और मजारों में उर्स की भरमार होगी गुलाल और गुजिया के भोग से तबियत भर जायेगी लेकिन अबकी होली जब रंग उठाना, तो सोचना उन बच्चो के बारें में , जो स्टेशन पर रहते हैं, प्लास्टिक की खाली बोतलों के भरोसे जो शायद दिन भर भूके रहेगें क्योंकि उस दिन सारी ट्रेने खाली ही चलेंगी, बोतलों के बिना कुछ तो परिवार के साथ त्यौहार मनाने कि ख़ुशी की वजह से और कुछ गोबर और कीचड वाली देसी होली के कारण और अबकी बार जब सीरते रसूल को सुनना तो सोचना उस आठ साल के, एक हाथ वाले शंकर के बारे में जो पूछने पर कहता हैं " भय्या पच्चीस रुपए काफी हैं , दस दस मेरे और दानिश के लिए और पांच हमारे कुत्ते के लिए"

यूनुस

पिछले साल मेरे द्वारा शूट किया गया विडियो यहाँ देखें
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og5ouusK7ow

YES! poster for you

This amazing poster was created by my younger brothers Aashish & Faisal. ENJOY!!

Polldaddy is cool !!

Getting market opinion and research data through web has always been a workload for the " Marketing & Tech-savy people' but to get a quick opinion, I would like to use some free, cool, online polls and survey tool like www. poll daddy.com. believe me no technical knowledge is required to do it by yourself.

So take a deep breath, relax and answer this quick poll !!

Digital Fixation

Last friday I went to see a photo exhibtion with my friend Robert. The exhibition was nice but I want to tell you about my experience and fixation with 'Digital photobooth'.

Photographer and installation artist Mark Van is the pioneer in using digital booth as an art exhibit, the concept is simple but innovative 'you click your own picture and see it immediately on a big screen'. The heart of this concept lies in a simple emotional equation.

"You feel good to have the power to compose your photograph."

What a digital fixation !

Window

My volunteering experience with global giving can be summarized as a window, a window in the digital world of non-profits. A world where market is the driving force and market is controller. Whether it’s the fast changing technology or user-friendly services or the Internet tools, the market or rather Donor’s choice governs every thing.
It was interesting to know how a common person like you and me can induce change by just a click as a ‘donor’ and how a single feedback can direct change in an organization.

I belong to India; the largest producer of IT professionals but its application there in the citizen sector is negligible. My exposure and volunteering experience with GlobalGiving has shown me the enormous potential of IT & the use of online tools to further a cause that needs to be tapped by the ‘non profits’.

For me the encounter with web 2.0 was most exciting. Whether its tracking website traffic through Google analytics, designing online surveys or poll or getting RSS feed on Reader, all these tool has actually made things so easy that any body can use them to save resources. Learning about social media sites, viral marketing, searches & adwords every thing is really very enriching. The best part is to connect with other bloggers that gives a continuing learning experience and first hand news of what’s new in the sector.

No matter where I live and what I do I would love to be a GlobalGiving ambassador, why? Because of its staff, they are so lovely & friendly, Often it is said that GlobalGiving provides excellent experience to customers or donors; to me it is just an extension of the warm personalities of its staff. I really enjoyed so many things while working with them, to name few the music played by Donna, birthday celebrations, holiday preparations, potluck organized by Duane & the most exciting raffle. All of it has become ‘part of me’ now and will remind me of my days in GlobalGiving.

Thumbs Up for Donor's Choice

Recently I encountered the www.helium.com and came to know how they pay bloggers for their writings based on the readers’ ratings. This is very common in private sector for online marketing sites like Amazon and eBay but immediately it stuck to mind that why it can’t be applied to citizen sector organizations.
Can we provide a transparent review of organizations to the potential donors? How was their giving experience and are they satisfied with the charity?

I know it’s a pain spot for the charities with all sort of apprehensive questions about image brand and reputation. But with the growing demand of credibility, transparency and accountability citizen sector will definitely require easy to understand information regarding performance of charities and review by its donors or ‘customers’ as the lingo goes.

Friday at Masjid Muhammad

Usually cities are full of lights, fast cars, music and latest fashion. Few would argue that Washington DC is also same but there are city within cities, which remain hidden from the usual sight of visitors. I happen to be in one of such parts of DC, It is an African American Mosque on New Jersey Avenue named as ‘Masjid Muhammad’. I am doing a lot of generalization on the basis of my ‘Jumah’ (weekly Friday prayers) visits to this mosque. I was surprised to see the amazing full of life culture this small mosque presents to me. Here is what I found interesting:


Cafe
There is a cafe, kitchen, and a bookstore in the basement. The group is so vibrant and active that they utilize not only the space of Mosque but also build network to promote business, Raise funds for community needs like Education through selling game tickets and a lot more. Not to forget the DVDs and journals of Imam Muhammad who is the Man behind this community.

Changing roles and speakers
Each week a new person takes over the dice for Khutba (Sermon & speech), which is recorded. And it’s amazing to hear them, one of them referred to Science fiction films and Quran at the same time while describing the concept of time in his speech, other day our Imam made some good boxing moves to explain how Muslim should face the world. And theatrical stories of various people and prophets are a common act with voice modulation and tone control. after the parayers you see that same person is selling Oil aur pumpkin pie.

Business
After the prayers one can meet a lot of people in the basement while having delicious lunch, Salmon kebab sandwich and apple cobbler is my favorite. Then there are few stalls of tickets for fund raising, collecting zakat, pumpkin pie and Oil and thermal wear etc. the mosque has its in house café, which produces all the food, and sometimes it also sought services from the volunteers.

Flea market
Its parking space is used as the weekly flea market for the local goods. Flea market is very similar to weekly Bazaar's in India. I plan to write more on it soon.

Slavery
This would require another full post, for now just sleep over the comment that slavery is the most talked issue in the masjid and also in the city, during the khutba I feel it is this ‘collective deprivation’ or shared history that binds this community together and also excludes me at the same time.

Film Promotion
Few weeks ago film produce Alex Wolf came to masjid Muhammad during Jumah prayer took part in prayers and promoted his new film on Slavery, he has produced the famous film on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) ‘legacy of prophet”.

Documentation
Imam Muhammad’s DVD’s, weekly Khutba & journals and more than a dozen publications record the changes brought and sought by the community. Imam Muhammad is also mobilizing resources to make a museum of Muslim history in America. Currently its in the form of “ Collection & Stories of American Muslims Inc. Traveling exhibition Archives and museum.”