Homage to the Victims of the Anti-Sikh Pogrom in Delhi in 1984

On the birthday of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak
and
on the completion of 25 years since the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom of Delhi
Open Space
paid homage to those who perished in it
by screening
Ranjana Mazumdar directed documentary-film,
Delhi Diary 2001
on
Monday, 2nd November, 2009
at
Open Space - Lucknow Office

Delhi Diary 2001 attempts to understand how the anti-Sikh pogrom impacted the lives of the people in Delhi, scarring them with the memory of terror.

The Role of Religion in Society

Open Space
presents
"The Role of Religion in Society"

Lecture
by
Professor Sarva-Daman Singh
Honorary Consul of India for Queensland, Australia
Director, Institute of Asian Studies, Brisbane, Australia

Monday, 30th November, 2009
12 noon
Department of Ancient Indian History & Archaeology, University of Lucknow

Remembering Gujarat 2002

Photo: Arko Datta, Reuters

Robin David

Open Space
presents
"Remembering Gujarat 2002"
Reading of excerpts from Robin David's City of Fear
and the
Screening of Nooh Nizami & Akanksha Joshi directed documentary-film Passengers: A Video Journey in Gujarat

Sunday, 1st November, 2009
Open Space - Lucknow Office

An Assistant Editor with the Times of India and a member of the tiny Bene Israel Jewish community, Robin David's memoir of the anti-Muslim pogrom in the western Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 is City of Fear, Penguin, 2007, shortlisted in the top five of the Vodafone Crossword Book Awards in the Non-Fiction Category.

Passengers: A Video Journey in Gujarat (52 minutes): The genocide in Gujarat is documented through the lives of a Hindu and a Muslim family. Filmed over a year and a half, it follows the echoes of violence, intense pain and betrayal. The politics of division is experienced through the two families that form the micro unit of the Indian society.

A Retrospective of the Israeli Filmmaker Yael Katzir's films and Workshops by her

Professor Yael Katzir

Open Space
presents
A Retrospective of the Israeli Filmmaker Yael Katzir's films and Workshops by her

Monday, 9th November, 2009
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Department of Mass Communication & Journalism,
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow

Wednesday, 11th November, 2009
Department of Mass Communication & Journalism,
University of Lucknow, Lucknow

Thursday, 12th November, 2009
City Montessori School, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

Professor Yael Katzir's films (please click on the title to read about the film):

• Company Jasmine
• Shivah for my mother
• Praying in Her Own Voice
• Out for Love, Be Back Shortly
• Marie Balian: An Armenian Artist in Jerusalem

"An Evening of Jewish Music" dedicated to World Peace in memory of Daniel Pearl

The Chief Guest, Urdu Journalist Husain Amin and General Secretary of Sarvajanik Shikshonnayan Sansthan, Dr. Sushil Chandra Trivedi paying their homage to Daniel Pearl by lighting candles

The chief guest, Urdu journalist Husain Amin and General Secretary of Sarvajanik Shikshonnayan Sansthan, Dr. Susheel Chandra Trivedi garlanding a photograph of Daniel Pearl

Chief Guest, Husain Amin, Urdu journalist

Social Activist, Mr. K. C. Tripathi

Dr. Sushil Chandra Trivedi, General Secretary, Sarvajanik Shikshonnayan Sansthan

Social Activist. Mr. Shukla

Social Activist. Mr. Khazzan Singh

From the left: Social Activist. Mr. Gaurav Pandey, Mr. Husain Amin and Mr. Sushil Chandra Trivedi

From the left: Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi, Mr. Husain Amin and Dr. Sushil Chandra Trivedi

Open Space - Lucknow
in association with
Sarvajanik Shikshonnayan Sansthan (SSS)
organised
"An Evening of Jewish Music"
dedicated to world peace
in memory of Daniel Pearl
on his 45th birth anniversary
as part of the
8th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days,
a global network of events to promote peace and understanding through the language of music

This music evening was one of the four music concerts organised in India as part of the movement called Daniel Pearl World Music Days, during which 1,180 music events will take place in 63 countries in October 2009. The other three events that took place in India under this movement were held in Goa and Kerala.

The South Asia Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal, Daniel Pearl, who got abducted and killed by terrorists in Pakistan, was a talented musician who joined musical groups in every community he visited, leaving behind a long trail of musician friends that spans the entire globe. He firmly believed in the power of music to unite people.

The chief guest of the evening was the Urdu journalist, Husain Amin, who paid an emotional tribute to Daniel Pearl and spoke against the growing number of attacks on journalists the world over, one of which took Daniel Pearl's life.

Professor Judea Pearl and Ruth Pearl, parents of Daniel Pearl

Statement from Daniel Pearl's parents, Prof. Judea Pearl and Ruth Pearl:

Thank you for being part of the 8th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days and for dedicating your concert in honor of our son, Daniel Pearl. We would have loved to be with you in person tonight, but circumstances dictate that we send you this blessing from a distance, although we are with you in spirit.

Our deepest appreciation goes to the organizers and the musicians who helped put this evening together.

Pablo Casals once said:
"Music must serve a purpose; it must be part of something larger than itself, a part of humanity."

The music that will soon emerge from your stage will serve a purpose - for it will blend with the sounds of hundreds, perhaps thousands of other concerts, from Singapore to New York, Lahore to Los Angeles, which will be ringing the earth this month for sanity and humanity.

By dedicating your concert to Danny, you elevate your music from the acoustics of one concert hall onto to the balcony of the 21st century and transform it into a potent statement of purpose, unity and empowerment.

Your music will resonate today in sharp defiance of the forces of hatred that took our son's life, and will reinforce our unshaken conviction that, at the end of the day, music will triumph and humanity will prevail.

United, we will make a difference.

Ruth and Judea Pearl
Los Angeles, California

2009 Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Barak Hussein Obama, President of the United States of America

Obama's Presidential Statement:

I send my warmest greetings to all who are gathered for the 8th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

Music has been called a universal language that transcends cultures and borders. Its power to move us, touch our hearts, and speak to our souls enriches our lives. Through artistic creativity and expression, musicians build bridges between individuals and communities thousands of miles apart.

This month-long event to celebrate music and honour the legacy of Daniel Pearl is a fitting tribute to a man who promoted respect and dialogue throughout the world. On this occasion, we recommit ourselves to tolerance, compassion, and "Harmony for Humanity".

I wish you all the best for an enjoyable event.

Barak Obama
The White House
Washington
September 30, 2009

Cantor Alberto Mizrahi

Cantor Kathy Robbins

Songs composed and sung by the great cantors,
Alberto Mizrahi and Kathy Robbins
were played from their respective albums,
My World
and
Shavat Vayinafash: An Island in Time
on
Saturday, 10th October, 2009
at
Nilyam, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow

Message from Cantor Kathy Robbins:

I am deeply honored and humbled to have been invited to share the stage in Lucknow with my esteemed colleague, Cantor Alberto Mizrahi in 'An Evening of Jewish Music' as part of the 8th Annual Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

Reb Nachman of Bretslav taught, "Kol ha-olam kulo, gesher tzar m-od. V'ha-ikar lo l'facheid klal. - The world is a very narrow bridge and the most important part is not to be afraid."

Danny fearlessly, built bridges with his music wherever he went in the world. His legacy , 'Harmony for Humanity' will continue to inspire us all to do the same in our on-going quest for world peace.

L'shalom,

Cantor Kathy Robbins
Encinitas, California

Greek-born tenor, Alberto Mizrahi, one of the world's leading interpreters of Jewish music, is Hazzan of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago. He has thrilled audiences worldwide in recitals, symphony concerts, and opera. Affectionately known as "the Jewish Pavarotti," Mizrahi's repertoire, spanning nine languages, makes his performances unique in the field.

He is featured on PBS television in Cantors: A Faith in Song and in the PBS Hanukkah Special. He has performed and recorded with the legendary jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck and his quartet ("Gates of Justice") for the Milken Archive on the Naxos label, and with the great Theodore Bikel ("Our Song"). He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, NDR Symphony, Lithuanian National Symphony, Radio Television Orchestra of Spain and the Sinfonia Krakowia.

Having just performed at the White House Hanukkah celebration and with Genesis at the Crossroads in Casablanca, he also recently appeared with Cantors: A Faith in Song in Sao Paolo and Rio De Janeiro, in Carnegie Hall for the Zamir Chorale celebration of Israel at 60, and Kavanah: Tradition and Transformation, a modern music tour thoroughout the Netherlands. The 2008-2009 season finds him recording and premiering the highly reviewed Yizkor: Music of Remembrance with the Afro-Semitic Experience. dueting with Theodore Bikel in the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival, Craig Taubman in the Hallelu Festival, and singing concerts in Athens, Mexico City, and throughout the US. Hazzan Mizrahi returns to chant at Days of Remembrance, the national commemoration of the Holocaust, in April 2009 (Capitol Rotunda), tour with the Safron Caravan Ensemble in Egypt, Jordon, Israel and Australia, and with the Cantors Assembly in Warsaw, Krakow and Jerusalem. Mizrahi's extensive discography numbers over twenty-five CDs.

Cantor Kathy Robbins' creative contributions include a unique Freilich Friday Shabbat Evening Service with her seven-piece band, a Mind-Boby-Spirit, Adult Education Wellness Wheel and her CD Shavat Vayinafash - An Island in Time: Contemporary Music for the Eve of Shabbat".

Cantor Robbins has served as Cantor and Music Director of Temple Solel, Cardiff by the Sea, California, since 1984. She is a regular member of the American Conference of Cantors.

The First Ever Holocaust Films Retrospective in South Asia

Dr. Manoj Dixit,
Head, Department of Public Administration, University of Lucknow
Director, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma Institute of Democracy
Secretary, Lucknow University Alumni Foundation

Prof. A. K. Sengupta, Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Lucknow

Dr. Navras Jaat Aafreedi, the Open Space Fellow in Lucknow

On Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, 2nd October, observed across the world as the International Day of Non Violence according to a UN resolution, Open Space, in collaboration with the City Montessori School, screened Night and Fog before an audience of 3,500 people at the CMS's World Convention Centre. Mahatma Gandhi, who staunchly believed in non-violence, said that if a war could be justified, it would be war against Germany to prevent the wanton persecution of a whole race, the Jews.

13-year-old Yugratna Srivastava who addressed the United Nations Climate Change Summit in New York on 22nd September 2009, talking to a journalist while seeing the Holocaust posters displayed at the venue.

A story titled, "Holocaust: The Biggest Hoax of the Twentieth Century", that the largest circulated Urdu daily newspaper in Lucknow, the Rashtriya Sahara, carried on 16th September, 2009, with particular reference to our ongoing Holocaust Films Retrospective. This article itself is a good proof of the widespread Holocaust denial among the Muslims in South Asia, who form the largest Muslim population of the world. One of the primary aims of this Holocaust Films Retrospective was to counter this Holocaust Denial. Besides a large number of Muslim students, the event was attended by well known Muslim personalities like the eminent Urdu poet Professor Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad, acclaimed Urdu writer Dr. Ayesha Siddiqui and noted theatre/TV/Film personality Salim Arif, all of whom spoke against Holocaust Denial.

Mr. B. B. Nagpal, Film Critic and Media Consultant

Mr. Jagdish Gandhi, Educationist

Mr. Jagdish Gandhi seeing an exhibition of the Holocaust posters donated by Yad Vashem, Jerusalem

Mr. Jugal Kishor, Bharatendu Natya Akademi (Bharatendu Academy of Dramatics)

Dr. Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Director, Bharatendu Natya Akademi (Bharatendu Academy of Dramatics)

Prof. Roop Rekha Verma, Social Activist and Former Vice Chancellor, University of Lucknow

Dr. Ayesha Siddiqui, Urdu Fiction Writer

Prof. Malikzada Manzoor Ahmad, Urdu Poet

Prof. Thontadrya, Theatre Personality

Mr. Salim Arif, Theatre/Film/TV Personality

Mr. M. S. Sathyu, Filmmaker

From the left: Dr. Gopal Singh, Head, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Prof. B. B. Hanumaiah, Vice Chancellor, B. B. Ambedkar University, Prof. Thontadrya, Theatre Personality and Mr. M. S. Sathyu, Filmmaker

Dr. Govind Ji Pandey, Reader, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow and Coordinator of the film screenings at the university

Dr. Dinesh Sharma, the Mayor of Lucknow

Prof. B. B. Hanumaiah, Vice Chancellor, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow

Dr. Govind Ji Pandey

OPEN SPACE - LUCKNOW is greatly indebted to a number of people and organisations (in alphabetical order):

Mr. Alessandro Matta, Italy

Mr. Anwar Nadeem, India (http://anwarnadeem.blogspot.com)

Mr. Asher Tarmon, Israel (picture not available)

Prof. Deepika Marya, USA

Ms. Ellen Friedland, USA (www.jemglo.org)

Mr. Eyal Boers, Theora Design, Israel

Mr. Fazl-ur-Rehman, India

Fondazione Centro di Documentazione Ebraica Conteporanea (CDEC), Onlus, Milan, Italy

Mr. Georg Gruber and Mr. Jochen Freydank, Magnet Film, Germany (www.magnetfilm.de)

Dr. Govind Ji Pandey, Department of Mass Communication & Journalism, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, India

Ms. Harriet Bograd, USA (www.kulanu.org)

Ms. Kamayani Sharma, India

Ms. Karen Cantor, Singing Wolf Documentaries, Inc., USA

Prof. Leah Wing, USA

Ms. Limor Pinhasov Ben Yosef, Israel
and
Mr. Yaron Kaftori Ben Yosef (picture not available)
Cicero Film Productions, Tel Aviv

Ms. Lina Caneva, Caneva Media Productions, Australia

Dr. Manju Sikarwar, India

Ms. Ornit Barkai, USA (www.tinro.com)

www.pov.org

Ms. Pearl Goldberg, Ms. Andria Spindel and Dr. Stuart Kamenetsky, Congregation Darchei Noam, Toronto, Canada (picture not available)

Rabbi Marvin Tokayer, USA

Prof. Sarva-Daman Singh, Australia

Ms. Shana Weinberg, USA

www.sisuent.com

http://college.usc.edu/vhi

www.yadvashem.org

Screening of FINAL SOLUTION

Open Space
screened Rakesh Sharma's documentary
Final Solution
on
Sunday, 23rd August, 2009
at the
Open Space - Lucknow Office

Final Solution is a study of the politics of hate. Set in Gujarat, India, the film graphically documents the changing face of right-wing politics in India through a study of the 2002 genocide of Muslims in Gujarat. The film examines the aftermath of the deadly violence that followed the burning of 58 Hindus on the Sabarmati Express train at Godhra on 27th February, 2002. In reaction to that incident, some 2,500 Muslims were brutally murdered, hundreds of women raped, and more than 200,000 families driven from their homes. Borrowing its reference from the history of Nazism, the title of the film exposes what the director calls 'Indian Fascism' and seeks to remind that "those who forget history are condemned to relive it."

A dialogue that ensued after the screening with a member of the audience is as follows:

Do you think films should not have been made on the genocide of Muslims that took place in Gujarat in 2002?
Yes, I do think such films should not have been made, because they promote anger, enmity and hatred.

Since films made on the Gujarat 2002 genocide of Muslims promote hatred, so the students in schools and colleges should should also not be taught about it?
Yes, of course!

So, the genocide of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 should never be mentioned at any forum whatsover?
Why do you only take Gujarat? Start right from the beginning. Also talk about Muslim atrocities. It is always better not to talk of things that provoke hatred and fury, in my opinion.

Do you mean that once a genocide has taken place, no matter what the community, it should never be talked about?
No its mention should be confined to reference books, history books, etc., and should not be publicised in the general public. Only the educated and the intelligent should read about such genocides, not the common man. When such things are shown to the general public, it gets agitated and turns violent.

So, according to you, it is okay if books are written on genocides, provided those are kept in libraries accessible only to academics and scholars and not to the common man. There should be no mention of genocides in the sources of information accessible to the general public. Is this what you are saying?
Yes, if it spreads hatred. If the two conflicting communities live together and want to continue to do so, only those things should be shown that promote communal harmony. When such genocides happen, they do get reported in the press. That is enough. There is no need to remind people of suh incidents at every opportunity. The effort should be that such incidents do not occur again. Such terrible incidents should be mentioned only in a positive way with solutions to the problems. It is the responsibility of the press and media to promote communal harmony, and not instigate people by showing such provocative things or by writing about them.

Don't you see these documentary films as part of that effort?
No, I don't, because I believe that those who make such films are only looking for cheap publicity and that these films are their endeavours to establish their film careers.

Are you against the screening of Final Solution?
Yes, I am. It hurts Muslims and puts Hindus to shame.

Is it wrong to put Hindus to shame if they are at fault?
No, I am not saying that. What I am saying is why should those who are not guilty, be put to shame. The perpetrators are not seeing it. And, why do you show films only on Hindu atrocities on Muslims. Why don't you ever show a film on the plight of displaced Hindu Pandits of Kashmir or on the ill-treatment of Hindus in Pakistan and Bangladesh?

So, according to you, films like Final Solution have no place in society?
Films should be made for the promotion of communal harmony.

Do you think it was justified to ban Final Solution?
I don't know that. I am not intelligent enough to be able to answer your tricky questions.

The respondent, a seventy-year-old academic, does not want her identity to be revealed.

A noteworthy response to the film came from the Urdu poet Anwar Nadeem:

वक़्त, हालत और सियासत के नापाक गठजोड़ ने तहजीब के रौशन फानूस को कुछ इस तरह तोडा कि उसकी किरचें आँख, दिल, दिमाग और एहसास में शायद हमेशा के लिए पेबस्त हो गयीं।
बहुत ही मकरूह मंज़रों के पीछे साँस लेते सियासी इरादों को उजागर करना आसान काम नहीं था, मगर मुबारकबाद के हक़दार हैं राकेश शर्मा कि उन्होंने नेहायत बेलाग ज़हन के साथ हिन्दुस्तानी तारीख के एक दर्दनाक दौर की मंज़रकशी में film editing की राह से अपनी बेहतरीन सलाहियतों को दर्शाया है।