Two UNC students aim to show that prayer isn’t the only way to worship God.
“Passion in Practice,” a multimedia exhibit being held in the Student Union Art Gallery for the month of November with an opening reception Wednesday, was created by juniors Aisha Anwar and Layla Quran. Their inspiration for the gallery, they said, was to show different embodiments of Islam through their subjects’ daily lives.
“Islam is a religion that can be interpreted in so many ways and through so many different passions,” Quran said. “There’s so much room for possibility — you can interpret it in a way that fits your lifestyle.”
The gallery contains photographs, taken by Anwar, of about 20 subjects — UNC students and Muslims in the Triangle area — engaging in what they’re passionate about. In addition to these photos, the exhibit will feature a short film containing interviews connecting these passions with Islam.
“I wanted to depict Islam as an art form rather than the conventional idea of religion,” Anwar said. “I wanted to know, as a college student, how to find a balance between being a ‘religious person’ and actively engaging in the environment around you.”
For one of the gallery’s subjects — sophomore Zaki Haidary — that religious balance manifests itself in boxing.
“I think of Islam as a holistic thing. It makes me strive for the truth in all things that I pursue — boxing is a segment of that,” he said. “I think overall, the message of Islam is about self-betterment and striving to know the unknown. Those ideas can really carry over into boxing because it requires so much self-discipline and so much self-knowledge.”
Quran said though “Passion in Practice” focuses on one specific religion, anyone, no matter the faith, can learn from it.
“Islam encourages cooperation and understanding of others,” Quran said. “What are you going to do to be helpful? What role will you play in your club, your religion, your world?”
