Heal the Rift 2008- Sat, July 19th Washington Sq

[dr.amberkhan]

Description


The event will take place on July 19th (3:00pm – 6:00pm) in Washington Square Park and feature prominent speakers and musical performers from both the Muslim world and the West. By capturing national, if not global, media attention, HTR 2008 will counter-balance the disproportionate amount of negative images of both sides shown the public consciousness. Our goal is to alleviate the hysteria and suspicion that has been fed to the people of the world and definitively prove that the "Clash of Civilizations" is pure illusion. People will finally be able to identify a tangible alternative to fringe elements that have regrettably come to characterize our two civilizations. Large-scale attendance and widespread coverage of HTR 2008 would demonstrate mass rejection of the message of radicals and fringe elements. HTR 2008 is not geared towards policy change, nor is it a political protest -- it is simply an opportunity to celebrate solidarity between two cultures that share the same basic values. For more information on our organization, please feel free to consult our website at http://www.healtherift.org.

~LIST OF CONFIRMED SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS~

· Salman Ahmad: a UN Goodwill Ambassador and the founder of one of South Asia's most popular rock bands, Junoon.

· Lance Trumbull: the organizer, creator, and expedition leader for the successful joint Palestinian-Israeli climb of Mount Everest, and the history-making documentary, Everest: A Climb for Peace.

· Dr. Ali Yurtsever: the President of the Rumi Forum, a DC-based organization whose principal goal is to promote peace in the world and contribute to a peaceful coexistence of the adherents of different faiths, cultures, ethnicities, and races.

· Arya Zarrinkelk: the Global Development/Peace and Security Program Associate at Americans for Informed Democracy

· Amish Dar: Pakistani born guitarist/vocalist Dar from the 3-person band, Har ik Zehr. Their music is a fusion of each member’s own culture and life experiences shaped by their experience in America.

· Zerobridge: Lead singer/guitarist and songwriter Mubashir "Din" Mohi-ud-Din and drummer Mohsin "Mo" Mohi-ud-Din are two brothers, whose parents are from the disputed territory of Kashmir, nestled between northern India and Pakistan.

· Ippazzi: is a celebration of diversity through music. Their new album, titled Balance Between has everything to do with the fact that Greg and Akil are so different, yet produce music that is a symbiosis of elements like rock and rap, black and white, electric and acoustic to name a few.

· Azhar Usman: a Chicago-born Muslim Comedian of Indian origin. His sole goal, through comedy, is to promote better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

· Robert Galinsky: a facilitator... writer, actor, producer, director, theatre artist and is Co-Creator of the Manhattan Monologue Slam. He has been nominated for a Gold World Award at the New York International Film Festival & has appeared on stage throughout New York. Galinsky freelances as a producer and director with the National Geographic Channel, Time Out Magazine, and The Ford Foundation among others.

· Omar Ashmawy: an author, Pentagon prosecutor, U.S. Air Force officer, and an outspoken critic of fundamentalist Islam.

· Laraaji w/Galinsky in “Healing Laughter Performance”: is an American musician, and has been acclaimed for his most widely-recognized release, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance