Fatima: Daughter of the Prophet Mohammad
Through Lisa’s Goddess on Earth- project, she has met many amazing women- some of them acquaintances, some through a friend of a friend, and even others just by seeing them on the street and saying, “Hey! You are a goddess. I would love to do a portrait of you! ” For this particular photo, Lisa was looking for a woman from the Sufi mosque in Chestnut Ridge. Through a mutual acquaintance she reached out to them and was invited to their Saturday night potluck dinner. They welcomed her with open arms, asking her to tell them about her project. She was introduced to a group of three sisters as possible subjects.
Their names were Amina on the left, then Nuranisa, and Sema. They are college students living with their family in Chestnut Ridge, New York. When asked what myth or sacred life story they would like to embody, they spoke about of the importance family, community, and faith in their lives. The significance of these elements led them to Fatima. “We chose Fatima because she is the ideal model for all Muslim women (even men) in spirituality, worship, prayer, service and inward and outward demeanor. Her loving and kind countenance made the people love her, her shrewdness made people respect her and her words and actions made the people imitate her.”
Fatima was one of the first children to be born into Islam and the fourth daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. Fatima is considered to be one of the four holiest women in Islam after the Virgin Mary, Khadija, and Asiya, the Queen who rescued Moses from the river. It is said that when she prayed, her light was reflected by the mihrab, the direction of the Ka’aba in Mecca that a Muslim must face when praying. Her inner light was seen by everyone and the name “Zehra”, meaning “resplendent or shining one” was given to her among other such titles.
Nuranisa, Amina and Sema wrote, “Our parents surrounded us with a very spiritual Islamic lifestyle based on prayer and worship but most significantly with love and service to our community, which is ultimately service to Allah.”
It is admirable to see the dedication and devotion these three sisters have. I would say they were a lucky find, and another excellent choice to represent and further show the diversity of the Women of Rockland.
Hopefully these stories of the seven women from Rockland County give you a better look into their lives, and leave you with a broader perspective on the culture and diversity that surrounds us. These women are our neighbors, living out their lives with uniqueness of their culture and values; emanating beauty and strength as they doing so.
Lydia the Intern’s First Post!
A blog to keep up with the ins and outs of Lisa Levart’s photographic project-Goddess on Earth…
What a brilliant idea! As Lisa’s intern for the next two months, we have decided a blog would be the best way to communicate all that Lisa has been doing the past seven years with this project, including updates on her photo shoots and a way to keep up with this project that continues to spiral down the path of growth, attention and great appreciation. I will be writing regularly about Lisa’s photo shoots, the adventures that accompany them and the exciting plans for the future concerning Goddess on Earth.
For those of you that are new to Lisa’s work, I will fill you in.
Lisa’s idea for the Women of Rockland all started with her fascination with the diversity in her own community. Lisa was a given a grant from the Arts Council of Rockland to pursue her project and bring it to fruition.
In her own words; “As a community, Rockland County is evolving, and increasingly becoming diverse in the cultures, faiths and languages of its residents. Yet, even within this amazing mosaic, we often know little about the sacred myths and poetic life stories of our neighbors,” said Levart. “When we reach back into the early myths and stories of all cultures, we often have more similarities than differences. By sharing these photographs with the public, I hope to set the stage for increased dialogue and communication within the Rockland community, as well as an appreciation for the basic connectiveness between the different traditions that help shape our world.”
Beautifully put. Lisa’s idea behind the gist of this is getting at something deeper. She sees the ways in which we are all more similar and interconnected than we think. We all have stories and beliefs we live and stand by, and the more we shed our fears and get to a deeper level of exposure, we find that we share common ground and life with people all around us.
Through photographs Lisa has brought to life the beauty and uniqueness not only in the wonders of femininity and spirituality, but in each woman’s story and personal life as well. As you look at her pictures and read the descriptions of the photographs, you will find them to truly capture and celebrate the feminine whole in all that we were created to be, and the potential we have to draw from our souls and celebrate our inherent strengths of being a woman.
This snap shot hopefully gives you a glimpse into the intentions of Lisa and her art, along with her deeper meaning and vision.
There will be more where this came from- but until next time,
Lydia