Tawakkol Karman Foundation
“Spirituality and Art as the Wings of Peace”
On the night of the twentieth of Ramadan, Belqees TV channel and TKF organized an iftar banquet under the slogan ‘Spirit and Art... the wings of Peace’ in Istanbul, Turkey.
Dozens of artists, lawyers, journalists, and members of the Yemeni community in Turkey attended the evening. Before the iftar guests delivered their speeches about art and its relationship to faith, philosophy, mysticism, and freedom followed by the Performance of religious songs that praise the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In his speech, artist Rashid Ghannam said, “the mystical atmosphere of the month of Ramadan is blending with religious songs, spreading joy and happiness in people's hearts through music. God Almighty has created many cosmic signs, one of which is beauty, which people should contemplate with their minds and hearts.”
Ghannam continued, “Music is the presence of beauty that God Almighty has created in the heart of the listener, as it gives the heart a deep spiritual meaning and connects people to God Almighty”
Ghannam also said, “Art, religion, and morals are supreme values that rise and decline in different times. Art from the start was meant to be noble and heavenly, as it a sign one of the signs that God Almighty created.”
Ghannam concludes with, “Man discovered music while searching for God Almighty, so music was sublime, but it fell when art became reserved for those in power. With the Arab Spring, we realized that many of the artists were subject to the ruling regimes.”