Ali Baba's Book Series on: Artistic Flags - Book Five: Mary's Wish

Ali Langroodi

Description

I started Ali Baba's Book Series on Artistic Flags in 2016. Along the way, I have used the colorful flags of different countries as a tool to convey my feelings and to express my thoughts. There are between 200-250 countries spread across all five continents. There is no doubt that each country has its own unique sets of cultural norms, customs, beliefs, and the socioeconomic status. In fact, diversity is one of the human 's greatest assets. And, I may add that searching for a common ground and coexistence has been one of the human's greatest challenges. Fortunately, I can recall many instances in which people have risen above their differences and reached out for commonalities and similarities.

In my previous books, I highlighted two major events- the Olympic Games and the World Cup Tournaments to exemplify as how our spirit of cooperation and humanity have brought us together. I have paid pictorial tribute to all nations by displaying their beautiful and colorful flags for their sincere efforts and contributions. My intention was to celebrate our coexistence and our victories in overcoming obstacles and adversaries.

This book is not any different. I am trying to focus on remembering and celebrating lives of those who have been lost so innocently and tragically because of affiliation of the victims to certain religious groups. The victims have ranged from those who faced forced mass migration and mass killings to those who have who have fallen victims in their own towns, streets, schools, and the houses of worships.

I recall my late mother Maryam dearly valued the freedom she experienced in her visit to USA in 1987. She was particularly amazed to see people from different cultures who were able to practice their faith and their traditions openly in America. She wished the same joy of freedom and dignity for everyone around the world.

Amazing, centuries ago, Virgin Mary had great inspiration for promoting and elevating human spirits. Judging from the Jesus' spirit of peacefulness and forgiveness, one can easily conclude that Virgin Mary cultivated love and kindness in his heart. Her name is synonymous with tolerance, respect, and acceptance. I do believe Virgin Mary ( or Mary) and my mother Maryam (or Mary) wished friendship, love, equality, freedom, peace, prosperity, grace, happiness, health, humility, and humanity for all of us everywhere on the Earth. This book is a pictorial tribute to honor their wish. This book is all about Mary's wish.

Sujets

• Arts visuels
• Histoire des Arts
• Histoire des Arts
• Histoire des arts visuels
• Art
• Religious
• Subjects
• Themes

Informations

• Publié par: eBookIt.com
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781456630690
• Langue: English

Extrait

Ali Baba's Book Series on:
Artistic Flags - Book Five:
Mary’s Wish
 
 
by
Ali Langroodi
Copyright 2018 Ali Langroodi,
All rights reserved.
 
 
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
http://www.eBookIt.com
 
 
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-3069-0
 
 
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Introduction
Maryam, my late mother, came to U.S.A. for her first and only visit in the summer of 1987. She was pleasantly surprised by the degree of freedom American people were enjoying in their daily lives. She was absolutely elated by observing firsthand as how people from different cultures were able to follow their traditions and could practice their faiths without any fear or intimidation. It became a pass time for her to watch people going to churches and other houses of worships. She wished and prayed that other people around the world could enjoy this peaceful way of living.
 
During her visit, she and I took a trip down the memory lane to her childhood time. She loved to reminisce about their rice farmland which was wedged between the tall green mountains and the blue Caspian Sea. She learned for the first time that her name was in fact another version (a translation) for Virgin Mary. She felt instant connection with the name of Mary. She also learned that her birthday was just 3 days off Christmas day.
 
Then, we wondered if my grandparents really knew anything about Christianity. We started to piece together the puzzle of finding the origin of my mother’s name. I recall from my early childhood years that my grandparents did not have radio or TV because there was no electricity. My grandparents and my mother were illiterate because there was no school. Then the question remained as how my grandparents decided on the name of Mary for my mother. Curiously, my grandparents chose names of Jesus and Moses (the translated versions) for my uncles. The only explanation my mother could come up with was the stories that they had heard from passing travelers and from the village elders.
 
She went back to her home at the end of that summer and the discovery about the origin of her name gradually was forgotten over the years after her passing. However, in the recent years, the unfortunate and regretful news about the innocent people losing their lives over their religion brought me back to the days that my mother discovered peace and harmony in Michigan. My mother would have been devastated to learn that scores of people being pushed out of their homelands and worse losing their lives simply because of their faiths.
 
As a human being and as an artist I felt obligated to honor all the innocent people who have lost their lives because of their beliefs. I decided to depict the Christian cross on as many as flags to honor life and love. I truly believe that Virgin Mary wanted to plant peace and love in everybody’s heart and mind. I do believe Mary’s wish and my mother’s wish were the same. I am depicting this book to honor their wish and to make sure their call for love and kindness is not forgotten. This is Mary’s wish.