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Mona Siddiqui

Michael Berkeley's guest is Muslim theologian Mona Siddiqui. Her choices include Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Puccini, John Williams and a ghazal song from Pakistan sung by Mehdi Hassan.

Muslim theologian Mona Siddiqui talks to Michael Berkeley about her passion for piano music, how she came to love classical music through the cinema, and the sometimes controversial role of music in Islam.

Mona Siddiqui was born in Karachi, but she moved to Britain with her family at the age of four and was brought up in Huddersfield. She's now Professor of Islamic and Interreligious Studies at Edinburgh University. She's a distinguished scholar, but above all she's a communicator, with a regular slot on Thought for the Day. Her latest book, My Way: A Muslim Woman's Journey, is a moving account of how her faith has shaped her life.

She's a leading voice for moderate Islam, unafraid to address the complex and controversial issues facing the Muslim community.
Her choices include piano music by Liszt and Tchaikovsky, an aria from Madame Butterfly, music from Schindler's List, and a ghazal song from Pakistan sung by Mehdi Hassan.

Producer: Jane Greenwood
A Loftus production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3.

Available now

33 minutes

Last on

Sun 19 Jul 2015 12:00

Music Played

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Piano Concerto No.1 (1st mvt: Allegro)

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Conductor: Charles Dutoit. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No.5 (4th mvt: Adagietto)

    Conductor: Leonard Bernstein. Orchestra: New York Philharmonic.
  • Giacomo Puccini

    Un bel di, vedremo (Madam Butterfly)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of La Scala, Milan. Singer: Maria Callas.
  • Mehdi Hassan

    Rafta rafta voh meri hasti ka

    Performer: Mehdi Hassan.
  • John Williams

    Remembrances (Schindler's List)

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman.
  • Franz Liszt

    Liebestraum No.3 in A flat

    Performer: Daniel Barenboim.

Broadcast

  • Sun 19 Jul 2015 12:00

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