 the head of DAFORM for Fine Arts, the talent of art and painting, it grows with the person. It evolves naturally. And of course, there are different ways to improve that gradually, either by actually attending art events or actually visiting museums. It evolves gradually with that. I didn't study arts, I studied psychology, yet my talent overcame my field of study and I continued in painting and fine arts and I participated in several galleries. I mean, being at IBDA, we organize several galleries, especially when it comes to occasions. And these occasions, whether they be social or religious ones, with respect to the society, parents don't always encourage art. I mean, what's art, they would say. My parents wanted me, as for the society, parents don't always encourage art. I mean, they keep on asking, what's art? They would say that. What's art? My parents wanted me to study something that will hold a value in my social life. They picked out several majors and told me to choose one. At the same time, we can develop our own talent by applying to specialized institutions and not necessary to be a college study. Of course, I agreed and I majored in something close to arts, which is psychology, because eventually it's all about expressing. It helps you a lot in your life, like art. It is about expressions and feelings, too, conveyed by colors and brush, not words. So, I don't really regret majoring in psychology because it's closely related to arts. It helped me a lot, whether it be in my life or my paintings. Psychology expresses nearly every painting, every text, every detail, every color, so psychology really helped me in that. I used to write stories. I wrote stories and I drew them, which actually attracted my parents' attention, because I live in a house where my dad is a poet, and he has friends who are poets as well, and some artists, of course, thus they helped me evolve my talent by buying me the tools and registering me in art classes. They even took me to several art galleries. This was how my talent began to develop. Now, my environment was a little bit pious and religious, and I was kind of far from it, because life somehow lures you to idolize foreigners, and of course, this is a mistake. Now, one of the misconceptions is having a foreigner as a role model, knowing that life is so silly and empty. On the other hand, of course, a person should have Saeeda Fatima al-Zahra as his role model, and along with Ahle al-Bayt. They were, and of course, a graceful role model for Muslim girls and for all girls in the world, but unfortunately, media tries to hide all the morals and the beautiful things, and on the contrary, they encourage us on, of course, worldly matters, unfortunately. Now, I had faith in my heart, and I wanted to wear hijab, and what really helped me was a dream that I had. I woke up during Fajr prayers, and I decided to put on the veil, and I was really proud of that. I'm so proud of wearing it. At night, I dreamt that it was a judgment day. I was at the top of the mountain, and the whole coast and Beirut were under me, and there was something like a tsunami. The sea was covering the whole coast and reaching the mountains. The mountains were falling, and there was smoke coming out of it. You feel like it's the end of time, so I asked God to give me just five minutes, five minutes, because I wanted to wear a veil, so I wouldn't meet my God looking this way. I was so ashamed of myself. At that moment, everything stopped. It was like, it was like God gave me those five minutes, so I woke up at Fajr Azzan. I was feeling so touched. I was really touched that moment. I decided that whatever happens, I had to wear the veil, no matter what. God was so generous with me, and he gave me those five minutes when I asked him, so I wore the veil, and I'm so glad, and alhamdulillah, it was one of the most important decisions I ever took in my life. Being in the art major and in paintings, you would feel that people wouldn't accept you when wearing a veil, especially if you had art galleries in foreign countries. I mean, or if you had relations with people from different religions, probably the veil would limit your ambitions and have a certain effect, perhaps something that would stop ahead of what you want. I was a little afraid, but decided to wear the veil and stay on this path, and of course, depend on God. I felt, on the contrary, that God eased many matters for me. I succeeded in several issues, and people accepted me for who I am. Of course, at first, it would be hard for them to consider my veil or consider your veil, but your work, your thoughts, and your way of convincing them with your beliefs and values, and all of these matters inherited from your dogma and parents, you can convince them and convey it all in your own way. I mean, especially painting, because painting helps you convey the thoughts you want in a beautiful and fast way. Any thought will be conveyed faster by painting than words. I mean, I ask any girl who has low self-esteem or feels held back. I say that the veil doesn't strain us. It grants us a divine push forward and keeps us improving. I mean, I never felt anything changed, nothing at all. One time, I had an art gallery for me and my paintings with some French people, and of course, considering my name is Eva Hashem, I guess they didn't expect me to be veiled. When I showed up, they were shocked at first, then they accepted me because of my paintings and the artistic values of my paintings. The art gallery contained honoring and certificates at the end of it. It was really important. When I showed up, they were shocked that I wore a veil and I didn't shake hands. All of this shocked them. When I sat with them and we started talking, we became best friends, and we are still in contact till this moment. There were seven French artists, and I remember we are still in contact till now. When they came to Lebanon, they give me a call and we go out and chat. You can always change thoughts because outside there is some kind of deceit. I mean, they tend to convey a different view of Islam. Of course, being a girl who wears veil in this domain, maybe God wants me to change how other people see us, how other people see Muslims. With the veil, there are things, of course, rituals and acts of worship that accumulate by time. You feel happy and falling more into faith. Of course, into the faith, I started reading and researching and watching a lot of related matters so that these things took root in my mind. Artistic puts all his emotions and thoughts into his paintings. During Ashura, I drew a lot of things about Imam Hussein, and Abu Fadlil Abbas, and a lot of things that happened in the incident of Taaf. So you try to draw it all in your painting. This painting, maybe it's silent, but it is somehow an outcry. The person who sees this painting, even though he has different religion or from different country, it will still reach him quickly because he is seeing it in a very quick and simple way. Of course, in a very simple way. Now, Imam Hussein tried a lot not to let the battle happen. Thus, there is a symbolic significance for every painting and subject that we paint. Religious subjects, especially when it comes to Ahlul Bayt, there are a lot of specific colors to use, such as the black, the red, and the green, knowing that these symbolize our faith. The blacks and the flags and everything we have are either black, red, and green. Now, you can add any color you want. An artist is free to add any color he wants for beauty, improvement, or better artistic value. Mainly, the colors of dessert and sunset are well known, as well as the black, the red, and the green. There are humanitarian connotations as well. I mean, you can point and, I mean, you can paint all individuals, the one who were with Imam Hussein and martyred. You can also paint the film like captives. These are humanitarian connotations. There are also historical connotations that help, such as things that happened during the incident of Taf, burning of the camp, or during the battle. It all leaves an impression on people. There are also written connotations. When we use faces, such as La Baika Ya Hussein and Hayhat Minna Zilla in a painting, it all has a written subtext. Of course, there are a lot of connotations. There are two kinds of paintings to paint. Either abstract painting, in which you can paint the symbols, such as the tent, the sword, and the spear. You can mix all these colors, of course. Or you can take a picture and paint it the exact same way. I feel I have an abstract painting. I wrote Ya Hussein on it. I drew it as a tear, a red tear, because we cry blood on the Hussein, alaihi salam. The Hussein revolution is a rise. It's a humanitarian movement. Because before it concerns us, Ya, it is a humanitarian renaissance. I mean, I drew a lot of abstract. I even drew Al Hussein like he is coming out of time. Al Hussein has a direct relation with the whole history, with the whole history. In every moment, we feel that we are still defending our religion, and we are still holding this flag, walking on the same path. Because in each time and phase, there are people who oppress others. I felt it was a scream that comes out of the painting from that time, with the time of Al Hussein, with the name of Al Hussein and the red tear. Al Hussein agitated a lot before the battle happened. So the last moment, he tried to convince them and send messages. He used the most sophisticated techniques and words, which by conversation, debate, and conviction, but they weren't convinced. The green flag is the flag of Imams. It also means life and peace, but they didn't accept it. They mixed it with blood and refused it. It was covered with blood, and they refused. Unfortunately, they refused. An artist is never satisfied. When he reaches satisfaction and met his goals, it means he is done. I always feel that I have a lot of energy to work more, to convey my thoughts. Of course, the painting starts to attract you while painting and mixing colors. You start to put ideas in its proper place. You will know when to add more things. And of course, the more beautiful the painting, the more it will attract people. God is great. The painting attracts and leads you. I use my hands to paint more than the brush. I use the brush to paint small details. You begin to feel that the color is going all the way with you, and what you picture is really coming true. Of course, you feel that your hands are working alone, as if God and your mind are doing all the work. I can't describe the feeling while painting, because especially when it comes to the religious things, it's like there's an invisible force that is making things much, much easier, expressing beautiful things, expressing beautiful things out of you, things that express your reactions and your inner feelings. It comes to abstract painting. There are no details. And since I paint in abstract forms, there are no details in paintings. But I would like to reach a moment where I am able to paint expressions on faces. I mean, I hope God will give me the ability to paint expressions, because I still feel that I'm unable to draw the face of Al Hussain al-Islam. I really hope, I really hope I would be able someday to do something profound and beautiful on facial expressions in those moments. I have to tell you something. In such moments, when Sabaya went to Sham, we received so little about what happened, so little about those events. I mean, we received little. Their agony. I mean, could you imagine how much distance they were forced to walk, how tired they were, how much violated they were? It is all dear to us as loyal Muslims. You can't really accept what happened. I mean, even when you're just talking about it, you feel like your emotions can't accept that. I tried in specific paintings to convey a certain scene or a message, but I'm certain that I can't convey the true moments that they lived. No matter how hard I would try, the true moments that each one of them has lived, because what happened to them happened to nobody. It never happened in history. No one can imagine being in their place. It was really hard. I cry a lot. I really cry a lot. It feels like your soul is there. I can't express, I can't express what happens to you. This reaction is very important and beautiful. At the same time, you feel that you want to draw more. You live the moment, you feel like you're there, but you couldn't help anyone and you just wish that you were there to help, to do something or even change anything. These are the feelings of each and every one of us. After the film about Prophet Muhammad and the fuss that was made in media, we thought about how to come up with our own cry. I mean, we have the right to express our thoughts and defend the Holy Prophet because, of course, we do not accept what happened. We thought a lot and planned to organize an art gallery. Of course, a lot of artists participated and drew about Prophet Muhammad. We thought that in other countries, they would convey a wrong image about Islam because they would translate the imagery into something else. I mean, you can talk for hours, yet they would translate the message at the bottom of the screen the way they want to. So we wanted to use the art as a way to send a direct message. You are drawing to show what Islam and the prophets really are through these paintings, of course. So for sure, I drew an expressive painting about the Prophet Muhammad. I only took the Islamic symbol of him, but didn't draw him. Islam is the religion of equality. It raised the women. It is the religion of peace. I mean, there are a lot of and a lot of things to say. It is a humanitarian religion, but they changed it and made it into a religion full of blood, bloody and things that we don't like to mention, of course. In our own ways, we can get Islamic meanings, images of what happened, the way they lived, the way the Prophet treated others and what was his message. And of course, we put all this in a painting. The art gallery had a huge echo, of course, because people were surprised with it, just like you said, because no one has dealt with this matter in an artistic way. It was covered by media and a lot of people were part of it from different religions, not only Muslims or Shia, but from all religions. It had positive echoes and reviews, of course. You have to be happy because you were able to convey the thought in a positive and not a negative way, of course. The participation of artists from different religions is the biggest event. I mean, you can attract them to your religion. Besides that, and away from that, when media covers the art gallery, it also participates in spreading the religion and the message properly. Of course, one of the things that we organize every year is the Ashura Studio. Now, we organized it for the fourth year. Children come to paint and express their thoughts and feelings and emotions. Of course, this thing is very important. This studio has positive influence on parents who bring their children and the latter were also helped by a number of participating artists. Now, the art of Ashura started with the monk who took the head of Al-Hussein and engraved it in his painting. This painting is found in Russia. Then it started to develop in Iraq. They painted about Al-Hussein and what happened in Iran also. Then it came to Bahrain. In Bahrain, we saw that this studio was taking place every year, and we liked the idea. We wanted to try it in Beirut for the lack of this type of expression in Lebanon. It was a trial. We estimated that around 20 children will come. 400 came during the first time. We expected 20, but 400 came. We know that there was a positive response from people. Every year, we repeated it, and it grew and grew and grew. Last year, about 1,500 children participated. There was a huge demonstration. I can't even tell you. Children painted in a beautiful, unexpected way. Even great artists can't express the way some children did. I mean, this thing was really important and it was something really beautiful. We found that there was a lot of response. Children also have the right to express their feelings. Every year, we organized the studio. It is an open one. Big artists come to help and supervise children. It's a beautiful event. All children draw. This is how they express themselves. I mean, give any child a pencil and paper and he will immediately paint. In psychology, when they want to figure out the child's problem, they ask him to draw on a paper. Using what he drew, the lines, and the place of people, they can diagnose his problem. Children like to express using this way. They usually use that to express themselves. A child paints in an innocent way, full of love and pure hearts. I mean, I don't know how to explain it. When you see their paintings, you can feel how happy and joyful they are. And even that, you feel that. Do not expect a child to have such thoughts. If you were painting about war, it is not necessary to draw about blood. Some children paid colors and spring in war. It differs from one child to another. One time, a child painted a deer. There were many beautiful ideas. There are many talents that need to be developed. Also in the association, we have a center for developing those talents. If there were like around 20 children who drew great paintings, we take care of those 20 and contact their parents. We contact their parents. It is essential. It is essential to have artistic culture because art is elegant and reaches all people, of course. It is the duty of every Muslim to clear out the image of Islam, which is being targeted by so many people to be hated and to hate this religion. I mean, even the child, when we organize such studios, we intend to plant in them the right seed to express. We realize that the child can't express by words. He expresses by paintings. Even when you make him watch movies and theater, you'd ask him to put his feelings on a paper using his paintings. This is how you plant in this child the proper way to express his religion. Any person, whatever his job was, I mean, you have to know that any person, whatever his job was, it is his duty to convey this thought. Maybe by the way he acts, even with the smallest issues like the way he treats people, I mean, as a Muslim, he should improve the image of Islam. For sure, in this time of oppression that we're suffering, you feel that it is nice to combine the past with the present in a single painting. Everything in history is repeated within time. You feel that you want to combine what happened with what's going on right now. It is an idea that I began to prepare for that is to combine history with present, to come up with a beautiful idea.