Shabir

Shabir is an award winning singer-songwriter, record producer, music composer and performer whose works are predominantly in Tamil. He is the winner of the inaugural singing competition Vasantham Star 2005. The talent quest was hosted by MediaCorp Vasantham TV Channel. The artiste's finest work to date is known to be Singai Naadu, the National Day Parade 2012 Tamil song that received rave reviews and a liking from the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong.

Personal life

Shabir has his origin in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu. He is of mixed heritage from an Urdu speaking father and a Tamil mother from Chidambaram district in Tamil Nadu. Shabir started songwriting at an early age and wrote & composed his first song at the age of 12

Career

Shabir started songwriting and song composition when he was 12 years old. Starting out as a self-taught keyboardist, he went on to learn Hindustani Classical Music under the tutelage of violinist Sri Veereshwar Madhri and guitar from Steeve Vatz. Shabir also pursued music production and audio engineering and is an alumnus of SAE Singapore.

Speakers' Corner

A Speakers' Corner is an area where open-air public speaking, debate and discussion are allowed. The original and most noted is in the northeast corner of Hyde Park in London, England. Speakers here may talk on any subject, as long as the police consider their speeches lawful, although this right is not restricted to Speakers' Corner only. Contrary to popular belief, there is no immunity from the law, nor are any subjects proscribed, but in practice the police tend to be tolerant and therefore intervene only when they receive a complaint. On some occasions in the past, they have intervened on grounds of profanity. Historically there were a number of other areas designated as Speakers' Corners in other parks in London (e.g., Lincoln's Inn Fields Finsbury Park, Clapham Common, Kennington Park, and Victoria Park). More recently they have been set up in other British cities, and there are also Speakers' Corners in other countries.

Hyde Park

Though Hyde Park Speakers' Corner is considered the paved area closest to Marble Arch, legally the public speaking area extends beyond the Reform Tree and covers a large area from Marble Arch to Victoria Gate, then along the Serpentine to Hyde Park Corner and the Broad Walk running from Hyde Park Corner to Marble Arch.

Shabir Ally

Dr. Shabir Ally is the president of the Islamic Information & Dawah Centre International in Toronto, Canada. He is a Muslim academic, and public speaker on Islam and comparative religion. He is also a prolific debater engaging in regular debates around the world with noted theologians, Christian apologists and renowned philosophers. Ally has been subject to critical comments due to unorthodox statements made on the subject of decree and the power of God, accused of misinterpreting the Quran.

Early life and education

Shabir Ally was born in Guyana on the Caribbean coast of South America and moved to Canada with his family in 1978.

Debates and lectures

Dr. Shabir Ally holds an M.A. and PhD in Islamic studies from the University of Toronto. He completed his B.A. in Religious Studies from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, with a specialization in Biblical Literature. He also possesses a B.Sc with a major in Physics. He has in 2013 completed his Ph.D and obtained his doctorate with his thesis being on Qur'anic exegesis.