P rominent t ajik f igures of the

Ibrohimova, Mu'tabar

Tajik actor Mu'tabar Ibrohimova was born on January 3, 1930, in

Konibodom.

In 1945, Ibrohimova entered the Leninabad Institute of Music while

working at the Leninabad Youth Theater. In 1947, she worked at the

Pushkin Comedy Musical Theater of the Republic. The first role she

performed was Asalkhon in K. Yashin and M. Muhammadov's 1949

Gulsara (Gulsara). Thereafter, she played most of the main roles in

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Iraj Bashiri

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

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spectacles presented at the time. Ibrohimova had the special ability of

portraying the essence of a character's persona. She applied her abilities

to over 150 roles and all were well received by audiences. Ibrohimova's

best roles include Modar in Modar Nigaron Bud (Mother Was Wor-

ried), by F. Ansori; Nurkhon in Nurkhon (Nurkhon), by K. Yashin;

Farmonbini in 'Isyoni Arusho (The Rebellion of the Brides), by Said

Ahmad; Shamsiniso in Suporishi Che-ka ( By Order of the Che-ka), by

A. Sidqi, Sad Barg in Dili Sho'ir (The Poet's Heart), by R. Jalil, and

Shirin in Farhod va Shirin (Farhad and Shirin), by K. Yashin.

Ibrohimova was also active in film production. Her contributions in

this genre include Vaqti ki Osio Boz Mond (When the Mill Stopped,

1973), Hich Budagon Har Chiz Gardand (The Unimportant Become

Important, 1976), and Bakhti Bigona (Strange Luck), in which she

played the roles of Farishtakhola, Oisha, and Zuhraapa, respectively.

Ibrohimova became a People's Artist of Tajikistan in 1974. She re-

ceived the Badge of Honor, three medals, and the Order of the Presid-

ium of the Supreme Soviet of Tajikistan.

Ikrom, Muhammad

Tajik intellectual, reformer, scholar, and teacher Muhammad Ikrom

ibn Abdussalom Ikrom, also referred to as Domullo Ikromcha, was born

in 1847 in the village of Boghi Kalon of Bukhara. A product of the

Bukhara schools, in 1896 Ikrom traveled to the countries of the near and

central East and became acquainted with their social setting. This

knowledge affected his thoughts and worldview, especially in compari-

son to feudally governed Bukhara.

Upon his return to Bukhara, Ikrom became a social reformer and

criticized the social structure of his contemporary Bukhara, especially

its educational system. The weight of his criticism rested on the meth-

ods of instruction employed by the Bukharan madrasahs. Ikrom was

greatly influenced by the works of Ahmad Danish. At the beginning of

the 20th century, Ikrom rose in support of the jadid schools and gave

these schools Islamic sanction. In a risola (essay) entitled Fayz al-

Noimin va I'lom al-Johilin (Wakefulness of the Sleepers and Enlighten-

ment of the Ignorant, 1910), he criticized the superstition pervasive in

his society, using realism as a weapon.

In 1918, due to Ikrom's progressive thinking and because of his criti-

cism of the government, Amir Alim Khan exiled Ikrom from Bukhara

and killed his son, Abdurrahmon. After the Revolution, Ikrom returned

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