Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) observed 80th death anniversary of Pakistan’s thinker, poet and philosopher Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal at Mehran restaurant. It was presided by renowned intellectual, writer and ex-diplomat Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi. Eng. Syed Neaz Ahmed, president Pakistan Writers Forum (PWF), was the chief guest.

The program started with the recitation of verses from Holy Qur’an by Qari Abdul Majeed. Naat was presented by Zamurrad Khan Saifi. He also presented his poem on Iqbal.

Hamid Islam Khan, deputy convener, welcomed all the guests. He reiterated PRC’s mission for the repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and rights of self determination to Kashmiris. He also elaborated on the pathetic condition of patriotic Pakistanis languishing in Bangladesh for 47 years.

Aga Mohammad Akram gave a brief history of Allama Iqbal, who, he said, was born in Sialkot and learned Arabic and Persian and went to Germany for higher education. His father was very religious and wanted Iqbal to understand and preach Qur’an’s message to people.

Choudhry Rizwan prayed for Allama Iqbal. Mohammad Amanatullah said it should be obligatory to educate the new generation about Allama Iqbal’s messages. Tayyab Mosani, general secretary Memon Welfare Society (MWS), said if we want to make Pakistan truly in lines of the ideology of Iqbal and Quaid we must adhere to the teachings of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam. Shamsuddin Altaf said, Iqbal gave message of unity and pride to Muslims if they adhere to teaching of Qur’an and Sunnah.

Mohammad Ashfaque Badayooni said that it is not possible to discuss his poetry in one session, so he would talk about his love and devotion to Allah. This love is reflected in his poetry, which presented Qur’anic concept.

Raja Mohammad Zareen Khan, member Kashmir committee, paid rich tribute to Allama Iqbal who was a Kashmiri and woke up Kashmiris. He said Iqbal wanted to reverse the decline of Muslim Ummah in the world. He also demanded early repatriation of stranded Pakistanis and rights of self-determination of Kashmiris.

Chief Guest Ahmed said, though Allama Iqbal was declared our national poet but the government has never educated the students about his vision and mission, which led to creation of Pakistan. He was the founder of two-nation theory and convinced Muslims of India for separate homeland.

He said patriotic Pakistanis languishing in Bangladeshi camps since 1971 are true followers of ideology of Pakistan. It is our national duty to bring them back and settle them in Pakistan on priority.

In his presidential address Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi thanked PRC for inviting him on the occasion. He said it is not possible to cover Dr. Allama Iqbal’s intellect in poetry, philosophy, politics, economy and Islamic vision.

He said, Iqbal was not poet of subcontinent alone but for whole humanity in general and for Muslim world in particular. The idea of a separate homeland for Muslims state was presented by Allama Iqbal, which Muhammad Ali Jinnah was not convinced about initially. After spending years with Congress, Jinnah concluded that it was not possible to secure rights of Muslims with the Hindu leaderships’ attitude.

Then he accepted the idea of Dr. Iqbal and fought for separate homeland, which became a reality in 1947. Although Allama Iqbal did not see Pakistan being born, but he believed that under the leadership of Jinnah Pakistan would one day be created, God willing.

He said that renowned Arab poets and philosophers also acknowledge Iqbal as greatest Muslim reformer of the century. In a seminar in 1932 in Spain, Allama Iqbal presented Islamic ruling as only solution for the humanity in presence of Western intellectuals and philosophers.

He said worldwide there are academies on Iqbal ‘but to my knowledge one did not exist in Saudi Arabia though there are big number of Pakistanis’. He said of Dr. Iqbal that even today his message can guide the Muslim Ummah in the right direction.

He said at this time we should not forget those Muslims who migrated from Bihar to the then East Pakistan to settle in Iqbal and Quaid’s Pakistan. However, after the fall of Dhaka in 1971 they are languishing in camps for their patriotism to Pakistan. It is the duty of state of Pakistan to issue them passport and settle them in Pakistan with due respect. The Rabita Trust has funds that need to be reactivated, and PRC proposal can be considered to organize this on self finance basis.

Syed Ehsanul Haque, convener, thanked all guests. He appealed to the Pakistan government to make a comprehensive educational syllabus to teach about Iqbal’s mission to the new generation. He condemned the cancelation of holiday on Allama Iqbal Day, which shows government’s ignorance toward founder of Pakistan’s ideology.

PRC later adopted resolutions asking for a creation of “Allama Iqbal Research University” to offer research/advance knowledge on Iqbal’s poetry and philosophy and the objective and mission of creating Pakistan to the new generation and reinstatement of the holiday on Allama Iqbal Day. The resolutions included a demand for organizing a plebiscite in Kashmir and an urgent repatriation of stranded Pakistanis from Bangladesh.