The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) Alumni Association of Yanbu hosted its 1st Sir Syed Day celebration at ARAC Resort on Nov. 25. The event was led by the association's president Abdul Wadood Khan along with Ehtashamul Haque, vice president, and Dr. Rais Akhtar, senior counsellor. CEO of Jeddah-based advertising agency Idea Podd Abdul Ghafoor Danish, who was an alumnus of AMU from the 1988 batch, was the guest of honor. The program started with a recitation from the Holy Qur'an by Master Bassam Ali Ehtasham, followed by a brief speech on the life of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and his legacy by Ashar Khan. Keynote speaker Abdul Wadood Khan highlighted the contributions of the great reformist. He recalled the hardships Sir Syed went through to establish the Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College in 1875, which became AMU in 1920. He also said graduating from AMU is a big blessing for any one and the alumni of the university are serving the world as doctors, engineers, academicians, sports persons and entertainers. Ehtashamul Haque stressed the importance of education as the key to success and progress. The guest of honor talked on the "Values of Aligarh Muslim University and how AMU alumni can contribute to their alma mater". He said that over the years the one thing that has taken a beating is the culture of the university. The alumni can play a great role by contributing their time and sharing their professional experiences with current students to inspire them. This would help the students when they approach the industry for jobs. Danish emphasized the need to build a comprehensive database of AMU alumni and asked all Yanbu Aligs to register with the Office of Alumni Affairs at the AMU (http://www.amu.ac.in/alumni/addalumnim.jsp). He said this would facilitate intellectual input to "our alma mater for further development and to respond to the future trends in education." A "Quiz on Sir Syed" was organized by Dr. Syed Mohammad Azeem and Mohammad Rumman and the winners were felicitated with prizes. The executive committee members of the association who played key roles in organizing the celebration and dinner included Dr. Syed Mohammad Azeem, Mohammad Rumman, Afsar Rasheed Sherwani, Mohammed Ashar Khan, Shehroz Akhter, Aamir Ansari and Akif Naeem. The program was anchored by Mohammed Ashar Khan.
