Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – "Urdu language and poetry are still very popular in India and even non-Muslims are writing ghazals, but the Urdu script is in danger of becoming extinct. Urdu's script is very important. The script is like the face of a language. Without it one cannot think of the salient features of a language," said Fizaur Rahman while chairing a poetic evening. Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) Jeddah Chapter organized a Mushaira (poetry session) at Istiraha Deewaniyah at North Obhur, Jeddah, in which many Indian, Pakistani and Saudi Urdu poets and a large number of Urdu poetry lovers attended. Fizaur Rahman lauded the officials of the AMUOBA Jeddah Chapter for organizing such a beautiful literary evening to promote Urdu poetry. President of the forum Azizur Rab thanked Fizaur Rahman and reiterated that AMUOBA Jeddah Chapter would leave no stone unturned in serving Urdu language. "Charity begins at home. To keep Urdu language alive, we should teach our children our mother tongue; Urdu. Urdu is a very fine language of communication and is even popular among the non-Urdu people because it has been enriched with lots of words of other languages too. The community that loses its touch with its mother tongue loses its identity and perishes soon," he added. Syed Farzan Rizvi, former president and now advisor of the AMUOBA Jeddah lit the traditional candle of the Mushaira along with Azizur Rab. He too felt, "Without new generation's support a language cannot sustain and flourish." On this occasion he recalled senior Aligarian Maulana Faridul Wahidi for his love, respect and affection for junior Aligarians. "Mushaira is a symbol of our composite culture. I hope that this valuable tradition will go on with the help of the poets, our new generation and the lovers of Urdu language," said Asim Zeeshan, general secretary of AMUOBA. Ashfaq Badayuni, master of the event, acknowledged the universality of the Aligarh Muslim University. "It has produced many good administrators, rulers, presidents and prime ministers in many countries," he added. Few examples of the couplets rendered in the Mushaira: Zamurrad Saifi: Teri nafrat hai dil ka pagalpan; Teri nafrat men kya bikhar jaayen; Mil na payegi koi jaaye panah; Apni nazron se jub utar jaayen Ziya Mufti: Gar himayet na ho sake haq ki; Zulm ki pairavi na ki jaaye; Sar jhuke to jhuke Khuda ke huzoor; Ghair ki bandagi na ki jaaye Ahmad A. Farooqui (Saudi poet): Unka Jina kya jina hai; Jinko muhabbat raas na aaye ; Chhed raha hoon saaz e muhabbat; Aise men tum kyun yaad aaye Anjum Iqbal Alig: Aaieen mere haq men hai qanoon mere saath; Hakim suna rahe hain sazaayen mere khilaf; Mujh boriyah-nahsin ka muqaddar to dekhiye; Utthi hain her taraf se sdayen mere khilaf Saudi poet late Faridul Waheedi Alig's ghazal was recited by his son Siddiq Al-Waheedi: Haath Qabeel ka phir hai bani Adam pa daraaz; Aadmi jaan balab nauha kuna hai ke nahin; Gardish e waqt thodi si mohlat; Baat baaqi hai aur raat kum hai Anwar Ansari: Saleeqe se hawaaon men jo khushboo ghol sakte hain; Abhi kuchh log baaqi hain jo Urdu bol sakte hain; Aks maujood tha sadiyon se mera; Aaina gard hatane se khula Athar Abbasi: Kaabah aankhon men hai aur dil men Madinah mere; Too Madine men men meri khaak muqaddar kar de; Ghum zaroori hai fiza dil ki badalne ke liye; Aadmi aishe musalsal se bhi thak jaata hai Mujahid Syed: Kahin zabte ghum kahin ashke khoon, kahin tere naaz ke tazkere; Koi harf harfe jali hua, koi harf jaise mita hua; Wo haqiqaton ki zameen per, kahan rakh sake hain kabhi qadam; Wo jo apni neend se tang hain, wo jo apne khwab se dar gaye Naeem Bazidpuri: Rakha paase adab sooraj ka din bhar; Hui shab the maho akhtar barahna; Phool hoton ka rang maangte hain; Maang pairon ki gard maangti hai The program began with the recitation of the verses of the Holy Qur'an by Mufti Abu Sufiyan. Late Faridul Waheedi's Naat was presented by his grandson Faris Siddiq Al-Waheedi. Khan Nooruddin, vice president of AMUOBA, recalled the luminaries of the university: Maulvi Abdul Haq, Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqui, Qazi Abdul Sattar, Ale Ahmad Suroor, Dr. Asloob Ahmad Ansari, poets Majaz, Jazbi, Shahryar and many others and paid rich tribute to them. He thanked Saudi Fisheries, Al-Kabeer, Aden Watches and Saudi Haleeb for sponsoring this literary evening. He was all praise for the cooperation of the poets and office holders and executive members of the association, Farzan Rizvi, Azizur Rab, Asim Zeeshan, Anwar Bilgarami, Athar Rasool, Imtiyaz Hussain Ahmed, Abdul Baseer, Aqeel Jamil, Mohammad Ateeq Siddiqui, Mohammad Siraj, Rabnawaz Khan, P.M.Z. Hasan Zia, Shams Tabrez Aalam and Ghufran Nishter for their team spirit. The poets were presented gifts and mementoes on this occasion.
