Muhammad Mujahid Syed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — “A poet's personality and works are not only confined to his country but also for the whole humanity. Rabab Rasheedi is among those poets whose message of peace and love can build a bridge between people and countries,” said Syed Tahseem-ul-Haq Haqqi, Pakistan vice consul welfare and guest of honor, at the Halqa-e-Danish Mushairah — a literary forum — Thursday at Star Restaurant. Poets from here, Taif and Madinah participated in the grand event to recite and delight around 200 guests. Haqqi was impressed by the preparations of the Mushairah and assured full support of the Pakistan Consulate in such events. He also took this opportunity to advise Pakistanis to correct their status during the grace period given by the Kingdom's government before it ends on July 3, warning that there would be crackdowns after this period. Indian veteran poet Rasheedi hails from Shahjahan Pur but is a long-time resident of Lucknow. He is a remnant of Dagh School. Rasheedi, who is currently in the Kingdom to perform Umrah, was felicitated by Halqa-e-Danish. Community leaders Masood Puri and Mansoor Shivani were guests of honor. “Rabab Rasheedi is the bright star of the Dagh School of poetry whose light transcends India's borders,” said Ashfaq Badayuni, master of the event. Few couplets of Rasheedi: Jo bhi kahna tha unse kah aaye Phir kayee din Madinah rah aaye Main yeh nahin kahta mujhe kuchh kahne do Jazbat ki raw men hi faqat bahne do Ai charagaro mera mudawa hai yehi Sarkar ke qadmon men pada rahne do Nawab Mirza Khan Dagh, the last poet of the Red Ford (Qila-e-Muallah), was a trend-setter in Urdu poetry whose idiomatic poetry is still influencing the tone of the traditional and modern Urdu poetry of the Indian Subcontinent. Rasheedi, Nayeem Bazidpuri, Mujahid Syed, Qamar Haider Qamar, Mohsin Alwi, Muhammad Mukhtar Ali, Nasir Barni, Dr. Mahmood Iqbal Haider, Abdul Qayyum Wasiq, Faisal Tufail, Irfan Barabankwi, Tariq Hasan Askari, Abdul Rahim Shaz Bijnori, Imran Awan, Shabbir Shah, Sharafat Chandpuri, Suhail Haider Jaddi, Salman Rafiq, Zamurrad Saifee, Zawwar Qamar Abidi, Dr. Tauqir Haider, Tabassum Arifi, Anwar Ansari, Ittefaq, Ahmad Mahroom, Anwar Hussain and 26 other poets recited their “Ghazals.” The program started with the recitation of a few verses from the Qur'an by Muhammad Asif. The Naat was presented by Muhammad Nawaz Janjua. The founder member of the Halqa-e-Danish, Qamar Haider Qamar, thanked the poets and the audience for their attendance and participation.
