Naseem Ahmad, chairman of the Minorities Commission of India and former VC of AMU (7th from right), Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak (9th from right) along with AMU Alumni Association office bearers release the alumni directory on the occasion of Sir Syed Day in Jeddah on Friday. — Courtesy photo Saudi Gazette report
JEDDAH — Members of the Indian Muslim community gathered here on Friday evening to recall the contributions of the great visionary Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who called upon the Muslims in India to take up modern English education way back in the 19th century when everyone was despising everything British. The university he established in 1875 to impart modern, scientific and Western-style education to Muslims over the years became a reputable seat of learning and a repertoire of traditions. Carrying forward one such tradition, the alumni of Aligarh Muslim University gathered on the premises of the consulate general of India to celebrate Sir Syed's birthday, which has come to be known as Sir Syed Day. Highlighting the contributions of Sir Syed, Chief Guest Naseem Ahmad, chairman of the Minorities Commission of India who served as AMU vice chancellor from 2002 to 2007, said Sir Syed's dream of an educated community with modern outlook is far from fulfilled. He called upon Indian Muslims to overcome the defeatist mentality and get out of ghettoization.
"Sharpen your skills to face challenges and work hard to clear competitions," he said. Muslims need quality education and there is a dire need to develop elementary and secondary education, he added. Indian Consul General B.S. Mubarak, who was the guest of honor, recalled how Sir Syed spent months in London to learn from the British the techniques and tools of imparting modern education. Mubarak shared his experience of meeting some Palestinians in West Bank who had studied at AMU. Guest of Honor Shahzad M. Khan, director general and registrar general of Registrar of Newspapers for Indi in New Delhi, suggested a few solutions to overcome the educational backwardness of the Indian Muslim community. He also called for a joint effort to produce an international directory of AMU alumni. A documentary presented by Asim Zeshan capturing the vignettes from the life of Sir Syed was shown to the acclaim of the audience, which included Ali Alghamdi, a former Saudi diplomat who studied at AMU. At the start of the program, AMU Almuni Association Jeddah Chapter President Farzan Rizvi welcomed the guests. Secretary-General Aqeel Jamil highlighted the endeavors of the Jeddah chapter for the betterment of the Indian Muslim community. Azizurrab, vice president of AMU Alumni Association, conducted the proceedings with a sprinkle of wit and humor. A quiz was conducted by Athar Rasool and Rabnawaz Khan, and raffle draws were conducted by Imran Ahmed Ansari. The evening concluded with the singing of the melodious ode to AMU and the national anthem.
