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CELEBRATION:
The Aligarh Spirit: Sir Syed Day

The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Northern California’s annual Sir Syed Day program included a fundraiser, a banquet and an International Mushaira, writes Ras Hafiz Siddiqui.



(Above): Afzal Usmani and Talat Hasan. [Photo: Ras H. Siddiqui / Siliconeer]

The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Northern California held its annual Sir Syed Day program at the ICC auditorium Oct. 30. This year the inclusion of the Aligarh Education Endowment Fund fundraiser slightly changed the format of the evening, but the standard speeches, a banquet in the Mughlai tradition and the mandatory International Mushaira (Urdu poetry recital) kept things both interesting and entertaining.

The event started off with dinner and the socializing that accompanies this segment in the South Asian tradition, especially with both Eid and Diwali fast approaching.

The formal program started off with an invocation by Suhail Farrukh. Afzal Usmani gave a short description of the Aligarh Tehreek (Movement) and elaborated on the work that the AMU Alumni Association has been doing.

Dr. Talat Hasan next described the work of the Aligarh Education Endowment Fund. “As Aligarh alumni, many of us have made their mark on our community. Most of us have been involved in doing community service,” she said. She highlighted focus areas of the AEEF which included scholarships for the disadvantaged, supporting young women, and coaching for candidates who want to appear in competitive exams.

AMUAA president Nihal Khan next presented his welcome speech.

Afzal Usmani introduced Michael Wolfe and invited him to deliver his keynote speech. Wolfe is the president of the board at Unity Productions Foundation, a unique communication effort which has stayed at the forefront of promoting Islam and highlighting the Muslim experience in America and beyond.

The first segment ended with the traditional singing of the Aligarh University tarana (Anthem) written by Asrarul Haq Majaz Lucknavi.

The second segment of the Sir Syed Day program is the International Mushaira during which Urdu language poets from different regions and countries present their work.

Poets from California, New York, India and Pakistan graced this occasion with some really fine poetry that any Urdu-Hindi language speaker could appreciate (one has to understand the nuances of the language to get the real joy out of it).

To conclude, Sir Syed Day has become a permanent part of our local annual cultural calendar for a good reason. Not only does it give AMU alumni who number about 200 here a chance to get together but it also provides an opportunity for the wider community to learn about the contributions of an educator whose life work needs to be closely studied. Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and Aligarh Muslim University in India are more important today than we may realize.


Ras Hafiz Siddiqui is a South Asian American writer who lives in Sacramento, Calif.



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