RIYADH – Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) Riyadh Chapter organized a grand historic Mushaira. Team AMUOBA including President, Dr. Inamullah Baig; General Secretary Dr. Syed Ahad Murtaza Alvi; Cultural Wing In charge, Mirza Zaheer Baig and few Senior Aligs worked day and night to produce this grand event. Engr. Mirza Zaheer Baig being the architect of this mega event which is part of Sir Syed Day Celebrations meticulously designed this event right from the inception of the concept of the Mushaira and Literary gathering till its completion. It was attended by a large number of Urdu lover and highly applauded by all.
Literary meetings and poetry gatherings are organized in the city of Riyadh every day, but on Friday night, the Mushaira organized by Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) Riyadh created a history. Mushaira featuring local poets was an ideal gathering in terms of the number of listeners. Also, in a sense, it can be called not local but All-India Mushaira. AMUOBA Riaz’s “Sir Syed Day Celebration” was attended by well-known and respected writers and poets from different cities of India. Not only this, but the gathering of the audience present was also a mini India.
The event was presided over by the well-known poet Mr. Zafar Mehmood, the head of Hafeez Banarasi family. While the special guest, senior Alig and former royal physician of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Ozair Ahmed Ghazi and well-known intellectual, Dr. Sayeed Nawaz, participated as guests of honor. Hasan Arifi, the well-known name of anchoring the and mushairas belonging to Benares, the land of great artists and poets, performed the duties of ‘Nizamat’ very well. Guest of Honor, Dr. Ozair Ghazi while addressing the gathering said that the script of a language is its soul. Languages survive not by those who speak them, but by those who read and write them. Dr. Ozair expressed concern over the expulsion of Urdu from CBSE Schools. He said that due to this decision of the Central Board, the Schools of Urdu University and the students of Maulana Azad National Urdu University will face difficulties. The gathering began with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Qari Syed Abbas. While the well-known Naat-Khawan Naeemuddin had the privilege of reciting the holy Naat.
AMUOBA General Secretary Dr. Syed Ahad Murtaza Alvi handed over the microphone to Mirza Zaheer Baig, in-charge of AMUOBA Cultural Wing, after his opening remarks. After which the guests and the poets were presented with their shawls. AMUOBA Riyadh President, Dr. Inamullah Baig welcomed the audience and said that poetry is the art of confining the ocean in a pot. Poets bind great thoughts and concepts in two stanzas. He said that the purpose of organizing this event is mental and intellectual expansion apart from entertainment. In this prose and poetry session, which continued until the early hours of the morning. The writers and poets who presented their works and received praise and appreciation included Abdul Rahman Omari Naqd, Saeed Akhtar Azmi, Danish Mumtaz, Sartaj Zahari, Mansoor Qasmi, Ms. Noor Jamshedpuri, Ms. Kausar Tasneem, Zia Arshi Malik, Tahir Bilal, Sohail Iqbal, Altaf Shehryar, Prince Kaleem Pratapgarhi, Iftikhar Raghib, and Mushaira President Zafar Mahmood. Zafar Mahmood said in his presidential speech that Aligarh Muslim University has given the world the best scientists, doctors, engineers, philosophers, economists, writers, poets and artists etc. In the city of Riyadh itself, among the number of hundreds, there are children of Aligarh who are holding high positions in different areas and today this beautiful gathering is a proof of their literary taste.
On this occasion, the ritual book release of Ms. Noor Jamshidpuri’s collection of poems “Journey of Quiet Moments” and Saeed Akhtar Azmi’s collection of poems “Shadows of Evening” took place. In the prose session, Saeed Akhtar presented his short story “Do good wherever possible”, Zakaria Sultan presented a humorous essay “Photo Publication” and Mansoor Qasmi presented a commentary on Saeed Akhtar’s collection. Dr. Inamullah Baig on behalf of AMUOBA Riyadh congratulated the CEO and Managing Director Dr. Syed N. Masood for his social services.
