Symposium on Iqbal’s contribution to contemporary thought

Hanif Bismi

A literary Sydney event titled “Fikr-e-Iqbal aur Asari Taqazay,” was organized on Friday 27 January 2023 by Urdu poet and author Mr Tariq Mehmood Mirza under the patronage of Pak Forum Australia (PFA) at Maharaj restaurant in Padstow to honor the Dr Allama Sir Mohamed Iqbal, a great revolutionary poet of Urdu and Persian and a philosopher.

The event was opened by Mr Akhtar Ali Mughal who welcomed the guests with formal commencement with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Dr Anas Nadvi spoke about Iqbal’s thoughts in the light of Quran.

The main speaker of the event was Mr Tariq Mirza who enlightened the audience with the life story of Iqbal, his journey from Lahore, Pakistan to Europe and back.

Dr Afzal Rizvi, the founder and president of Pak Literary Forum Australia, was the special guest speaker who spoke on Iqbal’s work, which continues to inspire genera- tions. Dr Shabbir Haider, President, Urdu International Australia and a well known poet emphasised the significance of Iqbal’s poetry in inspiring a multitude of people from all walks of life. hesion and giving back to the community through blood donations, especially in light of the growing diversity of the Australian population.

The Chief Guest of the event, Deputy Counsel General of Pakistan, Ms Saima Jameel, highlighted the importance of such events and hoped that they would be conducted more often. She emphasized the need to raise awareness of Iqbal’s philosophy and ideas among young generations, not just on a particular day but every day. Ms Jameel also read out an Iqbal poem.

Engineer Shahid Javed, Dr Ayaz Ghani, and singer Ms Shahana Choudhary sang a selection of Iqbal’s well-known poems, and Mr Akhtar Ali Mughal served as the MC for the event.

A delicious Pakistani dinner was also served after the formal program ending a colourful and enlightening evening, celebrating the great achievements of Allama Iqbal.

Hanif Bismi is a Sydney based historian, political analyst, community activist and an Advisor to ARO.

“We talk about cohesion and having a cohesive society. What better can be that than the blood to donate and to help others?” he said.

“It can save somebody’s young child. It can save a mother who is bleeding after the baby’s delivery. It can save somebody’s sole breadwinner. The best way to help the society, help the sick ones, help the needy ones. is to donate blood. Blood makes a difference, and that difference is between life and death.”

Dr Habib Bhurawala, AIMA Vice-President, stressed the importance of having a diverse population donate blood in Australia. He says, “We have to acknowledge that because of the growing diversity of the Australian population, there is a need to have a diverse population donating blood to match some of the rare blood types.”

Saad Qureshi, a 19-year-old donor, expressed his joy and fulfilment in donating plasma for the first time.

He said, “It’s like you can’t describe in words, but you can feel the feeling in your heart that you’re helping so many people, and my parents, they came as immigrants and now we’re part of a bigger community that helps Australia, helps our home.”

26-year-old Kiran Qayyum has been donating blood for six years and says it impacts many areas of her life.

She says, “Knowing that I’m eligible to donate blood means that I can do this for my faith, but also, it’s something that will directly impact my community as well. It’s important that, you know, we give back in the community when we can because the next day it could be someone that we love who needs a blood donation.”

The successful blood donation drive by AIMA and the Australian Red Cross has received significant media coverage, including radio interviews in ACT, Townsville, Rockhampton, Gold Coast, and Newcastle, as well as on SBS TV.

AIMA was also awarded a Champion Shield by the Australian Red Cross for the Muslim community’s contribution to donating blood and saving lives.

The blood drive was held in mosques across various locations, including Mayfield Mosque, Newcastle Mosque, Rutherford Mosque, Taree mosque, Tamworth mosque, Port Macquarie mosque, Coffs Harbour mosque, Masjid Al Rahma, Masjid Bilal, Rooty Hill Masjid, Quakers Hill Masjid in NSW, Melbourne grand mosque, Virgin Mary Mosque, and Al Taqwa in Victoria, and Algester, Kuraby, Holland Park, Slacks Creek, Gold Coast, Toowoomba, Rockhampton, McKay, Townsville, and Cairns in Queensland.

By donating blood, people can make a significant impact on their communities and help those in need.

The need for blood donations doesn’t stop, and everyone is encouraged to donate regularly to save lives.

Learn more at aimamed.com.au