November 4, 2023
Sir Syed Day 2023 International Mushaera
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Northern California celebrated Sir Syed Day on November 4, 2023.
The event was held at the Indian Community Center, Milpitas.
International mushaera was the main attraction of Sir Syed Day 2023.
Poetess Ambreen Haseeb was Nazim-e-Mushaera.
Tashie Zaheer, poet and President of the Urdu Academy of North America, chaired the Mushaera.
The participant poets were: A. M. Turab (India), Rajesh Reddy (India), Hasnain Jalees (Pakistan), Tariq Sabzwari (Pakistan) and Ambreen Haseeb (Pakistan).
Dr. Aifra Ahmed and Ahmar Shahwar from San Francisco Bay Area.
The mushaera began with the presentations by San Francisco Bay Area poets.
Dr. Aifra Ahmed was the first poetess to draw wide applause from the audience. She was followed by Ahmer Shahwar who is a financial advisor by profession.
Guest poets from India and Pakistan were called after the Bay Area poets.
Haider Husnain Jalisi from Pakistan enthralled the audience with his poetry full of humor and satire.
Popular film song writer Aas Mohammad Turaz from India was next. He entertained the audience with his forceful delivery. Turaz, who hails from Muzaffarpur (UP), has written lyrics for at least 45 Bollywood movies.
Poetess MC Ambreen Haseeb, from Karachi, Pakistan, was next. Her deep concerns and thoughts regarding present world gives her poetry a unique and delicate color.
Rajesh Reddy from Nagpur Maharanshtra was next. He is a distinguished Indian poet renowned for his captivating Urdu verses that touch the depths of human emotions. Rajesh Reddy’s words are not only an exploration of profound emotion but also a reflection of the social issues that shape our society.
Muhammad Tariq Sabzwari from Pakistan was next. A qualified civil engineer and a banker by profession, Sabzwari is famous for his unique style of reciting “ghazal’’.
Tashie Zaheer, President of Urdu Academy of North America, who chaired the International Mushaera, amused the audience with his poetry.
The International Mushaera of Sir Syed Day 2023 ended with concluding remarks by Shahla Khan, MC of the Sir Syed Day event held by Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Northern California
.
Earlier, the Sir Syed Day program began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Aftab Umar, President of the Alumni Association welcomed the audience on behalf of the Association. Dr. Shaheer Khan updated about the work of the Association with a documentary. Yasmin Saikia, Co-Director of Center of Muslim Experience in the US at the Arizona State University, was the keynote speaker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEh4a-xdUE0&ab_channel=AbdusSattarGhazali
See Pictures on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/151182843@N07/albums/72177720312496188
