Washington DC: SEYD YASIN HASHMI
“Iqbal dreamed of Pakistan and we are a manifestation of his dream. He is our ideological compass and our lodestar. When we are looking for direction where we ought to go, we refer to Iqbal because he gave us the ideological basis for the state of Pakistan,” said Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States.
“Second, he was a poet par excellence. His thought has influenced the whole of South Asia, Afghanistan and in Persia (Iran),” he said .
“Third, he was a philosopher. His philosophy was not confined to the subcontinent. He looked at the cosmos. He looked at the universe and how it was evolving in its spiritual and physical dimensions,” he continued.
“Iqbal talked about alliance of civilizations before this thought was developed in the late 20th century or early 21st century.”
Ambassador Masood Khan made these remarks addressing a special ceremony to commemorate Iqbal Day, the birth anniversary of Allama Mohammad Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan. Simultaneously a photo exhibition was also arranged by the Embassy of Pakistan in collaboration with International Academy of Letters USA, Sadequain Foundation USA and Sadequain Gallery of Chicago to pay tributes to iconic calligrapher, painter and poet Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi, TI PP SI NI, often referred to as Sadequain Naqqash.
Appreciating his deep understanding and knowledge of Quran and Islam, Masood Khan said that Allama Iqbal was one of the most authentic interpreters of the Quran and Islam. “If we want to understand the Quran in the contemporary context, we will have to study Iqbal,” he said.
He said that many clerics and religious scholars cited Iqbal when they wanted to elaborate some complex thoughts in Islam.
“Iqbal was a universalist. He was not a parochial poet. His poetry is a universal heritage; a universal legacy,” he said.
Masood Khan highlighted that scholars from all over the world travel to Pakistan to discuss Iqbal’s thought.
“We as Pakistanis should be proud of having such a genius who guided us in the formative years of Pakistan. And he propounded this idea which manifested itself in the state of Pakistan,” he said.
Talking about the iconic Sadequain, the Ambassador highlighted that he was a calligrapher, painter and a poet.
Recalling his visit to Chicago and his visit to Sadequain Exhibition held at Urdu Ghar, the Ambassador paid tributes to Sadequain Foundation for its service to the legendary artist of Pakistan.
Other speakers who spoke on the occasion included Mr. Ghazanfar Hashmi, Mr. Anwar Iqbal, Dr. Aseef Qadeer, Ex-Senator Akber Khawaja, Mr. Faiz Rehman and Mr. Riaz Niazi.
The speakers dilated upon various dimensions and perspectives of Iqbal’s thought, as a poet and philosopher, and drew its relevance to the contemporary world.
The Ambassador thanked International Academy of Letters USA, Sadequain Foundation USA and Sadequain Gallery of Chicago for partnering with the Embassy of Pakistan in organizing the event.
