Latest news with #AllamaIqbal
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Punjab to celebrates Minority week from August 7
Listen to article The first-ever Minority Week is expected to commence from August 7 to 11 in Punjab. The five-day celebration aims to honour the contributions of religious minorities to Pakistan's social and national fabric while promoting interfaith harmony and national unity. The events are also designed to highlight the success of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, a campaign promoting peace and stability. According to the Punjab Department of Minority Affairs, Minority Week represents a concrete effort to promote religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and national cohesion by fostering meaningful engagement between followers of different faiths. The inaugural ceremony will be held on August 7 at the historic Cathedral Church of Pakistan at Regal Chowk, Lahore. A colourful procession aboard double-decker buses will travel through key religious and cultural landmarks, including Krishna Mandir, Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Badshahi Mosque, and the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal, culminating at Minar-e-Pakistan. A tree plantation campaign will also be launched during the opening event. A diverse range of participants, including foreign diplomats, civil society members, representatives of welfare organisations, students, teachers, religious leaders, and members of various minority communities, are expected to take part in the festivities. According to the official schedule, August 8 will feature an academic session at a leading university focusing on minority rights and their social contributions. On August 9, a seminar on interfaith harmony will be held at Alhamra Hall, Lahore, featuring notable religious scholars, civil society representatives, students, and researchers. The Sports Board Punjab will host a Sports Day on August 10, bringing together youth from minority communities for various traditional and competitive games. The celebrations will conclude on August 11 with a closing ceremony at Aiwan-e-Iqbal in connection with National Minorities Day. The final event will be attended by Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, members of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, foreign dignitaries, senior government officials, religious leaders, and students and faculty from prominent educational institutions.
Express Tribune
7 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
US diplomat eulogises Iqbal's visionary role
Homage: US Consul General Stetson Sanders writes his remarks in the visitors' book at Allama Iqbal's mausoleum. The diplomat also visited Badshahi Mosque. photo: app United States Consul General to Lahore Stetson Sanders visited the mausoleum of Poet of the East Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal and laid a wreath on Monday after assuming charge. The diplomat observed silence for a minute at the mausoleum. Recording his impression in the Visitor's Book, Sanders paid rich tribute to Allama Iqbal for his visionary leadership as a philosopher, poet and politician. He wrote that Dr Iqbal's vision was central to the renaissance of the Muslims in the subcontinent. "Iqbal's poetry was a beacon for generations to come," he added. A contingent of the Pakistan Rangers escorted the guest to the mausoleum. Later, the US consul general visited the Badshahi Mosque. He was welcomed by the Khateeb, Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad, and shown round the mosque. Sanders showed keen interest in the architecture of the imperial mosque and praised the architectural heritage and artwork. He was also briefed about the history of the mosque.
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Iqbal, China and the Muslim world
Listen to article More than a century ago, Allama Iqbal issued a timeless call: for Muslims to rise above rhetoric and embrace real work grounded in knowledge, science and self-discipline. His poetry, pulsating with spiritual urgency and civilisational insight, did not glorify past empires but urged a reconstruction of thought and society. That call has never been more relevant than it is today. The post-WWI world order fundamentally altered the trajectory of Muslim societies. With disintegration of the Ottoman Caliphate and the subsequent colonisation of the Arab heartlands, political agency of Muslims was replaced by fragmentation, subservience and ideological confusion. In the century that followed, many Muslim-majority nations failed to develop strong institutions or meaningful influence in global affairs. While pockets of wealth and modernity emerged — often due to oil or strategic alliances — the deeper foundations of progress remained weak or absent. The 21st century has laid bare this civilisational lag. The Middle East is mired in conflict, authoritarianism and foreign interference. South Asia wrestles with sectarianism and economic volatility. Even relatively stable Muslim states often suffer from weak education systems, declining scientific output and overreliance on external patronage. Worse still, many remain trapped in ideological rhetoric without building the internal capacities needed for real sovereignty. The tragic examples of Iraq, Libya, and now Iran offer stark lessons. Each, in its own way, challenged Western dominance but they did so without the necessary economic, technological or diplomatic strength. Iraq was destroyed under the false pretense of WMDs. Libya imploded into chaos following the toppling of Gaddafi. Iran, isolated for decades, continues to face economic hardship, international sanctions, and now aggression. In all cases, resistance without capacity led to ruin, not renewal. In contrast stands China - a nation that, without sacrificing its sovereignty or succumbing to colonial hangovers, has managed a remarkable rise. China's ascent did not begin with defiance or provocation but with a disciplined focus on human development, industrial capacity and strategic patience. It educated its people, modernised its infrastructure and embedded itself in the global economy. It avoided open conflict with the West while gradually becoming indispensable to it. While one must be critical of China's authoritarianism and human rights record, there is much to learn from its strategic posture. China did not seek validation through ideological slogans or military muscle-flexing. It sought power through productivity. The real confrontation the Muslim world faces today is not with the West but with internal decay. This includes decaying education systems, corrupt political elites more interested in power than reform, and religious discourse often disconnected from ethics, science and the needs of modern societies. Without addressing these root causes, no amount of protest, pan-Islamic rhetoric or diplomatic manoeuvring will yield meaningful change. Iqbal understood this. He was not a romantic who merely yearned for a return to the Caliphate. He envisioned a revival rooted in selfhood (khudi), character and relentless striving. He saw Islam not as a nostalgic identity but as a moral and intellectual project — open to the world, engaged with its complexities and capable of shaping its future. The Muslim world must now reimagine its priorities. It must invest heavily in education — not just religious but scientific, technological and philosophical. It must foster cultures of merit, innovation and critical inquiry; focus on building internal strength and institutional resilience; and realise that economic and technological independence is the new foundation of sovereignty. China may not offer a perfect model. But it offers a sobering contrast: a nation once humiliated by colonialism, now quietly reshaping global power through discipline, planning and human development. The Muslim world, if it listens to Iqbal, can do the same — not by mimicking others, but by rediscovering its own intellectual and spiritual DNA, and expressing it through the realities of the modern age.
Business Recorder
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Govt declares 16th as a ‘Day of Gratitude'
ISLAMABAD: The federal government has declared May 16, 2025, as a 'Day of Gratitude' to commemorate the success of Operation Bunyan un Marsoos. The Prime Minister will preside over the ceremony as the chief guest, with the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and heads of the armed forces also in attendance. The day will honour both the people of Pakistan and the armed forces for a 'historic victory in the battle for truth.' According to official sources, the day will begin with Quran recitations and special prayers at mosques across the country. A 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salutes in each of the provincial capitals will mark the occasion. Ceremonies for the changing of the guards will take place at the mausoleums of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi and Allama Iqbal in Lahore, alongside national flag-hoisting ceremonies in Islamabad and other provincial capitals. In a series of commemorative activities, floral wreaths will be laid at memorials dedicated to the martyrs of the operation, and prayer ceremonies will be held to pay homage to those who lost their lives. Families of the shaheed soldiers will also be honoured through official visits and tributes. The central event will be held at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad. Prominent figures from all walks of life, including scholars, civil society members, and public officials, are expected to attend.
The Wire
30-04-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Bharat Summit Shows New Hope in the Wake of Hatred and Violence
Allama Iqbal, poet laureate of South Asia, wrote a few lines that resonate with my heart at this moment as the Bharat Summit came to an end: Jahaan e taaza ki afkaar e taaza se hai namood Ke sung o khisht se hote nahin jahaan paida (A new world is born with new ideas Stones and bricks do not create new worlds) These lines kept echoing in my ears as I watched the first Bharat Summit, the world's biggest gathering of progressives, in Hyderabad, the jewel capital of Telangana, unfold over two days on April 25-26. From around the world, more than 400 delegates, over 100 progressive parties, ministers, senators, parliamentarians, civil society leaders – young and old, men and women – attended this summit. Delivering global justice was the theme of the event. Meanwhile, it also marked 140 years of the Indian National Congress and 70 years of the Bandung Conference. Just three days before the event, the Kashmir killings shook the world. As a Kashmir-born myself, I mourn with those who lost their beloved family members. I identify with Kashmiris who came to the rescue of the injured and also, once again, who lost their livelihoods. We Kashmiris from all over India are lamenting the loss of precious lives. Also read: At Bharat Summit, Global Leaders Call For 'Unity of Progressives' Against Far-Right Forces Across the globe, voices rose in condemnation; the country was convulsed while most social media handles spewed hatred and venom. At the plenary session of Bharat Summit, held after two days of a packed programme, the Hyderabad Declaration was presented by Salman Khurshid and Anne Linde before a packed hall. Condemning terrorism, the declaration spoke of reshaping the economic paradigm, environmental justice, gender equality, social inclusion and much more. On the stage sat peace-loving leaders from the world over. Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi also spoke at the plenary session. Gandhi spoke of a new lens for Congress which was created in these two days. It was fashioned by leaders who believed in justice and peace. He referred to his Bharat Jodo Yatra of 4,000 kms across the country in which thousands walked with him, and where, he said, he learnt how to listen with empathy. Thereby, to use his favourite phrase, he realised that in this vortex of hatred there needs to be a beacon of love: ' Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukaan (In the marketplace of hatred, a shop of love)'. What am I taking home from these two days – I, as someone who was nurtured in the India of the 50s, 60s and 70s, where Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Azad and many others were our leaders and mentors? Their stature is unmatched by present global leadership. I have vivid memories of them at my school functions. For our present youth, all these rahbars (leaders), whose images were beautifully displayed all around the walls of the convention centre, are just history. They look, linger and move on. But it were these people who have inspired this Bharat Summit. To get the world together on one stage, to get more than 100 nations on one platform around the theme of 'delivering global justice and universal peace' was only possible because the organisers, Samruddha Bharat Foundation, let by Pushpraj Deshpande and Telangana government, believed in the principles of these leaders who sacrificed their lives for India to attain freedom from colonial rule. Some of them were gunned down, some were sent to the gallows, and some struggled until the last breath. Inspired by their example, today, the world has signed the Bharat Summit Declaration. This means that these 100 plus nations have given a clarion call. Once again, Iqbal comes to mind when he says that these people with vision will create new habitations. These women and men, participants of Bharat Summit, are looking towards new horizons. When I saw them on the stage, a new dawn was unfolding. There was new hope in the wake of the hatred, violence and bloodbath we have just encountered. The innocent lives who fell to the bullets of terror have created the halo for a new hope. My birthplace Kashmir, convulsed and shattered, has sent a lehr of hope. Telangana, the land of Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb , lived up to its history. As I leave this venue, I know that in the darkest of times, the dawn breaks. Faiz Ahmed Faiz has expressed what sums up the prayer of each person who participated in the Bharat Summit: Dil na umeed to nahin naakaam hee to hai Lambi hai gham ki shaam magar shaam hee to hai. (The heart has hope though it still hasn't won The eve of sorrow is long but it's only the evening.) Syeda Hameed is a writer and the founder chair of the Muslim Women's Forum.
