Aligarh Alumni Association PO Box 1877, Ellicott City MD 21041

410-531-9492

April 2018

AAA – April  2018
AAA-Header0713 
Trustees: Aisha Khan (Chair), Tariq Farooqi, Abdullah Abdullah, Fazal Khan, Masood Farshori
Exec.Council: Rafat Husain (President), Harris Usmani (Treasurer), Afzal Usmani (Secretary)
NEWS FROM AROUND WASHINGTON AREA
The Annual Meeting and Elections: In keeping with long-standing democratic traditions, the AAA held its annual general body meeting and election of new officers on Sunday, March 25, 2018, at the Montgomery County Office Building. President EC, Dr. Mohammed Akbar, summarized the activities of the past year, a busy period during which the AAA hosted a variety of educational, literary and cultural programs, including the Mushaira and Sir Syed’s bicentenary celebration. Chairperson BOT, Dr. Fazal Khan, made general observations on the future course he foresaw for the Association, and emphasized the need for enrollment of new members to the AAA. 
In the absence of Dr. Aftab Ansari, Dr. Rafat Husain made a power-point presentation on the status of the scholarship fund which is in excellent shape. In the year 2017, the Association awarded 272 scholarships to students at AMU, besides managing the Feeder program, and collected $57,000 in donations. Dr. Arati Raziuddin, the treasurer, presented details of the income and expenses during the past year and reassured the membership that the Association was on solid financial footing. The meeting concluded following the election of the new officers of the executive committee and board of trustees.

 
Outgoing Team
Newly Elected and Incoming Team
Dr. Salman Akhtar’s Book Release: The AAA organized an impressive literary event to mark the recent release of Dr. Salman Akhtar’s four poetry books. The function was held on Sunday, March 18, 2018, at the Turkish-American Community Center auditorium. Dr. Mohammed Akbar welcomed the guests and Dr. A. Abdullah moderated the proceedings. Professor Satyapal Anand, Dr. Moazzam Siddiqi and Professor Mehr Afshan Farooqi reviewed the books, spotlighting the unique style that defines Salman Akhtar’s poetry. Mr. Surender Deol was unable to attend, however, his review was presented by Mr. Azam Husain. Finally,  the audience was treated to a poetry reading by the poet himself. Outside the auditorium in the atrium, facilities were made available for the book-signing by Dr. Akhtar, who donated the proceeds to the AAA.
 
 
Community News
 
Ms. Amna Farshori – the daughter of Ms. Fatima and Mr. Masood Farshori will be graduating in May 2018, from The Edward Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Virginia. She plans to enter a 4-year residency program in emergency medicine at the Southeast Health General Hospital in NC.
Ms. Sharmeen Husain – the daughter of Ms. Afreen and Dr. Rafat Husain will be completing her medical training in May, 2018, at the Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, Virginia. She will be starting her residency in surgery at Medstar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore. 
It appears that the children of the AMU alumni are doing even better than their parents. On behalf of the community, congratulations to the graduates and their parents.
SELECTED NEWS FROM AMU
Aligarh Muslim University Annual Convention: The AMU held its 65th annual convention at Aligarh on March 7, 2018, with President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind, as the chief guest. According to the official communication, 371 candidates were awarded doctoral degrees, while 2,094 and 2,891 received postgraduate and undergraduate degrees, respectively. It is heartening to learn that out of 218 medal recipients this year, 122 are females, and that the AMU has been ranked as the sixth-best university in the country.

(Contributed by Dr. Rafat Husain)
 
Dr. Hamid Ansari Elected President of the Shibli Academy.  Dr. Hamid Ansari, the former vice president of India and the former vice chancellor the AMU has been elected the president of the Management Committee of Darul Musannefin, Shibli Academy, Azamgarh. He is also an alumnus of the AMU (contributed by Mr. Afzal Usmani)
 
Jehad-e-Musalsal: Aligarh se Aligarh Tak: In the fifties, whoever attended the AMU, is mostly likely to have been familiar with the name of Abidullah Ghazi, who was a prominent student leader. He served as the secretary and president of the Students’ Union, both impressive achievements. He was regarded as one of the most notable speakers in his time. He later relocated to the US, completed a doctoral degree at Harvard and settled in Chicago. Since then, he has been very active in promoting an Islamic education system of his own design for Muslim children. The heading of this paragraph is the title of his latest book, recounting the story of his student days at AMU, an era long past.  Mr. Afzal Usmani, the current secretary of the AAA, has known Dr. Ghazi closely for a long time. He has penned about him a highly interesting piece attached here. Unfortunately, Dr. Ghazi is currently very sick, and we pray and hope for his full recovery.
MEMORIES FROM THE PAST
Editor’s Note: Mullah Wahidi (real name: Syed Irtiza) was a wealthy businessman and a successful newspaper publisher in pre-partition Delhi who personified the best traditions and cultural mores of that storied city. His writings in the classical Delhi language reflected his love for the city and became the hallmark of Urdu prose. After the bloody riots in Delhi in 1947, he was forced to abandon his beloved city and migrate to Karachi but was never able to fully reestablish himself there. He has authored a number of books, recording his reminiscences about Delhi’s bygone era and the colorful personalities whom he had known firsthand. He died in 1976 at the age of 88. The following paragraph about Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is translated and adapted from his book; Dilli jo Ek Shahar tha  

(Oxford University Press.)
 
“Sir Syed hated providing recommendations and testimonials to job applicants, even to those whom he had supported and nurtured. His life’s principle was: if you are capable, you should not need anyone’s recommendation; if not, then you don’t deserve what you are seeking. Most people were aware of his habit and did not approach him. However, once someone whom Sir Syed did not know, applied for a job and in his application falsely stated that he was Sir Syed’s son-in-law.
The senior British officer who reviewed the application was vaguely aware that Sir Syed had two sons and no daughter; nevertheless, he referred the application to him for confirmation. Sir Syed was both amused and angry at the audaciousness of the applicant and asked him to come and see him. He came to see Sir Syed and explained how desperate he was for the job. Sir Syed felt sorry for him and some affection for his wife, his purported daughter; he always wanted a daughter. He wrote back to the British officer, telling him, ‘yes, the wife was like his own daughter.’
The young man got the job. Sir Syed virtually adopted the daughter, treating the couple with fondness whenever they visited him.”
Syed Amir (Editor)                                                                                    Khurshid Usmani (Web)
Rafat Husain (President)                                                                          Aisha Khan (Chairperson)
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