By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Indore: The air was thick with words like education, knowledge, learning, coaching, “Taleem”, “Tarbiyat”, “Padhayee” and the likes which echoed in the auditorium of Ravindra Natya Grah at Indore in the two-day International Educational Convention of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin, (AFMI), of the United States and Canada which concluded on January 3.
Speaker after speaker in their inimitable style stressed on the importance of education and written word. They were all unanimous in their opinion that no community, society or country anywhere in the world could ever progress with a humane face to lead a dignified life without adoring itself with the jewels of education. The general consensus which emerged was on the need and necessity of girl-child/women education, parents awareness towards education, value-based education, quality education etc.
It is illiteracy that breeds poverty and not vice versa. Illiteracy is not hereditary and is not transmitted into genes like hereditary diseases by the human race into its progenies. This fact emerged in crystal clear manner as one sat through the proceedings which enriched the mind and heart of one and all with the knowledge that one can compromise on education only at one’s own peril to shed tears later in life.
The delegates to the convention reaffirmed their dedication to the cause of education in India and promised to do their best in furthering AFMI’s goal of bringing in the light of literacy to each and every Muslim home in India.
The two-day program which included Gala Award Ceremony for the meritorious students was hosted jointly by two NGOs namely Rahat Charitable Trust, Khargone (M.P.) and Taleem Foundation of Madhya Pradesh working in the field of education. Delegates from the United States of America, Canada and all over India attended the AFMI convention along with meritorious students, who excelled in X and XII Board examinations, and their parents. .
Ali Qureshi, immediate past president AFMI and currently on its advisory board who is based in Albuquerque in NM-USA, speaking on the occasion urged the Muslim youth to consider education as a means not just to conquer the outer space but also be equipped to cover the inner space. He appealed them to be ready to make compromises when called upon in the name of humanity and peaceful co-existence.
Qureshi, a philanthropist who has served in the Indian Air Force, said education is a basic human right and it should be monitored that no kid is left behind devoid of education. For imparting quality education the education system must be child-centered and the girls should have access to it providing an opportunity to acquire education which is relevant in today’s competitive world, he emphasized.
Dr. Mrs. Razia Ahmed from Cleveland in Ohio state of USA, who s a strong proponent of women education and a member of many organization, said that though poverty is playing an important role in breeding illiteracy but education is very important for which motivation is necessary for poverty-stricken Muslim masses to overcome this impediment. There is no demarcation between “Deeni Aur Dunyavi Taleem” (religious and worldly knowledge), she averred.
While stressing the importance of education for women-folk of the Muslim community, Dr. Razia said all knowledge helps know the creator Allah in a better way. She appealed to those who are well-off asking them to adopt children of have-nots and educate them while quoting Mubarak Kapdi, well-known educationist and counselor, that Zakaat is an important tool with which they can be helped out.
Presenting a paper on “What ails higher educational institutions” (of Muslims), N. Jamal Ansari, a freelance social and political analyst who is on the staff of Aligarh Muslim University, (AMU), pointed out that internal politics is one of the major factor behind downfall of Muslim institutions. He cited example of AMU which is facing many problems due to internal politics.
Ansari said: “We should ponder over the basic question – how to overcome the ills in Muslim society like greed, jealousy, aloofness and lethargy because our institutions are also mirror of our society. Unless we change our society, we cannot develop our institutions in a sustainable manner”.
He emphasized that a firm and decisive action is needed to isolate the vested interests of silent majority of Muslims who are behind the downfall of the most of our institutions of higher learning. “We need committed teachers who take their profession as a mission. Future of Muslims depends upon these teachers. There is a need that they act like father, guide and friend to Muslim youth to push up a whole deprived class. If we do not do this, our life is not worth living”, he opined.
He appealed to the AFMI educational convention to pass two resolutions related to Muslim education institutes. The first resolution should be in support of proposed AMU centre at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh so that Madhya Pradesh Government initiate proceedings of land allotment and the centre may be established to realize the dreams of AMU’s founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. He wanted the second resolution must be to declare the AMU and Jmaia Millia Islamia as minority institutions.
Khalid Khan, a resident of Hasanpur in Uttar Pradesh who is nowadays based in Los Angeles, said education is the only medium through which Muslims can make a place for themselves with dignity and honour in Indian society. “Aisa Mat Sochiye Dusre Aap Ke Liye Kya Kar Sakte HaiN Magar Apne Aap Se Poochiye Aap DoosroN Ke Liye Kya Kar Sakte haiN”, he quipped.
Khalid announced to establish an office in New Delhi to make available information about government schemes for welfare of minorities and especially Muslims.
Dr. Mohammad Ahsan, Regional Director, Regional Centre of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, (MANUU), Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, spoke on “Distance & Open Learning – A Means of Democratizing Education”. He said that distance education can provide an alternative to the constraints of conventional education system. It accepts the challenge of existing constraints on resources, building for schools and colleges, funds, availability of workforce etc., and seeks to mobilize available resources to provide the much needed instructional packages.
Dr. Ahsan said that the distance education can thus contribute to the educational reforms in our country which is a significant policy change n our educational system. Through this policy education will be at the door step for our all citizens, irrespective of their sociological, psychological and physical conditions.
He said as Muslims have been left behind in education they should take advantage of the distance education. Catering to the needs of school/college dropouts, distance education can almost eliminate the academic isolation of those who have been deprived of education for whatever reasons, he added.
He said in fact open learning system is flexible in terms of admission, choice of programs, duration and age requirements, teaching methods and evaluation procedures. Thus, it offers an alternative channel to those who missed the opportunities of education. The distance mode universities cater especially to women, working people, dropouts and those who want to improve their academic qualifications and professional skills, Dr. Ahsan informed.
Dr. (Miss) Shabistan Ghaffar, Co-chairman National Commission for Minority Girls Educational Institutions, lamented that there is no coordination among Muslim institutions which impedes development of Muslim society as a whole. She said that her agenda is how to empower a girl-child. She said when we educate a boy-child then it is a single person only but when a girl-child is educated then a family, society and a nation benefits from it. The girls’ role is multi-dimensional, she opined.
Abdul Ghaffar Sheikh from Canada said: “If we are for the Muslim community then we should work together to uplift it from the quagmire of illiteracy and poverty and try to empower them educationally, socially and politically.”
Sheikh quoted the example of Nihad Awad, who is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, (CAIR), a Washington DC-based grassroots membership organization which seeks to empower the North American Muslim community through political and social activism.
He said that Masjids network can be centres for all round activities of Muslim Ummah. However, in India he regretted that committees running Masajid affairs have nothing to do with education. He pointed out that in the time of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Masajid were not only the place of Namaz but all matters of state were discussed and planned out there.
“In Canada Masjids are centres for all round activities which should be emulated in India also for the betterment of Muslim Ummah”, Shaikh advised. He said one should have always the best of both worlds.
“Please do not give up your “Akhirat” (Hereafter) and also do not lag behind in this world but strive hard striking a perfect balance between spiritualism and materialism”, Sheikh fervently appealed the audience. He quoted the example of her two daughters who are Alima from Malegaon and then did their graduation in Canada. One of his daughter works as Immigration Councilor in Canada and goes to office well clad in Burqua without any inhibition, he pointed out.
Mrs. Ruhi an MBA from the USA who was born in Indore, regretted that in India regionalism is the order of the day which weighs heavily on the minds of Muslims also. This leads to compartmentalization of society and as such there is no dialogue between Muslim institutions of South and North India. In South India much good work has been done in the educational and other fields which could be benefitted by the North Indians if a channel of dialogue between the two is opened, she stressed.
She said that according to Justice (Retd.) Sachchar Committee Report 70 per cent of Indian Muslim women are housewives. If the literacy level of these housewives is increased then they could focus on education of their progenies and it would go a long way in upgrading the educational level of Muslims to empower them, she added.
Tayyab Poonawala, a civil engineer based in New York, said education is real wealth. He spoke on strengthening our feeder educational institutions viz. Primary and Secondary educational institutions which are in dilapidated state so that the products of such failed institutions are able to successfully compete in today’s challenging world.
Dr. Abdul Razzaq, a top dermatologist of the world from Harvard University in the USA, moaned that in India at present there are no Muslim mentors and leaders who can guide the Muslim Ummah. Parents do not motivate their children in the formative years to emulate the towering Muslim personalities of yesteryears and take up challenging tasks for the welfare of Muslim community.
Dr. Aslam Abdullah, Trustee AFMI and Director of Islamic Institute of Las Vegas-Nevada-USA,, who compeered the seminar on education with aplomb, informed that there are 37,000 libraries in the USA of which 17,000 are owned by Christians while in India Muslims have only 27. “If Muslims just “Soongh LeiN” (smell) these books in the libraries then there may be some improvement in their lot” he said in a lighter vein.
Dr. Abdullah said that 600 million dollars are being spent on education in India by the NRIs from the USA, Canada, Middle East, Australia etc. but its results are not quite visible as they should have been. This is due to non-coordination and controversies which are the hallmarks of Muslim society.
It may be mentioned here that the AFMI, which is a philanthropic charity organization founded by American Muslims of Indian Origin, has come a long way since its inception in 1989. As a grass roots based organization it has been working towards the goal of attaining 100 percent literacy and the elimination of poverty in the Indian Muslim community. ([email protected])