By TCN News
Cambridge, Massachusetts: A program to celebrate the life and works of one of Urdu’s greatest poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz attracted a room full of Faiz fans to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on June 27, 2010.
Moneeza Hashmi at MIT event
Faiz was a popular poet during his life time and his poetry continue to win new fans even 26 years after his death. Be it the human rights activists in India or lawyers in Pakistan they all find voice to their aspirations in Faiz’s poetry. Faiz gives “bol” to those who have their lips sealed and give them the courage to dream and cry out “ham dekkhenge.”
The event at MIT attracted young, old, men, women, Indians, and Pakistanis and kept them glued to their seats while Faiz’s poetry and its translation was recited and discussed. Highlight of the program was Faiz’s youngest daughter Moneeza Hashmi’s presentation. Hashmi talked about her illustrious father and discussed plans to keep his memory and mission alive.
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Many local personalities of the area such as Dr. Omar Khalidi, Dr. Sarwat Hussain, Siraj Khan, Dr. Jamal Hussain Qadri, Malik Khan, Syed Mahmood Jaffery, Farida Ahmed, Farhat Abbas, Hasan Mujtuba, and Dr. Arifa Syeda of Lahore participated in this unique event.
The event was to benefit Faiz Ghar in Lahore which provides a home for education, art, and culture. Talking to TwoCircles.net Moneeza Hashmi said that this event is in preparation for the Faiz centennial celebrations in 2011. Events are being planned for a year-long celebration in India, Pakistan, and the United States beginning in February 2011.
The event was jointly organized by Alliance for Secular & Democratic South Asia and Faiz Foundation.
Link:
http://www.faizghar.org
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