By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: The XIX Annual convention of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) held on October 3 in Cleveland, Ohio and attended by over 300 people including 35 delegates from 15 different states and Canada, stressed at empowerment of Indian Muslims through education.
The daylong program discussed wide range of topics related to education and empowerment of the society. The speakers discussed how to create knowledge based society in an era dominated by Information and Communication Technologies when we are still struggling to increase over all literacy.
Justice Siddiqui receiving AFMI’s Excellence Award
Speakers also discussed as to how Muslims can become an assertive and positive contributing force, socially, economically and politically.
In the session on Social Harmony and Social Interactions speakers lambasted political expediency that has caused communal divide and rifts. They emphasized the need of social harmony for the progress of the country and opined that different religious communities should work towards building bridges of understanding.
Dr. Iqbal Ahmed, incoming president of AFMI for 2010, in his speech gave the statistics about Muslim’s low literacy levels in India. He said that as a direct consequence of this Muslims remain marginalized and sometimes resort to all sorts of unwanted activities. He chided the government for not implementing Sachar Committee and other such reports.
Mr. Shaukat Khan, the current president of AFMI, reiterated the impact of organization’s positive role in India as well as in the US. He said, AFMI’s Houston Chapter is very active and participates in all Indian national activities. Same way we being the citizens of USA it is our primary duty to help the downtrodden sections of the society in this country as well.
The dignitaries at the program from India included Dr. Muhammad Aslam Parvez, principal of Delhi’s Zakir Hussain College and Justice M.S.A Siddiqui, chairman of India’s National Commission on Minority Educational Institutions. Justice Siddiqui was honored with AFMI’s Excellence Award.
It was announced that AFMI’s International Convention will be held at Indore, Madhya Pradesh on January 2, 2010.