Muslims getting isolated, being confined to certain areas
October 18, 2008: The Indian Express
In what was one of the grandest Sir Syed Day celebrations till date, the Aligarh Muslim University on Friday celebrated the 191st birth anniversary of its founder, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. The sprawling university campus, decked with green and red lights that hung from the parapets of various departments, looked festive.
The focus, this year, was not just on Sir Syed’s contributions to promote modern education among Muslims but also on the stereotyping of the community in the wake of recent terrorist attacks and the encounter at Jamia Nagar.
“It’s a segregated society these days with Muslims getting isolated and being confined to particular areas,¶ said Prof. Hameeda Ahmed, former dean of arts department at the university. “Many members of my family can’t get houses because they are Muslims,¶ she added.
Prof. A A Nizami, dean of engineering and technology, said the University had an important role to play in the social fabric of India, while Khalid Mustafa, a student, said that it was in secular institution like Aligarh that people could come together and dispel such myths.
The event also witnessed the conferring of the Sir Syed Ahmad Khan International Award on Mohd. Zakir Ali Khan, a Pakistan national and an Aligarh alumnus, for his literary work.
The college alumni, from different parts of the world, also attended the function, which had on its guest list former Chief Justice A.M. Ahmadi and governor of Uttar Pradesh T.V. Rajeshwar. The two-day World Summit of AMU Alumni will begin here on Saturday.
And as the 800-odd alumni dressed in the fashion of those days, conjured memories of each other, figured associations, reconnected and exchanged addresses, they hope that the three-day event will take them to a life they had lived and then cherished over the years.
“In those days, the girls wore gararas and sat behind a veil in classes. A lot has changed over the years. Now women wear jeans here but some of the traditions have remained,¶ said Sajida Nabi, former university faculty and AMU alumna. And the audience jeered as a student’s dupatta slipped off her head while she was on the stage to talk about Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. In her confusion, the student looked around. Someone pointed at the dupatta. Only after she pulled it back did the audience let her continue.
As the famous taraana “Main Is chaman ka bulbul hoon¶ was sung, tears streamed down some of the alumni’s faces, even as they remembered every word and sung along.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/muslims-getting-isolated-being-confined-to-certain-areas/374798/
