Physicians & Non-Physicians Attend APPNA Dinner in Phoenix
By Yousuf Bhavad

 


Pictures above: Glimpses of the APPNA dinner in Phoenix

The APPNA fall banquet 2007 was hosted on October 20, 2007 at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliff Resort in Phoenix, Arizona. A large number of doctors of Pakistani origin from all over the US attended the event along with a big number of non-physicians from the local community.
The program started with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an followed by its brief translation. Asim Khawaja welcomed the guests and thanked volunteers on the host committee for their help in organizing this colorful event. Dr. Nadeem Kazi, president of APPNA, highlighted the accomplishments of the association in the last 30 years. He elaborated on how the missions of APPNA changed over the years with new initiatives and challenges posed by natural disasters in Indonesia and Pakistan . He outlined the new goals and missions for the next several years.
Dr. Saeed Khan, founder and senior research fellow, Institute of Social Policy and Understanding and lecturer in the Department of Near East and Asian Studies, Wayne State University, Detroit Michigan was the keynote speaker. He focused on the continued challenges facing South Asian Muslims in the years ahead. Muslim youths in England are going through an identity crisis. While similar circumstances may not exist here in US, we cannot be complacent. He emphasized on taking initiatives now no matter how small they are. The key message was to reach out, make alliances, engage with the community at large and educate the masses.
Dinner was served after the keynote speech. During the course of the dinner past and present members of APPNA were for their contributions. Dinner over, the Qawwali program started. Zaman Zaki Taji Qawwal and his group presented a unique combination of Sufiana poetry along with ghazals in the Qawwali style. The Qawwali concluded with a very emotional “Lal Meri Pat…” moving the audience who spiritedly dashed to the front to join the traditional Mast Qalander dance.

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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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