ICNA Relief Fundraising Mushaira in Sacramento
By Ras H. Siddiqui
ICNA Relief-(Muslims For Humanity) held a well-attended Mushaira (Urdu language poetry) event at the Town & Country Event Center in Sacramento, California on Sunday, June 19, 2022. Coincidentally this was also Father’s Day and Juneteenth, a Federal Holiday, so the spirit of both did manage to seep into this occasion too since ICNA Relief takes pride in doing its work locally.
Case in point, the main focus of this particular effort, was to raise funds for Women’s Transitional Homes (because sleeping on the streets is not an option) for individuals escaping domestic violence, economic desperation and much more. And what better way is there to raise some funds than by bringing people together for an Urdu poetry event where two of the finest poets around (from completely different realms) were present to present their work. Poets Khalid Masood from Pakistan and Manzar Bhopali from India have many international fans and some of them made it a point to show up here from great distances.
The evening started off with some appetizers and dinner, giving people a chance to trickle in, get seated, and socialize. The formalities started with a fine recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Sharqawi. This was followed by a synopsis of the aim of this gathering by local ICNA Relief luminary Naveed Ahmed who also presented a background of ICNA Relief and the kind of great work that the organization is involved in.
For those that may not be aware this work includes primarily local relief efforts right here in America which benefit people of all faiths and backgrounds. Over the past couple of years this writer has been following some of the local ICNA Relief outreach and can say that their effort is quite commendable. Naveed and his group seem to be in many places in the Sacramento area, wherever there is a genuine and legitimate need.
ICNA Relief’s Moviz Siddiqui spoke on the Women’s Transitional Homes which were the primary focus of this fundraiser. One could tell that Mr Siddiqui is very passionate about this issue and the details which he shared about the desperation faced by some women including those within the Muslim community certainly need some serious attention. Moviz was followed by Br Tamer Ahmed, one of a handful of people in attendance here who do not understand Urdu. But that did not hinder his ability to carry on with the fundraiser, in English of course, a language that everyone understood. Br Tamer is well-known in the Sacramento area for his involvement in positive community efforts and it was great to see him here.
After Magrib prayers the Halal entertainment segment of the program started emceed by the very capable Naeem Syed who was introduced by Meer Shams. Br Naeem first invited two community youngsters on to the stage who proceeded to deliver some inspirational Urdu poetry and sayings. Next, Marwa Zafar took the opportunity to present three short Nazms (including a very moving tribute to her father). And soon after Naeem surprised us with some of his own poetry work “Tum Kiya Ho? Tum Kaun Ho?” which was well-received. And next Zia Zafir closed the local talent segment during which he highlighted both the guest poets and shared some of his insightful wisdom in the process. This set the stage for the two celebrity poets to present their work.
Khalid Masood, from Multan, Pakistan is an Urdu, Punjabi and Seraiki language poet who can be hilarious in all three languages. His wit and sarcasm can be addictive. In the process of his delivery, he disarms the audience, often by saying some profound things wrapped in good humor. At this event he made fun of poetry etiquette, created a scenario on how an Army General would run a poetry recital, took a humorous swing at politicians, and concentrated on the Lota and some of the political culture surrounding it in Pakistan. He also asked some pertinent questions on American football and enquired why the foot is seldom used in a sport of that name? And on another note, he pondered over a Seraiki saying as to how a person riding a tall camel can be bitten by a dog! All one can add is that you just had to be there to appreciate his gems.
Manzar Bhopali from India was the last to present his work. He has a very large following across the globe and has been practicing his Urdu poetic craft for the past 45 years. Unlike Khalid Masood, Bhopali Sahib is famous for his tackling of serious issues wrapped in deep symbolism. He was in a pensive mood at this event and concentrated his verses on social topics while avoiding any political terrain in spite of being asked to venture there. This decision did make sense because the host for the evening ICNA Relief, is an organization involved in non-political domestic relief work. Bhopali’s bouquet of poetry this evening incorporated Father’s Day, light romance, social insights, and closeness to God. One other area of special focus for his presentation was girl children (Betis in Urdu), a topic on which he presented two memorable poems here.
To conclude, it was good to see ICNA Relief volunteers and Muslim Community of Folsom friends at this event after a long COVID impacted absence. Just recently, ICNA Relief Sacramento has partnered with local area organizations to aid Afghan refugees settling in this area. It has also been very active in the wider mainstream community, distributing assistance to those in need. Such good work deserves our attention, appreciation, and financial assistance.
