Pakistan Embassy Pays Tribute to Allama Iqbal and Sadequain
By Elaine Pasquini
Photos by Phil Pasquini
Washington: On November 8, 2023, the Embassy of Pakistan hosted a special reception celebrating Iqbal Day, the birthday of Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), the national poet of Pakistan. One of the preeminent scholars of Urdu and Persian literature from the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, Allama Iqbal created poetry reflecting his philosophy as a political and social reformer.
In addition, an exhibition of the classical artwork of Syed Sadequain was also on display at the Embassy of Pakistan in collaboration with the International Academy of Letters USA, Sadequain Foundation USA, and Sadequain Gallery of Chicago to pay tribute to the iconic calligrapher, painter and poet.
“Iqbal is our ideological compass and lodestar,” Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, told guests gathered at the embassy. “When we are looking for direction – where we ought to go – we refer to Iqbal because he gave us the ideological basis for the state of Pakistan. Iqbal dreamed of Pakistan, and we are a manifestation of his dream. He pioneered the idea of alliance of civilizations before this thought was developed in the late 20th century or early 21st century.”
The ambassador pointed out that Iqbal was a poet par excellence. “His thought has influenced the whole of South Asia, Afghanistan and in Persia (Iran),” he said. “Iqbal was a universalist. He was not a parochial poet. His poetry is a universal heritage; a universal legacy.”
Iqbal was also a philosopher, and his philosophy was not confined to the subcontinent, he continued. “He looked at the cosmos. He looked at the universe and how it was evolving in its spiritual and physical dimensions.”
Appreciating Allama Iqbal’s deep understanding and knowledge of the Qur’an and Islam, Ambassador Khan emphasized that he was one of the most authentic interpreters of the Qur’an and Islam. “If we want to understand the Qur’an in the contemporary context, we will have to study Iqbal,” he said, noting that many clerics and religious scholars cited the poet when they wanted to elaborate some complex thoughts in Islam and that scholars from all over the world travel to Pakistan to discuss his philosophy.
“We as Pakistanis should be proud of having such a genius who guided us in the formative years of Pakistan,” Ambassador Khan stated. “And he propounded this idea which manifested itself in the state of Pakistan.”
Recalling his recent visit to the Sadequain exhibition held at Urdu Ghar (Urdu Book House) in Chicago, the ambassador paid tribute to the Sadequain Foundation for its service to the legendary artist of Pakistan, highlighting his genius as a calligrapher, painter and poet.
Other speakers, including Mr Ghazanfar Hashmi, Mr Anwar Iqbal, Dr Aseef Qadeer, Pakistani ex-Senator Akber Khawaja, Mr Faiz Rehman and Mr Riaz Niazi, discussed various dimensions and perspectives of Iqbal’s thought as a poet and philosopher, and drew relevance to the contemporary world.
The ambassador thanked the International Academy of Letters USA, the Sadequain Foundation USA and Sadequain Gallery of Chicago for partnering with the Embassy of Pakistan in organizing the event.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.
