Page 7 - Pakistan Link -June 7, 2024

OPINION PAKISTAN LINK - JUNE 7, 2024 - P7
n By Abdullah Zahid
Karachi, Pakistan For the Love of Language, a Multinational
‘Gulistan-e-Saadi’, a collection Quest to Keep Urdu Alive and Thriving
he Persian literary masterpiece

Tof moral tales and aphorisms
by the revered 13th-century poet
Sheikh Saadi Shirazi Sabeen Mahmud. Ansari confided
has a new lease of that she felt her professional expertise University of Minnesota pedagogy
life with the bilingual wasn’t a perfect match for this type of teacher corroborates Joy of Urdu’s in-
publication of three of work. Mahmud’s response: “Just do the novative approach to language learning
Saadi’s classic stories. work, and you’ll get the help you need.”
The Joy of Urdu, Mahmud’s wisdom and clarity Recent revelations further indicate that
a volunteer-run, bi- through their conversations was a key Meta is adjusting user content settings
lingual, international organization factor in setting up the Joy of Urdu. An- without consent, defaulting to “limit”
launched in 2013, published the book sari admires and emulates Mahmud’s political content on the feed, including
for its tenth anniversary last year. ability to lead projects while remaining posts about Gaza. Users can choose to
The organization aims to celebrate unassuming in the background. disable this feature.
the richness of Urdu language – the In 2015, Ansari was supposed to During the Covid-19 pandemic, the
lingua franca and official national meet Mahmud in Karachi to discuss Joy of Urdu remained active, launch-
language of Pakistan – and heritage the initiative. The meeting never took ing its “#gharbethiyekitabeinparhiye”
through diverse perspectives. Multiple place, as Mahmud was killed. (stay-at-home-and-read) campaign.
chapters in cities around the world de- Zarminae Ansari, proudly displaying the book “Three Tales of Gulistan-e- Sabeen Mahmud’s death only It helped “people, especially those in
velop community through discussions, Saadi,” alongside Joy of Urdu patrons Dr Arfa Syeda Zehra and Zehra Nigah strengthened Ansari’s resolve to honor diaspora longing to reconnect with
interactive reading groups, and intern- at the Jashn-e-Rekhta festival in Dubai her memory and continue the mission [their] homeland and language.”
ship opportunities. they both believed in. “In the next five Participants ranged from Bolly-
also marked the Joy of Urdu’s ten-year features that make this a valuable peda- years, I went underground pouring all wood singers and politicians to four-
Zehra Nigah anniversary. gogical contribution. my energy into fulfilling the promise I year-olds.
The organization also celebrated “A story may unlock the enchant- Heartfelt video messages have been made to Sabeen by focusing on the Joy Ansari has been juggling resources
the 88th birthday of Zehra Nigah, the ment of language belatedly, yet it ig- pouring in on social media, many of Urdu,” she says. Ten years later, “it’s for the Joy of Urdu. She is the main
revered contemporary Urdu poet on nites the sparks of imagination early posted on the Joy of Urdu’s YouTube wild” to think that people will volun- mover and shaker behind the vision,
14 May, with cultural aficionado and on,” said Professor Zehra. channel. Zehra Nigah was moved to teer for an organisation for ten long with team members stepping in as
Joy of Urdu Board member Qasim Jafri The narrative of these three sto- compose a touching poem titled “Yeh years. But “It’s not about me; it’s about needed. But at one point, the demands
reading selections from her poetry at ries transcends human existence, she Kahaniyan” (These Stories) set to mu- a ‘cause.’ If others are working for Joy caused “extreme depression” and An-
Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus in Lahore. added. The publication echoes Saadi’s sic by the prominent composer Arshad of Urdu, then so am I,” she emphasizes. sari thought about pursuing govern-
“Persian, much like Arabic, his- timeless wisdom that has “illuminated Mahmud. Mahmud clearly instilled in Ansari ment grants.
torically served as a supplementary the path to ‘sa’adat’ (prosperity) for It is often difficult to drum up the a strong sense of moral values, evident Seeking guidance, Ansari turned to
language in education,” comments Joy generations.” community support needed for public in her thoughtful and considerate ac- Mahenaz Mahmud, Sabeen Mahmud’s
of Urdu founder Zarminae Ansari, an The publication was also launched service work aiming to build bridges mother in Karachi. “There was a time
architect and writer from Pakistan now at two prestigious Urdu festivals in and extend real solidarities. Ansari has when there were many NGOs chasing
based in Portugal. early 2024: Jashn-e-Rekhta in Dubai, been fortunate to have people join and Sabeen, and people assumed she was
stay with the cause. getting money from them. She showed
One key supporter is renowned no interest and refused,” Ansari re-
Lahore-based painter and artist Salima counted Mahenaz revealing.
Hashmi. Speaking to Sapan News over Mahenaz’s words came as a “sigh
the phone, she emphasizes the sense of relief” for Ansari who had also as-
of disconnection felt by children and sumed Sabeen Mahmud was being
adults who are displaced from their na- funded. “But it completely makes sense
tive environments. A way to remediate that she wasn’t,” Ansari remarked. “Sa-
this situation is “perhaps by collecting been knew the drill: when they offer
the stories that adults grew up with you money, they come with their own
and translating them in the shape of a Mahenaz Mahmud, Sabeen Mahmud’s hidden agendas.
book which would be beautiful to look mother, holding a copy of “Three Tales And you have got to play by their
at, delightful to read, and simply enjoy- of Gulistan-e-Saadi” rules.”
Arfa Sayeda Zehra speaking to a gathering at the Joy of Urdu’s Lahore chapter able to hold.” For her, the real joy lies in Due to the broader reach and im-
meeting, hosted by Annemarie-Schimmel-Haus on January 16, 2020 the details. tions towards those with differing so- pact of the Joy of Urdu initiative, An-
The book incorporates miniature cio-political beliefs. sari now grapples with the hurdle of
“And it is not as divorced from Urdu in January, and at the Faiz Festival in paintings by artist Syed Shah Abdul- One notable manifestation of this is carrying on without sufficient funding
as it’s being politically made out to be,” February. lah Aalmee, designed specifically to the “Poetry of Resistance” campaign, and resources. She hasn’t lost hope. Her
she tells Sapan News over the phone. According to a Joy of Urdu press engage readers. which emerged in response to Israel’s motive transcends profit and clout.
To the question of why Joy of Urdu release, the publication is expected to bombing of Gaza after 07 Oct 2023. “We are not there for likes and fol-
chose this text out of a plethora of oth- be “a foundation for learning Urdu by Sabeen and resistance This initiative included various pro- lows. We are not influencers or an en-
ers for its first publication, Ansari says providing an alternative to Urdu peda- Behind Joy of Urdu’s creation and grams, showcasing the work of several tertainment hub. Yes, we are struggling
that these stories from Saadi’s ‘Gulistan’ gogy and perception”. evolution lies an integral connection renowned Urdu poets like Faiz, Mah- and we need money. But we mustn’t
and ‘Bostan’ hold significant impor- Chloe Mais Hagen, a French teach- with the slain entrepreneur and human moud Darwesh, and Habib Jalib, focus- lose sight of our mission – to fill a void
tance for older, predominantly edu- ing on Palestinian resistance. and provide a service that was not
cated families. Presented in rhyming Since then, Zarminae Ansari has there”, she explains.
form, these tales helped children learn proudly worn a keffiyeh at every signif- The Joy of Urdu now has six books
Persian besides conveying “deeper icant occasion – even at her first book for adults and children poised to enter
spiritual and metaphysical meanings” signing – because “while I’m celebrat- production soon. There are also plans
over the years. ing that momentous occasion, Pales- for merchandise, workshops, and other
The painstakingly crafted coffee tine and human rights [violations tak- related projects.
table book took nearly six years to ing place there] aren’t far away from The Joy of Urdu’s focus on linguistic
complete. The attention to layout, pro- my mind,” Ansari stresses. preservation, cultural enrichment, plus
duction quality, glossary section, end- promotion of social justice, and posi-
of-book activities, and illustrations Shadow banning tive change through bilingual presenta-
could “earn it a place on readers’ book- As clips from these shows made tions and discussions helps ensure that
shelves alongside their most treasured their way onto the Joy of Urdu’s Insta- the richness of Urdu remains alive in
English books, if not surpassing them gram page, accompanied by pertinent modern times.
in value,” predicts Ansari. hashtags, their account, like many (Sapan News intern Abdullah Za-
Targeting children, adults, and art discussing Gaza, experienced shad- hid is a communications student at the
lovers, the publication, edited by An- Images of pages inside the book owbanning, resulting in a reduction of University of Karachi, passionate about
sari, features a foreword by acclaimed followers. covering peace, human rights, and pol-
professor and linguistic expert Dr Arfa er and PhD candidate at the Univer- rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, who By then, it’s already been extensively itics. He has also written for Aman Ki
Syeda Zehra. It was initially launched sity of Minnesota who is learning Urdu was a firm believer in Ansari’s vision. reported that Asha and interned with the Election
online through a Facebook livestream supports this view. She points to the Zarmina Ansari had moved from algorithms are being suppressed, Cell 2024 at Geo TV News, Pakistan.
last November, with patrons and hon- side-by-side Urdu-English translation, Moscow to Paris in 2014 when she dis- comments removed, and hashtags This is a Sapan News syndicated
orary board members. The occasion extensive glossary, and other linguistic cussed the project with her close friend flagged by the microblogging website. feature.)

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