Muhammad Mujahid Syed Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — The Telangana United Forum organized a Mushairah (poetry event) on the occasion of Eid at Star restaurant Thursday. In the Mushairah, Jeddah and Taif's Indian and Pakistani poets Kamran Khan, Afsar Barabankwi, Faisal Tufail, Abdul Rahim Shad Bijnori, Sharafat Chandpuri, Belan Nizamabadi, Anwar Ansari, Mahtab Qadr, Nasir Barni, Athar Abbasi, Dr. Kaleem Zia and Mujahid Syed regaled the audience with their poems. Chief guest and Indian Consul Press Information and Culture Dr. Irshad Ahmad said: "This Telangana United Forum Eid Milan Mushairah has stirred my memories. In fact this function should be seen in the perspective of the history of Urdu language and poetry and the Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent. Urdu had thrived and took shape in India since 13th century till 19th century. It gave birth to a composite culture based on love and peaceful co-existence. I congratulate TUF officials for holding such successful literary gathering to unite Urdu speaking community in Jeddah to keep Urdu language and poetry alive in Saudi Arabia." The honorary guest of the function, Dr.Mohammed Kaleem Zia, said he loves the Urdu language, and as a student attended many literary functions. "Urdu is purely an Indian language. If Muslims have any relation with it, that when Urdu got orphaned, it was given to the Muslims who, as a matter of sympathy adopted it. There is a long list of non-Muslim poets and literary figures who contributed in the development of Urdu poetry and literature. Urdu has its roots in the School of Sanskrit language." The head of the department of urdu in Ismail Yusuf College of Arts , Science and Commerce, Mumbai,revealed that in Kerala there are around 2,000 Urdu teachers of which 33 percent are non-Muslims. It is also the language of masses, including Bollywood films. "While chatting on the Internet and sending SMS the people use Urdu poetry." Mahtab Qadr of Gulban.com conducted the first session of the program that contained speeches of Ahmad and Kaleem from Mumbai and an introduction of TUF by Siyadat Ali Khan, who assured the audience of many more literary programs in future. Khan thanked Ahmed for the Consulate General of India's support. Syed Abbas recited a few verses from the Holy Qur'an; Naat was recited by Nizamabadi. The master of the event was Nasir Barni, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Khan.
