One-day Seminar on “Iqbal’s Vision for the Youth”

A one-day seminar on “Iqbal’s Vision for the Youth” was organized by IRD in collaboration with the Department of Urdu, Politics & I.R and History and Pakistan Studies, IIUI today at Allama Iqbal Auditorium, IIU Old Campus. The seminar conveyed Iqbal’s message of peace and humanity to youth in an effective manner. It also taught a sense of Khudi among youth that urges them to acknowledge their innate abilities and work towards self-actualization. The guest speakers, including Dr. Saleem Mazhar, Director General, National Language Promotion Department, Pakistan, Dr. Talib Hussain Sial, Iqbaliyat expert, Teacher, Researcher, Critic, Dr. Humaira Shehbaz, Iqbaliyat expert, Teacher, Research, Critic, enlightened the audience on the topic. Dr. Talib Hussain Sial linked the events of Iqbal’s visit to Europe with the current situation and told the young generation that they should maintain their independence at all costs. He said that Iqbal’s philosophy is connected with Islam. He presents philosophical ideas compatible with religion. Dr. Humira Shehbaz, while her address, presented an Urdu translation and Persian text of a story in Iqbal’s Persian poetry. She said that Iqbal’s addressees were mostly young people and said that out of the total seventeen thousand poems of Iqbal, about twelve thousand are in Persian. Therefore, the Persian language should also be studied.

Dr. Salim Mazhar presented Iqbal’s philosophical thoughts in the context of the Holy Quran and made his philosophy a beacon for the youth and said that Iqbal is a great poet and philosopher not only of this region but of the world. The closing remarks of the ceremony were delivered by Prof. Dr. Abdul Rahman (Vice President, Academics).  He thanked the honorable speakers.  He suggested that such programs should be organized on the new campus of the International Islamic University where students from many fields can understand Iqbal. In the end, souvenirs were presented to the guest speakers.