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Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan,
Professor of Linguistics in Kuwait University, addressing audience in
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International seminar on ‘Indo-Arab Cultural Relations’ in Bhopal:
A three-day international seminar on “Arabic Panchatantra and
Indo-Arab Cultural Relations” is starting here in Bhopal....
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'Arabs
are very intelligent and ahead of Indians' |
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Bhopal: The three-day
international seminar on “Arabic Panchatantra and Indo-Arab Cultural
Relations” which concluded here in Bhopal on Thursday passed a
seven-point resolution demanding inter-alia that in order to give a
fillip to the Indo-Arab relations the Government of India should
hold a broad based an international seminar on “Panchatantra” (five
chapters), the oldest collection of Indian fables which was
originally in Sanskrit, and its Arabic translation "Kalīlah wa
Dimnah". This would enable the new generation to get acquainted with
the master-piece literatures of these classical languages namely
Sanskrit and Arabic.
Another resolution
passed on the occasion appealed the Bharatiya Janata Party ruled
Madhya Pradesh Government to include the world famous Arabic
text-book "Kalīlah wa Dimnah" in the syllabi of colleges and
universities of the state. Besides this establish a research centre
in Barkatullah University so that scholars could do research work on
these two master-piece classical literature and related matter to
this is collected and preserved herein.
It may be pointed
out here that “Panchatantra” was originally written in Sanskrit by a
great Hindu scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma. However, it was lost and
it perished in sands of time after being translated into Pahlavi
(literary Persian) language in the 6th century. Thereafter, it was
translated into Arabic in the 8th century by Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa
and it was christened as "Kalīlah wa Dimnah”.
It was resolved to
establish a general library in New Delhi where Arabic books from all
over the world are made available. It was also resolved to publish
all the 30 papers read in the seminar and Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan,
Professor of Linguistics in Kuwait University, offered to bear the
cost of getting it printed.
The committee
which drafted the resolutions included Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan of
Kuwait University; Mrs. Ayisha Rais, Dean Faculty of Arts,
Barkatullah University; Maulana Dr. Arif Junaid Nadwi, Senior
Lecturer in DIET, and Khaledah Siddiqui, Arabic research scholar.
Meanwhile, the
valedictory function of the seminar was presided over by Mohammad
Hassan Khan, Head of the Arabic Department of Barkatullah
University, Bhopal.
Speaking on the
occasion Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan of Kuwait University, said since
4th Hijri Arabs enriched themselves from various civilizations of
the world. They were very strong culturally and translated all books
of knowledge in different languages of the world into Arabic of
which "Kalīlah wa Dimnah” is a classical example.
Dr. Laila was all
praise and thankful to Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa, the author of "Kalīlah
wa Dimnah”, for providing an opportunity to Arabs and Indians to
understand and come closer to each other. He give them a chance to
analyze and give boost to their literary works. She said the
resolutions passed at the seminar should be well publicized not only
in India but also in Kuwait.
She said what she
had read and heard about India and its people in Kuwait saw much
more than that on her maiden visit to this country.
“I found the
Indians open-minded, very friendly natured and having overwhelming
love for the Arabic literature”, she remarked
Dr. Laila after
her speech read out some couplets in Arabic praising "Kalīlah wa
Dimnah” and its author Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa.
Dr. Syed Jahangir,
ex-chairperson of Centre of Arabic Studies, the English & Foreign
Languages University, also rendered couplets in Arabic in praise of
the seminar thereby reciprocating Dr. Laila’s poetic gesture.
Prof. Manzoor
Ahmad of Kashmir University said the seminar was a very meaningful
exercise. He felt that as in the good olden days India’s cultural
forays had been through Sanskrit into Arab world via Persian and
Arabic languages the same was experienced in this seminar also. Now
real cultural exchange is taking place between Arab world and India.
Prof. Manzoor
requested Dr. Laila to donate Arabic books on literature to Indian
institutes. The sister duo of Dr. Laila and Prof. Laila Usman
assured to take up the matter with the Kuwaiti Government
authorities for necessary action in this respect on return.
Maulana Shoeb Koti
said through "Kalīlah wa Dimnah” the moral values aspect dominated
the seminar. He congratulated Dr. Hassan and Dr. Ayisha Rais for the
success of the seminar and bringing the old cultural and moral
values together which is most needed today.
Maulana Dr. Arif
Junaid Nadwi speaking on the occasion said the seminar on "Kalīlah
wa Dimnah” has propagated the “Ganga-Jamuna Tahzeeb” (harmonious
culture) of two classical languages viz.
Sanskrit and
Arabic and brought together people of India and Arab world. He said
at present the world is divided into two in the clash of
civilization. The United States of America representing the negative
attitude is waging war in the name of war on terrorism to subjugate
the smaller and weaker countries in Arab world and plunder its
natural resources of oil. While the other half of the world of which
India is a part is propagating peace and communal harmony through
its age-old cultural forays and principle of “live and let-live”.
Earlier, Dr.
Mahira Parveen of Bio-Sciences, who is studying Arabic language, was
felicitated on the occasion by Dr. Laila for being honoured with
Young Indian Scientist Award-2009. Prof. Ayisha Rais proposed a vote
of thanks.
It may be
mentioned here that the international seminar was orgnised by
Barkatullah University, Bhopal wherein eminent scholars from Kuwait,
Lanka and from all over India participated. The inaugural function
was presided over by the Barkatullah University Vice Chancellor
Prof. Ravindra Jain while Maulana Mohammad Saeed Mujaddadi (Peer
Saeed Miyan), Rector Dar-ul-Uloom Taj-ul-Masajid, Bhopal was the
chief guest on the occasion.
It may be recalled
that Prof. Ravindra Jain in his presidential address had said in the
inaugural function that Arabs are very intelligent people and are
ahead of Indians. They took full advantage of the literature in
Sanskrit and Hindi which flourished in India during the period of
the Rig-Veda and Upanishads (from 1500 B.C. to 500 B.C.) and
translated it into Persian and Arabic.
In all 30 papers
were presented in the seminar were in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English
and Hindi languages in total six sessions spread over three days.
The foreign participants were Dr. Laila Al-Sabaan & Prof. Laila
Usman (both from Kuwait University, Kuwait) and Prof. Humdoon
Mohiuddin (Sri Lanka). Among the Indian scholars who presented their
papers included Prof. Abdul Ali & Prof. Kafeel Ahmad Qasmi (both
from Aligarh Muslim University), Prof. Abdul Qadir Jafari & Prof.
Fayyaz-ul-Huq (both from Allahabad University), Prof. Manzoor Ahmad
(Kashmir University), Prof. Mustafa Shareef, Prof. Abdul Majeed, Dr.
Abdul Jameel Khan & Dr. Syed Abdurrahman (all four from Osmania
University, Hyderabad), Prof. Iqbal Hussain & Dr. Syed Jahangir
(both from English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad), Dr.
Fazlullah Shareef (Avanti College, Hyderabad), Maulana Shoeb Koti
(Mumbai), Maulana Dr. Afroz Qasmi, Sr. Journalist Arif Aziz; Dr.
Iftekhar Masood; Maulana Syed Sharafat Ali Nadwi, Maulana Ahsan Ali
Khan Nadwi, Maulana Dr. Javed Zafar Nadwi, Ms Khaledah Siddiqui, Dr.
Marzia Arif, Dr. Sangeeta Gundecha, Dr. Shamsa Arif, Dr. Joshna
Nigam, Dr. Maya Dube, Dr. Mohammad Hassan Khan & Prof. Ayisha Rais
(all from Bhopal) etc.
(pervezbari@eth.net)
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