Majlis-e-Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Qatar (MFUA) recently organised a farewell for Fartash Syed, president of the management committee of the Majlis. The event also saw the launching of a DVD set containing a recording of MFUA’s annual poetry symposium held on November 2 last year.



LAUNCH: The video is contained on three disks and covers both the 23rd annual mushaira of MFUA and its awards ceremony.

The event was organised at Downtown Hotel where representatives and active members of the MFUA were present. The November event was held by the Majlis at Katara Amphitheatre. That event also saw the MFUA give away its annual awards to the prominent men of letters for their contributions to Urdu literature.
The Majlis is known in Qatar for holding a big Urdu mushaira every year. Its international poetry symposium in 2017 was attended by Urdu poets from India, Pakistan, the UK and Canada. The Aalmi Frogh-e-Urdu Adab Awards for 2017 were given to Professor Dr Abdul Samad from India and Professor Fateh Muhammad Malik from Pakistan. A special award was also conferred on Dr Syed Taqi Abedi from Canada.
The video of the entire event is contained on three disks.
Fartash Syed retired from Pakistan International School Qatar as an Urdu teacher. He has been associated with the MFUA for the last many years and is well known in the literary circles of Qatar.
Speaking on the occasion, Fartash said, “There is a certain kind of attraction in Qatar. The people of Qatar also extend their love with enthusiasm. One who comes to Qatar once wants to come here again and again. I first came to Qatar in 1993 and went back to Pakistan after one and a half years. Again in 1995 I returned to Qatar on the request of Museeb ur Rehman, founder of MFUA, after quitting my government job in Pakistan. I learnt a lot from Museeb ur Rehman and again I had to go back to Pakistan. I kept on coming to Qatar for short visits. It was in 2011 that I joined the school here on the request of Muhammad Atiq, chairman board of patron MFUA. Since then I have been a regular and active representative of the Majlis.”
Praising Museeb ur Rehman and Muhammad Atiq, he said, “I have learnt a lot from these personalities. These are persons with farsightedness and vision. I am very thankful to all members of the MFUA for their support and co-operation. I will continue having an association with the Majlis and will keep coming to Qatar.”
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Sarfaraz Khanzada, former ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar, said, “I have regularly been attending the mushaira of the Majlis every year. The mushaira is known wherever Urdu language is spoken. All representatives and members of the MFUA have been very active in promoting Urdu as a language. Muhammad Atiq works very hard to make the annual mushaira successful.
“Atiq introduced me to Fartash in 2011 when I was the ambassador in Qatar. I was very happy to meet Fartash. He is a very good poet and a teacher of Urdu. His retirement will be a loss to the Pakistan International School Qatar. This [observation] is very right that those who live in Qatar once, want to come back here again. I have been ambassador to 11 countries and I have found Qatar to be the best. There is a great unity among different communities living in this country and this is the beauty of Qatar. I hope Fartash will return to Qatar once again.”
MFUA Patron Muhammad Atiq said, “I have mixed feelings today. This is an event for the launch of the video for the 23rd annual mushaira and 21st International Urdu Award. It is at the same time a farewell for the management committee president, Fartash Syed. We are very sad to say goodbye to Fartash.”
He added, “We have been putting in our efforts for the promotion of Urdu for 26 years in Qatar. We thank all organisations and individuals for supporting us in our endeavours. Fartash was very close to MFUA Founder Museeb ur Rehamn. After Museeb’s death in 2006, I started inviting Fartash to our programmes regularly. Since 2011, Fartash has been in Qatar. I have a strong mental understanding with him. I have a promise from Fartash that he will keep coming to Qatar to attend the annual programmes of the Majlis. He will remain president of the management committee of the MFUA. He will remain in contact with me from Pakistan.”