BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: The Embassy of Pakistan in Buenos Aires and the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI) jointly launched a book entitled ‘Muhammad Iqbal Filosofo y Poeta Del Oriente’ at the auditorium of CARI.
The meeting was presided over by Ambassador Jose Octavio Bordon, the President of CARI and moderated by an eminent scholar Dr. Lía Rodríguez de la Vega.
Ambassador of Pakistan, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Khalid Ejaz was the keynote speaker, who mentioned that Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) was one of the most prominent Muslim philosophers and thinkers of the modem era. He was concerned with the political fortunes of the Muslim community of South Asia and proposed the idea of a separate homeland for them. Iqbal was a great humanist who presented a new social order based on spiritual democracy and basic human values.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal is the national poet of Pakistan who wrote poetry in Urdu and Persian. His work has been translated into several languages including English, German, Italian, Russian, Czech, Arabic, and Turkish.
Mr. Anibal Bachir Bakir, the President of the Islamic Center of the Republic of Argentina highlighted Muhammad Iqbal’s efforts in safeguarding the essential principles of Islam in a period of stagnation during the British colonial rule in the Indian subcontinent.
The member of the Directing Commission of the Islamic Center of the Republic of Argentina, Mr. Bashir Bakir, and the host of the program “El Cálamo” of Public TV, Mr. Khaled Hallar also attended the event.
Speaking at the occasion, the author of the book Professor Ricardo H. Elia stated that the book will introduce Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s thoughts to Argentina. He mentioned that Iqbal’s thinking had affected millions and built bridges among people of different faiths.
On the occasion of the 70 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Pakistan, the Embassy of Pakistan in Argentina has published a book (190 pages) on Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal entitled ‘Muhammad Iqbal Filosofo y Poeta Del Oriente’.
It is an academic and scholarly effort of Professor Ricardo H. Elía about various aspects of Iqbal’s life, thought, and poetry. The author has provided a historical perspective in which Iqbal had developed his thoughts. It is a comprehensive piece of research with 209 footnotes. It provides the Spanish-speaking people an opportunity to explore the philosophical underpinnings of Iqbal and an insight into the ideology of Pakistan as well as its culture and history.
Allama Muhammad Iqbal Forum, Argentina has been established under the patronage of the Embassy of Pakistan in Buenos Aires to disseminate Iqbal’s thoughts and ideas in Argentina and neighboring Spanish-speaking countries. The initiative will pave the way for similar work in the future.
