Islamabad, Oct 4: Turkish Consulate Hosts “Love for Turkiye in Pakistan” Event, Honoring Hassan Ali Effendi’s Legacy. The Yunus Emre Institute and the Turkish Consulate General in Karachi collaborated to host a unique event titled “Love for Turkiye in Pakistan in the context of Hassan Ali Effendi.”
The occasion celebrated the life and legacy of Hassan Ali Effendi, the first Ottoman Consul General in Sindh and the man behind the esteemed Sindh Madressatul Islam University (SMIU). Throughout the presentation, emphasis was placed on Effendi’s contributions to modern Sindhi education as well as the long-standing cultural ties between Turkiye and Pakistan.
The Holy Quran was recited to open the occasion, and then Turkiye Consul General Cemal Sangu gave a welcome speech.Sangu stressed the value of Hassan Ali Effendi’s initiatives in building a solid relationship between Turkiye and Pakistan, especially in the areas of education and cross-cultural interaction.
Prominent academics and intellectuals gave insightful speeches in pure Urdu about the historical ties between Pakistan and Turkiye, supplemented by a pictorial overview of these relations spanning centuries from his book “Journey of Friendship and Brotherhood.” Prof. Dr. Halil Toker is a professor of Urdu language and literature at Istanbul University and the country coordinator at Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Centers in Pakistan.
He discussed the ancestors of the Turkish nation before Islam and the place of its founding.He also spoke about the centuries old graves which were situated in the sub-continent demonstrating presence of Turk nation even before the establishment of Kingdom of Babur. Author, poetess, and lecturer at Karachi University Dr. Fatima Hassan offered her own poems together with her thoughts on the literary and historical relevance of Pakistan’s relationship with Turkey.
Poetry discussed the parallels between the Turkish and Pakistani nations. We shared her Urdu poetry for decades, which was a great way for her to illustrate the connections between our heritage and culture. The Head of Karachi University’s Urdu Department, Prof. Dr. Uzma Farman, expounded upon the profound cultural ties that exist between Pakistan and Turkiye, emphasizing the impact of individuals such as Hassan Ali Effendi.
The significance of the Urdu language, its ties to the Turkish nation, and its role in creating Pakistan and shaping a new nation on the subcontinent are all important. Professor Dr. Nigar Sajjad examined Turkiye’s and Pakistan’s shared past from a historical and theological perspective.
Dr. Nigar Sajjad highlighted the historical connections between the Ottoman Turks, who never actually controlled India but had extensive cultural and religious interactions with Indian Muslims, and the Ghaznavids, Ghurids, and Mughals, who were Turkish ancestors and dominated portions of India. The lecture covered the Ottoman Empire’s diplomatic endeavors, with a focus on Sultan Abdulhamid II’s Pan-Islamism policy, which encouraged solidarity with Muslims around the world, particularly those in India.
Professor Dr. Nigar also emphasized the significant contribution that Indian Muslims made to the Khilafat Movement, which sought to preserve the Ottoman Caliphate following the conflict.According to SMIU Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mujeeb Uddin Sahrai Memon, Khan Bahadur Hassan Ali Effendi represents the fraternity of Turkiye and Pakistan.
He gave great thanks to CG Turkiye Cemal Sangu for his tireless efforts in uniting the Effendi family, both in Pakistan and outside. Prof. Memon also shared with the audience his discovery of a very genuine Sindhi biography of Hassan Ali Effendi by Mirza Kaleech Baig, in addition to his father Taj Muhammad Sahrai’s essay about Effendi in his book.
He has put plans in place to translate both volumes into English, and the English versions of the books will soon be available. This will benefit a great deal of people everywhere. Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali Shaikh, a former vice chancellor of SMIU and the author of a book on Hassan Ali Effendi, gave the keynote address and emphasized the historical relevance of Effendi.
He described how, particularly in the late 19th century, Effendi played a crucial role in promoting links between Sindh and Turkiye. Owing to his efforts, Effendi and Bey Majidi, two distinguished Turkish titles, were bestowed upon him by Ottoman Caliph Sultan Abdulhamid II, who also named him the honorary Consul of the Ottoman Empire in Karachi.
Prof. Shaikh brought attention to the little-known fact that Hassan Ali Effendi was the mentor of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He said that the Quaid’s conception of education was quite similar to his mentor’s, and that Jinnah had always had a soft spot for Effendi.
Prof. Dr. Shaista Effendi, a consultant plastic reconstructive and burn aesthetic surgeon at Ziauddin Hospital and the granddaughter of Hassan Ali Effendi, gave a moving message of gratitude to close the ceremony. She sent her sincere gratitude to the Turkish Consulate for maintaining contact with the Effendi family members both overseas and in Pakistan, as well as for acknowledging and honoring the great legacy of her grandfather.
