Legendary poet Ahmed Faraz passes away
Ahmad Faraz is considered as one of the greatest modern Urdu poets of present times. Born as Syed Ahmad Shah in 1934, he breathed his last at a hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 25, 2008) Earlier, he was being treated for kidney failure in a hospital in Chicago.
Ahmad Faraz has a tremendous following, his poetry being understood by common people as well. A revolutionary poet of wit, depth and grit alike, he was in exile during the martial law rule of General Zia-ul-Haq. Like Faiz Ahmad Faiz, some of his best poems are from those days. He wrote 13 books which were published as “Shehr e Sukhn aarasta hai”.
Born in Nowshera (Pakistan) on January 14, 1931, Faraz was often compared with the legendary Faiz Ahmed Faiz. Faraz was a keen participant in Urdu concerts across the world, including India. Ahmed Faraz advocated peace between India and Pakistan and emphasized personal bonds over geographic boundaries. The last time he was in New Delhi, in November 2007, he spoke about India-Pakistan relations as well as poetry.
Faraz strongly believed that the two countries could work together to further the cause of peace.
“If India can help Pakistan with better education and medical facilities, Pakistan can help India as we produce the world’s best sports material, cotton textiles and surgical instruments,” he said.
If Faraz wrote on Ghalib or Faiz, he also wrote on Meera Bai and Kabir. A revolutionary to the core, he was uncompromising when it came to upholding principles and set high moral standards in social and personal life.
According to Kaleem Khwaja, a US-based Urdu scholar, Faraz stated in his many discourses that Islam teaches true tolerance and equality. But he refused to accept the hegemony of the mullahs.
Awarded one of Pakistan’s greatest civilian honors, the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, in 2004 for his literary achievements, he returned it in 2006 after becoming disillusioned with President Pervez Musharraf’s government.
“My conscience will not forgive me if I remained a silent spectator of the sad happenings around us,” he said at the time. “The least I can do is to let the dictatorship know where it stands in the eyes of the concerned citizens, whose fundamental rights have been usurped.”
He is survived by his wife and three sons. May Allah bless his soul with eternal peace. Ameen.
September 4th, 2008 at 6:37 am
May Allah grant him maghfirat and bless him in Jannah. In the hearts of his fans, he shall always be remembered with great respect indeed.