Senior members of the Indian community in Jeddah greeted visiting pilgrims Mehboob Ali Qaisar, member of parliament and former chairman, Hajj Committee of India; Mutiur Rehman, founder, Imam Bukhari University Kishanganj, Bihar; Irfan Ahmad, former member, Hajj Committee of India; and Ehtesham-ul-Haq, a New Delhi-based entrepreneur and social worker; at the Holiday Inn in Jeddah.

The vitally important concept of Indian unity in diversity was emphasized and upheld as prominent members of the Indian community from different states in the home country attended the ceremony.

The program began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an by Rayyan Asif. Youth icon Imran Kausar emceed the event. In his opening remarks, Asif Rameez Daudi of King Abdulaziz University’s English Language Institute welcomed the guests and emphasized the importance of education and community services, along with the role of expatriates in further strengthening relations with the host country, which has become a second home to almost 2.5 million Indians.

Rehman spoke of his experiences in opening Imam Bukhari University. “The university is a dream come true,” he said. “It took a lot of hard work to reach where we are today. The university is going to be a leading center of research. It is spread over a sprawling area in a region inhabited by underprivileged people. Our aim is to reach out to the poorest of the poor and the best of the best and provide quality education and world-class research facilities.”

Chief Guest Qaisar stressed the value of education by quoting examples from the Holy Qur’an and the Hadith. He was overwhelmed by the love and respect shown by the diaspora toward the guests. He was equally pleased to learn about the sincere efforts of Rehman.

Philanthropist Shameem Kausar and journalist Ram Narayan Iyer enthralled the audience with their inspirational speeches on education, unity, motivation and community services. Dr. Rehan Masood was honored for his exemplary 22 years of service at the English Language Institute at King Abdulaziz University; Dr. Saulat Abbas was honored for writing a book named “Desi Boy.” Javed Iqbal and Mahtab from Holiday Inn were applauded for the commendable services provided at the venue.

Organizers Daudi, Ghazanfar Alam, Prince Mufti Zia, Qamar Saada, Asad Ali, Imran Kausar, Zakaria Biladi, Ghazanfar Zaki and Ghufran Nishter thanked the guests and audience for making the evening a success.