DUBAI, 9 November 2021 – The Pakistan Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrated the birthday of the late poet and philosopher Muhammad Iqbal, with a line-up of artists and officials paying tribute to the icon. A testament to his influence on the nation, the anniversary of Iqbal’s birth in 1877 is marked as a public holiday in Pakistan.
The show at the Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre saw performances by legendary Pakistani singer Ahmed Jahanzeb, and readings from iconic Pakistani writer and satirist Anwar Maqsoud, as well as a speech by His Excellency Afzaal Mahmood, Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE, each of whom expressed how Iqbal’s wisdom and memory remains entrenched in the hearts and minds of Pakistanis, following his death in 1938 at age 60.
His Excellency Afzaal Mahmood said: “We are at Expo to celebrate the birthday of Allama [an honorific meaning ‘very knowing, most learned’ in Persian] who was a poet, and gave the idea of the establishment of Pakistan as an independent state. We consider him a national hero, a revolutionary and motivational poet.”
Remarking on the influence of Iqbal’s works, which have been translated into more than 50 languages, he added: “He brings a new spirit to the life of individual, as well as a nation… he changed lives. I studied him when I was 18 years old, and that helped me to understand the idea of turning challenges into opportunities. If there are no challenges, you might not find the kind of opportunities that accelerate your energy.”