VC explains conditions that led to establishment of Sindh Madressatul Islam

Karachi: Sindh Madressatul Islam University on Saturday held its 134th Foundation Day ceremony at the Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Auditorium of the university.

The ceremony was attended by H. E. Tolga UCAK, consul general of Turkey, Jonson Green, public affairs officer of US Consulate, Stephen Valen, cultural affairs officer of the US Consulate, Prof Dr Akhtar Baloch, vice chancellor of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed University, Lyari, Nadra Panjwani, philanthropist, deans, chairpersons, faculty and students of the SMIU and other guests attended the ceremony.

Addressing the ceremony, SMIU Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said that the establishment of Sindh Madressatul Islam on September 1, 1885, was a result of the unrest prevailing in Sindh after the annexation of Sindh by the British in 1843 as Sindh’s Muslims, despite having six times more in the majority than other religious communities, were legged behind in all spheres of life.

He added that the failed war of the Independence of 1857 had also compelled the Muslims of the subcontinent to get modern education along with their religious education.

“In this respect, the first successful experiment was done by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan by establishing Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875 at Aligarh,” Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh said and added that after that successful experiment Khan Bahadur Hassanally Effendi with the support of Justice Amir Ali and with the advice of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, opened Sindh Madressatul Islam in Karachi in 1885.

He said that today the SMIU upholds its legacy and provides modern education especially to the students of under privileged class, because Sindh Madressah was established for poor students of the province.

He said that in the country there would be a few public sector universities out of two hundred public and private universities that would be imparting quality education to students, but the SMIU was unique in its performance and policies as it provided highly modern education with all facilities to the students at the lowest fees.

“We also provide scholarships and fee concessions to the students,” he said and maintained that the SMIU gives 6,000 rupees per month to poor students who couldn’t afford even fare of transport.”

Dr Shaikh said that the costliest private universities were mostly producing elite class, which, in many cases, used to leave the country and settled down in other countries, but lower-middle class and middle people had to live over here in their own country and to serve it.

This was why, he said, the SMIU gave quality education to the students of downtrodden class who would serve the country and bring about a positive change in it.

Earlier, Prof Dr Zahid Ali Channar, dean Faculty of Management, Business Administration and Commerce, Prof Syed Asif Ali, Dean Faculty of Information Technology, and students of the SMIU highlighted the role of the institute played in modern education as a school, college and university.

On this occasion, a group of the SMIU’s students also performed a tableau and another group of students presented a song of the SMIU. Two documentaries were too screened.