Page 18 - Pakistan Link - June 25, 2021

P18 – PAKISTAN LINK – JUNE 25, 2021 COMMUNITY
Prominent Physicist and Educator Professor Dr Aquila Islam Departs

n By Dr A. Khan Dr Aquila Islam was also very active in
Chicago, IL social welfare work. She managed an indus-
trial home in Hyderabad, a skill development
rofessor Dr Aquila Islam, prominent center in Karachi; thanks to her efforts hun-
educator, physicist, and researcher dreds of girls from marginalized communities
Ppassed away in Dubai on Wednesday, were trained in developing various skill sets.
June 16, 2021, due to Covid-19 complica- She also supported programs for promoting
tions. She was 85. education in Sindh by her sister-in-law, Sadiqa
Dr Aquila Islam had traveled to Dubai Salahuddin’s Indus Resource Centre (IRC).
for a family reunion. But the family reunion She had authored a plethora of technical
turned out to be a tragedy. Reflecting on this and non-technical papers and presented them
family calamity, Dr Aquila Islam’s younger at more than 45 national and international
brother Zafar Mahmood observes: “My sister conferences. She had penned a narrative of
Naheed Beg passed away on March 22, 2021, her academic career; it is posted on a Cana-
due to repeated infection after knee replace- dian website called “My STEM Story:”
ment surgery done some years ago. We lost ht t ps://mys t em s t o r y.c a/in dex.
Asif on June 2, 2021, Apa (Fehmida Moin) on php/2018/10/29/aquila-islam-from-pakistan/
June 9, 2021, and Appi (Aquila Islam) on June Dr Aquila Islam, concludes her narrative
16, 2021. All in the same hospital in Dubai versity of Karachi, where she was taught by a During her professional career, spanned with the following insight:
due to Covid. Asif and Appi were fully vacci- team of highly professional and dedicated pro- over six decades, she served at a number of ac- “… From the treasure box of memories, I
nated in Pakistan before travelling to Dubai. fessors which included Dr Syed Masoom Ali ademic institutions holding various teaching, recall a couplet. The poet’s name, however, is
All three were visiting Dubai and were settled Tirmizi, Dr M. Aslam, Professor Bande Has- administrative and research positions: Kara- missing from my memory pages. It says,
in Karachi.” san, and Professor Waheed Ansari. koram International University (KIU), Gilgit,
Dr Aquila Islam was the first female Dr Aquila Islam was the classmate of Baltistan (Professor & Dean, 2010-2014); Jin- “Lives of great men all remind us,
member of her family who attended a formal Prof. Naqi Akhter, in the BSc (Honors) & MSc nah University for Women, Karachi (2008- We can also make our lives sublime,
school, and later, she became the first Paki- programs at the Department of Physics, Uni- 2010); Waris Ali Shah Public School, Karachi And parting leaves behind us,
stani woman to receive a doctoral degree in versity of Karachi. Late Professor Naqi Akhter, (2004-2010); Usman Institute of Technology, Footprints on the sands of time,”
nuclear physics. She was a pioneer and played former chair of Electronics Engineering & Hamdard University, Karachi (2003); M.A.
a pivotal role in promoting Physics Education Technology programs at DeVry University, Jinnah University, Karachi (2000-2002); KASB I think some great women (e.g., Lise Meit-
in Pakistan, especially for women. She was the Chicago, had observed: “Dr Masoom Tirmizi Institute of Technology, Karachi (2007-2008); ner, Madam Curie, Irene Curie, Maria Goep-
founding president of Center for Physics Edu- was a professor of Physics at the University of Hamdard Institute of Information Technol- pert Meyer) could also prompt us to make our
cation (CPE), Karachi, established under the Karachi when I entered the school as a BSc ogy, Karachi (1998-2000); Western College lives sublime.”
patronage of Professor Abdus Salam. (Hons) student in 1955. Dr A.B.A. Haleem of Business Administration, Karachi (1996- Indeed, Dr Aquila Islam was a great
Her death is a great loss for the academia. (Abu Bakr Ahmad Haleem) commonly re- 1998); Degree Colleges of Sindh (1981-1996); woman; she strived to make her students’ lives
She belonged to a very dedicated group of ferred as ABBA HALEEM was the Vice Chan- McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada sublime. She never married; had no family of
individuals who completed their studies in cellor. He was very genial, intelligent, and de- (1979-1981); PINSTECH (1976-1979); Gov- her own; she dedicated her life to the cause of
Physics at the University of Karachi during voted to his job, which gave the University of ernment Girls College, Hyderabad, Sindh education in Pakistan.
the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and proceeded to Karachi a great start... Out of 25 students, two (1965-1969); and Government College for She was the eldest of her siblings: Ghazi
Europe and North America for higher studies, were female: Saghirun Nissa and Aqeela.” Re- Women, Karachi (1959-1965). Salahuddin, Fehmida Moin, Sanjeda Zain, Na-
then returned to Pakistan and served in vari- flecting on the academic brilliance of Aqeela She was a member of National Commit- heed Beg, Zafar Mahmood, Asif Akhtar and
ous capacities all over the country. Islam, Professor Akhter had observed: “Aqeela tee for Review of Curriculum (1984-1987), Samina Shakeel. She is survived by two broth-
Aquila Islam was born on August 13, was a very smart student, she excelled in stud- Pakistan Association for the Advancement of ers, Ghazi Salahuddin (prominent journalist
1936, in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, British In- ies and passed the MSc (Physics) program Science (PAAS) [1982-1985], Karachi Phys- in Karachi), Zafar Mahmood (Mississauga,
dia. After partition, her parents Mohammd with honors standing first class first.” ics Society, Pakistan Arts Council, American ON, Canada) and two sisters Sanjeda Zain
Islamuddin and Zehra Begum moved to Ka- After spending a decade in academia Physical Society (APS), Science Promotion (Karachi) and Samina Shakeel (Michigan,
rachi, Pakistan. Her father was one of the two and research, she went to Canada for higher Forum, Pakistan Federation of University USA).
Chartered Accountants in the country at that studies. She completed her MSc (Bio Physics, Women, and HRCP Electron Watch. She co- May Allah SWT bless her soul and assign
time. She attended New Town Girls School, 1971) at Western University, Ontario, Canada, ordinated many science fairs and local and her a station in Janet-ul-Firdous for her out-
Karachi, for her early education. Later she and earned her PhD (Nuclear medicine, 1975) national conferences on Physics Education. standing efforts and accomplishments in edu-
received her BSc Honors (Physics, 1958) and from McMaster University, Hamilton, Cana- Recently she was working on establishing an cating the youth of Pakistan. Ameen!
MSc (Physics, 1959) degrees from the Uni- da. astronomical observatory at KIU.
SADEQUAIN Foundation USA Announces the Publication

of Its New Book Titled SADEQUAIN-ISM 101

an Diego, California: SADEQUAIN Foun- titled The Saga of SADEQUAIN is the largest book
dation USA announced the publication on the subject of art ever published in Pakistan.
Sof its new book titled: SADEQUAIN-ISM It has also been recommended by Pakistan For-
101. eign Office to all its embassies around the world.
The primary focus of this book is to sum up The book titled The Legend of SADEQUAIN is a
Sadequain’s perceptions, in which he draws inspi- representation of SADEQUAIN’s innovative calli-
ration from the ancient wisdom of Sufi traditions, graphic style called Khatt-e- SADEQUAINI. The
which for centuries have represented some of book titled Lines and Drawings II is the largest
mankind’s purest instincts. As archetypal expres- collection of drawings ever published in Pakistan;
sions of mystic vision, his philosophy transcends Sadequain’s or otherwise. In short, the Foundation
our latent susceptibilities. They hold a beacon has produced more literature on Sadequain than
to the path of enlightenment, guide through the any other entity.
gateway of spiritual freedom, and provide a con- The Foundation has hosted more than 100
duit to transpersonal truth. seminars, book launches, and exhibitions in the
The 440-page book takes the reader on a USA, Canada, UK, France, Dubai, Pakistan, and
blissful odyssey; an unadulterated experience of India.
heightened awareness, as the senses process the In February 2017, the Foundation crossed
concepts and nurture the experiences for a mean- a major milestone after laboring for 6 long years
ingful life. Sadequain’s approach reflects various of red tape and spending more than $50,000 on
states of self-realization and consciousness. He repairs of the Frere Hall, donating more than 50
reaches down and attains awareness of the inner- newspaper Le Monde commented “Sadequain’s memory of the nation. He should have been the pieces of artworks representing a wide range of
most sentiments as they manifest themselves in multiplicity is reminiscent of Picasso.” UAE news- face of the nation recognized around the globe, SADEQUAIN’s palette and establishing Galerie
rapturous passion. paper Khaleej Times declared him responsible for but sadly, he became a stranger in his own coun- SADEQUAIN at Frere Hall in Karachi. This is
This book is the latest link in the chain of the “renaissance of calligraphic art.” try; an unsung hero. the only location in Pakistan where the general
continuing efforts by SADEQUAIN Foundation In his lifetime Sadequain was a celebrity and Alarmed and dismayed by this dire situation, public has unrestricted access to SADEQUAIN’s
USA to preserve Sadequain’s legacy and protect a household name in Pakistan. He is perhaps the SADEQUAIN Foundation USA was established artworks.
his reputation. The Foundation, founded in 2007 only individual who was recognized by the Paki- in May 2007 with the stated goals of discovering, The author: Dr Salman Ahmad is an electri-
in San Diego, California, has done an exhaustive stan government by establishing three institutions preserving, and promoting Sadequain around the cal engineer by profession. He spent more than
search for the widely scattered works of Sadequain, named Galerie Sadequain in Karachi, Lahore, and globe. The Foundation executed an exhaustive thirty years working on nuclear missile technology
which he, in most cases, carelessly gave away to Islamabad. He was bestowed with national and search to locate thousands of pieces of Sadequain’s in senior executive positions in the United States
mostly undeserving individuals and institutions, international awards, but he did not bother to works in places as far-flung as Singapore, Hong and was the founder and president of an elec-
mistakenly thinking that they will make efforts to receive them in person. To him, awards were ir- Kong, India, Middle East, Austria, Switzerland, tronics communications company for seven
preserve his legacy. He could not be more wrong. relevant. France, England, USA, Canada, and more. years. He founded the SADEQUAIN Founda-
In his lifetime Sadequain was recognized Sadequain gave more to the nation than any SADEQUAIN Foundation USA has so far tion in June 2007 to catalog Sadequain’s work
and praised by the media on all five continents. man or woman. But within a few years after he published 25 books on Sadequain’s life and vari- and introduce it to the world. He has authored
Not many Pakistanis can make this claim. French passed away, his name faded from the collective ous aspects of his work. The Foundation’s book 24 books on Sadequain.
www.PakistanLink.com