ABID MINTO REMEMBERING

Centenary Celebration 2011

SATURDAY JULY 16th, 2011 5:30 PM SHARP Abid Minto is currently the elected President of National Workers Party (NWP) of , DEAR HEART (Staged reading) A Short Play Abid Hassan Minto Minto (born 3rd By Sam Litham & Munib Anwar February 1932, , Pakistan) is a Stage Adaption by Saqib Mausoof constitutional expert and senior lawyer of Featuring: Jessica Risco as Alys the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is also a & Kashif Maqsood as Faiz Ahmed Faiz literary critic and a leftwing civic and Produced by Ijaz Syed political leader. His legal career spans over 50 years during which he was elected Presented by: member of the from FRIENDS OF 1966 up to 1983; President, High PAKISTAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTRE Court Bar Association (1982); Chairman, Faiz Centenary Celebrations Committee National Coordination Committee of Lawyers (1981 to 1985) and President, Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan VENUE (SCBA) (1997 to 1999). PACC Minto became a member of The 1590 Oakland Road, Suite B213 Communist Party of Pakistan (CPP) in 1949 San Jose, CA 95131 and remained with it until it was banned in 1954 after the Rawalpindi Conspiracy Case 408-676-7725 along with the Democratic Students Federation (DSF) which was also co- founded by Minto in 1949 while at Gordon College.

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A Tribute by T. Beeth

In a cruel sunless prison He breathes the freshest air Deprived of pen and paper His heart and mind speak volumes ALYS was a British-born naturalized FAIZ was one of the most acclaimed His soul soars Pakistani poet, writer, journalist, human Pierces the relentlessly cold skies poets of South Asia, born in Sialkot, rights activist, social worker and teacher. Pakistan, writing in & Punjabi. He In a harsh dry soil Grows an unforgiving acorn allied his poetry and person not only That’s FAIZ! She is best known as the wife of the with the aspirations of but famous Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. also with the international movement She was also the aunt of the assassinated for peace and human rights. He was Punjab governor Salman Taseer. By birth awarded the Lenin Peace Prize and was she was British but later adopted Islam nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. and Pakistan as her religion and country.

She married Faiz Ahmed Faiz in the 1940’s. FAIZ’s outspoken condemnation of injustice and inequality led to the charges of high treason and was Let’s raise our hands together imprisoned. A romantic revolutionary To peace and prosperity of the world poet kept writing, conventional theme Rise now from the dust Faiz centenary theme of love & beauty submerged in larger My darling young one Wake. social & political issues, Dast-e-Saba & Wake now Wake now. Zindan Nama, two collections of We've your life's bed to make. modernist poetry blended with Look how the dark night Name: ……………………………… classical Urdu & Farsi tradition. Comes wrapped in a long blue shawl He was friends with Nazim Hikmet and Address: …………………………… Pablo Neruda, the Nobel Laureate. Where these crying eyes Have heaped up pearls— FAIZ’s poetry is a message of hope for So many pearls whose light ………………………………………. the people longing for peace and Casts on your wedding rite freedom, a source of inspiration for ………………………………………. A shimmering tonight those seeking to build a just society. To brighten your name

From Sar-e-Wadi-Sina Tel: ………………………………….

Translation by Andrew McCord Email: ……………………………….