Barbara D Metcalf: India’s natural marvels were like the Garden of Eden
You are Here: Tweet, Like, Share, Comment, Subscribe…be the Voice of Free Press!
The India observer, TIO, NJ: “Indian Muslims consider the very soil of India to be sacred and for them, India’s natural marvels were like the Garden of Eden,” said Barbara D Metcalf, the recipient of the 2022 Sir Syed Excellence International Award.
The annual award is given by the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on its founder Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s birth anniversary on October 17. This year, AMU is marking the 205th anniversary of Sir Syed.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Media- Unraveling the hidden agenda of so-called Secular Stories
Metcalf, who attended the event virtually from the US, said “Sir Syed’s modernist interventions preceded those of the Egypt-based modernists who too often are taken as founders of these trends of thought.”
Metcalf’s writing has contributed heavily to the understanding of the history of India and Pakistan’s Muslim population, especially during the colonial period.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: “Legally and democratically” PFI to fight its battle :TN President
In her acceptance speech, Metcalf said, that despite constituting a quarter of the population at the time of Independence and forming a crucial share of the citizenry in the Republic of India, the history of Indian Muslims has remained “understudied.”
She pointed out that ‘scholarly work on Indian Muslims remains essential for telling India’s history well because just history yields just politics.”
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Rise And Fall Of Gorbachev: My Two And A Half Interviews
Professor Emerita of History at the University of California, Barbara Metcalf completed her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1974. Her doctoral dissertation was on the history of the Muslim religious scholars of Deoband, a reformist religious seminary founded in the late 19th century.
Referencing the main ideology of Indian scholars like Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madni of the Deoband School, Metcalf stated that her studies on the role of Indian Muslims and Islamic scholars in the freedom movement had shown that the ulemas are a social group that has “often been subjected to stereotypes just by looking at their physical appearance.”
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Wendy Doniger; India has crucially hanged in the last Fifty years:
She appealed to historians to “rise above stereotypes and also stressed the importance of fostering “serious evidence-based history writing in India.”
The international award, given to Metcalf this year, carries a cash prize of Rs. 200,000, while the national award of Rs. 100,000 was given to the Maulana Azad Education Foundation in New Delhi.
Also Read, Tweet & Share: Evolving Security Dynamic in West Asia and India’s Challenges
Tahir Mahmood, former chairman of the National Commission for Minorities and legal scholar, was the chief guest of the event, while National Archives of India Director General Chandan Sinha was the guest of honor.
The Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) bestows a yearly International and National Sir Syed Excellence Award to noted scholars or organizations that produce seminal work in the areas of Sir Syed Studies, South Asian Studies, Muslim Issues, Literature, Medieval History, Social Reform, Communal Harmony, Journalism, and Inter-Faith Dialogue.
Also, Read more from this Author: Panel to study the condition of Dalits converting to Islam and Christianity
Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai
Articles written by contributors have different viewpoints. The views expressed in the articles are the author’s own and not necessarily supported by TIO, The India Observer its affiliates, staff, or the management. Our Articles can be reproduced, with the following conditions, (1) No alteration to the content, (2) Visible, and full credit is given to the Author & Editor. (3) Citing, The India Observer, TIO. In the case of online or electronic media, a link to the original article must be given. Rules are strictly enforced. Any questions, email the Editor at: Mediaiss@gmail.com Or TheIndiaObserver@gmail.com
All Copyrights reserved. Please be guided.