Azamgarh | Maeeshat

Substantial opportunity for Indians and South Asians to make it big in America: Frank Islam

by admin | May 25, 2021 | Interviews

Frank F Islam (R) receiving memento from Danish Reyaz, Managing Director, Maeeshat Media, in Mumbai on Feb 21, 2019. (File Photo)

Frank F. Islam is a globally renowned entrepreneur, investor, civic leader and philanthropist. Islam’s personal journey from India to the US and his meteoric rise in the upper echelons of American business world, politics, and civil society is a inspiring story for South Asians in America.

In a Q & A with South Asia Monitor, the Washington-based, Islam talks to Akshat Singh, about his life journey, South Asian aspirations in the US, his love for philanthropy and his long term involvement with the Democratic Party and presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Yours is an amazing and inspiring life story – from Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh to America. Briefly tell us your journey that got you there to pursue the American dream.

A: I was born in Azamgarh and spent the first few years of my life in Azamgarh.

My parents moved our family to Varanasi, a major cultural, spiritual, and industrial city on the banks of the river Ganges. I have a fond memory of this city. It is where my journey began. This city shaped my story. It is where I learned about the richness of religious diversity and respect for other religions. I firmly believe diversity makes us stronger and brings people together.

Then I went to Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). My days at AMU had a profound effect on me. It was an exciting part of my life but sometimes it was chaotic. But nevertheless, it was filled with charms, cheers, changes, and challenges; memory remains endearing.

AMU provided me with the basic blocks to become a successful entrepreneur and to become a passionate and thoughtful leader. Let me also add that AMU provided me with an excellent education.

While attending AMU, I met Wolfgang Thron, a visiting professor of Mathematics from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado. He convinced me that I should go to America to pursue expanded opportunities and get a cutting-edge education in the emerging field of computer science.

So, at the age of 15, I decided to leave my family and friends in India with just a few hundred dollars in my pocket. I went to Boulder, Colorado to get an education and to pursue the American dream.

I got my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the University of Colorado. I always wanted to own my own business. But I did not come from a family that owned a business. I also had no personal experience or role model in business.

Therefore, I decided to do my apprenticeship and to learn the ropes by going to work in two large IT companies. It enabled me to develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to succeed in business.

With that experience, I felt ready to go out on my own and I acquired the QSS Group, an IT company in Washington, DC, in 1994 for $45,000. My wife Debbie and I had to mortgage our home to do that.

I must admit the first few years were not easy. I worked 12-hour days seven days a week for little to no pay. My journey was not a straight line. Indeed, there were numerous twists and turns. What enabled me to prevail on the journey in myself and those around me and the opportunity presented by the American dream.

With the help of a wonderful management team that I recruited over time, we built the QSS Group from 1 employee – me – to more than 3,000 employees and approximately $300 million dollars in revenue.

The team of talented managers was central to everything. Success in business is a team sport. So, when people asked me how I became successful, it was not me but we who made it happen.

In 2007, after 13 years in business, I sold my company to Perot Systems. That sale allowed me to establish a private foundation that supports educational, cultural, and artistic causes around the world including in India and in the United States. Now I am concentrating on community and social engagement and on philanthropic activities by sharing and giving back.

Q: You are one of the early Indian tech entrepreneurs in the US. What is the difference in the entrepreneurship climate between then and now? How have things changed for the new generation of Indians and South Asians in America?

A: The entrepreneurial climate in the US remains strong. The biggest difference is that when I came here there were no dominant technology companies as the technology boom was in its infancy. Things have changed dramatically in that regard with the explosive development of firms like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon. Organizations such as these are integrating technology into their business models, securing advertising, and changing the nature of the business landscape forever.

Another big difference now is caused because of what is going on in the Silicon Valley in California and to a lesser extent in technology corridors across the country. The private sector is providing considerable investment capital to start-up technology companies and it is much easier to take a company public.

That said there is still a substantial opportunity for Indians and South Asians to make it big in America and to realize the American dream. To do that, they need to make sure they have the right technical skills which can be acquired through both higher education and interning or doing an apprenticeship by working for an American company to participate in the Optional Practical Training program which allows college graduates to work for a private sector company for up to three years after graduating.

Then, these new Indian and South Asian entrepreneurs need to decide whether they want to work their way up the corporate ladder doing entrepreneurial things in a large business or go on their own and start their own business.

In spite of the current times, America remains a wonderful place to pursue one’s dreams. America is a land of opportunity. I strongly believe if you aim high and you work hard you can pursue the American dream.

Q: From entrepreneurship to philanthropy, that’s another phase of your journey. Can you talk about it?

A: Philanthropy is part II of my American journey. I am reminded and guided by the words of President John F. Kennedy who said: to whom much is given much is expected.

I do not really look at my contributions to individuals and organizations as philanthropy but rather an investment that I believe will yield exponential returns

My philanthropy is targeted at having a social impact. I engage in what I call purposeful philanthropy.

Purposeful philanthropy is making investments directed at creating a difference in pivot point areas that matter to the future of society. The returns on those investments are changes to conditions and/or the creation of individuals who will become change agents to address those conditions.

There is a distinction between purposeful philanthropy and charity. The distinction is a critical one.

The focus in charity is to provide a handout. The focus in purposeful philanthropy is to provide a hand-up and to enable and empower people by giving them a helping hand.

The pivot point areas – areas that can be leveraged and effectively addressed to effectuate change and achieve positive outcomes – for purposeful philanthropy are virtually endless. My personal priority philanthropic areas are education, arts and culture, world peace and civic learning and engagement.

I have chosen those areas because they are important to me and because I know that improvement in them can make a meaningful and substantial difference for others. Let me give you the short reasons for selecting them and tell you about some of my investments beginning with education.

Education is the bridge to the future and opportunity creator. Education is the gift that keeps on giving. In the educational arena, I have supported many scholarships at colleges here in the United States. My most significant investment in India where my wife Debbie and I have dedicated the Frank and Debbie Islam Management Complex at Aligarh Muslim University and we also dedicated an auditorium there in our names in the Department of Mass Communications.

President Kennedy said: “Art nourishes the roots of a culture.” I agree with President Kennedy’s perspective and that is why I agreed to serve on the board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and to invest in its programs to expose youth to the arts. We have made very significant financial contributions to the Kennedy Center for performing arts.

We are living in an increasingly dangerous world and turbulent times. World peace is essential for the future of this planet. Recognizing this, I have contributed a lot of money to support the US Institute for Peace and the Woodrow Wilson Center, both of which bring scholars and practitioners to develop programs to try to find peaceful means for conflict resolution.

The free press is one of the defining qualities of a healthy and vibrant and vital democracy and a means for promoting civic engagement. Recognizing this, my wife Debbie and I have supported Alfred Friendly Press Partners Scholarships to bring experienced journalists from India to work at a newspaper here and study at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. We have also sponsored civic engagement champion awards in conjunction with the National Association of State Boards of Education that were given to middle school teachers

Q: You are now seen as a civic and thought leader, close to the Democratic Party establishment, one who is playing a significant role in the Joe Biden campaign for the presidency. How do you see things before the election?

A:I am cautiously optimistic. All of the most recent national polls show Biden moving well ahead of Trump with a lead of anywhere from 10 to 15 percentage points.

More importantly, Biden is also polling ahead in six swing states that Trump would have to win to be re-elected in this election. Those states are Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump won all those states in 2016. It is highly unlikely that he will be able to do so this time around. In fact, although it is not probable, he could lose them all.

That’s because Trump has what has been called the 50 percent problem. A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll shows that 50 percent of registered voters disapprove of the president and say there is no change that they will vote for him. This compares to only 37 percent who say that they would never vote for Biden.

That 37 percent is about the size of Trump’s voting base. That means that nearly all of the swing or independent voters who are not party loyalists would lean toward supporting Biden.

The polling signs are good. But polls don’t vote, people do. There is still a way to go. And, there is a lot that can happen before the votes are cast and then counted on November 3.

Trump understands this and that is why he and the Republicans are trying to limit new voter registration, minimize vote by mail and reduce the number of polling places to make it more difficult for Democrats to win. And, as Joseph Stalin once said, “It’s not the people who vote that matter, what matters is who counts the votes.”

Some pundits have warned that Trump would not be above trying to manipulate the vote results. Others have warned that, if Trump loses, he will say that the results were rigged and not step down.

We are truly living in chaotic and challenging times in the United States under this President who is the chaos creator. He had divided this nation. He does not support our democratic values and its character and its conscious. He thinks he is above the rule of law and order.

The country needs an uniter and not a divider. I am confident that Joe Biden will be that person as long as the voice of the American people is heard and the electoral process is allowed to play out fairly.

The interviewer is Research Associate, South Asia Monitor. He can be contacted at akshat.singh@spsindia.in

Shibli Academy Facing Serious Financial Crisis

by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, Web Exclusive

Darul Musannefin(Shibli Academy)Azamgarha

Masoom Moradabadi

By Masoom Moradabadi

Vast majority of us, sadly, know very little about the great academic, literary and research institutions established by our ancestors in this great country of ours. Neither we know about the contributions and services of these institutions nor do we have any idea of the crisis they are facing. One of such prestigious institutions, of which our community can be rightly proud of, is Darul Musannefin, Azamgarh, also known as Shibli Academy.

This great institution completed its centenary only a couple of years ago. If I tell you that this esteemed academic and research academy is struggling for its survival, perhaps you will not believe me. But this is a painful truth that this institution is facing financial difficulties of such magnitude that it is unable to pay salaries to its employees. Someone has forwarded me a letter written by its Director Professor Ishtiaq Zilli. After reading it my immediate reaction was that someone is trying to play a trick and wants to defame a prestigious institution. Several fake items with similar contents keep circulating on social media. But when I found out it to be genuine, I was deeply saddened. I am one of those who have personally benefitted from this institution. Its prestigious and authentic journal, Marif, has played an important role in my mental formation. But as someone with no power and authority, I am unable to do anything more than writing a few lines to help and support this academic institution.

Therefore, through this imperfect writing of mine, I am trying to introduce to you the extraordinary services of this institution in the fields of academics, literature and research, though you know about it more than I do.

Allama Shibli Nomani

Is there any intellectual in whole of South Asia who has succeeded in his career without benefiting from the enduring academic contribution of Darul Musannefin? There was a time when this was the only institution that deserved to be acknowledged as a ‘think thank’. How do you feel knowing that this great institution, that has provided a seminal service by compiling the magnificent history of Muslims, is not able even to pay salaries to its staff and is looking towards you with a silent question?

Let’s now turn to the open letter written, 6 June 2020, to the well-wishers of the community by Darul Musannefin’s director Dr Ishtiaq Zilli. He writes: ‘I am sorry to trouble you in these difficult times. Extreme helplessness has forced me to take this route. You are aware of the financial difficulties being faced by Darul Musanniffeen. During the last few days, due to several reasons, these difficulties have intensified. The lockdown has made the situation more serious. Half of April has passed. We have somehow managed to pay salaries to our staff. Only Allah knows what lies ahead. We need your prayers and advice in this regard.’ [Translated version not original letter]

From the letter of the Director of Darul Musannefin one can easily gauge the seriousness of the financial crisis that this institution is facing. [Bear in mind that] This is the very institution that has fostered our intellectual traditions and whose contributions have been acknowledged by several bigwigs. This is the very institution that a learned person like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad held close to his heart and that had produced a rare Perl like Allama Syed Suleman Nadvi. Why is our Milli self-respect not reawakening even when this academy is struggling for its survival?

What is it if not a communal tragedy that the community in which individuals spend crores of rupees to satisfy their false sense of self-pride and self-importance, in which wealth is wasted like water on weddings, in which money is lavishly spent to build massive houses and everything is put at stake to satisfy a false sense of ego but an institution that serves as the guardian of its cultural and academic heritage is having to beg for help for its survival?

The fact is that the manner in which our community has turned its back on its cultural and academic heritage is a glaring proof of our collective insensitivity. Darul Musannefin is our national and milli heritage that we should be rightly proud of.

Not only has this institution done a great service by compiling the history of Muslims but has also reawakened in them a sense of being immensely culturally and historically rich. No matter how many conspiracies are hatched and executed to erase their very existence and the history of their services to their motherland, the facts shall remain facts and the undeniable fact is that no community has enriched the history and culture of this country as much as has been done by the Muslims.

Ideally some altruist should have come forward and helped this institution in a manner that the left hand would not have known what the right hand had done but, sadly, things have come to such a pass that in order to be able to pay the salaries of his staff, its director had to issue a public appeal and even after ten days no feasible arrangement has yet been suggested.

Maulana Azad may be regarded as one of the founders of this institution. It was him who had first proposed, in his daily Al-Hilal, the idea for the establishment of this institution. Giving the heading to his proposal as Ikhwanussafa he had appealed to the educated and conscientious circles to help and cooperate in this project. Even after its establishment, he remained interested in its affairs. The manner in which he continued to help it after the independence may be judged from the letter he had written on 23 November 1954, four years before his death, requesting the government to continue helping this institution. He wrote:

‘My dear Dr Katju,

‘Darul Musannefin Azamgarh, also known as Shibli Academy, used to get an annual aid of Rs 2,160 from Bhopal state that continued to be paid after its integration [with the union of India] because it was recognised in the conditions of the integration that the grants being given by the state for academic and literary programmes would continue as usual, but, abruptly, this year Shibli Academy did not receive its grant. Thereupon they wrote to the government of Bhopal. From Bhopal they received a reply saying that the issue has been referred to Central government where it is being reviewed.

‘I am forwarding to you the documents related to this matter along with this letter. I would be grateful if you could enquire about further developments in this regard. Shibli Academy is country’s big academy and has been providing invaluable literary services. If the grant from Bhopal is stopped this will harm it hugely. In addition, this will also violate the agreement that we had signed at the time of Bhopal’s integration.’

Darul Musannefin was established in 1914 and was the last great achievement of Allama Shibli Nomani. Having faced several ups and downs since its birth this institution has successfully covered a long and purposeful journey spanning over a century. This is the only institution that — maintaing a distinct style, intellectual integrity and constructive point of view — has given a huge and invaluable treasure of non-fictional prose to Urdu literature and fulfilled the dream of its founders.

The selflessness of the inheritors of the legacy of Allama Shibli, their sacrifices, their dedication to research and academic work and devotion to their mission has served as necessary provisions in this long journey covered by them. After the death of Shibli Nomani, they, under the leadership of Shibli’s great pupil, Maulana Syed Sulaiman Nadvai, took up this journey, notwithstanding the lack of resources. For the formal construction and progress of this institution they did not get any help from the government or a business tycoon family. They spent their own limited and scares resources for this great task. They were fortunate to have been joined by a team of writers and scholars who had the ability to make their ends meet with very little remuneration. But we are not living in that age. In today’s world, for the survival of an institution regular and dependable income is a must so that it does not have to face such a crisis and beg for help and it does not behove to the scholars to have to make such appeals.

Therefore, this is extremely vital that the well-off people in the community sit together and brainstorm to find means for a regular income of Darul Musannefin. If our research and academic institutions fall victim to such a financial crisis this would be millat’s great loss.

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Masoom Moradabadi is a senior journalist and has authored several books.

Translated by Urdu Media Monitor.Com. This article has appeared on many Urdu portals.