Dr. Iqbal Shedai: Invitation of Syrian President and my old comrades

On 9th or 10th September 1947, Sayed Qawwali, the president of Syrian Republic invited me to lunch. There were all his ministers and three of them were my old comrades. The President began to introduce me to them. When I shook hands with Jamil Mardam and Adil Arslan I began to smile. The President asked me why I smiled. I replied that these gentlemen
were my old comrades and who were like me in Europe and now thank Goodness they were Ministers and I am still was Vagabond. at this all began to laugh.
The Syrian press published in their columns about this lunch also.
After this lunch, I began to meet the Syrian notables whom I found very sympathetic to Pakistan. The Qazi-al-Qazat, Sheikh Ali Kurdi, Sayed Khalil Mardam, the cousin of the Prime Minister Jamil Mardam, Professor Baitar etc. promised to do everything for Pakistan. (I have some cuttings of the Damascus press with me and if anyone doubts about the authenticity of the above statement he is welcome to see them). I was very well satisfied with my work in Damascus. The whole press and people became pro-Pakistan.
The Gandhi-Nehru propaganda through Egyptian press was smashed.
On 15th September 1947, I left for Baghdad. In that city I did not know any one. Next morning at about 8 A.M.I reached Baghdad by Nairn Bus service and put up in hotel Regina-now Tigres Palace. At about 4 p.m.I came out of ay hotel and just under the hotel there was a Hindu’s shop. I entered the shop but the shopkeeper received me very coldly.I coldly. IIe man if he could tell me where Sayed Tasadduq Hussain Qadri lived, He very drily replied that I should go on and at the end of the street I would find Qadri. Sayed Qadri was a Lahori Ahmadi and I had heard his name from some Lahori Ahmadis. In Beirut I had been told that he was a very good Muslim and would help me a lot. Being disgusted with the Hindu’s reply I
began to march on in the Rashidia Street. After ten minutes’ walk I read a sign board “adamji”.I thought the shop belonged to some Khoja or a Boh- ra Indian or Karachi Muslim Seth. I entered the shop and said “Assalam-0-Aleikum”.There were two men in the shop. They replied “Wa aleikumus Salam”. But they did not care murch about me. I asked them if they knew Sayed (adri’s But they not care about me. I asked them if they knew Sayed (adri’s place. They replied that at the end of the street, I could find his shop.

Then both the men asked me why I wanted to meet Sayed Qadri. I replied that someone in Beirut had told me that he could help me in my work. They asked me what was the nature of my work and what was my name. I replied that my name was Iqbal Shedai and my work was to explain to the Iraqi public what Pakistan meant and what it stood for. On hearing my name, they both got up and shook hands with me and became very nice and kind.

They said that they had heard my name and also had read in the Baghdad press. They offered me “COCA COLA” and then sent their servant with me to show me the shop of Sayed Qadri. When I told my name to Sayed Sahib he embraced me very affectionately and said that he had read about my activities in the Egyptian and local press. ( Sayed Qadir died in 1964).
Next day sayed Tasuddad Husain Qadri origionally was from Patna but had become an Iraqi subject. He was a Lahori Ahmadi.he was respected by every one who met him. He was a fervent Muslim and did every thing ta in his power to help Indo-Pakistani Muslims.