Retired? Congratulations!

I am very pleased to get a letter from an old friend who I consider as my guru, Prof. Issa Shivji. He invited me to attend his valedictory (retirement/farewell oration) gathering from his position as the Dean of the Faculty of Law, the University of Dar es Salam, Tanzania. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend due to long distance from where I stay now to Tanzania.

Valedictory is not that everyone loves to do that, I suppose, because retirement has become a frightening image. Yes, a post power syndrome. However, that is not the case of numerous intellectuals such as Issa. He is happy to face his retirement days. In fact, he arranges his farewell oration with the launching of his new book:

LET THE PEOPLE SPEAK
TANZANIA DOWN THE ROAD TO NEO-LIBERALISM

His son will read a poem at this farewell party too. I imagine this would be the great day for him.

Many emails from his colleagues express the happiness that he will retire. One of the emails that I really want to borrow says “I do wish to put on record our appreciation and debt to you for your immense intellectual contributions and for all you have taught us. I am confident that your retirement will be even more fruitful, and we look forward to continuing to benefit from your scholarly and other activities.”

I knew Issa from the project of “Philanthropy for social Justice in Muslim Societies”, funded by the Ford Foundation. I was in debt for his thoughtful, valuable, and wise comments and advice he wrote in the mailing list exchanges between members of the project. It was so difficult to manage a huge project that covers five countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Middle East. As a project director, I have to deal with different culture and intellectual background of numerous scholars and activists who I didn’t know before. Tiring debates, criticism were my everyday menu including only to decide the date of our global meetings. The most harsh discussion was about the philosophical and practical aims and theoretical frameworks of the project. I actually felt so small between those doctors, professors and activists, members of the project. One day I got a letter for a professor in India to consider his university to run that project in India. He said in his letter, “Dear Prof. Fauzia.” Oh my God! I haven't even started a Ph.D study yet.

What made me strong were the voices of these wise, excellent, and experienced academics that guided the project through difficult times and respected my existence. Voices? Yes, because the project was run mostly through emails and phones. I was really in debt to several members, Abdu (Abdullahi Ahmed An-Naim), Marwa el-Daly, Lyn Welchman, Suzanne E. Siskel, Emma Playfair, and Christopher Harris, and my colleagues at the Center for Language and Culture. I knew Issa via this global project. Although for several reasons Issa resigned few months after the Bali meeting, the members of the project were still respect him.

The global project was over by the International conference in Istanbul in November 2004. However the networks it had created are long lasting. I thank God that through this project I learned many things and now I have wonderful friends and gurus from many different countries. One of them is Issa. I am very proud of him.

Amelia