Hyderabad-born US senator, Ghazala Hashmi gets Sir Syed award

Hyderabad/New York: US senator Ghazala Hashmi, representing Virginia senate, has been awarded Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Leadership and Public Service, by the Aligarh Alumni Association of New York (AAANY).

At the event which was held at the weekend the members of AAANY hosted a warm reception in Garden City, New York. The evening was capped off by a wonderful Sham-e-Ghazal (evening of ghazal).

Senator John Liu of New York was also present on the occasion.

Sharing the news on Facebook, Ghazala Hashmi said, “This award is most especially meaningful to me because my father was a graduate of Aligarh University founded in British India and inspired by the educational traditions of Oxford and Cambridge.” She added, “My father served two terms as president of AMU Students Union and often shared fond memories of his alma mater”.

Zia Hashmi passed away on March 9 this year. Missing him deeply on the occasion Ghazala Hashmi stated, “I know that he would have been so delighted to see me receive this special award. Though I have missed him terribly past several days, this recognition is very much part of his legacy to me.”

Zia Hashmi later did PHD in international relations from University of South Carolina. He retired as the Director of Center for International Studies at the same University.

Ghazala Hashmi thanked the members of the AAANY executive committee for recognising her services.

Hyderabad-born, Ghazala Hashmi had unseated Republican Senator Glen Sturtevant on 6th of November 2019 to become first Muslim woman elected to Virginia senate.