Syed Arif Hussaini Passes away: Family, Pakistan Link& Community Mourn Loss
Syed Arif Hussaini, whose writings embellished the pages of Pakistan Link for many, many years, passed away peacefully in Anaheim on November 24. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji’un. He was laid to rest in the Melrose Abbey Memorial Park, Anaheim, on November 26.
Mr Hussaini belonged to the distinguished group of writers who showed extraordinary zest and devotion during the formative years of Pakistan Link. Thanks to their writings and consistency Pakistan Link made its mark and emerged as the community’s flagship publication, the best known and most widely distributed newspaper across the United States.
During those eventful years, Hussaini Sahib was profusely productive and wrote with unfailing consistency. His articles were topical, insightful and instructive. The language was flawless and the choice of topics apt, nay, admirable. There was no let-up in this undertaking and soon he developed a formidable following. Not surprisingly, his faithful readers made anxious queries about him when he stopped writing of late owing to illness.
He also wrote humorous pieces with equal ease and his articles provided mirth and merriment to countless readers. The light-hearted banter did not go unnoticed. Commented’Linkcolumnist Mowahid Hussain Shah on hearing the news of Hussaini Sahib’s critical condition: “Saddened. I recall Mr Arif Hussaini as a writer with a facile pen and a cerebral intellect. Underlying his writings is an honorable ethos. His depiction of ‘The Chess Player’ was a masterly take on loss, separation, and up-rootedness. May the Almighty give comfort to Mr Arif Hussaini and fortitude to cope to his near and dear ones.”
Besides his enviable knowledge of English literature and proficiency in the language, Hussaini Sahib was well versed in Urdu and did full justice to reviews of literary works in the Urdu language for’Link. He remained an ardent supporter of Urdu and was seen attending mushairas with his sons, born in Canada, sitting by his side. The generational cultural break-up, so manifestly common in the US, did not afflict the Hussaini family. They were free of superficial affectations.
Pakistan Linkteam was greatly saddened on the demise of Hussaini Sahib. In a condolence message the Editor wrote to Mr Asif Hussaini: “I can understand your feelings and pain. For we in Pakistan Link equally share them. Mohtaram Hussaini Sahib, along with Mowahid Sahib, Dr Amjad Hussain, Dr Aslam Abdullah, Dr Nayyer Ali, Mohammad Ashraf Chaudhry, Yacoob Sahib, Ras Siddiqui, et al., made up the strength of the paper in the initial years. Later, other eminent writers joined the distinguished group.
“We will always remember Hussaini Sahib as a brilliant writer and a perfect gentleman belonging to the rare class of the shorafa of our time. Propriety was his shining trait.
“Personally, I felt his absence when indisposition forced him to stop writing. He was more than a columnist with a facile pen. He had sound judgment. I sought his advice about questionable pieces and he obliged with comments that were insightful and instructive.
“I need hardly assure you that Pakistan Link will gratefully remember the many contributions of Mohataram Syed Arif Hussaini Sahib to the paper over the years.”
May his soul rest in peace and God grant the bereaved family courage and fortitude to bear the loss. (Ameen)
– Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui
May Allah Grant Jannah to My Father Janab Syed Arif Hussaini
By Syed Asif Hussaini
On April 8th, 1926 in a township outside of Hyderabad Deccan, he was born. His parents Ghulam Ahmed and Sardar Begum were happy to welcome their second child of what was going to be six siblings.
When he was only a baby between one and two years he suffered an accident in which his left foot was severely burnt so much so that it resembled a stump as all the toes had fused together. He always regretted that crippling accident because of which he was unable to participate in sports.
Perhaps it was owing to that accident that he developed an academic bent as that was the outlet that Allah had left him with. As his father was not well educated, things were very tight financially as he grew up. His parents had just enough to feed them and there was not much left. At that time, he came to the conclusion that in order to get out of poverty the only way was to get a good education. Here he gave a lot of credit to the Nizam of Hyderabad who had made education free and accessible to all who wanted it.
By the time partition took place he had graduated from the Usmania University with a bachelor’s degree in law on a full academic scholarship. He had remained so busy with his studies that he missed the whole struggle for the establishment of Pakistan.
In 1948 when Indian troops were lined up at the border to move into the State of Hyderabad, some of his college friendsinformed him that they were leaving for the new State of Pakistan and asked if he would like to come with them. He sought the advice of his father and on getting his blessings packed up his meager belongings in a suitcase and left.
The train ride to Bombay and then the boat journey to Karachi shocked him. He was aghast to lookat people who had lost complete sense of right and wrong. Looting, killing and plunderhad become the norm rather than an exception.
Once he reached Karachi he ended up in a ‘tat’(jute burlap) mahal. Consisting of poles and jute tarp the ‘mahal’ was on the outskirts of Karachi. Sleeping in it was literally like sleeping under the stars. How he and his mates were able to sustain themselves, what did they eat, how did they shower, what was the toilet situation……I am sure thatmust have been horrific. These new arrivals had only one thing on their minds: to find employment.
Hussaini Sahib was interviewed by an Englishman for a position in the fledgling Federal Government. His English was quite good so he was offered a job provided he could find someone who could vouch for him. He had to be a 1st Class Officer. My father was able to find a person who happened to be from Hyderabad and he out of the kindness of his heart vouched for him, even though he did not know him. Subsequently and because of this, my father vouched for many other people even though he did not know them.
Soon after he got employed he was posted to Canada in the publicity wing of the embassy. He left with my mother and that must have been a real cultural shock for both of them. It was there that I and my brother were born and the rest of his life experiences were published in the Pakistan Link and later compiled in his book ‘Glimpses of Life in America’.
As a father he instilled in us a love for learning and hard work. Hard work, he maintained, was the key to success in this world and as his children we faithfully continue to follow his guidance, with great success, I might add.
Hussaini Sahib had the privilege of working with Ayub Khan, ZA Bhutto, and Zia-ul-Haq. He was thus well versed in the machinations of bureaucracy and subsequently was able to decipher what was happening behind the scene and wrote about various events.
He was in touch with his colleagues and juniors around the globe posted in embassies and in Islamabad, giving him on the ground information that he then used to write his articles on current affairs in Pakistan.
He was a very literary person and so was invited to speak and attend various local get-togethers here in Los Angeles and other cities in the US.
About 6-7 years ago he was diagnosed with early stages of dementia, at which time he had already stopped writing. His decline was gradual and slowly became more and more taxing. Between my brother, my sister, our spouses and our children, we managed to take care of him up until November 24th, 2019. At 9:55pmon that day he breathed his last surrounded by his immediate family, and without pain slipped into the afterlife.
His loss is immeasurable to the family but we trust he is in a much better place, surrounded by friends and relatives, enjoying and laughing.
Hussaini Sahib, may Allah have mercy on you and forgive your shortcomings and give you the highest place in Jannah. You will be missed.
Syed Arif Hussaini, the Writer
By Osman Sher
Mississauga, Canada
Syed Arif Hussaini is dead, long live his legacy. His legacy is written words. As a testimony, his words are spreading over the pages of Pakistan Link. Charles Bukowski has said, “Writers are desperate people and when they stop being desperate they stop being writers”. True! Arif Hussain’s desperation ended when he started suffering from dementia a couple of years back, and with that, he stopped being a writer.
All the issues of life, from history to politics to international affairs to daily affairs of life to a happening on the street, were under the command of his pen. This prolific writer is no more with us. On a sad day of the last week of November 2019, a dear friend and a colleague of the fraternity has left us grieving. I had called him Hussaini Bhai; he was worthy of my respect not because he was senior in age but a giant of intellect and wisdom.
My first encounter with him occurred at the Manila Airport in 1981. I was on a flight to Jakarta for the Annual Meeting of the Colombo Plan. A common friend, Sirajuddin Ahmad, had given me some household items to deliver to him, who was posted at the Embassy of Pakistan. Arif Hussaini met me in the VIP lounge. I remember, a handsome man, much younger in looks than his age, of a sleek built, sharp and intelligent by appearance, approaching me with a smiling face. We embraced each other.
But I also had a surprise for him; he wrote back to Siraj that he had been scared of my name and expected to see me as a towering personality befitting my name! Alas, I too was almost of the same built like him. On his return from Manila, we, from being mere acquaintances, became friends. However, our company did not last much longer; I migrated to Canada in 1991, and he settled down soon in the USA. I have, however, the honor to host him twice in Toronto.
It was, in fact, his affection for me that he traveled far to be with my family for some days. His youngest daughter Rumi is a fast friend of my daughter Tazeen, and their friendship is continuing to this day. He has also left two sons Asif and Afroze, who were taking care of their father’s in his last days. His wife had left him long ago when he was in Pakistan.
Syed Arif Hussaini was born in Hyderabad, India, in 1926. A Law graduate of Osmania University, he joined the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of Pakistan, and rose to the rank of Director General (External Publicity). He was posted on diplomatic assignments at CENTO, Ankara, as well as in the Embassies in Canada, Manila, Bangkok, and Colombo.
In the end, I must say I believe in Hellen Keller, who has said, “What we have once enjoyed deeply we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” Arif Hussaini has become a part of us, of Pakistan Link.
