Washington-DC Aligarh Alumni Association Pays Tribute to Shamsur Rahman Faruqi and Other Aligs
By Nuzaira Azam
Washington, DC: The year 2020 was full of natural disasters, including the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, our community in the USA and Canada was hit with the bereavement of many close friends and relatives, especially at the end of the year, which became a month of condolence for the community.
The Aligarh Alumni Association of Washington, DC organized a condolence meeting on Sunday, 3rd January 2021, using Zoom technology for those who left for their heavenly abode.
Mr Shamsur Rahman Faruqi, an internationally acclaimed Urdu language poet, author, critic, and theorist died in Allahabad, India after a brief attack of COVID-19. Mrs Rashida Ayan, an internationally recognized poet, and writer died in New Jersey. A native of Pakistan, she had settled in the New York area.
A prominent Shia scholar, Maulana Kalb-e-Sadiq died of prolonged illness in the Indian city of Lucknow. Maulana Sadiq was equally respected amongst Sunnis and Shias of India and Pakistan. He was an advocate of Sunni-Shia unity, and “Hindu-Muslim harmony in India amid rising sectarianism and religious polarization,” reported Indian newspapers. He was an international Muslim scholar, educationist, and reformer.
Mr Hasan Chishti, a literary icon for several decades breathed last in Chicago. He was the famous personality of both Hyderabad and Chicago. Mrs Asma Beg, wife of General Mirza Aslam Beg, former Chief of Army Staff, Pakistan, and elder sister of AAA-DC pillar, Aisha Khan went for her heavenly abode in Pakistan.
A young man of 36 years, Mr Sajid Ansari, died due to a massive heart attack. He was the younger son of Drs Hashima Hassan and Aftab Ansari in the Washington, DC Metro area.
The meeting also paid tributes to Mr Irfan Usmani (uncle of AAA-DC President, Afzal Usmani), Mr S.M. Afzal (a prominent member of the Indian Police Service and Registrar AMU and Jamia Millia), Mr Jamal Khawaja (Professor Philosophy and Parliamentarian), Mr Abdullah Khan, Dr. Zafar Ahmad Siddiqui, and Mr Arif Hussain (Montreal)-all associated with the Aligarh Muslim University.
Family members and friends of the deceased spoke about their life, achievements, and contributions in different fields. Along with Afzal Usmani, AAA-DC Chairman Masood Farshori, and members of the AAA-DC Board of Trustees, Drs A. Abdullah and Rafat Husain also paid tributes to the departing souls.
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