Dear Editor,
On the passing of our father, Nazir Mohamed, who was 90 years old, our deepest thanks and gratitude to all who expressed their condolences, the hundreds who came to see him, the many hundreds who came to the wake and the funeral, and those who continue to come to visit our mother and the family at home. We are truly blessed to have been touched by such a good man, and to learn the goodness of life, and how to live life from him, and furthermore why we should continue the search to find answers to the problems that divide humanity. All we can do now is to continue to give sadaka and ask Allah to grant him a resting place in the highest of heavens.
So while we mourn we are also celebrating the life of a humble soul who was involved in the anti-colonial and national struggles for decency in our land.
One who was not only involved in the struggle to establish equal rights for
women in Islam, but one who ensured that women had the right to attend the mosque in our community. One who gave seven children to these struggles and to the service of humanity. I don’t know how many of you know, but one of my brothers was tortured by Burnham’s death squads; we endured frequent weekly and sometimes daily invasion of the privacy of our home, first by the British soldiers before independence, and then by Burnham’s security forces. My father was one of the countless unknown heroes of our land.
Here is a testimony from a national figure and close family friend – from our Elder Eusi Kwayana: “One hour ago I heard the sad news of the passing of your dear father.
Please accept our deepest sympathy. Please let his widow and the other bereaved know that we are thinking of their loss, It is a loss not only to the family members, although they will feel the most pain. It is loss to the entire community and to the nation. His passing is a loss to family life, to the village ethos, to agriculture, to the responsibility of neighbours to one another and to freedom. As he matured he welcomed change, provided it was in the interest of humanity. May his example shine through time and may his loved ones be comforted.
“eusi and family”
Yours faithfully,
Wazir Mohamed
