Dear Editor,
Upon the passing away, in Georgetown of a legendary Guyanese and Bakewell owner, brother Hajji Naeem Nasir, I would like to extend my condolence to his family and to the Guyanese community from faraway, Toronto.
I had the pleasure of doing business and learning from Naeem, R.I.P and his generosity knew no bounds.
The vision he had for the humanitarian needs of Guyanese is simply mind boggling- State of the Art Mosque at Queenstown, State of the Art hostel for the homeless (not the Palms), State of the Art University to teach religion and academic pursuits, the non discriminatory position of his tireless philanthropy to all types of Muslim organisations and causes- it’s a simple fact that his religious upbringing from his father, the late Mr Nasir and his brother, Moulana Siddiq, left an indelible mark on his life.
I’m reminded of the beautiful poem of Shaikh Saadi-the Persian Fakir:
To worship God is nothing other than serving the people.
It does not need rosaries, prayer carpets, or robes.
All peoples are members of the same body, created from one essence.
If fate brings suffering to one member, the others cannot stay at rest.
What a beautiful brother- may Allah accept all his good deeds and grant him Firdaus in Heaven- and may God not deprive us of his blessings after.
May his family find patience after and his loved ones the passion and wherewithal to continue his legacy.
As Guyanese would say dead done but cry nah done- a country rather the world mourns his loss!
Blessings!
Yours faithfully,
Habeeb Alli
