Dear Editor,
I couldn’t help but admire the letter written by Mr Sieyf Shahabuddeen on his expression of gratitude to those who paid tribute to his distinguished father, Judge Mohamed Shahabuddeen on his passing in Toronto not so long ago. Indeed, I also read the tributes published in your newspaper over the past week with great interest and admiration.
I did not personally know the distinguished jurist, but followed his international career with interest over the years and marvelled at his humble beginnings and, importantly, his dedication to learning more than anything else. I noted his benevolence, also: he’d donated his many books of law from his vast collection, including his French novels to the University of Guyana’s library—indeed showing the judge’s intellectual range and versatility.
Mr Sieyf Shahabuddeen’s letter reflected his family’s deep Muslim faith and the sense of inclusiveness in the religion that goes beyond the stereotypical views we sometimes observe in the media and elsewhere in our fraught times with so much political and ethnic conflict, albeit existential, seen in Guyana and the world. I also extend heartfelt condolences to Judge Mohamed Shahabuddeen’s family.
Yours faithfully,
Cyril Dabydeen
(Ottawa)
