CONDOLENCES ON FORMER MINISTER A.C.S. HAMEED

23rd Jumaadal Oola, 1420
4th September, 1999


Mrs. Shameena Hameed.
Kurugoda,
Akurana.


Dear Sister-in Islam,

I was deeply stunned by the news of the death of your beloved husband. It has created an irreplaceable void in the present era.

It gives me double dejection that your illustrious husband has passed away at a time when the country very badly needs the services of prominent figures like him. The country and the Muslim Community both have lost an outstanding political luminary. Great thinking found in him together with the highly developed intellect won admiration of everyone. Astuteness, broad-mindedness and far-sightedness were some of the attributes that he was adorned with. These qualities were, indeed, the mainstay of his career as an M.P. and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Education and Justice.

Representing the Harispathuwa Electorate for almost four consecutive decades and being a longtime foreign minister, he has rendered immense services to our blessed motherland. Whenever he happened to represent Sri Lanka in UNO, SAARC and Non-Aligned Movement conferences, he was a voice of its nation.

It is noteworthy that having reached the pinnacle in the political arena, he worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between the majority community and the minority community with a view to bringing about lasting peace. In this context, during Late Ranasingha Premadasa’s regime he held talks with the LTTE many times.

As a member of the Executive Committee of the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama (Council of Muslim Theologians), I gratefully recall all assistance given to our organization by your loving husband. It is public knowledge that he has done the same to other social service organizations as well. By and large, his name will definitely go down in the annals.

I take this opportunity to express my profound condolences to you, your children Ameersha, Aroosha and Ashiq and the rest in your family on behalf of the members of my family and myself.

You know words are poor expressers. But still I send this message to you to console you with sincere deep sentiment.

May Almighty Allah bless your beloved husband with eternal bliss and grant him Jannat Al-Firdaws and may you and your loving children have the courage to face this difficult situation!

Yours fraternally,


Ash-Shaikh H. Abdul Nazar
Head, Arabic and Shari’ah Dept.,
Daar Al-Uloom Al-Meezaniyyah