(1982) organized by Garden Grove’s Islamic Society of Orange County. The Chicago community and ICNA also invited him to several of their conventions. Shaikh Yusuf was very concerned with educating Muslim girls. After the death of my fatherin-law Maulana Abdul Hai, founder of Rampur’s women-only Jameatus Salehat seminary, and of his successor my father Tawassul Husain Siddiqi, Shaikh Yusuf took charge. Under him, its reputation attracted thousands of Indian Muslimas. He urged all Muslims to promote and support such efforts. In the U.S., he was the spiritual patron and counsellor of ICNA’s da’wah programs, especially “Why Islam.” A very sociable, pleasant and kind person, he had a great sense of humor, liked to listen to Urdu poetry and share good jokes. Many Muslims were attracted to his gatherings and loved to spend time with him. Along with his wife (my older sister), this family-oriented man had eight children and 61 years of happily married life. After his wife’s death in 2017, he became closer to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. My siblings and I called him Bhai Sahib (honorable brother), because he was a loving elder brother to me and a fatherly figure to my younger siblings and our children. During the last two years, because of Covid-19, he stayed at home in Rampur. Whenever I called him and asked how he was doing, his answer was always “Alhamdu lillah, I cannot give enough thanks to Allah.” When I asked about his health, he used to say, “I am well, but our country India is sick (referring to the socio-political conditions).” Thousands of people around the world have remembered him fondly and mourned the death of this great leader and mentor who affected their lives. May Allah bless him and grant him the best. ih Contributed by Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi
Mohammed Hashir Faruqi Journalist, Thinker, Humanist and Voice of Reason
1930-2022
M
ohammed Hashir Faruqi, the 92-year-old frail-looking but giant of a truthful writer, left this world in London on Jan. 11 after paving the way for robust journalism with a Muslim vibe with his sacrifices and backbreaking work. A legend in his own right, in 1970 Faruqi founded the Impact magazine in London “to promote a genuine understanding of Islam and Muslims to the English-reading audience worldwide.” Against all odds, he worked tirelessly to raise human rights issues, writing against injustice and violations of human dignity and urging Muslims to stand peacefully for weak and marginalized people. With very few resources and working from a dilapidated tworoom London office, Faruqi, trained initially as an entomologist, worked long hours to give voice to a community that was baffled by its negative stereotyped image in the West. Born in eastern Uttar Pradesh in January 1930, Faruqi joined the Pakistan Movement, which sought a separate homeland for Muslims in post-British India, and formed a Muslim Student Union at Kanpur Agricultural College to mobilize the youth to create a new state that would ensure equality and justice for all. In the 1960s he moved to London and decided to become the voice of newly arriving Muslim immigrants. As a first step, he started an Englishlanguage newspaper, even though many of his Muslim contemporaries thought that such a venture would fail in a highly competitive world. It took him ten years to achieve his dream and refute their prediction. In addition to being a regular contributor to the weekly meetings of the London Islamic Center, he also contributed a column to The Muslim, the monthly magazine of the Federation of Student Islamic Societies in the UK and EIRE.
During the Iranian Revolution, he was in the news — he was among the hostages in the 1980 Iranian embassy siege. People remember his efforts to end the siege peacefully. In 2003 he helped organize Prince Charles’ visit to the Leicester-based Islamic Foundation in Markfield. Ten years later, when The Muslim News presented him with the editor’s lifetime achievement award, Ahmed Versi said, “He is our connection from the world we inhabit now to a Muslim world that began its uncertain journey in the midst of decolonization, war and new modern identities.” Once launched, Impact became a voice of honest journalism, truth and fair and balanced reporting. With the help of a few dedicated supporters, among them Saleem Siddiqi, he proved that dreams could come true on the wings of sincerity and humility. The wages were minimum and the task was huge, but Faruqi’s team worked late hours, often neglecting their families, to publish the magazine regularly. Impact became a source of honest writing in the Muslim world. Newspapers published in India, Pakistan, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa began reprinting its articles, thereby inspiring young people to start their own English-language publications in their regions. Moreover, his writings proved that Muslims could write their own stories and discern fact from fiction. During his long tenure as
Impact’s editor-in-chief, he trained several Muslim youth in journalism. His creed was simple: Be fair, bold and balanced in your writing. Never compromise on facts. Always stand for human dignity. Never yield to propaganda, and serve God by serving humanity. These were the principles he always advocated to those who sought his advice. Syed Ubaidur Rehman, author of “Biographical Encyclopedia of Indian Muslim Freedom Fighters,” wrote, “He was such a selfless person. His death is a massive loss for the Muslim ummah. Once I walked into his office near Finsbury Street uninvited. He welcomed a youth like me with open arms, showering his blessing like an elder who knew me for ages and didn’t allow me to leave without sharing a sumptuous lunch with him. He continued to write to me, without me regularly responding to his emails. His death will be unforgettable, especially for those who yearned to see credible Muslim media. Before Aljazeera and other contemporary media, Impact was a torchbearer for enthusiasts of the Muslim press.” Mohammad Ghazali Khan (editor, www.urdumediamonitor. com), one of the British journalists he trained, said in his Facebook post, “One of the pillars of Muslim journalism in Britain, Muhammad Hashir Faruqi, died in London today. I worked with him for more than eight years. Not only was he my teacher in practical journalism, but he also did many personal favors for me. May Allah grant him the highest level of paradise.” Dr. Syed M. Syeed, a former ISNA president, wrote, “We worked together on many issues, and I invited him multiple times to our conventions.” Faruqi also served as a director at the Markfield Institute of Higher Education (2008-16). His wife Fakhira preceded him in death a few years ago. Sons Ausaf, Rafay and Irfan, as well as daughter Sadia, survive him. ih Contributed by Aslam Abdullah, a Southern Californian and resident scholar with Islamicity.org.
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