Editor: Nasir Ahmad B.A. LL.B.June 2016

IN MEMORY OF JALAL-UD-DIN AKBAR IBN-I ABDULLAH, SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA

Vol. No. 11, Issue No. 7

BRIEF LIFE-HISTORY OF LATE MR. BASHARAT AHMADALI 2Riaz Ahmadali

OVERCOMING DIFFICULT TIMES: In memory of my father Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali 13Riaz Ahmadali

OBITUARY PUBLISHED IN THE STAR NIEUWS, PARAMARIBO, SURINAME 14

CONDOLENCE MESSAGES: 14Dr. Abdul Kareem Saeed, Head of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Lahore (Pakistan), Shaukat Ali, AAIIL Coordinator Asia/Pacific Region, Dr. Zahid Aziz, scholar and webmaster (lahore.ahmadiyya.org) UK. Dr. Nouman Elahi Malik & Mrs. Samina Malik, USA. Mr. M. S. Dostmohamed, president, Stichting Ahmadiyya Isha’at-i Islam, Hague, Holland

LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS AT THE FUNERAL SERVICES 17Riaz Ahmadali

PageCONTENTS

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BRIEF LIFE-HISTORY OF ….

LATE MR. BASHARAT AHMADALI

RIAZ AHMADALI

Mr Basharat Ahmadali was born in Suriname (South America) on July 10, 1941 to Shekh Ahmadali (a British-Indian immigrant) and Doerkhanie Ghafoerkhan.

He received his Master of Laws degree at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1971, and his primary and secondary education at Christian schools; the university he attended for his law studies was also Christian.

Mr Ahmadali received his Islamic education at the well-known madrassa of the SIV branch, Imdadia Isha‘at Islam, which was established by his fa-ther, Maulvi Shekh Ahmadali, and his supplemental Islamic education was

by home study and discussing religious matters with his brothers and sisters and the best students of his father’s madrassa and from discussions with visiting missionaries of the Central Anjuman.

After he attained his law degree in the Netherlands, Mr. Basharat returned to Suriname and was appointed, in 1972, as District Commissioner (comparable to a mayor of a municipality), a position he held until 1989.

One of the bridges at the time of its inauguration. On Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s right is the late Mr Nasir Ataoellah, a former Minister of Public Works. Mr Ataoellah was the architect who designed the beautiful Surinaamse Islamitische Vereniging (SIV) mosque in Paramaribo.

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He was considered one of the most successful District Commissioners ever in Suriname. Despite the fact that the Districts did not have their own budgets or formal rights to collect revenues (being totally dependent on the Central Government), Mr Ahmadali took many initiatives and introduced public-private partnerships to develop the District of Saramacca, where he was Commissioner during the period 1979-1989. Setting up a medical clinic, a library, and introducing many initiatives in the interior (building bridges, a fresh water supply by laying down a pipeline system, paving roads, etc.), were all done in collaboration with the District Government and private companies, even though the District had no legal authority to do so. He was highly praised by the Central Government and others for this innovative working initiative at a time when Suriname was lacking the financial means to realize such projects.

For Mr. Basharat’s service to this District, the multi-purpose hall next to the Saramacca District office was named after him in 2014, and after his death, a memorial service was held by the local govern-ment in the hall on 12 May, 2016.

From November 1998, Mr. Basharat was in charge of the Decentralization Program of the Surinamese Government and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The project aimed at financial autonomy for all the ten Districts in Suriname, which were fully dependent on the Central Government for their income and expenditure. This project was completed in December 2014 as one of the most successful IDB projects in the Caribbean and South American region, providing all ten districts with formal rights to collect local taxes,

The multipurpose hall in the District of Saramacca, named after Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali. Day of inauguration: December 3, 2014. Mrs Ahmadali is watching her husband, who is answering questions of the national media.

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among others. A Dutch-English book about the history of the decentralisation of Suriname can be downloaded at http://decentralisatie.org/?page_id=18 .

Besides this, Basharat fulfilled many other functions within the Government and the business com-munity, such as serving as President of the Board of Commissioners of Surinam Airways (1984), guest lecturer at the Anton de Kom University, and Policy Advisor of the Suriname Government. He was also involved in the organising committee for Suriname’s General Elections in 2000, 2005 and 2010.

Family manAs a family man, Mr. Basharat was loved by both the elderly and the young. He easily adapted to each and could discuss with them subjects that interested them. He was also considered as an advisor for everyone, regardless of the problem they face. Mr. Basharat always had an open ear and a ready solution for most problems. He was a role model and a source of inspiration for many.

Mr. Basharat was one of the organizers of a family reunion of almost all his parents’ descendants in 1991.

Together with his cousin Akbaal Ghafoerkhan, Mr. Basharat researched the lives of six immigrants from India to Suriname and produced a family tree with the results, which was presented to the Vice-President of the Republic of Suriname on 29 May 2003.

Involvement in the Lahore Ahmadiyya Islamic missionary workIn his younger years, Mr. Basharat had seen the Islamic missionary work of his father, Maulvi Shekh Ahmadali (picture). Maulvi Ahmadali was one of the found-ing members of the Suriname Islamic Association (SIV); founder, President and imam of Imdadia Isha‘at-i Islam (first branch of SIV, 1934); editor of the Urdu Islamic monthly magazine Haqiqat-ul Islam for almost 30 years; lecturer at the Islamic school of Imdadia, etc. Most of the first- and second-generation imams of the SIV and its divisions were initially trained by Maulvi Ahmadali. Maulvi Ahmadali was also the architect of Ahmadiyyat in Suriname, starting in 1934

when Maulvi Ameer Ali from Trinidad visited on Maulvi Ahmadali’s invitation on behalf of the SIV.

During the time he was studying in the Netherlands, Mr. Basharat founded the Foundation for the Cause of Islam in Holland (around 1969) together with others, mostly academic students. Through this foundation, the first Eid-ul-Fitr prayer service in Holland with wide participation was organised, in which Muslims of various denominations participated. The location was the hall of the hotel De Gouden Leeuw in the neighbourhood of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. After Basharat had ex-plained the meaning of the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr to the owner, he was kind enough to grant the hall free of charge.

Mr. Basharat was a fearless personality, capable of undertaking new initiatives. While still a student, he used to discuss Christo-religious matters with his professors and fellow students. In this way, he, as a lone Muslim, created possibilities and opportunities to present Islam to them. This often ended in special classes to have debates between learned Muslims, whom he would source, and learned priests whom the other students would locate. His choice for this task was always the Lahore Ahmadi-yya missionary in The Hague, Mr Ghulam Ahmad Bashir, who was fluent in both English and Dutch.

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In this way, lively discus-sions, mainly on the key principles of Christianity and Islam, took place on an academic level.

During this period – 1967/1968 – Mr. Basharat was also the spokesperson of the Foundation Qoran-fonds Suriname, which had taken up the task and was responsible for the print-ing of the second edition of the Dutch translation of the Holy Qur’an. This Dutch version was translat-ed by Soedewo, Indonesia, in 1934 from the English translation by Maulana Muhammad Ali, and was the first translation into a different language of this monumental work. Until the publication of the new Dutch translation in 2004,

this second edition, which was published from Suriname in 1968, was very popular among both Muslims and non-Muslims in Suriname and the Netherlands. Mr. Basharat was in charge of having this second edition printed in Leiden, Holland.

This printing project was initiated by Maulvi Shekh Ahmadali, and Mr. Basharat’s elder brother, Towahirali Ahmadali, was the first chairman of the Foundation Qoranfonds Suriname.

In Suriname, Mr. Basharat founded the Institute for Islamic Studies and Publications (IVISEP) in 1974, which issued the monthly Al Haq for eight years, as well as many other Islamic publications. The publication of Al Haq started in 1971, prior to the establishment of the Institute, and lasted until 1981 when Mr. Basharat was transferred as District Commissioner to Saramacca and it was no longer possible to maintain the printing office in Paramaribo, 50 kilometres away.

For the publication of the Lahore Ahmadiyya magazine of the mid-seventies, Mr. Basharat was appointed as one of the co-editors. In those days, he had taken it upon himself to distribute the Anjuman’s literature – The Light, and Paigham-i-Sulh, and other publications – among both mem-bers of the organisation and others, who could read English or Urdu.

Mr. Basharat used to incorporate articles from Paigham-i-Sulh in his weekly Al Haq. Five thousand copies were printed and distributed free of charge in Suriname and the Netherlands.

The cover of an issue of Al Haq, the magazine that Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali served as editor-in-chief. It was published in the period 1971-1981, as a successor of Haqiqat-ul Islam (1934-1960), of which Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s father, Maulvi Shekh Ahmadali, was the editor. Al Haq was succeeded by The Dawn (2001-2007) and Ar-Risaalah (2007-present), of which Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s son Riaz Ahmadali is the editor.

Report about the 1979 Jalsa. The effect of this report could have been the reason that the historic big Jalsa of 1980 in Lahore was attended by many members from Suriname and the Netherlands

An article by Nasir Ahmad Faruqui in Paigham-i-Sulh of 28 November/5 December 1979

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He also used to give a report in Dutch about the Salana Jalsa of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Centre to keep the Jalsa alive in the Dutch community and to show its importance to members.

In 1978, when some members of the SIV Board, under the influence of the non-Muslim declaration in Pakistan in 1974, wanted to abandon the well-established Lahore Ahmadiyya viewpoints and the aqeedah of the SIV from 1934, and dragging with them the sincere members using evil ways and misleading information, a heavy “battle” arose within the organisation. By utilizing the IVISEP printing facilities as a powerful means to counter the attacks of the Lahore Ahmadiyya opponents, Mr. Basharat, together with (among others) his elder brother Toyab Ahmadali, contributed greatly to preserving the Lahore Ahmadiyya principles for the SIV. The issue at stake was that if Ahmadis had lost the elections prescribed by the Suriname court of justice, the SIV would have become a non-Ahmadi organization and the Ahmadis would have lost all the Lahore Ahmadiyya mosques and other properties to the opponents of Ahmadiyyat.

A five-year-long struggle had weakened the SIV. Mr. Basharat’s next phase after the victory of pre.-serving Ahmadiyyat in the SIV was to contribute to stabilizing the organization, again by using his magazine Al Haq, by giving classes on Ahmadiyyat in Dutch on the request of the Youth Movement of the SIV, and by advancing his expert knowledge and organizing skills where needed in the organi-zation. As a lawyer and knowing the ins and outs of the principles or aqeedah of the SIV, Mr. Basharat was the one who was in charge of drafting the new constitution of SIV, laying down in it fundamen-tally and unambiguously that the SIV was an Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha‘at Islam Lahore organisation.

In 1979, the boxer Muhammad Ali and Imam Wallace Dean Muhammad, accompanied by Master Abdullah, paid a flying visit to the SIV while on a religious tour of the West Indies, Guyana and Suriname. Again, because of his organizing skills, Basharat was appointed the lead coordinator of the event. In a short time, a very successful Jalsa was organized at the SIV headquarters, located then at

Foreground L to R: (April 1979, during their visit to Suriname): Imam Wallace Muhammad, d. 9 Nov. 2008, aged 74; Muhammad Ali, d. 3 June 2016, aged 74; Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali, d. 27 April, 2016, aged 74.

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Grote Combeweg, where both Imam Wallace Dean Muhammad and Muhammad Ali delivered very inspiring speeches on Islam to the wider Suriname public consisting of adherents of all the religions prevailing in Suriname who had attended the gathering.

He also helped in organizing other grand activities on a national level, and these all went a long way in bringing the SIV once again in a positive light throughout the country.

After the victory of Ahmadiyyat, an interna-tional Lahore Ahmadiyya convention was held by the SIV in 1979. Senior Vice-President, Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan, who was later appointed Ameer of the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement, Prof. Madad Ali, and all the other foreign guests were welcomed by Basharat’s family at the Commissioner’s Residence in Groningen, the capital of the District of Saramacca. Mr. Basharat proved to be a very good host who gave everyone his personal attention. That was Mr. Basharat Ahmadali in normal circumstances.

In March 2011, Mr. Basharat performed the Umrah, together with his wife, his elder broth-er Toyab, and other family members.

His Islamic missionary work is now continued by his son Riaz Ahmadali, Editor of the weekly A Spiritual Note, and of Ar-Risaalah, a one-pager in Dutch, which is published twice a month in the daily newspaper Dagblad Suriname in Suriname.

Dr Saeed Ahmad Khan at Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s residence with Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s younger son Ignaz in his lap, 1979.

Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali and his wife during Umrah, March 2011.

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On the other hand, as far as printing of books is concerned, Mr A.S. Hoeseni, who is in charge of publishing the Lahore Ahmadiyya literature in Dutch at Stichting Ahmadiyya Isha‘at-i-Islam, sees his uncle Basharat as his mentor as he had learnt the basics of printing and editing at IVISEP un-der Basharat.

Memorial and funeral servicesFor his services to the people of Suriname (during the Dutch Kingdom period), Mr Basharat Ahmadali was decorated with the royal honour of Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau from Her Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands (1978). In 2010, he was decorated as Commander by the President of the Republic of Suriname, and in 2014, the multi-pur-pose hall next to the District office of Saramacca was named after him.

During the period between his passing away and his funeral, many condolence messages were received; some during the condolence programmes held in

the evenings, and many more by email and phone. Among those was one from Hazrat Ameer Dr Abdul Karim Saeed, who had visited Mr. Basharat at Basharat’s residence in Suriname in 2014.

The day before the funeral, an ecumenical service was held in Mr. Basharat’s honour. The signifin-cance of this was that Basharat had a broad view on religions; he accepted all religions as originally coming from one Source and equally respected all of them. Hence, when, as Commissioner, he had

Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali with the President of the Republic of Suriname on the day Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali was decorated, 25 November 2010.

Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s son Riaz (L) and Hindu philoso-pher Mahender Pershad, delivering a message together. Prior to this, a Christian priest had given a message.

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to organize religious services in his District, he always invited representatives from different re-ligions to deliver a message. For example, at the national Divali commemoration, he also invited a priest and an imam to speak. Following on this example, this ecumenical service was held.

The President of the Suriname Islamic Association (SIV-AAII), Dr Robert Bipat, Imam Nabie Orie of the masjid at Paramaribo, and Saddiek Rostamkhan, President of Imdadia Isha‘at Islam, and other ja-ma‘at and family members also spoke during the evening programmes and conveyed messages of condolence to the family on behalf of their re-spective organizations.

Representatives of other religions, as well as politicians, and individuals representing several bodies of the Suriname social structure also conveyed their condolences.

The Office of the President of the Republic of Suriname honoured Mr Ahmadali with a State funeral on 2 May 2016.

The funeral service was held in a hall owned by the family alongside the Suriname River. The service was divided into two parts: the first comprising speakers from State and Governmental agencies and the wider community, and the second, the Islamic funeral. Both sessions were led by Basharat’s elder son Riaz Ahmadali.

On the day of Mr. Basharat’s janaza, the State honoured his work for the country with an extensive programme. The Vice President of Suriname, who spoke on behalf of the President, the Minister of Regional Development, and a representative of the Council of Commissioners of all the Districts, honoured Basharat’s great contributions. The President and First Lady of Suriname sent a bouquet of flowers on the day of the funeral.

Riaz Ahmadali, Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s elder son, led the memorial and the funeral services, except the Janaza, which was led by Toyab Ahmadali, Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s el-der brother.

Vice-President of the Republic of Suriname, Mr Ashwin Adhin, in his speech extensively commemorated the services of Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali to the community. Seated on the left are Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s sons, Ignaz (L) and Riaz (R).

Minister Edgar Dikan from the Ministry of Regional Development said in an interview on television: “We were in a meeting with the President of Suriname when we heard about the demise of Mr Bas Ahmadali. Sadness came over us when hearing about this. President Bouterse immediately requested one minute of silence for the deceased.”

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The janaza followed this formal session.

Finally, the body of the late Basharat Ahmadali was buried in the Islamic way, overseen by the Head Imam of the SIV, Nabie Orie.

Janaza Ghaibana was also held in other Lahore Ahmadiyya jama‘ats worldwide.

Both Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s death and his funeral service were covered by the national media (radio, TV and newspapers).

Mr Ahmadali leaves behind his wife, three children, and three grandchildren.

President Bouterse and the First Lady sent a bouquet to the family on the day of the funeral.

The National Flag being handed over to Mrs Moerselien Mohamedajoeb, Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s wife.

The funeral procession was escorted by the Military according to State protocol along the entire route from Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s home to the SIV cemetery at Doekhieweg, Paramaribo.

Special farewell by all the country’s Commissioners. Prior to this, the Head Commissioner, Mrs Roline Samsoedien (on left), had given a talk.

The coffin, covered with the National Flag, being carried by Military personnel in honour of Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s services to Suriname. Ignaz, Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s younger son, leads.

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May his soul rest in peace!

Photographs of the funeral: www.facebook.com/ivisep

More information about Basharat Ahmadali and his works (mostly in Dutch): www.basahmadali.nl

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Janaza service at the Stichting Ahmadiyya Isha‘at-i-Islam mosque, The Hague, the Netherlands, which Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali used to visit when in Holland. The prayer service was led by Imam Haroen Habiboellah, Late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s nephew, and prior to that, a talk was given by Imam Reza Ghafoerkhan, anoth-er nephew.

After the janaza prayer, which was led by the deceased’s elder brother Toyab Ahmadali, the Military concluded the State protocol and formalities with salutes, and the National Flag of Suriname, which had covered the coffin during the ceremony, was handed over to Mrs Ahmadali as a token of respect for her husband’s ser-vices to Suriname.

At the conclusion of the services at the cemetery, two rainbows appeared in the sky. A sign of comfort to the family, perhaps?

O soul that art at rest, Return to thy Lord, well-pleased, well-pleasing, So enter among My servants,

And enter My Garden! (Holy Qur'an 89:27-30)

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OVERCOMING DIFFICULT TIMES

IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER LATE MR. BASHARAT AHMADALI

RIAZ AHMADALI

Why should life be this way, that Allah grants us moments of pleasure but also moments of deep sadness? As believers, should we expect that Allah should grant us only pleasure during our life on earth in return for our belief?

No, life is not that easy. On the contrary, Allah wants to test the believ-ers, to see the strength of their belief, and with that comes matters such as fear, loss of wealth, loss of lives, etc. We will explain this fur-ther with some verses from the Holy Qur’an.

“Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and will not be tried? And indeed We tried those before them, so Allah will certainly know those who are true and He will know the liars” (29:2,3). “And certainly We shall try you, till We know those among you who strive hard, and the steadfast” (47:31). “And We shall certainly try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of prop-erty and lives and fruits. And give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah s, and to Him we shall return. Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord; and those are the followers of the right course” (2:155).

The following verse refers those who are not strong enough to undergo the trials of life:

“And among men is he who serves Allah, (standing) on the verge, so that if good befalls him he is satisfied therewith, but if a trial afflicts him he turns back headlong. He loses this world and the Hereafter. That is a manifest loss” (22:11).

Thus, Almighty Allah gives us trials again and again to test the faith of the believers. However, in His Mercy He also gives the believers the tools to overcome these trials, namely sabr and salah (patience and prayer), as the Qur’an teaches us in 2:45-46:

“And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and this is hard except for the humble ones, who know that they will meet their Lord and that to Him they will return.”

We conclude with a prayer of comfort from the Holy Qur’an, 2:286:

“Our Lord, punish us not if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord, do not lay on us a burden as Thou didst lay on those before us. Our Lord, impose not on us (afflictions) which we have not the strength to bear. And pardon us! And grant us protection! And have mercy on us! Thou art our Patron, so grant us victory over the disbelieving people.”

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Let us therefore gratefully accept and use the support given to us in the Qur’an to overcome the difficult times in our lives.

(A Spiritual Note, Edition 563. April 29, 2016)

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OBITUARY PUBLISHED IN THE STAR NIEUWS, PARAMARIBO, SURINAME

After a long illness, Basharat ‘Bas’ Ahmadali, has passed away. Mr. Ahmadali strongly encour-aged the decentralization of the districts. In 1998, he was appointed as managing director of the Government’s decentralization programme.

Mr. Ahmadali graduated as Master of Laws at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam. In 1972, at the age of only 28 years. He was appointed as district governor. He served in several districts and carefully examined the matter of how districts could gain more autonomy and ownership of local government.

Together with his team, Mr. Ahmadali accomplished decentralization of all the ten districts. He prepared various bills to achieve legal status for local governments. He continuously urged to finalize the draft laws, but he could not witness them.(English translation: Reza Ghafoerkhan, Hague, Holland).

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CONDOLENCE MESSAGE

HAZRAT AMEER DR ABDUL KARIM SAEED

Dear Riaz, Sharda and Ilhaam,Assalamu alaikum.Inna lillahe wa inna ilaye rajioon.

I am very saddened by the demise of your father. I can well feel the pain of loss of a loving father as I have experienced it in my life. The more loving and caring the parents are, more is the pain they leave behind when they depart.

The departure of one loves so much is a constant re-minder that all souls have to taste death. The depar-ture of these loving souls leaves a void in our lives that is hard to fill.

I found that praying for them and cherishing the memories of the years of their love and care that Allah gifted us with is the best way to fill this vacuum.

With Hazrat Ameer Dr AK Saeed, October 2014

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May Allah grant you and the family Basharat Ahmadali saheb has left behind patience, and grant his soul a very high abode in the Hereafter life. Aameen.

I know you have a caring and sensitive heart and you will be going through a period of grief but remember that hearts find solace in the remembrance of Allah.

Please share my message with the family and the Jamaat members.

Dr. Abdul Karim Saeed (Pasha)

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SHAUKAT ALI, AAIIL COORDINATOR, ASIA/PACIFIC REGION

Dear Brother Riaz Ahmadali,Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu.We are deeply saddened to learn that your beloved father Brother Basharat Ahmadali has left this world to meet with our Maker. Inna-lillahe wa Inna Ilaihi rajioon.

We pray that Compassionate and Merciful Allah grants his soul a place in the Garden of perpetuity - Jannat-ul Firdous among His chosen ones - aameen.

We are well aware that your beloved father had served the Anjuman with dedication, enthusiasm, passion and pride for several decades. He will always be remembered for his long, devoted and selfless services to the Anjuman, and for people like him Allah ta’ala has promised Gardens of per-petuity as per the following examples in the Holy Book:

“For those who do good in this world is good. And certainly the abode of the Hereafter is better. And excellent indeed is the abode of those who keep their duty — Gardens of perpetuity which they enter, in which rivers flow: they have therein what they please. Thus does Allah reward those who keep their duty, whom the angels cause to die in purity, saying: Peace be on you! enter the Garden for what you did” (16:30 -32).“Gardens of perpetuity which the Beneficent has promised to His servants, in the Unseen. Surely His promise ever comes to pass. They will hear therein no vain discourse, but only, Peace! And they have their sustenance therein, morning and evening. This is the Garden which We cause those of Our servants to inherit who keep their duty” (19:61-63).

We pray that Almighty Allah grants you and the other members of the family and the members of the Jamaat strength, fortitude, solace and sabr to bear this sad and irreparable loss at a time of great anguish.

Please convey our heartfelt sympathy and sincere condolences to all his other loved ones as well.Wassalam,

Shaukat*

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DR ZAHID AZIZ, AAIIL-UK

Dear Riaz,Assalamu alaikum.

Please accept my deepest sympathies on the sad passing away of your respected father. May Allah grant him forgiveness and raise him to a high place in Jannah to join His righteous servants, ameen.

May Allah also enable you to continue your work, ameen.Regards,Zahid Aziz

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DR. NOUMAN ELAHI MALIK & MRS. SAMINA MALIK, USA

We are grieved to learn about the passing away of your dear and respected father Bro. Basharat Ahmadali. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajioon.

We have lost a stalwart of Islam and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement. May Almighty Allah take him under His benign protection and grant him a place in Paradise. We knew him for a long time, and we found him a very friendly, sincere, dedicated and humble person. He leaves a void which will be difficult to fill.

Please pass on our condolences to your mother and family. May Allah Almighty grant you all sabr and strength to bear this great loss. All the directors of the USA Jama‘at join us in sending their condolences.

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MR. M. S. DOSTMOHAMED, PRESIDENT, STICHTING AHMADIYYA ISHA’AT-I ISLAM, HAGUE, HOLLAND

On behalf of directors and members of the Board of Stichting Ahmadiyya Isha’at-i-Islam I would like to express heartfelt condolences to all the family members on the demise of a very learned member of the Ahmadali family, a leading public figure of Suriname and a devoted member of the Hague Jama’at Mr. Basharat Ahmadali. Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji’oen May Allah grant your mother and all of you the strength to bear this great loss and may Allah grant him high place in Paradise.

We have very fond memories of him and his family members when you were in the Netherlands. His family regularly attended congregations at our mosque, and whenever he paid short visits to the Netherlands he would love to attend the Friday congregations and discuss plans and activities of the Stichting. We have always appreciated his expert advices regarding publications, matters relating

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to the Dutch law and promotion of the Lahore Ahmadiyya literature in Dutch published by the Stichting Ahmadiyya Anjuman, Hague.

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BRIEF LIST OF PEOPLE WHO MADE CONTRIBUTIONS ON MEMORIAL SERVICES HELD FOR LATE MR. BASHARAT

AHMADALI ON APRIL 28, 29, 30 AND MAY 1, 2016

1. Mr. Charles Pahlad (politician). 2. Mr. Ravin Jiawan (District commissioner). 3. Mr. Noel Hassankhan (member Board of SIV). 4 Mrs. Mary Ghafoerkhan, wife of late Dr. Khaliel Ghafoerkhan. 5. Dr. Robert Bipat, (President of the SIV). 6. Rev. Hesdy Menz. 7. Dr. Hamied Ahmadali, (nephew of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali). 8. Mr. A. S. Hoeseni (Nephew of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali and incharge of translation and publications, Stichting Ahmadiyya Isha‘at-i-Islam, Hague, Holland). 9. Mrs. Joyce Sardarkhan (Niece of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali, Hague). 10. Drs Errol Alibux (member of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic of Suriname and former Minister of Finance). 11. Mrs. Joyce van Varsseveld (former Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Regional Development). 12. Mrs. Yvonne Raveles (former Minister of Regional Development). 13. Mr. Jules Ajodhia (former Vice President of the Republic of Suriname). 14. Dr. Tariq Jamaludin (son-in-law of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali’s brother, Toyab Ahmadali and medical specialist). 15. Mr. Chandrika Santokhi (a leading politician in Suriname) 16. Mr. Henk Naarendorp (from the Cabinet of the President of Suriname). 17. Mr. Faried Pierkhan (son of late SIV President Mr. Rashid Pierkhan). 18. Mr. Ronald Venetiaan, (former President of the Republic of Suriname). 19. Imam Moulvi Humphrey Dammar (Central Mosque SIV, Paramaribo). 20. Mrs. Joyce Ramkalup ( Niece of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali from Holland). 21. Mrs. Rabia Ghafoerkhan (Niece of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali). 22.Granddaughters : Zaina, Ilhaam and Farzana. 23. Mr. Anwar Joemmanbaks, Imam, Imdadia Isha’at Islam). 24. Mr. Ignaz Ahmadali (young-er son of late Mr. Basharat Ahmadali). 25. Mr. Melvin Bouva and Mr. Marinus Bee (members of the Parliament of Suriname). 26. Mr. Ram Sardjoe (former Speaker of the Parliament). 27. Mr. Michael Felisi (former Minister of Regional Development, Suriname)

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blessings of Allah be on him). LOVE also generates peace and happiness in the society. Follow the commandments of ALLAH and His Messenger, the Holy Prophet MUHAMMAD and earn an ever-lasting life here in this world and in the Hereafter. May Allah bless you all.

Ahmad Nawaz, Hayward, California I have just finished reading the February 2013 issue of the HOPE Bulletin dedicated to the memory of the late Br. Akbar Abdullah. I must say that your team has worked very hard to collect facts about the life and contributions made by our late Br. Akbar. The formatting of the Bulletin and photographs have made it very impressive and visual. Br. Akbar deserved such a beautiful dedication. I wish to congratulate you for making the Bulletin more than just a news bulletin. The brief life history of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas) by our new sister in the fold of Islam, Christiane Backer, is very impressive and shows how his Perfect Example has inspired her thoughts and behaviour. I am sure her book “From MTV to Mecca” must be worth reading. Thanks for introducing the autobiography of a highly popular figure in the Western media, who, by her own study, has adopted Islam, and is facing challenges with firm faith and conviction.

CONTACT INFORMATION

The HOPE Bulletin E-mail address: thehopebulletin@hotmail.com

ISLAM stands for: I SHALL LOVE ALL MANKIND

Photographs : Mr. Riaz AhmadaliDesign & Formatting : Erwan Hamdani, Jakarta, Indonesia