English PDF - Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

A Letter to My MotherDr. Ijaz Ahmad QamarEDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Ijaz AhmadQamar is a Veteran member ofAhmadiyya Muslim Jamā`at Canadasince 1973. He has served as a Member/Adjudicator of the Criminal InjuriesCompensation Board from 2007 to2009. In 2010, he was appointed as aFederal Citizenship Judge in Toronto.While in government in Manitoba, hewas President of the Winnipeg Jamā’attill 1995. In the broader communityof Canada, Dr. Qamar has excelled inthe voluntary sector in Manitoba andOntario. These services span areas suchareas as human rights, race relations,pluralism, multiculturalism, humanequality, civic and community boardsincluding the very first communityeditorial board of the Toronto Star, thecity of Mississauga boards, TrilliumHealth Centre and many others. Asa result of Dr. Ijaz Qamar’s servicesin the community, he has beengranted a number of federal, civic andcommunity awards over the years,including the Federal Citation forCitizenship, Toronto Urban Allianceon Race Relations Award, HumanRights & Race Relations Centre/Employment Equity Gold Medal, Cityof Mississauga Awards of Recognitionand many others. He has publishedscores of articles and columns/lettersin numerous community, nationaland international publications. Thefollowing pieces of his writing consistof a letter to his mother, which was to bepublished originally on mother’s day,but somehow missed which is regretted.The second piece is a late obituary of hisfather written 60 years after his father’sdeath.My dear Mom in Heaven: PeaceToday is Mother’s Day in NorthAmerica. This reminded me of yourabsence because a week ago, May 2,reminded me of my father leavingall of us 60 years ago.I hope and pray that you arekeeping well in Heaven with myfather and my sister as well as yourown sisters and brothers. Some day,I hope to join you but the timing ofthis happening is only known toAllāh and is in His hands. Nobodycomes to this world with one’s ownvolition and nobody leaves thistemporary abode with one’s ownwill.Mom, I must tell you that I missyou immeasurably. I know sinceI gained consciousness in thecity of Jehlum, I used to ride mytricycle and you used to look at mewith pride when I made differentmanoeuvres with my toy. You usedto make me study the Holy Qurā’anand other literature appropriate tomy age by sending me to the nearbymosque.I know you never went to school,so you did not obtain any formaleducation. But I always admiredyou that you learnt to read and writethrough your personal struggleand with some help from my fatherwho was a highly educated personin our village.I can’t forget your love and careyou gave to me and my brotherafter the passing of my father in1949. You were young at that timeand my father was also at the primeof his age when he left us underthe command of Allāh. I can nowrealize how lonely you might havefelt when he passed away and howstraitened circumstances you foundyourself to be in but you persevered.Now my wife Bushra, who you34 A Letter to My Mother