Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilahe Rajeoon. There is sad news for Aligarians. Professor M B Khan, retired professor of Anatomy died on October 13, 2009. He was ill for some time.Professor Iqbal A Ansari former professor department of English a Human Right activist and always working for the cause of the community breathed his last today in the morning. He was a regular contributor on AMU Network. He will be buried day after tomorrow as his one son is in US.

Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad
Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering
Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh, 202002 India

==================================================================

ASAK, Inna illaha wa inna ilaihey rajaun. News is received today of the sudden passing away of Prof Iqbal Ansari in New Delhi. Prof Ansari was a distinguished professor of English at Aligarh Muslim University. After retiring from AMU about 10 years ago, he settled down in New Delhi and devoted himself to the cause of human rights of religious minorities, and communal harmony between majority and minority communities in India.

Instead of street protest he adopted the process of doing research and writing petitions to the supreme court and government bodies and articles and books. With painstaking research he brought out many elements of the Indian constitution and the laws of India that provide relief to minorities. He organized many seminars and meetings in New Delhi to draw the attention of the Indian Govt in this area. Being a well read intellectual he made much contribution in his chosen area of work.

I had the opportunity of meeting Prof Iqbal Ansari several times in New Delhi and in Washington DC. It was always a pleasure to talk to him, learn from him and enlighten myself.

May Allah forgive his infractions and give him a place in Jannah. Was salam.

Kaleem Kawaja
Association of Indian Muslims of America
Washington DC

==================================================================

Inna Lillahe wa Inna Alyhe Raajeoun. Dr. MB Khan was our provost in Hadi Hassan Hall and Prof. Iqbal Ansari was our English teacher in Pre-Medical class. May Allah Grant them highest place in Jan-natul firdous and saber-e jamil to all family members (Aamin).

Wa as salaam

Mozaffarul Islam, Ph.D.'97
Ohio, USA

==================================================================


I am shocked to hear the sad news of passing away of Prof MB Khan and Prof Iqbal A Ansari. Prof Ansari taught me compulsory English at undergraduate level. Prof Khan was quite social and sympathetic to the students' causes.

I extend heartfelt condolences to the families of the departed souls and pray to the Almighty to place the souls in Jannatul Firdaus.Further, Prof Ansari's versatility in the field of promoting cause of human rights and justice will always be adjudged as the pioneering endeavours by an Aligarian. Vaccum arising from his demise may not be filled in near future.

Ahmad Ali
Assistant Professor
Ph.D.(Geography)2002

PG Dept of Geography
Shibli National College
Azamgarh (UP),India

==================================================================


Inna Lillahe wa Inna Ilahe Rajeoon.
Dear Aligs, I am really saddened with the news of passing away of Prof Iqbal A Ansari who was my English Professor in my 2nd Year of B.Sc. Engineering in 1970-71.

Prof Iqbal A Ansari was a thorough gentleman, caring, soft spoken, and a decent human being. I know some of his friend and/or contemporaries who were the great personalities of their times. They are Prof. Abdul Haq Ansari of Aligarh, Prof. Nijatullah Siddiqui of Aligarh, Prof. Shamsul Haq Alvi of Bahrain, Late Prof. Dilnawaz Siddiqui of USA and
Late Prof. M.Y. Ansari of Aligarh.

I extend my deepest condolences to the family of the departed soul and pray to the Almighty Allah to rest his soul in Junnah. He was an eloquent writer of human rights and justice. His absence will be felt for a long time to come.

I also extend my sincere prayers to his friends late Profs Dilnawaz Siddiqui and M.Y. Ansari.

Shakir Husain, Ph.D.
B.Sc. Engg. Civil 1974

Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Youngstown state University
Youngstown, Ohio 44555

==================================================================


Dear Aligs,

This is news took me to a surprise and shock as prof. Iqbal Ansari sahab was one of my teacher in B.Sc.Engineering 1st year and taught us Scientific English. Even though in the beginning we did not used to take the subject very seriously as it was a Non-Engineering subject but he left a non-lasting impression on most of us. He was very passionate and committed for his subject and tried his best to make us realize the importance of the subject and by mid of the session we started taking interest in the subject.

After First Year of Engineering, I never had any interaction with Prof. Ansari but was amazed when I saw his detail profile and contributions as a Human Right Activist in The Times of India in 1996-97. It gave me a lot of pleasure and pride to be one of his student. After joing the AMUNetwork and being Moderator, I had a lot of email interaction with him. It is really sad to loose such a member and a regular contributor of AMUNetwork.

Indians in general and Muslims in particular have a very few Human Rights Activist and loosing one of his strong and dedicated soldier is definitely a bad news for the community.

Probably Allama Iqbal had said it for people like him only;

"Khuda ke Aashiq to hain hazaro(n), bano(n) me phirtey hain jo maarey maarey
Main uska banda banoo(n)ga jisko Khuda ka bando(n) se pyaar hogaa "

On behalf of AMUNetwork and its team of Moderators and Well wishers and members, I would like extend the condolences to the family of deceased and make dua to Allah to grand him Jannah.

To commemorate prof. Iqbal Ansari and his legacy, it will be nice if Aligarh Muslim University/AMU Fraternity institute an award or fellowship to Human Right Activist in India in general and Muslims in particular. This will be a true recognition to his passion and commitment for Human Rights.

--
Afzal Usmani
M.Sc.Engg.(Electronics)-1997
Austin TX

==================================================================

I fully endorse the idea of instituting an award in the memory of Prof Iqbal Ansari as proposed by Afzal Usmani.

Dr. A. Abdullah
Potomac, MD US

==================================================================


ASA All ,

Feel deeply shocked and grieved to learn about the sad demise of Prof Iqbql Ansari .He taught me English in Pre University .He had just started his teaching career ..later on we became quite close on account of our common concern about minority rights and communal violence .He was among those who always appreciated my articles and letters to editors about such issues in papers and periodicals during my Aligarh days ,I visited his place occasionally to discuss current issues facing the community .I must say I learn a lot from him .Unfortunately our interaction in recent years was very limited but it was always a real pleasure to meet him at some event in Delhi .The sad news of his death just reminded me of good old days of my student life at Aligarh .I miss him immensely and join his family in this hour of grief and pray for his maghfirat.

Saleem Kidwai , PhD 1976

Dr Saleem kidwai
Center for Canadian,US and Latin American studies,
School of international studies
Jawaharlal Nehru university
New Delhi-110067,India

==================================================================


Dear Aligs
ASAK!

I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear about the death of MB uncle. He was a close friend of my parents and his youngest daughter Shaheena Tarranum lovingly called Guppi is my close friend since childhood. MB uncle will always be in my thoughts and prayers. We always loved MB uncle a lot. MB uncle will be missed immensely. MB uncle was such a kind, and gentle soul and a known philanthropist in Aligarh. I know MB uncle have helped so many people whether they wanted Medical attention or anything else.

I always appreciated MB uncle's quality of being one of the best hosts in Aligarh. MB uncle's evening get together at his Medical College house are an event within itself and can never be forgotten by many who have been part of it. It brings to my memory delicious food we had at MB uncle's place. MB uncle's house was decorated so tastefully that we all admired it a lot. Whenever our friends and myself used to visit Shaheena we all friends were looking forward to see MB uncle and aunty. My heart is filled with sadness at the loss of MB uncle. I wanted to let Shaheena ,Shirin Apa and Shahid Bhai know that MB uncle's loving thoughts will always be with me. I will always miss MB uncle a lot. May Allah Almighty give Shaheena ,Shirin Apa and Shahid Bhai strength to bear this loss Ameen.

With best of regards
Afshan Hashmi, PhD (Biochemistry, AMU 1991)
Rockville,Maryland,USA

==================================================================

News has just come about the somewhat premature death of Iqbal Ansari Sahib - one of the better known (ex) Faculty Members of AMU outside the campus thanks largely to his intimate association with the Human Rights Movement of PUCL which he joined under the influence of the late Justice Tarkunde. This was indeed a long journey for someone who started his 'public career' with the Jama'at-i-Isalmi-i-Hind (JI).

I came in contact with him more than four decades back as he was a student and later a colleague of my father. A person of pleasing demeanour and personality, he always loved an argument and was for that reason always regarded as more of a maverick.

He never shared the reasons for his apparent distancing from the JI - he had vociferously worked for the release of Dr Najatulolah Siddiqui and others detained under the Defence of India Rules during Mrs Gandhi's emergency - but from 1977 onwards he became a committed human rights activist meticulously documenting cases of Police partisanship and atrocities in communal violence and using his PUCL contacts to good measure to share his investiogations not only in "intersted publications" like the PUCL Newslatter and the Secular Democracy but also in the intellectually Highbrow journals like the "Economic and Pilitical Weekly" and theb "Seminar". Indeed, luminaries like Atul Setalvad and Soli Sorabji counted him among his friends. we can safely say that his exertions did play a role in better appreciation of Muslim viewpoints on many issues by the mainstream Civil Rights organizations - this was no mean achievement as this was earlier not possible.

His well meaning but argumentative personality, be it admitted frankly' did not endear him to the majority among the'Aligarh Crowd' - the loss was entirely theirs as I doubt if he was much bothered about his 'acceptability' by all and sundry. I hope the thinking members of the community realise the loss which the community has suffered with his permanent exit. For me, I have lost someone with whom I debated now and then and the experience, I believe, provided us with better insights in the knotty problems.

I trust that more write-ups on his substantive contributions will appear in due course on this forum.Sleep well Iqbal Sahib, for you have richly earned your long lost slumber.

Naved Masood
New Delhi

==================================================================

Dear Friends,

The Aligarh Alumni Association of Washington, D.C. expresses its profound grief and deep sorrow at the sudden demise Prof. Iqbal Ansari.

May Allah grant him a place in Jannat-ul-Firdaus, ameen.

Prof Ansari was one of the most active proponents of human rights of Indian minorities and backward classes through his writings and lectures. Few years back, Prof. Ansari visited Washington DC and we the members of the association benefited with his intellectual insight on minority issues. We still cherish the fond memories of his visit. Dr Aftab Ansari, one of the founding members of AAA Washington and his nephew always circulated his articles on important issues among our members. At initial stages, Prof. Ansari was the sole person in executing our Scholarship program at AMU and the association is deeply indebted to his kind services.

Prof. Ansari was a great teacher and a caring man. His sincerity and dedication for the service of humanity was felt by all. He inspired the people who came in contact with him. With his passing away we have lost a great man. He will be sorely missed by the memebers of the association.

May Allah grant his family solace and comfort.

Regards,

S. Rafat Husain, Ph.D.
President

==================================================================

Dear Aligarians,

I just got the sad news of the death Prof Iqbal Ansari.

I had personally known him for the last two decades.He never tought me but he always treted me like his student and scolded me if I did not respond to his emails promptly.

He will call me on my mobile and scold me as if I was his student and an erring kid before him.

He was deepy associted with Human Rights issues particularly relating to Communal riots in the country.

Once I filed a writ Petition in the Supreme Court of india in relation to Bhagalpur riots for compensation and he guided me in drafting the writ petition.

May Allah grant him Jannat-ul-Firdaus and provide solace to the family. Aameen.

Ejaz Maqbool
Advocate,Supreme Court
C-13,Sector-20
Noida-201301
Phones: 0120-2558881, 0120-2530486 , 0120-2552334
Mobile: 9811052710