Hyderabad: Mohammed Abdul Rahim Qureshi, assistant general secretary and spokesman of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, died of cardiac arrest here on Thursday. He was 81 and survived by wife and 11 children.
He was admitted to a private hospital in Nampally for the past 15 days. His funeral prayer, Namaz-e-Janaza was conducted at Mecca Masjid in the city at 5 p.m.
Qureshi was not just an Islamic scholar but also one who held a B.Sc degree in Mathematics and a law graduate from Osmania University. After a short stint with Accountant General’s office in Hyderabad, Qureshi joined the progressive cultural organisation, Tameer-e-Millat which was founded in 1950. He has been a member of AIMPLB since 1971.
He was the president of Tameer-e-Millat that works in the field of educational and professional empowerment among Muslims at the time of his death.
Leading community leaders in Hyderabad deemed Qureshi as a leader with a stern voice who always rose to the occasion when it came to injustices towards and within the community. Under his co-leadership, AIMPLB was marching towards a massive campaign against communalism, titled Deen aur Dastur Bachao Tehreek.
Deputy Chief Minister of Telangana, Md. Mahmood Ali who called on Qureshi’s family at Darussalam said, “He was the first to ask community elders and youth to take up legal recourse following demolition of Babri Masjid. He was a knowledgeable scholar and it was a great loss to the community”.
Following Qureshi’s demise at 4 am, Asaduddin Owaisi, president, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen tweeted his condolence, “Huge void and emptiness one feels with the passing away of scholars and Ulemas. Difficult to find selfless people with knowledge of Shariat and politics”. For people who knew Qureshi over the past four decades, he was a man of resolve and a legal luminary. “His legal contribution in Babri Masjid case and various other cases pertaining to Muslim personal law cannot be forgotten,” said Syed Amin Jafri, AIMIM, MLC.
“Remember Qureshi’s role in AIMPLB that had come to limelight during Babri Masjid demolition. He was a resilient voice during the time as he spoke not to flare sentiments but to give voice to the voiceless,” said Abid Rasool Khan, chairman, State Minorities Commission. He was buried at 6.15 pm after community leaders and general public paid homage.
(Agencies)
