http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/features/x556840685/Muslim-community-mourns-former-MIT-scholar-killed-on-Red-Line
Muslim community mourns former MIT scholar killed on Red Line *By Michael Wyner* GateHouse News Service <http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge> Posted Dec 02, 2010 @ 09:38 AM Last update Dec 02, 2010 @ 09:39 AM Cambridge — *Estimates of nearly 1,000 people from across the country mourned Muslim scholar Omar Khalidi at a funeral service yesterday at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury.* * The 57-year-old Wayland resident was killed by a Red Line train at the Kendall Square MBTA station in Cambridge on Monday morning.* * Known internationally as an expert on Islamic architecture and the plight of Muslims in India, Khalidi was remembered locally by friends at the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland as a “wonderful human being.”* * “He was a great friend to me,” said Malik Khan of Boxborough, current president of the Islamic Center of Boston, who knew Khalidi for nearly 20 years. “He was a very charming, well-read man. You could talk to him about almost anything.”* * Khan said he can remember conversations lasting for hours on some of their shared interests, including music and poetry.* * “He was a very open and forward-looking Muslim, who took his responsibilities seriously,” said Khan.* * Khalidi is survived by his wife Nigar and daughter Aliya, who is in her final year at Suffolk Law School.* * Born in Hyderabad, Khalidi earned a PhD from the University of Wales in the UK. He was the author of more than two dozen books, including “Muslims in Indian Economy,” and numerous academic articles.* * His wife Nigar told the Times of India that her husband suffered from diabetes and insomnia and his death was the result of fainting and falling in front of the train.* * “He was a friend, a loving father, caring member of the Islamic Center, and loved by all who knew him,” said Habib Rahman of Weston in an interview yesterday. “He was always promoting tolerance and worked particularly hard in promoting educational opportunities for young people, and encouraging Muslims to be active members in their communities.”* * “It’s heartbreaking,” said Anwar Kazmi, another friend who knew Khalidi for over 20 years. “He was a wonderful human being, very generous, with a great sense of humor. He would always greet you with big smile on his face.” * * Among the attendees at Khalidi’s funeral was State Rep. Tom Conroy, D-Wayland.* * “He and his family were very supportive of me in my bid for public office,” Conroy said yesterday. “Dr. Khalidi and I shared conversations about how to get citizens more engaged in government, how to make them play a role and open up their voices. He was a very interesting individual.”* * Khalidi worked as the librarian for the Aga Khan Program in the MIT Libraries. Memorials are being planned at the Islamic Center of Boston and at MIT.* * “This is sad and shocking news for all of us in the (MIT) Libraries who knew and worked with Omar, and our thoughts at this time are with his family,” said Keith Glavash, associate director for administration at the MIT Libraries, in a prepared statement.* * Attaulla Khan of the Indian Muslim Council-USA flew in from Baltimore, Md., to attend the funeral services yesterday.* * “Dr. Khalidi was one of a few scholars who had written a lot about Indian Muslims, so I initially knew him through his work,” he said. “He was a regular speaker at major symposiums.”* * Attaulla Khan said Khalidi was well-known in three different circles – for his expertise on Islamic architecture, for his research on the economic situation of Muslims in India, and for his general knowledge of issues surrounding India.* * “He was certainly well-known among Indian leaders,” said Attaulla Khan. “He was a real interesting personality who had all these different qualities to him.”* * Attaulla Khan said the well-attended funeral showed he “touched a lot of people’s hearts, which speaks to the legacy he leaves behind.”* * Malik Khan said Khalidi often used his architectural expertise to help with many of the building issues at the Islamic Center of Boston in Wayland. * * He noted Khalidi was always committed to volunteering his time to improve the living conditions of Indian Muslims.* * “He worked hard to raise the people above the poverty level, collaborating with the schools,” Khan said. “He was very passionate about helping Muslims in India. A lot of people will miss him.”* *Michael Wyner can be reached at 508-626-4441 or [email protected]* *Copyright 2010 Cambridge Chronicle. Some rights reserved<http://www.gatehousemedia.com/terms_of_use> * http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge/news/x1497405570/Wife-MIT-scholar-killed-by-train-fainted-on-track Wife: MIT scholar killed by train fainted on track *By Staff reports* Wicked Local Cambridge <http://www.wickedlocal.com/cambridge> Posted Dec 01, 2010 @ 12:18 PM Last update Dec 01, 2010 @ 12:20 PM Cambridge — *The 57-year-old Wayland man who was struck and killed by a train at the Kendall Square MBTA station in Cambridge Monday morning is being identified as Indian-Muslim scholar Dr. Omar Khalidi.* * Khalidi is the author of several articles on Muslim architecture. He had worked with the Aga Khan program for Islamic architecture in the MIT libraries.* * According to a press release from MIT, Khalidi worked at MIT Libraries from 1983 until last month and is survived by a wife and daughter.* * Khalidi’s wife, Nigar, has told the Times of India that her husband suffered from diabetes and insomnia and his death was the result of his fainting and falling in front of the train.* * A funeral prayer for Khalidi was scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 1, at the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center in Roxbury.* * “This is sad and shocking news for all of us in the Libraries who knew and worked with Omar and our thoughts at this time are with his family,” Keith Glavash, associate director for administration at MIT Libraries, said in a release.* * According to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo, police, EMTs and subway personnel responded Monday morning to a report of a person under a Red Line train on the southbound side of the station .* * Pesaturo said the state medical examiner has not yet ruled on the death. The T wasn’t releasing any information on whether it was a suicide or accident.* *Copyright 2010 Cambridge Chronicle. Some rights reserved<http://www.gatehousemedia.com/terms_of_use> * -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "humanrights movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/humanrights-movement?hl=en.
