Dr. Riaz Usmani, a pioneer COMMUNITY leader

BY: ISMAEL MUKHTAR
As I listened to the speeches, reports, and presentations made at the New Center fundraising dinner held on February 24, 2001, my memory went back to the initial days of the New Center project and the formation of the Land Committee by the MIA General Body. The mandate of the committee was to purchase a piece of land as the site for the future New Islamic Center. I was fortunate to be a member of this committee, along with others like Br. Pervez Siddiqui, Br. Gulam Kibrea, Dr. Mujeeb Al-Rahman, Br. Irshad Farooqi, Dr. Abdulnaser Batuoq, and the late Dr. Riaz Usmani, who was the most senior member of our community among all of us.

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As the fundraising evening continued, memories of the initial days of the project, and in particular Dr. Usmani’s image, kept flashing through my mind. This prompted me to write this article to share some of my memories of Dr. Usmani and to introduce him to the new members of our community and to our younger generation. When I first arrived in Winnipeg, I saw Dr. Usmani for the first time at the Pioneer Mosque on Sunday at Zuhr (noon) prayer. He was sitting in his wheelchair in the front row. Since then, I saw him every time I came to the mosque from a distance. Typically, he would be sitting very quietly in his wheelchair, almost always in the same spot, greeting people with a smile and a friendly face. Once during the month of Ramadan, I listened to his speech about fasting in a seminar arranged at the mosque. He spoke about the rules of fasting in a soft, gentle voice, occasionally smiling, and went on to share his memories of Ramadan when he first came to Winnipeg in the ‘60s. He said that in those days, there were very few Muslims, and he had to fast and pray by himself. He went on to tell us how things changed later when more foreign students started coming to the University of Manitoba. In particular, he spoke of one student whom he said was instrumental in organizing Jumma (Friday) prayers and other activities. He humbly said that as much as he admired that student, he equally blamed himself for not taking the initiative earlier.
Later on, I came to know this man closely when I became a member of the MIA Land Committee. I had the chance to work with Dr. Usmani not only in the Land Committee but also in the steering committees during MIA General Body meetings. As I got to know Dr. Usmani, I developed a great sense of respect, admiration, and regard for him. I found him to be a very friendly, gentle, quiet, respectful, peaceful, and humble man. His face was full of haya, smiles, and brightness. We met regularly at his home on Victor Lewis Drive, where he served as the Land Committee Treasurer. In meetings, he was mostly quiet. He hated arguments, confrontations, raising voices, and excessive talking. He listened carefully to every detail of our discussions and debates, sometimes making comments or asking questions. Seeing the new center established was his dream. He was extremely happy to see the land being purchased and to issue the check for the land's acquisition. When the property was fully acquired, he took a handful of pebbles from the property and placed them in a glass as a souvenir, which he displayed in his living room. Perhaps he sensed he might not live long enough to see the opening of the New Center.
Dr. Usmani was present at all community events. He was eager to attend and participate in every gathering and function (seminars, conferences, dinners, picnics, general body meetings, etc.) despite his health limitations. His advice was to always stay close to the Mosque and not to distance oneself from it, no matter how upset or angry you may feel. He hosted an Urdu Quranic study circle in his home, organized by a respected brother, Ayub Hamid. In the early days, he taught at the weekend Islamic School and was involved in establishing the first mosque in Manitoba, the Pioneer Mosque, where he served as a trustee in charge of collecting funds.
Dr. Usmani had a very successful career. He earned his master's degree from Aligarh Muslim University, India, and a Ph.D. in Numerical Analysis from the University of British Columbia. He arrived in Winnipeg in June 1967 as a member of the Computer Science faculty at the University of Manitoba. He later transferred to the Applied Mathematics Department at the University of Manitoba. He was well-known around the world in his field of research. He produced over 80 papers in his related field and was the author of three books.
Dr. Usmani was confined to a wheelchair in 1968 after spine surgery to remove a tuberculosis tumor. He spent a year in the Rehabilitation Hospital. Although he was physically disabled, his spirit remained high, and he was active until the last days of his life. In 1995, Dr. Usmani went to visit his homeland, India, with his beloved wife, Mrs. Denise Usmani. Suffering from kidney failure, he became increasingly ill and passed away in India at the age of 61. He was buried in the village of his birth, Pataunja, U.P. He was survived by three children from his first marriage: a daughter (Anjum), a son (Naiyer), and another son (Qaiser).
Once he was interviewed by Sadia Warsi, a university student, for the MSA newsletter (Vol. 2, No. 6, October 1990), who asked him, “What things do you enjoy doing when you have time off from your busy schedule?” He replied, “Reading (history, literature, biography), keeping up with world news (via TV), and visiting friends and relatives whenever possible.” His respected wife, Denise, describes him in the following words: “I met him when he was recovering from surgery, and at that time, I was searching for Muslims after I had glanced through the Quran. Seeing how much love he had for Islam, even after what he went through, and the visible strength of faith he possessed made me feel that this was what I was searching for. We were married four years after I did Shahada, and I remained with him until the day of his death. I miss him and pray for him; he was an inspiration to all ages.” Our respected brother, Dr. Mirghani Sheikheldin, describes him in the following words: “He was a giant man. I have never seen him with a gloomy face; he was always smiling and high-spirited.”
Given his great qualities, Dr. Usmani was a highly respected and regarded man; he was truly a father of our community. He was a man whom we loved, respected, revered, and turned to for guidance during difficult times. His contributions to the community are numerous; the New Center, once built, will be one of them. Remembering good people after their death, making prayers for them, and acknowledging their good work is the least we can do for them. May Allah bless one of the fathers of our community, Dr. Usmani, and shower him with His mercy. 
(Reproduced from Manitoba Muslim Magazine, May 2001, with some modifications.) 
[i] The New Centre was completed and officially opened in January 2007.

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A rock that Dr. Usmani took from the purchased land.

  Dr. Usmani's books.

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