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FARHAT
RAHMAN
Loss of a Friend and a Partner
Mrs.
Farhat Rahman, CBR coordinator at RCPD - Peshawar and head of CBR
project in Pakistan supported by AIFO, died on the morning of Sunday 1
May 2005, after a brief illness. In March this year, she was diagnosed
with a tumour. She had written to us, communicating her firm desire to
fight against the disease and to continue with her untiring work. Farhat
leaves behind her husband and two children and all the colleagues of
RCPD. In the last few years, she had been involved in capacity building
of many big and small organisations in Pakistan for creating awareness
about disability issues and about the CBR approach.
In this
hour of grief our thoughts and solidarity go to Farhat's family and
friends. We shall remember your fighting spirit and untiring work,
always ready to face any challenge.
Farhat Rahman (centre)
talking about importance of proper nutrition
Messages
from RCPD, Peshawar, Pakistan (26 May 2005)
Dear friends,
Your message of condolence on the sad demise
of our beloved Farhat Rahman has been a source of great solace and
strength for all her near and dear ones. The cliché “No one is
indispensable” seems so out of place in case of Farhat. The vacuum
left by her departure appears as a chasm, which may take years of hard
work and innumerable sleepless nights to fill.
However,
we, the office bearers and the staff of this institution are fortunate
to have the precious legacy of her untiring work, invincible spirit
and unflinching commitment which, we sincerely hope, will help us with
God’s grace and support of friends like you to pass through this
dark period of shock and grief and keep up the tempo of her mission to
work with physically disabled persons and handicapped persons to be an
integral, useful and respectable part of society.
In
fact, we believe that our continuing march towards fulfillment of her
vision will delight her soul, as it will alleviate our pain of missing
her. Please do continue praying for the peace of her departed soul and
success of our commitment.
From,
RCPD,
Peshawar
Messages
from other persons and organisations
Sorry to
hear about sad news from Pakistan. It is like a loss of a very near and
dear family member. Sarmila Shrestha, WATCH Nepal
Please accept our
condolence for the untimely death of Ms Farhat Rahman which has come
as great shock to us at FEDOMA. We vividly recall her vibrancy and
sense of humility and purpose which she manifested in Bologna which
will leave a mark in the memory of many of us. Her death marks a
tragic loss in the fight for the dignity and freedom of persons with
disabilities in Pakistan and the world over.
May her soul rest in
peace.
Mussa Chiwaula, FEDOMA,
Malawi
Good bye
sweet Farhat!
I would
never forget your smiling face, your love and your strength. I will
miss you. Pray for us from the heaven.
Simona
Venturoli, AIFO, Italy
My name is
Geraldine Maison Halls from Guyana. I learnt of the sad news of the
passing of Fahrat Rehman this morning, through AIFO.
Fahrat and I often
met in meetings or conferences organised through
AIFO, We shared many good times, as we spoke about
our families and work. We also shared ideas and aspirations for our
families as well as for our work. I just want you to know that
I will always cherish those times that we shared.
I recognise that
this cannot be an easy time for you, but I pray that God may
grant you - her husband, children and members of staff the
strength to go through this time of grief. She was a lovely
person and I feel privileged to have known her. May God grant her
eternal peace.
Sincerely
Geraldine Maison Halls
CBR National Adviser,
Guyana
We are very sorry to hear about the
sad demise of Mrs. Farhat Rehman . We express our heart felt
sympathies with the bereaved family members. By the grace of Allah:
'May the departed soul rest in peace'. Regards
Jose and AIFO family, Bangalore,
India
On behalf of
the staff of CBR Programme in Somalia, I would like to convey my
heartfelt condolences and sympathy on the death of Mrs. Farhat
Rahman.
Also, I ask
and pray that Alleh would extend His bless and protection to the
soul of Mrs. Farhat who was respected as being an advocate for
justice and human rights.
I 'finally' wish
to give our sincere compassion to her family, relatives and
friends whereever they are and do share the mournful sentiment
of missing Mrs. farhat. Alleh bless her.
Sincerely yours,
Ahmed Ali
Executive Director
of CBRS, Somalia
We are really to learn of the
death of Mrs. Farhat.We join her family, friends,colleagues
and the Whole CBR fraternity in mourning her passing.We
sincerely wish her family the Inner strength and solace in
this time of grieving.We know that her death is a big blow to
the AIFO and the CBR fraternity.
May Allah preserve her soul in
eternal peace.
Peter Warui, Nairobi, Kenya
Ina Lilah he
wa Inna Ilaihi Rajeoon
May Allah
with those who morn, and May Allah rest her soul in peace
Muhammad
Atif Sheikh, President
STEP, Secretary
General DPI-Pakistan
She was a dedicated lady just
like innocent angel, God may be merciful on her. For her
innovative work as kind hearted person for the persons with
disabilities at all over the Pakistan. It is great loss of
Nation.
Salma Khatoon, Himmat, Attock,
Pakistan
On behalf of
Coordinators, Supervisors and Volunteers of SSBI CBR
Project, I wish to extend our deepest condolence to the
bereaved family for the death of Mrs. Farhat Rehman,
Coordinator of CBR program and AIFO referral person in
Pakistain.
May her suol
rest in perfect peace and light perpetual shine upon her.
With warm regards and best wishes,
Sincerely
Yours, Lemuel S. Boah
CBR
Coordinator, SSBI, Liberia
I'm so sorry about the terrible
news. Nothing prepared me for it. I had no idea, and wish I
had known in order to be able to show some support. I sent
an e-mail to Farhat's husband, and I hope the family is able
to cope with this tragic loss. May they have the strength to
survive these difficult times.
Gehane Sharkawy, Cairo, Egypt
I am
shocked with the news of Farah's death. Last we met at
Bologna in the training programme you organised it. We made
so many plans to come togather and work with each other.
Now, when India Pakistan relations are improving we had all
the chances.
Recently for ten weeks we have had doctors and nurses from
various parts of Pakistan for training programme at TISS and
in my interaction with them I mentioned about my friendship
with Farah and now I got the news of her untimely and sudden
demise.
Her loss is irreparable to the world of social work,
friendship, excellent human being and of course to her
family.
Usha Nayar, TASH, Mumbai, India
I have no words to express
my sorrow, my dismay.
Farhat was not only a
particularly clever, strong and intelligent responsible for
a beautiful project in a so difficult country like yours.
She was, but I prefer saying, she is a person I love,
because I esteem her a lot, because I felt and I feel in a
deep feeling with her.
I remember when we prayed
together, one next to the other, praying Allah, praying God,
knowing He is the same Father for all who love Him and the
poor.
I lost my sister last
August in the same quick way. It's terrible when you don't
have even the time to fight.
But we Must believe now she
is happy in the light of Allah. She is absolutely near to
you all and she will give you the strength to continue to
live and to work for the poorest, the disabled, all the
people to whom she gave a hope.
I don't know if she told
you about the sketch we did in Assisi, when she came for the
Aifo national convention: I wore the burqa as a Pakistani
woman victim of old traditions while she was very elegant
wearing her Punjabi dress, bringing books as a modern
Pakistani woman. In front of all the public we showed the
two realities and the future we hope all women in your
country will be able to reach..... It was a very impressive
sketch.
If it is possible, if it
does not create any problems to you and to the Organization,
I'll come, later, to visit Farhat, to visit you and your
family and the workers and volunteers. I say: if it does not
create any problem (I remember all the precautions when I
was in Peshawar and we went out to visit the rehabilitation
centres). If not, I'll wait. Perhaps there will come the
time in which it will be possible to come.
I'll translate for you a
poem I received some months after my son's death. I love it very much: it helped me a
lot. So, I think it can help you a little. My best regards to you and to your
son and daughter and parents and to Farhat's sister and
brother.
Please, consider me a very
close friend.
Susanna Bernoldi, A.I.FO. Board, Italy
....."Don't
cry in front of my grave.
I am not there. I don't sleep.
I am thousand blowing winds.
I am the diamond glittering on the snow
I am the sun light on the ripe wheat.
I am the Autumn rain.
When you get up in the morning silence,
I am the swift flight of the birds towards the high.
I am the twinkling stars in the night.
Don't cry in front of my grave.
I am not there. I don't sleep..."
News
on Italian News Agency MISNA: PAKISTAN,
3/5/2005 15:54
MORTA
FARHAT RAHMAN, ATTIVISTA SOCIALE DELL’AIFO A FIANCO DI DONNE E
DISABILI
Un’attivista
pakistana, Farhat Rahman, molto nota per l’impegno in campo
sanitario e a favore dei disabili e delle donne, è morta
domenica scorsa a 46 anni dopo una breve malattia. Referente
Aifo (Associazione italiana amici di Raoul Follereau) del
Progetto di sviluppo comunitario e riabilitazione su base
comunitaria di Peshawar, città pakistana al confine con
l’Afghanistan, Rahman era da sempre impegnata come attivista
sociale e l’anno scorso aveva vinto la medaglia d’oro al
valor civile ‘Fatimah Jinna’, uno dei riconoscimenti più
prestigiosi assegnato a personalità civili in Pakistan. Nata a
Peshawar, aveva lavorato per 22 anni nei programmi di
riabilitazione su base comunitaria per persone disabili. Aveva
fatto nascere una rete nazionale per l’handicap in
collaborazione con 54 organizzazioni non governative (ong) e
realizzato vari seminari di formazione sulla sanità di base e
sulla prevenzione delle disabilità per le donne residenti nelle
aree rurali. Come responsabile del progetto Aifo, l’attivista
ha offerto un servizio di cui continuano a beneficiare
direttamente 50.000 disabili pakistani. “Ricordo la sua
esuberanza – dice alla MISNA Francesca Ortali, project manager
dell’Aifo per il Pakistan e da alcuni anni amica di Farhat –
al punto che certe volte dovevo tenerla a bada perché era un
vulcano di idee, e non posso dimenticare la sua grande ironia e
auto-ironia. Quando si pensa al Pakistan, e all’etnia pashtun
di cui lei era parte, si immagina di solito qualcosa di tetro,
invece questa sua capacità di scherzare era contraria a ogni
preconcetto. Ugualmente opposto alle regole vigenti in Pakistan
era stato il suo matrimonio: si era sposata per amore, a
differenza della stragrande maggioranza delle sue connazionali,
costrette a nozze combinate”. In una relazione tenuta in
passato da Farhat Rahman e fatta pervenire alla MISNA
dall’Aifo, l’operatrice umanitaria ricordava che “le donne
in Pakistan vivono in uno stato di piena discriminazione e
isolamento; non hanno quasi accesso a educazione, formazione e
attività commerciali, e inoltre sono vittime di mancanza di
rispetto da parte della società, malnutrizione, malattie e
ignoranza. Hanno poche occasioni di ottenere informazioni
relative alla salute e all’igiene e la maggior parte delle
donne trascorre la vita tra le mura della propria casa”.
Farhat Rahman lascia il marito e due figli adolescenti. [LM]
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