A shining light among the Moor community
It is over 45 years since my paternal granddad Mohamed Sameer, son of Hajie Ismail Effendi, passed away on November 21, 1972 at the age of 82, when I had clocked 22.
Sameer Appa, as we affectionately called him, was born on March 7, 1890. He received his education at Hameedia School in 1900, at City College and at S. Thomas College located in Mutwal, Colombo, passing the London College of Preceptors in 1902.
He met with Colonel Orabi Pasha, before his departure on September 18, 1901, in view of the Egyptian revolutionary’s close friendship with his late father Hajie Ismail Effendi (1854-1896) who was an Arabic scholar. Sameer Appa attended the historic Fez Question Mass meeting held at the Maradana Mosque Colombo grounds on December, 31, 1905.
In 1909, he edited the monthly Tamil journal The True Messenger, and published Jewels of Islam in 1912. In 1915, he was a pioneer member of the All Ceylon Muslim League founded by CM Meera Lebbe Marikar who was its secretary, and the Moors Union, whose president, Proctor NHM Abdul Cader, MLC, MMC, ceremonially released Sameer Appa’s book, A Short Sketch of the Life of ILM Abdul Azeez, on November 26, 1915.
On February 15, 1941, he retired as a special class officer after having served over 30 years in the Colombo Municipal Council. He was the sole Ceylonese Moor clerk who joined the Assessor’s Department on January 1, 1911 as chief correspondence and acquisition clerk under NG Power. He functioned in varied disciplines, ending as head clerk of the Veterinary department. He served C. Stewart Orr and HP Beling, especially under the mayoralty of WL Murphy, (19321937) (later Sir William Lindsay Murphy. He published a piece in the CDN of October 9, 1969 on former mayor Major Newnham, commending his efficiency during his tenure, as reported by editor MJ Wangsa Achmed in the Truth newspaper of March-April, 1941. Thereafter, he was recalled and did temporary stints as head clerk in the central milk-feeding section, Civil Defence Commissioner’s department, and in the claims section, Valuation department.
I used to accompany him on occasion smartly kitted in his suit to the CMC to collect his monthly pension, and thereafter to procure stationery and sweets before returning home in Bambalapitiya. His famous mottos used to be: “You first,” to those who rude- ly barged in, and, “A book lent is a book lost.”
He was a founder and senior member of the board of trustees of the Moors’ Islamic Cultural Home, Inc., (MICH) Colombo. At a ceremony held in November, 1965, the MICH board of trustees awarded him its coveted gold medallion and citation, “in recognition of his services in the collection, presentation and dissemination of information relating to the Moors of Ceylon.” The MICH souvenirs of October 1965 and July 1970 carry a sizeable work of his research.
A member of the Maradana Mosque Colombo congregation since June 1908, he was recommended by its president, Barrister AHM Ismail, MA, LL.B, for appointment as its managing trustee on three alternate 2-year terms from June 1941 to 06 June 1951. During his tenure he “cleansed” the Augean Stables of the Maradana Mosque administration as described in his work, How I served the Maradana mosque. He also wrote a history of the Maradana mosque, personages of the past, and a diary of events titled Recalled to life, and edited a translation of his father’s travels of Hajie Ismail Effendi in 1884.
He used to type his essays using an Olivetti desk typewriter. As age crept up on him, I used to help type them and mastered the keyboard, which ability now helps me behind a PC. He was deeply affected by the demise of his beloved wife Raliya Noordeen, on September, 1968, five days prior to her 75th birthday, but continued to focus on life with fortitude.
He maintained an extensive global correspondence with Islamic institutions, and with the Departments of Archaeology and Museums, Dr Senarath Paranavitana, Sir Dr Paul Pieris, Statesmen Sir Razik Fareed, Senator Dr AMA Azeez, historians and writers Lieut-Comm. Somasiri Devendra, SLN, Capt SL Mohamed, barrister AH Macan Markar, AIL Marikar, ALM Lafir, AHM Azwer, MM Thawfeeq and Marzook Burhan, consulted him on various issues concerning the Ceylon Moors.
One morning in November, 1972, lying in bed, he summoned, apart from his youngest son Sadiq in London, my dad Thahir, Ismail and Farooq, daughters Rameela, Saleema, Jazeela, Ameena, Rahma and Khalisa, and their spouses, 34-grandkids and close kin and bid them goodbye. He serenely passed on at 4-pm. May Allah bless you dear Sameer Appa with Jennathul Firdous (Heavenly Bliss)!
Firoze Sameer