British-Pakistani actor and rapper Riz Ahmed penned down a heart-wrenching post for his uncle who passed away due to coronavirus last weekend.
In an Instagram post, he said: “Heartbroken to say that my uncle Shakeel passed away this weekend due to Covid-19. He was a legend in his community who will be missed by so many.”
He added that his uncle was a “charismatic storyteller, he could strike up a conversation with anyone and soon have them in tears of one kind or another – either laughing from his unique turn of phrase, or meditating on his spiritual insights.”
According to the actor, his uncle was born in
India and moved to Pakistan then England. “He was an immigrant, then a teddy-boy in silk shirts and medallions, then a banker, and finally a devoted spiritual guide who went out of his way for others.”
His uncle Shakeel passed away while prostrating (in sajda) during Fajr prayers in the hospital’s prayer room: “It was a fittingly poetic end for a man who had lyrics for days, and whose faith gave him and so many others such strength.”
He urged his fans to ensure that when all this is over, our losses don’t go in vain and we must help to build a more just and caring society.
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