Dr. Basharat Jamil

Dr. Basharat Jamil's Obituary Publised in Washington Post

Dr. Basharat A. JamilGovernment Mathematician

Dr. Basharat A. Jamil, a Defense Mapping Agency employee and an Ahmadi Muslim human rights leader, died Nov. 17 of a brain hemorrhage while visiting the site of his new house in Rockville.

Dr. Jamil, 62, was born in Pune, India, and received his undergraduate degree from Talimul Islam College in Rabwah, Pakistan, in 1965. He received a master's degree from the University of the Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1967 and received a scholarship to study at Fordham University. He received his doctorate in mathematics from the City University of New York in 1976 for his work in graph theory.

He taught mathematics at Queens College in New York City and was an adjunct professor at George Washington University. In 1976, he joined the Defense Mapping Agency, now the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, where he worked as a mathematician. He also was an active member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA and was involved in efforts to secure human rights and religious freedom for the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan. In 1992, he and a colleague, Dr. Daniel Aulicino, co-founded Humanity International, an organization supporting humanitarian projects around the world.

Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Razia L. Jamil of Rockville; his mother, Sardar Begum Jamil of Houston; three sons, Irfan Jamil, Usman Jamil and Furhan Jamil, all of Rockville; four brothers, Abdul Hadi Nasir and Mubarak A. Jamil, both of New York City, Abdul Salam Jamil of Houston and Nasir A. Jamil of Bel Air, Md., and a sister, Nasirah Din of Willingboro, N.J.; and two grandchildren.

The family wishes to announce the sad demise of Dr. Basharat A. Jamil son of late Ahmad Din Jamil and Sardar Begum Jamil.

He is survived by widow Razia L. Jamil, three sons Irfan Jamil, Usman Jamil and Furhan Jamil. Daughters-in-law Vajeeha K. Jamil and Uzma K. Jamil, and a grandson Salman Ahad Jamil, and a granddaughter Amanee Zara Jamil. His siblings include four brothers Abdul Hadi Nasir and Mubarak A. Jamil who both reside in New York, Abdul Salam Jamil who resides in Houston Texas, Nasir A. Jamil living in Baltimore Maryland, and one sister Nasirah Din who resides in New Jersey.

Dr. Jamil was born in Pune, India in 1944. As an outstanding and bright student he graduated with distinction from Talimul Islam College, Rabwah Pakistan where he earned his BA degree. Subsequent to graduating from University of The Punjab, Lahore Pakistan where he earned MA in mathematics in 1967, he proceeded to the United States where he was awarded scholarship for higher studies by Fordham University, New York. He earned his PhD in mathematics from The City University of New York, New York, in 1976 for his work in Graph Theory under the supervision of renowned mathematician and scholar Dr. Alan J. Hoffman.

His thirty years of professional career included teaching mathematics at Queens College, Flushing, New York as an adjunct faculty; at George Washington University, Washington DC as an Associate Professor; and a distinguished career in civil service as a mathematician at the Department of Defense’s Defense Mapping Agency in Bethesda, Maryland.

Dr. Jamil was an active member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA. His humble services for his faith community and humanity will be remembered and cherished for a long time to come. He inherited love of Jamaat and standing up for its honor from his late father, Ahmad Din Jamil and mother Sardar Begum Jamil.

Dr. Jamil was well connected and he developed personal friendships with high level politicians, staffers and diplomats in the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Department of State, the United Nations and elsewhere in Human Rights circles. He was a man of principle and he deeply influenced his circle of friends by his own example, strength of character, dedication to the cause and passion for standing up for his community. He never hesitated to work these high level contacts and use their influence for a just cause. He always made himself readily available whenever and wherever his community wanted and needed his services.

In 1992, along with his colleague Dr. Daniel Aulicino, he founded Humanity International - a humanitarian organization—to take up humanitarian projects around the world without regard to race, religion and nationality. He dedicated his life to helping and serving fellow human beings with utmost dedication, humility, sincerity and diligence regardless of whether he knew them or not. He literally lived his life for others. He would not tolerate injustice in any form, and was always willing and ready to fight it all by himself!

Dr. Aulicino, who traveled with Dr. Jamil to many developing countries for Humanity International projects, remembers him as “very sensitive man and a very supportive friend”. Dr. Jamil’s sensitive spirit could be felt from his poetry, which was popular among his friends. He wrote some eloquent words in memory of his second son Salman Jamil, who passes away in 1999 when his motorcycle was struck by a truck in the Baltimore area.

He used all his resources to fight the government sponsored persecution of Ahmadi Muslims during the most notorious regime of General Ziaul Haq. His persistent efforts in exerting high level of pressure by the U.S. Congress kept Ziaul Haq’s heinous intentions and designs towards the Ahmadiyya community in check.

Ambassador Peter W. Galbraith, a senior Advisor to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 1979-1993, was among those who came to know and respect Dr. Jamil’s tenacity. In an email to Dr. Jamil’s son, Ambassador Galbraith noted: “In the 1980s, he brought to my attention several cases of Ahmadi Muslims who were slated to be hanged by the Zia dictatorship, and thanks to his persistence, the Committee was able to intervene and save lives.”

Dr. Jamil played a pivotal role in fighting for the human rights and religious freedom of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan. He developed an effective working relationship with a number of congressional leaders and staffers. He worked very closely with former Congressman Tony P. Hall, Ohio, in passing of a congressional resolution addressing the persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan under the tyrannical rule of General Zia ul Haque.

Dr. Jamil was instrumental in policy shift at the State Department from its negative opinion on Ahmadiyya asylum cases into a positive one. His significant ground work in close association with Karen Parker J.D., a renowned practicing human right lawyer, subsequently paved the way for hundreds of asylum seekers to justify and win their asylum cases in immigration courts all over the United States. Ms. Karen Parker in an email note upon his demise wrote: “I would hope that all Ahmadis take on the mantle of Basharat Jamil, who was so committed to the full human rights of his community, regardless of the country of residence.”

Mr. Steve Snow, Senior Policy Analyst, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom wrote: “I was privileged to know Basharat as my principal point of contact in the U.S. Ahmadiyya community when I was responsible for the Near East and South Asia in the State Department’s Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs in the mid-1980’s. He was an invaluable source of timely and accurate information on the situation in Pakistan, particularly as regards Ahmadi issues. His example of commitment to human rights and religious freedom is a wonderful legacy for his family and faith community.”

Dr. Alan Hoffman, Professor Mathematics Department City University of New York, who supervised his PhD dissertation, recalled that “it was a joy to work with him: he was bright, energetic and mature.”

He was a benefactor for many in the family and beyond. He was an obedient son, a wonderful husband, a loving brother, a caring uncle, an affectionate father, and a great and loyal friend who had a great sense of humor.

He had a great love of poetry. Besides writing poetry himself, he had hundreds of verses committed to memory. He would quote the most appropriate verse at the most appropriate time in his conversations. He was a regular participant in MAALA (Mid-Atlantic Association for Literature Appreciation) sittings that are being held at regular intervals since December 2004 in the Baltimore area. Above all he was an avid Human Rights activist, and a philanthropist.

His funeral prayer was offered on Tuesday, November 21, 2006 at Masjid Baitur Rehman, Silver Spring, Maryland . The burial took place the following day at Maqbra-tus-Salaam in Sykesville, Maryland, and his final resting place is next to his beloved son the late Salman A. Jamil. May Allah the Most Merciful shower His Mercy upon the departed souls and elevate their status in heaven. May Allah grant the grieved family the strength to bear their losses with patience and steadfastness. Amen.

The family wishes to extend its gratitude and thanks to all the well wishers who turned up in great number to express their sympathies and condolences and offered their support on this bereavement. In particular all Jamaats of Maryland including Baltimore, Virginia, and Washington DC as well as friends of the family exhibited their most generous support at this time of extreme grief and sorrow. The family thanks them all and prays that May Allah T’ala shower His blessings upon them and reward them all. Amen.

A Few Samples of Dr. Basharat Jamil's Poetry