Faz dared to hope

THE EDITOR: Last year I had more than my fair share of times that I had to extend condolences to families. Condolences means that you share their sadness, that you are there to support and help them. Many of us use the word without ever undertaking to share in the pain and sadness of the families. The pain of losing a loved one is deep, lasting and in many cases unquenchable. Today I offer condolences to the family of Fazal Karim.

Faz, as I called him, was a founding member of HOPE and it was through his endeavours with the political party that I came to know him a lot more. I knew him previously through politics but nowhere as close as when we communicated about his dream for a better TT.

As I listened to his funeral and the many people that came forward to speak of his exceptionally good character, it was his wife’s message that stayed with me more than any other. She spoke about her dreams for a church, the land for the church and the new building that he did not get to see completed.

In all her dreams her husband not only supported her but did all he could to make those dreams come true. That is the Faz I came to know. A dreamer who did everything possible to make his dream a reality.

Many people joined HOPE simply because they trusted Faz. I am sure that Faz and his family will not want HOPE or any political organisation to use his passing to gain political mileage. So, to the many who joined HOPE because of Faz, you are now free to move to wherever your heart leads you. As an official of HOPE, I would not want you to do anything but follow your heart.

I feel a real sense of loss. Our party has lost a gem of a human being. But the person I came to know over the last year had a deep endearing love for country. He treasured family and had a special love for children. He was always happy and pleased when children excelled.

In my humble view Faz saw HOPE as a place for TT to start over. To bury the indignities of racism and sectarian voting. He dreamed of a party where people could come together focused on what is best for their families, and by extension their community and, overall, their country.

We who decide to do all we can to fulfil his dream will do all we can to make HOPE that place where we can feel at home and where the rebuilding of Trinidad and Tobago begins. Like the final version of his wife’s church, he didn’t live long enough to see that dream come to a reality. But we are determined to make that dream of Faz a reality.

Dare to dream, dare to make tomorrow a better day for all. Life is short.

STEVE ALVAREZ

via e-mail