03 January 2012
A leading figure in Preston’s Muslim community has mourned the death of his “mentor”.
Yousuf Bhailok, a former general secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain, said Dr Syed Aziz Pasha was “the voice and conscience” of Muslims in the country.
The 81-year-old, who founded the Union of Muslim Organisations (UMO) and one of the most respected religious leaders in the country, died after a long illness last month.
Mr Bhailok said he had put Dr Pasha forward for a peerage in the House of Lords but said he had refused to accept the nomination insisting that he would only accept a place if one was offered to him.
He added: “Without fear of favour, with total straight forwardness, Dr Pasha spoke as the voice and conscience of all Muslims in the United Kingdom,
“He practised every tenet of Islam to the letter and even his message in his will was words of wisdom for us to follow.
“As a young man he inspired me, he taught me to face all challenges with fortitude and never to compromise on Islamic principles.”
“He was such a wonderful inspirational and unique individual and will be sadly missed. He was my mentor.”
Mr Bhailok, the owner of the former Harris orphanage in Fulwood, Preston, recalled how the pair had travelled the globe attending Islamic conferences together.
Dr Pasha founded UMO in 1970 and it remains the oldest Muslim community organisation in the country.
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