The following is a letter addressed to the Pakistan Minister of the Interior, Rehman Malik, from the International Qur’anic Open University Chairman, the Honorable M. Hussein Omar Abu Bakr.

Honorable Minister Rehman Malik, the International Qur’anic Open University (IQOU) has applied for visas to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan that have once again been disregarded. As the Chairman of IQOU, I take this time to address your office regarding the appalling manner in which the visa requests for members of our staff have been treated.
Dr. Bashir Abdul Wadud and Dr. Bilquis Abdallah have properly submitted completely valid visa applications and been denied. These are the same doctors who served as part of the American Muslim Medical Relief Team dispatched immediately to Pakistan to provide much needed medical treatment to victims of the devastating 2005 earthquake; of which the majority of patients they treated were children and the elderly.

Despite the lack of medical supplies or proper equipment, Dr. Wadud and Dr. Abdallah, worked day and night - all without expectation of compensation. All of their tireless efforts were organized by the Vice Chancellor of IQOU, El Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, El Hashmi, who himself provided medical supplies, equipment and relief materials for the entire duration of the four month project.

Not once has the Pakistani government expressed a word of gratefulness or appreciation for the selfless sacrifice of the Vice Chancellor or IQOU staff.

Recently, the Vice Chancellor suffered a severe lung ailment, which led to one of his lungs collapsing. For the past month he has received intense treatment by three doctors at a Lahore hospital. Our urgent requests for visas to be at the side of our dear Vice Chancellor at this time, however, have fallen on deaf ears.

In light of the Pakistani government’s patent lack of sensitivity or even simple courtesy, we are withdrawing our applications and will use all of our resources to shed an international light on your inhumane treatment of American Muslims. We are not the people to receive this type of treatment.

It seems you have forgotten that it was El Sheikh Gilani who, as a child, first raised the flag of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and whose noble father played an integral role in the development and establishment of the Republic. Know that the Gilani’s are a noble family and stand in no need of soliciting favors from anyone.

Furthermore, we have taken a decision to withdraw the assistance freely provided to Pakistan over these many years. American Muslims are competent and respected role models with access to many resources. We are quite well off in America and currently have a number of students furthering their studies at Al Azhar, while others will travel elsewhere to continue our generous humanitarian efforts.

M. Hussein Omar Abu Bakr
Chairman, International Qur’anic
Open University

deputydirector at iqou-moa.org