SILMIYA YOUSUF
COLOMBO : One-time President and current Member of the Board of Trustees of the All-Ceylon YMMA Conference,Al-Haj Budree Hashim,94,passed away peacefully in Colombo and his funeral took place at the Maligawatte Muslim Burial Grounds on Thursday,Dece.17.
The National President of the All Ceylon YMMA Conference, Saheed M. Rismy, in a condolence message on behalf of the Conference, lamented that the demise of one of its distinguished and senior Past is a great loss to the whole Muslim Community.
He further stated Al-Haj Budree Hashim was one of those rare personalities, who sacrificed his personal interests to serve the better interests of the community and the nation.
As founder member of the All Ceylon YMMA Conference, he was responsible for the introduction of many projects and programmes at the Conference as well as among the Member YMMAs. The Youth Leadership Training Camp (YLTC) and the Anti Drug Programme introduced by him still remain two of the main programmes of the All Ceylon YMMA Conference. He was also responsible for the introduction of goat farming projects to Member YMMAs in remote areas.
An exemplary pious gentleman, Al-Haj Budree Hashim served on the Board of Trustees of the Colombo Grand Mosque and later on as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Ummu Zavaya, Head Quarters of Al Fassiya Ash Shazuliya Thareeqa in Sri Lanka; a position he held even at the time of his demise.
As a keen sportsman, he captained the Table Tennis team of Zahira College Colombo and was the founder treasurer of the All Ceylon Carrom Association established in 1950. He introduced Carrom to the All Ceylon YMMA Conference which conducted several carrom tournaments and also produced two national champions such as A.S. Aroos and Nalim Haniffa.
A born leader, Al-Haj Budree Hashim served at the helm of not only the All Ceylon YMMA Conference but several other national organizations. He has held the positions of President of Sri Lanka Federation of Non-Governmental Organizations Against Drug Abuse (SLFONGOADA), the umbrella organization of Civil Society Organizations active in the prevention of drug abuse in the Country, and acting Chairman of People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), the premier election monitoring body in Sri Lanka.
He was an outstanding gentleman who strived hard for the betterment of the Muslim community.
Rismy concluded his statement saying : “ Great social worker who had left behind a great legacy to the community, Al-Haj BudreeHashim bade farewell to this world today at the age of 94 years. May Almighty Allah accept his good deeds and grant him high position and permanent abode in Jannathul Firdouse.”
