27 October 2018 12:47 am
Sir A.W.M Ameer, a businessman by profession, a diplomat as a Consul General and an invisible politician – specially one who backed up others in order to safeguard the interests of Muslim community- is fondly remembered by many although he left us 17 years ago. He passed away on October 25, 2001.
Late Sir Ameer was engaged in the field of Hospitality Management and was the Chairman of Hotel Ranmuthu, a star-classed hotel in the 70s and early 80s during which tourism industry in Sri Lanka was just emerging. Thus he was one of the pioneers who contributed to the country’s tourism and Hospitality industry.
Sir Ameer represented The Dominican Republic as the Honorary Consul General of Sri Lanka. Every year in October, Sir Ameer organized the Columbus Day in order to mark the discovery under the aegis of the Sri Lanka-Latin America-Caribbean Friendship Society (SLLACFS) for which he was the founder president and was the dean of the Honorary Consular Corp. He strove to promote understanding and friendship between Sri Lanka and The Dominican Republic.
His exceptional forty years of continuous being as the Consul General was very significant in the whole world diplomatic services. It was in recognition of his great, longest and enthusiastic services to Dominican Republic and to human kinds in general, that he was knighted with the title ‘Sir’ by the State of the country.
He was a member as well as the president of the Colombo Central Rotary Club.
Sir Ameer was a vice president of the English Speaking Union of Sri Lanka.
He was a senior member of the all Ceylon Moors’ Association. He served as a vice president of the Moor Islamic Cultural Home until the time of his demise.
He was an invisible politician. That is to say, he backed up many Muslim politicians to be the voice for this minority community.
Sir Ameer was the Chief founder of the Refugees Relief Organization (RRO). He personally visited all the refugee camps in many parts
of the Island.
Sir Ameer was amiable, striking and unassuming personality, who always dedicated to his area of work. May Allah, the almighty grant him ‘Jannathul Firthous”.
Habeebullah Bafalul