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Farewell
to My lslTaryam Omran (1942-2002)
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Taryam, my dear friend, how can I express just how much I shall miss you? Your passing leaves me with a great and profound sense of loss; it is as if a part of my spirit has disappeared. You were my brother, my good companion, and my guide; you were always such a good friend sharing your wisdom, passion, devotion, leadership and laughter not just with me, but also with everyone. It will be for these great gifts that I will best remember you. Looking back over the years of our friendship, how can I best summarise your life, as it was a rich one and filled with achievements? However I will try. Your paramount loyalty to our country, the United Arab Emirates, saw you become the first UAE Ambassador to Egypt, the first representative for our country to the Arab League, and finally your appointment for two terms as Speaker of the Federal National Council. Such achievement would have been enough for any other man, but you also found time to take an interest in acts of public service, sitting on and guiding many organisations that promoted the advancement of our citizens and the Arab cause - such as Sultan Al Owais Cultural Foundation, the Gulf Development Forum and founder of the United Arab Emirates' Arab Solidarity Committee. But it is as a pioneering journalist that you will be remembered best. Your firm nationalist principles and your dedication to the Arab cause allowed you to be fearlessly outspoken, even at the risk of offending those that you wrote about. After establishing "Al Khaleej" in 1970, I remember you being in hot water for some of your independent editorials, first about the British and then about some of the Governments of our region for their weaknesses in the face of Zionist aggression. I will never forget our meeting at the beginning of the first Intifada. You sat in my office full of passion and indignation at the cruelty of the Zionists towards the people of Palestine, and admiration for the courage shown by young Palestinians who risked their lives daily seeking freedom and justice. You wanted action; you sought to pull us all together to help these brave people. For, you knew that if we did not strive to bring a just and peaceful resolution to the problems in Palestine, then there would be no peace in the rest of our world. I agreed whole-heartedly with you, as I too shared your feelings and thoughts on these issues. Looking back on that meeting now, I realise just how much I will miss your intelligence, commitment and the moral strength that enabled you to make such a contribution to Arab life and to enrich mine with your friendship. It was a privilege to be your friend. May you go to your eternal rest, knowing that you, by your thoughts and deeds here on earth have left a legacy that all of us, if we are wise, will follow. You were a great man who treated all, even the most humble, justly and fairly. My only consolation at this sad time is that I know all of us that are left behind will try and work towards achieving the goals you set out to achieve. Your image will always be with me, and your voice and laughter will always echo in my mind. I pray to God to guide us along the right path and to give us strength to realise your ambition to bring freedom and dignity to all our people. You are one of that great generation who laid the foundations of our country, and continued to add to its strength and development and provide inspiration to us all. You
have left a deep void in my heart where your living friendship is
no more, your strength and wisdom will be sadly missed as we face
the troubles of an uncertain future as your beloved Palestine is
again under attack and defeatism is in the air. But I have confidence
in God and know he will allow the light of freedom and liberation
to shine on it. Khalaf Al Habtoor
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