TORONTO, 13 November — Two Muslim students, who were stabbed to death last week, were laid to rest here yesterday.
Naeem Amiji, 21, and his 23-year-old sister Nuzhat were killed in mysterious circumstances in a Mississauga high-rise building. Police are still trying to ascertain the motive behind the crime. (See Editorial on Page 10)
According to reports, severely wounded Naeem had made desperate attempts to seek help of the neighbors. Before collapsing on the stairway between the 21st and 22nd floors of Monarch Plaza in the heart of Mississauga city, Naeem had pounded on several doors. As a last resort to save his life, he also pulled fire alarms. The firefighters with an ambulance rushed to the spot but it was too late.
Naeem succumbed to his injuries while on his way to hospital. "My heart was breaking when I heard about the tragedy," said Syed Zaidi, 23, a resident of Mississauga.
"I’m yet to recover from the shock," said Catherine Young, also a resident of the area. "It’s a tragedy for all of us," she added.
Ray Manathunga, 19, a resident of Monarch Plaza and student of University of Toronto said he never thought that someone had been killed in our area. "I thought it was a fire when I saw the firefighters around our building."
The neighbors are still wondering why Naeem didn’t call the police’s emergency number — 911. Naeem’s apartment has been sealed off and forensic specialists have collected records to trace the culprits.
After the autopsy, the bodies of the victims were handed over to their father Shujauddin Amiji, who flew in here with his wife and elder son Husnain. His other married daughter, who is living in Sri Lanka, is also rushing to Canada to join her family here.
Shujauddin, who is currently staying in a relative’s apartment, is still in a state of shock and unable to talk to journalists. "How painful it is to bury your own son and a daughter simultaneously," he said while wiping out his tears.
The prayers for the departed souls were held yesterday at Bayview Avenue mosque where relatives, family friends and classmates of Naeeem and Nuzhat expressed their shock and grief over the tragic deaths of the two brilliant students.
"I knew both Naeem and Nuzhat. They both were extraordinary students," said Aziz Dohadwalla who recently immigrated to Canada from Saudi Arabia. "I developed a friendship with Shujauddin Amiji in Jeddah and our families were having a get together in Canada too," he told Arab News yesterday.
"I was in shock when I heard the tragic news about Naeem’s death, my classmate. Oh! my God, who killed that innocent boy," said Ahmad Kamal.
K.S. Ramkumar adds from Jeddah: The murder of the students in Toronto has shocked the expat community in the Kingdom. Those who had recently become Canadian citizens were particularly shocked.
One immigrant based in Jeddah told Arab News that his son had known Naeem Amiji. "I lived in the same building with my family for nearly five years and my son was a friend of Naeem’s," the immigrant said.
"I returned to the Kingdom with my family to work after a five-year stay and completing all the immigration formalities," he said.
"Naeem, his sister and their entire family were nice people. We’re as much shocked as their near and dear ones," the immigrant, a Palestinian, said. "We were informed on the phone about the tragedy by one of our former neighbors three days ago."
