Ali Abbasi

(English translation follows Gaelic text)

MURCHADH MacLEÒID

Scotland on Sunday, 1.8.04


Tha Alba agus saoghal na Gàidhlig gu h-àraid air rud a chall le bàs
Ali Abbasi ann an Glaschu oidhche Dhihaoine.

Shàmhlaich e rud a bha sinn son faicinn anns an dùthaich seo. Fear le
dualchas Aisianach, ach a ghabh ri Alba mar a dhachaigh. Fear a bha
comhfhurtail leis an an dà dhualchas agus a bha air son àite a thoirt
dha cultar dùthchasach na h-Alba fhèin. Ann an Alba far an fheum
iomairtean a dheanamh an aghaidh gràin-cinnidh, bha Abbasi,
agus 'obair aig BBC Alba a' sealltainn mar a dh'fhaodadh cùisean a
bhi le daoine a' measgachadh agus a' gabhail ùidh ann an dualchas
càch a' chèile.

Ceithear mìosan air ais dh'fhàs e tinn le galar a mhill inneamh-dìon
a' chuirp. Ghabh e an grèim neo am fiabhras-clèibhe agus bhàsaich e
nuair a dh'fhalbh sgamhan is a dh'fhàilig 'àirne neo dubhag, cha robh
an truaghan ach dìreach 42.

Rugadh Abbasi ann an Karachi am Pakistan agus thàinig e a dh'Alba le
a theaghlach ann an 1963.

Duine spòrsail, duine èibhinn. A thug togail dha àite a dh'fhaodadh a
bhi gu math troimhe chèile. Thàinig e dha'n BhBC ann an 1994, agus
dh'atharraich e an dòigh anns an robh am BBC ann an Alba a' toirt
seachad naidheachdan siubhail. Gu ruige sin, bhiodh am BBC a' gabhail
fiosrachaidh a steach bho bhuidheannan bho'n taobh muigh. Thug Abbasi
beatha dha'n fhiosrachadh siubhail nach robh aig a' phìos sin de'n
phrògram roimhn sin.

Agus fhuair barrachd dhaoine eòlas air Abbasi air sgàth nan rudan
eile a bhiodh e a' deanamh timchioll air a' BhBC. A bharrachd air na
naidheachdan-siubhail a libhrigeadh, bhiodh Abbasi cuideachd ag obair
mar dorsair, a' leigeil dhaoine a steach gu cuid de na studios beaga
taobh muigh nan uairean àbhaisteach. Mar sin dheth, 'siomadh neach a
bha ainmeil ann an Alba a choinnich ris aig doras studio,
agus 'siomadh fear eile nach robh cho ainmeil ach a bhiodh air
prògram a bhiodh a' coinneachadh ris.

Choinnich mi fhìn ris an uiridh ann an Steòrnabhagh, nuair a chaidh
mi a steach a dheanamh pìos air Radio nan Gaidheal, bha e anns an
eilean agus e ag obair anns na studios agus e a' deanamh pìosan air
a' phrògram òigridh Rapal.

Nuair a thigeadh daoine dha'n togalach ann an Steòrnabhagh gus
bruidhinn air na prògraman Gàidhlig an t-seachdainn ud 'se Ali Abbasi
fhèin a bhiodh a' cur fàilte orra nan cànan fhèin.

Agus bha e fada ro iriseal mu dheidhinn a chuid Ghàidhlig. Bu dual
dha a bhi ag ràdh nach robh a' Ghàidhlig aige cho math sin. Ach 'si a
bha math. Bha blas-cainnt gu h-àraid aige a bha dìreach glan fhèin.

Bha e cudthromach ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig air sgàth is gun robh e
a' sealltainn gum faodadh daoine aig nach robh ceangal-teaghlaich ris
a' Ghaidhealtachd tòiseachadh air a' chànan a dh'ionnsachadh. Thug e
misneachd dha luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig gun robh iad dha-rìreabh
nam pàirt de rud-eigin, gun robh air slighe gus deanamh cinnteach gum
biodh ceangal eadar barrachd is barrachd de shluagh na h-Alba agus
dùthaich a tha làn de dh'ainmean is dìleab nan Gaidheal.

Anns an Damhair an uiridh chaidh ainmeachadh mar aon de'n fheadhainn
ainmeil a bha an riaghaltas a' cleachdadh gus toirt air daoine òga a
bhi a' leughadh, 'se am fear a thagh iad dha'n Ghàidhlig.

Nuair a bhiodh luchd-ionnsachaidh a' dol tro na leabhraichean, bha
fios aca gun robh barrachd dhiubh ann seach iad fhèin, gun robh
cuideachd feadhainn de 'celebs' a' strì le gràmair is facail
Ghàidhlig. Gum faodadh e a bhi nàdarrach dha cuid a bhi ag ràdh gun
fheumadh iad beagan obrach a dheanamh air an cuid Ghàidhlig.

Thug e misneachd cuideachd dha daoine a rugadh is a thogadh leis a'
chànain agus a dh'fhuiling bliadhnaichean de dhaoine a' cumail a mach
gum b'e a bh'ann an Gàidhlig cànan nach fiù. An uair a bhios sinn a'
coimhead ri saoghal a tha a' dol Beurla mu'n cuairt oirnn, tha e cho
furasda dòchas a leigeil seachad. Smaoineachadh gur e a bhios annainn
fhìn an fheadhainn mu dheireadh. Gu bheil cho math laighe sìos ann an
oisean mar am fuigheall ma dheireadh de thrèibh caillte, agus gabhail
ris gu bheil an strì seachad agus gu bheil ar dòighean is ar dualchas
gu bhi a' dol an diochuimhne.

Tha ùidh Ali Abbasi is a shamhail ag innse dhuinn gu bheil saoghal a
muigh an sin nach toirt maitheanas dhuinn ann am bith ma nì sinn
dearmad air ar dualchas. Nach fhaod sinn stad a strì.

Bha e a' tuigsinn co ris a bha e coltach an cuideam a bhi ort
diochuimhneachadh air dualchas.

Thuirt e ris a' phàipear seo: "Ghabh mise ùidh anns a' Ghàidhlig air
sgàth is gun robh mise a' tuigsinn bho'n eachdraidh agam fhìn co ris
a bha e coltach daoine a bhi 'gad chàineadh is ag éigheach ort, 'Coma
leat a bhi a' bruidhinn cànan mar sin., chan eil i gu feum
tuilleadh.'

"Tha e truagh cho beag ùidh is a tha muinntirr na h-Alba a'
sealltainn ann an cànan a bhuineas dha'n tìr aca fhéin."

Tha e eagallach neach a chall aig aois cho òg, bidh aobhair na
Gàidhlig ùine fhada ga chuimhneachadh.

In Translation

Ali Abbasi: the Gaelic world has lost one of its humble heroes

Scotland and the Gaelic world in particular is poorer today after the
death of Ali Abbasi who died in hospital in Glasgow last Friday night.

He personified much of what we want to see more of in our country. He
was of Asian background but made himself at home in Scotland. He was
comfortable with both his Scottish and his Asian heritage and also
wanted a place given to Scotland's indigenous culture. In a Scotland
where national campaigns have to be run against racism, Abbasi, and
his role at BBC Scotland, showed how things could and should be, as
people of different backgrounds would mix and take an interest in
each other's cultures.

He contracted a virus four months ago which damaged his immune
system. He then fell ill with pneumonia and died after a lung
collapsed and he suffered kidney failure. He was only 42 years old.

He was born in Karachi in Pakistan, and arrived as a toddler with his
family in Scotland in 1963.

He was a natural comic, a gentle man of fun. He gave a lift and a
spur to a BBC office which could often be in a state of chaos. He
arrived at the BBC in 1994, and changed the way that BBC Scotland
dealt with the travel news, his own speciality. Until then, the BBC
had simply taken people from travel organisations on air. Abbasi gave
some life to a feature of the programmes which could be very dry
until then.

In addition to hearing him on air, many people encountered Abbasi in
his other roles around the BBC. In addition to presenting the travel
news, he often had the task of letting people into smaller BBC
studios outwith normal hours. In that way, many people in Scottish
public life came to know him as the man who got him into the studio.
And many who were less famous but might be involved in a programme,
got to meet him.

I last saw him last year in Stornoway, when I was heading into the
studio there to take part in a programme on the BBC's Gaelic Radio
service. He was on the island and managing studios and also taking
part in the youth radio show Rapal.

For the weeks he was there, people who came to the studio out of
hours in Stornoway, were greeted in their own Gaelic language by
Abbasi.

And he was all too humble about his own Gaelic. He would always say
that his command of the language was not all that good.But his Gaelic
was, in fact, very impressive. His accent in particular, was
excellent.

He mattered in the Gaelic world because he showed that people who had
no family connection with the Highlands could take a real interest in
the language. His presence in Gaeldom gave a spur to the often-lonely
learners of the language who could feel that they were part of
something ensuring that more and more Scots could have a more
tangible connection to a country full of Gaelic place names and the
relics of the Gaelic heritage.

Last October, he was named as one of the Scottish Executive's reading
champions, whom ministers hoped to use to get young people into
books. He was the celebrity ministers chose to get children reading
Gaelic books.

As learners of the language ploughed through their books, they could
know that they were part of a bigger community which took in people
from all walks of life, that even 'celebs' were toiling with the
grammar and the vocabulary of the language. It gave the hope that it
might become a feature of a Scot's life to talk of working to improve
one's Gaelic a little.

He was also a boost to many who were brought up with the language and
who endured years of people telling them that their language was
worthless. As we see a world around us which seems to be going all-
English, it is all too easy to give up hope. It is tempting to want
to crawl into a corner like the last remnant of a lost tribe, to
accept that the battle is over and that our ways and language are to
be forgotten forever.

The interest which Ali Abbasi and other learners show in the language
should be a warning to us that there is a world out there which will
never forgive us if we dispense with our heritage. That we cannot
afford to stop struggling for the language.

And he understood what it was like to be under pressure to dump one's
culture.

He told this newspaper: "I took an interest in Gaelic because I
understood from my own experience what it was like to have people
slagging you off and mocking and saying, 'Don't bother speaking that
old language, it is of no more use.'

He added: "It is desperately sad to see the people of Scotland show
so little interest in a language which belongs to their own country.

It is heart-rending to see him depart at such a young age, the Gaelic
world will remember him for a long time.

[Scottish_Republican]

Sunday Herald, 1.8.04

Poignant farewell to radio star Ali

Muslim broadcaster hailed as multicultural hero, as great and good
gather for his funeral
By Torcuil Crichton


FOR once there were no traffic problems to report. Instead, everyone
just had to have their own favourite Ali Abbasi story to help take
the sting out of the tears.

Hundreds of friends and colleagues turned out for the funeral service
of Radio Scotland's traffic reporter at Glasgow Central Mosque
yesterday afternoon, following Ali's untimely death on Friday at the
age of 42.

Ali Abbasi had been off the air for the past four months after
falling ill with a virus. The illness destroyed his immune system, he
then caught pneumonia and suffered a collapsed lung and kidney
failure.

Like his close friend and fellow broadcaster Kenny MacIntyre, who
died suddenly in 1999, Ali Abbasi had an impish style of his own that
left listeners in a small nation feeling as if they all knew him.

Muslim, Glaswegian, an adopted Gael and a walking broom cupboard of
bad jokes, Ali Abbasi's multi-faceted character somehow struck a
chord with modern Scotland. His wit and personality transformed
mundane traffic reports into entertainment on wheels. He only read
the traffic news, but he became an institution.

Certainly, Ali moved across many areas of Scottish life. He came from
Karachi as a toddler, grew up Glaswegian, found common cause with
Gaelic Scotland and had high political friends. He was probably the
only Scottish radio broadcaster whose name would be known by
schoolchildren.

Ten years ago, when he phoned BBC Scotland to criticise the quality
of programmes aimed at the Asian community, he landed himself a job
and quickly gave up his post as a guard with Glasgow Art Galleries
and Museums. Inadvertently, Ali Abbasi provided a glimpse of what a
multicultural Scotland might look like – accommodating, comfortable
with himself and in any company, and always ready with a self-
deprecating joke.

Some stories are apocryphal, some so risqué that they are best left
in the joke books he produced for the memorial fund for his BBC
colleague, Kenny MacIntyre

There is the one about the former BBC Scotland controller Pat
Chalmers taking a delegation from the Commission for Racial Equality
around the BBC Queen Margaret Drive headquarters. When the party
alighted on the newsroom they found Ali and the respected political
correspondent MacIntyre staging a no-holds-barred wrestling fight on
the newsroom floor. Just as the delegation entered the room MacIntyre
gained the advantage, shouting: "We're sick of you black *******s in
Glasgow." There was a great bond between the two and their frequent
jibes were laced with wit that punctured any sense of political
correctness. One of Ali's favourite pictures was of MacIntyre and
himself arm in arm which he had captioned: "We bring you the news in
black and white."

BBC journalist John Morrison, a close friend of both men, said that
Abbasi lit up the newsroom with his wit and repartee. "More than
that, Ali was kind, caring and compassionate," said Morrison
yesterday. "You never left his company without a smile on your face."

Morrison, a Gaelic speaker from North Uist and MacIntyre, from Mull,
were Abbasi's entrée to the Gaelic world. "The Gaelic department was
where Ali had the most fun in the BBC," explained Morrison
yesterday. "I think that's what got him started. He felt drawn to
places like Skye and Lewis and he embraced the language, the culture,
the music and the people."

Perhaps the sense of family and community in his own Muslim
background also drew Abbasi to Gaelic. He studied at Sabhal Mòr
Ostaig, the Gaelic college on Skye, and perfected his language skills
on placement with BBC Radio nan Gaidheal in Stornoway. He was
delighted to be made Scotland's first reading ambassador for the
language. Within a year of starting to learn, he was broadcasting on
Gaelic radio and television. "He was an amazingly positive image for
Gaelic and for Scotland,"said Morrison.

Ali Abbasi undoubtedly nudged along a small country still working out
a definition of multiculturalism. Ali's friends ranged from the
former Secretary General of Nato, George Robertson and First Minister
Jack McConnell to the people of Mull and Lewis.

In sunshine yesterday, a mixed crowd of mourners, many visiting a
mosque for the first time, heard traditional prayers followed by a
moving tribute. Ali is survived by his brother, sister and parents.
He never married, but had been engaged.

Ali, in fact, was often the first point of contact with Scotland.
Driving across the Scottish Border once after a year spent in London,
Ali's accent on the radio traffic bulletin was my first taste of
home. I told him so the next day in Glasgow.

"I hear that from a hundred people a week," he said. "Someone should
write me a bagpipe tune: Ali Abbasi's welcome to Scotland." How very
Scottish, how very typically Ali.



Scotland on Sunday, 1.8.04

Death of Ali Abbasi triggered by lupus

MURDO MACLEOD

THE popular BBC Scotland broadcaster, Ali Abbasi, who died on Friday, had been
suffering from lupus, a disease of the immune system which is not usually fatal.


It is thought the disease had weakened the 42-year-old presenter’s natural
defences and caused infections which brought on liver and kidney failure and
then pneumonia.

Abbasi, who died in Glasgow’s Western Infirmary, was one of the estimated 50,000
Britons who suffer from lupus. In most cases the symptoms of the illness are
controlled through drugs.

Details of the illness emerged as 200 mourners attended Abbasi’s funeral at the
Central Mosque in Glasgow yesterday, including his family and many of his former
BBC colleagues.

In accordance with Muslim custom he was laid to rest within 24 hours of passing
away, though it is expected another service will be organised to allow more of
his friends and former colleagues to pay tribute to the travel news presenter.

It is understood Abbasi’s organs began to fail over a week ago, and he was taken
into the intensive care unit at the Western Infirmary and placed on dialysis.
For a short time his condition seemed to be improving but later on in the week
he contracted pneumonia and one of his lungs collapsed. He went into a coma and
his last 48 hours were spent on a life support machine. On Friday the decision
was taken to switch the machine off.

The causes of lupus, which affects one person in 3,500, are not fully understood
although it is believed to be genetic and to lie dormant until triggered by
other factors, such as another illness, stress, trauma and in some cases high
exposure to sunlight. There is no known cure but the disease is not contagious.

When a person suffers acutely from the condition, the immune system produces far
too many antibodies which, circulating through the bloodstream, cause reactions
leading to inflammation anywhere in the body. Major organs may be damaged in an
irreversible way.

Symptoms include depression, extreme fatigue, joint pain and severe rashes.
Others include mouth ulcers, hair loss and anaemia. In earlier times, the
disease was recognised by the appearance of a severe facial rash, which is
rarely seen today because of advances in treatment of symptoms. The rash was
considered similar to the wound left by a wolf’s bite, giving rise to the name
lupus for the illness, derived from the Latin for wolf, lupus vulgaris.

Studies have shown that the disease is most prevalent in people of
Afro-Caribbean origin, and that people of Indian or Pakistani background are
less likely to be hit than Afro-Caribbeans but are more at risk than whites. The
disease is also more common among women than men, with nine out of 10 sufferers
being female.

Many sufferers of lupus are able to lead full lives if their symptoms can be
controlled, but in a small number of cases the illness is fatal. Many of those
who die as a result of the disease succumb in their 30s or 40s.

The mourners at the service included Ken MacQuarrie, controller of BBC Scotland.
Others included BBC colleagues Louise White and John Milne and STV veterans
Fiona Ross and Bernard Ponsonby.

Abbasi’s death shocked friends and colleagues. One close friend said: "It was
such a shock. He phoned me less than a fortnight ago and was really in good form
and talking about getting together for a night out. I can’t believe he’s gone."

A BBC Scotland insider added: "The whole atmosphere around here is terrible.
There is a gap in the newsroom. No one can believe it. He was only 42. We are
missing him dreadfully. It’s all so horrendous."

Abbasi was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and moved to the UK with his family in
1963. He joined BBC Scotland as a travel presenter in 1994 from Glasgow City
Council, where he worked as an art gallery assistant.

As well as presenting travel news at the BBC, Abbasi worked as an audio
technician with outside broadcasts and radio cars. These jobs brought him into
frequent contact with many Scots in public life, and he became friends with
First Minister Jack McConnell.

Former Nato Secretary-General Lord Robertson described Abbasi as a "wonderful
guy".

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland, Robertson said: "He was a complicated character
at times but at the same way he was irrepressible. He had an infectious humour.
The voice was a trademark. And he was just somebody who made a huge impression
on anybody who met him."

Abbasi’s decision to learn Gaelic was seen as a major encouragement for the
language which has suffered a major decline in speakers in recent years. Gaels
praised his near-perfect accent and pronunciation and he featured in a number of
campaigns to raise the profile of Gaelic.

Alasdair MacLeod, cultural development officer for Highlands and Islands
Enterprise, which helps fund a number of Gaelic courses, said: "He was the
highest-profile celebrity to learn Gaelic and we will struggle to get anyone to
fill his place."