Ramzanbhai Manek holds a unique position in our community.
He migrated to this country from Uganda in the year 1972 and settled in the province of Quebec, later on moving to the province of Alberta. Two years later, he was drawn to the Province of Ontario and has lived in the City of Hamilton ever since.
Ramzanbhai’s uniqueness lies in establishing and organizing the first ever Shia community in Hamilton, holding religious functions firstly at private homes and later, as the number of attendees increased, in rented halls.
It was in the year 1989 that, through the generous donation of the late Amirbhai Sunderji, a property was purchased in Hamilton to house our Shia Centre there. All the work on the property to modify it for use as a centre was done privately by individual members and the Centre was ready for occupancy in the year 1990. This property was used as our Centre in Hamilton until the year 2009 when owing to its deteriorating conditions, it was declared unsuitable and unusable. Plans are under way to build a new C
entre.
Ramzanbhai and his good wife Lelabai have led the Shia community in Hamilton for thirty-three years. It was only in the year 2007 due to his declining health that Ramzanbhai handed over the reigns of leadership to his nephew Mohamedbhai Moledina.
Ramzanbhai was also responsible for starting the madressa in the year 1976 with the help of Maulana Baqri who was then the Resident Alim of the Kitchener Jamaat and who used to travel to Hamilton every Saturday to take the classes. The madressa is still thriving with about forty students and two teachers.
Hamilton Jamaat’s membership comprises of about forty families. Attendance on high religious days can go up to two hundred and fifty congregants. The Jamaat consists of people of various backgrounds including Khojas, Bohoras, Lebanese, Iraqis, Iranis and Afghanis.
Ramzanbhai’s unique qualities comprise the following:
- Founder of the Hamilton Jamaat which he led for thirty-three years;
- Active participant in Hamilton Municipal activities and Police Board;
- Recipient of Long Service Plaque from the Islamic Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Toronto (ISIJ) on April 24, 2010; and
- Principal mover and shaker for the construction of the new Centre in Hamilton approved by the membership of ISIJ on April 24, 2010.
For his many years of tireless and selfless service to the Hamilton community, the members of the Executive Committee and ISIJ salute Ramzanbhai and pray for his good deeds to be accepted by Allah S.W.T.
In appreciation of his selfless and tireless long time serving, Jamaat presented him and his wife with a Plaque on April 24, 2010 during an AGM. This AGM will also be remembered in History as a milestone for the residents of Hamilton, as during this meeting, the membership unanimously approved the construction of a new centre in Hamilton, the project Ramzan Bhai Manek himself was advocating and working towards for years.
