By TCN News,
Harvey, Illinois: In order to encourage and recognize his contributions and efforts for securing human rights, City of Harvey, Illinois honored noted Indian lawyer Shafeeq Rehman Mahajir at a program organized for the purpose at Harvey City Hall on July 19 evening.
At the program, City of Harvey Mayor Eric J Kellogg honored Mr. Mahajir with the achievement award for his contributions in the field of securing human rights for victims of police brutality in India. The award was given in the presence of Harvey City Council Members and several other personalities of different fields of life.
Advocate Shafeeq Mahajir receiving the award from City of Harvey Mayor Eric J Kellogg on July 19, 2011.
Event was started with the prayers by a Christian Pastor and a Muslim Imam Noor Mohamad Vhora followed by preview of 2 documentaries about the intimidation of lawyers in india and the victims who had been falsely arrested and illegally detained. The lawmakers and legislators after seeing the documentaries said that the rule of law in India should prevail and justice need to be done swiftly and correctly.
Mayor Eric J Kellogg Said that it is in the National Interest of United states that India becomes a stronger Democracy and also referred Dr. Martin Luther King trip to India where Dr. King learned the Non-Violence method of Mahatma Gandhi which Dr. King used it during the Civil right Movements to liberate the African American from Discrimination. Mayor Kellogg encouraged Mr. Mahajir to carry on the struggle even though there will be hard ship and extended his support for the cause of Social Justice and Human right for the Minorities of India.
Mayor Kellogg thanked the Indian American Muslim Community of Harvey for their contribtuion and there services they provide to the citizens of Harvey and surrounding Suburbs.
The event was well attended by over 120 Citizens of Harvey and other Guests from Chicago and its Vicinity.
Advocate Shafeeq Mahajir is currently on visit to United States at the invitation of the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the largest advocacy group of Indian Muslims in United State dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos.
Mr. Mahajir who hails from Hyderabad, India, was last year invited by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to present a lecture on the state of criminal justice system in India at workshop on communal violence in India.
A lawyer by profession, Mr. Mahajir is a well-known name in the circle of human right activists. His efforts for the victims of post Mecca Masjid blast police firing in 2007 were remarkable. On the initiative of Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi, he appeared before Justice Bhaskara Rao Commission inquiring into the firing. He probed before the commission that AP Police claim that firing was to control violent crowd was false and showed that Police opened fire at unarmed Muslim protesters to kill them.
Besides working at several posts, Mr. Mahajir also served as lawyer for Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Commission.
(The video was taken in 2010 when Mr. Mahajir was in Cambridge to attend MIT workshop on communal violence in India)