JOIN OUR WHATSAPP CHANNEL
Who Is Tariq Khamisa? Know Story Of Tariq’s Father Who Established A Foundation Aiming Toward Reformation Of Society
Azim Khamisa’s forgiveness turned tragedy into hope after the senseless killing of his son. The incident is very much inspiring: Reconciliation and Redemption.
-
Creation of Tariq Khamisa Foundation was a remarkable act of forgiveness by Azim Khamisa
-
Tony Hicks’s redemption came through the foundation
Trigger warning: This article contains a reference to shooting.
In January 1995, Tariq Khamisa, a second-year college student in San Diego, was killed in a senseless incident while delivering pizza. What started as an ordinary evening turned into tragedy for the family when Tariq encountered a group of teenage gang members during what was supposed to be an armed robbery, and one among them fatally shot him.
A journey of forgiveness
According to PEOPLE, in response to such unbearable pain, Tariq’s father, Mr. Azim Khamisa, made an astonishing choice; he absolved his son’s killer.
Instead of giving in to anger and resentment, Azim sought refuge in forgiving, believing that there are victims at both ends of the gun.
Thus, he established the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, which aims to help young people from crime-prone areas escape a life of crime.
From tragedy to triumph
More than two million children's lives have been influenced by Azim and his daughter Tasreen through various programs initiated by their foundation since then, with hope and guidance being offered. 
Even more remarkably, Azim reached out to Tony Hicks, who is responsible for taking away his son’s life hence showing his readiness to forgive as well as reconcile.
For Tony Hicks, however, it has been a long, difficult road towards redemption. Having served 24 years out of a 25-year sentence, Hicks left prison with one purpose – rectifying mistakes made in the past.
Together with Tasreen and her father, Azim, they work now at Tariq Khamisa Foundation, where they tell students their stories so as not to have more people like Tony Hicks.
Finding meaning in tragedy
As it turned out, the Khamisa family has healed Tony Hicks’ life as well as their own through forgiveness.
A story of senseless violence was transmuted and grew into a tale of compassion, redemption, and the invincible strength of reconciliation that even deals with most fatal wounds.
In the words of Tasreen Khamisa, “My brother was a beautiful soul, a beautiful person. He always said he was going to make a difference in the world – and you should leave the world a better place than you found it.”
The foundation provides ongoing work for Tariq’s legacy as this family demonstrated that light and hope still prevail even when days are dark.
ALSO READ: Who was Peter Higgs? Physicist who shed light on dark matter passes away at 94
FAQ
Latest Articles
