Syed Abdul Fatha: Man of Deep
Faith
Some
men cram all the spaces of their hearts with people,
places and activities, creating from complexity a
fulfilling existence.
Others, like Syed Abdul Fatha, live lives so narrowly
focused that other people, places and activities are
crowded out. For Mr. Fatha, 54, there were only family
and faith.
He was a Muslim who often prayed five times a day
according to Muslim practice. He worked at the Pitney
Bowes copy center at Aon Insurance in the World Trade
Center, and when the work slowed he studied the
Koran.
"He was going to buy me a Koran in Spanish because he
wanted me to know about his religion," said Beatriz Soto,
a co-worker. When Joanna Lewis, new on the job, botched a
large copy order, Mr. Fatha stayed calm. "He'd say `No
problem; we just have to do it over again,' " Miss Lewis
said.
When Mr. Fatha came to the United States in 1995 he
left six children and an ex-wife at home in Bangalore,
India. He married an American citizen, but that union
also failed.
In Newark, where he lived and worshiped, he met Nauza
Umurally, a Muslim woman from Guyana. They were married
in a Muslim ceremony in 1998.
Ms. Umurally said Mr. Fatha had planned to become a
naturalized citizen. Then he was going to bring his
children to America. Mr. Fatha had few friends outside
the mosque and few interests outside of prayer. But he
had his family, and an intimate relationship with his
God. And that, he told others, was enough.
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