Dear Faraaz,

Two years back, on this day you left us all to join your friends at the gate of Heaven. For the world, you are a brave young man but for me, an epitome of friendship. I remember a story I had read as a child, where two friends walk in a forest and a bear comes. One of them knows how to climb a tree and hurriedly climbs the nearest one while the other friend is left helpless. He then decides to just lie down and act dead. The bear comes, smells him for some time and leaves. Soon the first friend jumps down from the tree and asks what the bear had whispered in his friend's ear. To this he replied - "The bear advised me - a friend in need is a friend indeed." I had always wondered whether such a friend actually exists, a friend who is selfless and shall stay beside, no matter what. While growing up, I realized that they don't. I saw everyone around as evil and unjust, people who were thirsty of others blood. You tell me, why won't I think so, the world around me was full of evils like injustice, communal agonies and most importantly terrorism. And you know the worst part, all terrorists are Muslims. Just as I saw the world as cruel, the world also saw my community as the religion that bred terror. We were stereotyped as killers. Doesn't that sound awful? Your death has busted two myths forever. You were allowed to leave but you chose to stay with your friends, abiding by the beautiful bond you guys shared.  It has made me believe that true friends exist, there is still hope for humanity, because all around the globe, there are many more Faraaz who are willing to prove us all wrong. Prove the fact wrong that selfless heroes no more exist. Secondly, you have potrayed the true essence of Islam - peace. You have showed the world what we are truly taught, what the Quran actually says. Today if someone says, Baghdadi is a Muslim, we can blare back that Faraaz was also a Muslim. You have given our community a proud example to potray to break the stereotype we all are into. We need more people like you. Our religion does not muster violence, some bad people do, the ones who have never bothered to study our religion even for once. Thank you Faraaz, for showing us all that this world can be made a better place with care and affection. Thank you Faraaz, for making us all believe in friendship, humanity and care, the words we all had forgotten with time. You have left behind a little change and I would try my best to spread this aura as much as I can. 

Thank you 

Sincerely,
Maisha