Iftikhar A. Ayaz

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Sir Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz KBE OBE[1] is a former Tanzanian government officer and international human rights and environmental campaigner who serves as honorary consul for Tuvalu to the United Kingdom, based in London.[2][3][4] He has campaigned to raise international awareness about the effects of climate change on Tuvalu, which could be underwater by 2040 or 2050.[2] Over the course of his career, he has been involved with several United Nations organizations, including the UN Working Group of the Rights of Minorities, UNESCO, and the United Nations Development Programme.[4][5]

In 2016, he was honoured with the award of Knight Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.[3] In 2017, he invested Prince Charles with the Tuvalu Order of Merit on behalf of the Governor-General of Tuvalu at Kensington Palace.[6] In 2020, Sir Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz was awarded the Queen's Medal for humanitarian service; he was awarded the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022.[7][8]

Early life and education[edit]

Iftikhar Ayaz received his early education in Qadian, India.[4] His father, Mukhtar Ahmad Ayaz, was a pioneer in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at movement.[3]

In 1946, he moved to Tanzania, then Tanganyika Territory, eventually settling with his father in Tanga, Tanzania, where Iftikhar Ayaz received his secondary education.[3] He then trained as a teacher in Nairobi, Kenya.[3]

The government of Tanzania later sent him to Britain, where he earned a master's degree in linguistics.[3] He also holds doctorates in human development and education.[5]

Career[edit]

Education officer[edit]

In 1958, he entered government service in Tanzania, in the department of education.[3] He was a deputy inspector of English medium schools and a district education officer based in Dar es Salaam.[3] In 1963, he was sent to the western region of Tanzania, where he became a regional inspector of schools.[3]

Honorary consul for Tuvalu[edit]

Based in London, Ayaz serves as the honorary consul for the Commonwealth realm of Tuvalu.[9] He has argued publicly that Tuvalu has not received its fair share of profits from the Internet country code top-level domain .tv, particularly wth the rise in popularity of Internet video.[10]

Human rights campaigner[edit]

He has worked closely with a number of United Nations bodies, including the UN Working Group for the Rights of Minorities,[5] as well as the Food and Agriculture Organisation, UNESCO, and the United Nations Development Programme.[4] In addition, Ayaz served on the global board of advisors for the International Commission of Peace (ICOP).[5]

In 2013, Ayaz spoke at the 22nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland.[11] He presented the case of the Ahmadiyya in Pakistan, who are not allowed to practise Islam as their faith and are denied the right to vote unless they reject allegiance to their leader.[11] In 2019, he spoke out against Pakistan-bred terrorism in front of the UNHRC, along with other Ahmadiyya community leaders.[12]

Personal life[edit]

An active member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, Ayaz established a Jama'at centre in Bukoba, Tanzania, in 1964, as well as a centre in Arusha.[3]

In 1969, he renounced his British citizenship to become a citizen of Tanzania.[3]

As of 2018, he served as ambassador of the Universal Peace Federation, Ahmadiyya Community, in the United Kingdom.[13]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Page B65 | Supplement 61262, 13 June 2015 | London Gazette | the Gazette".
  2. ^ a b "BRITAIN Plea to stop atolls sinking into Pacific". Herald on Sunday. Auckland, New Zealand. 17 June 2007. ProQuest 430430118. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Tanzanian Bestowed With Honours By Queen Elizabeth". AllAfrica.com. 24 April 2016. ProQuest 1783971991. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  4. ^ a b c d "Dr. Iftikhar Ahmad AYAZ awarded Knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II". Rabwah Times. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d "About ICOP". International Commission Of Peace (ICOP). Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Court Circular". The Daily Telegraph. 31 October 2017. ProQuest 1957751652. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  7. ^ "Citation His Excellency Sir Iftikhar Ahmad Ayaz, KBE". Lahore International Magazine. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Sir Iftikhar Ayaz honoured by the Queen". MTA News. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via YouTube.
  9. ^ Colchester, Max; Gross, Jenny (22 June 2016). "From Uganda but Live in Gibraltar? Come Vote in the 'Brexit' Referendum; U.K.-based citizens of more than 50 countries get a say on EU membership; 'Gimli's' fight". The Wall Street Journal (Online). ProQuest 1798798928. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  10. ^ "Tuvalu misses out on full benefits of its internet domain name, says envoy". PAC – Pacific Islands Broadcasting Association. 27 September 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via Gale General OneFile.
  11. ^ a b Raza, Racheel (13 March 2013). "Human rights imperiled in Pakistan". The Toronto Sun. ProQuest 2230821828. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ "Pakistani mullahs in league with terrorists, responsible for acts like Pulwama attack: Ahmadiyyas". Asian News International. 16 March 2019. ProQuest 2191793858. Retrieved 27 April 2024 – via ProQuest.
  13. ^ "[Pakistan] minorities being persecuted by Islamic terrorists". Asian News International. New Delhi. 5 May 2018. ProQuest 2034653634. Retrieved 21 April 2024 – via ProQuest.

External links[edit]

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