Waleed J. Iskandar
(1967-2001)
"Wherever he was, that became the best place in the world to be"
"Bereavement is an integral part of the love of the lost one"
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It is your Birthday. You would have been 42 years old. We are having a Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes in your memory. After mass, Mom and I will visit your niche in the Mortuary. We will place eight roses in your vase and hold you in our minds and in our hearts. We love you. (August 25, 2009) |
Happy Birthday Waleed!! We just had our 25th year ASK class reunion (our first reunion) in New York City. It was a pretty good turnout (around 20+ people) considering we went to school half way around the world. We had a great time. Everyone had fond memories of you and we spent a good amount of time reminiscing. I did go to Ground Zero, but didn't get to go into the memorial museum. It was closed. Miss you tons buddy. Here is a photo of those who were present. Wissam (August 25, 2009) |
Wisam send me these two photos of your class of 1984 at American School in Kuwait: |
Father Ramon Valera at our church sent me a ppp file about the Monument that was sent from Russia to the USA in remembrance of September 11 2001. It is a sculpture named "Teardrop" made in bronze. It is to honor the memory of all those who passed away that day. The Russian sculptor is a very well known artist. His name is Zurab Tsereteli. It is erected in Harbor View Park, Bayonne, New Jersey. It was dedicated on September 11, 2006.  click to enlargeWatch the Power Point Presentation. Thank you father Ramon (September 2, 2009) |
Next Sunday September 13 is the Blood Donation Drive in your memory. Yesterday, Your sister, neice and nephew filled in the Sunday Bulletin with the flyers. We hope this year the show up of Donors will be many.  |
There is nothing that I write which expresses the anguish that we feel. A thousand words would not bring you back. I know because I have written more. Death came for you much sooner than we planned. We will brave the bitter grief that we carry and we will try our best to accept. Waleed, you always will be the most important part of our hearts' memories. We will cherish the moments you have spent with us down on earth. Now that you are up there in Heaven with the Angels, they will take our place. Our loss is a big loss. My mom used to say: "you don't know what you have until it is taken away from you." She was right. (September 09, 2009) |
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Yesterday was the eight Anniversary of your passing away. There were so many activities going on in the whole nation. They all gave different programs of speech and music in honor of all those who were lost on that tragic day in the history of USA. We had a mass in your memory at 6:30 AM. The celebrant, father Ramon Valera, the reader, Gloria Aispuro, and all the parishioners prayed for you. Elisabeth Fergussen brought you a bouquet of roses. We placed it in the vase on your niche at the cemetery. Many thanks to father Ramon, Gloria, Elisabeth and all the parishioners for their prayers. (September 12, 2009) |
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Sister Maria sent me the speech that the Pope gave when he was at Ground Zero: O God of love, compassion, and healing, look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions, who gather today at this site, the scene of incredible violence and pain. We ask you in your goodness to give eternal light and peace to all who died here - the heroic first-responders: our fire fighters, police officers, emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel, along with all the innocent men and women who were victims of this tragedy simply because their work or service brought them here on September 11, 2001. We ask you, in your compassion to bring healing to those who, because of their presence here that day, suffer from injuries and illness. Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy. Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope. We are mindful as well of those who suffered death, injury, and loss on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Our hearts are one with theirs as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering. God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world: peace in the hearts of all men and women and peace among the nations of the earth. Turn to your way of love those whose hearts and minds are consumed with hatred. God of understanding, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy, we seek your light and guidance as we confront such terrible events. Grant that those whose lives were spared may live so that the lives lost here may not have been lost in vain. Comfort and console us, strengthen us in hope, and give us the wisdom and courage to work tirelessly for a world where true peace and love reign among nations and in the hearts of all. --Pope Benedict XVI New York, 20 April 2008 Thank you sister Maria (September 12, 2009) |
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On Saturday, October 31 2009 sister Maria invited us to attend a program about Vulnerability (Artists Speak) given by Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts at Loyola Mary Mount University. It was a big surprise for us when we found out that she has written a 9/11 Diary about my journal to you. The piece that she wrote was performed by three excellent narrators, Cath Christof, Elizabeth Fournier and Neno Pervan. Cathy read what your Mom has written, Neno read what I have written and Elizabeth read a biography of you. Your Mom and I felt a great gratitude for the people who made this program possible. The piece was greatly applauded and appreciated by those who were in attendance. We like to thank the persons who made it possible: Joanna Carroll, C.S.J. Campus Ministry, Judith Royer, C.S.J., Cath Christof, Elizabeth Fournier, Neno Pervan and sister Maria (October 31, 2009) |
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Sister Maria sent me the following prayer written by Vietnamese Buddhist Monk "Thich Nhat Hanh": "I am a world trade center Tower, standing tall in the clear blue sky, feeling a violent blow in my side, and I am a towering inferno of pain and suffering imploding upon myself and collapsing to the ground. May I rest in peace. I am a terrified passenger on a hijacked airplane not knowing where we are going or that I am riding on fuel tanks that will be instruments of death, and I am a worker arriving at my office not knowing that in just a moment my future will be obliterated. May I rest in peace. I am a pigeon in the plaza between the two towers eating crumbs from someone's breakfast when fire rains down on me from the skies. and I am a bed of flowers admired by thousands of tourists now buried under five stores of rubble. May I rest in peace. I am a fire fighter sent into the dark corridors of smoke and debris on a mission of mercy only to have it collapse around me, and I am a rescue worker risking my life to save lives who is very aware that I may not make it out alive. May I rest in peace. I am a survivor who has fled down the stairs and out of the building to safety who knows that nothing will ever be the same in my soul again, and I am a doctor in a hospital treating patients burned from head to toe who knows that these horrible images will remain in my mind forever. May I know peace. I am a family member who has just learned that someone I love has died, and I am a pastor who must comfort someone who has suffered a heart-breaking loss. May I know peace. I am a loyal American who feels violated and vows to stand behind any military action it takes to wipe terrorists off the face of the earth. and I am a loyal American who feels violated and worries that people who look and sound like me are all going to be blamed for this tragedy. May I know peace. I am a frightened city dweller who wonders whether I'll ever feel safe in a skyscraper or plane again, and I am a television reporter trying to put into words the terrible things I have seen. May I know peace. I am a boy in New Jersey waiting for a father who will never come home, and I am a boy in a faraway country not understanding and rejoicing in the streets of my village because someone has hurt those Americans. May I know peace. I am a citizen of the world glued to my television set, fighting back my rage and despair at these horrible events, and I am a person of faith struggling to forgive the unforgivable, praying for the consolation of those who have lost loved ones, calling upon the Merciful Beneficent of God/Yahweh/Allah/Spirit/Higher Power ... May I know peace. I am a child of God who believes that we are all children of god and we are all part of each other. May we all know peace." Thank you sister Maria (October 31, 2009) |
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