Leaving Event for Dr Abdul Shaif

When in the Yemen, Abdul hopes to spend more time with his family.
When in the Yemen, Abdul hopes to spend more time with his family.

Over 350 people attended the Town Hall on Thursday 22nd February 2007 to celebrate the contribution to Sheffield of Dr Abdul Shaif as he, his partner Muna, and family leave for the Yemen.

The following poem was contributed to the event by Chris Searle, who had worked closely with Abdul:

Poem to Abdul Shaif

Abdul With Muna
Abdul With Muna

Arab of steel
Yorkshireman of flesh
a mind always real
where two worlds mesh

maker of unison
alloy of life
defiant of division
enemy of strife

in a city of smoke
in factories of fire
where foundrymen choke
in the molten metal's ire

from your streets of exile
you saw a nation reborn
and from many a mile
saw it savaged and torn

take back the rolling mill
of unity and power
to the mountain and hill
and the valley's green bower

to the farm and terrace
to Shaibi and Aden
take the human's furnace
its heat never fading

now your returning
bears the hopes of us all
a dream forever burning
in Yemen's proud soul

Chris Searle, Toronto: February, 2007

Leaving Event photos

Gallery of photos from Dr Abdul Shaif's leaving event.

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The content on this page was added to the website by Jamie Marriott on 2007-02-28 11:33:28.
The content of the page was last modified by Jamie Marriott on 2007-02-28 13:13:01.

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