Azim's Bardo:A Father’s Journey
From Murder To Forgiveness
Tariq Khamisa’s tragic murder in 1995 ended forever the life that Azim Khamisa & the entire Khamisa family had known. They were thrown into a nightmarish bardo through which they each had to find their own way. Azim found personal strength through his Ismaili Muslim faith, his spiritual teachers, his deep family roots, and the determination to honor Tariq in a meaningful way. Through the power of forgiveness, Azim was able to transform his journey into one of healing and ultimately, to create social change towards building true peace
Bardo is a Tibetan Buddhist concept that
Azim Khamisa discovered while reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
by Sogyal Rinpoche. Bardo describes a transitional state - a gap between
the end of one life state and the onset of another. Buddhists believe bardos
represent times of opportunity. If you have prepared yourself with the wisdom
of the masters, your soul can make a quantum leap in its quest for enlightenment 
Azim’s Bardo: A Father’s Journey from Murder to Forgiveness
Learn more about Azim’s personal journey and the TKF story. Written by Azim Khamisa (with Carl Goldman) in 1998. A second edition was reprinted in 2002.
(Proceeds will help support TKF’s work.)
The Khamisa Family History –
Our Journey Across Many Continents & Cultures
written by Azim Khamisa
As a Khamisa, I am proud to be a blend of many cultures of this world.
Even though I am a devoted American citizen and have lived in the U.S. for
the past 27+ years, I am often told that I think with an Eastern mind. That’s
good, because one of my life goals has been to emulate a lifestyle that
draws on the spiritual wisdom of the East, the material wisdom of the West,
and the soul-wisdom of Africa.
To better understand my personal journey, I’d like to share some history of the Khamisa family. If a movie were made about the migrations of my family and their ancestors, it might be called Out of Persia, Out of India, Out of Africa, Out of Canada, and Into America. Indeed, it has been a long and winding road.
It began when the first Aga Khan (the spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslim faith) had a falling out with the Shah of Persia in 1843. He soon left for India and many Persian Ismailis followed him, including my ancestors.
Years later, a large group of Ismailis left India and moved to East Africa. My paternal grandfather was one of them, arriving in Kenya in 1906. My mother’s family settled in Uganda, in the little African town of Mbale. My mother (Remy) would have been born there if my grandmother hadn’t decided to take a trip back to India while very pregnant. Instead, my mother was born "on the road" in Bombay, India. My father (Noordin) was born in the Kenyan town of Kisumu. My parents were married in 1946. In 1949, I was born in Kisumu.
I met my future wife, Almas Hasham, at a party in 1965. Almas had also been born in Kisumu, Kenya. She was still living there with her grandparents. (Her parents lived in Fort Portal, Uganda.) After I returned from my studies in London, Almas and I were married in 1971. In 1972, our daughter Tasreen was born in Nairobi, Kenya.
Meanwhile, a madman named Idi Amin had come into power in the neighboring country of Uganda. It was a dangerous time for East African Ismailis and other non-indigenous people. Thankfully, the country of Canada stepped in to provide us a "safe harbour" so the Khamisa family left Kenya in 1973. Almas was pregnant with Tariq during the move. He was born in Vancouver on March 6, 1974. In 1975, when Tariq was 9 months old, we moved to Seattle, Washington. The long and winding road had finally brought the Khamisa family to America.
I feel very fortunate to have spent the last 30 years in the Western world, and the United States in particular. I feel equally fortunate that I have an Eastern heritage, and that I had the experience of growing up in Africa. I have worked hard to stay true to my Eastern roots, through both my family and my faith. As I've stated before, this has allowed me to draw from the best of all worlds – the spiritual wisdom of the East, the material wisdom of the West, and the soul-wisdom of Africa.
Biographic Sketch of Mr. Azim Khamisa (July 2007)
Azim N. Khamisa is Chairman, CEO and Founder of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation (TKF) and Sovereign Capital Markets, Inc. He is a successful international investment banker, advisor and consultant with over 30 years of experience. He has conducted business ventures in Africa, Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Mr. Khamisa was educated in England in Mathematics & Finance and is a well-traveled multi lingual United States citizen and resides in La Jolla, California. Mr. Khamisa serves on the Board of Directors of various for profit and non-profit boards. He was recently inducted on to the Martin Luther King Jr. Board of Sponsors of Morehouse College located in Atlanta, GA.
TKF was founded by Mr. Khamisa in memory of his 20-year old son Tariq, who was murdered in January of 1995. Mr. Khamisa reached out in forgiveness to the grandfather and guardian of his son’s killer, Mr. Ples Felix who now serves as Vice Chairman of TKF. Mr. Khamisa is also the Founder of the CANEI (Constant and never ending improvement) program, which he developed under the auspices of the National Youth Advocate Program. Currently the program operates in Columbus, OH, Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL and San Diego, CA. He has committed his life to defeating the continuing cycle of violence amongst the youth.
Mr. Khamisa is a highly regarded and respected leader in the San Diego community and nationally for his exceptional leadership in finding innovative solutions to prevent youth violence. He delivers keynote addresses on many topics at a variety of local, national, and international venues. He has spoken at over 300 conferences worldwide. He is an award- winning author of the book: Azim’s Bardo - From Murder To Forgiveness – A Father’s Journey and a three CD series called Forgiveness – The Crown Jewel of Personal Freedom. His second book From Forgiveness to fulfillment will be published fall of 2007.
Mr. Khamisa is a recipient of over 50 regional, national and international awards. Our nation’s leaders have recognized him with the National Crime Victims Special Community Service Award presented to him in 1997 by President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Janet Reno. Mr. Khamisa visited the White house on three different occasions under President Clinton’s administration. He recently received the prestigious “Search for Common Ground” international award for “Building Peaceful Communities” along with Archbishop Desmond Tutu & Ted Koppel. In December 2003, Mr. Khamisa received the California Peace Prize and was one of twenty-nine people in the world who participated in the Synthesis Dialogues, which was held at the Pope’s summer residence in Castelgandolfo, Italy with His Holiness the Dalai Lama from June 1st to June 7th 2004. His work has been highlighted in various local, regional and national printed media including the New York Times, People Magazine, Parade Magazine, Washington Post and U.S.A. Today. He has conducted numerous local, regional and national print, television and radio interviews, including NBC’s Today Show and KPBS Fresh Air. He is on the cover of the March 2004 Science of Mind issue. Mr. Khamisa’s story, interviews and articles are featured in a variety of television broadcasts, radio broadcast and books, magazines and periodicals most every month.
For more information on Mr. Azim Khamisa please refer to the following websites: www.AzimKhamisa.com;and www.canei.org.
TKF’s Formation Was Inspired By Ismaili Muslim Teachings
In the Ismaili Muslim faith, special prayers are recited for the departed soul of a loved one at the funeral; then 10 days, 40 days, 3 months, 6 months, and a year later; and every year thereafter. During the 40-day prayers for Tariq in Vancouver, Canada, one of Azim’s spiritual teachers spoke the following life-changing words. "After passing from this world, the soul remains in close proximity to the family and loved ones during the 40 days of grieving. After 40 days, the soul moves to a new level of consciousness. Grieving past this time impedes the soul’s journey."
The spiritual teacher also told Azim "it is human to grieve. But I recommend you break the paralysis of grief and find a good deed to do in Tariq’s name. Compassionate acts undertaken in the name of the departed are ‘spiritual currency’ that will transfer to Tariq’s soul and help speed his journey." Good deeds as spiritual currency. This wisdom rang true for Azim. Perhaps this tragic accident could be made into a force for good, finding ways to protect other children from the same fate. It could provide high-octane jet fuel for his son’s bardo. Tariq had completed his assignment here on earth, but Azim came to understand that his was just beginning.
The Ismaili Muslim Faith
The prophet Muhammad was the founder of Islam. After his death in the year 632 A.D., Muslims (the followers of Islam) split into two groups: the Sunnis and the Shiites. The Shiites have formed many different sects, including that of the Ismailis – which is the religion of the Khamisa family. The North American Ismaili population is around 100,000, which is one of the smaller Ismaili communities in the world. The Qur’an is the book of the Islamic faith – a religious equivalent of the Jewish Torah or the Christian Bible.
The spiritual leader of the Ismaili faith – the Aga Khan – has always emphasized that Ismailis must balance the material and the spiritual. Ismailis are expected to be good citizens in any society they join and provide volunteer service to their community. As part of their faith, Ismailis accept a responsibility to work toward a better, more peaceful world. In fact, "peace" is one of the meanings of the word Islam. The Islamic faith also includes a powerful, mystical tradition called Sufism to which Azim Khamisa is particularly drawn.
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