Funeral

Omar was buried on the 8th of June 2023, two weeks after he died. On a gloriously sunny day, Gunnersbury Cemetary looked beautiful, resplendent with old trees and fresh summer flowers. There were more than a hundred mourners in attendance. Family, friends, young and old. All looking on in seeming disbelief that a young man so vividly alive was about to be buried.

Following a brief muslim prayer, Omar was lowered into a deep grave by his father Rashid, his brother Talib and his uncles Sadat, Matt and Alex. Each mourner passed by the foot of the grave to drop a long stemmed wildflower or stalks of lavender and a handful of earth onto the coffin. Some whispered a private prayer or words of goodbye.

Our heartbreak was immeasurable.

Following the burial, the mourners regathered, with many more joining, to remember Omar and celebrate his beautiful life. A cricket pavillion next door to his secondary school was our chosen place for remembrance. Overlooking vast green playing fields, so much love amassed beneath an expansive clear blue sky.

An hour of deeply moving speeches and tributes followed. Mostly delivered by an army of young people, all devastated by the loss of their friend and brother. Afterwards, we shared food and in our collective grief, found solace and kinship. As Omar's mother, I stood on the balcony of the pavilion looking out onto the green. As the sun began to set, I witnessed something extraordinary. Omar's beauty, grace and love filled the air and I did not want the day to end.

If you'd like to revisit this beautiful day or if you couldn't attend and wish to catch a glimpse of the Omar Effect, please see below