Abdul Mallick will accept the Outstanding Citizen Award from Los Angeles City Council on Friday, March 31, 2006. Abdul is backward afterwards 32 years at Bank of America Plaza to advice is Nobel Peace Prize-Nominated brother run his Insan School in India.
-- This is the adventure not of an Ambassador of a abundant country or nation, but rather an Ambassador of acceptable will who happens to absorb a lot of of his time appropriate actuality in our own neighborhood. For those of us who accept been to Bank of America Plaza at 333 S. Hope Street (www.333southhope.com) in Downtown Los Angeles, we assuredly bethink accepting greeted by Abdul Mallick, either with a accommodating nod or a abbreviate bow, and it is bright to us that he embodies the actual chat Ambassador. Abdul is backward in 2006, afterwards dedicating 32 years of his activity to the better appointment architecture in the City, and its bags of occupants. How abounding of us can say we’ve committed 32 years to anything?
No, Bank of America Plaza will not be the aforementioned after baby Abdul, its Lobby Ambassador and life’s blood. Yet he makes his avenue with a faculty of pride and connected purpose – to serve and boost his adolescent man. “Working at this architecture every day has been a dream appear accurate for a man like me,” says Abdul, “and I accept cried cerebration how abundant I will absence everyone. But now it is time for my wife and me to commence on a new dream.” This new dream is traveling to India to advice run the acclaimed INSAN Mission (www.insanmission.org), an educational and altruistic mission founded by his brother, who as a aftereffect was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. Without catechism Abdul’s huge affection will abide to blow anniversary being he meets, including now the accouchement and poor of India.
Abdul grew up in Bihar, India in a boondocks alleged Jehanabad area his parents’ intellect, advantage and airy ethics had a abstruse access on him and his six siblings. Abdul’s mother, Zaitoon, whom he likens in appearance to Eleanor Roosevelt, played an important role in the backbone of her bedmate and family. As was archetypal of women in India at the time, Zaitoon grew up after academic schooling; however, her clamorous appetite for ability was quenched by her earlier brother as he brought her circadian newspapers, periodicals and books to read. Through this Zaitoon acquired a absolute compassionate of apple contest and backroom which she would after allotment with her children. As a boy, Abdul’s ancestor Hafeez advised harder in school, and aswell rose to be a acclaimed soccer player. After academy he began alive for the government in the customs business. Hafeez and Zaitoon were abiding by their parents to be married, and went on to accession seven children, including Abdul.
Since adolescence Abdul was a added “spirited” than his added siblings. His faculty of adventitious generally abolished his adeptness to apply on his studies. At age fourteen, Abdul was counseled agonizingly for this by an Uncle and in acknowledgment ran abroad to a adjoining town. He was taken in by a affluent ancestors acceptable them that he had been orphaned! As the weeks passed, Abdul’s answerability at abandoning his own ancestors was alleviated somewhat by the action of his new activity - new accompany and a new academy – and the hopes that he could one day acknowledgment to his own ancestors and accomplish them appreciative with his success. Abdul’s affable attributes bound won him an acclamation as chic president! Still, the day eventually came if he gave way to the answerability and accepted his lie. “My baby Abdul!” his new ancestor said, “Do not be so sad. You accept not done annihilation wrong. You are actual adolescent and in a abbreviate time you accept become a allotment of our family. We will not cease admiring you. You will accept to go aback home now as your ancestors is absolutely missing you, but we will accumulate up relations with you.” And over the years this affiance was kept.
Abdul’s ancestors was so adequate to see him, he was not punished. Once his mother and sisters were accomplished abject over him, his brothers took him aback to his above boarding academy area he behaved in a added acclimatized address than before, and connected on to academy area he advised the aesthetics of Mahatma Gandhi. Now developed and rather assured in his abilities, Abdul would go on to accept a Masters’ Degree and become Principal of a top academy area he formed agilely to advance the above of educational programs.
Like his ancestor afore him, Abdul’s alliance was arranged. His wife Razia anon bore a son, and afterwards this Abdul fabricated the adventurous best to chase his brother in a move to America area there was abundant opportunity. Razia was afraid at first. She did not allege English as Abdul did, but eventually she agreed it would be a abundant adventure.
After accession in Los Angeles and alive several odd jobs as a attendant or bus boy, in 1974 Abdul interviewed for the position of “Watchkeeper” at Security Pacific Bank’s new address at 333 S. Hope Street Downtown. The admirable 1.4 actor aboveboard bottom flagship appointment belfry had not yet opened for business, but if Abdul absolved up the foreground accomplish he was anon taken by its breeding and grandeur. He knew in his affection he had begin a home. His adroit demeanor, educational accomplishments and apparent pride in the architecture fabricated him the absolute hire. He was bound answer to Head Watchkeeper, authoritative a agents of 25. In the three decades Abdul has formed in the building, that pride has never waned. It has apparent on his face anniversary day, whether Abdul was greeting a adolescent artisan or a arresting apple leader. Many VIPs accept anesthetized admitting those foreground antechamber doors over the accomplished 32 years to be greeted and escorted by Abdul - including US President Gerald Ford, California Governors Deukmejian and Schwarzenegger, Donald Trump and Jane Fonda to name a few.
Everyone at the Building grew to adulation Abdul for his affection and generosity. “When I started there in 1984,” remembers above Operations Manager Paul Linton, “Abdul alien me to the Chairman of Security Pacific Bank whose appointment was on the 54th floor. The Chairman’s ample bend appointment was sparsely decorated, after so abundant as a photograph of his ancestors on his desk. What stood out was the set of baby ivory elephants on his credenza, which he proudly acicular out were ability from Abdul’s abounding trips to India. Abdul stood beaming.”
As he grew happier in his career best anniversary day, Abdul’s wife and son aswell grew to adulation their new activity in Los Angeles. In a few abbreviate years Abdul had adored abundant money to buy their aboriginal home. A adeptness investor, he went on to acquirement assets acreage which kept the ancestors in a acceptable banking position throughout the years. Despite his balance in added ventures, Abdul’s affection and body was consistently with 333 S. Hope Street. Even today it is with a abundant affection that Abdul bids us adieu and moves to his next adventitious aback in India, something he planned to do two years ago but begin it difficult to leave the Building.
Like Abdul, his brother Dr. Syed Hasan has committed his activity to confined others. He is the architect and administrator of the INSAN Mission, an educational and altruistic mission based in India. For about forty years the INSAN Mission has been announcement education, application and altruistic abetment to those in need. In 2003 Dr. Hasan was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his altruistic efforts. Although he has helped his brother over the years in both volunteering and adopting funds for the INSAN Mission, it has continued been Abdul’s achievement to acknowledgment to India area he can advice in a added “hands on” manner. The chat INSAN agency to reflect the bulletin of altruism - aloft any person, caste, state, language, arena or religion.
Abdul has added aspirations in retirement. He affairs to absorb added time with his ancestors that now includes four grandchildren, to abide indulging his affection for agronomical and eventually to broadcast his memoirs.
Those who plan in the architecture and accept accepted Abdul over the years feel apricot about his abandonment “Coming to plan will not be the aforementioned if our baby acquaintance Abdul Mallick is not actuality to acceptable us anniversary day.” says Jim Weidner, CEO of Cap-Mpt, “How we will absence his never catastrophe affection and cheer. But as Abdul moves on now to advice his brother with the INSAN Mission, our accident will become a Godsend for the accouchement of India. Still we will absence him hardly and dearly.”
And that we will, our Ambassador.
Note: On Friday, March 31, 2006 Abdul Mallick was presented by Jan Perry, City Council's accolade for "Outstanding Citizen”.
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