Cherished Memories of Africa — Page 266
248 country; people there are very learned and intelligent’. I asked him, ‘what is the basis of your statement’. He had before him a French magazine with photograph of Dr Abdus Salam on its title page; it also gave the details of getting Noble prize by him. He showed me that magazine and said, ‘all the us, the Muslims, are proud of this great hero’ 2. Once I had gone long way away from Dakar, deep into the countryside for something. I came across a Pakistani friend there and we went to a restaurant for a cup of tea. A European was sitting on the adjoining table having tea. We started chatting with him. He asked which country did we came from. We told him that we were Pakistanis. ‘From the country of Dr Abdus Salam’ he said. God knows how pleased I was to hear the name of Dr Salam echoing in such remote area! (That person was Italian). 3. Hon Kabne Kaba, a sincere and devoted member of Senegal jama’at, once came to my house accompanied by his cousin, who was also named Kabne Kaba. The latter, I was told, was a Professor of Physics in Dakar University and also taught in an institution in France. He was also associated with politics and was mayor of his city those days. 4. During the conversation when he told me that he was Professor of Physics, I asked him if he had heard the name of Dr Abdus Salam. He said: You have asked a strange question. I believe that a person who is not familiar with the name of a great personage like Dr Abdus Salam during this century does not deserve being called a human being’.