Regina's Muslim communities come together after death of 23-year-old on Ring Road

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Bukhari died while helping his friends, something his family and friends say was a pillar of the young man's personality.

Bukhari,23, was driving two of his friends home when his car went into the ditch on Ring Road between Albert Street and Wascana Parkway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His two friends one 22 year-old man and a 24-year-old man were taken to hospital. The 22-year-old is said to be in critical condition and the other in serious condition.

Bukhari's friends and family gathered at a mosque in Regina Tuesday.

"The turnout we have here is amazing. We have people from almost all ethnicities ... We are so impressed. We didn't even know Syed knew so many people," Ammar Abas, a close family friend, said.

Abas said that the feeling of seeing so many people come out to mourn together makes him feel closer to Bukhari.

"Looking at the impact that he has left and the gap he's going to leave in the community ... it's just heartbreaking for us. But we do want to remember him as a person who was energetic, who has bonded so many people together, a person who has a bright future."

Ali Bukhari, Syed's first cousin, said Syed was extremely helpful and happy.

"He did not divide anybody on the basis of religion or on the basis of gender. He was friends with everybody," Ali said.

"My favourite thing about him was his willingness to help ... Whenever I've needed something, he was the first person that I called. I know that he would have my back whenever I needed anything."

Abas said this death is not just a loss for family and friends, but for the city and province too.

"When any young kid like him passes away, it's just something we can never recoup. We can never fill that gap."

Ring Road concerns

Although Abas and the community are mourning Syed's loss, they also want something positive to come out of the tragedy. The curvy stretch of road where Syed diedhas no lights. It is not the first accident or death on that stretch of road.

The city said in early February that lights would be going up there, but that it wouldn't be finished until the end of the year.

"We are working closely with some students at the University of Regina and now we are talking to politicians and [the] city as well to make sure that such accidents don't happen," Abas said.

Abas called the curve on the Ring Road where the accident happened "a curve of death." He said he and the community are willing to do whatever it takes to help, be it fundraising or offering their expertise in their respective fields.

"We are hoping this is the last death on that particular segment of the Ring Road," he said.

"We want to make sure Syed is remembered [as] the person who initiated this dialogue and made a big contribution, even when he passed away."

Coming together

Syed is still helping bring his community together in the wake of his death.

Syed was a ShiaMuslim. There are no Shia mosques in the city, so his family reached out to the Islamic Association of Saskatchewan (IAOS), a Sunni mosque, for help.

The mosque and imam welcomed the family with open arms. Imam Mohamed Masloh said this is the first time the two groups have come together for an event like this in the city.

"We have some differences in Islamic jurisprudence between Sunni and Shiabut that doesn't stop us from coming together and hosting our brothers or helping them in their tragedy," Masloh said.

"Mutual respect and acceptance is the core of our relationship with our Shia brothers."

Masloh said he hopes the two groups can come together more often now, for happier events.