Broadcaster, activist, and businessman Inshan Ishmael lost his 18 month battle with cancer on Friday morning and was laid to rest under Muslim rites Friday afternoon.
00:00Inshan Ismail, fearless broadcaster, community leader and tireless advocate for justice, became a household name across Trinidad and Tobago through his groundbreaking work on the Islamic Broadcast Network.
00:15As the founder and host of Breaking Barriers, Ismail boldly challenged societal norms, tackled pressing social issues and carved out a vital space for minority voices in a richly diverse nation.
00:30But then he disappeared.
00:32For nearly a year, Ismail was absent from the public eye, his iconic chair filled by others.
00:39And then in May, he shocked viewers with a surprise return.
00:44Visibly gaunt, yet unwavering in spirit.
00:48With quiet strength, he revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer and was in the midst of a fierce battle.
00:54In what would become his final television interview with mainstream media, Ismail opened up to TV6 about his fight and spoke candidly about what it means to face terminal illness as a man, a leader and a human being.
01:11Ismail is that many people don't look at the male side of things.
01:16How this affects the male psyche because here I am right now, I have two daughters, this may sound like a joke by serious, I want to be around to see who they pick up as husbands.
01:30When he sat down with us on May 19th, he reflected on a life which he said was not mocked by regret.
01:53Back in 2004, Ismail made headlines when he joined the late Sat Narayan Maharaj, then leader of the Sanatan Dharma Mahasabha, in a landmark high court challenge.
02:05They argued that the nation's highest award, the Trinity Cross, failed to reflect the diversity of a secular republic, symbolically excluding non-Christian citizens.
02:17In his final days, Ismail had made peace with his illness.
02:21You know, you don't give yourself life. You don't give yourself death. And for me to have gotten this, in this late stage, there are children being born with cancer right now.
02:32There are people who got the news today at the age of 18, hey, you have cancer. There are children who are 6 and 7 years old.
02:39Shouldn't I be grateful that God gave me 56, 57 years to live? A clock has been put above my head now.
02:47Would God tell me, oh, no, you got the message, you have limited time now, do what you could do and organize.
02:53So therefore, now, if I was running before, which of course I wasn't, but at the end of the day, if I was running, I have to move faster now.
03:01He was warned to move boldly, yet unfairful of the consequence.
03:05In 2007, after calling for a nationwide anti-crime shutdown and rally, Ismail was abruptly arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
03:15The resulting backlash ended with his release and widespread criticism of police overreach.
03:22Amid personal health challenges, Ismail gave his final push to raise funds to build a hospital at the Barakah Grounds in Chagornas.
03:30He used his last breaths to raise awareness for those in similar circumstances.
03:36I want to thank the oncology team, Chow Trinidad and Tobago.
03:43They are an overworked team.
03:45Not only that, in Trinidad and Tobago, there are so many people who need oncology services that cannot afford it and are now dying every day.
03:55Something must be done.
03:56In the year before his illness, Inshan oversaw the construction of a security post and barricade at the entrance of his community in Bamboo following a spate of robberies.
04:23The Tunapunopuyaku Regional Corporation eventually demolished the post.
04:27And just one day before his passing, a newly instated UNC government agreed to, upon the request of residents, gate communities.
04:37But beyond media and legal activism, Ismail invested deeply in community well-being.
04:44He used his platform to raise funds for those who needed it the most.
04:47My purpose is to ensure that before I leave this earth, at least I would have touched a few people and would have made a few difference.
04:56As is quoted in the Holy Quran,
05:00Surely to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.
05:08A reminder that the journey of life is but temporary and there exists a joyful reunion in His presence.
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