Naperville family killed in car crash in India

Article updated: 1/9/2012 4:53 PM

	Iqbal Habib of Naperville installs bricks in September along Naperville?s Riverwalk as part of a volunteer project. He was killed Friday, along with his wife and two children, in a car crash while vacationing in India. ? Courtesy of Nizar Jiwani
	Iqbal Habib of Naperville, far right, volunteered in September to install bricks along Naperville?s Riverwalk with fellow members of his mosque and Mayor George Pradel. He was killed Friday, along with his wife and two children, in a car crash while vacationing in India. ? Courtesy of Nizar Jiwani
	The Habib family of Naperville, shown here outside the Taj Mahal in India, died Friday in car accident while vacationing in the country. Family and friends have shown an outpouring of support for Iqbal, 45, at left, Ashaz, 6, Zeenat, 39, and Fareeza, 10. ? Courtesy of Nizar Jiwani

Friends and family are in mourning after a Naperville family of four was killed in a car accident Friday while vacationing in India.

Iqbal Habib, 45, his wife Zeenat, 39, their daughter Fareeza, 10, and son Ashaz, 6, were vacationing in the northern city of Agra when the driver of their car lost control of the vehicle, according to reports from Indian newspapers New Kerala and Dainik Jagran. The driver was injured and taken to a hospital, reports said.

The family, which was very active in the Chicago-area Muslim community, lived in south Naperville for about a decade. Fareeza was in fifth grade and Ashaz was in first grade, both at Spring Brook Elementary School.

Iqbal Habib?s mother also lived with their family and friends say she is now staying with his brother.

Family friend Nizar Jiwani said Iqbal owned several retail food businesses in the Chicago area and volunteered for many years with the Ismaili Jamatkhana in Naperville.

Both children regularly attended religious education classes at the center.

Jiwani said the soft-spoken Iqbal was known as a leader who always wore a smile and was ready to roll up his sleeves.

?I still remember Iqbal helped us out when we did some volunteer work laying bricks at the Naperville Riverwalk in September,? Jiwani said. ?He was happy to help us out laying bricks, even though he would be late to open his businesses. He would never say no.?

Zeenat Habib, was more outgoing, Jiwani said, due in part to her career as a mortgage consultant with JP Morgan Chase.

Fareeza shared her father?s sunny smile, Jiwani said, while Ashaz was full of energy and had many friends.

Officials at Spring Brook offered grief counseling Monday to any friends of the victims who needed support. Social workers from both Spring Brook and other Indian Prairie Unit District 204 schools assisted.

In addition, the school received a wave of support from parents who want to memorialize the Habib family, so officials said they will soon organize a committee to launch the effort.

?They were just a wonderful family,? Principal David Worst said.

No information on memorial services was immediately available.

Family and friends shared their condolences throughout the weekend and Monday on the Facebook page of Mebz Kolz, who is Zeenat?s brother, according to the site. He had posted a childhood photo of Zeenat.

?Together we all pray for the loss of my sis Zeenat Habib and her family,? said Kolz on his Facebook page. ?May their souls rest in peace, may Allah give our family strength and courage to face these tough times. I am deeply hurt, and still can?t digest the fact. I will always love her from the bottom of my heart and she will always be in my prayers.?

Source: http://dailyherald.com/article/20120109/news/701099817/

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