[RE-wrenches] Ishaq M. Shahryar passed away Sunday evening, April 12, 2009

[Joel Davidson]

I am sad to say that our dear friend Ishaq M. Shahryar passed away Sunday 
evening, April 12, 2009. Mr. Shahryar was well known in the solar industry 
as the successful founder of Solec International, the first terrestrial 
solar cell factory. The New Scientist magazine titled him The Sun King and 
reported that he "virtually invented solar power as a serious energy 
source." Mr. Shahryar loved America and his native homeland, Afghanistan. In 
2002, the former Afghan King Mohammad Zahir Shah asked Mr. Shahryar to 
represent his homeland which he accepted to become the first Afghan 
Ambassador to the United States since 1978. His Excellency, Ambassador 
Shahryar served pro bono and also invested much of his own money in the 
embassy. After serving as Ambassador, Mr. Shahryar returned to California to 
start a new solar company, Sun King Solar. The solar industry, Afghanistan, 
his family, and his many friends will miss Ishaq dearly. He is survived by 
his wife, Hafizah, son, Alexander, and daughter, Jahan.



The funeral service will be held 1:00PM, Saturday, April 18, 2009 at the 
Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Memorial Park, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los 
Angeles, California 90068 (tel 800-204-3131).



Sincerely,

Joel Davidson