Mohammed Manzoor

Outer characterization

Mohammed Manzoor is one of the most important characters in Sarfraz Manzoor’s autobiography Greetings from Bury Park. He is Sarfraz’s father and an important influence in his life. Mohammed is Pakistani and married to Rasool Bibi, with whom he has four children: Navela, Sohail, and Sarfraz – who were all born in Pakistan, and Uzma – who was born in Britain. 

Mohammed’s birth date is a mystery both for him and his family, as he has an official birthdate that is most likely wrong: 

Officially Mohammed Manzoor was born on 1 April 1933. The month of his birth was almost certainly incorrect but the actual year was also possibly wrong. The lives of villagers living in rural India in the thirties were not considered important enough to be recorded with much detail or accuracy. (My Father’s House, 11%)

Before moving to Britain, Mohammed “worked as a senior clerk in the Karachi Development Authority and it was his responsibility to allocate plots of land to incoming migrants from India” (My Father’s House, 13%). When he moves to Britain, he works on the Vauxhall production line in Luton for fifteen years, eventually being promoted to an inspector at the car factory. 

Physically, Mohammed resembles Sarfraz and has curly hair, which he dyes. When Sarfraz questions him ab...