On the Passing of Tariq Hasan, SGI-USA Senior Vice General Director

SGI-USA General Director Adin Strauss made the following announcement on Oct. 27, 2026 during a call with SGI-USA zone-national leaders. 

This evening, I have sad news to share. Yesterday, our dear comrade SGI-USA Senior Vice General Director Tariq Hasan passed away peacefully at his home, with his amazing wife, Mary, and the rest of his family by his side. Tariq was 75 years old and had been battling cancer.

For so many of us, for more than 50 years in New York, the Bay Area, New Jersey and all points in between, Tariq was a warm and sometimes stern older brother—a comrade—a tower of strength and a person of unshakable conviction who dedicated himself heart and soul to the dream of his mentor, Ikeda Sensei, for kosen-rufu in America.

Even just a few days before his passing, Tariq continued in his leadership role—voting on matters at hand and giving guidance and direction at a planning meeting.

Tariq was a pillar not only for the SGI-USA but also for the Ikeda Center for Peace, Learning, and Dialogue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and especially as a member of the board of directors of Soka University of America in Aliso Viejo, California, an institution he deeply cherished and into which he poured every ounce of himself from the moment of its inception. It’s hard to express in words Tariq’s importance in establishing the foundations for each of these institutions to strengthen and develop far into the future.