Newsletter of the Claremont Main Road Mosque · Vol.3 No.4 - June 2014/1435
Roewa 2014
Fasting For The Love Of God Imam A. Rashied Omar During the month of Ramadan Muslims display their gratitude and thanks to their Lord for the guidance given to them in the Qur’an by abstaining from food, drink and sex from dawn to sunset. It is beneficial from time to time to evaluate our motives and intentions for serving God and for growing in Godliness. Moreover, in a well-known prophetic tradition (hadith) the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) reminds us to be mindful of our intentions when he proclaimed: “All Actions are driven by and are thus to be judged according to their intentions. And everyone shall have that which they intended.” (Bukhari and Muslim). As unique individuals we may differ in our motivations for fasting during Ramadan. We have identified five broad motivations for fasting in Ramadan. These motivations need not be exclusive, meaning that one individual may have a combination of motives, and neither are the motives ranked in any order of preference. 1) First, we may fast out of conformity and custom. We may have been reared and nurtured with fasting in Ramadan and it has been so ingrained in us that fasting in Ramadan has now become part of our cultural tradition. 2) Second, we may fast in response to a Divine imperative, that is, out of a sense of duty to God. This is often emphasized in Muslim discourses on Fasting in Ramadan as one of the five pillars (arkan) of Islam. 3) Third, we may fast in order to obtain Allah’s forgiveness. This motive is supported by many prophetic traditions (ahadith) the most famous of them being the following: “Whoever fasts the month of Ramadan with sincere faith and accountability will have all previous of his/her sins forgiven.” (Bukhari and Muslim) 4) Fourth, we may fast in order to reap Divine rewards. There are numerous prophetic traditions that speak to the many blessings to be obtained from fasting in the month of Ramadan. 5) Fifth, we can fast for the love of God. With love of God as the motive, the goal of
the worshipper is not merely seeking to avoid hell or to gain heaven, but s/he is motivated by true love for God and the desire to thank Him and to immerse him/herself in His beauty and perfection. There is something to be said for all of these noble intentions, attitudes and motivations and the textual sources of Islam, the Glorious Qur’an and prophetic traditions seems to support all of them. Even the first one, namely that of customary and cultural practice, can be a useful platform from which to begin and from which the individual can find transformation in and through fasting. All of these motivations are equally valid depending on the stage of the individual’s journey to God.
“...our view is that to fast for the love of God should be the prime motivation for fasting, and indeed all acts of worship.” However, our view is that to fast for the love of God should be the prime motivation for fasting, and indeed all acts of worship. To understand love of God, we have to understand unconditional love. Perhaps the closest experience to unconditional love is the love a mother has for her infant baby. A mother caring for her infant baby is not motivated by rewards she hopes she might reap later from the adult child. She is motivated only by her love for the baby and the desire to do her best to meet the needs of her baby, and expects nothing from the baby in return. So too, when we are motivated in our actions by love of God – we are not motivated by what rewards these may incur in this life or the hereafter, we think only of serving God for His sake and for His Love. This devotion to God strengthens our faith and belief that we are the servants of God, and that all our actions and deeds on this earth should be dedicated to pleasing Him. Whether it is what we do as parents, as spouses, as children, as workers, as citizens or as worshippers, if we are motivated by love of God, we truly aspire to be close to God. We pray that Allah, the Dispenser of Grace, will purify our intentions such that our fasting in Ramadan is purely for the Love and Grace of God.
Editorial In two weeks time insha-Allah we will once again be welcoming the blessed month of Ramadan. In our lead article Imam Rashied provides some sage advice on how we can reap the benefits of this sacred month. In this edition, we give a preview of some of our Ramadan programmes, which include a youth i’tikaf, hajj classes and running club. We hope these programmes will be beneficial and supported by all. In April 2014 we celebrated 20 years of democracy. On pg 8, we include reflections on this occasion from an anti-apartheid struggle perspective and a youth perspective. In keeping with commentary on current events, on pg 12 Brian Ashley places the demands of the striking Marikana mineworkers in the context of the broader struggle of the labour movement for social justice. Once again, we are privileged to report on the many masjid activities we’ve had over the past few months. In addition to our Jihad Against Poverty programmes, we also report on our Environmental Justice and Gender Justice programmes. In particular, we urge you to read and strive to implement some of the tips for a greener Ramadan given on pg 5. Finally, we pay tribute in this edition to Abu Bakr Hattas, one of many deceased stalwarts of CMRM. We wish you all a blessed Ramadan Karim, insh-Allah.
This masjid lectern was donated by Imam Shaheed and his family in memory of their father, Boeta Gasant Gamieldien (d. 1995).
40-42 Main Road, Claremont, 7708 • 021 683 8384 • www.cmrm.co.za
Chairperson’s Message Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams
year anniversary. It is In 2014, CMRM will be celebrating its 160th a series of events to ing my honour to announce that we are plann of the events we Some . ution instit celebrate the longevity of this and dhikr, in honour of have planned include a khatam al-Qur’an those who contributed all the deceased of Claremont and especially this masjid on Sunday of ing runn to the building, maintenance, and ts include: a lunch in even y rator celeb er Furth 28 September 2014. anniversary dinner with a honour of the elders in our community; an run and picnic. Details of fun ly high profile guest speaker; and a fami the time, and we hope er near ted unica all these events will be comm usiastically, and provide that you will support these celebrations enth assistance where you can. years, that we have made It is also in the context of celebrating 160 up the maintenance of the every effort in the last few months to step of generous contributions tance assis masjid. Alhamdulillah, with the rproof the north-facing wate to able were we from the congregation, the exterior of the masjid. wall of the masjid as well as paint parts of h, to also refurbish the -Alla We hope in the coming months insha the energy efficiency oving impr rds towa kitchen area and take steps d from the jamat is most of the masjid. Any assistance in this regar welcome. the past few months has One of the challenges we have faced in ncts of the masjid has been security. It is indeed sad that the preci had pairs of shoes have We . theft been violated by incidents of a lady’s personal had we tly, recen and times r stolen during praye rming wudu. All perfo was belongings stolen from upstairs while she all congregants that ask we and of these incidents are regrettable nal belongings perso your of g eepin safek be vigilant and ensure the when entering the masjid. encing the sacred month In just a couple of weeks we will be comm because of the short days of Ramadan. We are very conscious that have to perform their fajr many people working in the area might we have engaged the end, this To id. and maghrib salahs at the masj lia, to be on hand to Soma from Ali llah Abdu im services of Hafiz Ibrah gements for daily arran lead these prayers. In addition, we will make le. iftars at the masjid for up to 25 peop tude to my fellow Board Finally, I wish to express my sincerest grati ibutions to building contr members for their commitment and to be part of such a ur hono an really is and maintaining CMRM. It regation. dedicated team and such a wonderful cong h.
We wish you all a Ramadan Karim, Insha-Alla
Imam’s Message Imam Shaheed Gamieldien It gives me great pleasure to inform the CMRM congregation that since May 2014 I have been appointed by the Department of Home Affairs as an officially registered marriage officer. This effectively means that if couples so choose, I am empowered to perform their nikah ceremony and register their marriage for official recognition under South African law. The process to become a registered marriage officer was quite tedious. On 5 and 6 March 2014, I joined over 100 Imams, most of whom were affiliated to the Muslim Judicial Council, in two full day training workshops offered by the Department of Home Affairs. After being introduced to the essentials of South African marital law and the procedure to be followed to register Muslim marriages in terms of South African law, we sat for a three hour examination on 15 March 2014. Those Imams who successfully passed the examination with no less than 70% were duly registered as official marriage officers and provided with official marriage certificates, finger print ink and stamps issued by the Department of Home Affairs. In order for a nikah ceremony to be recognized in terms of the South African law there are only a few additional requirements that need to be conformed with. First, the couple must choose to have their marriages recognized. If they choose not to, I can still perform the nikah ceremony as in the past and it will not be registered. If, however, the couples do choose to have their marriages recognized they would need to prepare a joint marriage contract. I will provide them with six generic contracts which they can consult to draw up with their own personalised contract. Couples are strongly advised to consult a legal expert. A further requirement is that both the bride and bridegroom need to be present at the registration procedure in order to sign the marriage certificate and contract in the presence of witnesses. I will be expected to officially lodge the marriage certificate and contract with the Department of Home Affairs within 3 days after the nikah ceremony. In the event of divorce for a registered marriage, the marriage must be dissolved in a South African court of law. If Imam Rashied performs the nikah, I can assist with the registration procedure. In order to provide more information concerning the precise implications of having your Muslim marriage registered and recognized in terms of South African law, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ms. Fatima Chohan, will address Imam Rashied’s marriage class at Daroel Ielm Madrasa in Salt River on Monday evening 23 June 2014 at 8pm and she has also been invited to deliver the pre-khutbah talk at CMRM on Friday 8 August 2014 corresponding with National Women’s Day. While the registration of Muslim marriages is a great step forward, CMRM has formally written to the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs to express our view, that the registering of Imams as marriage officers should be viewed as a parallel process to the ongoing struggle for adoption of a formal Muslim Marriages Bill by the South African Government that will afford protection and just and equitable treatment especially of women in Muslim marriages.
2
May Allah bless us all with blissful and mutually enriching marriages, insha-Allah.
Tribute to Youth Imam A. Rashied Omar The idea of paying tribute and acknowledging the youth within our midst is not alien, strange or incompatible with Islam. Paying tribute and acknowledging young people within our midst is in fact celebrated by the Glorious Qur’an. In Surah al-Kahf, Chapter 18, verses 13 & 14, Allah, the Sublime, edifies us by not only apprising us of the legendary story of the Companions of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf), but more significantly revealing their identity, namely that they were youth.
We shall narrate to you their exemplary story: Behold they were youth who believed in their Lord: And so we deepened their consciousness of the Right Way. And We strengthened their hearts so that they stood up against injustices and proclaimed: “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We shall invoke no god beside Him, for (if we do so) we shall have uttered a blasphemy. (Q18:13-14) The story of the Companions of the Cave or more widely known as the “Sleepers” can be found in the Jewish as well as the Christian scriptures. It tells of a group of people who stood up against idolatry, wrongdoing and evil within their community, and as a result of their struggles for faith and justice were compelled to seclude themselves in a cave where they spent a long period (some versions says over three centuries). The Qur’an also relates this story but removes many of the legendary embellishments which had obscured its true perspective. The identity of the People of the Cave was at the heart of the debates that the Christians of Najran were having with the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). They were interested in all kinds of superfluous and redundant information: How many were the sleepers? How long did they remain sleeping in the cave? What was the colour of their dog? The Qur’an flouts all of these and focuses on the most important part of this story which is neglected by other scriptures. Right at the beginning of the Qur’anic version is the proclamation that the Companions of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf) were youth (fityatun) who were believers. It is highly instructive to note that the Arabic word used in the above Qur’anic verses to refer to young people; namely fityatun (sing. fata), has a special meaning and usage in Islamic literature. Its infinitive form futuwwah, meaning youth and chivalry, is a composite of virtues, such as energy, revolutionary vigour, heroism and an altruistic character that derives pleasure from helping others. Not surprisingly, these same characteristics have often adorned the dispositions of young people who have frequently been witnesses to God for justice (Q4:135 & Q5:8) at various epochs in human history. It is thus not inconsequential that the Qur’an designates the youthful age of the Companions of the Cave. By relating their youthful age the Qur’an is making an important point. It is my considered view that through these verses the Qur’an is exhorting its readers to be attentive to the fact that young people are more likely to challenge the status quo and become drivers and levers for social change. The case of the large numbers of South African youth who led the 16 June 1976 uprising against the racist apartheid state as well as the large numbers of youth who participated and continue to challenge despotic regimes in the so-called Arab Spring since 2011 are cases in point. These youth are indeed worthy of being called fityatun meaning youth who possess a composite of altruistic virtues. Furthermore, by describing them as ashab literally companions, the Qur’an is also alluding to the bonds of friendship that comes naturally to young people and it is these bonds of solidarity that must have sustained the companions of the cave during their long period of adversity. It is these same bonds of friendship and comradery that continue to inspire young people to challenge inequities at various times in human history. We may thus interpret the above verses of the Glorious Qur’an to endorse the idea of not only paying tribute to the heroic role of young people in the past but also to advise us to remain attentive to the potential role of young people in pioneering future social change. We should therefore continue to encourage and guide our community of youth to act for meaningful social progress and inspire us with their natural virtues and qualities of futuwwa Lamentably the Qur’ans unequivocal message of acknowledging and celebrating youth within our communities remains unheeded, especially by religious institutions, and with it we squander our greatest potential for social progress. Ultimately, in the above verses the Glorious Qur’an is advising us that our hope for social progress and our future lies in the youth (fityatun).
3
ENVIRONMEN Muslims for Eco-Justice CMRM is a registered eco-congregation and campaigning for environmental justice is one of its core missions. In partnership with The Southern Africa Faith Communities Environmental Institute (SAFCEI) and the WWF Nedbank Green Trust, CMRM has undertaken to build awareness of environmental justice issues in our communities, and to develop environmental educational materials to be used in madaris. Our view is that awareness of environmental issues is intrinsic to being a conscientious person of faith. Led by Board member, Mariam Baderoon, the Muslims for Eco-Justice project also has two interns, Rameez Flowers and Nooraan Cader, who both completed an Environmental Educators Course at Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa (WESSA) in Umgeni Valley, KZN. For the past two months, they have conducted water and energy audits at CMRM and other masajid, and have been developing environmental educational awareness learning materials. On Saturday 7 June 2014, they held a workshop at CMRM trialing the materials with more than 40 madrasa teachers, from all over the Western Cape.
4
ENTAL JUSTICE CMRM Water Audit Without question, water use is the biggest component of a masjid’s energy use. The CMRM water audit was performed before the zuhr salah. On average, 70-75 men and 10 women attended the masjid for the zuhr salah and approximately less than half of the men used the ablution facilities. What we did: • Measured the flow rate of water • Modeled the amount of water used when making wudu • Estimated the amount of water a congregation uses when making wudu How we did it: To measure the flow rate of water, we used a 1-litre measuring jug and timed how long it took to fill the jug. To model the amount of water used when making wudu, we used a bucket and performed a mock wudu twice such that the water flowed into the bucket. When we estimated the amount of water a congregation uses when making wudu, we counted the number of congregants who made wudu and multiplied it by our modeled wudu estimates. The average water use is based on a sample of different people performing wudu at another masjid or facility other than CMRM. Results: The results from the audit showed that CMRM’s water use is markedly less than the average. Without taking into account a change in behavior, the wudu faucets and the aggregate consumption of congregants showed favourable results. However, the flow rate of water showed unfavourable results for non-wudu faucets, which was above the average water use. The results from the flow rate of water for wudu faucets were relatively more favourable. Recommendations: • The basin faucets could be fitted with a water-saving nozzle • Congregants should be encouraged to perform only obligatory parts of the wudu (fard wudu) to save water.
5
JIHAD AGAINST POVERTY
Leeuwenkuil Farm, Agter Paarl The impoverished faming community of Leeuwenkuil in Agter Paarl has been an integral part of CMRM’s Jihad Against Poverty Campaign since 2013. We have partnered with the Commercial, Stevedoring, Agricultural and Allied Workers Union (CSAAWU) and the Trust for Community Outreach (TCOE) to support this community. This year we have stepped up our relationship with this community to focus especially on literacy programmes for the children. On Sunday 9 February 2014, the children were entertained by a story written and read in Afrikaans by Ghairiya Fredericks, a writer and poet from the Breytenbach Cultural Centre in Wellington. Lunch and refreshing cold suckers were served to the whole community of 200 people, who also enjoyed some face painting and musical entertainment. The day ended with all the children receiving well-stocked school stationary packs and beautifully decorated cupcakes. On Easter Sunday 20 April 2014, CMRM congregants once again shared a special day with the farming community of Leeuwenkuil. The day kicked off with a puppet show titled ‘Elk Een het ‘n Krakie’ specially written for the occasion by Ghairiya. Using an easter bunny and easter egg puppets, the moral of the story told was about ‘not judging a book by its cover’. The children were treated to easter eggs after the show, and then gathered around for colouring in and puppet making activities. The older boys played 5 a-side soccer, refereed by coach Omar Davids, on a sandy pitch especially prepared by the farmworkers for the games. Lunch and beautifully decorated cupcakes were served to the whole community. We ended the day by distributing rice, lentils and bread to each family. Our sincere thanks go to all those congregants and friends of CMRM who so generously contributed to costs and donations, and graciously gave of their time to making these events truly uplifting for this farming community. Insha-Allah it is our intention to continue building this relationship with the Leeuwenkuil farmworkers and hope to organise many more visits to the farm.
Supporting Victims Of Gang Violence
6
For the past few months CMRM has been providing modest support to victims of gang violence in Manenberg. One such victim is nine year old Sadiq Stemmet. Sadiq was caught in the crossfire during a gang fight early in December 2013. He was shot in the back and is paralysed from the waist down. Members of CMRM, including Imam Rashied and Imam Shaheed, have visited Sadiq and his family on a number of occasions. With the support of CMRM members, we have been able to assist with some of the immediate needs of the family but more importantly, we have connected with the family on a human level. This kind of solidarity is at the heart of what it means to be a Muslim.
GENDER JUSTICE CMRM Rises Up For Gender Justice As part of our ongoing Gender Justice Campaign, on Sunday 9 February 2014, CMRM together with the Central Methodist Mission (CMM) hosted an Interfaith Service in memory of Anene Booysen and all victims of rape and sexual violence. Anene Booysen was brutally murdered in Bredasdorp in February 2013. The service was held at the CMM and was attended by supporters of the One Billion Rising Campaign and members of both the CMM and CMRM. Also in attendance was the mother of the nine year old girl from Delft who was raped and set alight on the R300 in January 2014. The programme included prayers from various religious leaders such as Shaykh Ighsaan Taliep (IPSA), Mqondisi Vena (SACC), and Father Noel Rucastle (WCRLF). On Friday 14 February 2014, CMRM also joined the global One Billion Rising for Justice Campaign, to come together as a faith community and as active, committed citizens to call for an end to violence against women and children. The pre-khutbah lecture on this Friday was delivered by Nafisa Patel. Nafisa started by reciting verses from chapter 81 of the Qur’an, surah At-Takwir or “the Darkening”. She reflected on these verses in relation to the scourge of rape and other forms of gender-violence that has gripped and crippled our communities. She pointed out that in verses 7 & 8 in this surah Allah, the Sublime, reminds us that one of the most potent signs of social abnormality and destruction is when human life is valued or de-valued solely on the basis of one’s gender and social vulnerability. Nafisa reminded us that as a community of believers, we have not only submitted to the moral imperative of ensuring social justice, but we have also undertaken the role of being the actors of social change and the agents of mercy, love and compassion. Finally she urged us to rise in solidarity with thousands of others across the globe, to help raise awareness and speak out against all forms of violence and abuse in our communities. After the jumu’ah a silent vigil was held along Main Road outside the masjid. More than 50 participants stood silently holding placards expressing their outrage at the scourge of gender violence in our society. After the vigil, poet Malika Ndlovu read an inspirational poem calling for an end to gender based violence and appealed to the dignity of all women to be respected.
Vigil For Abducted Nigerian Girls
On Friday 16th May 2014 Imam Rashied, Imam Shaheed and CMRM members joined the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, The Most Reverend Thabo Makgoba and others, on the steps of St. George’s Cathedral in a silent vigil for the more than 200 abducted schoolgirls in Nigeria. The gathering condemned this heinous kidnapping, called for the immediate release of the innocent girls, and extended prayers and solidarity with the girls, their families and the people of Nigeria. On the same Friday, Imam Rashied’s khutbah focused on this theme and asserted that the actions of Boko Haram in this kidnapping are not only a violation of Islamic ethical principles, but also a depraved violation of the dignity of the kidnapped girls. He further warned that it is critical for all peace and justice loving Christians and Muslims not to allow the actions of misguided bigots such as Boko Haram to sow hatred and discord within our communities. He urged that we should stand united in showing even greater interreligious solidarity in the face of such overt and brash malevolence.
7
REFLECTING ON 20 YEARS OF DEMOCRACY An Anti-Apartheid Struggle Perspective Jaamia Galant On 27 April 2014, we celebrated 20 years of democratic rule in the midst of political campaigning for the national elections in May 2014. Those few weeks compelled us to salute all those who sacrificed their lives during the long struggle against apartheid and those who continued to fight tirelessly to achieve our very first democratic elections in 1994. While we celebrated the many social, political and economic gains we have made since then, amidst the noise of political campaigning, we could not help also acknowledging that after 20 years of democratic rule, our society remains deeply divided. Where race stratified our society during apartheid, it is class that now stratifies the post-apartheid society. Many people in our country can definitively say that their lives have improved over the past twenty years and that they have benefited from freedoms and opportunities that were denied to generations before them. They can now send their children to the
best schools of their choice; they can live in which ever area they can afford to live; they can go to any private hospital they can afford; they can eat at any restaurant they can afford; they can study for any profession they choose and their choice of employment is unrestricted. Yet, equally many, if not more, people in our country can categorically say that little has changed in their lives since the end of apartheid. They remain poverty stricken; they still live in their shack dwellings or their hostels or their farm huts or their council flats; they still go to the same schools where the quality of education has not changed significantly; their job prospects remain limited; their employers continue to exploit them; they still stand in long queues or get turned away from over crowded clinics; they still use unreliable and sometimes hazardous public transport; their communities are still ravaged by drugs and gang violence and some still live in communities without electricity, running water and proper sanitation. How is it possible for us to ‘celebrate’ 20 years of democracy with such stark contradictions in our society? Surely the struggle for social justice, which was so
intense during the anti-apartheid struggle, is not complete. It is critical for us to not only reflect on the many lost opportunities in our society to bring true social and economic justice to all the people of South Africa, but also to ask ourselves - what can we do to continue and intensify the struggle for social and economic justice for all the people who remain impoverished and marginalised in our country? Every political party that campaigned during the national elections made promises of ‘change’, promises of rooting out corruption in our society, of bringing about ‘a better life for all’. While we voted for the parties of our choice, it would be irresponsible of us to pin our hopes for social upliftment and economic change for all on the rhetoric of politicians. If we are truly responsible and conscientious citizens, we will endeavor to take on this struggle ourselves, to make a difference in the lives of others where we can, to mobilise forces to hold politicians to account and ensure that after the next twenty years, we can celebrate not only 40 years of democratic rule, but also the achievement of true social and economic justice for all the people of South Africa.
A Born Free Generation Perspective Mujahid Osman and Ihsaan Bassier
During apartheid, the mainstream Muslim community was a lot more closed: the people with whom you were friends, worked with and lived with were typically Muslim. The born free generation lives in a time vastly different to that of our parents. The born free generation is not surrounded by their religion in the same way: our work and school have become secularized. Our every interaction is underpinned by an ambivalent challenge. We are forced to confront many disparities between our values and traditional Islamic guidance, which is bound to a particular socio-historical context. We are left with three ways to reconcile them. One is to denounce our secular surroundings. This is the rhetoric we often witness about the “evil of the West”, lending itself so easily to extremism and polarizing our world into “us” and “them”. Or we opt out of our faith in Islam, by becoming cultural Muslims, a widespread yet denied reality. The third path is to reinterpret, a path that takes time, courage and risks ostracisation. The third path seeks to re-evaluate our current fiqh and its implications for marginalized communities. This is the only way to achieve moral consistency in our duplicitous worlds. If we are to reclaim the integrity of living a consistent Islam, we need to engage fully in the reinterpretation of traditional positions. To open more space for this third way, it needs to be legitimized as an authentic expression of Islam. We need to open the discussion space wider to make this third option of reinterpretation more appealing to Muslims. This involves a culture of critical evaluation and a willingness of leaders to change. But in order to realize true reform, we need to challenge the fundamental assumptions held by traditional Muslims. Instead of obstacles to living a good life, it should be appealing. Islam is a religion of ease.
8
SATURDAY MORNING MADRASA Blikkiesdorp Madrasa Teacher Training Since the beginning of this year, CMRM in partnership with the South African National Zakah Fund (SANZAF), has embarked on a pilot project to support the training of three madrasa teachers from Blikkiesdorp. Feedback from this pilot project will inform future expansion of this training programme to madrasa teachers in other CMRM project areas such as Dunoon and Khayelitsha. Through sponsorship from SANZAF, the Blikkiesdorp teachers attend the teacher-training programme at the CMRM Saturday Morning Madrasa held at Muhammadiya Primary School in Wynberg. The teachers also receive a monthly R250 stipend from SANZAF. In addition, Shariefa Wydeman, CMRM admin assistant, is providing support to the teachers with respect to implementation of programmes at the madarasa, especially with young girls. The Blikkiesdorp madrasa is located in the masjid in Blikkiesdorp. Currently they have 60 students enrolled. There are two learning areas which are carpeted and each holds a very small board to write on. The children are divided into two groups ie. a qur’an group and surah group. There are no desks, or chairs so children sit on the floor.
RAMADAN 2014 Ramadan Imams & Muadhins The CMRM Imamat and Board of Governors are delighted to announce that it has once again invited Shaykh Omar Hassan Masoud from Tanzania to lead the tarawih prayers for Ramadan 2014. This will be the third year in succession that he will be leading tarawih prayers at CMRM. Judging from the positive response to Shaykh Omar’s melodious recitation of the Qur’an as well as the fact that Ramadan 2014 coincides with the school and university mid-year vacation, we are expecting bigger numbers to patronize the tarawih prayers. The post-tarawih dhikrs will once again be led by a group of youth who have been practicing under the guidance of Kassiem Adams, every Sunday morning at the masjid between 9-10am. We are also happy to announce that Hafiz Ibrahim Abdullah Ali from Somalia has been invited to join the CMRM Imamat team for Ramadan 2014. Shaykh Ibrahim studied in Kenya and has been teaching hifz and Qir`at in Bellville South since 2004. He will be responsible for leading the daily fajr, `asr and maghrib prayers at CMRM during Ramadan.
9
MASJID AFFAIRS MANENBERG COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AT CMRM
On Friday 14 March 2014, a number of community activists from Manenberg, including Rev. Donavan Meyer of the Church of Reconciliation, were invited to respond to Imam Rashied’s khutbah reflections on gang violence in Manenberg. Imam Rashied called on social activists to focus their attention and resources away from the state in search of solutions to societal problems. After the jumu`ah service the invited guests were hosted for lunch where the discussion continued. The invitation to the Manenberg activists to attend the CMRM jumu`ah service formed part of the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum’s (WCRLF) Safe Manenberg Campaign, whose goal is to establish a Manenberg interfaith forum to “unify the potential of local religious leaders for the development of community-wide initiatives to promote peace, safety and security”. The event was organized by CMRM member, Waheed Sookool, who has also been full time Project Manager of the WCRLF’s Safe Manenberg Campaign since February 2014. On Sunday 15 July 2014 at 2:30pm WCRLF will convene a Manenberg Interfaith Service at the Church of Reconciliation on the corner of Thames & Manenberg Avenue. All Welcome.
VACATION PROGRAMMES
In January 2014, the CMRM Youth Group co-ordinated three family vacation programmes which we hope will become regular events. The vacation programme forms a pivotal part of CMRM’s mission of Youth Empowerment through the formation of a Youth Club. The first event was a hike up Constantia Nek on 5 January, attended by 29 walkers. The second event was a screening of the film “Of Gods and Men” on 9 January at the St. Bernard’s Church Hall in Claremont. The final event was a picnic at Kirstenbosch on the 12 January. More than 30 CMRM family and friends shared the day together in the gardens. The main part of the day was a short talk by Shaykh Sa’dullah Khan who spoke about the majesty of God. The event was a wonderful conclusion to an inspirational youth vacation programme.
10
Tribute | Abu Bakr Hattas (13 December 1930 - 18 August 2001)
Rukeya Gibbs (Daughter) Abu Bakr Hattas, who was affectionately known as Boeta Hollie, was born in Claremont on 13 December 1930, to Gasina Hattas (nee Davids) and Mogamad Armien Hattas. He attended Talfallah Primary School then went to Livingstone High School but only finished Std 6 as he had to start work to help with family responsibilities. He married his neighbour Mymoena Smith in 1951 and 6 children were born between 1952 and 1965, three sons and three daughters. Abu Bakr has always been very involved with matters regarding the masjid he attended. He started doing maintenance
work with his father, M Armien Hattas, at CMRM, then he moved to Stegman Road with the appointment of Imam Haron. He then moved back to CMRM under the leadership of Abu Bakr Fakier, as a result of in-house politics at Stegman Road. Abu Bakr was also a key person with regards to the court battle over governance of CMRM with the Abderouf family. He was one of the first trustees of CMRM after the Abderouf dynasty. And when CMRM had its ‘face-lift’ in the 1980s, he acted as the ‘foreman’ in charge and did lots of the work himself. He worked for Buildwell Construction for many years but started his own company named CAYA Builders, with Cassiem Sadan, Imam Abdullah Haron, Yusuf Arnold and himself in 19671969. The company disbanded and he then started a company on his own. Even though he did not finish school or attended university he drew up architectural plans for many houses including his own and that of Imam Haron’s house in Repulse Road. These, by the way, were all passed by the City Council. He was a man with tremendous foresight, as he built his own house in Lansdowne and moved his family (wife, children, parents, 2 brothers, 1 sister) there, in 1966 and was spared the inconvenience/humiliation of being relegated to one of the segregated coloured townships due to the group
areas act. He had a great love for sport and he captained the Violets Cricket team for many years. He was also vicecaptain and opening batsman for the then so called: “Coloured Western Province Cricket Team”. He became a very lonely man after the death of his wife, Mymoena (auntie Moentjie) but still stayed the same adorable man we all knew and loved. In early August 2001, at the age of 69, he became bedridden due to diabetes related illnesses and sadly passed away on the 18th of August 2001. He was survived by his six children, 15 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. He sadly did not see the birth of the sixth generation M Amien; grandson to his son M Amien. May Allah (swt) shine light on both Abu Bakr and Mymoena’s qabrs insha-Allah ameen.
RAMADAN 2014 PROGRAMMES Ramadan Running Club
For the third successive year, Dr. Salih Solomon will once again co-ordinate the CMRM post-tarawih running programme. The programme will be structured as follows: • Club runs on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday • There will be a beginner group led by Ridwan Wagiet • The will be an intermediate group led by Suhair Solomon • There will be an advanced group led by Salih, Shamil Jeppie and Shuaib Manjra • The distance for each run session will be between 7 - 10 km, with the aim to run between 40min - 1hr. Winter weather will determine whether we go out on club runs but runners 11should come prepared with winter gear including a headlamp & reflective gear.
AMCU Strike: Why Is R12,500 So Important?
Brian Ashley
When a strike, such as the current Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) strike, drags on for anything beyond 2 months, it is safe to say that the workers, as opposed to the shop stewards and the elected leadership of the union, drive it, defend it and where necessary enforce it. Reaching a compromise becomes very difficult. Moreover, R12,500 has become a mindset issue. The demand has become etched in the consciousness of the workers. It is not just the suffering and sacrifice that has been made over the last 5 months but also the fact that the demand has become iconic through the Marikana massacre. This means it is unlikely that a settlement that moves away from this will be acceptable to the strikers. The negotiating team have virtually no room for manoeuvre. The strike and the R12,500 demand is important in the context of the reproduction of the cheap labour system post-apartheid. Research undertaken by the Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) has indicated that, contrary to popular belief, wages for 50% of the workforce has remained stagnant since 1994. In 2012, half of the workforce earned R3300 or less. This radical demand threatens to revolutionise wage bargaining and turn the labour movement on its head (conflicts and tensions in COSATU are not unrelated to how COSATU responded to the strike and the emergence of AMCU). Negotiators from the three platinum conglomerates Amplats, Implats and Lonmin – report they were hardly involved in wage negotiations prior to this strike. In spite of platinum strikes before 2012, the matters were easily resolved once some steam had been let off. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) could easily relate to the axiom “don’t bite the hand that feeds you”.
The lowest paid workers that make up the A, B and C band workers staged a revolt against this system during the wild-cat strikes of 2012. Having made AMCU the majority union in the platinum sector, these same workers set out to win what could not be achieved in 2012. The bosses of the three biggest platinum producers in the world had several months advance notice to stockpile their metals to weather the strike. But what they did not reckon on was the determination of their employees to win against all odds. AMCU did amend its position from an immediate basic R12,500 to it being phased in over 4 years. This would require a R1800 increase every year for four years in respect of the lowest paid entry level underground worker. The best offer that the “cartel” came up with was R800. This was the basis of the infamous SMS offer made by the employers by-passing the union and breaking International Labour Organisaiton rules on collective bargaining.
Firstly, the demand for R12,500 would probably spread quicker than a paraffin blaze in an informal settlement. Every platinum mine might go on strike for R12,500. Secondly, the fear is that the demand would spread to every sector of mining. Already, tension is high in the gold sector in anticipation of AMCU winning its bid in the Labour Court to strike for R12,500. This could precipitate the ultimate demise of the NUM, which in the context of AMCU’s militancy, is a key stabiliser and partner of the Chamber of Mines. This is a scenario that is too ghastly to contemplate – not just for the Chamber – but for the ANC and the Tripartite Alliance that is already sweating over a possible split in COSATU. Suddenly an economic strike is threatening to become a very hot political potato: The EFF is already in Parliament waiting to profit from the outcome of this strike.
“This radical demand threatens to revolutionise wage bargaining and turn the labour movement on its head.” Since then, whether it was in the mediation process of the Labour Court under Judge Rabkin-Naicker or through the interministerial team established by Mineral and Resources minister, Ngoako Ramathlodi, the employers have dug in their heals by effectively repackaging the same offer, sighting the poor state of the industry and problems of affordability. Although completely unplanned for, the demand for a basic R12,500 by 2016 could be afforded by these three giants of the platinum industry. As a recent report of research group Research on Money and Finance shows, the increase could be paid out of reduced dividends to shareholders. AIDC has also indicated that if the companies stopped their evident practice of selling their metals under the global market price, billions of rands would be available for the higher wage bill.
On Mi’raj evening, Monday 26 May 2014, CMRM collected money for the striking workers. Through the generosity of our congregants we donated more than R10 000 as well as food parcels to support the AMCU striking workers.
RAMADAN EVENTS
The intransigence of the employers has to be partially understood in terms of the current subdued state of the industry as an outcome of the global crisis and the depression of the auto industry in Europe that is a major source of demand for platinum. This is because the industry, and especially the cartel, made massive profits in the period 2000 – 2008. Perhaps, of greater concern to the platinum bosses, is the impact that a victory of the striking AMCU workers would have.
May you enjoy a blessed and spiritually rejuvenating Ramadan