al-m zan Newsletter of the Claremont Main Road Mosque ° No. 20
Ramadan 1438 May 2017 °
Trump’s Presidency a Kairos Moment Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar
Muslims. Sadly these incidents do not receive widespread or sustained media coverage.
Muslims and other minority groups in the United States of America are currently living through one of the most challenging periods in their history. During the first 100 days of Donald Trump’s presidency Islamophobia and hate crimes spiked to an all-time high. Emblematic of this spike in Islamophobia is that since Trump’s incendiary campaign and presidency, close to three-dozen Islamic Centers across the United States have received bomb threats or have been vandalized. More disconcerting was the fact that on Sunday 29 January 2017, a lone gunman killed six worshippers and maimed eight others at the Grand Mosque in Québec, Canada. Suffice is to say, the disunity, intolerance and violence in North America at the moment is distressing. Less widely known, however, is that on Thursday 23 February 2017, a white racist shot two people affiliated with the Sikh religious tradition in Kansas. Tragically one of the men, Srinivas Kuchibhotla died of his wounds. This fatal shooting was followed on March 3, 2017, by the shooting of a 39 yearold American Sikh man in the East section of Kent, Washington State. According to the Seattle Times report, “The victim described the shooter as a 6-foot-tall white man with a stocky build. He was wearing a mask covering the lower half of his face.” The unknown ‘white’ shooter stated, “Go back to your own country,” before shooting the victim. It is highly plausible that the three members of the Sikh religion, who were shot at, in two different incidents and in two different states, are being confused as being
The spike in hate crimes has not been confined to Islamophobia. Jewish gravesites have been desecrated and synagogues have received threats. Even more disconcerting, however, is the rise in blatant acts of racially motivated killings. On Tuesday 21 March 2017 a white US military veteran, James Harrison Jackson, took a bus from Maryland to New York with the intention of killing as many black people as he could. He found a homeless Blackman in Times Square and killed him with a sword. This stupendous racial murder was followed on 18 April 2017, by the wanton killing of three white men in Fresno, California by a black man named Kori Ali Muhammad. He proclaimed that he killed them because he hated white people. It appears that the Trump presidency has emboldened xenophobes, bigots and racists of all stripes.
“The fact that Muslims are currently experiencing discrimination, marginalization and exclusion, should place us in a good position to empathize with other groups who suffer through similar battles.” Since I am not an American citizen and was living in the US on a visa, the decision I made to participate in protest action and to speak out against the growing Islamophobia wasn’t an easy one. However, I made the choice to be active and present during this crisis because I am a peace studies scholar, a Muslim religious leader, a nonviolent activist, and I am compelled to speak out against the growing threat of Islamophobia, racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and all other forms of assault on the dignity of others. The central message that I have tried to convey during the many opportunities I have
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had to share my thoughts and wisdom is that American Muslims should be at the forefront of efforts to join together struggles and become the kind of activists who recognize that the remedies to injustices requires collective action. The fact that Muslims are currently experiencing discrimination, marginalization and exclusion, should place us in a good position to empathize with other groups who suffer through similar battles. If we are grounded in love and compassion and if we are truly committed to fighting against all systems of oppression, then we have no choice but to show up for each other. We cannot fight injustice selectively, standing with some groups, and not with others. We have to live up to the words of Martin Luther King Jr. that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” During my participation in the antiIslamophobia protest movement in the US I found a great outpouring of solidarity with the Muslim community. I have been inspired and deeply moved by the deluge of support that the Muslim community has received from their American neighbours. The example of the Jewish Rabbi who visited the Imam of the burnt down Texas mosque and offered him the keys to the synagogue for Muslims to pray in was truly inspirational and perhaps unprecedented. One of the many challenges over the next few months will be to sustain this interfaith harmony, love and solidarity. I see the current charged political atmosphere in Trump’s America, coupled with the plight of Muslims and other minorities, as a kairos moment. Kairos is a biblical term, a Greek word, which means a moment of truth. It is both a moment of crisis as well as a moment of opportunity. Challenging times such as these are ideal for seeking corrective action and healing; an opportunity if seized upon may help in transforming the US to becoming a more vibrant democracy and most importantly, a more just and caring society.
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IMAM’S MESSAGE Imam A. Rashied Omar
Supplication and Prayer in a Time of Crisis My four-month stay in the United States coincided with the first 100 days of the Presidency of Donald Trump. During this time, the realities of an Islamophobic presidency began to sink in for American Muslims who are currently living through a climate of hate and one of the most daunting periods in their recent history. Challenging times such as these are ideal for seeking corrective action and healing through intensified supplication and prayer. Supplication and prayer holds great value in Islam and other religions and is an integral part of the life of the conscientious believer. It is a means of communication and dialogue with God and it is something that conscientious believers constantly pursue. The Muslim sacred scripture, the Glorious Qur’an, proclaims that the raison de etre for the mission of all God’s Messengers and Prophets was the establishment of justice among humankind (Q57:25). In pursuit of their challenging mission of a justpeace one of their major sources of strength and inspiration was that of supplication and prayer. It is no small wonder that all of our sacred scriptures are replete with supplications of earlier Messengers and Prophets as they continuously prayed to God during their missions and struggles for a justpeace. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) started his social justice activism in his youth – long before prophethood. As a teenager he joined a social justice coalition known as hilf al-fudul (literally the pact of the virtuous). Throughout his life he strived for both individual and social reform and consistently turned to God in supplication and prayer. In a hadith (prophetic tradition) found in the collection of Imam al-Tirmidhi, he is reported to have identified people who feel oppressed or discriminated against, as one of three groups of people whose supplications are precious and recognized by God. In the secular age we live in, supplication and prayer seems to have lost its efficacy and charm. Yet the impulse to pray is one of the most innate of human behaviors - especially during times of crisis – albeit in different ways depending on one’s tradition. Prayer keeps us real and humble by making us realize that even though our human agency is important, there are factors in our lives that are beyond our control. This is not to say that we simply pray and wait for miracles to fall from heaven – because prayer without action is imprudent, for human beings shall have that for which they strive (Q53:39). Prayer is the consciousness of spirit and it is a powerful tool that can be used to influence social change. In fact, I believe that our efforts as social justice activists become more meaningful if it emerges from a spiritually purified and a non-avaricious heart. Without a solid spiritual foundation, social justice activism can unwittingly become a self-fulfilling quest for egomania, selfenrichment, and the feeding of the base desires of the carnal self. In Islam we see this challenge expressed in the notion of jihad al-nafs, which is, in mystical traditions of Islam, the greatest form of jihad. It is the spiritual struggle to purify the soul and refine the disposition. The enduring challenge facing the person of faith who is committed to social justice struggles is how to maintain the mizan i.e. a healthy balance between individual spiritual growth and purification and more traditional methods of frontline social justice activism. The prayer I offered at the Islamic Society of Michiana in the state of Indiana on the day of Trump’s inauguration reflects the desire to achieve this balance between the interior and exterior dimensions of faith and public life, especially in light of the growing concern since threats of discriminatory policies and Islamophobic remarks surfaced during the presidential campaign: (Ya Rahman Ya Rahim) O Allah, Lord of Mercy and Compassion At this challenging time in the history of the US, we pray for greater commitment to active citizenship, We pray for hope to illuminate each moment of our lives, Hope for a better future, Hope for love and kindness, Hope for peace, justice, and a better life for all. (Ya Rabb al-Qist) O Allah, the Generous and Utterly Just Guide the leadership of America to use their power to serve the good of all and to fashion a more just and caring world. And guide the Muslims of the United States to bear witness to the noble teachings of Islam with wisdom and compassion. We implore You to guide us all to the ways of peace with justice. Allahuma Amin.
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What does it mean to say Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil? One of my favourite parts of the traditional Cape Town voorwerk is a dhikr that recalls the sufficiency of God for all human beings, known as Hasbuna Allah. This dhikr usually starts with the recitation of the following verses of the Qur’an: Mujahid Osman
اس قَ ْد َج َم ُعوا لَ ُك ْم فَا ْخشَ ْو ُه ْم فَ َزا َد ُه ْم إِميَانًا َوقَالُوا َح ْسبُ َنا اللَّ ُه َونِ ْع َم الْ َوكِ ُيل َ اس إِ َّن ال َّن ُ ال َِّذي َن ق ََال لَ ُه ُم ال َّن فَانْ َقلَ ُبوا ِب ِن ْع َم ٍة ِم َن اللَّ ِه َوف َْضلٍ لَ ْم َ ْي َس ْس ُه ْم ُسو ٌء َواتَّ َب ُعوا ر ِْض َوا َن اللَّ ِه َواللَّ ُه ذُو ف َْضلٍ َع ِظ ٍيم Some people said to them: “A great army is gathering against you, so fear them.” But this only increased them in faith and they said, “Allah is sufficient for us and Allah is the best Disposer of our affairs.” And they returned with Grace and bounty from Allah: no harm ever touched them: For they followed the good pleasure of Allah. And Allah is the Lord of bounties unbounded (Q3:173-174). This particular dhikr struck me a few years ago at the Gaza March in Cape Town when the pro-Palestinian masses marched through the City and chanted this rhythmic liturgy in the hope of it giving strength, courage and faith to both the marchers and Palestinians who have been oppressed at the hands of the settler-colonial Zionist state of Israel for decades. Strength to overcome their adversities. Courage in the face of injustice. Faith in the prospect of a utopian space, where compassionate justice, positive peace and tranquility are the organizing principles of society.
The congregation then responds and confirms their faith in Allah, by chanting Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil – God (alone) is sufficient for us and God is the best Disposer of our affairs. This dhikr is a way of contemplating the meaning of the words, which is repeated a number of times in a thoughtful, yet capturing melody in the hope that these Qur’anic words can penetrate the heart (qalb) and transform the soul (nafs). For many within the Sufi tradition, dhikr is a way of contemplating the Mercy, Compassion, Wisdom, and Power of Allah in the hope that it will soften the heart and help it to embody the attributes of Allah. So what does it mean to say Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil?
It is critical to note that the verses above and their asbab al nuzul (context or occasions of revelation) do not take away individual agency. Although these early Muslims put their faith in Allah, they were willing to fight and actively engage in a struggle for justice and the message of Islam with their entire beings. These early Muslims did not surrender their agency and simply rely on Allah to solve their problems. Rather, they stood fast on the battlefield, and asked Allah for assistance in their struggle and placed their faith in Allah to deliver the most compassionate outcome of their challenges.
According to Muslim scholarship, the opening verses of this dhikr were revealed within the historical context of the Battle of Uhud. At this battle, news came to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) that the large and powerful army of Abu Sufyan was approaching the small Muslim camp of about 70 brave warriors. However, the Prophet (pbuh) insisted on pursuing Abu Sufyan who eventually retreated to Makkah. The Muslim grouping eventually returned unharmed to the City of Madinah and rejoiced in their victory. Despite the threat of the relentless enemy, the loyal band of Muslim followers stayed true to their oath and continued in the mission to further the quest of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It is within this context, that these verses were revealed.
It is here that I am reminded of another verse of the Qur’an, which speaks to this dual struggle of a) placing your faith in Allah and b) actively engaging in one’s struggles. In this instructive verse of the Qur’an, Allah, the Sublime, proclaims in Surah al-Ra’ad, Chapter 13, Verse 11:
Despite their fear and exhaustion on the battlefield, these Muslims, by proclaiming Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil, believed that their faith in Allah was sufficient to give them the strength to overcome Abu Sufyan’s army and that Allah would protect them in all of their endeavors and affairs. It is interesting to note that because of this historical context, many Muslim groups who feel marginalized or under attack have continued this tradition, of contemplating Allah’s sufficiency, in the hope that these Qur’anic words would give them inner strength and perseverance to overcome the challenges in their lives. Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil has become a rallying cry for marginalized and oppressed Muslims calling upon God to provide them with hope and courage in the face of their challenges and to find new openings for the Grace of God.
Indeed, God will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change themselves [Q13:11] This verse affirms the critical agency and role we have as individuals and as collectives to effect personal and social transformation in our lives. Hence, when we chant Hasbuna Allah Wa Ni`mal Wakil, we contemplate the sufficiency of Allah in the context of all the daily struggles we are actively engaged in, but never give up our own agency in striving for personal and social change.
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RAMADAN PROGRAMMES 2017 CMRM 2017 Post-Tarawih Programme FOCUS/THEMES
DAYS AND DATES
KHUTBAH RESPONSES
FRIDAY EVENINGS
QU’RAN TAFSIR AND REFLECTIONS
THURSDAY EVENINGS
PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE
FRI 26 MAY SUN 28 MAY; MON 12 JUNE; WED 21 JUNE
ISLAM AND HISTORY
WED 31 MAY SAT 3 - WED 7 JUNE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY
ROLE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN SOCIAL ACTIVISM
SUN 11 JUNE
EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT
TUES 13 JUNE
REFLECTING ON YOUTH DAY AND COMMEMORATING JUNE 1976
FRI 16 - SUN 18 JUNE YOUTH DAY
REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS
MON 19 & TUES 20 JUNE WORLD REFUGEE DAY
KHATAM-AL-QUR’AN - LAYLATUL QADR
THURS 22 JUNE
HAFIZ AL-QUR’AN to Lead Tarawih Prayers at CMRM Hafiz Muhammad Abdullah Lubwama
LIVING WITH DISABILITIES: DEAF AWARENESS AND PARALYMPICS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: FOOD SECURITY AND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES
PROFILE
Muhammad Abdullah Lubwama was born and grew up in Luwero Uganda, where his parents still live. He is 23 years old and unmarried. He completed his hifz studies at Bugembe Islamic Institute Jinja Uganda in February 2012, and thereafter spent a year in Tanzania refining his tajweed and hifz recitation. He completed an Advanced Certificate in Islamic Theology and Arabic Language at Naggalama Islamic Institute in Uganda in Dec 2014. He is currently doing postgraduate studies at IPSA and leading daily salahs at CMRM. HOBBIES: Teaching and reading the Holy Qur’an SPORTS: Soccer OTHER INTRESTS: Seeking knowledge and Adventure
MAKE A DONATION Account Name: Claremont Main Road Mosque Bank: First National Bank Branch Code: 200109 Account Number: 50150446993 Reference: Jihad Against Poverty or JAP
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RAMADAN PROGRAMMES 2017 CMRM Ramadan 2017 JUMU’AH Schedule 26 MAY & 9 JUNE
IMAM RASHIED OMAR
2 JUNE
SHAYKH SA’DULLAH KHAN
16 JUNE
FASIHA HASSAN
23 JUNE
KHADEEJA BASSIER
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING SUNDAY 11 JUNE 2017 TIME: 10.00AM - 12.50PM GUEST SPEAKER: ARCHBISHOP THABO MAKGOBA TOPIC: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS IN SOCIAL JUSTICE CAMPAIGNS IN CONTEMPORARY SOUTH AFRICA VENUE: AUDITORIUM, SPORTS SCIENCE INSTITUE, NEWLANDS
CMRM ramadan running club
The Ramadan running club started up in 2012, and is now in its sixth year. The number of runners participating has grown over the years and gathers beginner, intermediate and advanced level runners in a post-tarawih running programme. The programme structure this year will be as follows: Club runs on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday Beginner group: Group leader Ridwan Wagiet Distance +/- 7km Pace +/- 10min/km Intermediate group: Group leader Suhair Solomon Distance +/- 8km Pace +/- 7min/km Advanced group: Group leaders Salih Solomon, Shuaib Manjra, Shamil Jeppie Distance 9 – 12km Pace 5 – 6min/km
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Runners across all levels are encouraged to join the groups! Please note: weather on the evening will determine whether we go out on club runs but runners should come prepared with winter gear, and as a necessary safety precaution should also wear a headlamp & reflective gear.
jihad against poverty Fun and Solidarity with Farmworkers On Sunday 18 December 2016 CMRM once again ended the year with a day of fun and solidarity with the farming communities of Leeuwenkuil, Karringmelkvlei and Knollefontein in Agter Paarl. About 40 CMRM members and friends from TCOE and CSAAWU joined over 200 farmworkers in the Barn on Leeuwenkuil farm for a day of entertainment. The entertainment started with a performance by the Gordyntjiedorp drama group from Wellington, led by Ghaireya Fredericks. Thereafter, entertainment was provided by GANARAMA productions, performing a host of popular songs to which the audience could sing and dance along. It also included a choreographed dance by 8 Leeuwenkuil children who spent four weeks rehearsing with performers from Ganarama. After lunch, CMRM’s ‘father Christmas’, Omar Davids, gave out Christmas gifts, generously bought and personalized by CMRM members and friends, to the children from all three farms. On Monday 1 May 2017, CMRM shared a day of Workers Solidarity at Leeuwenkuil. Workers from two new farms, Middlebrug and Langvlei joined workers from Leeuwenkuil, Karringmelkvlei and Knollefontein. CSAAWU Union organisers joined us on the day, and addressed the workers on the history and significance of Workers’ Day. The day’s activities started off with reading and story telling, followed by some colouring in activities, and making stick puppets. Thereafter, the adults enjoyed some competitive tug of war, or tou-trek as they prefer to call it, with Leeuwenkuil workers competing against workers from the other farms. On both these visits to Leeuwenkuil, the day ended with the distribution of food parcels and hygiene care packs, and sweet treats for the children. On Saturday 4 March 2017, CMRM hosted 30 youth and adults from Leeuwenkuil on a visit to Newlands Rugby Stadium to watch the Stormers vs Jaguares. Thanks to Chairperson, Boeta Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams and WPRU for organizing the tickets and Stormers flags. We also arranged goodie bags for all of them to take into the stadium. They had an absolutely wonderful time watching the Stormers win. After the match we took a walk to the masjid. After hearing so much about ‘Claremont Main Road Moskee’, they were very chuffed to see the masjid in person for the first time. In January 2017, ahead of the start of the school year, CMRM also bought school stationery for 35 students on the farm that included, books, pens, pencils, crayons, calculators, and other items. Our thanks to all the CMRM members and friends who have joined us on visits to the farm, and all those who so generously contribute to the modest support and solidarity we are able to provide to these communities.
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Being Khalifa of the Earth Fatima Chohan
Our children, we like saying, are our future, but they need to be better equipped than we were. It is a sad reality that as we progress we are rent asunder from our natural environment. Progress in this sense cannot be a viable concept.
About a decade ago I was invited to attend a conference on World Peace in the city of Lucknow in India. We were hosted by a school, which was founded by a man who at a young age decided he wanted to make the world a better place. He and his wife were both teachers but they found that mainstream schooling was simply about educating the mind. They were interested in educating both the minds and the hearts of their learners.
When I was a child we got our milk in glass bottles, which were reused. We got fizzy drinks in glass bottles, which were returned in exchange for a deposit. Today we have progressed to plastic bottles. Lighter, cheaper, much more convenient. But there is little consideration in our community for the devastating effects of this manmade material on our planet.
At the time that we visited the school the city of Lucknow had just come through a period of religious riots between Muslims and Hindus. For two weeks there were murderous scenes all over the city. Many mosques and temples were gutted and many people were hurt and killed. The students of this school, both Muslim and Hindu, spontaneously took to the streets arm in arm and staged a sit-in along the Main Boulevard of the city, where they vowed to remain sitting side by side, until their parents came to their senses.
Plastic waste of about 8 million tons finds its way into the world’s oceans each year. There have been several published reports of masses of plastic debris caught up in the major currents in the oceans or debris on beaches. The extent of ingesting these materials by marine animals and the consequences of that, have not yet been determined. There are some global activist groups who predict that humanity has less than thirty years of seafood left.
It was in no small part due to their actions that the violence and riots stopped. They were hailed as heroes and true leaders of the future.
It is said that 40 per cent of one’s actions are not conscious decisions but habits. I believe plastic has become a habit of our time. I tried identifying all the products I use on a daily basis that contain plastic: toothbrush and hairbrush, earbuds, household containers, plastic straws and bottles, pens, car and computer components, cellphone components to name a few. The truth is plastics are probably here to stay, but we don’t need to be unconscious about their effects on our world and our future. Like so many things in our world, our ability to be conscious of where we are heading is our greatest weapon against the collapse of our civilization. Sustainable living is ever more elusive to the average household today - removed as we are from the source of our food. Nonetheless, I believe that everyone of us has the capacity to alter our behaviour as consumers of earth’s resources.
When I asked the principal, how teaching religious tolerance in Lucknow got his students interested in world peace, his response was that they were taught to respect trees. If they develop a genuine respect, and awe for trees, then the sanctity of human life is placed into perspective. This in turn gave rise to an interest in topics like Nuclear Non-Proliferation. This philosophy of teaching not just the mind but the heart as well, is I believe the challenge for our time, and our country. By producing this book, ‘Islam and the Environment: A Resource for Teachers’, the Muslims for Eco-Justice project of CMRM is responding I believe to this challenge. This book addresses the development of several universal values, the most important of which, is compassion. In compassion there is gratitude, in gratitude there develops adoration for the Creator and the assumption of the role of protector and preserver of the Creation. The stories in the book serve to remind us of what comprises our duty as viceroys of the Creator and our special responsibility to safe guard and protect the earth and all of Creation, and how the beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), assumed this duty.
We are all facing an imminent water crises in this city, and more and more inhabitants of this city are becoming conscious of our habits when using water and ways in which we can save water. Perhaps in our heightened state of consciousness we will be most inclined to reflect and become conscious of our other habits that are unsustainable. “It is He who has made you Khalifa of the earth -... so that He may test you in what He has given you. Surely, your Lord is swift in punishing and surely He is Most Forgiving, Very Merciful.” (Q6:165)
It contains several activities that children should be involved in to ignite their delight in Nature, one of which is organic gardening. Creating a generation of gardeners is a beautiful way to instill the values of hard work, illustrate the marvels of Nature, and cultivate a love for the outdoors.
(This is an edited version of the speech delivered at the launch of the book ‘Islam and the Environment: A Resource for Teachers’, published by CMRM’s Muslims for Eco-Justice. Fatima Chohan is Deputy Minister of Home Affairs.)
It is no co-incidence that Muslims believe that our preferred final abode is indeed a garden.
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In Celebration of Mu’adhdhins Ra-is Matthews Name: Ra-is Mathews Parents: Nithar & Rahima (nee Omar) Mathews Age: 8
Favourite sport to watch/play: Soccer. I play for FCKapstadt and my favourite soccer team is Barcelona. Favourite sportsperson: Lionel Messi
School Name: Tamboerskloof Primary Grade: 3 Favourite School Subject: English
Favourite passtime/hobby: Hiking. I hike every weekend with my mom.
Madrasa name: Madrasa via Skype Madrasa/Hifz teacher: Aunty Moena Galant and Imam Rashied Omar
Best book you have read: Diary of a Wimpy kid – “Cheese Touch”
How many surahs have you memorized?: 12
Favourite food: Pizza
Who is your role model and why?: Messi, because he won three Golden Ball awards in a row.
Favourite surah and why: Wal ‘Asr, because it is a short surah
What is your biggest dream for yourself in the future?: To become a professional soccer player one day
Name: Ridhaa Jawitz Parents: Jeff Jawitz & Wadeedah Jaffer Age: 21
Favourite sport to watch/play: Table tennis, soccer, basketball, cricket Favourite sportsperson: Michael Jordan. He was told he was too short to play basketball and didn’t make the varsity team. He is now known as the greatest basketball player ever. Favourite passtime/hobby: Play sport Favourite food: Lasagna Best book you have read: The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini
Ridhaa Jawitz
University: UCT What are you studying?: Medicine, 4th year Madrasa name: CMRM Saturday Morning Madrasa Madrasa/Hifz teacher: Imam Rashied Omar & Jihad Omar How many surahs have you memorized?: Juz 30, 29, Surah Yasin and ½ of Juz 1 Favourite surah and why: Surah Al A’ala (Chapter 87). It was the one Surah of Juz 30 that I struggled to memorize when I was young, but it is somehow the one Surah I remember the best.
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Who is your role model and why?: My dad. I haven’t heard anyone say a single negative thing about him. He is the most kind-hearted person I know What is your biggest dream for yourself in the future?: To specialize in Sports Medicine and travel with a team to the Olympics or any major sporting event.
BOOK REVIEW
The Forty Rules of Love: A Novel of Rumi Elif Shafak (2010) Review by Adli Jacobs Between your fingers you hold a stone and throw it into flowing water… If a stone hits a river, the river will treat it as yet another commotion in its tumultuous course. Nothing unusual. Nothing unmanageable. If a stone hits a lake, however, the lake will never be the same again. [From Shafak’s The Forty Rules of Love] The Forty Rules of Love by Turkish writer, Elif Shafak, will disturb your sense of Islam, your comfort zones, what you thought you understood about spirituality and your sense of self. After all, this was the mission that Shams of Tabriz had when he sought out the great Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi of Konya to hand over his spiritual wisdom. And this is the story of their inspirational relationship.
grasp of the quest for a better relationship with Allah.
“I was fascinated by the relationship between teacher and student, and how Rumi became one of the greatest Sufi Masters with such an unorthodox teacher.”
A story within a story (actually: stories within a story), Shafak tells of how a housewife, Ella Rubinstein’s apparently tranquil existence is shattered when she is asked to evaluate a manuscript, Sweet Blasphemy. The manuscript tells of the relationship between Rumi and Shams and serves as the parallel story to the relationship Ella develops with the author of the manuscript. Shafak’s storytelling reminded me of a Rumi poem I had once read:
I grew up on the stories of Rumi from when I was a teenager and my late father would share with me what he had read about the founder of the whirling dervishes. It baffled me even then as to what the impact Shamsi Tabriz had when he dumped Rumi’s book and manuscripts into the pond. Already then my mind developed an image of Shams as a sort of villain, a most unorthodox teacher, a disturber of the peace. I was fascinated by the relationship between teacher and student, and how Rumi became one of the greatest Sufi Masters with such an unorthodox teacher. Why did Rumi have to go mad with yearning for Shams (assassinated by Rumi’s followers) before he could write his Mathnawi (perhaps his best work), I pondered? Why would someone go mad because another dies? Where was his faith in those moments? Since my father passed I had my own arguments in defence of the Sufi Master. These questions drew me closer to the sufi path in my later years and nourished my own
Then along comes Elif Shafak with her own take on the story and dumps most of my notions of Rumi, the Whirling Dervishes, Shamsi Tabriz, the tethering of the ego, understanding the Qur’an and my late father (Ebrahim Jacobs, may his grave be forever bathed in light), into the pond.
You are in love with me, I shall make you perplexed. Do not build much, for I intend to have you in ruins. If you build two hundred houses in a manner that the bees do; I shall make you as homeless as a fly. If you are the mount Qaf in stability. I shall make you whirl like a millstone. What Shafak has successfully done is take the ideas of Rumi and Shams, regarded as the twin suns of sufism, breathe new life into a story that has been retold so many times, and transposed it into a modern context for all lovers of the Sublime. The Forty Rules of Love is an exquisite piece of tapestry, weaving together stories of a remorseful drunk, a prostitute who dresses up as a man, an arrogant and legalistic Muslim scholar, a revengefully bitter son
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and a wife grappling with her love for Mary and her new found Islam. Through all these stories we encounter Shamsi Tabriz’s Forty Rules of Love that are expounded to inspire our quest for the Love of the Divine, and to transform our lives and fill it with love. They present an engaging vision of a gentle, non-judgemental Sufi path to Islam that rejects religious fundamentalism and the consumerist and egoistical culture of our times. At the start of the novel, Shafak has this inspiring piece: Sufi mystics say the secret of the Qur’an lies in the verse of Al-Fatiha, And the secret of Al-Fatiha lies in Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. And the quintessence of Bismillah is the letter ba. And there is a dot below that letter. The dot underneath the Ba embodies the entire universe. The Mathnawi starts with B, as does each chapter in this novel…
GUEST SPEAKERS Father Roger Hickley
23 Dec 2016 Topic: Reflections on Christmas
Leonard Gentle
13 Jan 2017 Topic: Student Protests
Ebrahim Rasool
MASJID AFFAIRS Islamic History Course From Jan-March 2017, CMRM convened an eight week Introduction to Islamic History Course, presented by Prof. Shamil Jeppie, from the Department of History at UCT. The course covered the period before the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula, through its very rapid rise and spread through northern Africa and into parts of Asia and Andalusia in Europe (c500-1500). The course provided a framework for understanding some of the major political, religious, social and intellectual movements in Islam that have had a lasting impact and survives (or revives) through to today. The course was attended by more than 40 participants per week.
20 Jan 2017 Topic: Truth in the Era of Trump
Milad al-Nabi 2016 Sh Ighsaan Taliep
3 Feb 2017 Topic: Celebrating Diversity Within Humanity
Nuraan Osman
10 Feb 2017 Topic: Violence Against Women
Safiyya Surtie
3 March 2017 Topic: Gender Justice
Cassiem De Wet
31 March 2017 Topic: Creating Awareness of the Hearing Impaired (Deaf )
Maulana Ihsaan Hendricks
24 April 2017 Topic: Masjidul Quds and the Occupation of Palestine
On Sunday evening 11 December 2016, CMRM convened its annual Milad alNabi celebrations. The masjid was yet again beautifully decorated with flowers and lights, which created a spiritual ambience. The Al-Ahly (aka Ottomans) Dhikr Jamat for the fourth year in succession inspired the congregation with their tuneful rendition of the adhkar (voorwerk) and the traditional Barzanji Mawlid poetry in honour of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birth. Four CMRM members, Imran Adams, Nazeem Manuel, Mariam Adams and Yumnah Richards recited the traditional Barzanji Riwayats.
Hosting Postgraduate Students from the US For the second year in succession, CMRM hosted a group of students from a range of universities in the United States participating in an International Honours Programme. CMRM Secretary, Jaamia Galant, gave them some history and context to Islam in SA and also spoke about some of the social justice struggles that we are engaged in. Mujahid Osman spoke about some of the challenges that Muslim youth face, and led the students on a tour of the Signal Hill kramat after Zuhr.
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TRIBUTE TO AHMED KATHRADA (1929-2017)
Ebrahim Rasool The universal outpouring of grief for Ahmed Kathrada, and the hailing of the values by which he lived, shows just how far our country has come over the last three decades, and how the South African Muslim community has grown over that same period! Almost 3 decades ago we were caught up in the vortex of popular uprisings against a state caught between its instinct to repress and its sense that it needed to yield to the majority; and black South Africans were debating the merits of political engagement with the apartheid state, cognisant of both the global transition and the apartheid dilemma. For Muslims, Ahmed Kathrada was a point of reference as we, a small, but longstanding community, often caught between our principles of justice and desire for survival, vacillated between what we thought were the global debates among Muslims distilled by the revolution in Iran, and what this meant for our stance in the South African maelstrom. Was Ahmed Kathrada the archetypal symbol of Muslim commitment or was his religious identity contaminated by his fusion of nationalism and communism? Were his instincts for non-racialism, egalitarianism and national sovereignty out of sync with the dominant discourses of Islamism and its apotheosis, the Islamic State, achieved either through the Ikhwani process of personal transformation as the precondition for the social one, or the Iranian prescript of ‘only solution, Islamic revolution’? Was his adherence to freedom, democracy and human rights a confirmation that he and his compatriots had fallen prey to western liberal constructs, or was he prescient in seeing the universality of values at the heart of such constructs? Ahmed Kathrada crystallised all of these debates as he addressed the National
Muslim Conference on the eve of the 1994 elections, setting the tone for our furious discussions about our expectations of a new constitution as well as the path to achieve our ideals. That was when the majority claimed him as the most visible symbol of our capacity to sacrifice, and our ability to live by our values rather than our interests. That was where we heeded his advice: Muslims were created for freedom; democracy was the form shura assumed; and non-racial justice was the intention of God! Muslims in SA have never looked back since. Today Ahmed Kathrada is universally claimed even by the moulvis who condemned his ideology. He is hailed by all South Africans who yearn the fulfillment of his core values: non-racialism and greater egalitarianism. But his very essence, that I was fortunate to glimpse in Pollsmoor Prison in 1987 already, was always apparent to those who value content over form, values over rules, sacrifice and service over mere piety, and spirituality over unthinking ritualism.
“His very essence, that I was fortunate to glimpse in Pollsmoor Prison in 1987 already, was always apparent to those who value content over form, values over rules, sacrifice and service over mere piety, and spirituality over unthinking ritualism.” Today South African Muslims have grown both in their more inclusive definition of being Muslim and in their understanding of Islam making common purpose for common values. Today, lessons such as these are elusive for a global ummah caught between authoritarianism, extremism and occupation in the heartlands and islamophobia, extremism and political paralysis where they are minorities. They yearn for a Kathrada whose example of sacrifice and service could overwhelm the siren songs of some clergy who urge retreat to the mosque and others who lay foundations of intolerance, the extremists who peddle perpetual anger and conflict, the west that refuses to abandon the militarism that perpetuates humiliation, and leaders who are not conflicted about our relationship with those who are different.
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More than anything, Ahmed Kathrada was consistent, even to the point that he understood that the first duty of loyalty was to sound the bell of dissent. In 2009, I had joined Ahmed Kathrada in the ANC’s election campaign speaking together in meetings across Gauteng. Jacob Zuma was the ANC candidate for President, and Comrade Kathy believed that Zuma could usher in a less aloof, more inclusive, socially focused and economically responsive era of governance. His later outrage – expressed in his letter asking President Zuma to resign – was directly proportional to the level of unconditional support he gave him in that election campaign. That letter was written neither by one who was spiteful, nor by one who was an outsider to the ANC. It was not driven by hatred for the ANC or the partisan hope of advantage to another Party, as some who now quote it are guilty of. He spoke as one who wanted to redeem the ANC, not destroy it. It is precisely a deep love and profound loyalty that could find expression in such a pained and evocative plea for the damage to be stopped, for the boil to be lanced, and the bleeding to end. Even in death, he sacrificed a peaceful funeral in service of a country and a party that needed to be rudely woken to the venality of some in leadership. So Ahmed Kathrada is no more, and his generation is departing. If we must cling to something, then let us cling to their spirit of selfless sacrifice in a time of selfish greed; let us hold onto their humility and simplicity even as arrogant power-mongering threatens; let us advance their vision of human inclusiveness in the face of all kinds of bigotry; let us fulfill their belief in a world that is more equal for all its citizens in an epoch of growing poverty; and let us learn their commitment to speaking for truth and justice when some would demand of us only silent condonation of the wrongs that they perpetrate! From God we come and to God we return! Rest in Peace! Hamba Kahle! (Ebrahim Rasool is a former Premier of the Western Cape, former SA Ambassador to the US and is currently President of the World For All Foundation)
Compassion Needed in Approach to Migrant Policy
Raashied Galant South Africa’s borders should be as open and as welcoming as possible to those fleeing war, tyranny, hopelessness and poverty. South Africa is after-all the most refugee-friendly country in Africa, with the most progressive refugee legislation on the continent, and this must not be reversed. This was the main thrust of proposals put forward to Government by CMRM in a submission on the Green Paper on International Migration in 2016. Issued by the Department of Home Affairs, the Green Paper is the forerunner to a White Paper, which will eventually provide an overall policy framework for any future legislation and regulations pertaining to matters such as assylum seekers, refugees, people applying for work permits, study permits and citizenship.
Migrant or citizen, all people are entitled to access South Africa’s social infrastructure of health, education and employment. The process of CMRM developing a submission began with a public consultation meeting held at the masjid at which various individuals and migrantrights organisations were invited, along with the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Ms Fatima Chohan. This meeting provided major input and direction for the proposals the masjid would eventually put forward. In our final submission to Home Affairs, CMRM was critical of the overall tone and language used in the Green Paper. Our concern was that the language of the Green Paper unwittingly framed migration in terms of criminality and security threats.
The policy paper was replete with concepts or ideas such as terrorism, drug-smuggling, human trafficking, fugitive crime bosses, and criminal syndicates. CMRM’s concern was that this over-emphasis on threats and criminality misrepresented the vast majority of refugees and migrants in the country. It reinforced undue associations of migrants and refugees with criminality. This language, along with words such as illegal migration, could also create conditions for xenophobic sentiments and violence to flourish.
There is no rigorous and comprehensive evidence to show that migrants are a burden to the economy, despite implications to this effect in various parts of the Green Paper. We also found that at its core, the concern of the Green Paper was largely about the economic value migrants contributed (or not) to the nation. For CMRM, this approach is immoral. Migrant or citizen, all people are entitled to access South Africa’s social infrastructure of health, education and employment. Decisions about who to allow into the country, and who to grant citizenship to, should not be based on measurements of wealth, skills or
Africa. There was also no clarity whether the proposed centres would be any different to the Refugee Repatriation Centre at Lindela. This has become notorious in recent years as a cesspool of corruption and abuse towards refugees. Most disconcerting was the Green Paper’s insistence that these processing centres were “common international practice in countries such as Canada, Australia, Switzerland and Brazil.” However, these centres in Australia for example are in fact detention centres which have been condemned for their violation of human rights. Asylum seekers in Australian centres have even taken to sowing their mouths shut as part of a hunger strike in protest against their treatment in these centres. CMRM hopes that the Department of Home Affairs will take seriously our submission as well those of other concerned citizens, to ensure that a policy on immigration treats migrants with dignity and compassion. CMRM’s full submission on the Green Paper on International Migration is available on request. The White Paper on International Migration is expected to be tabled in 2017.
education. There is no rigorous and comprehensive evidence to show that migrants are a burden to the economy, despite implications to this effect in various parts of the Green Paper. Quite the contrary, migrants benefit the economy through their labour and enterprise. Migrants also contribute to institutions that enable the economy and society to thrive, for example through involvement in community organisations. One of the more controversial proposals in the Green Paper was for the establishment of Asylum Seeker Processing Centres to accommodate asylum seekers during their status determination process. CMRM was circumspect about this proposal, questioning whether these proposed centres will in fact not be more like refugee camps, which is the norm throughout
Fatima Chohan
Faisal Garba