CMRM Annual Report 2017

CLAREMONT MAIN ROAD MOSQUE

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E S TA B L I SH E D 1 8 5 4

F A I T H C O M P A S S I O N J U S T I C E

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In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Dispenser of Grace

CMRM Vision The Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) espouses a comprehensive vision of Islam (shumuliyyat al-Islam) that embraces the intellectualism of the theologians (mutakallimun), the juristic pragmatism of the jurists (fuqaha and usuliyyun) as well as spiritual inspiration of the mystics (ahlal-tassuwwuf). It is a dynamic and socially responsive vision of Islam that was forged in the crucible of the struggle for creating a more humane and caring South African society. It is a vision of Islam that was first formulated

by Imam `Abdullah Haron in collaboration with the Claremont Muslim Youth Association and articulated in their newsletter The Islamic Mirror in the late fifties and throughout the sixties. We at the Claremont Main Road Mosque have sought to nurture and expand this vision of Islam.

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Contents Chairperson’s Report

4-5

Imam’s report 6-7 Jihad Against Poverty

8-10

International Solidarity 11 Gender Justice 12-13 Interfaith Solidarity 14-15 Youth Empowerment Environmental Justice

16-17

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Madrasah Report 19 Education and Media Masjid Publications

20-21

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Statement of Financial Position 31 December 2017

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Surplus and Reserves 2017 23 Detailed Statement of Comprehensive Income 2017

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Income and Expenses 2017 24 Detailed Statement of Comprehensive Expenses 2017

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Budget Summaries: 2017 and 2018

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Cover pic: Painting of CMRM by Farah Jawitz (2014)

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Chairperson’s Report I have had the wonderful opportunity to lead this jamat for two terms as Chairperson of the CMRM Board, and this will be my final report as Chairperson as I hand over at the 2018 Annual General Meeting. It is with deep gratitude that I reflect in this 2017 Annual Report on the many successful masjid programmes and activities through the year.

Moses and Salih Solomon. They have added fresh voices and much needed expertise to build our capacity. They joined the remaining Board members of myself, Yusuf Abrahams (Chairperson), Achmat Peters (Vice Chair), W. Agherdien (Treasurer), J. Galant (Secretary), K. Bassier, W. Sookool and Imam Rashied and Imam Shaheed as exofficio members.

The keynote address at the 2017 AGM was delivered by Archbishop Thabo Makgoba. His talk focused on the role of religious institutions in social justice campaigns in contemporary South Africa. He urged us as a faith community to build alliances within civil society to continue to strive for social justice, to fight corruption, racism and gender-based violence and hold government to account for their mandate of clean governance and service delivery to the poor.

The following five dimensions of CMRM’s Mission still remain key thrusts of all our activities: Jihad Against Poverty; Gender Justice; Interfaith Solidarity; Youth Empowerment and Environmental Justice. We are striving to add Elderly Care as a sixth dimension. The numerous activities undertaken within each dimension of our mission are in line with the dynamic and socially responsive vision of Islam that we espouse at CMRM. The hard work and commitment of our Board members continue to set very high standards in our administration and governance.

In addition to the 2017 AGM, we held a General meeting in February, a Special General Meeting in October 2017 and six Board meetings. Executive decisions have always been consultative and communicated transparently. As we were unable to raise the purchasing money of R8m by deadline for the building adjacent to the masjid, a new Building sub-committee elected at the 2017 AGM was mandated to pursue plans to renovate the existing building. To this end, Afzal Khan, Fadly Isaacs, Ramzi Solomon and Jaamia Galant have taken on the task to explore options with architects involved in the previous building projects and continue to report on progress.

Below is a brief overview of some of the key governance and administrative highlights and challenges of 2017: At the 2017 AGM in June, we bid farewell to two of our Board members: Yumnah Richards and Mujahid Osman.

We thank them for their years of commitment and wish them well in their new endeavours. They have left a void of youth voices on the Board which is a challenge we have to overcome in the future. We welcomed the election of three new Board members: Raashied Galant, Nazeem

At the 2017 AGM, the Board was also asked to nominate Trustees to reconstitute the CMRM Trust. I am pleased

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to report that the Trust Deed of the CMRM Trust was approved by the Master on 1 August 2017, with the following serving Trustees: Y. Abrahams; K. Bassier; A. Jakoet; A. Mahomed; M. Mowzer; S. Solomon. A key role of the CMRM Trust will be to safeguard the fixed assets of the masjid. The CMRM Trust will convene its own Annual General Meeting.

In May 2017 CMRM held its first Wellness Day. Board member Salih Solomon organised a host of doctors and medical students who volunteered their services to do pre-Ramadan wellness screening. The screening included cholesterol tests, blood-sugar, blood pressure and bodymass measurements as well as a session at Crossfit gym.

The Wellness Day was a great success and attracted about 40 participants. We hope to continue to build on this initiative.

The fundraising Committee, under the leadership of treasurer Wasiela Agherdien, includes Board member Raashied Galant. They co-ordinated a second successful and entertaining High Tea in August 2017, and raised funds through ticket sales for shows at Artscape in April and November 2017. Our thanks to all the members of the fundraising team for their efforts and commitment and all those who have supported our fundraising events.

We are grateful to Shariefa Wydeman, the Administrative Assistant, who continues to enhance the efficiency of the administration and managing the caretakers. Our Vice-Chairperson, Achmat Peters, continues to play an important role in the maintenance of the masjid with support from Imam Shaheed. Boeta Achmat also now

has the support of Nazeem Moses for co-ordinating the distribution of all goods and food parcels for our Jihad Against Poverty projects throughout the year.

We are proud to have a very efficient communications system with information to all on a regular basis. Our sincere gratitude to Jaamia Galant, our Secretary, for her excellent work in this regard, and a special thanks to Ridwan Wagiet and Rahima Omar, who keep our website and Facebook pages up to date.

We are sincerely grateful to pledges from members and generous donors whose contributions allow us to efficiently administer the many masjid projects and programmes. Our gratitude to Wasiela Agherdien, Basier Dramat and our auditor Abubaker Jakoet, for ensuring transparency in all our financial reporting.

It has been an honour and privilege to serve the Claremont Main Road Masjid Congregation as Chairperson since 2011 and Insha-Allah I will continue to carry out any duties assigned to me during my retirement years. We should also seriously consider the issue of succession planning both at Board and Imamat level at our strategic planning workshops.

Sincerely

Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams

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Imam’s Report I would like to begin by expressing my sincere thanks and gratitude to Hajji Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams for his sterling leadership of the CMRM Board over the past eight years. I make du’a that Allah blesses him abundantly for his leadership and service at CMRM and grants him good health. I call upon especially younger members of our congregation to volunteer to emulate the excellent example set by Boeta Jowa and to come forward to serve the organizational capacity of CMRM. Three key highlights on our 2017 programme were the CMRM tribute paid to our local rugby legends, the leading role CMRM played in the formation of the Cape Accord, and the harnessing of the CMRM khutbah platform for youth development.

Tribute to Local Rugby Legends

In June and July 2017 a number of local rugby legends passed away in quick succession, including Yusuf “Joe” Allie, Achmat Isaacs, Salie Dollie, and Salie Fredericks. In a khutbah delivered on 6 July I called for the honouring of our local community heroes not only during their death but more importantly while they are alive. To this end CMRM convened a dhikr on 6 August at which we not only honoured five deceased SARU legends but also identified five living legends, including, Yusuf (Jowa) Abrahams, Riyaadh Najaar, Themba Ludwaba, Thelo Wakefied, and Francois “Kabalie” Davids. Each of these players was presented with a CMRM award trophy. We also published a tributary booklet. The event and tributes were prominently covered in the Cape Times and Cape Argus.

CMRM and the Cape Accord During my `Id al-Adha khutbah on 1 September 2017, titled Ending Anti-Shi`a Sectarianism and Embracing the Amman Message, I suggested that as one of our strategies CMRM should be reaching out to allies within the broader Muslim community to build a public campaign towards countering and ending intra-faith hatred and sectarianism within the South African Muslim community. This led

on 1 December 2017 to Imam Shaheed and I co-signing the Cape Accord on behalf of CMRM. The Cape Accord represents a strategic alliance of Muslim organizations to combat the growing threat of sectarianism and intra-faith intolerance in South Africa. At its founding meeting the Cape Accord was co-signed and endorsed by ten Muslim organizations, including Islamia College, Islamic Peace College of South Africa (IPSA), Madina Institute, Jamiyyatul Qurra Institute, Masjidul Quds, CMRM, Al-Ansaar Radio, Al-Ansaar Foundation, and Al-Ghazali Mosque and Centre. The Cape Accord binds the signatories to avoid public/media hostility towards each other as Muslims and abstaining from making takfir of each other (i.e. declaring each other outside the fold of Islam). Legitimate differences should be handled with wisdom and respectful engagement.

During his khutbah on 22 December titled ‘Pathway to the Cape Accord’ Shaykh Sa’dullah also introduced the CMRM congregation to the key principles and context of the intra-faith Cape Accord. Immediately after the jumu`ah salah, Imam Shaheed unveiled a framed copy of the Cape Accord which was mounted and displayed on the front wall of the masjid next to the mimbar. I am also delighted that we have invited Hafiz Advocate Abubakr Mohamed, one of the architects of the Cape Accord to deliver the keynote address at CMRM’s AGM in Ramadan 2018, so as to get our congregation fully on board with this critical tolerance campaign.

Harnessing the CMRM Khutbah Platform for Youth Leadership Another highlight of 2017 was the excellent pre-khutbah talks delivered by our youth. On Youth Day 16 June, Wits #FeesMustFall activist, Fasiha Hassan, delivered an excellent pre-khutbah talk. As this coincided with Ramadan, we were able to convene a discussion forum immediately after jumu`ah and continued after tarawih prayers. It provided a unique opportunity not only for dialogue among the youth at a national level but also much needed intergenerational dialogue. See Youth report for more on youth speakers.

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Further Highlights of 2017 During the past year Hafiz Muhammad Lubwama, who resides at the masjid, has been leading the daily Fajr, Maghrib and `Isha’ prayers. This means that we now have an appointed Imam leading all of the weekly salawat at CMRM. For the second year in succession Hafiz Muhammad also led us in the tarawih prayers. Our longstanding mu’adh-dhin training programme is bearing fruit with our young trainees now maturing into excellent mu’adh-dhinun. The challenge is to take this programme forward by recruiting new trainees and adding value to the existing training programme. Our Ramadan post-tarawih talks were once again edifying and we again hosted a wellattended Hajj seminar on the second Sunday of Ramadan.

In September we also hosted a dhikr to commemorate the 48th anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Abdullah Haron.

The CMRM weekly khutbah programme continued to be of a high standard and featured a wide range of talented speakers.

Compassion for Elders In a 2015 khutbah Dr. Rafiq Khan reminded us that “a masjid congregation is not made up of brick and mortar but individuals. It is the quality of our relationships with one another that counts for more.” Rafiq Khan called on us to establish an elder friendly environment at the masjid. It is my considered view that the time has arrived for CMRM to pursue this goal of elderly care more purposefully and conscientiously. In this regard I am proposing that CMRM seriously considers adding a sixth dimension, namely, Compassion for Elders, to its five existing programmatic areas. The Compassion for Elders dimension of CMRM’s activities should facilitate and support families with professional caregivers for elders who have become frail and are no longer able to care for themselves. These professional caregivers could be remunerated and CMRM should set up a special fundraising campaign to support this vital work. I call upon CMRM members and friends to come forward to support this proposal for a Compassion

for Elders programme at CMRM both physically as well as financially.

Conclusion In conclusion, I would like to thank the CMRM Board for their patience with my annual teaching stint in the US and Imam Shaheed for graciously taking over the physical Imamat duties during my absence. I would also like to thank the many guest speakers who continue to inspire us with their excellent khutbahs and pre-khutbah lectures. May Allah bless you and your families for your generous sharing of resources and time. It has once again been a privilege and honour to bear the awesome responsibility of leading such a loving and caring congregation. We welcome any constructive feedback on how we could improve our leadership roles and responsibilities.

2017 Jumu’ah Themes & Topics

Speakers

New Year- Opportunities and Challenges

R. Omar

Student protests

L. Gentle; F. Hassan

Trump Election

E. Rasool; S. Manjra

Jihad al-Nafs

R. Khan

Interfaith Harmony & Solidarity

Sh. I Taliep; A. Jackelen

Gender-Based Violence & Gender Justice

N. Osman; S. Surtie; M Osman; R. Omar

Deaf Awareness

C. De Wet

Environmental Justice

A. Fataar

World Social Justice Day

S. Khan

Islamophobia in the UK

I. Asaria

Democracy & Delusion

S. Mpofu-Walsh

Heritage of the Karoo

S. Essop

Martyrdom of Imam Haron

R. Omar

Reflections on Hajj

S. Gamieldien; S. Wydeman

BDS Movement against Israel

T. Crawford-Browne

Food Security

C. Khan

The Legacy of Tuan Guru

L. Rakiep

Rohingya Refugees

S. Flowers

Mogadishu Bombing

A. Hassan

Reconciliation & Restitution

Rev. D. Snayman

The Cape Accord: Intra Faith Harmony

S. Khan

Anti-Corruption

R. Omar

Transitions: Beginnings and Endings

E. Rasool

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JIHAD AGAINST POVERTY Support to the Aged and Terminally Ill Beitul Aman & St. Lukes Hospice

Mission Statement JIHAD AGAINST POVERTY

CMRM advocates the view that poverty alleviation is not the sole responsibility of economists or public officials, but rather it is an integral part of what it means to be an engaged Muslim. From an Islamic perspective, we believe that poverty is not limited to a lack of food or drink. Poverty encompasses the lack of all basic human needs, such as clean water, nutrition, sanitation, health care, education, clothing and shelter.

Our Jihad Against Poverty mission is to engage in and build sustainable social justice programmes through involvement in some of the following activities: • Literacy projects • Sanitation campaigns in informal settlements • Social justice campaigns for impoverished and marginalised communities • Food and blanket distributions to needy communities • Twinning relationships with township mosque communities • Supporting NGOs who campaign for social justice causes CMRM is immensely grateful for the many generous donations and assistance from our congregants that sustain our Jihad Against Poverty programmes. In 2017, we continued to provide solidarity and support to a range of communities as well as organisations that provide shelter and support to needy and destitute people. In total we spent close to R516 000 on our JAP programmes in 2017. Our JAP programmes also receive ongoing support from the Saabri Ashrafi Relief Fund as well as the Solly & Zohra Noor Foundation, which regularly donate food parcels, blankets and fresh produce that CMRM distributes to various locations throughout the year. Through the year, we distributed close to 1000 blankets, 1000 food parcels and 600 hygiene care packs.

In 2017, CMRM continued to support monthly Sunday lunches at Beitul Aman Home for the Aged.

Meals are prepared by CMRM administrator, Shariefa Wydeman and a team of cooks at her home. The elders at Beitul Aman have welcomed and enjoyed our traditional malay foods such as Boboti and hot veggies and desserts such as milktart we prepared for them with a once a year treat of fish and chips prepared by Uncle Shuaib of Fisherman’s Lane. We also arranged a few tea time treats with traditional biscuits for the elders at the home. The elders enjoy interacting with our team and always make such beautiful du’as for all at CMRM. Beitul Aman was also a regular recipient of our distributions of food parcels, blankets and fresh produce throughout the year.

CMRM members, M.S. Kajee and Imam Shaheed continue to provide spiritual care to terminally ill patients at St. Lukes Hospice while treasurer, Wasiela Agherdien, is also a volunteer and Chairperson at St. Lukes Hospice in Athlone. Since 2016, CMRM included St. Luke’s Hospice as a recipient for food parcels, blankets and hygiene care packs. The patients who have benefited from our support to Hospice live in all areas of Cape Town, including Athlone, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Grassy Park, Maitland and Mitchells Plain. In November CMRM also invited 10 patients and volunteers from St. Lukes Hospice to watch the Boogielicious matinee show at Artscape.

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JIHAD AGAINST POVERTY Solidarity with Rural & Farmworkers Leeuwenkuil, Karringmelkvlei, Knollefontein, Middleburg, Langvlei 2017 marked the 5th year that CMRM has embarked on solidarity and support visits to the farming community in Agter Paarl. In 2017, farmworkers and families from Leeuwenkuil, Karringmelkvlei and Knollefontein were joined by workers from neighbouring Middleburg and Langvlei on our visits to Leeuwenkuil farm. These impoverished farming communities include about 220 adults and about 100 children. We are pleased that every year new CMRM congregants join us on the family days we spend on Leeuwenkuil farm.

In 2017, we visited the farm in January, May, August and December. In January, ahead of the start of the school year, CMRM delivered school stationery for 35 primary school learners on the farm that included, books, pens, pencils, crayons, calculators, and other stationery items. On Monday 1 May, CMRM shared a day of Workers’ Solidarity at Leeuwenkuil. CSAAWU Union organisers joined us on the day and addressed the workers on the history and significance of Workers’ Day. In August we distributed the food parcels and hygiene care packs that were sponsored during Ramadan. On both occasions, the days’ activities included reading and storytelling, followed by some arts and crafts activities for the children. 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 and a CMRM team. A special thanks to Tahir and Shuaib Omar who shared their birthdays in August with the farmworker children and gave out party packs to all the children.

In December we once again had a big ‘Christmas party’ in the barn. It was a day of entertainment, that included a puppet show and performance by the Gordyntjiedorp Drama Group, a Kung Fu demonstration and a ‘modelling’ show by Leeuwenkuil children. It was all good fun and a pre-cursor to what all the children were looking forward

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to most of all, which was receiving Christmas gifts. All the gifts, kindly sponsored by generous CMRM donors, were beautifully wrapped and packed under a Christmas tree. Imam Rashied and Imam Shaheed did the honours of handing over the gifts and Saffiya Abrahams (6yrs old), who celebrated her birthday, gave each child a party pack with their gifts. On all the occasions we have visited the farm, we have shared lunch with the community, distributed food parcels, hygiene care packs for adult males and females, and party packs for the children. In December we also shared cake and distributed 2kg packs of frozen chicken to each household.

In addition to the farm visits, in 2017 we also arranged for two ‘outings’ away from the farm. In March, CMRM brought 30 youth and adults from Leeuwenkuil to watch the Stormers vs Jaguares at Newlands Rugby Stadium. Thanks to Chairperson, Boeta Jowa and WPRU for organizing the tickets and Stormers flags. We also arranged goodie bags for all of them to take into the stadium. After the match we took a walk to CMRM. After hearing so much about ‘Claremont Main Road Moskee’, they were very chuffed to see the masjid in person for the first time. In November, we brought 25 of the farmworkers to watch a matinee show of Boogilicious at Artscape. Thanks to the Director, Rafiek Mammon who donated the tickets.

Support & Solidarity to Needy Communities Dunoon, Blikkiesdorp, Manenberg

CMRM has twinned with the Naqshbandi Muhammadi Masjid in Dunoon since its establishment in Ramadan/ July 2012. For the past three years, in partnership with the Institute for the Healing of Memories (IHM), CMRM has facilitated empowerment workshops for community leaders in Dunoon. In 2017 workshops on ‘Restitution’ were held on Saturday 17 June 2017 and Saturday 5 August 2017. Father Michael Lapsley and Rev Deon Snyman from the IHM, were guest speakers at the workshops. The workshops were attended by up to 25 participants, most of whom are chairpersons of Dunoon street and area Committees. Each of the workshops were followed up with

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JIHAD AGAINST POVERTY Support to Other Organisations

the distribution of food parcels and blankets to about 300 residents, co-ordinated by the street and area committee leaders. We also received donations of sweet treats and gifts that were distributed to children. On Friday 21 July one of the Dunoon street committee leaders delivered a moving pre-khutbah talk at CMRM and reflected on the poverty and ongoing challenges faced by that community.

Emasi, IHATA, Saartjie Baartman, Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Al-Waagah Islamic Institute for the Deaf

In addition to all of the above, CMRM also contributes annually to the Ramadan iftar programme at the Muhammadi Masjid, co-ordinated by Naqshbandi SA, as well as sponsoring and delivering food for ‘Id lunches.

Since 2013, CMRM administrator, Shariefa Wydeman and her family have led our efforts to consolidate support to the Blikkiesdorp community. We cooked and distributed food eight times in Blikkiesdorp in 2017 feeding 330 people on average at a time. During the months of Ramadan (May to June 2017), we had a team of five women, all residents of Blikkiesdorp prepare and cook iftar meals for 220 people daily. The cooking of meals took place at the home of Aunty Washiela Smith and the meals were then distributed on a rotating basis to different rows of houses. On ‘Id al-Fitr day we were able to feed 550 people with 2 x 100L pots received from Nakhlistan. The Senior’s Club, which meets once a week, has been going from strength to strength with crafts and a meal shared every Tuesday.

Other recipients of donations and distributions of food parcels, fresh produce, blankets and hygiene care packs at various times in 2017 have been Emasithandane Children’s Home, IHATA Shelter, The Claremont Haven Night Shelter, Saartjie Baartman Centre and Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital. These distributions were co-ordinated

by Boeta Achmat Peters, Boeta Salie Burghers and Nazeem Moses.

In addition to the above, in 2017 CMRM also paid the monthly salary of an additional tutor for Emasithandane learners. These learners reside at the Emasithandane home for vulnerable children in Nyanga. CMRM has a long history of supporting the home. The tutorial programme is co-ordinated by CMRM Board member, Khadeeja Bassier, with support from her family members. The tutors provide much needed additional tuition to Emasi learners three times a week for two hours in key school subjects. The aim of the programme is to prepare them for the demands of high school and ultimately Matric exams.

For the past two years, CMRM has also provided ongoing support to one of several Manenberg soup kitchens.

During Ramadan, we deliver weekly boxes of fresh fruit and vegetables donated by the Saabri Ashrafi Relief Fund.

We also sponsored the ingredients, and cooking gas to cover iftar meals for up to 800 people for three days in Ramadan. CMRM also sponsored a 100 litre pot of food for ‘Id lunches.

In 2017 CMRM also made special donations to the AlWaagah Islamic Institute for the Deaf. The Director of Al-Waagah, Boeta Cassiem De Wet, delivered the prekhutbah talk on Friday 31 March and post-tarawih talk on 28 May. He spoke about the many challenges that the hearing impaired face that we all take for granted and made a special appeal to the jamat to support their struggling institution.

We thank all CMRM congregants who continue to generously support our Jihad Against Poverty efforts in all these areas.

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I N T E R NAT I O NA L S O L I DA R I T Y Relief Funds for Somalia On 16 October CMRM issued a statement strongly condemning the horrific truck bomb blasts in the Somalian capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday 14 October 2017 that killed at least 277 innocent people and maimed more than 400 hundred others. CMRM read special prayers for the victims and their families and reached out to our local Somalian community. We assisted their South African fundraising relief efforts by contributing R15 735. On Friday 17 November 2017 local Somalian leader Abdullahi Ali Hassan delivered the pre-khutbah address in which he reflected on the struggles of the Somali people in the aftermath of the Mogadishu Bomb Blast in October 2017.

Support for Rohingya People During jumu`ah prayers on Friday 8 September 2017, CMRM performed the Qunut al-Nazila -a special collective emergency supplication – followed by a silent vigil in the Main Road to raise awareness of the horrific violence perpetrated against the Rohingya people in Myanmar (Burma). On Wednesday 13 September 2017 Imam Rashied and Imam Shaheed, including several CMRM congregants, joined the Rohingya protest march organised by the MJC. CMRM also raised R10 000 as part of a small number of masajid in Cape Town who supported the Rohingya Refugee relief efforts led by advocate Soewayba Flowers. Soewayba delivered the pre-khutbah lecture at CMRM on Friday 10 November 2017 and reflected on the struggles of the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. We continue to pray for justice and humanitarian aid for the persecuted Rohingya people in Myanmar as well as the thousands of refugees who fled to Bangladesh.

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Solidarity with Palestinians

In his jumu’ah khutbah on 28 July 2017 Imam Rashied commended the courageous resistance of Palestinians who refused to pray inside Masjid al-Aqsa after Israeli security forces installed metal detectors at all entrances to the precinct. On 24 November - International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People - CMRM issued a press statement calling for a complete isolation of the Zionist State of Israel, brought into being 100 years ago by the imperial pen of Lord Balfour. On Friday 8 December CMRM members joined aboout 50 Palestinian Solidarity Campaign activists outside St. George’s Cathedral to participate in a placard demonstration against President Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and that the US will be moving its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

On Sunday 11 December CMRM hosted a Film Screening of Disturbing the Peace. The film looks at the IsraeliPalestinian conflict from the perspective of former enemy combatants – Israeli soldiers and Palestinian resistance fighters – who join together in pursuit of seeking a peaceful resolution to this intractable conflict. CMRM congregants were joined by members from the Christian and Jewish faith communities, with most of the latter members of the Save Israel, Stop Occupation (SISO) group. The movie sparked challenging questions but the dialogue was respectful. We also hosted Palestinian speakers Adam Hanieh and Tali Shapiro after tarawih on 26 May 2017. In October TerryCrawford Brown delivered a pre-khutbah talk focusing on the BDS movement against Israel.

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GENDER JUSTICE

Mission Statement GENDER JUSTICE

CMRM is committed to the struggle for the equivalence and full dignity of women within our comprehensive vision of Islam. With respect to this dimension of our mission we support the struggle of women for full dignity and honour in our country, our homes and most importantly our masajid. Accommodating women for prayers on the main floor of the mosque is but one small step in this endeavor.

CMRM is committed to the struggle for gender justice by encouraging and supporting:

In 2017 CMRM continued to use our speaker platforms to raise awareness of gender injustices and discrimination in our society and to support campaigns against the scourge of gender-based violence in our society. On 10 February, the pre-khutbah lecture was delivered by Nuraan Osman, the Director of IHATA Shelter for abused women and children. She reflected on the many challenges that abused women face. On the occasion of International Women’s Day in March, Safiyyah Surtee delivered the pre-khutbah lecture, and reflected on Islam and gender-justice. In July, Mujahid Osman delivered a powerful khutbah titled ‘Gender-Based Violence and Toxic Masculinity’. An edited version of his khutbah was published in the Mawlud edition of Al-Mizan in November 2017. During the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in November, Imam Rashied delivered a khutbah reflecting on lessons from the sira and gender justice.

• Women in leadership roles in the administration of the mosque • Women delivering talks and pre-khutbah lectures • Campaigns to end gender-based violence • NGO’s working with abused and destitute women and children

On Mawlud evening, on 30 November 2017, Prof Sa’diyya Shaik delivered an inspirational talk in which she reflected on the pervasive paradigms of violent domination and toxic masculinity in our society, and compared this to the life and model of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a mercy to the world. She urged us to look to the prophetic model to find a model for all human beings emerging from qualities of generosity, mercy and unconditional love, a powerful model of gracious masculinity and humanity.

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GENDER JUSTICE

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In addition to the above focused talks, we had additional women pre-khutbah speakers who addressed a range of other topics. These included:

Vigils Against Gender-Based Violence Starting on Friday 4 August 2017 after jumu’ah, CMRM held silent vigils in the Main Road every Friday thereafter for the month of August, to protest against the persistent high levels of violence against women and girl children in South Africa. Many of the placards had the names of recent victims of violence such as Rene-Tracy Roman (13), Courtney Peters (3), Stacha Arendse (3) and Kaitlyn Wilson (5). Some of the other placards read: “Our rape crisis is more than state capture”; “Patriachy Must Fall” and “Enough is Enough”. To mark 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based Violence on 1 December, we again held a vigil in the Main Road after jumu’ah.

• Inter-faith relations - Archbishop Antje Jackelen (May) • Ramadan & Introspection - Khadeeja Bassier (June) • Student Activism – Fasiha Hasan (June) • The Heritage of the Karoo – Sydda Essop (Sept) • Reflections on Hajj 2017 – Shariefa Wydeman (Oct) • Muslim Women in the US – Umm Zakiyya (Oct) • Relief for Rohingya Refugees – Soewayba Flowers (Nov) In Ramadan 2017, we also had several women post-tarawih speakers addressing a range of topics. They included: • Amina Jakoet – Response to khutbah by Shaykh Sa’dullah Khan • Angela Hobbs – Renewable Energy • Iman Omar – On being a Muslim student in the US • Fatima Docrat – Reflections on Surah kahf • Dr. Fatima Khan - Green Paper on Migration • Mrs Patricia Mudiayi – World Refugee Day • Ra’eesah Manie – Response to pre-khutbah by Khadeeja Bassier Two special features of 2017 Mawlid al-Nabi celebrations was the wearing of orange scarves by some CMRM members as part of the 16 days awareness campaign for no violence against women and children. The fourth riwayat was also recited by Zainab Omardien and translated by Suleila Omar.

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I N T E R FA I T H S O L I DA R I T Y In 2017 CMRM continued to nurture strong interfaith solidarity relationships. We invited the following speakers from other faiths to deliver pre-khutbah and post-tarawih talks at the masjid:

Mission Statement I N T E R FA I T H S O L I DA R I T Y

CMRM embraces the enduring values of pluralism and coexistence and regards human diversity not as incidental and negative but rather as representing a God-willed, basic factor of human existence. Through our commitment to interfaith solidarity, CMRM seeks to celebrate human diversity through recognition and affirmation of each other through intimate knowledge (ta’aruf), and not mere toleration. CMRM endeavours to forge interfaith solidarity by: • Inviting guest speakers from other faith communities • Welcoming visitors from other faith communities to the mosque • Supporting and participating in activities of the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative (CTII) • Supporting and participating in activities of the Western Cape Religious Leader’s Forum (WCRLF)

• 19 May 2017 - Antje Jackelén, the first female Archbishop of the Church of Sweden, spoke on the importance of interreligious dialogue from a Christian perspective.

• 4 June 2017 - Angela Hobbs spoke about the importance of renewable energy for our economy.

• 7 June 2017 - Prof Eugene Cairncross spoke about the Politics and Economics around the Nuclear Deal.

• 11 June 2017 – Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop, addressed the CMRM AGM on the role of faith communities in the struggle for social justice in our country.

• 18 June 2017 - Dinga Sikwebu, a veteran activist, reflected on the 1976 Student Uprisings from the perspective of Black township residents and activists.

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I N T E R FA I T H S O L I DA R I T Y • 6 October 2017 - Terry Crawford-Browne, a veteran activist, spoke on a “World Without War: Divestment”, referring particularly to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Hosting inter-faith Visitors CMRM continues to serve as an important venue for hosting interfaith groups, eager to learn more about Islam and Muslims in South Africa. For many of the visitors it is their first time inside a mosque. In 2017, CMRM welcomed the following visitors to the masjid:

• 15 December 2017 - Reverend Dr. Deon Snyman reflected on our struggles for Restitution & Reconciliation.

CMRM also formed an important part of the interfaith leadership of the #UniteBehind civil society coalition in 2017, which, among other goals, called for the removal of President Jacob Zuma. On 3 August 2017, Imam Rashied spoke at the press conference at St. Georges Cathedral calling on civil society to join the #PeoplesMarch a day before the parlimaentary vote of #NoConfidence in the President on 8 August 2017. At the Peoples March Imam Rashied read one of the interfaith prayers and was joined

by Shaykh Sa’dullah Khan and Imam Shaheed Gamieldien in leading the CMRM contingent which participated.

• 7 August 2017 - 15 students from Boston College in the US. Their visit was part of an undergraduate course which focuses on religion, racism and social justice.

• 9 October 2017 - 32 US students who are part of the International Honours Program (IHP) - Health and Community. They also travelled to the Signal Hill Karamat, where Imam Rashied discussed the history, symbolism and role of karamat’s in the Muslim community.

• 13 November 2017 - 24 Grade Three Learners from the Micklefield Junior School in Rondebosch. The excursion to the masjid forms part of Micklefield’s religious awareness education and is the fifth consecutive year they have brought students. During the visit CMRM administrator Shariefa Wydeman and Imam Rashied Omar introduced the learners to the five pillars of Islam as well as the features and history of the masjid.

At the end, of the year CMRM again issued a 2017 Christmas Message and sent fraternal greetings of peace and love to all our Christian compatriots, family and friends and expressed profound gratitude for the aweinspiring interreligious harmony, coexistence and good relations between people of different faith traditions and those of none that we enjoy in our country.

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YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

Dialogue with Youth

Mission Statement YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

CMRM recognises the valuable role youth play in our society and the potential they have in shaping the future.

Young people are uniquely placed to open up our eyes to the signs of the times, for they truly live at the cold face of the real and rapidly changing world. Youth also face many challenges on the road to adulthood, and it is our responsibility to provide them with the necessary empathy, support and guidance. To this end, CMRM commits to provide amongst others, the following enabling platforms for youth development and empowerment:

During 2017 CMRM continued its inter-generational dialogue on the #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall student protest movements. On 13 January longstanding social activist and former Director of the International Labour Research and Information Group (ILRIG), Leonard Gentle, delivered a pre-khutbah lecture reflecting on the recent student protests in the context of the start of the new academic year. On 16 June, leader of the Progressive Youth Alliance at Wits University, Fasiha Hassan, delivered an inspiring prekhutbah talk. Since National Youth Day coincided with Ramadan, we were able to convene a discussion forum immediately after jumu`ah and continued after tarawih prayers. Ihsaan Bassier responded formally to the pre-khutbah talk by Fasih Hassan. The ensuing discussions provided a unique opportunity not only for dialogue among the youth at a national level but also much needed inter-generational dialogue. Other youth who delivered thought provoking pre-khutbahs and khutbahs during 2017, included, Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, Fasiha Hasan, Khadeeja Bassier, Minhaj Jeenah, Naasir Bassier and Mujahid Osman.

• Leading prayers and dhikrs • Delivering talks and sermons (khutbahs) • Participating in youth camps and forums

In 2017, we continued to make modest strides in revitalizing the participation of youth in masjid activities. Our young muadh-dhins continue to be a traditional feature of our tarawih programmes and work hard on their preparations before Ramadan. They met for training with Kassiem Adams, Imam Shaheed and Imam Rashied on several Sunday mornings before Ramadan. The muadh-dhins include Imran Adams; Muzzammiel & Muddathir Davids; Ridhaa Jawitz; Ra-is Mathews and Zubayr & Deen Wagiet.

In addition to these activities, CMRM held a Youth `Itikaf from Thursday 15 June until Saturday 17 June.

The theme for 2017’s spiritual retreat was “Reflections on Youth Day” and involved a number of talks, halqah’s and reflection sessions on the role of youth in society.

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YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

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Youth Camp

Children’s Programmes

On 6-8 October 2017, CMRM convened its fifth annual youth camp. The 2017 CMRM youth camp took place at the Cape Town Environmental Education Trust (CTEET) campsite at Zeekoevlei and was attended by 16 high school students, 6 youth facilitators led

by Yumnah Richards and 3 educators/chaperones.

The 2017 youth camp theme was “Forging an Islamic Identity in Contemporary South Africa”. The sessions gave participants some modest guidelines on how to create and maintain one’s unique identity. The weekend also included a screening and discussion of the movie, Imam and I, which tells the story of the life and killing of Imam Abdullah Haron. On Saturday, CTEET conducted a workshop on “Peer pressure and Leadership” and facilitators from the Institute for the Healing of Memories led participants in an interactive session on “Being a Responsible South African Citizen”. Participants also enjoyed a fun dragon boat race on the Zeekoevlei. The youth camp concluded with an inspirational lecture

by Shaykh Sa`dullah Khan titled, “Keeping the Faith”, on Sunday at CMRM. Although the camp group was smaller this year, it allowed for more intimate and deeper conversations. Finally, one of the biggest challenges for our youth program is to have a core group of committed youth who can take the lead on initiatives and sustain multiple programs. It is here that we need the help of the congregation in encouraging youth to be part of the group.

CMRM’s 2017 youth empowerment programme received an added boost with the introduction of a number of activities geared towards making the masjid a child friendly space and generating more hype for children around Ramadan. On the first night of tarawih, children were invited to sit in the front rows after tarawih, while Jihad Omar read them a beautiful story about a little boy experiencing his first Ramadan. On Sunday 21 May 2017 about 40 children, with their guardians, enjoyed making Ramadan arts and crafts that included Ramadan placemats, moon and star mobiles and Zakat al-Fitr jars. Some of the arts and crafts were displayed in the masjid for the month of Ramadan. On Friday 9 and Saturday 10 June, CMRM was privileged and honoured to have renowned SA author and poet, Omarrudin ‘Don’ Matera as part of the children’s programmes. He read and told them animated stories that kept the children and adults spellbound. Imam Rashied also dedicated one of his Ramadan khutbahs to the topic of how to create a child-friendly masjid. We hope Insha-Allah to convene more children’s programmes during 2018.

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E N V I R O N M E N TA L J U S T I C E Food and Farming Campaign leader, Nazeer Sonday, at the opening of the PHA Summit at the Vegkop Farm, to raise awareness about this campaign.

Mission Statement YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

CMRM also used the khutbah platform to raise awareness about environmental justice. On 24 Feb 2017, Prof. Aslam Fataar delivered a khutbah titled ‘From Responding to the Water Crisis to Actively Addressing Poverty and Hardship’.

On Friday 13 October 2017, Cassiem Khan delivered a khutbah reflecting on World Food Day (celebrated on 16 October 2017).

CMRM is a registered eco-congregation i.e. a faith community committed to working towards a more sustainable world. CMRM advocates the view that environmental justice is intrinsic to being a conscientious Muslim. From an Islamic perspective, the current environmental crisis can be viewed as a symptom of a deeper spiritual malaise. The latter has come about through consumerist lifestyles which has disturbed the balance between humans and nature. To this end, CMRM commits to:

In 2017, CMRM also continued its water saving campaigns by promoting the taking of fard wudhu, and introducing spray cans to take wudhu. We reduced our water consumption from 54kl in Jan 2017 to 12kl in Dec 2017.

• Taking responsibility for preserving the natural environment • Implementing measures which will reduce the mosque’s carbon footprint • Encouraging congregants to embrace ecologically ethical lifestyles • Supporting NGOs that raise awareness campaigns around environmental justice

2017 saw the end of the three year partnership between WWF, SAFCEI and CMRM’s Muslims for Eco-Justice project, led by CMRM’s Mariam Baderoon. The project culminated in the launch of the book “Islam and the Environment - a Resource for Madrasa Teachers” on Saturday 4 March 2017 at Starlings Cafè. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Fatima Chohan, delivered the key note address. This resource was the outcome of a series of workshops where some of the material was trialled with madrasa teachers from all over the Western Cape.

Towards the end of 2017, CMRM entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Awqaf Foundation to work together on environmental justice campaigns.

In 2017, CMRM continued to support the PHA Food and Farming Campaign. The Philippi Horticultural Area (PHA) plays a vital role in the local food economy of greater Cape Town, supplying as much as half the city’s fresh produce.

The campaign is dedicated to raising public awareness of the PHA as the hub for Agroecology in the area, and educating consumers about where their food comes from as well as how the PHA impacts directly on their lives. The PHA is currently under threat of urban development by the City of Cape Town. On Wednesday 13 September 2017, Imam Rashied joined Bishop Geoff Davies and the PHA

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MADRASAH REPORT

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The hifz programme was again spearheaded by Muhammad Groenewald and received enthusiastic praises from the external hifz examiner and moderator.

The external examiner was Hafiz Nabil Majiet.

2017 commenced with 360 learners. The Qur’an Reading Class for Adults started with 25 adults and the adult Arabic programme was attended by 15 adults. The decision to extend the period of the adult class by an hour has stood the test of time with exceptional results.

The madrasah publishes an annual prospectus which provides useful information to students and parents and provides an in-depth almanac of the school year.

The interest in these classes are ever increasing and parents hungry for Qur’anic and Arabic knowledge are having a great time attending. As usual the parents form a bond that extends beyond the walls of the madrasah.

Our Women’s day programme changed from a breakfast in 2016 to a lunch in 2017 which also served as the adult class graduation ceremony. The guest speaker was Professor Naeema Abrahams.

The grade R class celebrated its third year. This class is for children who are not yet of school going age, but are eager to get into a madrasah environment.

The Madrasah was also involved in the changeover to our methods of teaching for the newly established Pinelands Madrasah. This started in 2016 as their learning period and 2017 was spent monitoring their progress.

Since 2012 our intermediate phase students have been part of the mu’adhdhin team at CMRM during Ramadan.

Former students, Imran Adams and Zubayr Wagiet were joined by another former senior student Ridaa Jawitz in leading the tarawih adhkar. Twin hifz students Muddathir & Muzzamiel Davids and Deen Wagiet formed the rest of the team.

The economic situation of the country as a whole has an effect on the income of the madrasah as parents endeavor to make ends meet. However this has been a challenge over the past two years.

One of our senior students, Hanaa Toefy, was elected as head girl at Westerford High School for 2018. Seven students wrote the Matric Arabic exams in 2017 and we achieved a 100% pass rate. This achievement can be attributed to a vigorous Arabic programme spear headed by the permanent administrator of the madrasah. It is the aim of the madrasah to enter more than ten students every year for the matric Arabic examination.

In conclusion, the Madrasah management and teaching staff remains committed to providing a good quality Madrasah education to our learners and their parents.

A service established over 25 years ago. The Madrasah has 24 teachers and two full time administrators that are remunerated. The principal and four other administrators are not remunerated.

The eight Qur’an Readers were revised and condensed into four modules which resulted in students reaching Qur’an reading capability at a quicker pace and yielded great results.

Report by Madrasah Management Commitee

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E D U C AT I O N A N D M E D IA

ADULT EDUCATION In 2017 Imam Shaheed continued with his weekly Qur’an Reading classes on Tuesday evenings, with 10-12 regular participants. Jihad Omar, with assistance from Hafiz Muhammad Lubwama, also convened Qur’an literacy classes for advanced readers, that included recitation and tafsir. Classes from Jan-May 2017, meeting every second Sunday, focused on Surah Kahf.

In May 2017, Imam Rashied presented at the 7th Annual Wasatiyyah Symposium hosted by International Peace College South Africa (IPSA) in association with AfroMiddle East Centre (AMEC) at the Castle of Good Hope.

The conference theme was titled ‘ISIS in South Africa?

Measuring its Scope and Mitigating its Influence’. Imam Rashied also launched a collection of his khutbahs at the conference in a booklet titled ‘Islam Beyond Violent Extremism’.

CMRM in the Media In 2017, CMRM continued to receive wide prominence in the local and social media through the release of press statements as well as coverage of some of our programmes and publications of our khutbahs and talks. Below is a summary of Press Statements and OpEds published in 2017:

In addition to the Qur’an classes, we also convened two popular History of Islam courses in 2017. The first course ran from Jan-March 2017, and was 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 second course ran from Oct-Dec 2017, and focused on the Four Khalifas and the roots of Sunni-Shi’a divide. The course presenters included Prof. Shamil Jeppie, Dr. Shuaib Manjra, Imam Rashied Omar and Jaamia Galant. The aim of the history courses was to deepen participants’ understanding of a complex history and gain insights into historic schisms in Islam that in contemporary times have again become an instrument in political contests. The courses were attended by more than 40 participants per week.

Date

Title & Topic

Published

3 Jan 2017

CMRM Prays for Peace with Justice for 2017 Press statement that followed bomb blasts on New Year’s Eve in Baghdad, and in Turkey.

CMRM Facebook

15 Jan 2017

The Desecration of Local Mosques is the Work of Agent Provocateurs OpEd by Imam Rashied that reflected on the desecration of Noorul Islam Mosque in Simons Town and Masjidul Jamiah in Kalk Bay in January 2017.

Weekend Argus (Sunday Edition)

31 Jan 2017

CMRM Calls for Solidarity Against Islamophobic Attacks Press statement that followed the killing of worshippers at Cape Argus & The the Grand Mosque in Québec, Citizen Canada, on Sunday 29 January 2017, and the arson attack on the Islamic Centre of Victoria in Texas, on 28 January 2017.

In June 2017, we also hosted another successful Hajj seminar in Ramadan, which focused on the socio-spiritual dimensions of hajj. The seminar was jointly presented by Imam Rashied and Shaykh Sa’dullah Khan, and attended by more than 100 prospective hujjaj from all over Cape Town. Participants were given a special gift of an English translation of the Qur’an by Yusuf Ali, kindly donated by the Solly & Zohra Noor Foundation. All participants also received a copy of the CMRM publication, The SocioSpiritual Dimensions of Hajj, which is a collection of ‘Id al-Adha khutbahs by Imam Rashied.

26 March 2017

CMRM Condemns Sale of State-Owned Tafelberg Property Press statement following the decision by the Western Cape Provincial Government to Cape Argus approve the private sale of stateowned land in Sea Point, rather than retaining it as a site for affordable housing in the area.

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Date

Title & Topic

CMRM Condemns Attack on Coptic Churches Press statement following Cape Argus attack on two Coptic Christian Churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday, on 9 April 2017.

26 September 2017

The Legacy of Imam Haron OpEd by Imam Rashied reflecting on the life and legacy of Imam Abdullah Haron

3 May 2017

Prayers for Marwan Barghouti and Palestinian Political Prisoners Press statement following 17 days of hunger strike by Palestinian political prisoners, led by Marwan Barghouti.

CMRM Facebook

25 November 2017

CMRM Condemns Bombing of Masjid in Egypt Press statement following the Cape Times bombing of worshippers at the Al-Rawda masjid in the Northern Sinai region of Egypt.

3 August 2017

#UniteBehind: People’s March Report of press conference addressed by Imam Rashied of #UniteBehind prior to the People’s March in August 2017.

26 November 2017 Groundup

CMRM Condemns Slave Auctions of African Migrants in Libya Cape Argus Press statement following news of African migrants being sold as slaves in Libyan auctions.

29 November 2017

Solidarity with the Palestinian People Press Statement on International Cape Argus Day of Solidarity with Palestine, 100 years since the signing of the so-called ‘Balfour Declaration’.

Date

11 April 2017

Title & Topic

Published

Tribute to Rugby Legends of Non-Racial Sport Cape Argus 7 & 8August Report of tribute event that & 2017 CMRM hosted for deceased and Cape Times living local rugby legends on Sunday 6 August 2017.

8 August 2017

Restitution workshop in Dunoon Report on restitution workshop for street committee leaders in Dunoon jointly facilitated by CMRM and the Institute for Healing of Memories.

Published

Cape Argus

Groundup

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P U B L I C AT I O N S

Islam Beyond Violent Extremism May 2017 In this collection of khutbahs Imam A. Rashied Omar explores notions of Islamic ethics of violence and peace and applies these to analyze the theological justifications and political motivations of contemporary Muslim extremist movements. He suggests possible ways in which we can mitigate the spread of Muslim extremism by identifying Islamic resources for peacebuilding and effective strategies for social justice.

CMRM Pays Tribute to Rugby Legends August 2017 This tribute booklet was published in remembrance and celebration of the lives and achievements of five former SARU rugby legends who passed away in June and July 2017. They include Yusuf ‘Joe’ Allie, Salie Dollie, Achmat Isaacs, Salie Fredericks and Welile James ‘Bomza’ Nkohla. These legends all played club and provincial rugby under the banner of the non-racial South African Rugby Union (SARU) affiliated to SACOS, in the 1970s and 1980s.

Al-Mizan Ramadan May 2017 Features tributes to mu’adhins Rais Mathews (8yrs) and Ridhaa Jawitz (21yrs), as well as a tribute to Ahmed Kathrada (d2017). Articles relate to Trump’s presidency, being khalifa of the earth, migrant policy and a book review of The Forty Rules of Love: A novel of Rumi. Activities highlighted include Ramadan 2017 programmes, Islamic history course, visitors to the masjid and milad al-nabi 2016 celebrations.

I’d al-Fitr khutbah – Corruption in South Africa: Beyond the Narrative of State Capture June 2017 In this ‘Id al-Fitr khutbah Imam A. Rashied Omar provides modest guidelines for conscientious Muslims to engage the South African crisis of ‘state capture.’ He argues that we will only be able to root out all forms of corruption, including that of state capture, if we consistently work to combat malfeasance at the systemic level.

He encourages Muslims to participate in the current wave of social justice activism in order to help spawn a resilient mass movement of people who are dedicated to transforming the political economy and social fabric of our society.

‘Id al-Adha Khutbah – Ending AntiShi’a Sectarianism and Embracing the Amman Message September 2017 In this `Id al-Adha khutbah Imam A. Rashied Omar addresses the rising antiShi’a sectarianism being fomented in South Africa. He argues that this sectarian mindset is more about current political power struggles in the Middle East and less about theology. Imam Rashied exposes this odious religious bigotry within our communities and calls on conscientious Muslims to take a firm stand against it. He suggests one of the ways to mitigate this is to study, endorse and propagate the Amman Message.

Al-Mizan Mawlud November 2017 Features tributes to Fatima Sadan (90 yrs) and Aliwiya Emeran (80 yrs). Articles relate to gender-based violence, reflections on hajj 2017 and food insecurity. Activities highlighted include Jihad Against Poverty activities, annual high tea, support to Rohingya, visiting US students, Ramadan wellness and children’s programme, annual youth camp, dhikrs in honour of Imam Haron and rugby legends.

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F I NA N C IA L S TAT E M E N T S

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F I NA N C IA L S TAT E M E N T S

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F I NA N C IA L S TAT E M E N T S

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F I NA N C IA L S TAT E M E N T S

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About Us History The Claremont Main Road Mosque was established in 1854 and is the sixth oldest mosque in South Africa. It was the second mosque to be built outside the Bo-Kaap. It was administered for over 100 years by the Abderoef family, descendants of Tuan Guru. The first mosque Board in 1978 adopted the mosque constitution and established a system of democratic governance.

Under the leadership of Imam Gassan Solomon the mosque played a prominent role in the anti-Apartheid struggle during the 1980s. This legacy continues to define the role of CMRM as socially responsive in the postApartheid period.

Critical Traditionalists The practices at CMRM best define us as critical traditionalists. This means that we embrace sound customary practices, in line with our vision and mission, but we do not follow these practices rigidly or dogmatically. We embrace all the traditional Muslim schools of law (madhahib), but do not adhere strictly to any one madhab. We aspire to follow the prophetic traditions (sunnah and hadith), but also embrace what we consider to be ‘good innovations’ (bid’a hasana). In this regard we support the view of the noted jurist and legal theorist, Abu Ishaq al-Shatibi (d.1388), who argued that Islam does not a priori condemn innovation in and of itself. An innovation should always be appraised in terms of whether it complements the teachings of Islam, classified as a good innovation (bid`a hasana) or whether it violates the teachings of Islam, classified as a misguided innovation (bid`a sayyi`a).

Imam Dr. A. Rashied Omar has been the co-ordinating Imam of CMRM since 1986, and is assisted by Imam Shaheed Gamieldien.

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Contact details: Postal Address: 40-42 Main Road, Claremont, 7708 Office number: 021 6838384 Email: cmrm@iafrica.com Website: www.cmrm.co.za www.facebook.com/ClaremontMainRoadMosque NPO Registration No: 134-959 NPO

Bank details: Account Name: Claremont Main Road Mosque Bank: First National Bank Branch: Claremont, Branch 200109 Account No: 501 504 469 93

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