Muslim Views, January 2018 by Muslim Views

Vol. 32 No. 1

JAMAD-UL-AWWAL 1439 l JANUARY 2018

Development that builds on noble struggle legacies

DEVELOPING the talents and skills of our youth in post-apartheid South Africa is among the top priorities of policymakers in sectors as diverse as finance, education, arts and culture, and sport. The recent Awqaf SA cricket tournament held at the Rosmead Sports Complex in Claremont, Cape Town, is part of that developmental urge. And Muslim Views was proud to be a media sponsor of the event, given the role its predecessor, Muslim News, played in championing the ‘no normal sport in an abnormal society’ dictum. Rosmead is the legendary home-ground of the famous Primrose Cricket Club, which distinguished itself as a stalwart sporting club during the apartheid era, when people were treated as sub-human because of the colour of their skin. But Primrose CC was about much more than bats, balls, boxes and sporting brilliance. The club that boasts names like star all-rounder Saait Majiet, wicketkeepers Ebrahim ‘Braima’ Isaacs and Grant Petersen, and fine administrators, was one of the South African Council on Sport (SACOS) clubs in Cape Town that created youth structures that saw them field up to nine youth teams every week. This happened without the huge cash flows that whiteclassified schools and sports clubs could access. Along with hugely unequal facilities provided to people of colour, who

paid the same rate of tax as their ‘white’ counterparts, our societies were systematically under-developed with the aim of impressing on people of colour that we were inferior and deserving of less. Primrose CC was one of the clubs that defied this criminal social vision and resultant social reality. The club’s association with Awqaf SA is very significant in this context. Drawing in players and clubs from across the past (and current) racial and class divides, Awqaf SA and Primrose CC are sending a powerful message that the development of our youth must be undertaken as part of a broader quest for social justice for all in our highly unequal post-apartheid society. Awqaf SA and Primrose CC are to be congratulated on hosting their tournaments at their own grounds, rather than being guests of former ‘white’ schools who still boast the inequitable spoils of apartheid’s discriminatory policies that saw ‘white’ schools equipped with world-class educational facilities, including multiple sports fields and laboratories, well-equipped libraries, and classroom and staff facilities that made students and teachers want to go to school. The Awqaf SA and Primrose CC hosting of tournaments at their own club grounds sends a signal that the ‘previously’ oppressed peoples of Cape Town, and South Africa, are intent on creating excellence at all places in the city and country, rather than

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to pack their kit and trek to the former ‘white’ schools because of the lack of confidence in their own facilities, created under conditions of great struggle. This laudable initiative provides a huge boost to the confidence of the youth spoken about in our editorial this month. The challenges faced by our youth will be better faced by their witnessing the skills and determination of people who struggle in their own communities rather than by adopting the inferiority complexes that our highly unequal society encourages. Players at this tournament represented the vastly different life experiences of our society. A broken bat was a disaster for some teams as there were no more bats in the kitbag. The tears on players’ faces (see page 15 of this edition) after seeing their skills rewarded is what we strive for, and their success, every child’s success, regardless of their birth circumstances, is what we should be working for if we are serious about reversing the stranglehold of apartheid and present corrupt governance on our youth’s chances in post-apartheid South Africa. The tournament also addresses, in practical ways, the debate about support for the national sports teams in post-apartheid South Africa, which is picked up on page 40 of this edition. Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Youth will face a tougher 2018

OLITICAL uncertainty prevails in our country at the beginning of a year that promises little. Among the most vulnerable people in our country today is the youth. It is, therefore, appropriate, in light of the one million youth entering the labour market, that we take a sober look at their prospects for 2018. According to the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), these one million youth are part of a total of 10,3 million youth aged between 15 and 24 in South Africa. The DHET says 30 percent, or almost 3,1 million, of this number are not in employment, education or training. Of the one million new entrants, 700 000 are discouraged work seekers, according to 2016 data. These youth are probably the most vulnerable to chronic unemployment, poverty and social exclusion. They are neither improving their skills through education nor gaining the work experience needed to progress in the labour market. This is a national tragedy by any standards. And this number has steadily increased from two million in 1996. Given this trend, South Africa’s Sustainable Development Goals target of substantially reducing the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training by 2020 is not likely to be reached. Young people under these conditions cannot reasonably be expected to improve their employment prospects in the absence of skills development or work experience. Exacerbating the situation is that prolonged unemployment reduces potential productivity for any future job prospects, further reducing the likelihood of finding employment.

The Centre for Social Development for Africa, at the University of Johannesburg, reveals that despite policy as well as public and private interventions, the situation has progressively worsened. Unemployment and poverty are now chronic problems. Jobless parents are increasingly likely to raise children in poverty and with reduced prospects of an education that will lead to employment. Furthermore, inequalities and disparities as a function of race and gender still prevail. Consistent with apartheid-era trends, African and ‘coloured’ youth remain more vulnerable to unemployment than ‘whites’ or ‘Indians’. Young women are also more likely to be unemployed and without education and training. The key factors that contribute to this state of affairs include the dynamic nature of the labour market and gross disparities between skills needs and the outcomes of our education system. The South African labour market favours highly skilled employees while the demand for unskilled labour remains low. The labour market is not receptive to unskilled labour, and entry requirements in this market are generally higher than the education system produces. The high admission requirements for entry-level jobs effectively exclude a significant proportion of youth, disadvantaged by the factors stated earlier. Disparities in the schooling system further entrenches inequality in the job market. Poverty at schools that are typically poorly resourced and badly managed does not produce effective teaching and learning. Hence, the dropout rate at these schools is higher, leading to the likely exclusion of these learners from obtaining a tertiary education. Geographic location also acts as a barrier to employment. The youth residing outside urban centres are deterred by distance and costs to find employment. This is exacerbated by limited social capital and limited access to information. Researchers consistently recommend structural change through policy, investments and political will, over time. In the interim, the neoliberal labour market must be pressured and incentivised to review recruitment criteria to make them more inclusive of youth. Further solutions, such as national transport subsidies and local-level youth employability programmes, may be explored. Nevertheless, the youth face a tough 2018 before we see signs of things getting better.

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views, and is the institutional voice of the newspaper. Correspondence can be sent to editor@mviews.co.za

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2018: The year of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe THE Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has declared 2018 the Year of Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe to mark the 40th anniversary of the death of its founder on February 27, 1978. Despite his immense contribution to the struggle for liberation from apartheid, he has not received the recognition he deserves. This is an extract from a biography published by South African History Online on his life. Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe was born to Hubert and Angelina Sobukwe on December 5, 1924, in Graaff-Reinet, Cape Province. His father worked as a municipal labourer and a part-time woodcutter, and his mother, as a domestic worker and cook at a local hospital. He completed his matric at Healdtown Institute, near Fort Beaufort, in the Eastern Cape, and enrolled at Fort Hare University for tertiary education in 1947. At Fort Hare, his interest in politics was fuelled by the influence of one of his lecturers, Cecil Ntloko, a follower of the All African Convention (AAC). In 1948, Sobukwe and three of his friends launched a daily publication called Beware. Topics appearing in the paper included non-collaboration and critiques of Native Representative Councils and Native Advisory Boards. That same year, Sobukwe joined the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), which was established on the university campus by Godfrey Pitje, a lecturer in the Department of African Studies who later became the league’s president. Sobukwe and his classmates were at first sceptical of the ANCYL because they felt that the African National Congress (ANC) had been compromised by its continuing participation in the Native Representative Council and the township Advisory Boards. A year later, in 1949, Sobukwe was elected president of the Fort Hare Students’ Representative Council (SRC), where he proved to be an effective orator. In December, he was selected by Pitje to become the national secretary of the ANCYL. During this period, he became influenced by the writings of Anton Lembede and he began adopting an Africanist position within the ranks of the ANC. During 1949, Sobukwe met Veronica Mathe at Alice Hospital, where she was a nurse in training. The couple got married in 1950. In 1950, Sobukwe was appointed as a teacher at Jandrell Secondary School, in Standerton, Transvaal. He was secretary of the ANC’s Standerton branch from 1950 to 1954. In 1954, Sobukwe moved to Johannesburg, where he became a lecturer in African Studies at University of the Witwatersrand – a job which earned him the nickname ‘the Prof’. He settled in Mofolo,

Soweto, where he joined a branch of the ANC. Sobukwe became editor of The Africanist in 1957 and soon began to criticise the ANC for allowing itself to be dominated by what he termed ‘liberal-left-multiracialists’. As a result of his scepticism towards the multi-racial path the ANC was following, Sobukwe was instrumental in initiating an Africanist breakaway from the ANC in 1958, which led to the birth of the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC). At the PAC’s inaugural congress, held in Orlando from April 4 to 6, 1959, Sobukwe was unanimously elected the party’s first president. On March 21, 1960, at the launch of the PAC’s anti-pass campaign, Sobukwe made lastminute arrangements for the safety of his family and left his home in Molofo. He intended to give himself up for arrest at Orlando Police Station in the hope that his actions would inspire other Black South Africans. As the small crowd approached the station, most of the marchers, including Sobukwe, were arrested and charged with sedition. When an estimated group of 5000 marchers reached Sharpeville Police Station, the police opened fire, killing 69 people and injuring 180 others in what became known as the Sharpeville Massacre. On May 4, 1960, Sobukwe was sentenced to three years in prison for inciting Africans to demand the repeal of the pass laws. At the end of his three-year sentence, on May 3, 1963, Parliament enacted a General Law Amendment Act. The act included what was termed the ‘Sobukwe Clause’, which empowered the Minister of Justice to prolong the detention of any political prisoner indefinitely. Subsequently, Sobukwe was moved to Robben Island, where he remained for an additional six years. The clause was never used to detain anyone else. Sobukwe was released from prison in May 1969 and was banished to Galeshewe, in Kimberley. However, he remained under twelve-hour house arrest and his banning order prohibited him from participating in any political activity. Sobukwe began studying Law while he was under house arrest. He completed his articles in Kimberley, and established his own law firm in 1975. Shortly after opening his law practice, Sobukwe fell ill. The government deliberately made it hard for him to receive treatment by insisting that he should comply with the conditions of his restrictions, despite his evidently failing health. On February 27, 1978, Sobukwe died from lung complications at Kimberley General Hospital. His funeral was held on March 11, 1978, and he was buried in Graaff-Reinet.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

New Halaal standards research underway MAHMOOD SANGLAY

THE Halal Consultative Forum (HCF) is a creation of the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC). Due to concerns raised by Muslims on the forum, the latter formed an Interim Halal Coordinating Committee (IHCC) at a meeting on October 28, 2017. The IHCC was mandated by Muslim stakeholders on the forum to draft policy and action plans in the interests of Muslim stakeholders in the Halaal industry. The IHCC was also mandated to revise the terms of reference of the consultative forum as part of a strategy to support the Halaal industry in the Western Cape. Since the creation of the IHCC, two important developments have occurred. The first development is a key decision taken at a public meeting on December 2, 2017. At this meeting, the IHCC was mandated to create a non-profit organisation, the South African Halal Development Council. This is a legal entity formed to conduct the activities of the IHCC and to act in the interests of the Muslim community. On December 19, 2017, the IHCC met the PGWCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Department of Economic Development and Tourism (Dedat) and agreed to move the management of the HCF from the Department of Agriculture to Dedat. The latter further undertook to provide possible support and up-

At a meeting on December 22, stakeholders discussed a project awarded in a tender awarded to Afmas for researching and documenting the state of Halaal certification standards and practices in the Western Cape. Present were, from left, Rudewaan Arendse, director Afmas, Rusli Bin Mohamad Nur, Halaal programme director of Kazai Ideas Solution (the Malaysian partner in the project), Professor Ebrahiem Arnold, chairperson of the IHCC, Hajjah NorZaizalina Yahya, managing partner of Kazai Ideas Solution, and Khalid Khan, deputy director in the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

date the IHCC on important developments within the department. The IHCC will also engage the Western Cape Investment and Trade Promotion Agency (Wesgro) in respect of support for various aspects of its operations. Currently underway is the development of a single Halaal certification standard, which has been

launched with the appointment of Afmas, a service provider following an invitation to bid for a tender. This is the second important development, designed to research and document the state of Halaal certification standards and practices in the Western Cape, and to draw a comparison with international best practices.

Another aim is to develop implementable recommendations with a view to achieve international standards and best practice status in Halaal certification in the province. Rudewaan Arendse, director of Afmas, says the project is undertaken in partnership with a Malaysian company, Kazai Innovative Ideas Solution, which is appointed by the Department of Islamic Advancement of Malaysia (Jakim). Kazai is recognised by the Malaysian government for the purpose of facilitating accredited Halaal education, training and capacity building. Afmas is required to compile and submit three reports to Dedat by March 2018. The first is the documentation of global best practices in Halaal standards and certification. This includes researching and mapping Jakim, as well as UAE and the World Halal Council Halaal accreditation, standards and certification requirements. The second report is an assessment of the current South African Halaal standards and certification processes. This entails researching and documenting the standards and certification processes of the current major Halaal certifying bodies, namely, the Muslim Judicial Council Halaal Trust, the South African National Halaal Authority, the National Independent Halaal Trust, the Islamic Council of South Africa Halaal Fund and

Shura. The third report is expected to detail an implementation plan for a proposed single Halaal standard and certification requirement on par with global best practice, and compliant with accreditation requirements of various global, regional and national Halaal accreditation bodies. The IHCC says their work is in the public interest and encourages the public to become involved in the process by attending public meetings and by raising their concerns on Halaal issues generally. The current Halaal standards and certification processes nationally is evidently defective in several respects as has been reported by Muslim Views, at least over the past six years. However, the initiatives by the IHCC and Dedat promise to transform standards and certification in South Africa so that they are foolproof. In addition, the mission of the IHCC includes a commitment to ensure that the pursuit of commercial opportunities in the Halaal industry does not undermine the sanctity of Halaal as an Islamic imperative, nor the interests of Muslim entrepreneurs. Earlier deliberations of the IHCC related to the creation of a Halaal consumer council, which will specifically attend to the protection of consumer rights in respect of Halaal products and services. This initiative is part of the longer-term vision of the IHCC.

Muslim Views . January 2018

Faith an engine in the fight against racism and environmental destruction VANESSA RIVERA DE LA FUENTE

JILL Williams has always been a spiritual seeker. She found in Islam her source of wisdom and spiritual growth. Born in Bo-Kaap, close to Tuan Guru’s kramat, and raised between Cape Town and Namibia, this young and restless community activist embraced the deen of Allah in 2017, after years of exploring it. She’s ‘the type who needs to test and purify each step in the heart before adopting the rituals blindly or just because somebody told us to do it’. Today, at the age of 34, reborn as Saba Zahara, the intensity of her spiritual search has merged with the pursuit of social justice and the development of her particular talents. She’s a performer poet and vocalist with studies in Arts. In 2011, she went to learn traditional Batik design in Indonesia. She has also delved into photography, visual art and film-making. Currently, she articulates her ongoing spiritual journey with her activism for the end of racism, the revaluing of indigenous cultures and environmental justice. Her outlook holds a firm sense of black consciousness, coming from an intergenerational home of activism. ‘I have inherited a bloodline of elders who refused to move out during the Group Areas Act in Claremont. It has become second nature almost for me to think out of the box. Through the community development work I do, I try to serve historically disadvantaged

Jill/ Saba Zahara Williams (centre) embraced Islam in 2017. She is an activist promoting community upliftment through arts, communication and environmental justice. She believes Islam can be a source of transformation if it Photo SUPPLIED is lived based on full inclusion.

communities.’ As racially mixed and promoter of indigenous values, Saba is passionate about the preservation of Khoekhoegowab (an indigenous language), all indigenous herbs and knowledge. ‘I am ready for the revolution with regard to taking back ownership of our ancient and Indian Ocean slave trade mixed masala heritage, which begins with protection of memory, communica-

tion and land.’ She participated in the audio-visual and photographic documentation for ‘‘Every Scar Tells a Story’ Writing Women’s Retreat for 1 000 Women’ and did a social media workshop for women in environmental activism, agriculture and earth medicine. She served on the Princess Vlei Management Committee and worked with school groups in art, biodiversity and heritage preserva-

tion. Her efforts to improve the world are not limited to Cape Town. Aware that social empowerment is necessary everywhere, she served abroad. ‘I’ve volunteered in Islamic countries and countries where the religion is practised, like Java Island – a traditional Malay community on one of the Perhentian Islands in Malaysia – India and Libya.’ Saba sees racism as a major problem among certain Muslims, which is expressed in the superiority complex some people who are born Muslim show to reverts and fellow Africans, and the way some authorities turn a blind eye to such issues in our city. She also feels that our shaikhs who are speaking about Cape Town must delve deeper into the warfare happening on the Cape Flats on a daily basis, about the struggles experienced by ordinary Muslims and non-Muslims in concentration camps after the forced removals of the Group Areas Act. For her, faith without local development and divine justice is empty. In her opinion, religion should not be used to divide but to unite and integrate believers around common good objectives. For this, she says that intercultural exchange, the visibility of the African heritage in Islam, and women participation are paramount. ‘Mainstream Muslims can be very racist, which hurts me, often even conveniently hiding the role of African people in the Quran and in the development of the

deen. I wish to also see African people in leadership roles and not just of their own communities.’ Although she respects the differences between men and women, she is concerned that patriarchal values and the abuse of women and children because of those values are still rampant. ‘I agree that women need to be protected but men also need to learn to discipline themselves and accept leadership, at times, from women.’ Saba is the kind of Muslim who is not afraid to put her faith into action, and calls on the youth to leave their comfort zone and get involved. ‘Check yourself, including comfort levels at the expense of lack of integrity and sincere love for humanity. If you are not a community and environmental activist as a Muslim, you are just going through the motions and not reading the Quran properly.’ And while she’s still shaping her identity as a Muslim, she’s clear that ‘we need to raise our sense of consciousness beyond the borders put in place to distract and disempower us from the power of unity. In the late Bob Marley’s words, None but ourselves can free our minds’. Vanessa Rivera de la Fuente is a social educator and communication specialist, journalist and research consultant. She is also an independent scholar on women’s studies, religion and politics. Your comments and feedback are valued. Email her at: vrivera.de@gmail.com

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Muslim Views . January 2018

MJC marches for end to gender-based violence AMINA WAGGIE

THE Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), partnered with several interfaith organisations, non-government organisations (NGOs) and government related structures, and marched to protest violence perpetrated against women and children, on, November 29, 2017, coinciding with International Women Human Rights Defenders Day. At the UNsilence Violence press conference held on November 28, 2017, at the MJC offices, Reverend Chris Nissen, of the South Africa Human Rights Commission, emphasised the need to change the mind-sets of people by using faith-based organisations to create sustainable programmes at churches, mosques and other places of worship. ‘The main problem that we face in our society, especially in Mitchells Plain, is the highest number of domestic violence cases but the lowest prosecution rate. This is because people withdraw the case after a few days, mainly for economic reasons and the fear of loss of income once their partner is in jail. We need to empower women and change the mind-set and behaviour of our people,’ said Nissen. The MJC, under the leadership of its president, Shaikh Irfaan Abrahams, condemned all forms of abuse and all forms of violations against any person. They encouraged people to come together and as a collective hold hands and speak on behalf of those who have

A silent march against gender-based violence began at Athlone Stadium and proceeded down Klipfontein Road to Jakes Gerwel (formerly Vanguard) Drive, and had a turnout of just under 100 protesters. These protesters were praised for their courage in coming out and breaking their silence, serving as encouragement and motivation for those who are still silent. Photo SUPPLIED

been forced into silence. The march took place a few days after the start of the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, a campaign which runs from November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to December 10, International Human Rights Day. This march was different in that it was done in silence, with no chanting or loud rhetoric. With the theme ‘UNsilence Violence’, fewer than 100 protesters began marching silently from Athlone Stadium and proceeded along Klipfontein Road to Jakes Gerwel (Vanguard) Drive.

Despite the low turnout, these protesters were hailed for their courage and praised for being brave enough to come out in support of a campaign which many others were either not interested in or for whom the fear of being victimised might have been so overwhelming that they chose not to participate. ‘We salute, honour and thank those who have decided to speak out and break their silence, and this campaign encourages and motivates those who are still silent,’ said Advocate Hishaam Mohamed, from the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development.

The march, seen by some as an embarrassment due to the low turnout, was significant in that it underlined the severity of the situation in which women find themselves and presented an opportunity for those who were brave enough to be counted to come together and emphasise the need for women and children to be protected. ‘The religion of Islam and all faith communities speak about the protection of human dignity and speak about respect. Not a single faith community condones genderbased violence or abuse. ‘In actual fact, in contrast to that, our faith teaches us that we

must be able to deal with one another in a harmonious manner; in a way that we are able to project for the future generation and our children within the domestic sphere, that we must be a community and people that uphold the values of human society,’ said Moulana Abdul Khaliq Ali, First Deputy President of the MJC. ‘Violence doesn’t discriminate between colour, religion, status or background, it happens in every community. Today we find ourselves in the unfortunate position where there is no respect for women within our community,’ said Shaikh Fadihl Emandien, Head of MJC Social Development Department. ‘This march is to bring about awareness of how we should treat one another, of how we should be with one another, and what type of community we want to live in. When we speak about the 16 Days of Activism it is not only through the 16 days that we want to say something about it. This is only a platform where we bring awareness to the pandemic that is out there. The 16 Days of Activism is something that must culminate in our everyday lives,’ concluded the shaikh. ‘This effort is worth great congratulations because this is a phenomenal initiative that we are proud to be partnering with the MJC. This year [2017], we are inspired and motivated by the MJC for this campaign and I think that it’s a landmark effort,’ noted Nuraan Osman, director of the Ihata Shelter.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

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Busy start to the year for Sanzaf: Back to School and Kirstenbosch Gardens fundraiser NAZEER VADIA

THE South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) is dedicated to providing an intervention to communities caught in the cycles of poverty and vulnerability. One aspect of this is Sanzafâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to direct investment in education. The Back to School campaign is a testament to this and focuses on equipping school learners from underprivileged and impoverished communities in and around the Western Cape, for the school year ahead. Last year, through your generosity and the grace of the Almighty, we were able to distribute substantial stationery packs to 1 000 learners in the Western Cape. This year, we have amplified the focus of the campaign to a more complete approach to going back to school. In addition to distributing stationery packs, Sanzaf project team has added aspects such as food and community engagement to the Back to School Campaign 2018. The campaign focuses on children from impoverished communities or poverty stricken households where the inability to afford proper stationery most certainly affects the childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preparation and enthusiasm for and in school. On Tuesday, January 16, 2018, over 300 learners from Manen-

SANZAF employees distributing stationery packs to learners at a school in Paarl. Photo ZIYAD KARSTENS

The Back to School campaign marks the start of a busy and eventful calendar year for Sanzaf, with our first fundraiser for 2018 taking place on Saturday, February 10, 2018. Immerse yourself in the wonders of Allahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation and enjoy the beautiful outdoors in the serenity of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Saturday, February 10, 2018. Join us for a hearty breakfast from 9 am to 11 am or unwind with us in the afternoon for a stylish high tea from 2pm until 4pm. Tickets are priced at R175 per person for the breakfast and R200 for the high tea. All proceeds go towards Sanzaf projects and programmes. To book a ticket and book your spot, contact our Sanzaf Athlone office on 021 638 0965. Our commitment to making a sustainable difference in the lives of the needy has never been stronger and we look forward to a fruitful 2018 as your trusted zakaah, sadaqah and lillah collection and distribution organisation. We thank you for your support. Be sure to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter: @SanzafSA to keep in touch with our projects and programmes. berg, Steenberg and Retreat received their stationery supplies and a sandwich pack, and male students got a free haircut.

Hundreds more learners are expected to receive stationery in the upcoming week with the aim to fully equip and motivate them to

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Some primary school learners from Manenberg with their stationery and sandwich packs. Photo ZIYAD KARSTENS

excel in the upcoming school year. You can assist us in this worthy cause by donating R150 to provide a learner with a much needed

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Shaikh Murad: nearness to Allah leads to contentment FATIMAH ESSOP

CAPE Town was honoured with the visit of Shaikh Abdal Hakim Murad from January 2 to 4, 2018. Shaikh Murad is a British Muslim scholar, researcher, writer, teacher and academic. Born Timothy John Winters in 1960, he embraced Islam as a teenager and has pursued sacred knowledge ever since. He is a scholar of Islamic Theology, Tasawwuf, Ottoman history, Arabic, Turkish and Persian, and has studied at the universities of Cambridge, London and AlAzhar. He has also sat at the feet of traditional scholars in Yemen and Arabia. He is currently a professor of Islamic Studies at Cambridge University and is the founder and dean of Cambridge Muslim College (CMC). Shaikh Murad has featured repeatedly on the list of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 500 most influential Muslims, which is published annually by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre. On his most recent visit to Cape Town, Shaikh Murad was hosted by Awqaf SA and Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre (Academia Library). On January 3, Shaikh Murad addressed a diverse audience of ulama, academics and business people at the Academia Library on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Conquering the Jahiliyyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Empireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The shaikh spoke on jahilliyah being a worldview, where the prin-

Shaikh Abdal Hakim Murad is reputed to be the most influential Muslim in the United Kingdom. He is the dean of Cambridge Muslim College and visited South Africa on a national tour from January 2 to 9. He is pictured speaking to an audience of 100 visitors on January 3 at the Al Ikhlaas Academia Library. Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

ciple of randomness prevailed with no belief in the divine decree. He alluded to the fact that we are living in times of the modern jahiliyyah, where societies are becoming increasingly tribal and nationalistic while at the same time humanity is tending towards becoming a monoculture. He concluded that amidst this

chaos and seeming randomness, a great opportunity exists for religion, and more particularly Islam, to present an alternative worldview. He also elaborated on some of the work of the CMC, which, amongst others, offers a diploma course in Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership.

CA C C CA C C

The one-year course is designed to help and enable those who have a background in traditional Islamic studies to understand and engage in contemporary debates about the role of Islam in modern society, and to equip students to become more effective leaders within Muslim society and Muslim institutions, in particular. This, in turn, would hopefully translate into khutbahs (sermons) from the mimbar (pulpit) being more pertinent, and addressing issues that affect the ummah in a comprehensive and relevant manner. The course is taught by leading scholars from University of Cambridge and elsewhere and we pray that Allah grants CMC success in this innovative endeavour. After the address at the Academia Library, the shaikh proceeded to Masjidul Quds for Maghrib salaah, followed by a public address on The Meaning of the Black Stone. In his address, the shaikh highlighted the significance of the three sacred precincts, namely, Makkah, Madinah and Quds and how each haram has a different tajalli (divine outpouring) thereby eliciting different emotions from the believer. Makkah represents the jalal (majesty) of the Divine Oneness, Madinah the jamal (beauty) of the Messenger (SAW) and Quds represents the inclusivity of Islam, as it is from there that the Messenger (SAW) embarked on the most sacred journey of all time and led all the prophets in prayer.

Regarding the Black Stone (Hajaratul Aswad), he narrated an encounter between Sayyidina Umar (RA) and Sayyidina Ali (RA), where Sayyidina Ali (RA) explained the deeper meaning behind the Black Stone. He explained that on the Day of Alastu (Oaths), when all the souls of the children of Adam (AS) were gathered, we were asked by Allah SWT, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Am I not your Lord?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; We replied, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Yes! We bear witness.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; (Q 7:172) This testimony of every soul was placed in the Black Stone. Hence, when starting our tawaaf at the Black Stone or kissing it, we remember this testimony and we reaffirm it. He stressed that every soul that ever existed and that will ever exist took that oath on the Day of Oaths, and that deep down, each soul remembers this divine encounter. Hence, when engaging with others, Muslims or non-Muslims it is important to remember that part of our common humanity is that we have all given the same oath and that every human being is deserving of honour and respect. Shaikh Murad concluded that the soul continually searches for the sakina (tranquillity) it experienced in the presence of the Divine on the Day of Oaths. He urged that, as we travel through this life, we should endeavour to experience the nearness of Allah SWT in every breath we take as only then will the soul experience true contentment and sakina.

Muslim Views . January 2018

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Jeep Compass attains maximum five-star EuroNCAP rating

Ashref Ismail, who shares monthly motoring news with Muslim Views’ Photo SUPPLIED readers.

ASHREF ISMAIL

THE all-new Jeep Compass, due to be launched in South Africa this year, 2018, has attained the maximum five-star rating in the prestigious EuroNCAP crash test. The latest model from the iconic brand scored positive ratings in all categories, including adult protection, child protection, pedestrian protection and driving assistance safety systems. The result is even more significant considering that it meets the 2017 severe, ever increasing EuroNCAP standards, underscoring how the Jeep Compass has been developed with safety and protection at its heart. The new compact SUV combines the brand’s legendary offroad capability with user-friendly technology and a full array of

The soon-to-be launched Jeep Compass now boasts a superior safety star rating, offering better peace of mind. Photo QUICKPIC

driving assistance systems, all wrapped up in a distinctive modern design. Making a major contribution to the Jeep Compass’s maximum five-star rating are the effectiveness of its ‘safety cage’ – 65 per cent of which is constructed of high-strength steel – which ensures very high torsional strength and enhanced occupant protection, plus the availability of more

than 70 active and passive safety systems that set new standards in the Jeep range. Safety systems fitted as standard on the new Compass range include active driving assistance systems, such as Forward Collision Warning-Plus and Lane Sense Departure Warning-Plus, which combine radar and video camera technology to recognise potential

collisions and prevent impact by alerting the driver with audible, visual and tactile warnings. Plus, under certain conditions, these systems use the electronic steering (EPS) to assist the driver. Jeep Compass also features additional safety systems, available either as standard or optional, depending on the version, specifically designed to assist with

highway driving. Among these is Adaptive Cruise Control, which maintains a set distance from the vehicle ahead and in certain circumstances, can bring the vehicle to a full stop without driver intervention; and Blind-spot Monitoring, which assists the driver when changing lanes, and notifies of vehicles in their blind spot via illuminated icons in the external rear-view mirror and with a driver-selectable audible chime. The safety equipment offering available on the new Compass also includes specific systems to assist with parking manoeuvres, such as Rear Cross Path detection, which notifies drivers reversing out of parking spaces of the presence of vehicles crossing behind via illuminated icons on the external rear-view mirror and with a driver-selected audible chime. All these systems complement the ‘five-star’ standard safety and security features of the Jeep Compass range that also includes six airbags (frontal airbags for the driver and front passenger, side curtain airbags for all rows and side airbags on the front seats) and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) with Electronic Rollover Mitigation (ERM). Model derivatives and specifications for South Africa will be announced closer to the launch.

Muslim Views . January 2018

New BMW M4 CS launched at the first-ever BMW M festival at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit ASHREF ISMAIL

ONE of the most anticipated BMW M models last year, the new BMW M4 CS, was unveiled at the media launch of the first-ever BMW M Festival at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, in Gauteng, held on Saturday, October 21 and Sunday, October 22, 2017. At the festival, BMW customers, fans and car enthusiasts got a sneak preview of current and upcoming BMW M models, experienced hot laps and booked test drives across the BMW M as well as M Performance model range. Festival goers also got the opportunity to participate in drag races and drifting, and walk through one of the largest BMW showrooms with attractive finance offers to choose from, booking test drives, enjoying gourmet food and drinks, a children’s play area and more. The BMW DTM race team (Team Schnitzer with driver Tom Blomqvist) also made a special appearance at the event and offered visitors hot laps in the BMW M4 DTM car around the 16-turn, 4,522 kilometre counter-clockwise, FIA graded circuit.

The BMW M4 CS fills the gap in the line-up between the M4 Coupe with Competition Package and the uncompromisingly track-focused BMW M4 GTS. M GmbH is presenting another exclusive limited-run special-edition model in the shape of the new BMW M4 CS (fuel consumption combined: 8,4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 197 g/km). The BMW M4 CS fills the gap in the line-up between the M4 Coupe with Competition Package and the uncompromisingly track-focused BMW M4 GTS. With its accentuated sporting presence, the new M4 CS continues the decades-long tradition of successful M special editions, which began in 1988 with the E30 BMW M3 Evolution. The new BMW M4 CS will be built at the original BMW plant in Munich. The 3.0-litre high-performance engine raises the output of the M4 with Competition Package by 10 horsepower, to 460 hp (338kW). State of the art TwinPower Turbo technology allows

the M4 CS to dip below the foursecond mark for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint, stopping the clock at 3,9 seconds. The top speed of the M4 CS, which comes as standard with the M Driver’s Package, is electronically limited to 280 km/h. With its two mono-scroll turbochargers, charge air cooler, High Precision Injection, VALVETRONIC variable valve timing and DoubleVANOS fully variable camshaft timing, the six-cylinder, in-line engine takes a clear and consistent aim at the higher echelons of performance but is equally committed to developing significant torque from low engine speeds and achieving high levels of efficiency (fuel consumption combined: 8,4 l/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 197 g/km). The new BMW M4 CS is equipped as standard with the seven-speed M Double Clutch

Transmission (M DCT) with Drivelogic. It changes gears in fractions of a second with no interruption in the flow of power but employs a long seventh gear to keep revs low and minimise fuel consumption over longer motorway journeys. The suspension of the new BMW M4 CS largely mirrors that of the M4 with Competition Package. The M4 CS is fitted as standard with Adaptive M suspension whose geometry has been tuned to deliver optimised performance on both the road and track. The new BMW M4 CS has also been honed on the most demanding test track of them all for highperformance sports cars – the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife. Its ring lap time of 7 minutes 38 seconds puts the CS in super-sports car territory. Ensuring the best possible grip in all driving conditions are the

DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) system – which includes M Dynamic Mode – and the Active M Differential. Drivers have the option of adjusting the steering and suspension settings to their personal preferences or the demands of the route at hand. To this end, they can select one of three driving modes (Comfort, Sport and Sport+) at the touch of a button. While Comfort mode is particularly well suited to poor road conditions, city driving and short journeys, Sport will be the mode of choice for keen drivers looking to push on over twisty country roads. And for those heading to the track with their BMW M4 CS, Sport+ mode will pave the way for the fastest lap times. The interior of the new BMW M4 CS sets out squarely to create a sporting ambience. Lightweight M sports seats trimmed in leather/ Alcantara get the ball rolling and the dynamic flavour extends all the way to the door panel trim made from compacted natural fibres and featuring pull loops. The BMW M4 CS is priced at R1 838 500.

Muslim Views . January 2018

Youth cricket tournament a ‘success’

Specialist bowling skills on display.

SHANAAZ EBRAHIM-GIRE PRIMROSE Cricket Club walked away with top honours in the under-11, under-12 and under-13 categories at the second annual Awqaf SA and Primrose T20 Youth Cricket Tournament. Strandfontein Cricket Club won the under-15 age group. Other teams who competed were Somerset West, Hanover Park, Ottomans and Solomon Makhosana. The tournament took place from December 15 to 17, in Cape Town, and was hailed a resounding success by the organisers. Awqaf SA is a charitable endowment (waqf) receiving organisation. It invests endowment funds, and spends only the income generated from investments to fund a variety of community development projects and programmes promoting integrated community development, social cohesion and self-reliance. According to Awqaf SA Deputy CEO, Mickaeel Collier, it was important for the organisation to get involved in this tournament as it formed part of its social cohesion project. ‘As a community-owned endowment fund, we would like to provide an equal opportunity to all kids partaking in the tournament, which will allow a platform to harmoniously integrate and build communities. ‘We thought of using cricket as a medium to get youth active again. ‘We’d rather know that our children are on the cricket field for a few hours as opposed to walking the streets,’ he explained.

Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

Awqaf SA Trustee, Shaikh Ebrahim Gabriels, displaying his fantastic cricketing skills as part of the Awqaf SA Community Leaders vs Cricket Legends exhibition match. Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

this tournament. ‘Thank you to all who made this event possible, especially our partners Awqaf SA… Let’s work together to make the 2018 event bigger and better.’

Player statistics for tournament: U11 category Best Batsman: Abdus Salaam Aziz (Primrose) Best Bowler: Adnaan Lagadien (Ottomans) Best Wicketkeeper: Tyriq Daniels (Hanover Park) Player of the Tournament: Xavier Garvs U12 category Best Batsman: Ibrahim Salie (Blue Bells) Best Bowler: Farhan Jaffer (Primrose) Best Wicketkeeper: Mikail Toefy (Blue Bells) Player of the Tournament: Liyakha Xatoto (Primrose) An emotional Liyakha Xatoto, of Solomon Makhosana, receiving the Player of the Tournament award in the U12 age division. Photo ZUHAIR ALLIE

‘We believe that sport is a natural vehicle that acts as a sustainable tool in developing individuals and communities. ‘The tournament allowed children from varying walks of life to play the game of cricket at no charge thus promoting social cohesion.’ Western Province Cricket Association (WPCA) President, Beresford Williams, was appointed alongside WPCA CEO, Nabeel Dien, as a patron for the tournament. He said the event was a ‘won-

Player of the Tournament in the U11 age group, Xavier Garvs, receiving a personalised award signed by Hashim Amla from Mr Mogamat Majiet. Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

derful, cricketing opportunity for youth to participate in’. ‘Sport has become more relevant than ever before. ‘The fact that so many clubs from different communities across Cape Town have been invited to participate in this tournament speaks volumes and promotes non-racialism in sports,’ said Williams. Dien, who has been a strong advocate for youth cricket, echoed these sentiments. ‘Every day, we talk about the state of our society, the state of our schools and the state of our facilities. ‘We also talk about the state of our youth, which has been well documented in media. ‘What we should be doing is talking about the solutions to these social and economic challenges that we face as a community. ‘This tournament is an example of how we can face and resolve some of these challenges.’ He said that being nominated as a patron for the tournament was a ‘huge honour’ and commended Awqaf SA for their commitment, dedication, understanding and passion for the game. ‘You have used this term ‘social cohesion’ and for me this is probably the most important element

where your investment in this tournament is going.’ In conclusion, Williams paid tribute to those working behind the scenes to keep cricket alive. ‘I would like to salute the volunteers, players, cricket administrators and supporters for not only funding a tournament of this calibre but for also providing our youngsters an opportunity to play and enjoy the game of cricket. ‘Our children face many obstacles and challenges. ‘This is a wonderful occasion and I am very proud to be part of

U13 category Best Batsman: Thaakier Davids (Primrose) Best Bowler: Thaufir Baseroen (Hottentots Holland) Best Wicketkeeper: Abdur Raziq Ebrahim (Hottentots Holland) Player of the Tournament: Maahir Joseph (Primrose) U15 category Best Batsman: Abdu Dayaan Davids (Primrose) Best Bowler: Kureish Baderoon (Primrose) Best Wicketkeeper: Liam Geldebloem (Strandfontein) Player of the Tournament: Reece Thompson (St. Augustine)

Tyriq Daniels of Hanover Park U11 receiving Best Wicketkeeper from Mogamat Majiet (Chairman Primrose) and Ashraf Allie (Chairman of Hanover Park Cricket Club). Photo ZUHAIR ALLIE

Muslim Views . January 2018

Trump’s threats to Pakistan reflect anxieties of a declining empire JUNAID AHMAD

US President Donald Trump’s first tweet of 2018 concerned that ‘most dangerous country in the world’: Pakistan. Here’s what Trump’s New Year’s greeting to the Pakistani people said: ‘The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies and deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!’ For Pakistanis, there was a strange sense of both anger (at such a hostile message) as well as heightened self-importance. (Pakistan is the first thing Trump thought about in 2018!) The tweet led to weeklong denunciations of Pakistan. US National Security Advisor, H R McMaster, gave Islamabad an ultimatum: either cooperate with the US fully or face the fate of North Korea. Clearly, this was a not-so-veiled threat that Pakistan would, overnight, be demoted from a ‘major non-Nato ally’ to a ‘statesponsor of terrorism’ if it did not comply.

The US ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy – introduced by Obama – escalated the imperial drive to contain and encircle China. Key to achieving this was to downgrade ties with Pakistan and deepen geo-strategic ties with India The first week of the new year culminated in a suspension of all US security aid to Pakistan, which is around $1 billion annually. Trump’s tweet is consistent with the policy for Afghanistan and South Asia he articulated in August, 2017. He asserted then that the US will maintain an indefinite occupation of Afghanistan, that restraints placed on aggressive military operations will be lifted and that Islamabad should get its act together immediately or else face the wrath of Washington. The US war in Afghanistan, now the longest war in US history, has already taken a massive human toll: tens of thousands killed, hundreds of thousands severely injured and millions displaced.

The declared shift in US policy last August gave a green light for the tripling of American bombs unleashed on the war-torn, impoverished country over the past six months. If it is the case that Pakistan continues to maintain ties with political forces that are seen as favourable to Islamabad, it is precisely because of the bellicose posturing of Washington in the region. The US ‘Pivot to Asia’ policy under Obama escalated the imperial drive to contain and encircle China. The US relationship with Pakistan was heavily downgraded, replaced by an incredible deepening of US geo-strategic ties with India, Pakistan’s arch-nemesis. India has given the US open access to use its bases and airspace,

and now cooperates closely with the US on containing China. In return, New Delhi has been offered a variety of goodies, including a special nuclear enrichment exception treaty and a free hand to be a dominant political and economic actor in Afghanistan, keeping the regime in Kabul under its thumb. In addition, the hypocrisy in Washington’s pontificating towards Islamabad on the latter’s ties to various militant outfits speaks to the laughable historical amnesia of Western political elites. The creation of a formidable ‘mujahideen’ militant fighting force to defeat the Soviets in Afghanistan was an American project in the 1980s. Pakistan has predictably responded to these developments by

further strengthening its ties with China, and central to this has been the joint Chinese Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a massive initiative absolutely critical to Beijing’s future economic and geostrategic security. CPEC is part of the broader integration scheme that China is advancing through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that seeks greater interconnectivity of trade, commerce and cooperation across ‘EurAsia’, including South, Central, and West Asia, Europe and Africa. The US – correctly – sees this massive Chinese economic project, along with the resurgence of an independent Russia, as two of the most visible symptoms of its decline as a unipolar hegemon. Nevertheless, even more terrifying for the US is when sub-tier countries like Pakistan, Turkey or a ‘rogue’ North Korea also completely disregard diktat from Washington. The US has tried to reverse its falling hegemonic position over the past few decades by resorting to military force but it has backfired and only accelerated the decline. CONTINUED ON PAGE 17

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Muslim Views . January 2018 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16

In response to these latest threats from the US, Pakistan has responded assertively. Islamabad has expressed its disdain at Trump’s tweet. The most popular public figure in the country, former cricketerturned-politician, Imran Khan, has called for an end to any reliance on US aid, and a shutdown of Nato supply lines. The naked threats against Pakistan reflect not a fear of the growing threat of terrorism but merely the paranoid anxieties of a declining empire increasingly confronting its own irrelevance and impotence throughout the world but particularly in Asia. While other countries are sensibly trying to work out regional approaches to diplomatically resolving conflicts, the US is unwilling to see itself as merely one amongst equals. It cannot come to terms with a world order where it does not get to call the shots. Remaining mired in the failed occupation of Afghanistan is not about that country per se. It is about maintaining an American presence in a region that is proximate to China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan and the Central Asian countries which have effectively kicked US bases out over the past decade. Pakistan is a country with a population roughly two-thirds that of the entire Arab world, nuclear armed, with arguably the most formidable military in the entire Muslim world (along with Turkey). Hence, it is important not to miss the forest for the trees. If we

The naked threats against Pakistan reflect the paranoid anxieties of a declining empire increasingly confronting its own irrelevance and impotence ... start to examine the picture beyond simply one nation-state or any particular geo-political episode then we may grasp the much larger significance of developments in these countries. Long ago, the US spoke about ‘how we lost China’ after the Chinese revolution of 1949. We are now entering a period where this mantra will apply to an increasing number of countries. Indeed, this will be one of the hallmarks of the declining American empire: not a decline in its violence but a new reality wherein it can no longer depend on its old client states to commit that violence on its behalf. Junaid Ahmad is SecretaryGeneral: International Movement for a Just World (JUST) and Director: Centre for Global Dialogue at the School of Advanced Studies, UMT, Lahore, Pakistan.

Spiritual retreat to host renowned scholar PROMINENT Arabian scholar, Habib Muhammad bin Abdur-Rahman as-Saqqaf, will be the special guest at the annual Mahabbah Foundation International Spiritual Retreat taking place in February, 2018. This will be his second visit to Cape Town. Habib Muhammad as-Saqqaf is a direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) through the Husaini line. He received his education in the Sacred Sciences and the Science of Spiritual Wayfaring at the feet of scholars and spiritual luminaries such as Habib Abdul-Qadir bin Ahmad as-Saqqaf, Habib Ahmad Mashhur bin Taha al-Haddad, Habib Abu Bakr bin Ali al-Mashhur, Sayyid Muhammad Alawi al-Maliki and Habib Umar bin Muhammad bin Hafith. Habib Muhammad has founded numerous circles of knowledge and dawah in the Hijaz, and contributed to the curriculum at Dar-al Mustafa for Islamic Studies, an institute in Tarim, Yemen. He is the director of the Fattabiouni Project to revive the Prophetic way and the al-Irth an-Nabawi (Prophetic Inheritance) TV channels, which broadcast in Arabic and Indonesian. He travels extensively to many countries for dawah and to participate in conferences. His travels in the service of the deen have taken him to Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, the Gulf countries, Tunisia, Algeria, the United States of America, Britain, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Chechnya, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Comoro Islands. The key aim of the spiritual retreat is for students to gain a proper, principled and purposeful understanding of the Prophet (SAW) and his teachings in a manner that has both relevance and applicability to the current age in which we live. The retreat will be held from February 8 to 11 at Masjid Nurul Latief, in Macassar, and will include keynote lectures, spiritual discourses, gatherings of dhikr and salawat and team-building activities. The retreat is open to all, and separate female facilities will be available for all programmes. Sleep over accommodation will be available for males only at a cost of R400, which will include accommodation and all meals for the duration of the retreat. Day visitors are welcome to attend any of the programmes.

Renowned scholar, Habib Muhammad bin Abdur-Rahman as-Saqqaf, will lead Mahabbah Foundation’s annual International Spiritual Retreat, in February, at Macassar. Photo SUPPLIED

To secure your space, register online at www.mahabbah.co.za, alternatively walk-in registrations may be done at Timbuktu Bookstore situated at Shop 4, 19 Golfcourse Road, Sybrand Park. Further details about the programme may be obtained from Faheem Rahman at 081 459 6329 or by email at retreat.mahabbah@gmail.com Issued by Mahabbah Foundation

Muslim Views . January 2018

From the margins to national treasurer MAHMOOD SANGLAY

THE watershed moment in Moosa Kaprey’s life, he says, was an awakening at age fourteen. In 1957, the young boy witnessed the brutality of apartheid police inflicted on protesting black dairy workers in Woodstock, Cape Town. The disgust awakened a latent political consciousness. ‘I said to myself I want to grow up and do something about this.’ His early political schooling was at meetings in the 50s and 60s, on the Grand Parade in Cape Town, where the Liberal Party routinely spoke out against apartheid policies. In 1960, the apartheid government declared its first state of emergency to suppress the rising wave of protest. It was a period in which people spoke in ‘hushed tones’ for fear of betrayal by informers and persecution by the security police. ‘You didn’t know who’s your foe and who’s your friend.’ At the time, Imam Haron was actively advocating opposition to apartheid. ‘I remember the last I saw Imam Haron was when he put his arm around me walking in the Mowbray cemetery after a janazah.’ This was just prior to the detention of Imam Haron, in May 1969. Kaprey and Imam Haron were members of the Muslim Brotherhood Society (MBS). Kaprey was born in India in 1943, in Kondira village, near Mumbai, and arrived with his par-

ent s in South Africa in 1950. Today, almost 68 years later, he is national treasurer of the ANC Veteran’s League. He was elected to this position at the party’s national conference at Nasrec, last December. He recalls how, in 1994, the National Party (NP), tainted by apartheid-era misrule, had thrice offered him a seat in parliament in a post-apartheid dispensation. He was told that the ANC would not

deploy him and that he would be forgotten. The NP was right, partly. For a long time, Kaprey was marginalised by the elites in the liberation movement. But the NP was patently wrong in assuming he would betray cherished principles by defecting to a party founded on a legacy of injustice. Kaprey also recalls disturbing episodes from his engagement within the ‘indian’ Muslim com-

Moosa Kaprey, 74, was elected national treasurer of the ANC Veteran’s League at the party’s national conference at Nasrec, last December. Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

munity in Cape Town in the 60s and 70s. Many ‘indian’ businessmen openly exploited the poor and were involved in smuggling drugs from India. Some used their privilege as a favoured group in the apartheid racial classification system to collaborate in criminal activities with corrupt white officials in government. His work as activist, over almost four decades, started with his support for a campaign in the late 70s against the South African Indian Council (SAIC). This was an official apartheid-era structure set up to lend credibility to the government’s policy of separate development. In 1986, Kaprey was detained for three months at Victor Verster Prison, where he met many political activists from diverse political persuasions. He was again detained for three months in 1987, at Pollsmoor, and placed in a cell next to Nelson Mandela. Prison was a school for learning about a people’s liberation agenda and priorities like a people’s education. Kaprey says it is a myth that the ANC or any other recognised liberation movement structure called for ‘liberation before education’, which was a slogan used in public protests during the 80s. In the 80s, he supported campaigns organised by the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the National Education Crisis Committee (NECC).

His work with the NECC, in particular, led to his election as provincial chair of the organisation. In 1987, he travelled, as a member of the NECC, to Norway, Geneva and London, where he met exiled members of the ANC. It was during this period that the idea of a people’s education emerged. At local level, Kaprey was involved as a leader in civic organisations in Bellville and Thornhill/ Rylands, which focused, inter alia, on combating crime and drug abuse. He was also chair on the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) of Rylands High School and Bellmore Primary School, which supported the school boycotts of the 80s. Currently, Kaprey is working on a national project for the Veteran’s League dedicated to record the narratives of the anti-apartheid struggle at school level. His vision as new national treasurer is to coordinate the work of all provincial treasurers with a view to create a forum that will develop a plan of action for programmes and a needs audit. At local level he intends to restore the confidence of Rylands and Gatesville residents in the local ANC branch, and ensure there is activity and leadership in the organisation. Kaprey says the Veteran’s League will play this kind of supportive role in various local ANC branches.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

The huge legacy of Professor Ali Mazrui

The reviewer, Anwar Mall, is Emeritus Professor and Senior Scholar in the Division of General Surgery at the University of Cape Town. Photo SUPPLIED

ANWAR SULEMAN MALL A Giant Tree has Fallen: edited by Seifudein Adem, Jideofor Adibe, Abdul Karim Bangura and Abdul Samed Bemath. Foreword by Salim Ahmed Salim, and published by African Perspectives Publishing, 2016. THIS work is an apt compilation of tributes from friends and family members, academics, politicians and administrators from all over the world to an African intellectual giant, Professor Ali Mazrui, a man of formidable intellect who earnestly brought Africa to the world. On August 22, 2017, Professor Mahmood Mamdani, of Makerere University, said in his TB Davie Memorial lecture, at University of Cape Town, that the first critical reflection of the African colonial project took place in East Africa on the eve of independence in the 1960s, and was centred on the issue of excellence versus relevance, contrasting visions articulated by Ali Mazrui and Walter Rodney, respectively. The colonial university was the home of the universal scholar while the nationalist university was the home of the public intellectual. Mazrui called for a postindependent university, true to its classic vision, a home of the scholar fascinated by ideas, in celebration of academic freedom. Rodney argued for the case of the committed public intellectual, located in her time and space, and deeply engaged with wider society. The lesson for us in these times of transformation and decolonisation at our institutions of higher learning is that both contrasting views should be engaged with and Mazrui is to be commended for his liberal tradition of free speech, critical enquiry and contribution to post-colonial theory. I first came across Mazrui in the United Kingdom when his programme ‘The Africans: A Triple Heritage’ was aired on BBC televi-

sion. It stirred much interest about ‘the dark continent’, related in a proud way by a true son of the soil. Mazrui’s early life reflects the complexity of character of this intellectual giant. He was the son of a kahdi, given to strict practices in which artistic reproductions of any living form were forbidden, and even an insect should not be trodden on. The sciences were frowned upon since they produced weaponry that was destructive to both human life and the environment. The alternative for Mazrui was a life in the social and political sciences, to which he made prolific contributions, which turned the attention of the world onto Africa, especially in post-colonial times. Mazrui felt the burdens of racism early but even more inter-

esting was what he described as an ‘integral cleavage’ (my italics) found within black societies, in this case in Zanzibar, between the Arab population and the Africans of Zanzibar, both speaking KiSwahili (in the case of the Arabs an acquired tongue), inter-marrying and sharing a culture, and yet there being an underlying tension between them because of the historical fact of the Arab slave system, a source of bitterness and humiliation for the Africans. I emphasise this point because of its relevance to the shaping of Mazrui’s mind and his transcendence of this state to then become an international figure. Mazrui was catapulted into the colonialist world, with degrees from University of Manchester, Columbia University (MA) and Oxford University (PhD) in the political sciences. He held the Albert Schweitzer Chair of Professor in Humanities and Directorship of The Institute of Global Cultural Studies at Binghamton University, in the USA. While remaining true to his African roots, he seemingly enjoyed this world, arguably developing an international outlook of affairs but plagued by an anxiety that he had turned his back on his African and Islamic legacies – a

Professor Ali Mazrui is depicted here towards the end of a prolific life, during which he contributed hugely to scholarship on Africa. The reviewer urges us to revisit Mazrui’s work in light of current debates. Photo SUPPLIED

Professor Ali Mazrui was the son of a kahdi, given to strict practices in which artistic reproductions of any living form were forbidden, and even insects were not be trodden on. The sciences were frowned upon since they produced weaponry that was destructive to both humans and the environment. Thus Mazrui turned to the social and political sciences, to which he made prolific contributions, which turned the attention of the world onto Africa, especially in post-colonial times. He felt the burdens of racism early but even more interesting was what he found within black societies, in this case in Zanzibar, between the Arab population and the Africans of Zanzibar, both speaking Ki-Swahili (in the case of the Arabs an acquired tongue), inter-marrying and sharing a culture, and yet there being an underlying tension between them because of the historical fact of the Arab slave system, a source of bitterness and humiliation for the Africans. Photo SUPPLIED

sign of an ‘integral cleavage’ of his mind? He writes of being ‘nurtured’ in the shadow of the Cuban crisis in 1962 (reinforcing his early distrust of science as a destructive force), while battling his own inner confusion, as a practising Muslim, a black man with deep African roots, living in the world of the colonial master, and in love with a white woman of the Christian faith, whom he decided to marry. These were the forces that shaped this great individual’s life in an ever-shrinking global village, causing inner contradictions in ‘man’, Master of the Universe but still not the Master of ‘himself’. Mazrui’s life was a controversial one. His ten-year stint at Makerere University came to an end after he criticised Idi Amin. He had to gracefully accept the secular humanism (read atheism) of one of his children, was accused of anti-Semitism when he criticised Israel’s policies against Palestinians, and of displaying an antiWestern tone in his BBC programme, ‘The Africans’. He feared ‘the other face of the Empire’, racism, as much as he feared African nationalism. Mazrui angered Archie Mafeje of South Africa when he unwittingly called for a ‘re-colonialisation’ of Africa, by which he meant to find a solution to a failed Africa rather than going back in history. His humanism accommodated the ideas of Amina Wadud, who demanded equality for women in mosques, or the academic activities of Reverend Moon’s Unification Church but not Salman

Rushdie’s insensitivity to Muslims when he wrote The Satanic Verses. He unpopularly called for proliferation of arms to prevent some countries being vulnerable to attack by larger powers, as in the case of the Iraq invasion in 2003. In this way, he felt the Third World would not be ‘under the thumb’ of belligerent and imperialistic powers, as stated in his BBC Reith Lectures in 1979. He coined the concept ‘We are all Africans’ and how true this was for all of humanity as shown by physical anthropology, palaeontology and later genetic studies. His dream was of an AfricanArab unity (Afrabia), and while an admirer of some African leaders such as Julius Nyerere, he was honest in his criticisms of Nyerere’s shortcomings. This compilation, a tribute to Ali Mazrui from academics and admirers all over the world is a must read, especially in these times of debate and discussion on decolonisation and transformation. Footnote: My gratitude to Abdul Samed Bemath, a friend and fellow undergraduate at University of Durban-Westville, who kept the legacy of Mazrui alive for me and many others over the years. He compiled The Mazruiana Collection Revisited. Ali A Mazrui debating the African condition. An annotated and select thematic bibliography 19622003. New Dawn Press Group Publishers, 2005. Anwar Mall is Emeritus Professor and Senior Scholar in the Division of General Surgery at University of Cape Town.

Muslim Views . January 2018

The keys to Allah’s House

SALIM PARKER ONLY one verse of the Quran was revealed inside the Kaabah. It involved someone who was not a Muslim but whom Allah instructed our Prophet (SAW) to trust. As a result of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) obeying this command from our Creator, the non-Muslim was enlightened to accept Islam. It also led to a particular family being entrusted with guardianship of the key to the Kaabah. This trust and right to this honour has been respected for centuries and no king or prince would interfere in the duties bestowed upon this family. In fact, the key of the Kaabah is not in the hands of the Saudi government nor with a particular religious or authoritative body but with the Bani Shaiba family. During the time of the Prophet (SAW), each aspect of the rites of Hajj was in the hands of a different family of the Quraish. Every one of these families would eventually lose control of their guardianship of a particular rite, except the Bani Shaiba. In the 8th year of Hijrah, the Muslims captured Makkah. Nabi Muhammad (SAW) and his Companions entered the Grand Mosque and went to the Kaabah, which they wanted to enter. They, however, found that it was locked. Members of the ummah who saw this indicated that the keys were with Uthman Ibn Talha, who had not accepted Islam. Uthman later recollected the following: ‘Once I met the Prophet (SAW) before the Hijrah and he (SAW) preached to me the message of Islam. I refused and remarked that he had opposed the religion of his nation and concocted a new religion.’ After the conquest of Makkah, Uthman was hiding on the roof of the Kaabah. The Prophet (SAW) commanded his cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib (RA) to get the keys from

The lock of the Kaabah was replaced in 2013 after the ceremonial washing of the inside of the Kaabah. The Shahada – I bear witness that indeed Allah is one and Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah – is written on the front side of the lock. Photo SALIM PARKER

Uthman. The latter refused to hand over the keys and Ali (RA) snatched them from him, unlocked the door of the Kaabah and the Prophet (SAW) entered and proceeded to offer salaah inside. While they were inside the Kaabah, the Prophet (SAW) received the revelation that was brought by Jibreel: ‘Indeed Allah commands you to render back

One key in private hands: a 12th century Kaabah key was sold for 18 million dollars in 2008 to an anonymous buyer. There are 58 other known keys; 54 of them in the Topkapi museum, in Istanbul, two in the Nuhad Es-Said colllection, one in the Photo COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG Louvre, in Paris, and one is in the Islamic Art Museum, in Cairo.

those trusts to whom they are due, and when you judge between people to judge with justice. ‘Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever hearing and seeing.’ (Surah anNisaa:58)

As soon as Prophet Muhammad (SAW) heard these verses of the Holy Quran, he commanded Ali (RA) to return the keys to Uthman Ibn Talha. He also requested Ali to apologise for forcefully taking the keys from him.

Uthman Ibn Talha was completely shocked when Ali (RA) returned the keys to him. Uthman was informed that it was on Allah’s command that the keys had been returned to him. He then accepted Islam and recited the Shahada. It is narrated that Abbas, whose family was responsible for providing water to the pilgrims, asked the Prophet (SAW) to also put them in charge of the keys to the Kaabah. The Prophet (SAW) replied: ‘This day is not the day of revenge, rather, it is the day of kindness and munificence.’ The honour of guarding the keys was then bestowed upon the family of Uthman with the following words by the Prophet (SAW): ‘Take them, O Bani Talha, eternally up to the Day of Resurrection, and they will not be taken from you unless by an unjust, oppressive tyrant.’ The keys have been passed down the generations of the Bani Shaiba since then. Shaikh AbdulAziz Al-Shaibi, who died in November 2010, kept the key for eighteen years. His brother, Abdul Qader AlShaibi, became the new keybearer. Abdul Qader Al-Shaibi, who was the 108th successor of Uthman Ibn Talha, died on October 23, 2014. Saleh Ibn Taha AlShaibi, the oldest member of the Shaibi family, succeeded him as the keeper of the key to the Kaabah. The title of Sadin, or keeper of the key, is bestowed on the person in charge of the key. A newly built lock was fixed on the Kaabah door in 2013 following the ceremonial washing of the House of Allah. The lock and key are made of nickel and polished with 18-carat gold. The Shahada – I bear witness that indeed Allah is one and Muhammad (SAW) is the messenger of Allah – is written on the front side of the lock. The key of the Kaabah is still with the family of Uthman Ibn Talha (RA) and his family is protected by the Saudi government.

Letter to the Editor

Let us not forget the Yemenis

THE khutbah on December 29, 2017, was about being an ummah that promotes and encourages what is good and forbids what is wrong. It was a very powerful khutbah indeed. Towards the end of the khutbah, the imaam addressed the youth and reminded us of the youth being killed in foreign lands – just for being Muslim. He mentioned by name Palestinians (killed by Zionists), Syrians (killed by Assad) and the Rohingya (killed by Buddhists). He forgot to mention Yemenis (killed by the Saudis). I hope that the respected shaikh

just had a memory lapse and that he did not purposefully refrain from mentioning (albeit briefly) the biggest humanitarian tragedy of modern times. An oppressor remains an oppressor irrespective of his religious persuasion, and the oppressed remain the oppressed irrespective of their religious persuasion. As Muslims, we cannot cherry pick who we admonish and chastise. I will give the respected shaikh the benefit of the doubt though as I am sure that he would, as a member of the Muslim ummah he just so beautifully addressed, also admonish (also read as ‘forbid what is wrong’) the Saudis for their despicable behaviour towards humanity (also read as Yemenis).

Call for applications for 2018 IAHET bursaries THE Imam Abdullah Haron Education Trust (IAHET) invites students, irrespective of race, gender or creed, who are enrolled at tertiary institutions accredited by the Department of Higher Education and Training, to apply for bursaries for the 2018 academic year. This year, 30 bursaries worth R10 000 each will be awarded to successful applicants. Since the programme was launched in 2006, the IAHET has allocated bursaries totalling over R2.3 million to 350 students. Applicants are advised that because of the IAHET’s limited human resource capacity – all members are

Taufeeq Najaar Cape Town

Muslim Views . January 2018

Madina Institute joins interfaith convention in Lagos NURUDEAN SSEMPA

MADINA Institute Centre for Non-Violence and Peace Studies participated in the fifth National Convention of Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) in Lagos, Nigeria, held on December 16 and 17, 2017. According to MPAC Executive Chairman, Disu Kamar, the convention was aimed at, among others, promoting interfaith dialogue, and speakers cut across religious divides in Nigeria. ‘This is a strong platform to exchange ideas as well as to forge national unity around issues of great importance to the Nigerian Muslim community and the society at large,’ Kamar said. ‘Both Nigeria and South Africa play significant roles in intra-faith peace-making on the continent in the context of religious pluralism and through an intra-faith lens of

unpaid volunteers who hold full-time jobs - students who have not received an invitation to attend an interview must assume their applications were unsuccessful. Application forms may be downloaded from the IAHET’s website (www.iahet.com) by clicking on the What We Do tab and then clicking on the Tertiary Bursary Programme link at the top of the home page. Completed application forms should be addressed to: Imam Abdullah Haron Education Trust, PO Box 44506, Claremont, 7735. The closing date for applications is 23 March 2017. The IAHET was established in September 2005 to honour the memory of the late Imam Abdullah Haron who was killed in police detention on 27 September 1969. The IAHET seeks to promote the vision of Imam Haron of empowering marginalised groups and individuals through education. For further information please contact Fatiema Haron-Masoet on 083 3678176.

strengthening wasatiyyah as ummatan wasatan,’ said Dr Fatima Hendricks, from Madina Institute Centre for Non-Violence and Peace Studies, who was one of the key speakers at the convention. She further pointed out that the visit was important for building relations, fostering dialogue and seeking community interest in areas of education, training, research and community activism. The convention theme was ‘public trust and accountability’, according to MPAC’s Disu Kamar. He said that the theme of the convention was chosen to galvanise discussion on the imperatives of accountability in public service while reminding Muslim public servants to see public service as a platform for service and not for personal aggrandizement. The two-day event, under the chairmanship of the sultan of the north-west Nigerian state of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammed Saad Abubakar,

attracted over 3 000 participants and featured several speakers from diverse backgrounds across Nigeria. There were also exhibitions to showcase important Islamic achievers, inventors over centuries and living Muslim achievers awards, among other activities. Being the seat of the former Sokoto caliphate, Sokoto State is predominantly Muslim and an important seat of Islamic learning in Nigeria. The sultan, who heads the caliphate, is effectively the spiritual leader of Nigerian Muslims. Muslims and Christian Nigerians shared a platform before a wide-ranging audience to dig deep into the respective traditions of both religions to educate and enlighten Nigerians of shared values, the need for peaceful coexistence and for collective thoughts and actions on issues, like corruption, security and national progress, that confront the Nigerian community. Pictured from left to right are Barrister Adetokunbo Mumuni, Executive Director of Nigeria’s Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Imam Najeem Jimoh of Lagos, Mr Debo Adeniran, Executive Chairman, Nigerian Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL), and Suleiman Sledge, a Nigerian broadcaster. Photo DISU KAMAR

Muslim Views . January 2018

If only I had known what he had said

Landmarks were pointed out, which could be used as a guide if pilgrims were lost, writes DR SALIM PARKER. ‘WHAT will you do if you get lost during Hajj?’ she asked her father. This conversation took place before her parents were to depart for Hajj. The couple was supposed to have performed the most important journey in the life of a Muslim the year before but the wife had a major medical problem weeks before they had to undertake the journey and had to postpone it. The wife recovered remarkably well and, with the blessings of their Creator and a remarkable will and steely determination, they were fully prepared for the journey the second time around. The daughter and the rest of the family were very aware of his love for making duah. When it was one of his children’s or grandchildren’s birthdays, he would gift them a prayer. A special present would be two prayers. She asked again, ‘Dad, what are you going to do if you get lost during Hajj?’ He replied that he would sit down somewhere and make duah. Had I known this about him, I would probably have reacted very differently when I first met him. Every Hajj group tries to orientate their hujaaj a few days before Hajj as to where all the different camps on Mina and Arafah are in relation to their current accommodation. It is reiterated to all that the crowds are vast, that vehicle transport may at times be difficult, and at other times impossible. It is emphasised to everyone to always keep their identification tags on them at all times. My group had two camps on Mina. The first group was taken on an excursion to the camp after Fajr two days before Hajj com-

The tunnel leading from Azizyah to Mina has huge fans that serve to cool the hujaaj walking to and from those areas. Photo SALIM PARKER

menced in order to familiarise them with the route from their base accommodation in Azizyah, just outside Makkah, and very close to Mina. Landmarks were pointed out, which could be used as a guide if pilgrims were lost. This first group set off very excitedly and, a few hours later, returned with markedly decreased levels of energy and with the harsh reality of the physical demands of the short walk having shaken them out of their romantic notions of under-

taking a walking Hajj. Hajj was in the heart of summer and the temperature was hovering in the high forties. It was humid and unpleasant. The first group realised that, even though there were no crowds, no traffic with its claustrophobically noxious emissions and no army personnel forcing them to take detours that would add kilometres to their journey under the unforgivingly blazing sun, this short walk would drain them significantly. Many who had initially decided to walk realised that they would be much better off taking the provided transport. Yes, they would probably be stuck in heavy traffic along some parts of their journey but at least they would be seated in air-conditioned comfort. They might even, at some stage, decide to get off their conveyance but at least would have some inkling as to their whereabouts and where to walk to. The second group walked in the late afternoon, when the temperature was supposed to be bearable after the afternoon zenith. Of course, the reference to the heat is relative – bearable in relation to a furnace or hot oven would be an apt description. A few hours earlier, capsules that I was carrying from one hotel to another, had melted a mere two minutes into my journey. I accompanied this second group from our hotel in Azizyah and we all ensured that we had adequate protection against the sun, and enough hydrating fluids. We were all sweating before we even got to the main road. That road was only reached after climbing a number of steps. It then inclined significantly to lead to a tunnel through which we would reach Mina. The group leaders were spread from the front to the back of the growing line as the disparity in the levels of fitness and endurance ability of the walkers became increasingly evident. I drifted up and down this group until we reached the tunnel, which had a cooling system in it,

The Kaabah, to which Muslims turn in prayer five times a day, although key to the Hajj, is Allah’s House around which pilgrims perform tawaaf, completing seven circuits – starting and ending at the Hajaratul Aswad. The only time that tawaaf is not performed is during the time that the compulsory daily prayers are performed. Photo SALIM PARKER

a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat despite the deafening noise of the turbines that rushed on the cooling air. Even though we were walking up an incline, the pace quickened, except for those lagging at the back. This led to an even greater distance between the leaders and those bringing up the rear. I had already exited the tunnel when someone rushed up to me. ‘Please come look at this gentleman,’ he worriedly requested. I obliged and ran back to where a small group was surrounding a clearly unwell man. He was sweating profusely, unlike the rest of us in the tunnel with its cooling gusts. ‘He is not speaking,’ someone said. ‘I think he is having a stroke,’ someone else volunteered. The gentleman was sitting on a low wall but was not responding to any questions. He seemed to be staring into the distance and seemed oblivious of his surroundings. I had a good idea of what was wrong with him. I advised the others to join the rest of the group. We were very close to the end of the tunnel and right outside it was one of the best equipped hospitals that I have ever come across. A good friend of mine was working in the hospital at that time, and it would have been easy for me to have the man seen to if it was necessary. I did a basic examination and found his power and strength to be normal. He was now following basic instructions, such as raising his hands. A few minutes later, he verbally confirmed his identity, which we had already established as he was wearing a wrist band and two cards attached to a lanyard stating it. After about another ten minutes he could easily communicate and could give me a full breakdown of all his medical conditions, even though it was in response to direct questions only. He indicated that he was an epileptic but that he had not had

any attacks in the past few years. I explained that the stress of the walk had probably precipitated this attack, even though he was taking his medication regularly. He refused admission to hospital and the two of us started to slowly walk back to his hotel. It was a downhill walk and he was responding more easily by now. He agreed not to walk during the days of Hajj. If he was forced to walk, such as when a bus broke down, he would stay with his group and proceed slowly. ‘Your health is important on this journey, and there is no rush for any of our rituals,’ I implored. I advised him to seek help as soon as he felt unwell. He could anticipate an attack and this is when he should indicate to someone that he was not feeling well. We reached his hotel after about thirty minutes and I examined him in more detail and then we parted ways. That was my first and last encounter with him. I was not aware that he had told his daughter that he would simply sit down somewhere and make duah if he were to get lost. In retrospect, when he felt unwell, as in this instance, he would have done exactly the same thing. When on Hajj, millions are walking, sitting or sleeping everywhere. No one is going to ask anyone sitting somewhere whether they were feeling fine or if they needed help. It is only when someone collapses or has an evident problem that someone will approach such a person. There are plenty of volunteers and officials who will help, when they are asked. Sadly, I did not know about his background. Could I have prevented what followed a few days later? This story will continue in the next edition. For more Hajj Stories visit www.hajjdoctor.co.za. You may contact Dr Parker via e-mail: salimparker@yahoo.com

Muslim Views . January 2018

Madina Institute graduates geared to ‘help the world’ TASLEEMA ALLIE

OVER 300 years ago, Islam arrived at the Cape and, since then, has taken residence in hearts and homes across South Africa. Over the years, the message of Islam grew, from gatherings into schools and, eventually, today, into institutes of Islamic sciences, the Holy Quran and the Prophetic model. On December 15, 2017, at the Cape Town City Chambers, the 300-year-old legacy of Islam in the Cape was once again highlighted as family, friends, media and alumni gathered to witness the majestic entourage of teachers, honourable city community leaders, international dignitaries and trustees accompanying the Class of 2017 Usul-ud-Din graduates of Madina Institute South Africa. Forming part of the procession were representatives of the Muslim Judicial Council, Shaikh Ebrahim Gabriels and Shaikh Riaad Fataar al Azhari – who is also life president of the South African Students Association in Egypt – Shaikh Ganief Moos, Muqadam of the Alawi Husayni Ninowi Zawiya; and Muhadith and Ambassador of World Peace and Founder of Madina Institute, Shaikh Dr Muhammad al Ninowy. The graduation ceremony started with a standing recital of the praises upon Prophet Muhammad (SAW), followed by the South African national anthem. The Master of Ceremonies, Faizel Royker, the chairperson of Madina Institute, then announced the formal opening of the event with a recitation of the Holy Quran by the renowned Qari Zubayr Barday. The keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony was the international scholar, Shaikh Dr Muhammad al Ninowy who presented an academic critique of what he referred to as a ‘Bedouin’

Overseen by the founder of Madina Institute, Shaikh Muhammad Yahya Al Ninowy, Shaikh Riyaad Fataar of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) hands a certificate to a very pleased Zainab Taonga Chirwa. Photo SHAKEELA MUGJENKAR, PEARL PHOTOGRAPHY

Yumna Abrahams Kalla receives her diploma from the founder of Madina Institute, Shaikh Muhammad Yahya Al Ninowy. Yumna and her husband, Muaaz, were part of the 2017 graduates. The couple from Pretoria took a gap year to enrol at the institute. In the background is Faizel Royker, chairperson of Madina Institute. Photo SHAKEELA MUGJENKAR, PEARL PHOTOGRAPHY

or ‘desert Islam’ that has been allowed to be globalised. He referred to it as ‘intellectual desertification’, with ‘intellectual terror’ inflicted upon anyone in disagreement with it. Shaikh Ninowy affirmed that Madina Institute was ‘the place where the minds clash but not the heart’. Unity should not necessarily mean conformity. He further stated that ‘at Madina we produce ideas to help the world’. Madina Institute has since 2014 produced alumni that have

excelled in various fields in the community. Dr Amien Allie, an alumnus of 2014, addressed the gathering, reflecting on his journey as a medical doctor after taking a gap year at the institute. He elaborated on how his thinking and imparting of Islam has developed, and reminded all to hold onto ihsan. The 2017 student representative, Sadaf Mukhtar, extended a heartfelt message of gratitude to peers, teachers and staff.

The Council Chambers of the City of Cape Town was the venue for the Madina Institute South Africa’s graduation ceremony of 2017, where a packed gallery witnessed the procession as graduates of the Usul-ud-Din programme went up to receive their certificates. Photo SHAKEELA MUGJENKAR, PEARL PHOTOGRAPHY

There appeared to be an air of emotion during her address as fellow students, now friends, reflected on the year that had passed and the bonds that have been formed. The 2017 graduation ceremony was a display of the high standard of teaching, hard work, sacrifice, intimate management of the institute and mostly the empowerment, progress and life purpose of those who have mastered the Usulud-Din programme. The top subject achiever awards were all scooped by women, namely, Tasleema Kalla Allie, Nazirah Bux and Fadila Ismail, with the overall top achiever of the Class of 2017 being Ruwayda Ariefdien. Some of the students of the Class of 2018 were present and expressed great delight and excitement for the coming year. Applications for 2018 are still open, with a bursary option of R36 000 for those in need. With the minimum requirements needed being a ma-

tric certificate, many from all areas of the community, ages, professions and ambitions have taken on the challenge of living to the Prophetic example and instruction. While there are a few visiting lecturers annually at the institute, the full-time teaching staff includes leading scholars such as Shaikh Zaid Fataar al Azhari (Assistant Dean), Mufti Haroun Mohamed Al Azhari, Shaikh Mukhtar Ahmad al Madani, Shaikh Nabeel Majiet al Azhari, Shaikh Imtiyaz Isaacs al Azhari, Shaikh Fakkrudien Owaisi al Madani and Shaikha Rodhiya Ismail al Azhari. Applications for the 2018 Usul-ud-Din programme are still open. Bursaries valued at R36 000 are available but applicants should have a matric certificate. To find out more or to apply, visit: www.madinainstitute.org.za or email info@madinainstitute.org.za; telephone 021 421 9027/8.

Muslim Views . January 2018

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Muslim Hands assists with water sources MASNOENA ALLIE

THE Western Cape is experiencing its worst drought in decades and is reaching a high level of water scarcity, affecting thousands of people. Due to the drought in this region, safe water sources supplied by the local municipality is becoming restricted and the water flow minimised. Cape Town’s water crisis has worsened, with dam levels dropping and consumption increasing. Communal areas that often use high water volumes, such as mosques and hospitals, need to have access to alternative water supplies. With ‘Day Zero’ predicted to be reached in April 2018, Muslim Hands South Africa identified ten local mosques where we will sink wells to lower the water bill of the mosques and help during the water shortage in Cape Town. The aim of this initiative is the provision of potable water through digging a well point to supplement the water usage of the mosque, and provide access to an alternative source of water. The selection of the mosques was done according to the need of the facility in impoverished areas. The mosques that were identified are servicing people in the most impoverished areas of Cape Town.

Shaikh Ebrahiem Gabriels at Bonteheuwel Masjid, where a well will be erected to Photo ABDURAGHMAAN DAVIDS access water during the water crisis.

With the well points installed, more than 500 beneficiaries will benefit daily. This project saw the drilling of one well point at Nurul Islam Masjid, in Heideveld, two well points at Al Jamia Uthmania Masjid, in Bonteheuwel, and one well point at Al Miftaagh Masjid, in Lentegeur. The well points were installed by a drilling company with many years of experience and previous knowledge of working in the different areas. After the drilling of the well points, PVC pipes, an outlet tap and new motorised pumps were

installed. The team secured the pump in a safe area, and also set up piping ready for the next stage, which is connection to the main water grid of the mosque – or other facility where the well point is installed – and filtration systems. The implementation of the programme was carried out in line with the local municipalities and other stakeholders. The project was implemented under the supervision of the mosque committees, with two representatives each from Muslim Hands, the mosque committee and community members.

Resident imam at Heideveld Masjid, Shaikh Qasim Gabriels, where a well will be Photo ABDURAGHMAAN DAVIDS erected to help cope with the water crisis.

The respective mosque committees where the well points were constructed will ensure training in management, governance, conflict resolution and gender issues. Hence, the project implementation will help to develop knowledge of water resource management for optimal use. The committees will meet at least twice a year. In addition, they will meet whenever necessary, with a view to ensuring consistency in decisions and technical choices, and the proper conduct of project activities. The drilling company will assist in an advisory capacity should

the communities have any queries, as well as follow-up work in the future. In order to ensure that the installations are not stolen or broken, they will be installed in safe areas. Chemical and bacteriological water testing have been carried out to ensure that water from the wells is fit for drinking or for the purposes for which it is intended, and meets the local standards. We make duah that the Almighty shower His blessings on this project and that the community of Cape Town becomes more water conscious, especially as we are getting closer to ‘Day Zero’.

Muslim Views . January 2018

New wellness centre for the needy of Goodwood AMINA WAGGIE

FREE medical services are now available to pensioners and the needy who live in the northern suburbs. The services are available at the recently opened Goodwood Islamic Society Wellness Centre, attached to the Quloobul Moeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mineen Mosque, in Goodwood Street. Shaikh Tofa, the imam and spiritual leader of the Goodwood Islamic Society, together with a few resident medical practitioners initiated this project in the form of an annual wellness day. The project gained momentum in 2016 when he organised a committee to bring to fruition his vision of a fully functioning medical facility. The first official meeting for this facility, now known as the Goodwood Islamic Society Wellness Centre, was held in February 2016. Only six months later, on August 13, the committee was able to organise a wellness day, with donations sourced from the community and basic medical supplies provided by medical practitioners serving on the committee. The event was so successful that it provided further impetus for the centre as more practitioners came forward and volunteered their services.

After a number of subsequent meetings and workshops, the fully functioning GIS Wellness Centre was officially launched on Saturday, December 9, 2017, attached to the Goodwood mosque. The GIS Wellness Centre offers free medical services to those in need, irrespective of race or religion, who live in the northern suburbs. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Our services are run by volunteers and medical practitioners who dedicate their free time in the service of mankind without the expectation of any payment or reward. All practitioners are verified by the health council so patients can rest assured that they are treated by a professional. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The facilities are sustained purely by donations from the community and gracious sponsors who contribute when they can. It is for this reason that, unfortunately, all their services have a limitation, hence only patients who are eligible for the service and fit the criteria can be seen at the wellness centre,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Dr Riyaadh Dawood, Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of GIS

Wellness Centre. Patients who are eligible for the services are pensioners, indigent persons and their families, and disabled persons, specifically those families residing in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. Those who do not qualify for the services are those who have medical aid or insurance, those who do not reside in the northern suburbs, and families who have a breadwinner or employed/ employable household family members. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Even though we run a free service, we still run the centre with the same level of care as a private practice. Every patient is entitled to privacy, dignity and respect at all times and we expect every volunteer to treat each patient to the best of their ability,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; concluded Dawood. What started out as a basic general practitioner service in September 2016, has now grown into a bustling Saturday service comprising medical doctors, a fully functioning dental practice and a number of allied health practitioners who service those in need â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at no cost.

What started out as a basic general practitioner service in September 2016, has now grown into a bustling Saturday service comprising medical doctors, a fully functioning dental practice and a number of allied health practitioners who service those in need â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at no cost.

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According to Dawood, when the centre first opened, they had 23 patient-practitioner visits but this has now grown to nearly 100 visits per month, with well over 700 consultations to date. This means that the centre is now servicing almost four times as many patients per month compared to when it first opened. This also translates to more than 700 times that patients did not have to attend day hospital or have to pay for medical services. Needless to say, these figures would have been much higher if the centre were able to accommodate more patients. Unfortunately, due to time and space constraints, the number of practitioners who can provide the necessary services is limited. To address these issues, the wellness centre aims to source more sponsorship and expand its practitioner database. This will allow for the provision of more medical services to more patients, extended operating hours and providing additional service days in the week. For further information regarding the GIS Wellness Centre, please contact them on 078 021 6394 from 09:00 to 12:00 on weekdays. You may use the same number to send a Whatsapp message. You may also call 021 591 4233 on Saturdays, from 14:00 to 17:00.

Muslim Views . January 2018

Focus on Finance

Personal and family finances tips for the new year HASSEN KAJIE, CA (SA), a director of Nexia SAB&T, based in the Cape Town office, and AYSHA OSMAN, CA (SA), National Technical Manager for Nexia SAB&T, in the Centurion office, provide some tips for improving your financial fitness for the year ahead. WITH the new year upon us, many of you are thinking of goals and priorities for the coming year. Personal and family finances should be high on the list of important areas to consider. Spending just a few minutes on some key areas of your financial life can help you start 2018 on the right financial note. Here are some important items to consider: 1. Prepare a family budget so you understand your discretionary income. Doing a budget may not sound like fun but it is important in helping you understand your monthly cash flow and discretionary income. How much of your discretionary income you spend and how much you save may be one of the most important decisions you make in your financial life. As an added bonus, in doing your

budget, you may identify areas where you can save and thus increase your discretionary income. 2. Review your cost of debt and keep more of your own money. If possible, find ways to reduce your debt. Debt can be costly, and it

Hassen Kajie

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isn’t tax deductible. 3. Automatically increase your retirement plan contributions. Raising the percentage of your income that you defer into your qualified retirement plan can be very easy. A small and relatively painless annual increase, perhaps when you get an increase, can mean a big difference later in life. 4. Analyse your risk tolerance and asset allocation. A new year is a good time to evaluate your in-

vestment portfolio to be sure it still reflects your current thinking on the markets and that it is structured in line with your goals and objectives. You may be able to complete this yourself or with the help of some online software. If not, look for a qualified financial advisor who may be able to offer his or her assessment. 5. Conduct a beneficiary review on your retirement plans, annu-

Making sure these areas of your financial plan are in proper order can help you start off the new year feeling confident and empowered to reach your goals. If you and your family are resolving to improve your financial fitness, these tips can be a great way to start.

ities and insurance policies. The beneficiaries named in these accounts take precedent over any legal document you create. Therefore, you need to review each of these. Review your Will as well. 6. Review the adequacy of your insurance, especially if you have children. Don’t forget to consider buying life insurance to protect your children’s future. The good news is that term life insurance can be relatively inexpensive. Remember, for two-earner families, you may want to insure both parents’ incomes, as the surviving parent may want or need to spend more time with the children and work less. Making sure these areas of your financial plan are in proper order can help you start off the new year feeling confident and empowered to reach your goals. If you and your family are resolving to improve your financial fitness, these tips can be a great way to start. This article is intended for information purposes only and should not be considered as a legal document. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure accuracy, Nexia SAB&T does not accept responsibility for any inaccuracies or errors contained herein. If you are in doubt about any information in this article or require any advice on the topical matter, please do not hesitate to contact any Nexia SAB&T office nationally.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Islamic Relief in Syria: thousands displaced in Idlib SHANAAZ EBRAHIM-GIRE

A CONFLICT that started in March, 2011, has intensified into seven years of violence and misery across Syria; a protracted conflict marked by unparalleled suffering, destruction and disregard for human life. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that 13,1 million people need humanitarian assistance, 5,5 million people have fled the country while 6,1 million people remain internally displaced by the violence. Since November 2017, hostilities between government forces and non-state armed groups have intensified, resulting in the displacement of more than 185 000 people in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib, bringing the number of internally displaced people in the region close to 1,2 million. ‘Nine primary health care centres were recently damaged in Idlib, Hama and rural Damascus,’ Islamic Relief CEO Yusuf Mohamed explained. ‘These attacks resulted in damaged infrastructure, high risk for medical staff and reduced the availability of lifesaving medicines and medical disposables. This has caused additional strain to an already stretched health sector in Syria. ‘In response, the Islamic Relief Syria team activated its emergency

Islamic Relief has identified shelter, food assistance and medical support as the most urgent needs of new displaced families in Idlib. Photo MAJDI SAMAAN, IR SYRIA

response team with its four mobile clinics, which provided surgical trauma support and gynaecological services in the field.’ Islamic Relief has been responding to the Syrian crisis since 2011, working on the borders to provide essential humanitarian aid. ‘Since 2012, we have been working deep inside the country to reach vulnerable families,’ Mohamed said. ‘Due to our extensive network on the ground and operational presence, we were able to mobilise teams to identify urgent and priority needs, reaching areas that many other humanitarian organisations can’t.’ About 4 000 families were provided with winter kits in Idlib, western Aleppo

and Hama. ‘New IDP families were prioritised for winter support. Each family received two carpets, three blankets, two mattresses and plastic sheeting. In addition, the extremely vulnerable 315 families were provided with tents. The winter assistance will provide beneficiaries safety and protection against harsh weather conditions,’ Mohamed added. Islamic Relief South Africa (IRSA) responded to the Syrian crisis by funding multiple emergency projects. Three containers of medical supplies – worth over R21 million – were shipped to Syria. A food security project, valued at R2 million, provided daily baked bread to some 140 000 peo-

ple. In addition, 4 773 children received baby milk through targeted health centres. Another project worth R2 718 000 was co-funded by the national #SaveSyria campaign and supported vulnerable families and children in Northern Syria. The project included winterisation items, education, food and health support, which benefitted 25 498 beneficiaries. With humanitarian needs growing rapidly, Islamic Relief has launched an urgent appeal to assist refugees in Idlib. ‘Our teams have conducted a needs assessment and have identified food to be the most urgent need at this stage for the thousands of destitute women, children and elderly. This is followed by shelter and non-food items such as blankets, kitchen utensils and medical support,’ Mohamed said. Families have fled their homes under a barrage of shelling and escalating military actions. Displaced families need items such as tents, mattresses and plastic sheets, especially now as they face extreme winter conditions. ‘We would like to sincerely thank the community for answering the call and coming to the aid of thousands of Syrian families in 2017. However, the reports from the ground are harrowing and we need to pay attention to Syria as the anniversary of the crisis draws closer. ‘I am encouraging individ-

uals to activate their family and friends to work together to raise awareness about the plight of the Syrian people, especially the women and children who are most in need. Three million people in need, trapped in besieged and hard-to-reach areas…[and] children and youth comprise more than half of the displaced population,’ he added. ‘I encourage the public to get in touch with our regional offices for more information about Islamic Relief’s interventions and to also support our fundraising drive to support the displaced families in Idlib.’ Donations towards the Syria Idleb Emergency Appeal may be made online at www.islamic-relief.org.za. Bank deposits may be made to Islamic Relief SA, Standard Bank, Account number 005318459, Fordsburg branch, branch code 005205, Reference: IDLEB1 and contact number. For zakaah contributions, use the following bank account details: Islamic Relief SA, First National Bank, Account number 62161066933, Smith Street Branch, Branch code 221426, Reference: IDLEB1 and contact number. For a detailed report on Islamic Relief South Africa’s 2017 interventions in Syria, email info@islamic-relief.org.za or call donor relations officer Sumayah Francis at the Cape Town head office on 021 696 0145.

WHEN IDLIB CALLS FOR HELP : WILL YOU ANSWER THE CALL? Eight years on, Syrians are experiencing yet another brutal winter. Let your humanity shed a light in the dark.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Health File

Addiction affects the one using, the family and society SHARMILAH ADAMS-ISRAEL

IT is time to face the reality that addiction, especially drug addiction, can hit any family. Addiction is a complex disease of the brain and body that, despite serious health and social consequences, such as damage to families, will continue compulsively and disruptively. Studies show that there is a chemical imbalance in the brain and repeated abusing of any mindaltering substance, whether it be drugs, alcohol, gambling, gaming or even modern technology, e.g. social media, rewires the brain. Addiction disrupts regions of the brain that are responsible for reward, learning, judgement, memory and motivation. Research says that addiction is partly a genetic predisposition and partly a lack of coping skills. Studies have shown that children of addicts are eight times more likely to develop an addiction. If an individual is genetically predisposed, that individual could end up with an addiction. Those who have good coping skills have managed to overcome their family history and not become addicted. As part of society, we are all affected by addiction, whether the parents of the user, the children of the user, those that the user has stolen from or the community. Re-

Early intervention is imperative once you find out that someone you love is into substance abuse. Depending on the severity, many treatment options are available. Photo 123RF.COM

search shows that one addict affects at least 25 peoples’ lives, negatively. The question then is: what is the solution? Each substance user is different, and each family situation is different. To use a ‘one size fits all’ approach would be doing an injustice to society. Placing the addict into a rehabilitation centre and leaving the individual to ‘dry out’ is not the best solution for an individual suffering with addiction. If anything, it leaves the substance user more re-

sentful and the chances of that person achieving some sort of sobriety are minimal. Part of the problem is denial, which is the refusal to accept reality, acting as if a painful event does not exist. It is not only the one abusing substance that could be in denial. The denial in many families and overall society is huge. The longer this process of denial, the bigger the problem becomes and the harder the consequences with which we will be sitting. Many families feel that their

loved one who is using can stop if the person has willpower. This is not enough. Once the brain has been altered by addiction, that choice or willpower becomes impaired. Perhaps the most defining symptom of addiction is the loss of control over substance use. People who are using would normally say that they have it under control. Anything that needs to be controlled is already a problem. As addiction is a taboo subject in communities, the ‘secret’ thrives in secrecy, which creates a bigger problem. Addiction is not the sort of thing that most families talk about; it creates shame, guilt and a feeling of powerlessness to families affected by addiction. Whatever the reasons for the abuse, experimenting needs to stop before the addiction spirals. Some do go into rehab and stay clean, many falter, relapse along the way, and some may even die. That is the sad reality. What to do when someone you love is abusing substance: l Early intervention is imperative; get the individual assessed. l Depending on the severity, there are different treatment options, such as in-patient or out-patient treatment. l If the family opts for rehab, they should get involved in the individual’s recovery. The individual needs support, not spoiling. This means educating oneself on how to treat the in-

Moulood & Dhikr Jamaah programmes in the Western Cape

The following Moulood and weekly dhikr programmes are all under the auspices of Jamaah Ad Dai’rat Us Salihiyyah – The Salihiyyah Dhikr Circle: The dress code for all programmes is white. The contact person is Hajja Naema Manie 078 200 9774

Noeroeniyaahs Moulood Jamaah Goolhurst Islamic Centre Klip Road, Grassy Park January 21, 2018, at 2pm Salma Hendricks 083 427 1856/ 083 258 8716 Imaaniyah Moulood Jamaah Delft Civic Centre Cnr Main Rd & Voorbrug Rd Delft January 21, 2018, at 2.30pm Farieda Ely 082 640 9163

Jamaah-Tun-Nur Masjidun Nur 16 Lapperts Street Charleston Hill, Paarl January 28, 2018, at 9am Hajja Shiehaam Abrahams 021 862 3714

Hajja Mariam Oliver 072 379 2360 Nurudien Thikr Jamah Bridgetown Masjid March 18, 2018, at 8am Hajja Koolsum Kannemeyer 082 688 9310

Wardiah Jamaah Worcester Masjid Durban Street, Worcester January 21, 2018, at 9am Aishah Petersen 072 317 4748

Masjiedul Joem-ah Shepherd Way Westridge, Mitchells Plain January 28, 2018, at 8am Hajja Mariam 021 371 8946/ 063 473 5521

dividual once the person is back home. l Setting boundaries and sticking to those boundaries are very important for families. l There are many options for family education and support, such as Crawford Wellness Centre and Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre. l Seek support and continuous maintenance through e.g. counselling, Narcotics Anonymous meetings. Going into recovery requires abstinence with change. Peer group support is emphasised as research shows that it is an important part of the treatment plan. Early intervention is important in getting your loved one the right intervention and support to allow the individual a better chance of recovery and healing. Sharmilah Adams-Israel is an addiction consultant and family therapist with a BA from University of the Western Cape, a Diploma in Counselling from the South African College of Applied Psychology, and is currently studying for a Post-Graduate Diploma in Addictions Care at University of Cape Town. She may be contacted via email: crawfordwellness@gmail.com

Al Azhar Masjied Aspeling Street, District 6 February 3, 2018, at 2pm Masjied Rasheed Coniston Park, Lavender Hill February 10, 2018, at 2pm The centuries-old tradition of Moulood and dhikr jamaahs at the Cape has also established roots in other parts of the country. Many of these jamaahs were established by Capetonians who had either moved to the north or were based there as Muallims and Muallimahs. One of the Gauteng-based jamaahs that has Capetonian roots is the Biekoedratiela Jamaa, seen here at the Johannesburg Mass Moulood held on Saturday December 2, 2017. This jamaah was established in 1974 by Hadjie Fatiema ‘Kapenaar’ Adams, Hadjie Jainup Khan and Hadjie Amiela Kamish. Photo MARIAM GILLAN

Masjidul Quds Housewives Forum Gatesville January 30, 2018, at 10am Shaikh Abduragmaan Alexander 060 375 5136

Cape Town Islamic Education Centre (CTIEC) 11th Avenue Eagle Park January 28, 2018, at 10am Sayed Imraan Ziyaee 082 833 2036

Ahlus Sunnah Ladies Jamaah Maitland Mosque Coronation Road Maitland February 4, 2018, at 9am Hajja Nijema Hayat 083 321 2555/ 021 697 3523

Madrassa Tu Annahdho Jumuah Masjied Shepherd Way Westridge, Mitchells Plain January 28, 2018, at 8.30 am Hajja Mariam 021 371 8946/ 063 473 5521

Jamaah Tus Thaalieth Al Masjieduth Thaalith Lords Road Beacon Valley, Mitchells Plain February 11, 2018, 9am Gawa Jonathan 073 155 1963

Jamaa At Toer Raghmah Al Masjidul Thani Spine Road Rocklands, Mitchells Plain February 11, 2018, at 9am Hajja Sherene Taliep 079 481 1000/ 021 391 5408 Nurul Ghairaa Jamaah Masjidul Mubarak Adam Tas Avenue, Ext 13 Belhar February 17, 2018, at 2pm Hajja Fatima 083 424 4189/ 021 952 1433 Gujjatul-Islam Gujjatul Islam Masjied Banhoek Street, Stellenbosch February 18, 2018, at 9am Hajja Rugaya Toefy 021 886 6486

Nurul-Hudaa Ladies Moulood Jamah Moegammadiyah Masjid 68 Tennyson Street Salt River February 25, 2018, at 8am Hajja Laygie 021 447 3406/ 082 200 6912 Al Waniyas Masjidul Taqwa Cnr Alleman & Athwood Roads, Newfields March 4, 2018, at 2pm Shariefa Sabadien 083 675 8260/ 021 447 0594 Ummatul Muslimeen Jamah Gustrouw Masjied Cnr Gustrow & Hassan Khan St Strand March 11, 2018, at 8am

Mowbray Masjid Queen Street, Mowbray February 24, 2018, at 2pm Salaamudeen Masjied Cnr Portulago & Contytuft Rds, Lentegeur March 3, 2018, at 2pm Dhikr programmes (after Asr) Primrose Park Masjid, January 20, 2018 Primrose Park Masjid, January 27, 2018 Primrose Park Masjid, February 17, 2018 This list was compiled by Muslim Views staffer, Shireen Abrahams. We thank the Moulood and dhikr jamaahs for kindly sharing the information. If your jamaah has a dhikr or Moulood programme which you wish to publish in Muslim Views, please email the details to: shireen@mviews.co.za

Muslim Views . January 2018

Beyond the maternal glow: common skin problems during pregnancy DR SHAFEEQA FAKIR

SKIN-RELATED conditions in pregnancy can be classified as either physiological (hormone-related), pre-existing (present before pregnancy) or those conditions that are specific to pregnancy. Fortunately, most of these ailments resolve postpartum and only a small percentage requires medical treatment. Here is a list of the most common pregnancy, skin-related concerns. Physiological conditions Stretch marks Stretch marks develop in up to 90 per cent of pregnant women by the third trimester. Pregnancy causes your skin to stretch faster and more than usual, particularly at the abdomen, breasts and thighs. Hormonal factors affect the skinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elastic fibres and, together with rapid stretching, induces thinning of the skin. Initially, they may appear as reddish or purple lines or bands. After pregnancy, they gradually fade and become silvery white. Very little evidence supports the use of stretch-mark cosmetics. Instead, avoiding rapid weight gain, and basic skin care, such as moisturising, may minimise the appearance of stretch marks. Melasma Areas of your skin appearing darker is often one of the first signs that you are pregnant. Up to 90 per cent of expecting mothers find that their nipples and surrounding skin darken. Other pig-

Dr Shafeeqa Fakir.

Photo SUPPLIED

mented areas, such as moles and freckles, may darken, too; not to worry though as these changes often lighten with time. Brown or grey patches of pigmentation on the forehead, cheeks and neck are known as chloasma or melasma. Caused by normal pregnancy hormonal changes, the condition is exacerbated by exposure to the sun. Wearing broad-spectrum sun block (protects against UVB and UVA) with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of at least 30, wearing sunprotective clothing and limiting exposure to sunlight is para-

mount. Although melasma often fades within three months of the babyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth, one in ten women find that the patches persist. The use of a tinted foundation may be useful in camouflaging the patches to match your general skin tone, and medical therapy can be prescribed postpartum. Linea nigra The linear nigra is a vertical, darkened line that appears down the middle of the abdomen. The brownish-streak is usually one centimetre wide, crosses the navel and is caused by normal hormonal changes. Usually, the pigmentation appears around the fifth month of pregnancy and disappears several months after delivery. Skin tags Skin tags are common, soft, flesh-coloured growths that primarily affect the eyelids, neck, armpits and under the breasts. These growths are benign (not cancerous) and will not affect the outcome of the foetus. Persistent skin tags may be removed via a simple procedure by your doctor, postpartum. Spider veins Changes in oestrogen production, which is normal in pregnancy, can cause dilation, proliferation and congestion of blood vessels. These vascular changes primarily affect the face, neck and arms during the first and second trimester, and regresses postpartum. Pre-existing conditions Acne Hormonal stimulation increases sebum production, a waxy,

oily substance that can clog up your pores, leading to inflammation and breakouts. Pregnancyacne often resolves postpartum and is not as severe. Not all acne therapy is safe during pregnancy. Unsafe options include Isotretinoin (a form of Vitamin A), Tetracyclines and hormonal therapies, which increase the risk of birth defects and growth deformities. Safer options include topical azelaic acid, benzoyl peroxide (Benzac) and salicylic acid. Cleansing with a mild cleanser and lukewarm water, not picking pimples, keeping hair out of the face, using oil-free moisturisers and cosmetics, and removing make-up before bed will help remove excess oil, prevent clogging of pores and accelerate healing of existing blemishes. Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis Existing atopic dermatitis and psoriasis may improve or worsen during pregnancy. It is recommended that certain oral and topical medication be stopped before pregnancy and consultation with your doctor is advised to adjust management. Pregnancy-specific conditions These skin problems are abnormal skin concerns that require medical therapy. These conditions include: Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (Pep) is the most common pregnancy-specific skin problem. The disorder affects about one per cent of all pregnancies during the second and third trimesters. Ex-

tremely itchy, red patches develop on the abdomen, in and around stretch marks. The cause of the ailment is unclear and it is neither contagious nor harmful to the mother or the foetus. Common associations include multiple and first pregnancies. Pep usually resolves spontaneously one to two weeks after birth. Atopic eruption of pregnancy Atopic eruption of pregnancy is a common, itchy, eczematous disorder occurring in women who have an atopic background. The disorder has a rapid response to treatment and is harmless to both mother and foetus. Pemphigoid gestationis Pemphigoid gestationis is an autoimmune condition characterised by intensely itchy, urticarial-like eruptions that form blisters on the abdomen during the second or third trimester. Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy is a pregnancy-induced liver disorder that presents in the third trimester as severe itching, without any skin signs. There is increase in the risk of premature delivery, low birth weight and intrauterine foetal demise. Dr Shafeeqa Fakir [MBChB (UCT); FC Derm (SA)] is a dermatologist at Melomed Hospital, in Tokai. Her special interests are paediatric dermatology, male and female pattern hair-loss and hyperpigmentation. She may be contacted at Melomed Hospital, Tokai, phone 021 712 0689.

Muslim Views . January 2018

Positive and Effective Parenting

Children’s birthday parties FOUZIA RYKLIEF

WHETHER we approve of birthday celebrations or not will not be debated here. The fact of the matter is that most of us do make a fuss of birthdays, especially those of our children. I decided to write about this and share some ideas because our family had three birthdays during December. The first one was that of Ilyaas, my eldest grandson, who turned eight, followed by my granddaughter Inam’s birthday. It was her second, and a day before my birthday. What stands out for me about the parties we have had over the years is that they were not parties at all but get-togethers of the children’s most significant people in their lives – grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. In our case, this amounted to a small number because both sides, paternal and maternal, have very small families. There are usually one or two home-made cakes, cinnamon doughnuts from a local bakery and maybe some homemade eclairs. The highlight is always the blowing out of the candles. When it is my husband’s and my birthday, I usually bake just one cake so that the children can sing ‘happy birthday’ and blow

Inam’s second birthday. Look at Ismaeel, practically on the table to be the first one to blow out the candles. Photo SUPPLIED

out the candles. There is usually a scramble for the chair directly in front of the cake. And if any of them did not get to the candles in time then we have to re-light the candles for that child’s benefit; this happens every time. What about inviting friends?

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Helen Gosnell, a colleague and mother of two children, had this to say about birthday celebrations. ‘As a rule of thumb, children should only have their age plus one as the number of children invited to the party. It is not necessary to invite the whole class. Many of the children are not even

close friends of the child.’ She also suggests that when a bigger event is planned – where friends are invited – then the children should be involved and be taught to plan a party within a budget. It is never too early to teach children to work to a budget. She says that children can be wonderfully creative with very little money, and costs can be cut in a number of ways – no party packs for starters – these set up a culture of expecting a gift for attending a party. She says further, ‘Children should attend a party in order to celebrate with the birthday child, not to receive gifts themselves. Home baked, simple, cupcakes will suffice. Cut out the junk food served at a party, and don’t buy lavish decorations or pay expensive party planners or entertainers. ‘Parties are definitely a show of wealth and organisation, and how you can do a party better than the next person. It is my experience that the simpler the party, the more fun the children have.’ If adults are invited, only provide a cup of tea and a slice of cake; there is no need to provide a meal! What about gifts for the birthday child? The gifts need not be expensive.

In our family, we focus on clothes the children need and inexpensive toys, books and art equipment. I once attended my sister’s grandchild’s birthday party. The mother had baked the cake herself, and it was delicious. There was no jumping castle and children enjoyed themselves, playing with a ball and climbing the tree in the garden. There were no party packs and the children didn’t even miss them! Small parties with really close friends and close families are more memorable than the big ones. Parties are about the good values we want to teach our children: those of non-materialism and noncompetitiveness. This process starts very early, with the first birthday, which children don’t really participate in – they are either tired or asleep or, as in the case of the party I attended once, sick. Celebrating birthdays are simply an acknowledgement of the child’s birth and being. It is about making memories for the child. A child needs warm memories of quality time spent with her or his closest friends and relatives, which is the foundation of long-lasting relationships. Fouzia Ryklief is a social worker registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP).

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Muslim Views . January 2018

Urban street food – the new buzz word DILSHAD PARKER

THE street food concept has been doing the rounds for some years and has been growing in popularity. In Cape Town, most of it has been in the form of home-based vendors who only serve on specific days, creating cult followers who wait loyally for their weekly fix. Some major franchises, like Rocomamas, have cottoned on to this trend and created sit-down eateries where you can enjoy the ‘messy hands’ concept in a restaurant environment. A Halaal option in Cape Town has been elusive though, apart from Woodies, at the V&A, who pioneered this trend. Along comes Brocka, with its slick urban street style look and feel, designed by the acclaimed industrial designer Aiden Bennetts, its exciting on trend menu and an everyday accessibility for breakfast, lunch and supper in a sitdown venue, in the centrally located Canal Walk Mall. The unique venue is unmissable at the Pick n Pay entrance of the mall. The container in a warehouse concept, with the name in huge billboard lights above it, makes for an eye-catching entrance. The interior is atmospheric, with a unique blend of rustic and ultra-modern finishes. An indoor laser cut pergola, copper-hued Tolix chairs, exposed brickwork and homespun table elements contribute to an urban decay feel.

The Brocka Mexican Burger with chilli poppers.

The concept is not that of a full restaurant. You order your meal at the counter and take a seat if you’re eating in. Your food will be brought to your table in rustic Brockafied wooden trays. Burgers are wrapped in branded paper, and ribs, wings and fries are

Photo DILSHAD PARKER

served in disposable cardboard containers. Cutlery is also of the disposable wooden variety. The menu is cheeky, and includes ‘Moerse Shakes’, ‘Big Buns’, ‘Lit Ribs’ and more. It is definitely on fleek! So, on to the important stuff – the food:

We tried the ribs, which were sweet and sticky, as expected, tender and falling off the bone. The wings were okay, good flavour but not pre-fried or sticky enough for me. I felt like they needed more texture. I had the Veteran burger, which is their basic burger that comes with a hand pressed beef patty and BBQ sauce. All burgers are served with mayo, lettuce, onion, tomato and pickles on a brioche bun. I like the brioche bun because it adds an extra level of flavour to the burger. I found this burger tasty but too messy for me. Next time, I won’t unwrap it completely. It might be easier to eat if you unwrap as you go along or cut it in half. The Mexican Fest burger was packed with flavour, with the addition of chilli poppers, chilli sauce and avo. The chilli poppers on the burger were an innovative touch. Loved it. These came with rustic, hand cut skin-on fries, which were also very good. The Black Mamba was a chocolate milkshake with cookies, nuts, marshmallows and a flake. It was thick and over the top but not chocolaty enough. Easily shared by two, though. Prices are a bit on the higher end of the scale, and range from R59 for the Veteran burger only to R79 for a combo with fries and soda. The Mexican came in at R89 for the burger only. Ribs cost R99 for 400g (no fries), and wings were R69 for 400g. Waffles start at R49, shakes from R39 to R59.

Billboard lights and a container bring urban grunge into the mall environment. Photo DILSHAD PARKER

Children could be accommodated by the Munchies section on the menu. This menu has smaller burgers, loaded fries and a quesadilla. They have some vegetarian options on the menu but, make no mistake, Brocka is aimed at meat eaters. Breakfast options are available as well as a small coffee menu. There are still lots to try on this menu and I’m going back real soon for those cheesy loaded fries! This review is independent and meals were paid for. Dilshad Parker is owner and author of www.hungryforhalaal.co.za

Muslim Views . January 2018

Light from the Quran

The importance of ikhlas IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED

IN this age where flattery, egotism, fame and popularity are valued social currency, one of the fundamental principles of the social and personal life of believers is under severe threat. That principle is ikhlas (sincerity). In this regard, in his contemporary Quranic tafsir, Risale-i Nur, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi cites the following ayah from Surah AzZumar: ‘We have sent down the Book to you with truth so worship Allah, making your deen sincerely His. Indeed, is the sincere deen not Allah’s alone?’ He also draws our attention to the hadith: ‘All men will perish, except the scholars; and all scholars will perish except those who act in accordance with their knowledge; and all of them will perish except the sincere; and even the sincere are in great danger.’ This ayah and hadith demonstrate how important the principle of ikhlas is in Islam. Bediuzzaman proposes that an important question that people of imaan have to grapple with is: why is it that the people of religion, the religious scholars and those who follow the Sufi path, oppose each other although they are the people of truth

and concord? Bediuzzaman addresses this matter in The Flashes, one of the books in the Risale-i Nur Collection, where he discusses a number of causes for this situation. In addressing himself to one of the causes, he says that for the people of religion, the scholars and those who follow tariqah, the duty of each of them is concerned with all people; their material reward is not set and specified; and their share in social esteem, acceptance and public attention is not predetermined. Because of this, many of them may be candidates for the same position; many hands may stretch out for each moral and material reward that is offered. Hence, conflict and rivalry arise, and agreement is changed into dispute. The cure for this disease is ikhlas. Ikhlas may be attained by preferring the worship of Allah to the worship of one’s own nafs, by causing Allah’s pleasure to conquer the pleasure of the nafs and the ego, thus manifesting the meaning of the ayah in Surah Hud: ‘Verily, my reward is from Allah alone.’ For the people of guidance and religion, the religious scholars and those who follow tariqah, since they rely on truth and reality, and since each of them thinks only of

his Sustainer and trusts in His assistance, they derive dignity from their imaan. When they feel weakness, they do not turn toward men but toward Allah and seek help from Him. On account of their difference in outlook or path, these groups feel no need for the aid of one whose outlook seemingly opposes their own, and thus they see no need for agreement and unity. If obstinacy and egoism are present, one will imagine himself to be right and the other to be wrong; discord and rivalry take the place of harmony and love. Thus, ikhlas is lost and its function is disrupted. Bediuzzaman advises that the remedy for the critical consequences of this state are the following commands: Act positively, that is, out of love for one’s own outlook, avoiding enmity for other outlooks, not criticising them nor interfering in their beliefs or in any way concerning oneself with them. Unite within the fold of Islam, irrespective of outlook or path, remembering those numerous ties of unity that evoke love, brotherhood and harmony. Adopt the just rule of conduct that the follower of any right outlook has the right to say, ‘My way is true or the best,’ but may not

say, ‘My way alone is true,’ thus implying the falsity of all other outlooks. Consider that union with the people of truth is a cause of Divine assistance and the high dignity of religion. Abandon the self and its egoism. Give up self-pride. Refrain from all insignificant feelings that are aroused by rivalry. If the above are adhered to, ikhlas will be preserved and its function perfectly performed. Bediuzzaman states that disagreement among the people of truth does not arise from lack of zeal and aspiration. Rather, that which impels the people of guidance to the misuse of their high aspiration and hence to disagreement and rivalry is the desire for heavenly reward that is counted as a praiseworthy quality in respect of the hereafter. Thinking to oneself, ‘Let me gain this reward, let me guide these people,’ takes up a position of rivalry towards the true brother who stands in real need of his love, assistance, brotherhood and aid. Asking, ‘Why are my students going to him? Why don’t I have as many students as him?’ falls prey to egoism, inclines to the chronic disease of ambition, loses ikhlas

and opens the door to hypocrisy. The cure for this error, this sickness of spirit, is the principle that Allah’s pleasure is won by ikhlas alone, not by a large following of people or great success – the latter are functions of Allah’s Will; they cannot be demanded, although they are sometimes given. Quantity should not receive too much attention as, sometimes, to guide one person to the truth may be as pleasing to Allah as guiding a thousand. Moreover, ikhlas and adherence to the truth require that one should desire that Muslims should benefit from anyone and at any place. Bediuzzaman states that there have been certain prophets who had only a limited following but received the reward of the sacred duty of prophethood. Thus, the true achievement does not lie in gaining a vast following but rather in gaining Allah’s pleasure. The question that must be asked is: what do you imagine yourself to be that when you say, “Let everyone listen to me,” you forget your function, and interfere in what is strictly Allah’s concern? To gain acceptance for you and to have people gather round you is Allah’s concern. We are therefore cautioned to look to our own duty and concern, and not to meddle with Allah’s concerns.

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Muslim Views . January 2018

From Consciousness to Contentment

When information fails to lead to transformation JASMINE KHAN

THROUGHOUT history there has been a tussle between the youth and their elders where customs are concerned. In fact, it is almost a tradition that the youth will object to doing certain things the way their parents or grandparents have done it. Most of these practices have perhaps very little to do with religion but, nevertheless, have served to bind families and communities together. Another thing expected from young people is that they must do something even if they do not agree with it or it causes them discomfort and even unhappiness. Do the youth have the right to change customs and traditions? Absolutely yes! Should they speak up or refuse to do something which they dislike? Again, absolutely yes! The problem arises when they do it in a disrespectful manner and cause hurt to an older person or others. It does not help when you are well-educated, with a string of degrees to your name, and, when confronted with a situation that upsets or angers you, you are unable to deal with it appropriately. Seeking knowledge is one of the principles of Islam. However, when it remains just the acquisition of information, it serves no benefit. This was starkly brought

The second incident concerns a young lady who completed an aalimah course and graduated top of her class with almost 100% in her subjects. Her mother-in-law gifted her a state-of-the-art pram set for which she was very grateful. Her sister-in-law, however, gave birth before her and needed a carrycot for her baby because the pram set she had did not have a detachable carrycot. home to me recently when I heard of two unrelated incidents both involving young ladies. The young lady in the first incident is academically qualified and holds a corporate job. After the birth of her first baby, her mother was, understandably, very excited and planned to get flowers for the naming ceremony, the tradition being that, for the ceremony, the baby would lie on a white pillow and surrounded by flowers. Instead of telling her mother that she was not comfortable with this practice, she burst out with, ‘I do not want my child surrounded by flowers, it reminds me of a burial.’ Which burial was she referring to? Certainly, Muslims do not have the mayet covered in flowers. This is a custom of other religions. She was asserting her right to change things and perhaps start a

new tradition but, in the process, she hurt her mother. Being kind and considering the feelings of another is not a custom or tradition in Islam, it is a command from Allah. The second incident concerns a young lady who completed an aalimah course and graduated top of her class, scoring almost 100% in her subjects. Her mother-in-law gifted her a state-of-the-art pram set for which she was very grateful. Her sister-in-law, however, gave birth before her and needed a carrycot because the pram set she had did not have a detachable carrycot. While the family members were sitting together, one of them suggested that she should lend the sister her carrycot as her baby was only due in about six months time. This suggestion was not seen as

unusual because the family operated on the principle that if anyone needs help, it is immediately offered. This young lady, the aalimah, agreed to the suggestion. Imagine the mother-in-law’s consternation the following day when her son returned the entire set to her, saying that his wife was not happy. She had told her husband to take the whole set back to his mother as she no longer wanted it. She felt that the pram set had been given to her and was not happy to now lend part of it to someone else. What happened to the premise that whatever we have comes only from Allah, and is ours only on loan? What about gratitude for the bounties heaped upon us, not least being the gift of a child? Although these two incidents could be seen as part of an entire

movement, I have highlighted them in the hope that the people involved will reflect upon their actions and the results of those actions. The older generation must realise and accept that what worked for them may not work for their children, that change signifies growth and, as the poet Khalil Gibran wrote, ‘Your children are not your children, they belong to the land of tomorrow, a place you can never enter, not even in your dreams.’ As for the youth, take cognisance of the example of our beloved Rasul (SAW). He was the kindest and most respectful of men and never deliberately or inadvertently hurt another. We pray that Allah grants us the ability to seek information that will lead to transformation, Insha Allah. Ameen.

Art’s for All

Muslim Views . January 2018

Glimpses into painting methods from its dawn to dusk One man is hard at work grinding hard lumps of red and yellow ochre clay into fine pigment powders, writes DR M C D’ARCY.

PAINTING was born when ancient man progressed from etching figures on rocks with pointed stones to using multi-coloured stones to draw the outlines of animals and humans on flat rocks. Then he concocted paints from coloured pigments and water or fats and filled in the outlines. From that day on, man’s painting has evolved, never stopped. These figures are still evident in caves and on smooth rock faces all over the world. In this series, we will briefly deal with the evolution of painting then move on to the nitty-gritty of tools and techniques. The fiery sun beats down on the arid Karoo. A blinding haze shimmers. High up a craggy mount, under a rocky overhang, a small clan of Khoisan dozes in the cool shade but one man is hard at work grinding hard lumps of red and yellow ochre clay into fine pigment powders. Adding fats to the pigments, he makes smooth paints. Sweat flows from his brow. On the plains below, under a quiver tree, is a stash of ostrich eggs filled with water. He has no time for that now. From a small kudu skin pouch, he extracts an array of small painting sticks and feathers. He paints and smiles. Slowly, a kudu bull appears on the smooth rock face then a tall giraffe, an elephant trumpets and, finally, a ring of stick-like men and women dance. It is a serious dance. The clan had built a fire the night before. Fortified with intoxicating herbs and potent potions, they had shuffled round and round the blazing embers, singing rhythmically till they dropped shaking, frothing and writhing, deep in trance, communing with the ancestors until they went limp in deep slumber. In the painting, they are forever dancing there for posterity, thanks to the first artists who roamed Southern Africa. The technical description for such an artwork reads: Artist: Khoisan. Medium: Watercolour or fat-oil mixtures. Surfaces: Flat

The amazing oil painting by Spanish prima-artist Diego Velázquez, in the Prado Photo: WIKIPEDIA Museum, Madrid.

sandstone, rock faces. The Iziko Natural History Museum in Cape Town has a fine collection of Khoisan. Note that watercolour paintings are easily damaged and tend to fade in strong light. For countless eons, the White Nile River, the longest in the world, has snaked from the heart of Africa’s belly, through the Rift Valley to Sudan (the Land of Punt). There it is joined by the Blue Nile rushing down from the mountains of Ethiopia. Once a year, it breaches its banks, flooding the deserts of

Egypt. When it recedes, it leaves a layer of fertile silt. The ancient farmers along its course planted wheat and a medley of other crops in the rich sediment to feed the rich and poor of Egypt. The abundant harvest excesses were exported to distant Mesopotamia in the East and to Rome in the West. Egypt became known as ‘The bread-basket of the world’. Along the banks of the Nile grew the tall papyrus reeds that the Egyptians made into paper, from which we got the word ‘paper’. Scribes wrote on sheets of

papyrus using reed pens and black ink made from lamp soot and water. Artists also painted on papyrus, using yellow and red ochre and many other pigments just as the Khoisan in Southern Africa did, for they too were watercolourists. Their pigment paintings still astound. The Egyptians decorated their regal tomb walls and monuments with extracts from their sacred text, The Book of the Dead. Hieroglyphic writings using black ink relate stories of the pharaoh’s prowess in battle. Scribes wrote out cost accounts for the tombs, and for onions to feed the workers. Egyptian artists used many other pigment colours, adding such fabulous blue lapis lazuli, from the distant Himalaya Mountains of Afghanistan, to their repertoire in decorating walls with scenes from daily life and epic battles. Most burial chambers also depicted the pantheon of gods they revered. The decorative painting on the tomb walls in the Valley of the Kings, near Luxor, blew my mind when I visited them many years ago. Amazingly, in deep, dark underground chambers, artists painted vast walls and ceilings with grand vistas of the kings and queens of Egypt journeying from life to the hereafter. After three thousand years, the paintings looked as fresh as if they were painted yesterday. Technically, the paintings are described as watercolours on walls and papyrus paper. However, some paints were more complex mixtures. Strolling the Prado Museum, the galleries in Madrid, Spain, one is overwhelmed by the vast numbers paintings depicting religious themes. Many were painted during the Middle Ages, using oil paint on canvas. They are glossy and finely detailed. But one oil painting stuns; it’s the Las Meninas, a gargantuan oilpainting by prima Spanish artist, Diego Velázquez. The genius of the painting is that it places the viewer inside an artist’s studio, and then it takes you deep into a three dimensional view of other rooms. In a 1985 Illustrated London News magazine poll, it was selected as the greatest painting in the world. The walls of the Vatican, in Rome, are plastered with ornately framed paintings by some of the Achmat Ismail, the oil painter, in his element on Signal Hill. Photo M C D’ARCY

Wobbles, the cat, posing with Dr D’Arcy’s acrylic painting of him. Photo SHAMEEMA DHARSEY

world’s most legendary painters. Like those in the Prado, most are painted with oil-based paints on canvases, ceilings and walls, such as the tour-de- force, The Last Judgement, painted by Michael Angelo Beunarotti. In oil painting, the pigments are held in oil suspension. Linseed oil and mixtures of oil and turpentine are commonly used. Turpentine (turps) speeds up the slow drying of oil paintings. Oil paintings are usually more durable and less likely to fade than watercolour painting. They may crack when rolled. Technically, these are described as oil paintings on canvas, board or fresco on wall. An acrylic polymer was discovered by the German BASF chemical company, in 1934. This was first used as a house paint because of its miscibility with water. It is also quick drying with a water resistant surface, long lasting and ideal for use by artists. It can be rolled up without cracking. Today, a significant number of artists use acrylics for its ease of use, only moaning about its quick drying property that hinder oncanvas mixing of subtle colour gradations. It dries to a matte (non-glossy) surface. But these impediments can easily be overcome as we shall see in later articles. Technically, such paintings are described as acrylics on paper, walls, boards etc. This short survey of some of the most popular painting modes skips other types of artistic rendering, such as pastels (chalk), gouache (water-based poster paints), egg tempera (using the oily egg yolk mixed with pigments). But taking a few steps at a time is better than having a blind eye when enjoying a painting or two.

Muslim Views . January 2018

Showing sports allegiance to another country: is it ‘disloyal’? SEDICK CROMBIE

I OFTEN sit and contemplate if the support shown and allegiance pledged to other countries’ national sports teams are just a fad or a grand display of disloyalty by South Africans to the country of their birth. The ever-increasing group of followers, coupled with the sheer fanaticism displayed by some of our compatriots in this regard should, to my mind, set alarm bells ringing for our rugby establishment. The band of countrymen who imitates the cultural practices, dons the national paraphernalia, stands at attention to a foreign country’s national anthem – and even knows the anthem by heart – and sings the words, has taken on disconcerting proportions. When analysing this phenomenon, one is not oblivious to the fact that this support stems from a previous political context with a deeper historical significance. It would, however, be necessary to find the context for such behaviour in modern-day South Africa. There are different schools of thought regarding this phenomenon. One school of thought interprets this behaviour in different contexts as disloyalty to one’s country, unpatriotic behaviour and turning your back on your country of birth. These types of responses have led to heated debates, arguments, scuffles and even the odd bit of fisticuffs. In the pre-democratic dispensation, these anti-South African actions were the norm in disadvantaged communities, and occurred against a backdrop and as a form of defiance against apartheid policies of injustice and discrimination, railing against racial sports practices. This was in an era when black South African rugby supporters opted to show their disdain at apartheid sports teams by cheering for the opposition. When the All Blacks toured South Africa in the 1970s and had some Maori players (Sid Going and Bryan Williams – the latter is actually Samoan) and the French arrived with a black player, Bougarel, black rugby supporters went gaga. That was then, this is now but still, black South Africa’s support for overseas teams has not evaporated or ebbed; in fact, it is on the rise. The reasons offered by another school of thought for exhibiting such support are myriad: dissatis-

D KI 4 TS KI

The writer grapples with the question: why does a large number of South Africans, particularly in rugby, support a team Photo 123RF.CO playing under a ‘foreign’ flag rather than support the South African team?

faction at the exclusion of gifted black players for average white players; the lack of opportunities for disadvantaged players; a subtle and silent system of hereditary claims to the Springbok jersey; the preferential selection of players from a small pool of pre-democratic privileged schools; hackneyed commentators and media pundits. As someone who was previously firmly ensconced in this mode of thinking, I can strongly relate. Many from this camp have laid down the cudgels during the democratic dispensation and made the transition in favour of support for the country (not necessarily for the Springbok rugby team). Others, amongst them many die-hards, have opted to remain in the camp of supporting foreign countries’ national teams. Whether there are justifications for standing under the anthem and flag of a foreign country against your own is debatable. What is, however, a major contradiction is the legion of new adherents, many from the very stable of those who practised (or whose forebears practised) racial sports (read Federation rugby) under apartheid, who are swelling the ranks of the anti-SA brigade – strange bedfellows indeed. The question that arises is whether support for a foreign country’s sports teams is not really part of an identity crisis, and

something which the apartheid project can claim as one of its greatest successes. I could possibly be lynched by family and friends for asking this awkward question. We can find ample examples in history showing South Africans mimicking the cultures of other nationalities. This was in great part an attempt to escape the stigmatisation and indignation brought on by the apartheid regime, and maybe this support can be construed as a throwback to that best forgotten part of our history. During apartheid, it was not uncommon for whites to refer to themselves as Europeans, Afrikaners as Dutch, and ‘coloureds’ became those whom they resembled

There are deep-rooted symptoms that need to be addressed by the rugby authorities...

– Italian, Portuguese, half-German. African blacks reclassified themselves as ‘coloured’ while ‘Indians’ reclassified themselves as ‘coloured’ and ‘white’. Our allegiance always lay across the waters, to some mythical country from whence some of our forebears hailed some four centuries ago. Or maybe it is that the indigenous history and culture from which we sprouted and that the apartheid regime ridiculed and dehumanised (calling them ‘Bushmen’ and ‘Hotnots’) have scarred us and we, therefore, still shy away from those roots. Support for other countries, in a way, allows us to distance and distinguish us from our real heritage. None of this is more clearly illustrated than the sight of our own brethren performing the haka, a rich cultural ritual practised over many centuries by the indigenous Polynesian peoples. This ‘Maori identity’ is completely copied with rituals and tattooed arms and bodies, which has a unique significance. I often contemplate what these indigenous peoples think when they see the sight of our local ‘Maori’ perform their centuries old historical cultural practice. A comment related by a colleague of a former All Black married to a South African woman, was, ‘We are perplexed at this

sight but are told by the rugby authorities to just keep a straight face in the presence of this spectacle.’ Would it not have been more acceptable and appropriate to adopt a Khoisan or truly South African ritual from our historic forebears who lived in harmony with nature and which is something closer to home? Or has that claim of apartheid’s denial of ‘our’ history succeeded and led to this crisis of identity? Many in the second school of thought justify the support of another country’s sports teams as the execution of one’s right of choice afforded under the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution of 1996. Invoking the hard-fought rights under our constitution to support your choice as freedom of expression is a tad rich, especially when it can similarly be construed as turning your back on your own country in support of another. This sounds akin to a real kick in the teeth of the great sacrifices made by some enigmatic South African leaders. Or, is this phenomenon an indication of the sense of betrayal felt by the ‘Maori brigade’ – that nothing has really changed in rugby’s set up? They claim that South Africa’s rugby regime is still in large parts controlled by the old order, which excluded and is still excluding the majority population from national rugby teams. Even with a black coach at the Springbok helm, does a black player get two minutes off the bench in a test? Or can we claim otherwise? For the rugby authorities and media to look the other way, steering the hosting of tests and cameras away from venues with a large concentration of local support for foreign teams will not cause that support to go away. This is nothing more than the often used ostrich, head-in-thesand mentality. There are deep-rooted symptoms that need to be addressed by the rugby authorities, the sooner the better. Trying to unpack what seemed a somewhat simple question has not been and is not so easy; the answer is elusive, leaving us stuck in the proverbial quagmire. Maybe, one day, we shall overcome all these anomalies but, for now, we continue to cry for the beloved country. Sedick Crombie is Media and Publicity Secretary for the SARU SACOS Legends.

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