Muslim Views, July 2016 by Muslim Views

DHIL-QAIDA 1437 l JULY 2016

Vol. 30 No. 7

Forum calls for transformation THE House of Ummah (HoU) hosted its 7th Stakeholders meeting in Cape Town on July 16. Present at the meeting were, from left, Shaikh Abu Bakar Mtenje, Dr Goolam Hoosen, Shaikh Ali Mustapha and Zak Basha. The meeting brought together 65 delegates focused on a common vision of transformation of Muslim society in South Africa. HoU works with major national and local Muslim organisations with a view to prioritise a developmental agenda and to address matters of urgent concern, such as racism among Muslims. A highlight on the programme of the meeting was the historic Memorandum of Understanding signed between Awqaf SA and the Kwanobuhle Muslim Community Trust (KMC) regarding the creation of a masjid/ community-based waqf fund. Deputy CEO of Awqaf SA, Mickaeel Collier, says the waqf system is designed to ensure empowerment and transformation from dependency to self-sufficiency and self-reliance. See the story on page 4. Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

Muslim forum advances development agenda

Refugess Rights Responsibilities

6 20

Building where it is needed most

A tribute to Abdullah Gangraker

8 21

Your Festival of Motoring starts on page 8

A tribute to Qari Yusuf Muhammad Noorbhai

11 39

The Indian with blood on his hands

Rumi Sufi and Poet

12 40

Call for greater commitment to the country

Running to warm the hearts of ‘the guests’

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Muslim Views . July 2016

The people seek pragmatic alternatives

OUTH Africans have much to be concerned about as they head for the polls on August 3. This election is expected to be the most contested one since the dawn of democracy in South Africa. A record number of parties have registered. The shift in focus from the usual concerns about the state of the nation to the state of local communities foregrounds the power of voters. It is at local level that political parties, in all their diversity, ingratiate themselves to voters prior to an election. And it is a legitimate cynicism of the voter to question the sincerity of parties that abandon voters’ concerns once they are in power. It is also legitimate that voters consider both moral and pragmatic criteria in deciding for whom they should vote. Clearly, many voters may, for historical and moral reasons, support the ANC as the national liberation movement but find themselves disenchanted with the party for poor delivery at local level. After 22 years of democracy, the political party that styles itself as the national liberation movement has failed to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of most South Africans. Poverty, unemployment, a disintegrating education system, high-level corruption, the influence-peddling by wealthy businessmen and economic mismanagement are both national and local government concerns that have eroded confidence in the government. The impact of this erosion is in many ways more acutely felt at local level, where the disconnect and the disparity between the people and the ruling elite is starkest.

This is evident in the widespread social discontent expressed through public protest that is often violent. And it is an indication of the anger of a disillusioned people betrayed by the purveyors of a revolution that delivered little. And they are now, 22 years after the fact, expected to vote for the same party, for the same reason. It is reasonable, in light of this betrayal, that the masses whose lives have not changed for the better, have a moral obligation to review their options in the municipal elections. When people believe that politicians are no longer accountable to them, they either change their vote or they don’t vote at all. Although the most reliable polls, like Ipsos, presume high voter turnout, analysts are of the view that a 60 per cent turnout is realistic. Voters are likely to ask themselves: Are we again going to risk voting for a liberation movement whose credibility has now withered near to naught or are we voting for a councillor who shows credible promise for delivery at local level? It is evident that a significant and increasing number of South Africans are considering opting for the latter. The Ipsos polls show that the DA is ahead in the three major urban centres in South Africa. The polls point to a widespread decline in support for the ANC. In Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay, the EFF has gained significant ground against the ANC since the 2014 parliamentary elections. The growth in the number of smaller parties, too, may account for a shift in the balance in political power. These parties have emerged not merely because it is their democratic right but because they identified an opportunity to be responsive to the needs of the people, in the absence of responsiveness by the local ruling party. It is noteworthy that both the ANC and the DA have dismissed votes for smaller parties as wasted votes. It is such arrogance that is likely to persuade voters who are disenchanted with both the traitors of the democratic revolution on the one hand, and the purveyors of a crude neoliberal agenda on the other, to consider the merits of supporting smaller parties. This is especially true in the case of credible candidates from local communities who offer an alternative to the big parties. The forthcoming elections are another such opportunity. And, given the moral authority deficit in the powers that be, it remains the right of the people, in the absence of morally sound options, to use their vote for pragmatic alternatives.

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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A guide to local government elections 2016 UNICIPAL – or local government – elections are held every five years to elect councillors who will be responsible for governing a municipality for the next five years. Municipal councils ensure services that impact the daily lives of citizens in their areas, including water, electricity and sanitation. This year, the local government elections take place on Wednesday, August 3.

Municipalities

appointed by the councils of the constituent local municipalities. Therefore, at local government elections, you have two ballot papers if you live in a metropolitan municipality – one to vote for a candidate for ward councillor and one to vote for a party for the council. If you live in a local municipality (a town or a surrounding rural area), you would have three ballot papers – one to vote for a candidate for ward councillor, the second one to vote for a party for the council of the local municipality and the third one for the council of the district municipality. Most municipal councils are managed by an executive committee, elected executive mayor and a municipal manager.

Local government in South Africa is made up of municipalities which are run by councils. There are currently three kinds of municipalities: metropolitan municipalities, which are big cities; local municipalities, What is the difference which are towns and their surbetween national, provincial rounding rural areas; and disand municipal elections? trict municipalities, which coordinate a number of local municIn national elections you vote ipalities in a for members of region. parliament, and The largest in provincial at local metropolitan elections (held areas are govon the same day government erned by metroas national elecpolitan municitions) you vote elections, you have palities, while the for members of two ballot papers rest of the counthe provincial try is divided into legislature. if you live in a district municiIn municipal metropolitan palities, each of elections you which consists of are voting for municipality – several local city or town municipalities. councillors who one to vote for a South Africa’s will run your candidate for ward local government town council is currently made for the next five councillor and one up of eight metyears. to vote for a party ropolitan municiIn national palities, 44 disand provincial for the council trict municipalielections, you ties and 207 local vote for a politmunicipalities. ical party (ProThe eight metropolitan portional Representative or PR municipalities are: electoral system) to get seats in l Buffalo City (East London): the national and provincial leg392 021 registered voters* islatures. l City of Cape Town: 1 883 In municipal elections, you 592 registered voters* vote for a political party and a l City of Johannesburg: 2 152 ward councillor (a mixed system 112 registered voters* of PR and ward constituency to l City of Tshwane (Pretoria): 1 get seats at the municipal level. 434 931 registered voters* How are PR seats calculated? l Ekurhuleni (East Rand): 1 In metropolitan and local 520 553 registered voters* l Ethekwini (Durban): 1 800 councils, half of the council seats are allocated to directly 492 registered voters* l Mangaung (Bloemfontein): elected ward councillors (ward ballot paper) and the other half 393 629 registered voters* l Nelson Mandela Bay (Port are allocated to political parties Elizabeth): 580 254 regis- on the basis of the results of the PR ballot paper. tered voters* The ward councillors are *Registration figures as at elected first and then the September 2015 remaining seats are allocated to How local government works political parties based on proAll municipalities are gov- portional representation. The PR allocation takes into erned by municipal councils, which are elected every five account how many ward seats a party has already won to make years. The councils of metropolitan sure that the final number of and local municipalities are seats a party has does not exceed elected by a system of propor- the percentage of the vote which tional representation, while the they won. councils of district municipali- Courtesy: Electoral ties are partly elected by propor- Commission of South Africa tional representation and partly (IEC). www.elections.org.za

This newspaper carries Allah’s names, the names of the Prophets and sacred verses of the Holy Qur’an. Please treat it with the respect it deserves. Either keep, circulate or recycle. Please do not discard. Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Muslim forum advances national developmental agenda MAHMOOD SANGLAY

THE House of Ummah (HoU) held its seventh national stakeholders meeting on July 16 at the Academia Centre, in Lansdowne, Cape Town. HoU clarifies that it is not an organisation but a forum and a national movement with the aim of working with diverse stakeholders and with the vision of building a dynamic ummah (Muslim community). The realisation of this vision involves, amongst others, the recognition of the fractured nature of Muslim society in South Africa along social and racial lines. It also requires transformation of leadership and organisational priorities to become truly developmental and inclusive. In particular, it requires addressing racism, bigotry and prejudice among Muslims who advance sectarian and parochial agendas. This vision has, since 2012, succeeded in attracting the support of key national organisations, namely Awqaf SA, the South African National Zakah Fund, the Muslim Judicial Council, the United Ulama Council and the Jamiatul Ulama. In addition, the forum is supported by a diverse range of community organisations involved in developmental work. The forum’s role is not to intervene in the independent work of each of these organisations but to network with them and to integrate their priorities with the national developmental agenda. Several speakers at the meeting, in various ways, addressed this in their presentations. Shaikh Sadullah Khan, welcoming dele-

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Ismail Omar, right, founder of House of Ummah in 2012, and Abu Bakar Mtenje spoke at the 7th Stakeholders meeting in Cape Town, on July 16. Omar questioned the sectarian and ‘privatised’ approach to managing mosques. Mtenje emphasised the importance of respecting African languages, culture and values in dawah work. Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

gates on behalf of Islamia College, identified the dire need for critical self-evaluation. Shaikh Ihsaan Taliep, from the United Ulama Council, intensified the tone of this argument, saying that Muslims need to undertake processes akin to the Truth and

Reconciliation Commision. He said that even in conveying the message of Islam, in our ‘cultural attitudes we are downright predatory’ and ‘guilty of the arrogance of cultural supremacy’. Shaikh Taliep called for a willingness to learn from the other.

Ismail Omar, the founder of HoU said the forum is at the stage of moving from ‘band-aid leadership to visionary leadership’. He added that HoU does not raise or handle funds nor does it handle a bank account. Omar mentioned two incidents relating to racial conflict dealt with by HoU. The first follows the death of a black Muslim in August 2015. His burial was delayed by twelve days due to the unwillingness of a burial society to accept that he is Muslim on face value. They imposed a requirement of a written statement to certify that he is Muslim and that he has been circumcised. In the second incident, in June 2016, black Muslims who congregated to meet outside the Mayfair Jumma Masjid, were ordered off its precincts. The black Muslims expressed indignation over racist treatment and the incident became subject of a prolonged controversy on the HoU Whatsapp chat group. HoU is calling for an independent investigation of the matter with a view to develop further policy in respect of social relations. Omar argues that such incidents should not be relegated as internal matters for the resolution of families and mosque committees but should be dealt with in the public interest. He also questions sectarian appropriation of mosques and the disproportionate channelling of welfare and charitable support to foreign destinations when there is a dire need for support locally. Ahmed Murchie and Aslam Mahomed, from the Business Development Project (BDP), provided details of projects currently underway in KZN and Gauteng.

The vision of the BDP is to empower previously disadvantaged individuals through support initiatives like business networking, funding and mentoring. Murchie said that there is inherent distrust between black and Indian businessmen who are viewed as exclusivist in their business practices. At best, Indian businesses are seen as perpetuating handouts, which is what the BDP wants to change. A refreshing departure from conventional presentations was its focus on valuable lessons learnt from a failed project as opposed to its successes. The project cost the BDP R100 000, and Aslam Mahomed, Chairman of the BDP, explained why it failed and what lessons were learnt. Abu Bakar Mtenje argued that Muslims in South Africa have a morally questionable record of dawah. He says mass reversions to Islam occur in isolation of the social realities faced by local communities. He emphasised the importance of respecting African languages, culture and values. Mtenje also encouraged daees to learn indigenous African languages as a means to undertake dawah. Former ambassador of South Africa to the United States, Ebrahim Rasool, offered reflections on the uniqueness of the South African Muslim community in relation to that of the ‘troubled’ Muslim community in the US. Among these reflections he called for a shift from the ‘paradigm of patronage to the paradigm of full and equal inclusion’. The next HoU meeting is the National Stakeholders Imbizo on August 13, in Johannesburg.

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Stakeholders join hands in mosque renovation projects MAHMOOD SANGLAY

AWQAF SA and the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) are joining hands in undertaking the renovation of the mosques in the poorest areas in Cape Town. While the core activities of Awqaf SA and the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) are different, they have a common interest in addressing the appalling social conditions of, particularly, black Muslims in South Africa’s townships. The three stakeholders, Awaqf SA, which runs Project 21, involving the renovation of township mosques, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the Al Quds Foundation (AQF) are in discussion on joint projects for the benefit of these communities in the country. According to Mickaeel Collier, Deputy CEO of Awqaf SA, mosque renovation has a bigger objective of transforming the surrounding community into socially habitable and economically sustainable spaces. It is envisaged that each mosque will be developed into a fully functional and vibrant Islamic centre. Collier says the measure of a centre’s success is not by the number of worshippers but by the transformation and socio-economic impact the centre has on the lives of the people who live in the area, irrespective of their faiths. He envisages that the renovation project will also include additional features, such as solar power, food gardens, water management systems and other forms of sustainable built environment elements.

Heinz Park Masjid is part of Project 21 undertaken by Awqaf SA’s Masjid Renovation Project. Over R61 000 was budgeted for painting, plumbing, drainage, tiling and masonry work on the site. This image shows a madrasah class in progress at the time of a visit to the site, on July 20, by the MJC and Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY Awqaf SA.

The MJC & AQF initiative The MJC and the Al Quds Foundation of South Africa had jointly worked on a project supporting a number of township mosques in Crossroads by means of financial and material assistance. This project originated in an unusual way and was, in a sense, the fruits of unintended consequences. In 2004, following the assassination of Shaikh Ahmed Yassin, in Palestine, the MJC announced a sustainable initiative to build solidarity with the Palestinians, and spread awareness of their struggle for freedom. Hence ‘fasting till Palestine is liberated’ commenced. According to Yoonis Allie, of the Al Quds Foundation of South

176 Durban Road, Bellville

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Africa, the practice has been sustained without fail, ever since, in the form an iftaar programme at a mosque for those participating in the fast. In 2012, the programme was taken to mosques in Crossroads. While the programme gained the support of the black Muslims for the Palestinian struggle, the encounter also exposed the MJC and the AQF to the appalling social conditions of black Muslims. This year, the iftaar programme returned to the township and, this time, says Allie, they discovered another mosque in Crossroads they had inadvertently overlooked in the past, Masjid Ar-Rahmaan. On June 26, the week before Ramadaan this year, they congregated for an iftaar programme at

Pictured above are Moulana Ismail Karriem, of Heinz Park Masjid, Shaikh Irfaan Abrahams, President of the MJC, Shaikh Ishmael Qamane, Chairman of the Western Cape Shura Council (formerly the Masakhane Muslim Community), and Mickaeel Collier, Deputy CEO of Awqaf SA. The four braved the winter rains for a special site visit to Heinz Park Masjid, in Philippi, Cape Town, on July 20. Photo NAZMEH SCHROEDER

this masjid. The programme also offered an opportunity for them to experience prayer under paraffin lighting and very crude facilities for ablution and toilets. The experience motivated the visitors to raise R3 000 for basic renovations, such as the installation of taps and repair work. It also commenced an informal initiative in which seven such

mosques were earmarked for assistance. The support involved the provision of adequate living quarters for the imam, a toilet, windows, plaster, a door and a generator for power. In July, this year, the MJC and AQF heard of Awqaf SA’s Project 21 and discussions commenced on incorporating the Crossroads mosques with those of Awqaf SA.

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Festival of Motoring to celebrate 120th anniversary of the first car The first ‘horseless carriage’ to be imported to this country was the Benz Velo. It was on display to the public at the Berea Park sports ground, in Pretoria, in front of Paul Kruger, the president of the Transvaal Photo QUICKPIC Republic.

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

ASHREF ISMAIL

THIS year marks the 120th anniversary of the arrival of the first car in South Africa, and this epoch-making event will be celebrated as one of the high points at the South African Festival of Motoring, which takes place at Kyalami from August 31 to September 4. Although the first car, a Benz Velo ‘horseless carriage’, which had been imported by a local businessman, John Percy Hess, arrived in South Africa at the end of 1896, it did not run on its own power until January 4, the following year. This was due to a delay of a month in the arrival of the benzene fuel for the engine! The first public demonstration of the Benz Velo took place at the Berea Park sports ground in Pretoria, in front of Paul Kruger, the president of the Transvaal Repub-

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lic. The publicity blurb urging Pretorians to attend this ‘red letter day’ event proclaimed that ‘the motor car, like the bicycle, has come to stay and will be the craze of the century’. Hess went on to become the sole agent for the Benz brand in South Africa. The car was subsequently driven in Johannesburg as part of his initiative to promote ‘a revolution in locomotion’. South Africa was fairly quickly out of the starting blocks into the world of motorised transport once the initial foundations had been laid by Hess. The first Ford to arrive in South Africa, a 1903 Model A, was, in fact, the first Ford to be sold outside North America. Cars became more readily available in South Africa with the arrival of the mass-produced Ford Model T, and about 1 000 cars a year were going onto local roads by 1910. The next step was local assembly, which began in 1924 when Ford opened a plant in a disused wool shed in Port Elizabeth. This early start-up was soon followed by the erection of a facility to assemble General Motors products. Over the years, the South African motor industry has enjoyed varying levels of govern-

ment support for its manufacturing activities, initially to boost the local economy then to beat economic sanctions during the apartheid years and, latterly, as an important contributor to foreign revenue-generating exports. The country’s love affair with the motor car has led to a proliferation of brands and models which is way out of kilter with the size of the population and the lack of real potential for huge growth in sales. There are currently more than 2 600 model derivatives in the passenger car and light commer-

cial vehicle sectors, which means South Africans are among those people in the world most spoilt for choice when looking to buy a new vehicle. A lack of significant public transport alternatives has led to South Africa becoming a country ever more reliant on vehicles such as cars and minibuses for personal transport, which is resulting in traffic congestion and high levels of pollution. The vibrant, first ever, Festival of Motoring will be the ideal occasion for the celebration of the 120th anniversary of the arrival

of the motor car in South Africa as it will provide the largest canvas on which the picture of this evolution can be painted. A host of vintage and classic cars will be on show as well as many of the latest mechanical and electronic marvels which can be both looked at and driven on the racing circuit. The festival will take place from August 31 to September 4, 2016, at the new Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit, in Midrand, Gauteng. Start making arrangements now. You don’t want to miss this show!

Muslim Views . July 2016

Fiat Fullback joins the battle of the double cab ASHREF ISMAIL

LET us get something out of the way right at the outset. If the Fullback looks a bit like something you’ve seen somewhere, you are right. It is a badge engineered Mitsubishi Triton soon to be launched here. Following the world reveal at the 2015 Dubai International Motor Show, the newest addition to the award-winning Fiat Professional range was launched in South Africa, a month ago. Backed by over a hundred years of history and an excellent reputation in the global LCV industry, the Fiat Professional brand is making another leap forward with the launch of the Fullback; one that completes its current extensive range of products and services that are tailored to the needs of professional customers. With the Fullback, the Fiat Professional brand makes a strong entry into the mediumduty pick-up segment in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region, where 650 000 units were sold in 2015. Perfectly in line with the best of the competition in terms of configuration, dimensions and engines, Fiat Professional’s new pick-up in South Africa will be available with two engine options on the double cab – a 2.5-litre diesel with a power output from 100kW to 131kW, while the single cab comes standard with a

VW’s factory tour a must for enthusiasts

Fiat joins the off-road fray with its new Fullback.

2.4-litre petrol engine that delivers 97kW. The petrol engine comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, the diesel engine is aligned to the best of that of the competition and can be combined with a manual gearbox or automatic transmission, both with five speeds. At the time of launch, the diesel engine will be available with a manual transmission. The Fullback is available in a 4x2 version (rear-wheel drive) in the single and double cab, as well as in a 4x4 version (all-wheel drive) in the double cab. With part-time 4x4 manual selection and rear differential lockers, the Fullback is capable of getting you through the toughest terrain. The Fullback range consists of three model derivatives, as men-

Photo QUICKPIC

tioned earlier: the single cab 2.4 Petrol (97kW) 4x2, the double cab 2.5 Diesel (100kW) 4x2 SX and the flagship double cab 2.5 Diesel (131kW). The LX comes standard with part-time 4WD, E-locker Rear Axle, 17” alloy wheels, Bi Xenon headlights, leather trim, cruise control, Bluetooth and USB, automatic air conditioner, rear view camera, driver and passenger airbags, ABS with EBD, keyless entry (remote), audio controls on steering, tow bar and rubberised rear load bin. Pricing starts from R232 900 for the single cab entry level, going up to R468 900 for the topof-the-range LX. The Fiat Professional Fullback range comes standard with a 3 year/ 100 000km vehicle warranty and a 5 year/ 100 000km service plan.

Worth a visit: Volkswagen’s factory tour is worth visiting for a close up of Photo QUICKPIC how cars are assembled. It’s a treat for the petrol heads!

ASHREF ISMAIL

VOLKSWAGEN’s FactoryTour vehicle is three-years-old this month and has taken just short of 40 000 visitors into the Uitenhage factory. The stylish 21-seater vehicle allows visitors to see the vehicle manufacturing process and brings the automotive industry to life. The FactoryTour vehicle was custom built by Volkswagen employees using recycled and unused car parts from the factory. The novelty and ingenuity of their approach in manufacturing the vehicle that consists of three cars, resulted in a comfortable, practical and stylish vehicle. ‘The FactoryTour vehicle is a comfortable and inventive way of showing our technical process to visitors. A large number of the

visitors on the factory tours are school children and I am proud that we are able to ignite engineering and manufacturing passion in young minds by allowing them access to the factory,’ said Thomas Schaefer, Chairman and Managing Director of Volkswagen Group South Africa. The FactoryTour vehicle car is pulled by a battery powered tow motor. Factory tours take place Monday to Thursday at 09h00 and 12h00, and on Fridays at 09h00. Bookings can be made through the Volkswagen AutoPavilion on (041) 994 5941/3. The factory tour includes the tour of the AutoPavilion, where some of Volkswagen South Africa’s classic cars are on display. If you’re in the area, make some time to visit; it’s a real treat!

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Type R joins the HOT hatch brigade

ROAD SAFETY

Pre-trip inspections, posture and blind spots

Does my rear look big in this? Honda’s Type R doing what it does best: passing you! Photo QUICKPIC

ASHREF ISMAIL

BILLED as a ‘race car for the road’, the Honda Civic Type R delivers unrivalled performance and driving involvement, and is billed as the most extreme and highest performing Type R ever built, setting new standards in the fiercely contested high-performance, front-wheel drive hatchback segment. Boasting an all-new, forcedinduction VTEC Turbo engine, advanced new suspension systems and purposeful styling that delivers the visual excitement expected of a Type R while enhancing performance and stability, the new Civic Type R sets new benchmarks for power delivery, handling dynamics and overall driving thrills. This exhilarating new model signals the start of a new performance era for Honda, drawing on the brand’s racing DNA to occupy the top position in the Honda Civic line-up. Part of a wave of next-generation, all-new Honda vehicles, the new Civic Type R demonstrates the brand’s pioneering approach to technological innovation. Inspired by the Japanese word ‘buttigiri’, which translated means ‘to break through and leave the rest behind’, Honda’s engineers sought to develop a Type R that would more than live up to the high expectations associated with the red badge. The new Civic Type R has been engineered to deliver a dynamic, class-leading performance regardless of whether it’s being driven on fast roads, through a twisty mountain pass or on a racing circuit. At the same time, it remains true to the ease of use and practical packaging expected of a Civic. The new Type R combines a world-first application of

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Honda’s new VTEC Turbo engine with a sensuous sporting sound, to aggressive function-led styling and pioneering new chassis technologies. The result is a profound driving machine: a super hatch equally at home on the road as it is on the track, at the push of a button. Offered as a full-specification five-door model, the Civic Type R is set to catapult Honda back to the top of the two-wheel drive performance hatchback league. As part of a thoroughly rigorous and detailed development and testing programme, a preproduction development Honda Civic Type R achieved a lap time of 7 minutes 50,63 seconds around the legendary 20,8 km Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit, in Germany. This time is unmatched by any other front-wheel drive performance hatchback. The lap time was achieved during the final phase of pre-production testing, in May 2014, by a Civic Type R development car in a standard state of engine tune, with suspension, drivetrain, exhaust, brakes and the aerodynamic package identical to those of the production Civic Type R. The removal of equipment such as air conditioning, the front passenger seat and audio equipment offset the additional weight of a full roll cage (installed specifically for safety reasons, and not to add rigidity). The new Honda Type R is available in limited numbers through Honda Motor Southern Africa’s national dealer network. The retail price of R586 400 includes a five-year/ 200 000 km warranty and a five-year/ 90 000 km service plan, while a threeyear AA Roadside Assistance package is also included. Services are at 15 000 km intervals.

Constantly checking your blind spots will ensure that you are aware of all the cars around you, eliminating any nasty surprises. Photo QUICKPIC

ASHREF ISMAIL

THE thing with any defensive driving skills course in South Africa is the amount of resistance or lackadaisical attitude by drivers towards these driver enhancement programmes. In all the workshops that we conduct, nobody is willing to admit that they may not be entirely perfect drivers yet, with around 40 people losing their lives daily on our roads, the statistics obviously paint a different picture. It is not uncommon to find people tell you, quite upfront, that they’ve been driving for more than thirty or forty years incident free and what can we ‘teach them that they do not already know’. Admittedly, there might not be much but a refresher course is not inappropriate because if you have had such a clean, incident free driving record, complacency is bound to set in and you could be a crash waiting to happen. Or, as a colleague of mine would ask: you may not have been involved in a crash but how many people did you drive off the road? Sometimes it’s just the smallest, ‘trivial’, daily practices that cause serious crashes. Hands up those who think that talking on your mobile is ‘not such a big deal’. Then consider the number of people who actually text and drive. According to research done overseas, it has been proven that a person who texts and drives has a seven times greater chance of being involved in a crash – that is tantamount to driving while

being twice over the legal alcohol limit! If you look at this month’s topic, ‘Pre-trip inspections, posture and blind spots’, it will hardly raise an eyebrow because, I mean, why are we not talking about oversteer, loss of control or driving in adverse conditions? That’s coming but we need to deal with the basics first. Let’s talk about pre-trip inspections, something most of us last did when we went for our driving test. Those who obtained their licences before the K53 system may not even know what we’re talking about. This is not just for long-distance, holiday travel. Get into the habit of conducting a quick pretrip inspection, both for the exterior and interior, looking at critical issues, such as loose body panels, oil leaks, tyre pressures and, if you’re driving company pool vehicles, licence discs and the condition of the spare with its jack and spanners. With the help of someone, check to see that all electrical components – lights, indicators, wipers and the hooter – are in working condition. Internally, check that all interior warning lights go out when the vehicle is started and that there is sufficient fuel. No loose items should be lying in the footwell near the pedals. Ensure you and all your passengers are securely buckled up. While in the vehicle, ensure that, as the driver, your posture is correct – no leaning far back where other drivers can barely see your head.

Leaning too far forward is equally bad. What you need to do is adjust your seat so that your eye line is above the halfway mark of the windscreen. Your arms should be bent – a slight ‘V’ – and the position of your hands on the steering wheel should be ten-to-two. Your legs should form an ‘A’ at your knees, allowing for sufficient foot travel when braking hard or clutching. All very boring, right, but you will be shocked at what we find people do, and think that it’s not very serious. Fact is, it might not be serious in normal driving but everything takes on a desperate meaning when you’re caught in a hazardous situation and you suddenly find your hands crossing over, limiting your movements. Finally, let’s talk about blind spots: yes, those areas at least one metre away from the rear sides of a vehicle that are not covered by the interior or exterior rear-view mirrors, making for many potential misses, especially with regard to motorcyclists. Some truckers actually have a sticker that says, ‘If you can’t see me (in my mirror) then I can’t see you,’ which, I believe, is very apt. The best practice when changing lanes is to make a physical head check in the direction that you’re going to turn. In other words, if you are turning right, check your interior rear-view mirror, your right exterior rear-view mirror and make a quick physical head check over your right shoulder before signalling to the right.

Muslim Views . July 2016

The Indian with blood on his hands MAHMOOD SANGLAY

AN eminent foreign leader comes to visit you in your home. He offers an opportunity for closer bonds, kinship and economic ties with the land of your forefathers. The problem is he has the blood of innocents on his hands. Will you offer him your hospitality? Narendra Modi is this man. The blood on his hands is that of his own people. Topping the list of his crimes is the Gujarat massacre of 2002 in which over 2 000 Muslims were reported to have been killed by Hindus, aided by the Gujarat police. Congress member of the Indian parliament and political rival of Modi, Ehsan Jafri, who sheltered scores seeking refuge from the mob, was hacked to death, and 69 refugees were murdered. Allegations of Modi’s role in ordering the police to do nothing were refuted by a controversial judicial inquiry finding in 2012. The popular narrative and anecdotal evidence insist that the truth has not been told. Arundhati Roy, Indian writer and human rights activist, and a bold critic of the Indian government, scathes in her description of Modi. She demonstrates how Modi’s success as politician is built on serving corporate interests at the expense of the poor in India. She also roundly exposes him as a former member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a movement of Hindu fascists who viewed Hitler’s programme of exterminating Jews as one worthy of emulation. This movement is candidly racist and says it was an ‘evil day’ that Muslims first set foot in Hindustan. Ironically, as Hindu supremacist and admirer of Nazism, Modi found an alliance with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu. The two, each a genius of engineering atrocities, have, since IndoIsraeli relations were normalised in 1992, built closer ties to serve mutual interests.

This image of Modi greeting Ahmed Kathrada on July 9 appears on Modi’s Twitter page with the caption, ‘Dr Ahmed Kathrada is a hero and a great source of inspiration. So delighted to meet him. Photo NARENDRA MODI TWITTER PAGE

As Modi wooed South Africans, his troops killed 36 and wounded 1 500 Kashmiris protesting against Indian occupation of their territory. Roy’s exposition of Modi’s crimes and the Indian government’s onslaught against its own people is copious. It’s possible to enumerate a litany of human rights abuses by Modi but let’s mention one last noteworthy misdemeanour: his assault on civil society organisations, namely, the Lawyer’s Collective in India. Modi suspended foreign funding for this organisation that advocates civil liberties in India. This includes human rights, women’s rights, the rights of people living with HIV and that of the most vulnerable and marginalised people. At least 29 leading South African civil society organisations wrote an open letter to Modi demanding that he lift the suspension. These include the Centre for

Applied Legal Studies, Corruption Watch, the Human Rights Institute of South Africa, Lawyers for Human Rights, the Legal Resources Centre and the Treatment Action Campaign. The conflicted ones So it appears that civil society did speak out against Modi? Not quite. The open letter is a poor barometer for public dissent in this case. Sadly, South Africans, particularly those of Indian descent, generally extended him a rapturous welcome. Let’s return to our question in the opening paragraph. Will you offer him your hospitality? For independent civil society, which regards the protection of human rights as paramount, the answer is a resounding ‘no’. One cannot assume that those who welcomed him were all apolitical devotees fawning over drivel

like the lovely kurtas he dons with not-just-a-touch of vanity. Something else is afoot. Interests, both political and corporate, evidently play an important role. The welcoming committee for Modi in South Africa consisted of Akhtar Thokan, Raman Dhawan, Sayed Mia and Mukesh Patel. The latter is a spiritual leader but the rest represent business interests. Presumably, if they were interrogated on how they justified their presence on this committee, given the human rights record of Modi, they may well cite their business interests in their defence. Doing business with India and collaborating with the office of the Prime Minister in the process does not mean one endorses the conduct of Modi the politician. After all, the use of political office for trade is standard practice, even between enemies. Thokan plays a leading role in organisations like Awqaf SA, the South African Hajj and Umrah Council, the Islamic Council of South Africa and the Masjidul Islam committee in Brixton. He declined to comment when approached by Muslim Views so his response is left to the imagination. Muslim Views also attempted to interview Ismail Vadi, the Gauteng MEC for Transport, but there was no reply. Vadi published an article in his personal capacity in the City Press openly criticising Modi yet, in his capacity as a local political leader, he also played a role in welcoming the Indian prime minister. Again, the presumption is that having political differences does not mean one dispenses with the protocols of official reception and its attendant ceremonies. This is a particularly convenient argument to make for a career politician. Vadi is expected to act strategically and with political expediency, even with a veneer of pragmatism.

The case of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation is interesting. Modi formally met Kathrada and then proceeded to post the image of this meeting on his Twitter page. Kathrada’s foundation diligently responds to relevant human rights issues. It is an NGO and need not observe the protocols and formalities expected from state institutions. When asked why the foundation has recognised Modi and had not issued a statement on Modi’s poor human rights record, its communication officer said that the foundation does not issue statements on ‘all issues of human rights internationally’. Even if, as in the case of Modi, the legacies of Mandela and Gandhi are appropriated? Apparently, the foundation opted to accommodate instead of speaking truth to power. Gandhi’s legacy as human rights activist, nevertheless, is now a contested one, both in India and in South Africa. In India, Gandhi’s efforts to undermine the Dalit’s liberation struggle against the caste system, a struggle championed by his contemporary, B R Ambedkar, are brought to light in the writings of Roy. In South Africa, Gandhi’s reputation as an anti-apartheid activist are debunked by the scholars Ashwin Desai and Goolam Vahed who uncover a decidedly racist figure, dedicated to parochial Indian interests as opposed to a broader human rights agenda. Would it have been embarrassing to confront Modi with this bit of historical detail? Probably. But that is speaking truth to power. It is most uncomfortable to speak this truth encumbered by corporate and political interests. Ask Thokan and Vadi. Edward Said, in his Representations of the Intellectual, declares that the intellectual who speaks truth to power ‘always stands between loneliness and alignment’.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Moulana Hendricks calls for greater commitment to the country RAASHIED GALANT

IN one of his first public engagements since completing his term as president of the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), Moulana Ihsaan Hendricks warned against South African Muslims being too internally concentrated with themselves. His warning comes in the context of growing global and local suspicions about the peaceful intent of Muslims, amid a Ramadaan that was marked by horrific acts of mass murder committed by Muslims. Moulana Hendricks was delivering the keynote address at the Annual General Meeting of Claremont Main Road Mosque at the Sports Science Institute, in Newlands, on Sunday, June 19. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;If we are not going to aggressively develop the discourse of what I call the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Fiqh of Citizenshipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; then the future is going to be very bleak for Muslims in this country,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Hendricks warned. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The problem is, the Muslims in this country mostly are internally concentrated. Very few translate into the broader South African society.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Moulana Hendricks served as president of the MJC for ten years, and as deputy president for seven years prior to that, and is thus intimately connected with the landscape of Muslims in the country. He noted that while the inter-faith movement in the country was institutionalised in many ways, it remains an important area we must work on. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We must bear in mind that many of us were born into homes where inter-faith was, in fact, the principle of the day. This is, in fact, the most important area for

Moulana Ihsaan Hendricks, former president of the MJC, emphasising the need for active citizenship at the annual general meeting of Claremont Main Road Mosque, on Sunday, June 19. Photo RIDWAN WAGIET

us in shaping Fiqh al-Muwattana, the Fiqh of Citizenship: we must maintain peaceful co-existence with other religious communities in South Africa. More than 50 per cent of the Muslim community trace their origins back to Christ-

ian families.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Reflecting on his own family, he noted that his father embraced Islam at the age of 12, and his mother, who came from Worcester, embraced Islam when she married his father.

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we are faced with as the Muslim community. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Is democracy in conflict with Islam? So many of us get lost when it comes to that particularly area.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Moulana Hendricksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final advice was for a very strategic positive positioning of the Muslim community in South Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Whether our forefathers came from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Malaysia, we are South Africans. We are living here. We want to see this country prosper. We want to contribute to this country. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The allegiance to political parties is not the beginning of the Fiqh of Citizenship. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In fact, we can be citizens without having an allegiance to a political party. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Muslim citizen is governed by the definition of that given by the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him). The highest form is that of the kalima, Laa illaaha ilallah. And the lowest form of this definition is: if you see any harmful object in the street, remove it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just to protect another Muslim but to protect another human being. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Fiqh of Citizenship is not just a book we want to sell. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just another Ph.D we want to write. It should be the moving caravan that the Muslims must begin to prioritise in showing our allegiance and commitment to this country.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Moulana Ihsaan Hendricks is a graduate of Darul Uloom Newcastle and Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, in Lucknow, India. He remains an ex-officio member of the MJC and is currently also Director of Al-Quds South Africa Foundation.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I asked my father on many occasions what book did Daddy read to impress you with Islam. He said it was the early Muslims. I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to read a book. I read the character of the early Muslims. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;My late grandfather was the founder of the Protestant Church in Worcester. His name is still written there. When my grandmother passed away, all the priests decided that her grandson was an imam and he should lead the funeral. I led the funeral and I took to the pulpit. And for that, I was almost persecuted by the [Muslim] people in Worcester. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A very sharp observation for me is when we started Ramadaan, even the president of the country congratulated the Muslims for Ramadaan. The NGOs, the businesses, everybody congratulated Muslims for Ramadaan. However, you see down the line, when it is Christmas, the Muslims take out fatwas against [congratulating] the Christian community. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;This is the self-destruction that we are creating in this country, and we are going to pay the price.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Turning his gaze to the leaders in the community, he urged the need for on-going education and re-education. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I challenge many of the imams and moulanas that have been trained today: you have to re-read what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been taught because what you read for six years, you read it wrong. Or the curriculum training that you received for six years has clouded your mind. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;So we need good educationists [in our community] to help us develop areas of education so that our institutions become relevant to the contemporary challenges

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Insurance: preservation of wealth In this two-part article, BASHEER MOOSAGIE discusses conventional insurance and takaful. The first article lays the basic foundation of the two concepts. The second article will discuss the prohibition of conventional insurance and describe the mechanics of takaful.

IN some form or another, many of us are familiar with insurance cover. Whether it is property, medical or life cover, insurance plays a pivotal role in the preservation of wealth. While many of us own insurance, we are unfamiliar with how it works. Insurance is a risk transfer mechanism in which the cost of a potential loss is transferred to another entity in exchange for a payment, known as the premium. Hence, insurance is a type of contract between an insurance company and its client in which the company agrees that when a loss is incurred, the company will either make payment to its client or cover certain costs. In essence, insurance works by pooling risk. Pooling risk simply means that a group of people who wants to insure against a particular loss pay their premiums into a common place, known as the insurance pool. Because the number of insured individuals is large, insurance companies use statistical analysis to project what their actual losses may be. By applying the outcomes of the analysis, insurance companies

Scholars agree that insurance in Islam can be made permissible should it be based on principles of mutuality and co-operation, encompassing the elements of shared responsibility, joint indemnity and solidarity. Basheer Moosagie is a business development analyst. He obtained his MBA from University of Stellenbosch (US), where he focused his studies around Islamic finance. He also completed a two-year programme in Arabic and Islamic Studies at Islamic University of Madinah. Photo SUPPLIED

know that not all insured individuals will suffer losses at the same time or at all. This allows the insurance companies to operate profitably and, at the same time, pay for claims that arise. For instance, most people have motor vehicle insurance but only a few are actually involved in accidents.

Shariah compliance Scholars understand that insurance acts as an important facet of the business environment, and it

plays a vital role in the economy. In some cases, citizens are required, by law, to invest in insurance to safeguard their assets. Many jurisdictions make owning motor vehicle insurance a precondition for owning a driver’s licence, and subscribing to medical insurance a precondition for employing others. Financiers will often not provide credit unless the property being used as collateral for the loan is insured against loss. However, the question of conventional insurance is of concern among shariah scholars. For some time, conventional insurance was considered to be incompatible with the shariah that prohibits uncertainty in dealings and investment in interest-bearing assets; both are inherent factors in

conventional insurance. In principle, insurance is the sale of uncertainty itself. This is the strongest reason for its prohibition since insurance is, effectively, the sale of a product that shariah does not recognise as saleable.

Takaful Takaful is commonly referred to as Islamic insurance because of the similarity between the contract of kafalah and that of insurance. The Arabic word ‘takaful’ originates from the root word ‘kafalah’, which means ‘guaranteeing each other’ or ‘joint guarantee’. Takaful originated within Arab tribes as a shared liability that obliged those who committed offences against members of a different tribe to pay compensation

to the victims or their heirs. This principle later extended to different walks of life, including sea trade, in which participants contributed to a fund to cover losses on sea voyages. Scholars agree that insurance in Islam can be made permissible should it be based on principles of mutuality and co-operation, encompassing the elements of shared responsibility, joint indemnity and solidarity. Consequently, takaful complies with the shariah and has been approved by scholars. There are now general, health and life takaful options available for the Muslim communities. In the following edition: The prohibition of conventional insurance and the mechanics of takaful.

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Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Dlamini-Zuma a failure as head of African Union CHIDI ANSELM ODINKALU

WHETHER it was the Ebola outbreak, drowning of African refugees in the Mediterranean, famines, the return of the god-president, the International Criminal Court or popular uprisings by young people demanding revolutionary change, the out-going chairperson of the African Union Commission failed Africa. In April 2016, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma announced that she had decided to return to South Africa rather than run for a second term as the chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU). For close observers, this did not really come as a surprise as she appeared to spend less time on the institution than she did navigating the entrails of South Africa’s politics. Ahead of her announcement, Mail and Guardian reported, on March 29, that Dlamini-Zuma was ‘likely to return to South Africa to run for a top ANC leadership position, possibly for president to succeed her ex-husband, President Jacob Zuma’. Dlamini-Zuma is a leading member of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress (ANC) and was for 16 years spouse of the incumbent president. With the election of her successor at the 27th AU Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, earlier this month, it is appropriate to look back at her tenure so that the institution avoids the kind of errors that made it such a lamentable misadventure. It did not have to be so. A trained paediatrician, Dr Dlami-

On each and all of these challenges, Dr Dlamini-Zuma was out to lunch or blissfully missing in action. Take South Sudan, for instance. Under the watch of Dr Dlamini-Zuma, South Sudan descended into fratricide... ni-Zuma arrived at the AU on the back of a stellar public service and political career in South Africa where she served four successive presidents, including Nelson Mandela, as minister responsible for health, foreign affairs, and home affairs. When she arrived in Addis Ababa to assume office as the Chairperson of the AU Commission, in October 2012, many believed that Dlamini-Zuma would usher in a brave new era in the history of the institution. She boasted many firsts: the first woman to head the AU; the first head of the AU from southern Africa and the first head of the AU with liberation credentials. In the end, she will be remembered for another first: the first head of the AU to leave as an utter failure. On June 9, 2016, Le Monde Afrique ran an article asking, in effect: ‘How Did Mrs Zuma Mess Up (the AU)?’ asserting that her tenure was characterised by a lack of vision and silence that ‘accelerated the decline of the AU’. When Dlamini-Zuma began her tenure in 2012, the AU confronted significant challenges in the spheres of peace, security and governance in Africa, as well as institutional reform and social affairs. Like TS Eliot’s Macavity, she looked ‘outwardly respectable’. Like Macavity also, she was just ‘not there’.

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Muslim Views

As she arrived, South Sudan was wrestling with a transition to stable independence that threatened to get quite bloody. On the governance front, accountable government in Africa confronted growing authoritarianism, with far reaching implications for peace and security in many parts of the continent. Accountability for grave crimes by Africa’s leaders faced frustration in Kenya and Sudan. Institutionally, many countries were in arrears of their dues, and the AU was increasingly dependent on foreign governments and donors for its running. During her tenure, Africa confronted multiple social challenges: Ebola in West Africa; yellow fever in parts of Southern Africa; climate change and food security around the Sahel and Horn of Africa, as well as an international migration crisis. On each and all of these challenges, Dlamini-Zuma was out to lunch or blissfully missing in action. Take South Sudan, for instance. Under the watch of Dlamini-Zuma, South Sudan descended into fratricide. Following a lead provided by anyone but her, the AU constituted a Commission of Inquiry chaired by Nigeria’s former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, which reported in early 2015, recommending a mix of measures, including judicial accountability. Thereafter, the report went cold. Under her watch, the rela-

tionship of the AU and the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose prosecutor is another daughter of Africa – Gambia’s Fatou Bensouda – collapsed. At the summit that elected her as chair of the AU Commission in 2012, a High Level Panel on alternative funding for the AU, again chaired by former President Obasanjo, had reported that ‘the current system of statutory contributions, which had been in place since the OAU days, has been deemed to no longer be adequate to meet the growing financing needs of the Union due to greater operational requirements and increased scope of activities’. As she leaves, this report decorates the shelves of DlaminiZuma’s $200 million AU palace. Her lasting legacy is that civil society will be excluded from the AU summit that elects her successor. Under the watch of DlaminiZuma, the continent was allowed to squander the energies released by popular uprisings against authoritarianism. When Egypt’s army set upon young people whose only crime was to dare to dream and organise for a country in freedom in 2013, DlaminiZuma lost her voice. Her dereliction on governance now threatens the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the desire of the incumbent president for god-presidency meets a country unwilling to accept man as god.

It was in social affairs, however, that the extent of Dr DlaminiZuma’s dereliction would confound even her few most ardent admirers. As a trained medical professional, many credited her with the qualifications to care when Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) came calling, in February 2014. While EVD held sway in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, Dr Dlamini-Zuma avoided those countries. By contrast, Dr Donald Kaberuka, her counterpart at the African Development Bank (AfDB), took to the road to visit the affected countries, raise resources and compel the world to act. While Dr Kaberuka showed his mettle in this most difficult of situations, Dlamini-Zuma was missing, conspicuously. Under Dlamini-Zuma’s watch, thousands of Africans drowned crossing the Mediterranean into Europe. Many more Africans have been slaughtered by the extremist violence of Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). To their murder, DlaminiZuma offered neither compassion nor counterpoise. Under her, the African life could well be worthless. As Dr Dlamini-Zuma slinks back to the deepening sleaze that threatens to unravel her march to the prize in South Africa that she treasures above the lives of ordinary Africans, many will be forgiven for screaming: Good riddance, Mrs Dlamini-Zuma! This article by Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Former Chair, National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria, was first published on www.pambazuka.org

Muslim Views . July 2016

‘Dare to be different’: keynote speech at CPUT Autumn graduation 2016 In the keynote address at the Autumn 2016 Graduation Ceremony of Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT), the Education Secretary of the Hospital Welfare and Muslim Educational Movement, NAZEER KHALFE, challenged the tradition of speeches at such occasions by departing from the strictly academic – departing both in style, by relying on the participation of the graduands, and in content by using lyrics from rock musicians of the 1960s and 1970s. The following is an edited version of his speech, which he appropriately titled, ‘Dare to be different’. I AM nervous, excited and apprehensive all at the same time, not because I am standing in front of such a distinguished audience, like James Bond 007 – for your eyes only – but because it is my first graduation ceremony that I am attending. Even though I graduated from University of Durban Westville several decades ago, it is only now that I know what it means and feels like to wear this robe and have your degree conferred upon you formally. During the apartheid era, students boycotted graduation ceremonies at what were then known as ‘bush’ colleges – we were more used to being roped in by the security branch than being enrobed by the universities. I now know how you must be feeling today – the nervousness, the exhilaration, the realisation that your years of hard work and your personal sacrifice and that of your parents are over and that your efforts will formally be recognised and rewarded at this very memorable occasion. The graduation speech I am about to deliver is going to be unlike any other ever delivered. It’s going to be punctuated with four-letter words and it’s going to be interactive. This means I will expect a response from you from time to time. I know you love interaction because you are forever on your mobile phones, tablets and computers communicating with others via SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. Early in my career, I developed computer programmes for clients of my company and it was the norm to place explanatory notes throughout the programme to help a reader understand complex instruction sets. This being a complex task, I decided to put in additional comments to make the programme easier to understand. Soon after, complaints from my clients started pouring in; they found the comments, would you believe it, insulting. So I was asked by higher authorities to remove them. And, with this, creativity died. Ironically, I remember the Thinking Skills programme I was

sent on by the same company, at the very beginning of which we were given a three-minute exercise to find as many uses for a safety pin as we could. We wrote down the first use very quickly but for the remainder of the three minutes we just sat staring at our books. Deep into the programme, we were given the same exercise and, this time, three minutes was just not enough. Uses we found varied from pinning pages together, to stitching a tear in a parachute, to securing your pants to prevent it from falling down because the belt was broken. The boundaries around our minds were being systematically broken down by the presenter as we went deep into the programme, which made us begin to think outside our boundaries and out of the box. We are all nervous and tense today, and one of the best ways to neutralise any nervousness and tension, I am sure you will agree, is to rock and roll. So, I am going to make you rock and roll. Ever since I was contacted by the university to be the guest speaker, I pondered on what to say in my speech to such a large, highly intelligent group of individuals. Shall I make it academic? Of course, it must be academic, it’s the norm; it has to be appealing and soothing to the intellect, so everyone tells me. So I began to write my speech referencing the dictionary for impressive words, and searching the internet for inspirational quotes from world renowned personalities to tantalise your intellect. But then I remembered a graduation speech delivered by a world famous personality and an idea came to mind. I decided, to heck with the norm, to heck with appealing to the intellect, to heck with conformity. This legendary personality introduced himself as ‘B O N O, Bono, I am a four letter word and I am a rock star, lead singer of the rock group, U2’. How many of you like rock music: Santana, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd? I know that the Chancellor, Dr Trevor Manuel, with whom my brother and I shared our secondary school years and know his dark secrets, loves rock music. One of his favourite bands was

Pink Floyd and his favourite album was ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ – one of his darker secrets. From the lack of response it seems that you don’t like rock music. Yet, a few months ago, you, excitedly, with your adrenaline flowing, your fists pumping the air, rocked and rolled through the streets of Cape Town and, at the top of your voices, rhythmically sang, ‘The fees must fall! The fees must fall!’ You sang so loudly that it nearly burst the ears of the nation and rocked the universities and government to their very core. When you view a recording of the protest marches and you analyse your involvement in them, you begin to ask yourself the question, ‘Is that really me?’ And you quietly say to yourself, ‘I didn’t know that I had the energy to parade up and down the streets of Cape Town for several hours a day, for days on end, so animatedly and tirelessly, and the courage to voice my views, my principles, my objections so vociferously, so forcefully at the establishment.’ When you analyse your performance even further, you begin to realise that it had all the elements of a rock star performance; and so begins your journey of self-discovery – an analytical scientist demonstrating the characteristics of a rock star. It finally dawns on you that you have the potential to become whatever you want to be; that you have the potential to generate extraordinary ideas and fulfil big dreams. As I look into your eyes, I see the promise of an African spring – the plains awaiting the first rains to burst into bloom. I sense the abundant potential of an African summer – fertile, with hopes and dreams straining to challenge the realities of life in South Africa. And this degree that will be conferred upon you today is the stepping stone to becoming whatever you want to be, the stepping stone to rising up to the many challenges that await you. You must be asking yourself why it is that we like rock music? The music is awful, you would say. The music appealed to us because the lyrics were relevant to the social problems and political

challenges that many countries of the world, including South Africa, were and are still confronted with today. Surely, you must have heard of Pink Floyd and their song ‘The Wall’. The song was sung throughout schools in the Western Cape during the1980s uprisings, which was orchestrated by the UDF, in which our chancellor played a pivotal role. The lyrics of the song go something like this and I want you to sing along with me: ‘I don’t need no education; I don’t need no thought control; All in all, I’m just another brick in the wall. All in all, I’m just another brick in the wall.’ We are shocked. Are you telling us that when you leave this establishment and enter the real world – the world of concrete structures – that you will, without thought, just become another brick in one of those structures? And I always thought university education is about learning how to think, learning how to exercise some degree of control over your thoughts so you can choose what to pay attention to and what to ignore in life. Our thoughts affect our realities, and the ability to choose how you ‘construct meaning from experience’ will determine the lens through which you view life and the world, and how you respond to those realities in return. Which lens will you be looking through at life? Is it the lens that makes you see a wellpaid job waiting for you and financial security for you and your family, to the total exclusion of others; a lens that makes you only see shiny objects, flashy clothes and fast cars; a lens which sees you work harder to buy even more expensive shiny objects? Is this the lens through which you want to view life? In a recent keynote address, a religious leader in the US asked the audience – and I am going to ask you as well – to ‘attune your inner ears and adjust your inner vision and reach out with your hearts, with your inner feelings, and to see and hear and feel the suffering and the desolation that prevails in modern societies. ‘Do you not see the vast human suffering resulting from the manipulation of societal forces and temporal power? Do you not hear Mother Earth’s cries as she breathes with lungs crowded with pollution, and nurses her ozone layer wounds? ‘Can you feel her anguish as her flora and fauna are ravished by the unscrupulous? No, some might say. I see nothing, I feel nothing and I hear nothing. I cannot hear the voice of the man, woman or child lying right next

to me in society, in agony. So how could I possibly hear the earth?’ Dear graduands, it is through this lens that you must view South Africa and Mother Earth, and respond to the enormous challenges accordingly for the world is out of shape; South Africa is out of shape. The widening gap between the haves and the have-nots; the high cost of education; the BEE initiative which benefits a very select few rather than the common man; the granting of mineral and mining rights to foreign conglomerates who exploit the resources and, in the process, damage the ecosystem; the high rate of unemployment; wholesale corruption in all strata of society. All of these elements make South Africa out of shape. Routine solutions to these common problems have not worked. What is needed is the development of innovative, extraordinary, radical ideas and solutions. Extraordinary ideas will require creative and out of the box thinking, the implementation of which will require courage, conviction and perseverance. Fortunately, South Africa is malleable and waiting for all of you who have been well groomed by the university to take up leadership roles, to bend and twist it into a shape that is both appealing and beneficial to all its citizens. Professor Woodrow Wilson, 28th president of the USA once said at a graduation speech that ‘every man sent out from a university should be a man of his nation as well as a man of his time’. I am confident that the men and women who carry the honour of graduating from this institution will give from their lives, from their talents, a high measure of community support. Let it be of such a high measure that, at the end of your life, you would not have a single bit of talent left, and, when you stand before Almighty God on the Day of Judgment, you can honestly and without any fear, say to Him: ‘O God! I used everything you gave me for the benefit of mankind, if only You had given me more to give.’ It is in this spirit that you must enter and live your life for this will be your stairway to heaven. I will now leave you, dear graduands, with two things: ‘The stairway to Heaven’, the title of a song by the rock group Led Zeppelin, the opening verse of which refers to an enormously wealthy woman living a completely materialistic life, who wanted to buy her stairway to heaven, and I will leave you with, the ‘Dare to be Different’.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Challenges refugees face in South Africa Every year, on June 20, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a United Nations Refugee Agency, and various civic organisations around the world, host World Refugee Day. This is done in order to draw the public’s attention to the millions of refugees and internally displaced persons worldwide who have been forced to flee their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. In this special feature, Muslim Refugee Association of South Africa (MRASA), and Muslim Views, in partnership with the United Nations Refugee Agency, highlights some of the challenges refugees and asylum seekers face in South Africa. VICTORIA SMITH and NURUDEAN SSEMPA

THE movement of refugees in search of asylum in Africa accounts for a sizable proportion of migration in Africa. Since the onset of democracy in 1994, South Africa has attracted many refugees and asylum seekers from countries like Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Burundi and Ethiopia, fleeing their homes due to war, conflict and persecution. According to Patrick Kawuma, the head of UNHCR Cape Town field office, until recently, refugees are people fleeing conflict or persecution. ‘They are defined and protected in international law, and must not be expelled or returned to situations where their life and freedom are at risk,’ points out Kawuma, now based in Kigali, Rwanda. But, also, South Africa attracts many skilled professionals from across the continent as well as environmental and socio-eco-

Right to left: MRASA Director, Ramadhan Wagogo, United Nations Refugee Agency Cape Town field officer, Vanessa Coulson, and United States student, Photo NURUDEAN SSEMPA Victoria Smith doing internship at MRASA.

nomic migrants. ‘Theoretically, South Africa has very progressive policies when it comes to refugees and asylum seekers,’ says Fatima Khan, the University of Cape Town refugee unit director and a refugee lawyer. The Refugees Act of 1998, implemented in 2000, provides extensive basic rights to refugees much the same as afforded to South Africans in terms of its Bill of Rights (except for those citizenships rights such as voting and standing for political office). Furthermore, South Africa is one of a few African states that allow refugees and asylum seekers

to move freely throughout the country. In fact, there are no refugee camps in South Africa. As soon as asylum seekers apply for asylum, they are allowed to seek employment and access housing. They are also granted rights to primary and emergency health care and basic education, the same as is afforded South Africans citizens. ‘However, refugees face huge obstacles when they attempt to convert their legal rights into effective protection,’ points out Khan. According to her, there are three aspects that hamper the integration of refugees into South

According to Ramadhan WagAfrican society. Firstly, the South African gov- ogo, MRASA director, refugees ernment has failed to properly face a number of problems when they come to South Africa. implement the Refugees Act. These include lack of jobs Secondly, even though refugees are granted these rights, most because many lack employable skills, language government serbarriers and vices are unaware unnecessary of the rights of ...even delays to process refugees or are just their migration simply dismissive though refugees documentation. thereof. Thirdly, ‘It can take up the South African are granted to seven years for population’s xenoa family to sucphobic attitude to these rights, ceed in being refugees is a major say obstacle to most government resettled from South refugees’ integraAfrica to USA, tion into society. services are Canada or Aus‘Xenophobia in unaware of the tralia,’ Vanessa South Africa maniCoulson of fests itself in varirights of refugees UNHCR Cape ous ways, from Town field office exploitation of or are just simply concurs. refugees in *South Africa’s employment and dismissive current number housing matters to of registered the subtle and notthereof... refugees is less so subtle social than 100 000. exclusion of But the number refugees from engaging meaningfully within of pending asylum seekers is over their communities, to outright a million, according to a recent violent attacks on refugees.’ Khan United Nations Refugee Agency report. concludes.

Syrian refugee family thanks US governor who stood up to anti-refugee bigotry NURUDEAN SSEMPA

A SYRIAN refugee family of three – a mother, husband and five-year-old boy – has thanked the United States governor of the state of Connecticut, Governor Dannel Malloy, who allowed them to settle in the city of New Haven. The governor of the state of Indiana had turned down the request of the family who was fleeing conflict in Syria to settle there. Terrorist attacks in the USA, Europe and elsewhere have inflamed public fears of terrorism in the US and sparked a wave of anti-refugee and anti-Muslim proposals by local, state and national politicians. Over half of US governors, leading presidential candidates and countless others across the United States voice support for a ban on Syrian refugees from entering the country. However, GoverMuslim Views

nor Dannel Malloy took a stand against this hateful and xenophobic rhetoric. Fatima narrated her journey at a function organised by the John F Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to recognise Governor Dannel Malloy’s courageous action. Below is Fatima’s speech. Assalaamu alaikum, may peace be with you all. I am Fatima and I am here with my husband, Abdallah, and our son, Ayam. On November 17, 2015, we came to America as a Syrian refugee family. We were full of life and energy and hope for change and for a bright future but, unfortunately, as we were entering America, our hopes and dreams were let down. We were told that the governor of the state where our journey was supposed to end refused to accept us. Actually, he was one of thirty governors that rejected Syrian refugees. But, suddenly, in the

middle of darkness, there was a light, a person who was generous in spirit and who was good, who accepted us. A true humanitarian came out and said, ‘I will accept this family in my state.’ Not only this, he was one of the first people to welcome us personally in our home the day we arrived. He treated us with dignity. Though I know that the world has bad people, his action reminded me that the world has good people, too. They are brave, they respect and protect human rights. So now I want to thank him on behalf of me and my family and all of those in the world who have felt weakness. Thank you Governor Malloy for allowing my family to start a new life in America. Your position is brave, especially now in American politics. There are those like you who accept and welcome us but also there are those who

don’t, and I have met those, too. Those are people who have wrong beliefs about Arabs and Muslims. I tell them that those Muslims you see behaving in ways that are inhuman are not bad Muslims. They are not Muslim at all. What they have taken from Islam is a mosque to hide their real eyes behind. But even though there are those who don’t understand us, I promise Governor Malloy I will live up to the trust he put in me and my family. I promise to be an ideal American family. We are learning English, my husband is looking for work, and my son is going to continue his education. This country is our future, we love this country, and we will defend it and work to improve it. And of course, all of this is possible due to Iris, the organisation that resettled us. Iris gave us love, security and care, and became a family to us. We refugees are good

people whose morals and religion command them towards good. We would never hurt anyone. Iris provides us with support after we can no longer live in our home countries. All of us refugees are running from war, hoping to find security and freedom here in America. I hope that the whole world learns from what is happening in Syria. I hope they learn to love each other and to respect each other’s rights. Connecticut residents can raise their heads high because they have a leader who does that. I hope other leaders and people everywhere will follow his lead. In that spirit, I hope that we use this time today to think about those dying in Aleppo (Syria). Those who can’t be here like me and my family. And to call on our leaders to work on this crisis with the humanity other than only politics. Thank you.

Muslim Views . July 2016

Muslim Views ‘Refugee’ article MRASA reaches out to disabled children with support from Al Baraka Bank moves Kenilworth resident to VICTORIA SMITH

MUSLIM Refugee Association of South Africa (MRASA) has reached out to disabled children of refugee and asylum seeker families with winter warmth packages, including 50 blankets, leg warmer stocks, winter gloves and beanies. According to MRASA Director, Ramadhan Wagogo, this is part of the R46 000 winter package donated to MRASA by Al Baraka Bank, to cater for refugees and asylum seekers, to whom the organisation provides services in Western Cape. ‘We thank Al Baraka Bank Corporate Social Responsibility Committee for supporting the disadvantaged, particularly the refugees,’ said Wagogo from the Athlone-based community organisation. ‘We are humbled by such rare commitment,’ he added. While receiving the winter warmth items, Willson Tasusarira, the Project Manager on behalf of People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (Passop), was at a loss for words as a result of the kind offer from Al Baraka Bank. He pointed out that they provide free care, counselling, tutoring and mentoring to the disabled children from refugee and asylum seeker families. ‘But it is a challenge to get support,’ he lamented. Branch Manager of Al Baraka Bank Limited, Athlone, Adeeb Abrahams, who was present during the handover, pointed out that Al Baraka Bank, being an Islamic bank, needs to think of people with dignity no matter where they

support a refugee mother

Willson Tasusarira (right), project manager on behalf of People Against Suffering Oppression and Poverty (Passop) received winter items donated to disabled children from refugee families. These included fifty winter blankets, leg-warmer stocks, winter gloves and beanies. In the middle is Adeeb Abrahams, Branch Manager of Albaraka Bank Limited, Athlone, with MRASA Director, Ramadhan Wagogo, left. Photo NURUDEAN SSEMPA

come from. ‘Being displaced from where they come, it’s up to us as citizens to make them feel welcomed,’ explained Abrahams. He continued, ‘In a small way, we can make a contribution to make them feel that there are people out there who care.’ Al Baraka Bank’s connection with refugee organisations to help those in need is a starting point for others to do the same. Abrahams also mentioned that caring for others is a core fundamental value of Al Baraka Bank, and

humility grows from having relationships with refugee organisations. He indicated that other branches of the bank are beginning to also create winter care packages, and that the programme is becoming national. According to Ramadhan Wagogo, other winter items received from Al Baraka Bank were distributed to refugees in different townships, like Philippi, Parow and Maitland, where MRASA extends its services.

Mama Hawa at her home in Bellville. On the left is Rushdea Rahim who read the May 2016 issue of Muslim Views and was moved to do something about Mama Photo NURUDEAN SSEMPA Hawa’s situation.

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THE article in the May edition of Muslim Views has moved community members to come out to support Hawa Muhammed Omar, popularly known as Mama Hawa, a refugee mother from Somalia. Rushdea Rahim, a resident of Kenilworth, is one of them. ‘I was touched by the story and I decided that I should make some contribution, however humble it would be,’ said Rahim, a freelance tourist guide. In the story, Mama Hawa narrated how she struggles to make ends meet by selling tea to support her family in Bellville, using

her improvised trolley to carry the flasks. ‘I feel very blessed that in the month of Ramadaan, I was able to make a sacrifice for people who are less fortunate than myself …to meet Mama Hawa was fulfilling,’ said Rahim. ‘I also had the opportunity to see what MRASA, its volunteers and interns are doing,’ the former teacher further elaborated on her trip to Bellville, where Mama Hawa stays. For her part, Mama Hawa, through an interpreter, thanked the people who gave her food items, clothes and other items on reading her story in Muslim Views.

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Muslim Views . July 2016

The rights of forced migrants in Islam This is an excerpt from the introduction of a research paper, ‘The rights of forced migrants in Islam’, by SADIA NAJMA KIDWAI, from the Islamic Relief Worldwide office in Birmingham, England.

FORCED migration has been a core element of the human experience throughout history. The Islamic tradition is rich with stories of forced migration and teachings on the importance of providing protection for those seeking refuge. Migration and escape from persecution has played a prominent role in the stories of many of Islam’s great prophets, such as Prophet Ibrahim’s (AS) migration to Canaan (Quran 29:26) or Prophet Musa’s (AS) migration to Midian (Quran 28:20-28). Forced migration played a particular role in the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his first companions. In 615 AD, approximately 100 early Muslims sought refuge with the Christian King Negus of Abyssinia to escape the brutal persecution of the ruling Quraish tribe, in Makkah. This was followed by a larger migration to Madinah, in 622 AD, which Prophet Muhammad (SAW) joined. Quranic narrations of these stories highlight the high status of both those who seek refuge from persecution and those who provide refuge. The International Association for the Study of Forced Migration defines forced migration as ‘… a general term that refers to the movements of refugees and inter-

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has pointed to Islam’s ‘highly sophisticated tradition’ with its ‘fundamental humanitarian spirit’ in relation to its treatment of refugees and migrants. The writer argues that this tradition and spirit has eroded to such an extent in modern Muslim society that it cannot provide adequate care for the millions displaced from Muslim countries. Photo ISLAMIC RELIEF

nally displaced people (those displaced by conflicts) as well as people displaced by natural or environmental disasters, chemical or nuclear disasters, famine or development projects’. While there exists no exact linguistic equivalent of the term ‘forced migrant’ within Islamic legal traditions, the term hijrah (migration) and its derivatives are mentioned 27 times in the Quran. There are a further 650 ahadith on the topic of protection and assistance.

The centrality of migration to the Islamic tradition is perhaps best evidenced by the Islamic calendar system for it is not with the Prophet’s birth that the Islamic calendar starts or with the commencement of revelation, nor even the conquest of Makkah but, rather, with the hijrah of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his Companions to Madinah. Religious scholars and leading international bodies alike recognise the leading role that Islamic teachings can play in internation-

al forced migrant protection frameworks. Over the centuries, Islamic scholars built up a comprehensive body of ethical teachings and legal injunctions regarding the protection of forced migrants based on Quranic teachings, examples from the sunnah (practice) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and drawing from some of the cultural practices that became prominent across the Muslim world. A 2007 conference on Asylum and Islam, led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), spoke of Islam’s ‘highly sophisticated tradition’ with its ‘fundamental humanitarian spirit’ having strong parallels with existing international law. The 2012 Ashgabat Declaration on Refugees in the Muslim World, by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), stated: ‘We recognise that over fourteen centuries ago, Islam laid down the basis for granting refuge, which is now deeply ingrained in Islamic faith, heritage and tradition.’ Unfortunately, such traditions are rarely invoked today. Following the collapse of the Islamic caliphate, in 1924, many Muslim states, such as Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, underwent an immense process of secularisation, with most Muslim governments replacing Islamic law with legal systems inspired by Western secular codes. As a result, Islamic scholarship has no longer been required to legislate on matters relating to Islamic protection frameworks nor adapt classical Islamic teach-

ings to the changing circumstances of the modern world. Indeed, modern phenomena such as increased restrictions on movement between states or the growing prominence of the nation state as the primary gatekeeper and provider for citizens, which arguably has replaced the frameworks of community and individual obligations in which Islamic law evolved, may render some traditional rulings on protection irrelevant or impractical. Perhaps as a consequence of this, our experience has indicated that while many Muslim states maintain strong cultures and traditions of hosting forced migrants, popular understanding and awareness of Islamic frameworks for the protection of forced migrants remain weak. Despite some apparent disjunctures between classical teachings and the modern context, we believe that reviving an awareness of such teachings amongst both host and migrant communities could play a powerful role in improving the condition of forced migrants globally, assisting in improving relations between host and migrant communities, as well as acting as a useful motivating factor for host communities. Moreover, the need for a comprehensive framework of Islamic forced migrant protection has never been more pressing. For an organisation such as Islamic Relief, which has worked with forced migrants for nearly 30 years, a framework for forced migrant protection that is both rooted in Islamic values and applicable to modern challenges would have vital practical value.

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Community-based waqf funds the way to go ZEINOUL ABIDEEN CAJEE

SOUTH Africa has a diverse range of Muslim communities in terms of income distribution – those living on the fringes of poverty and those that have been blessed with abundance. There are those who are self-sufficient, self-reliant and resilient while there are others who are dependent on their wages supplemented by generous donors. And herein lies the problem. The waqf system is designed to ensure that poverty is eradicated so that the poor are empowered and become self-sufficient and self-reliant, too. However, because the prophetic and divine waqf system is hardly articulated and is largely absent from our educational institutions, nobody has heard or learnt about it from authentic sources. This scenario imposes a duty on the community to ensure that knowledge about the waqf system is transmitted, internalised and acted upon in droves by the larger Muslim community as a form redistribution of wealth – the very noble objective envisioned by the Prophet Muhammad, on whom be peace and Allah’s blessings. And so we find that during the era of the Prophet (SAW), his companions and followers immediately and without any hesitation gave some of their prime assets as waqf on the advice and encouragement by the Prophet

Awqaf SA has embarked on a programme to establish waqfs in local communities, the first of which is the Kwanobuhle Muslim community [in the Eastern Cape]... himself. It is said that none of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them) who had wealth failed to give away some of their wealth and properties as a waqf. The verse in Surah Aale Imran, ‘None of you shall attain righteousness unless you spend/ give of what you love …’ was the spur to people divesting of their wealth in favour of Allah, as waqf. The waqf system thus becomes another area of ownership – this time not in private hands but in public hands as caretakers of Allah’s property. Waqf is Allah’s property entrusted to mutawallees to protect, safeguard and keep custodianship over such assets, and to fulfil the wishes of the donors in terms of the usufruct – the fruits of the waqf. Generally, the fruits of the waqf, not the tree or the capital,

may be used for any number of shariah-compliant purposes – including education, healthcare, care for the elderly and young, provision of housing etc. Awqaf SA aims to popularise the waqf system and has been doing so for the past 16 years. Many other waqf institutions abroad have also embarked on a similar mission. Having recognised the emergence of new Muslim communities in South Africa, particularly amongst first generation indigenous communities, Awqaf SA has embarked on a programme of establishing Community Based Waqfs. Communities that hardly have any infrastructure but have a semblance of being organised are the target communities for empowerment, self-reliance and self-sufficiency. In order to lend credence to our commitment to empower

communities, Awqaf SA has embarked on a programme to establish waqfs in local communities, the first of which is the Kwanobuhle Muslim community, and named the Kwanobuhle Muslim Community Waqf Fund (KMCWF) as a sub-fund of Awqaf SA. The modus operandi of such a waqf fund is that Awqaf SA contributes seed capital to start up the waqf. The community is then expected to contribute towards that fund on a regular basis. Each donor having his/ her own personal waqf account with Awqaf SA as a subaccount of the KMCWF. Awqaf SA undertakes to match the contributions made by the local community, which may be reviewed on an annual basis. Ideally, the waqf capital of such a fund should be in excess of

R2 million. This will enable the community to receive a dividend of around R200 000 per annum and increasing over time. The community will be able to take care of many expenses relating to the operation and upgrade of the masjid or facility. These could be salaries and wages, youth development, skills development, dawah and many other expenses. The executive committee of the KMC appoints a waqf mutawalli to ensure that the terms of the waqf are adhered to and also to give direction to the mutawallees of Awqaf SA on the avenues of expenditure. In this way, adequate checks and balances are maintained and there is transparency on all sides. On a long term, ongoing basis, the members of the community are conscientised about the waqf system, it becomes part of the culture of that community and further enhances the well-being of that community. The community-based waqf fund ideally works around the masjid so, essentially, it is a masjid community based waqf fund. As more communities join this methodology of community empowerment, we are certainly going to see positive changes in emerging Muslim communities, Insha Allah. Zeinoul Abideen Cajee is a CA by profession and is the founding member and current CEO of Awqaf SA.

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Hard work and integrity – key to success for visionary Abdullah Gangraker SATAAR PARKER, chairperson of Masjidul Quds, in Gatesville, Cape Town, pays tribute to Hajji Abdullah Eshack Gangraker (October 28,1943 – June 26, 2016).

I FOUND it remarkably paradoxical that a man who led his life in the most simple and proudly conservative way was also the person who, both in business and social welfare, was responsible for the attainment of the most modern methods and standard in whatever he spearheaded. His businesses in Belgravia Road, Athlone, bear testimony to this – ultra-modern with very few of its kind in its class! A man of dedication, passion and commitment to excellence, my relationship with al marhoom Abdullah Eshack Gangraker goes back more than 25 years – well before my involvement with Masjidul Quds. It was the turbulent period of South Arica’s history. Nelson Mandela was going to be released from prison and I felt it important that the Muslim community should honour this icon. Serving on the board of this newspaper (Muslim Views), we decided to honour Madiba with a high profile function at the Cape Town Civic Centre. Guests of honour included the late Professor Fatima Meer and the famous Indian actress and social justice activist, Shabana Azmi. This was a formidable task, financially, with huge budgetary challenges. We needed a sponsor and upon approaching Bhai (as he was affectionately known to

Muslim Views

The late Abdullah (Bhai) Gangraker (left) with close friend and fellow member of the Masjidul Quds Board of Trustees, Sataar Parker. The friendship dates back to the time when Muslim Views organised a high profile function for Nelson Mandela on his release from prison. From then, the two were involved in many activities, particularly related to the Masjidul Quds Board of Trustees. Photo SUPPLIED

everyone), it was an instant ‘yes!’ In so many other instances, it was Abdullah Gangraker who was a great source of inspiration and encouragement to innovative methods of serving the community. We have many persons who are financially formidable today but not many have the heart to give like Bhai would. Many organisations and individuals will be eternally grateful to him. However, it was our relationship at the Gatesville Mosque that was most enduring. Responsible for coercing me to take over the chairmanship of this mosque, his support and encouragement was one of the key factors that assisted my team in the completion of the mosque in a space of about eight years. His ideas were beyond the times that we found ourselves in: from the team of Moroccan arti-

sans that completed the mimbar and mihrab area to the completion of the wudu khana, the opening of the gift shop, the introduction of the Masjidul Quds gold and silver coin collection, and the food sales after Jumuah. He was not only the brainchild behind these projects to attain self-sufficiency for the mosque but also saw to its successful implementation. He was not only a talker, he was a worker. He led from the front and by the examples of sheer hard work and great attention to detail. On two occasions, I had the opportunity – together with other mosque committee members, including his very close friend, Siraj Parker – to travel overseas with him. The one occasion was when we went to Istanbul to purchase the carpets for the masjid and the second was when we

went to Dubai and London to source stock for the opening of the gift shop. He would refuse to travel in any other class but would insist on being with us in economy class and would set the example that everyone would be personally responsible for the expenses of the trips. History will judge Abdullah Gangraker at three levels: A man of great vision, an extremely hard worker and, above everything in his life, he held in the highest esteem his late parents, Mohammed Essack and Halima Gangraker. ‘I am today because of the blessings and the duahs of my parents,’ he would always acclaim to his friends and business associates. His energies knew no limits. He believed in hard work and drove a hard bargain in his business, including his staff, with the overriding principle of being firm and fair. It is no wonder that many staff members had been with him for over 25 years – and loved him to bits! A great travelling companion, I had the pleasure of travelling with him, extensively. On his travels, he would not even speak about his businesses back home. He would be a totally transformed person, easy, relaxed and a superb host. Among the trips was the memorable one to the Kruger National Park, remembered to this day by my wife, Rabia, and other friends as well. Another was our trip to India, touring the huge, lush Konkan area, which was very close to his heart. I witnessed first hand the great respect and honour afforded to him on these trips. He was

responsible for the establishment of so many charitable institutions and buildings in his ancestral village of Morba, in Maharashtra, India. But is was his ‘insaaniyat’ – the basic values of respect and love towards human beings – that will always remain the hallmark of his illustrious life. There was not a day that would pass without Bhai calling me about the affairs of the mosque. It took preference over anything in his life, including his huge business empire. And, he would never impose his will on the committee. On some occasions, we would disagree with him – and sometimes quite strongly – yet, he would accept graciously. Not only Cape Town but South Africa and India have lost a huge, towering figure in Abdullah Gangraker, a legend in his lifetime. His vision, passion, dedication, attention to detail and the execution of the minutest of detail will be sorely missed. I miss him dearly. I think of him every day and make duah to Allah the Almighty to grant him not only the Jannah but the Firdaus of the Jannah, ameen. But, as the great poet, Omar Khayyam said: ‘The moving finger writes, and having writ, moves on.’ Such is the fact of life. We all have to move on to the hereafter. In sending my condolences to his beloved wife, Faatima Bhana, and his five daughters, it is his only son, Mujeeb, that we can be rest assured will take the legacy of marhoom Abdullah Gangraker to such heights that he would make his beloved father extremely proud, Insha Allah.

Muslim Views . July 2016

The voice is no more, the melody lingers on A tribute to Qari Yusuf Muhammad Noorbhai by one of his students, SHAIKH SADULLAH KHAN.

ON Monday evening, July 11, 2016, Qari Yusuf Muhammad Noorbhai, one of the most outstanding figures in South African Muslim history, breathed his last. With that last breath the world lost so much more than just a man, we lost a significant icon whose contribution to the promotion of the Quran will only be measured by history. Qari Yusuf Noorbhai’s talent as a euphonious reciter of the Quran was at an exalted standard. His distinctive ability to produce original melodious sound (whether in qiraah or qasidah) remains unmatched. His unique talent of harmonising word and sound was completely organic. He repeatedly transcended the expected medium, whether in the art of sound or script. Some may not know but he was also an outstanding calligrapher. He was an elegant dresser, jovial in nature, phenomenal teacher, sharp-witted and outspoken. To me, he was an endearing educator, an unassuming guide and a source of inspiration. I lived in his home like a son for some years, was coached in the finer arts of recitation under his expert guidance and often sought solace from his words of encouragement. At crucial times in my life, he would not forget to call me, empathise and provide profound advice that frequently guided my decisions.

taught at Orient School and at Sufi Madrasah, in Riverside. He was imam at Verulam, at May Street in Durban, Clairwood Junction and, for some time, at Isipingo Beach.

Influence and studies

There are some who come into our lives and leave an indelible mark forever. Qari Noorbhai was such a person. May Allah grant him the highest abode in Paradise.

A life in pursuit of learning and teaching Quran Born Yusuf Muhammad Bana, in Durban, one of eight siblings, he memorised the Quran under the tutelage of his elegant father, Hafiz Muhammad, the son of Hafiz Noor, from Samrod, in India. Hafiz Muhammad is still remembered for his outstanding recitation and correction in Taraweeh at West Street and Grey Street Mosques, in the Durban of the 50s. Yusuf Muhammad Noorbhai attended Greyville School and

As a teenager, he was greatly impressed and influenced by the recitation of the well-known teacher of the Quran, Shaikh Ismail Hanief, of Cape Town, whom he heard leading Taraweeh in Durban. He often reminisced about how he could still hear the echoes of Shaikh Ismail’s readings in his mind after all these years. He furthered his studies in the art of Quranic recitation under scholars at the Harmain, as well as in Morocco but primarily in Egypt where he attained shahaadah and ijaazah in Quranic recitation and Quranic teaching from Shaikh Abdullah Fiqa’ie (inspector of Qirah in Egypt) as well as from the legendary reciter of the Quran, Shaikh Khalil Husary. Qari Yusuf Noorbhai was one of only three people to receive specialised tuition from Shaikh Abdullah Fiqa’ie, the other two being Mufti Baba Ghanouf, of Uzbekistan, and Qari Yusuf Mahmood, of Sudan.

Teaching career Having moved to Johannesburg in 1972, Qari Noorbhai taught at LMA Madrasah and served at Rainbow Masjid, where he led the Taraweeh with the young Sadullah Khan. He then became involved with Nurul Islam Mosque, in Lenasia, where the young Mukhtar Ahmed Haswary had the honour of leading prayer with him.

Towards the latter part of his life, he was officially involved in the establishment and running of Markaz Nur-ul-Qur’an in Oakdene, Johannesburg. He served as judge at numerous Qirah competitions. Together with Shaikh Saleh Abadi, he was the judge of the first National Qur’an Competition Finals, organised by UMMA and held at Primrose Park Masjid in the mid-80s. Subsequent to that, another national Quranic competition was held in the late 80s, in Port Elizabeth, with Shaikh Saleh Abadi, Qari Yusuf Noorbhai, Shaikh Yusuf Booley and Shaikh Muhammad Moerat as the adjudicators. Shaikh Moerat fondly remembers that event and refers to Qari Noorbhai as a ‘cheerful person, excellent company who was humbled by the Quran and dedicated to the accurate preservation of the art of reciting the Quran’.

Legacy Qari Yusuf Noorbahi is survived by his wife, Rabia, and his sons, Riyaaz, Riedwaan, Aslam and Mubeen, and daughters Raziya, Najeeba, Fahima and Atiyyah. Besides brothers Farouk, Goolam and sister Reyhana who have passed on, his surviving siblings are Hafiz Ahmed Saadiq, Ismail, Rashid and Farida. His impact was far-reaching, well beyond the mosque and madrasah. This is manifested by the fact that the Saturday after his passing, on July 16, the Supersport soccer match in Alberton held a moment of silence in memory of the great teacher. Qari Yusuf Muhammad

Students

AMONG Qari Yusuf Noorbhai’s many students were Shaikh Mukhtar Ahmed Haswary (Lenasia), Shaikh Sadullah Khan (Vryburg), Qari Mahdi Nackerdien (Paarl), Hafiz Riedwaan Essat (Zimbabwe), Hafiz Muhammad Gangat (Klerksdorp), Hafiz Zakariyyah Sujee (Johannesburg), Hafiz Mohammed Adams, Hafiz Raees Dassoo, and his son-in-law, Hafiz Rafiq (Cape Town). Hafizah Reyhana Tyer (Paarl, now Port Shepstone) was a hifdh student of Shaikh Sadullah at Islamic College of Southern Africa (Icosa) and then completed her tahfeedh under Qari Noorbhai in Johannesburg, the one female hafidhah who completed under his tutelage.

Farewell

AT the sombre, yet serene janaazah held at Masjidul Quds, hundreds from all over the country – scholars, students, family and friends – gathered to say a final farewell to Qari Yusuf Noorbhai as his students, Qari Mahdi Nackerdien and Shaikh Mukhtar, melodiously recited portions of the Quran. This was followed by an emotional and heart-rending accolade by Shaikh Sadullah Khan where one final moment of poignancy brought tears to all those present as he played a short recording of Surah al-Fatihah rendered in the inimitable voice of Qari Yusuf Noorbhai. It was significant to note that his Janaazah Salaah, led by his eldest brother, Hafidh Ahmed Saadiq Noorbhai (of Durban), was performed in Cape Town at Masjidul Quds, where two of his most renowned students (Shaikh Mukhtar and Shaikh Sadullah) had served as imams.

Noorbhai was laid to rest at Pooke Road Cemetery, in Athlone, Cape Town.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Health File

Cupping therapy: an ancient art of healing DR FAEEZA ABDULLATIEF

CUPPING is an ancient therapeutic technique used for centuries in the treatment and prevention of various conditions. Its use dates back to 1500 years BCE used by the ancient Babylonian, Egyptian and Chinese civilisations. After a long period of neglect, cupping was revived in the Islamic golden age by Islamic pioneers of medicine such as Ibn Sina and Al-Razi, to name a few. Cupping therapy is also known as ‘hijamah’, in Arabic.

What is cupping therapy and what are its benefits? Cupping therapy is the application of suction cups onto specific areas of the skin to promote healing. There are various forms of cupping therapy of which the two main forms are dry and wet cupping. Dry cupping is when the skin is massaged with specific oils followed by application of the cups via vacuum suction on specific points of the body, and allowed to take effect for ten to twenty minutes where the skin starts to change colour, becomes reddish and sweat droplets start to appear. Wet cupping starts off with a dry cupping but is followed by a few light incisions (similar to paper cuts) with a sterile blade on the areas of the skin where the dry cupping was performed. The suction cups are then reapplied on the areas to allow drainage of the toxic blood products and bodily

Muslim Views

A form of dry cupping therapy and massage. Vaccum cups are applied onto the skin as a form of therapy to induce detoxification and relieve pain. Photo SUPPLIED

fluid from the underlying blood vessels. During our daily lives we are exposed to various toxins that cause disease, from the food we eat to the air we breathe. To assist our body in detoxification, we seek cupping therapy. It improves the blood flow, bringing fresh blood and nutrients to the organs and tissues as well as stimulating the movement of toxins to be eliminated from the cells. In this way, cupping therapy can be used to treat any type of

illness and can be used as a form of health maintenance to prevent disease. In addition, research shows that wet cupping is an excellent form of detox for the organs, decreasing strain on the liver and kidneys, relieves pain, reduces cholesterol and sugar levels in the blood. It reduces high blood pressure, controls asthma and relieves headaches and sinusitis. It is effective in the treatment of numerous other conditions due to this mechanism of action.

How is cupping therapy related to Islam? As Muslims, we know that sickness comes from Allah (SWT), as does its cure. Through disease, Allah provides an opportunity to reduce the burden of sins. Furthermore, He needs Muslims to follow the true principals of shifa, which helps us to develop and strengthen the spiritual relationship between the Muslim and Allah (SWT). Healing by hijamah, which is sunnah, is also

one of the aspects of shifa. There are various ahadeeth on hijamah that provide guidance on its benefits and when it should be performed. Bukhari records that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: ‘There is cure in three substances: a drink of honey, incision with a knife used for hijamah (cupping) and cauterising by fire. And I forbid my nation from cauterising by fire.’ As for hijamah, lbn Majah narrated in his Sunan that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: ‘During the night of lsraa (the overnight journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and then to the heavens), every company (of angels) that I passed would say, O Muhammad! Order your ummah (nation) to use hijamah (wet cupping).’ Prophet Muhammad (SAW) advised that hijama be performed on the 17th, 19th and 21st of the lunar month. However, when the illness intensifies, cupping becomes warranted and needed whatever the circumstance. One should only seek a certified registered practitioner to perform cupping therapy to ensure that the proper precautionary measures are taken to medically evaluate whether cupping therapy is suitable for you to prevent harm. Indeed, Allah (SWT) knows best. Dr Faeeza Abdullatief is an Unani Tibb Medicine Practitioner having qualified at UWC. She serves as Deputy Chairperson of the South African Tibb Association.

Muslim Views . July 2016

How to deal with that pain in the back the discs in the spine is damaged and presses on the nerves; l sciatica – irritation or compression of the sciatic nerve, which causes pain, numbness and tingling that travels down one leg; l whiplash – neck injury caused by a sudden impact; l frozen shoulder – inflammation around the shoulder that causes pain and stiffness; l ankylosing spondylitis – a long-term condition that causes pain and stiffness where the spine meets the pelvis. The rest of this information will focus on back pain that doesn’t have an obvious cause. Doctors call this non-specific back pain. Dr. Resham Atwaru. Photo SUPPLIED

DR RESHAM ATWARU

BACK pain is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their lives. It may be triggered by bad posture while sitting or standing, bending awkwardly or lifting incorrectly. It is not generally caused by a serious condition. In most cases, back pain will improve in a few weeks or months although some people experience long-term pain or pain that keeps coming back.

Types of back pain Backache is most common in the lower back (lumbago), although it can be felt anywhere along your spine, from your neck down to your hips. Sometimes, back pain can be caused by an injury or disease, such as: l a slipped disc – when one of

What to do Most cases of back pain get better on their own and you may not need to see a doctor. If you’ve only had back pain for a few days or weeks, the following advice may help relieve your symptoms and speed up your recovery: remain as active as possible and try to continue with your daily activities; take overthe-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel you need to; use hot or cold compression packs – you can buy these from your local pharmacy or a bag of frozen vegetables and a hot water bottle will work just as well. Although it can be difficult to be cheerful or optimistic if you are in pain, it’s important to stay positive as this can help you recover faster.

Treatments for long-term back pain If you are worried about your back or your pain hasn’t

improved in around six weeks, it’s a good idea to visit your doctor, who can advise you about the treatments available. These include: stronger painkillers; exercise classes – where you are taught specific exercises to strengthen your muscles and improve your posture; manual therapy – such as physiotherapy, chiropractic or osteopathy; acupuncture; counselling – such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); support and advice at a specialist pain clinic. Some people choose to see a therapist for manual therapy or acupuncture without seeing their doctor first. If you want to do this, you will usually need to pay for private treatment, which is likely to cost around R300 to R500 for each appointment. Spinal surgery is usually only recommended when all else has failed.

Preventing back pain How you sit, stand, lie and lift can all affect the health of your back. Try to avoid placing too much pressure on your back, and ensure it’s strong and supple. Regular exercise, such as walking and swimming, is an excellent way of preventing back pain. Activities such as yoga or Pilates can improve your flexibility and strengthen your back muscles.

Signs of a serious problem You should seek urgent medical help if you have back pain and: a high temperature (fever); unexplained weight loss; a swelling or a deformity in your back; it is constant and doesn’t ease after lying down; pain in your chest; loss of bladder or

bowel control; an inability to pass urine; numbness around your genitals, buttocks or back passage; it is worse at night; it started after an accident, such as after a car accident. These problems could be a sign of something more serious and need to be assessed as soon as possible.

Diagnosing back pain Most cases of back pain do not require medical attention and can be treated with over-the-counter painkillers and self-care. However, you should visit your doctor if you are worried about your condition or are struggling to cope with the pain.

Seeing your doctor Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and examine your back. The examination will usually assess your ability to sit, stand, walk and lift your legs, as well as testing the range of movement in your back. Your doctor may also ask you about any illnesses or injuries you may have had, as well as the type of work you do and your lifestyle. Below are some of the questions your doctor may ask. It might help to think about these before your appointment. When did your back pain start? Where are you feeling pain? Have you had back problems in the past? Can you describe the pain? What makes the pain better or worse?

What happens next? If doctors think that there may be a more serious cause, they will

refer you for further tests, such as an X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Otherwise, your doctor can advise you about things you can do and treatments that may help reduce your pain and speed up your recovery. In the following edition, we will look at steps that can be taken to deal with recurring back pain. Dr Resham Atwaru is a spinalorthopaedic surgeon at Melomed Tokai. Telephone 021 712 1189

It might help to think about these before your appointment: When did your back pain start? Where are you feeling pain? Have you had back problems in the past? Can you describe the pain? What makes the pain better or worse?

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Share your sacrifice, share your qurbani: Islamic Relief Qurbani 2016 AS the holy month of Dhul Hijja approaches, Muslims across the globe are preparing for the annual ritual of qurbani. This ritual dates back to the time of Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and has been practised ever since, solely for the sake of Allah. The sacred sacrifice of qurbani, a waajib act for those who are of means, is infused with reward. Zaid bin Arqam (RA) reports that the Companions of Rasulullah (SAW) asked him: ‘O Prophet, what is this sacrifice?’ He said: ‘It is the way of your forefather, Ibrahim.’ They asked: ‘What is for us therein?’ He replied: ‘There is a reward for every hair.’ They asked: ‘For the wool, Ya Rasulullah?’ He replied: ‘There is one reward for every strand of wool.’ Alhamdulillah, since 1986, Islamic Relief has been fostering the needs of the world’s poorest people through the implementation of qurbani on behalf of its generous supporters. With your small act of kindness, Islamic Relief is able to effectively assist those in desperate need. Islamic Relief implements seasonal qurbani and Ramadaan programmes, ensuring that beneficiaries are able to celebrate religious festivities without any hardship, which, unfortunately, is the case in many wartorn countries and communities suffering from severe poverty. Every Eid-Ul-Adha, Islamic Relief provides the best possible qurbani meat to the poorest of

poor people, in-line with shariah requirements. We prioritise the most vulnerable families through our rigorous selection criteria and help the most vulnerable people first – women, children, the elderly, and refugees of war and disaster are always our priority. We also ensure that animals are transported and slaughtered humanely, by managing the whole transportation and logistics network. Strict hygiene standards cover the handling, packing and distribution of all meat. Having performed 670 qurbani in our first year, last year, with your love and support, some 3,5 million people from 30 different countries and communities received fresh, quality qurbani meat. During 2015, a total of 146

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Muslim Views . July 2016

This delightful book for children, ’Stories from the Quran’, retells some of the key narratives in the Quran, in a language and style that appeals to school learners from grades 3 till 10. The author conveys the truths of historical events in the Quran in an instructive and edifying manner. The contents cover four stories from Surah Kahf and eight additional

stories of various prophets. Although the author cites several references, she erroneously attributes the source of the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp to the Quran or the Bible. Many of the stories are beautifully illustrated and the end of each chapter is followed by questions suitable for classroom exercises.

ZULFAH OTTO-SALLIES, one of Bo-Kaap’s most well-known daughters, departed her beloved Bo-Kaap for the last time on Friday afternoon, July 8, 2016, after a short illness. At about 3:25pm, a sombre crowd followed the bier from Almond Terrace to Auwal Masjid, where Salaatul Janazah was performed. All the way, as if the very heavens were shedding a tear at Zulfah’s passing, a soft, drizzle showered the procession. Zulfah’s star rose when she penned the first musical play about Bo-Kaap called Diekie vannie Bo-Kaap. In the musical, she gave a unique peek into the life of a group of Cape Malay teenagers and some of the Cape Malay traditions. The play made such an impact that she was approached by an Afrikaans publishing house to adapt the play into a novel. This novel of the same name is still a prescribed book at high school. This sparked a career that saw Zulfah involved in film and documentaries. Although some have said that Zulfah’s passing was untimely, the legacy and challenges that she leaves behind can be matched by very few. Photo and text TOYER NAKIDIEN

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Muslim Views . July 2016

The taste-bud delights of Deli Market In this new feature, DILSHAD PARKER offers a review of local halaal restaurants. This month’s review features the Deli Market in Salt River, Cape Town, visited on March 22 at about noon.

NOT in a million years would I have pegged Salt River Market as a go-to place to locate a trendy restaurant. Located behind the iconic Good Hope Butchery, right on the busy Salt River circle, the market certainly has an abundance of history and old world charm. The area, always drumming with traffic, both cars and people, noisy, crazy and busy, is more known for the industry, the dodgy shops and prolific crime. However, the city’s initiative to uplift key areas, known as Improvement Districts, have seen positive changes here and in adjoining areas like Woodstock. The old Salt River Market is undergoing a facelift and it’s here that The Market Deli has decided to open shop. Hubby and I snuck out midweek for a quick lunch date. Having heard about the deli via the grapevine and not knowing too much about what to expect, we were basically prepared for anything. And finding this little gem, incongruously tucked into the corner of ye olde market, actually made my day. The deli is bright and airy inside; not at all small as you’d expect a deli to be – quite big enough to take a decent crowd. Funky, bright red plastic chairs offset dark, solid wood tables.

Burgers are presented on craft wooden boards and come with all the trimmings, cheese, pineapple and egg. Photo DILSHAD PARKER

The walls are adorned with shelves carrying ornaments and paintings depicting the history of Cape Town, Salt River and District Six. Old decorative tea tins you may have seen in your grandmother’s house sit alongside copper pots and old steel milk cans. It’s a visual and historic feast, and it feels like home. When we got there they had just cleaned the floor and the smell of detergent was a bit strong. But we were welcomed warmly by the host, Amiena Osman, and shown to a table. She proceeded to chat animatedly to us about the menu and what was on offer. I opted for the unusual, a Venison Burger – I had never had venison before and was being adventurous – and a chocolate milk-

shake. Zulfi had the Beef Burger. The menu is not huge: three types of burgers, some wraps, salads and stir fries. They are still tweaking their menu. Considering that they have been open only since March this year, a lot of it is work in progress for now. Amiena proceeded to tell us more about the Market Deli while we waited for our order. Owned by her and four others, the restaurant helps them facilitate other initiatives they are passionate about. Right next door, they have opened The Legal Cafe. Two of the owners are lawyers and, together with other lawyers, offer legal consultations at a very affordable rate there. So, you can meet with a lawyer to just discuss an issue and pay a

small fee before breaking the bank to take matters further if at all necessary. They also run a youth leadership programme which has been going since 2009. The restaurant has already hosted a programme on Human Rights Day with students from various schools being addressed by leaders in the community. The deli also has a Single Mothers programme where they aim to help single mothers by stocking products made by them for sale in the deli. Meanwhile, our burgers had arrived. I liked the presentation on craft wooden boards and, unexpectedly, the burger came with all the trimmings, cheese, pineapple and egg. Luckily, I was fine with all of that but when you

order, do say something if you’re not into any of that as the menu does not specify what is all on the burger. The venison, which is supplied by two of the partners who hunt and slaughter it halaal themselves, was a bit gamey but I enjoyed the flavour and did not mind the distinctive taste at all. Zulfi, too, was very happy with his burger. The chips I would have preferred crispier but everyone likes their chips a different way. These were quite acceptable. My Nutella shake was good – thick and tasty – yes, my detox was na die maan (out the window). It’s casual and family friendly. Prices are quite reasonable: burgers start at R60, wraps R60 and stir fry R85. Our meal totalled R180. The venue has ample parking. The downside is that they don’t have their own toilets yet. They do use the market toilet and have one designated only for their customers that is locked and kept clean by them. They are in the process of getting their own. The upside is that they have salaah facilities on site with a wudu khana. I really like the social conscience behind this restaurant. I think that these are the types of initiatives suited to the whole idea of uplifting the area and its people; and I think that Salt River Market will likely see more new and trendy spots opening alongside The Market Deli. This review is independent and meals were paid for. Dilshad Parker is owner and author of www.hungryforhalaal.co.za

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Witness the sacrifice SAKEENA BOCK

IN rural communities across Southern Africa, many families and individuals depend on subsistence farming as a means of survival. However, this is often hampered by long and extended periods of drought and, as such, food insecurity and hunger become common plights in these regions. Through Operation Qurbani, one of our five key annual national projects, Sanzaf provides meaningful support to the most underresourced areas in South African and the broader Southern African region. This is done through the facilitation and distribution of meat on the day of Eid-ul-Adha. Sanzaf is a faith-based institution, and embodied in that faith is sacrifice for the pleasure of the Almighty. One such sacrifice is exemplified through the act of qurbani. By offering this service, Sanzaf not only benefits the donor by facilitating an act of worship but also provides a temporary source of sustenance to communities in need, especially those who cannot afford meat. The South African National Zakah Fund takes the spirit of qurbani to those in need at various locations across the Western Cape. We strongly encourage and facilitate families, members of the community and school groups to witness or perform their qurbani personally with an animal of their choice, with skilled staff on standby. The public is given the option

(Above) Yasmina Francke, General Manager Sanzaf Western Cape, co-presents a Zakah Seminar, at International Peace College South Africa (Ipsa), aimed at women. This formed part of the Sanzaf Zakah Seminar series conducted during Ramadaan and throughout the year, enabling members of the public to heighten their understanding on pertinent zakaah matters. Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS (Left) Out of office notice: To commemorate Nelson Mandela Day on July 18, the South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) staff members served up a storm at the maternity and cancer wards at Groote Schuur Hospital and Mitchells Plain and Bonteheuwel Community Health Centres. For 67 minutes, dedicated staff dashed away from normal duties to serve some 800 patients from all over the Western Cape and the broader Cape Flats community with nutritious meals, juice and fruit to return a third of the animal, packs. For some members in the and Sanzaf ensures that the balcommunity, this is the only meal for ance of the meat is distributed to the day, highlighting the need of families in need. many South Africans living below the poverty line more than 20 years into An amount of R10 of each democracy. Sanzaf remains qurbani is allocated towards the committed to rolling out our feeding Sanzaf Masjid Waqf Fund. and development programmes For more information contact: throughout the year, and your support matters. 021 638 0965 Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

(Bottom right) Sanzaf staff members engage with the Groote Schuur medical team before setting off to the outpatient clinics. To commemorate Nelson Mandela Day on July 18, the South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) staff members served up a storm at the maternity and cancer wards at Groote Schuur Hospital and Mitchells Plain and Bonteheuwel Community Health Centres. For 67 minutes, dedicated staff dashed away from normal duties to serve some 800 patients from all over the Western Cape and the broader Cape Flats community with nutritious meals, juice and fruit packs. For some members in the community this is the only meal for the day, highlighting the need of many South Africans living below the poverty line more than 20 years into democracy. Sanzaf remains committed to rolling out Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS our feeding and development programmes throughout the year, and your support matters.

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Gadija Green and Thuraya Kamaldien, Sanzaf staff members, all set to serve patients a nutritious meal at Groote Schuur Hospital. To commemorate Nelson Mandela Day on July 18, the South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) staff members served up a storm at the maternity and cancer wards at Groote Schuur Hospital and Mitchells Plain and Bonteheuwel Community Health Centres. For 67 minutes, dedicated staff dashed away from normal duties to serve some 800 patients from all over Western Cape and the broader Cape Flats community with nutritious meals, juice and fruit packs. For some members in the community, this is the only meal for the day, highlighting the need of many South Africans living below the poverty line more than 20 years into democracy. Sanzaf remains committed to rolling out our feeding and development programmes throughout the year, and your support matters. Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Focus on Finance

Muslim Views . July 2016

The impact of legislation on small and medium enterprises Small and medium enterprises, like all other businesses, face numerous challenges in the current economic climate. 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, discuss the added burden of sophisticated legislation that many SME owners have to cope with.

SOUTH Africa’s small and medium enterprise (SME) owners are increasingly less confident that the country’s stringent legislation and labour laws are conducive to business growth. In addition to the labour unrest, SMEs are influenced by the effort and cost to comply with South Africa’s very modern legislation, which is often out of reach for most SME owners. SMEs are not, generally, founded by legal experts. Even if they were, it is highly unlikely that compliance with legislation would be on the top of the mind for the entrepreneur. The small business owner is most likely to be obsessed with winning new clients and establishing a reliable cash flow into the business. However, ignoring legislation can seriously hamper your business’s growth (and your peace of mind).

Labour legislation There is no doubt that a clear understanding of labour law is the single most important legal

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consideration for SMEs to tackle. Many SMEs may think that because they have fewer than ten people, labour law does not apply to them. Many small businesses have been sunk by this misconception so do some research and make sure your business complies. One of the many labour laws that affect any business, regardless of size, is the Basic Conditions of Employment Act. Among other things, the Act regulates: l working times – including shift work, weekend work, public holidays and any other overtime; l payment – including payment in kind etc. l leave – annual leave, sick leave, maternity leave, family responsibility leave, unpaid leave and absence without leave; l deductions – including those required by law and those you are allowed to make; l notice periods; l administration – documents needed by employees and record-keeping;

l prohibition of victimisation and exploitation of workers by the employer and co-workers.

Tax law Taxes are as much a certainty in running a small business as they are in life. SME owners without relevant knowledge may spend so much time doing administration relating to tax and other legislation that it could seriously impact on their ability to manage and grow their businesses. Remember small business tax; obtaining this benefit is as simple as ticking the box on your tax return that asks whether you are a small business.

Health and safety The health and safety act makes it imperative for SME owners to know how many people are on the premises, and their locations. It is incumbent upon SME owners to put in place systems to ensure that employees, visitors and passing traffic are not exposed to any danger.

Hassen Kajie

Consumer protection The Consumer Protection Act that came into effect in 2010 applies as much to SMEs who provide goods and services as to any other business. The obligations and prohibitions it bears on suppliers fundamentally changed the way South Africans do business. The Act aims to prevent exploitation or harm to consumers, and to provide recourse where power imbalances exist between individuals and the suppliers they use. It regulates how businesses interact with their customers, and how products and services are sold and advertised. Every commercial transaction in South Africa is affected by the Act, and SMEs would do well to

Aysha Osman

understand all its implications, and protect themselves appropriately. If you would like a specific topic featured in the upcoming issues, kindly send your suggestions to technical@nexiasabt.co.za. 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.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Muslims and Jews show duplicity at election time

THE last round of Zionist bombings of Gaza reminded me of the National Party that told the world that the ANC were terrorists. Like Zionists, the National Party also told the world that they were a bastion of democracy and freedom and without them, civilisation would end. The strategy in defence of apartheid and Zionism are similar. That Europeans were exclusively liable for the Holocaust hangs as an eternal Damocles sword over Zionist activity. Hence, Zionist murder of vulnerable Palestinians will be tolerated into the future. Since the Zionists have the military equipment, including tanks and fighter jets while Palestinians have household paraphernalia, the genocide is not a fight between equals. Some time ago, three Israelis were murdered. Without judicial process or evidence, the Zionist machinery was unleashed on ordinary Palestinians. Based on the last genocide, my calculation suggested that for one dead Israeli, at least 100 Palestinians, especially women and children, will be killed. While all of these Zionist killings are continuing, the ANC shows its pro-Palestinian credentials while the DA goes quiet when Zionists go into kill mode. The ANC also has many anti-Zionist activists, like Ronnie Kasrils. In comparison, the DA have several pro-Zionists in its midst. Similarly, while the disinvestment campaign, including the activities of Cosatu and the ANC Youth League are evident, the DA has yet to issue a meaningful statement against the atrocities committed against Palestinians. It often seems as if the disinvestment campaign led by non-Muslims against Zionism is of greater value than some activities of local Muslims. Ironically, many Muslim voters ignore the issue of Palestine when they vote DA who, it seems, do not sympathise with the Palestinian struggle. This duplicity is interesting as it is the same Muslim community that regularly marches through Cape Town exhibiting their deep emotion for the Palestine

people. It is also the Muslim community who regularly accuse local Jews, many of whom support the DA, of liberal insincerity and double standards. The disparity with Muslim expression and their voting patterns raises painful questions. Example, are Muslims who allegedly despise Zionism, indifferent towards their voting choices or are they purposely unconscious? Similarly, on what basis do local Jews support freedom, democracy and non-racism in South Africa but have a different interpretation when it pertains to Palestinians? Are Palestinians unworthy of a state, democracy, equality, freedom and human rights? Since we live in a democracy, locals can vote for whomever they want. Therefore, if Muslims ignore Muslim parties like the Cape Muslim Congress at elections and vote DA, does the ANC’s visible support of the Palestinian struggle suggest that local Muslims are insincere in their support of the Palestinians? In the words of the wise, what does this obvious duplicity displayed by both the Jewish and Muslim communities say about genuine ideals and commitment to authentic religious values? Cllr Yagyah Adams Cape Muslim Congress

Muslim Views . July 2016

Islamia student tops Computer Olympiad

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Tauhir Ahmed of Islamia College in Lansdowne, Cape Town, won the gold medal at the National Computer Applications Olympiad. Of the 10 983 participants from all over South Africa, Tauhir reached the top ten and then went on to win the national championship. He will represent South Africa at the International Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship, in Florida, USA, during August 2016. His IT teacher at Islamia College, Mr Toyer Hashim, described Tauhir as ‘a brilliant, hardworking, conscientious, humble young man who has the potential for greatness’. Photo SUPPLIED

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BOOK-REVIEW

Muslim Views . July 2016

Not recommended for readers looking to get acquainted with the Quran The Koran – A Very Short Introduction by Michael Cook, New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. 151 pages. PROFESSOR Michael Cook, of Princeton University, is an historian and scholar of Islamic history and has written on early Islamic history and theology. Cook’s use of the spelling ‘Koran’ is explained as the anglicised form of the standard ‘Quran’ so that it may be easily ‘pronounced by anyone used to English orthography’ (p.2). As a very short introduction to the Quran, the book is expected to offer a broad overview of the Quran yet, there is much specific analysis. The book, intended as a primer, is aimed at lay readers even though the range of topics and the detail assigned to each topic is unclear for the general reader. The book is divided into four parts. The first part discusses the message of the Quran. Part two focuses on the Quran in the modern world, the dissemination and interpretation of the Quran, and the idea of scripture. The third part discusses the discourse on the Quran as codex, text, worship, truth and the object of dogma. Part four discusses the early formation and collection of the Quran. Cook first discusses the Quran in modern times and, thereafter,

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proceeds discussing the formation of the Quran. This non-chronological style is confusing for the intended audience. It is not sensible to use this uneasy chronology when even the title is anglicised for ease of pronunciation. Cook begins by briefly pointing out what constitutes sacred scripture, and provides a comparison between the Quran and other religious scriptures before sketching a history of the Quran. He then utilises Surah Fatiha to illustrate the Quranic message but, as he says, ‘There is, of course, far more in the Koran than is conveyed by this bare outline of its message.’ (p. 20) He, however, does not provide much on the message of the Quran. For the most part, Cook seems objective although one suspects that he is writing with tongue in cheek at some points as his explanations are sprinkled with levity. His discussion on how the Quran is recited is such an example. He recounts how Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1201) would begin his preaching sessions with a highly orchestrated Quran recitation and all that was missing was an orchestra. He further describes how a ‘successful Koran reciter in modern Egypt has a better sense than Ibn Hanbal would have wished of what it might be like to be a rock star’ (p. 86).

His emphasis that the Quran is recited in a musical rhythm would be problematic for most Muslims as they believe that music is forbidden in Islam. In his discussion on occasions of revelation (asbab al-nuzul), Cook’s tone seems flippant as is the case throughout the book. His objectivity is further questioned in the topics he chooses to discuss. Cook discusses mostly controversial issues pertaining to the Quran: the Satanic Verses; the Sabbath-breakers; the toleration of infidels; and equality of men and women in Islam. He focuses on verse 9:29, the tribute verse, and 4:34, respectively. These verses might be interpreted as intolerance to non-Muslims and the sanctioned beating of women. They are tense verses and most Muslims are not aware of them. The general reader might erroneously sense these issues as the salient aspects of the Quran. These topics in relation to the entire Quran are, in fact, subordinate. Yet, in such a miniscule introduction, Cook addresses all these issues, while issues that are central to the Quran are either not discussed or dismissed. On a positive note, his analysis of the Sabbath-breakers, tolerating other religions and men and women in chapter nine, gives an overview of the variant interpretations of the Quran. The diver-

gent interpretations of these verses illustrate that there are many ways in which the Quran may be read. Cook encourages his readers to think of the meaning of scripture as a whole; scripture as living and multifaceted. The book is also filled with informative bits and illustrations, appropriate for the novice and not so new reader, such as the ‘variant readings’ in chapter seven. Cook doesn’t offer any sources, except for two, and invites his readers to contact him should they require a source (p. 151). There are no footnotes or endnotes. There is an index, including the full names of people who appear in the text without an explanation – except for Abu Amr al-Dani (d. 1053) for whom an explanation is provided (p. 64).

The book is not recommended for a reader looking to be acquainted with the Quran. The details of the book might appeal to a reader who is familiar with the Quran. Besides the three controversial verses discussed in chapters two and nine, the only other treatment of the message of the Quran is Surah Fatiha. The lack of notes further encumbers the reading of the book. There is more about linguistics of the text than about the message of the Quran. The author’s tone, at times, is unnecessarily polemical and detracts from an objective piece of work. There are some good questions raised but, due to the obvious partiality, it is hard to grasp the justification for these questions. Review by SORAYA CARRIM Carrim is currently doing her honours in the Study of Islam at University of Johannesburg.

Muslim Views . July 2016

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Muslim Views . July 2016

Light from the Qur’an

Tawhid: affirmation by word and through reflection IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED ONE of the most fundamental duties of a believer is to affirm tawhid with certainty and conviction. In his contemporary Quranic tafsir, Risale-i Nur, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi consistently addresses the affirmation of touheed through word and witnessing. Such extensive treatment of this reality attests to the importance and centrality of tawhid in shaping our inner world and our engagements with the outer world. However, how do we understand tawhid beyond the verbalisation of its affirmatory phrase? Bediuzzaman conveys a methodology for reflecting on the universe, specifically its order and regularity, rotation and administration, construction and diffusion, and to confirm tawhid through this process of tafakkur. He says that the existence in the entirety of the cosmos, its pillars and parts and all the beings contained in it, manifest the most perfect order and regularity; the sameness of the substances and purposive beings, like the stars and planets that are the means of the rotation and administration of the vast universe. The fact that Allah Almighty’s divine names and deeds that are at work in the universe encompass and comprehend all things or

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most things, and of the same or similar nature, and their manifesting the same divine name and deed in every place; the fact that the elements of the atmosphere and the animal and plant species that are the means for the administration, inhabiting and construction of the vast universe, cover the whole face of the earth in their diffusion, are of the same nature, the same element (for example the air) and the same species (for example animals) being found everywhere on earth – all demand, prove and affirm, necessarily and self-evidently, that the Maker and Disposer of this cosmos, the Monarch and Nurturer of this realm, the Master and Builder of this universe, is one, unique and single. He has neither like nor peer, neither minister nor aide. He has neither partner nor opposite; He has neither inability nor deficiency. Order is in itself a perfect expression of unity; it demands a single Orderer. It leaves no place for the assignment of partners to Allah; such assignment of partners necessarily being the source of dispute and dissension. Furthermore, there is a wise and precise order inherent in all things, whether they are universal or particular – from the total scheme of the cosmos and the daily and annual rotation of the earth to the physical characteristics of man, the complexity of the

senses in man’s head and the circulation of white and red blood cells in man’s blood. Nothing other than one absolutely powerful and absolutely wise can stretch out its hand intentionally and creatively toward anything or interfere with it. On the contrary, all things are recipients, means of manifestation and passive. Bediuzzaman says that, ordering, the pursuit of certain purposes and the bestowal of regularity with a view to certain benefits, can be done only by means of knowledge and wisdom, and performed only with will and choice. When we witness all these events, this wisdom-nurturing regularity, this infinitely varied ordering of the cosmos that before our very eyes assures various benefits, proves and affirms that the Creator and Disposer of all beings is one, an agent possessing will and choice. Everything comes into being through Allah Almighty’s power, it assumes a particular state through His will, and it takes on a particular form through His choice. The heat-giving lamp (the sun) of this world is one; its candle (the moon) that is the basis for the reckoning of time is one; its merciful sponge (clouds) is one; its fiery cook (sun) is one; its lifegiving beverage (water) is one; its well-guarded field (the earth) is one, and there are a thousand and

one other instances of oneness. It follows from all of these instances of oneness that the Maker and Master of this universe is also One, and that He is extremely generous and hospitable for He employs numerous high-ranking and great officials to serve the animate guests of His universe. Allah Almighty’s Names of AlHakim (All-Wise), Al-Rahim (Compassionate), Al-Musawwir (Giver of Forms), Al-Mudabbir (Disposer), Al-Muhyi (Quickener) and Al-Murabbi (Nurturer), impresses and the manifestations of these divine names which can be seen at work in every corner of the world, and Allah’s attributes – such as wisdom, mercy and grace – and acts – such as formation, disposition and nurturing – are all one. They embrace every place to the utmost degree, with each divine name and act being present there. They also complement the imprint of each other in such a way that it is as if those names and deeds were uniting in such fashion that power becomes identical with wisdom and mercy, and wisdom becomes identical with grace and life. For example, as soon as the activity of the name Al-Muhyi (Quickener) appears in a thing, the activity of numerous other names, such as Al-Halik (Creator), Al-Musawwir (Giver of Form) and Al-Razzak (Provider),

also appears at the same instant, everywhere and in the same system. This establishes and proves that that which is designated by the divine names and the doer of the comprehensive deeds that appear everywhere in the same fashion must also be one, single and unique. In this we believe and to this we give our assent! Bediuzzaman further conveys that the elements (including water, air, earth, and light) that are the substance and material of creation encompass the whole earth. Each of the species of creation that bears an imprint attesting tawhid is diffused throughout the earth in unity and, so to speak, conquers it. This also proves to the degree of being self-evident that those elements together with what they embrace, and those species, together with their separate members, are the product and property of a single being. They are the products and servants of one so unique and powerful that He employs those vast and commanding elements as obedient servants and those species diffused throughout the earth as well-disciplined soldiers. Insha Allah, may we continue to reflect on the universe to witness the way in which creation in all its different forms and manifestations shows and proves tawhid.

DISCUSSIONS WITH DANGOR

The slaughter of the innocents The massacre of civilians is an outrage and abomination and is totally forbidden in Islam, even during war, writes Emeritus Professor SULEMAN DANGOR.

THERE have been numerous bombings by Muslims in diverse regions of the world, over the past few years. The main culprits are Isis, Taliban, Boko Haram, al-Shabab and al-Qaidah. In this article, we will focus only on the bombings in the Muslim world during Ramadaan. Ramadaan saw a spate of bombings in Baghdad, Iraq; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Jeddah, Madinah and Qatif, Saudi Arabia; Istanbul, Turkey; Qaa, Lebanon; Ruqban, Jordan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Solo, Indonesia; Mukalla, Yemen; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Damaturu and Gombe, in Nigeria. Fortunately, the planned attack on Kuwait was foiled. So, eleven Muslim countries and a Muslim majority area were targeted during the fasting month. We are excluding the barrel bombs regularly dropped by the Syrian regime on its own citizens during the month of Ramadaan, which have killed hundreds of civilians.

The fact that these bombings took place in Ramadaan is all the more odious because this is the month of discipline, of spiritual revival, of contemplation, of generosity and of compassion. The bombings not only violate the sanctity of Ramadaan, they do a grave injustice to these admirable features. In fact, they negate the very essence of Ramadaan. Supporters of the bombings would argue that the Battle of Badr was fought in Ramadaan. Though this is true, that was a legitimate jihad against the enemies of Islam. It was not targeted against fellow Muslims. If the bombers believe that their actions constitute jihad, they are seriously deluded. Jihad has its own criteria. The massacre of civilians is an outrage and abomination and is totally forbidden in Islam, even during war. Bombs kill innocent people who have no interest in the war. The Quran condemns those who kill without just cause and consigns them to hell-fire. Killing, maiming and terrorising innocent people can hardly be the hallmark of a Muslim. It is the antithesis of the hadith: A Muslim is one from

whose tongue and hands Muslims are safe. The mutilation of bodies on the battlefield is strictly prohibited despite the fact that the enemies of Islam mutilated the bodies of Muslim fighters during the Battle of Uhud. Now, a bomb rips the body into shreds, flinging limbs all over the place. Sometimes, the remains cannot even be identified so the families of the victims cannot even give a proper burial to their loved ones. How can this ever be justified? The intended bombing of alMasjid al-Nabawi is unconscionable. How in heavens name can anyone even contemplate such a dastardly act as bombing the mosque which houses the shrine of the noble Messenger of Islam (SAW)? This can only be ascribed to a mind devoid of all sense of logic, reasoning, compassion and humanity. Killing and maiming worshippers from all around the world will not bring down the Saudi regime, if that was the intention of the bombers. In fact, it will generate sympathy and support for the regime even among those who may have had misgivings about its legitimacy. The bombers, in addition to being misguided, are heartless, cruel and merciless. It must be a sick mind that can conceive of placing bombs in areas populated by civilians, such as shopping malls, the marketplace, schools,

Muslim Views . July 2016

In my view, European concern about Muslim immigrants is justified, to a degree. The image of Muslims blowing themselves up and massacring their coreligionists cannot but be viewed with trepidation. mosques and buses. These callous murderers are influenced by radical extremism which, unfortunately, is being fuelled by some religious leaders. Some groups, like Isis, have become very adept at using technology. It has its own website, which I believe is largely responsible for attracting gullible youth throughout the world, including South Africa. Extremist religious leaders are convinced of the righteousness of their cause. They cite Quranic texts to substantiate their views. Often they cite texts out of context, misinterpret and misrepresent texts. While those endowed with a fair understanding of Islam can clearly identify these distortions, those who have a very superficial knowledge of Islam are vulnerable and are often easily swayed. Youth who are disenchanted with life or who are seeking a Utopia in a world wrecked by war, poverty and immorality become willing recruits to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;causeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Some attribute all their problems to their rulers and so government officials become a natural target. These are among factors contributing to radicalisation.

The damage done to the image of Islam is incalculable. We rightfully condemn Islamophobia but can we really blame people if they associate Muslims with violence? Besides the countries mentioned above, there are bombings in Libya, Nigeria and Somalia. In my view, European concern about Muslim immigrants is justified, to a degree. The image of Muslims blowing themselves up and massacring their coreligionists cannot but be viewed with trepidation. How sure can they be that extremists will not slip into their countries undetected and cause mayhem? The Muslim world is faced with several grave challenges. But the challenge of countering extremism is probably the most urgent. If left unchecked, it will cause mayhem, terror and despondency. The responsibility of refuting the propaganda of the extremists rests with parents as well as religious leaders. Apart from the home, the mosque, school, madrasah and darul ulum have to play a pivotal role in teaching their constituencies the importance of avoiding extremist interpretations of Islam.

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Muslim Views . July 2016

From Consciousness to Contentment

Honour the creation of Allah JASMINE KHAN

WE are again approaching Women’s Day or, as many call it, the Month of the Woman. Once more, media frenzy will have us believe that women are honoured and lauded and that society is grateful for the amazing women who will have the honour of being recognised this year. However, there are still many women suffering in silence the indignities heaped upon them by husbands, children and in-laws. Perhaps it starts when the young man first brings home his prospective bride, and his mother, for some reason, decides that the young woman is not good enough for her son. The young woman senses the antipathy coming from the older woman, even though she appears to be very nice. The young woman would hardly be human if this does not affect her in a negative way, and her subsequent behaviour is driven by this dislike and disapproval that she senses. Often, the young woman recognises the strong relationship of her intended husband with his mother, which rings alarm bells. Unconsciously, the threat she feels influences her behaviour. With such a start, it is no wonder that marriages flounder and fail. Statistics have shown that more marriages fail because of inlaw issues than any other factor. The bond between a mother and child is the strongest bond and

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when a man feels his mother’s disapproval of his choice, it is not long before he too sees faults in his wife. Add to this the fact that she tries to avoid engagement with his family and the road to disaster is ready to be paved. It is high time that young people recognise their own worth; the man by standing firm that this is the woman with whom he wants to spend his life, and that he is capable of making his own decisions. The woman should realise that what others think of her is of lesser importance; she must own her self-worth and try not to allow the opinions of her in-laws to affect her behaviour. There are many resources available to deal with this issue, and there is no need to suffer because of the opinions of others. Lack of self-worth, in men and women, causes untold strife and unhappiness. We are of worth simply because we are creations of Allah. Yet, it is complicated by our not owning this concept because we have never been told this. When parents coo and gurgle over their newborn and call the baby ‘Mommy’s little darling’ and ‘Daddy’s angel’, it is a good idea to add ‘who came from Allah’. As the child grows and learns about Islam, a sense of worth will grow and flourish. It is disturbing that in this 21st century, with access to information on our beautiful deen, there

are still young people suffering from low self-esteem and no sense of their own worth. In many instances, young, educated women have responsible jobs in which they are extremely competent. Yet, when it comes to the marriage partnership, these very capable women depend on the good opinion and support of a husband to feel fulfilled and complete. On the other hand, men do not seem to take cognisance of the basic principles of marriage and how to treat women. They either know on some level and decide to ignore it or they have never been properly instructed. This is an indictment of our Islamic education system. We cannot ignore the fact that no matter how highly regarded women are, as ordained by Allah, men too have rights. They have rights because they are creations of Allah, just as women are. Men’s responsibilities are onerous because they are not raised or prepared for their task. Coming from homes where they have lived as princes with everything being done for them, it is a rude awakening to enter into a relationship where they have to take the lead. Women are also not properly prepared; they too have been raised to regard males as the princes, and continue to do everything for their husbands, as they were taught.

It comes as a shock to women when the husbands do not reciprocate, causing them to feel unappreciated. The more this feeling takes hold, the more dependent she becomes on him emotionally. This leaves him feeling stifled and causes him to want to run away – one man told me, ‘I need to breathe.’ Many young men are expressing a need to find their own spaces. They move out of the marital home because of unhappiness. In fact, many of them claim their wives are too needy and ‘clingy’. It seems that there is a silent revolution simmering in our society. Women who are perfectly competent in other fields seem to need constant confirmation of being valued by their husbands. The men, on the other hand, are feeling stifled and we see a reversal of the 90s trend when women walked out on their families, claiming, ‘I need to find myself.’ The whole concept of marriage in Islam is being turned on its head. It is important to recognise that Allah created men and women to complement each other, not to complete each other. The latter is a concept of the West, where romantic love is promoted and encouraged as the ideal, where women are taught that they cannot exist without men.

In Islam, women and men have been created to fulfil separate but complementary roles. Islam acknowledges women’s equality with men in many respects. The Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of society, and that its objectives, besides perpetuating human life, are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy. Among the most impressive verses in the Quran about marriage states, ‘And among His signs are these: That He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find rest, peace of mind in them, and He ordained between you love and mercy. Lo, herein indeed are signs for people who reflect.’ (30:21) The operative word here is ‘mercy’ yet, in many marriages, there is an absence of mercy. Not only does men’s behaviour lack mercy, there are many cases where the wife also shows a lack of mercy towards her partner. It is of vital importance that young people who are currently raising children make a concerted effort to stop this cycle and seek knowledge on purposeful parenting. While the media touts Women’s Day and the shops prepare for another sales blitz, let us pause and acknowledge that we are all creations of Allah, and, as such, deserve honour, respect and mercy. Ameen.

Positive and Effective Parenting

Muslim Views . July 2016

Working mothers need support FOUZIA RYKLIEF

WOMEN’S Month is a few days away and I thought it appropriate to focus on working mothers, acknowledge their struggle, honour their commitment to contribute towards a better life for their children, and share some thoughts and tips on how they can provide for children’s emotional needs.

Working mothers and guilt Many women feel guilty about leaving their children in the care of others to go to work, and often feel that they are neglecting the children’s emotional needs. They want to know how they can have a warm, positive relationship with their children. They feel guilty about not spending time with their children. Mothers also feel guilty when, after a morning of rushing the children to get done and shouting at them because they dawdled at the breakfast table or refused to wear the clothes set out for them (in the case of toddlers), they feel relief when everyone has finally left. It is understandable that mothers feel this way. Try to ensure that your child is in the best possible care that you can afford. This will help you feel at ease knowing that while you can’t be there, someone you trust is looking after your child.

Try to see the bigger picture. You may need to work so that you can provide adequately for your child. This is as important as looking after the child. Working also gives mothers the opportunity to contribute outside the home.

The importance of time management and prioritisation Planning how you will do all the things you need to do, managing your time and deciding what is important and what is urgent is crucial for a working mom. Working moms need to realise that they can’t do everything they want to do. Nor can they do things as perfectly as they want to. Trying to be the perfect mother and have perfect children and the perfect home creates much stress for mothers. Rather strive to be ‘good enough’ mothers who try their best; don’t stress about the things you can’t get to, as long as you try to meet your children’s social and emotional needs. Look for the time you have when the children are not around, such as late evenings and early mornings. Use that time to prepare for the week ahead. Plan and cook meals ahead of time and freeze; prepare easy, healthy meals. Prepare work clothing ahead of time, prepare whatever you and the child need the night before so there is not a lot of rushing in the morning. Delegate some tasks. Get your

Rather strive to be ‘good enough’ mothers who try their best... husband to share the load. Single moms can turn to close relatives to help out.

Working mothers’ relationships with their children Quality time is very difficult when you are a working mother as there is just no time during the week to spend with your child. Mornings are spent getting done for work and crèche/ caregiver. Many working mothers are busy in the evenings preparing supper, preparing for the next day. Something I did as a working mom and that I find mothers feel comfortable about attempting is the following: on your way home, work out what your agenda is (cooking supper when you get home, other chores) and visualise putting it into a plastic bag. Then imagine what your child’s agenda may be, for example, the child may have achieved something special and can’t wait for Mom to come home to share it. As you approach the door, put the ‘agenda bag’ aside for a cou-

ple of minutes and give the child the focused attention she deserves. Often, it only takes a few minutes to connect in a meaningful way with a child or loved one, irrespective of age. This is quality time! At times, all we can do is just manage a greeting. When we do this it is important to look at the child. This too is quality time – a few seconds to simply acknowledge the child and to show how glad you are to see her. Spend time together on weekends and do things that your child enjoys. It does not have to cost money. Plan ahead and ask her what she would like to do. Sometimes just being together is all she needs. Listening effectively, by acknowledging and reflecting a child’s feelings go a long way to building relationships and keeping the communication lines open so that it becomes easy to talk about difficult issues. Talk to the child about her day while bathing or feeding her; also share how your day was. Ask what she enjoyed, what she did not like. Let children know what you do when you are away from them. Tell them how much you miss them when you are apart: let your words and your actions show your appreciation of them. While they are little, they can play alongside you while you do your chores. On the way to school/ caregiver, talk about what

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you see on the way. Ask the child, for example, to look for certain items or flowers, or a certain colour. Make this a game. When they are older, involve them in chores and sing and talk while they work alongside you.

The stay-at-home mother Being a stay-at-home mom is hard work. Generally speaking, she will be teaching her children as well as tending to the household chores and preparing meals. These mothers also experience the same morning dramas and find themselves shouting at their children to get done and experience guilt for sending their children off on a bad note. They also experience relief when children finally leave and go to school. Let us pay tribute to the millions of mothers who go out to work to supplement the family’s income and to those mothers who stay at home and keep the home fires burning. They make these choices because of their love for their children. The quote below comes from a poem by an unknown writer: ‘The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair… The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart – the place where love resides.’ Fouzia Ryklief is a social worker registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Muslim Hands Karamat Tour in aid of the crisis in Syria SHAIKH HASHIEM PECK

MUSLIM Hands is set to conduct another karamat tour next month to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Since the outbreak of the conflict in 2011, the situation in Syria has steadily deteriorated. l 7,6 million people have been internally displaced. (This is more than the population of Hong Kong) l 3,2 million people have fled Syria as refugees. (Over 1,7 million of these refugees are children) l 12,2 million people are in dire need of assistance, making this the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time. In efforts to try and assist our brothers and sisters in Syria, Muslim Hands South Africa put together a fundraiser in the form of a karamat tour, in January 2016. The tour was held under the guidance of Mahmood Limbada, a representative of the Mazaar Society, and Dr Hafiz Reedewaan Ismail, an expert in the history and biographies of most of the honourable karamats surrounding the Cape. A total of seven karamats were on the Muslim Hands tour itinerary, listing the following locations: Habibia Soofie Saheb Masjid; Shaikh Yusuf, in Macassar; Sayed Abdul Haq, in Deer Park; Noorul Mubeen, in Oudekraal; Shaikh Abdurahman Matebe Shah, in Klein Constantia; and Sayed Mahmud, in Constantia.

A look back at Muslim Hands Karamat Tour that was held in January this year to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis in Syria. Collage and Photos YAASEEN GAMIET

This tour was very well received by the public as the response was good and MHSA has managed to achieve two objectives: l raise needed funds in support of our brothers and sisters in Syria; l providing a platform to educate and commemorate the rich legacy and contribution left behind by our pious predecessors.

MHSA is embarking on their second karamat tour, to be held on Sunday, August 14, 2016. We urge one and all to be part of this exciting, educational and spiritual experience in support of a worthy humanitarian cause. For further details, please contact the Muslim Hands office at 1 Carnie Road, Rylands, email mail@muslimahnds.org or call the Mulsim Hands office on 021 633 6413.

In efforts to try and assist our brothers and sisters in Syria, Muslim Hands South Africa put together a fundraiser in the form of a karamat tour, in January 2016. Muslim Views

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

FOR ALL

Muslim Views . July 2016

Rumi – Sufi and Poet Great men and women should be lauded, respected, never worshipped. But I can understand, writes Doctor M C D’ARCY.

The purported Virgin Mary’s house sited in the hills near Ephesus, Turkey, now a Photo MC D’ARCY place of pilgrimage and veneration.

Rumi’s aphorisms guiding humanity to righteousness still apply. Photo MC D’ARCY

The Whirling Dervishes ceremony performed in a subterranean cave in Cappadocia. It was Rumi’s son who started the Mevlevi Order of Sufi Photo MC D’ARCY Dervishes.

THE green fluted edifice jutting from the roof of Sufi Jalaludin Rumi’s mausoleum, in Konya, Turkey, is crowned with a green tiled cone; it is from the hand of the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire, Mimar Sinan. Never-ending crowds stream past Rumi’s tomb, ornately housed but intimately attached to the very house that Rumi lived in and practised his ethos of the Divine and the self synergistically entwined. Controversial? Yes, even in his living days he was clothed in absolute adoration and bitter acrimony. Legendary Sufi and judge, Nasrudin Hoca, who lived close by, in Akserhir, detested him. Droves of tearful adherents pray at his grave, seemingly to beseech celestial favours and intercession for a thousand maladies. They adulate the ground he walked on, ogle the clothes he

wore (now displayed in viewing cases) and even kiss the glass surrounds of a small casket purportedly containing a smidgen of his beard. I find the common obsessive reverence to dead men’s hair quite bizarre. What struck me was that this picture of fervent supplication of a divine is so universal across all social, religious and ethnic divides. Cape Town is no different; only the names of the sanctified are changed. Great men and women should be lauded, respected, never worshipped. But I can understand. Hopelessness is tragic. When there are no medicine for ailments and no solution to problems, the desperate reach out for desperate solutions and grab at celestial favours from whatever direction they may come. That is human nature. Rumi said: ‘When we are dead, seek not our tomb in the earth but find it in the hearts of men.’ In 2008, a more comprehensive article of mine on Rumi appeared in Muslim Views, so I’ll just sketch a background picture. Jalaludin Muhammad Rumi was born in 1207 CE, in Balkh, now in Afghanistan. With the savage Mongol invasions, the family fled and lived in many places until they reached

Rumi’s ornate grave adjacent to his house. The great Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, redesigned Rumi’s mausoleum. Photo MC D’ARCY

Konya, in Seljuk, Turkey (then known as Rum), where they settled. Rumi died in Konya, in 1273 CE. He wrote his iconic opus, Mathnawi in Persian. When Shams ad-Din, a very close friend of Rumi inexplicably vanished, he wrote a 30 000 verse poem: Lyrics of Shams of Tabriz. Rumi’s son, Sultan Walad, founded the Mevlevi Order of the Whirling Dervishes, famed for their Sama Sufi Dance. We attended a performance of the Whirling Dervishes in an underground cave, in Cappadocia. The rituals, headed by a black-cloaked ustad (teacher), were complex. The devotees, coifed with tall fezzes and dressed in long voluminous white skirts, whirled in a determinate pattern with one arm raised to the sky and the other down to the earth, apparently conducting heavenly energy down to earth. The music was hypnotic. The whirling spun faster and faster, inducing a trance-like ecstasy. It was so evocative of the ancient Khoisan trance-dances of South Africa. Near the ruins of Ephesus, we viewed the ‘House of the Virgin Mary’.

According to lore, when the Christians of Jerusalem were persecuted after the death of Christ, she fled to the busy port of Ephesus, on the coast of current Turkey. During unrest in Ephesus, she went to live in the hills above the town, where she subsequently died. There is no burial place evident. However, some biblical authorities say that she never left Jerusalem. In the mid-nineteenth century, a German nun, Anne Catherine Emmerich, dreamt of the location of the ruined house of the Virgin Mary near Ephesus and, despite the fact that there were quite a few ruined houses in the hilly surrounds, it was ‘found’. The Vatican investigated her dream but did not authenticate the house one way or the other. However, many popes have visited the site of ‘The house of the Virgin Mary’. Recently, Anne Emmerich was beatified as a saint. The house was restored and it is now a place of veneration where believers light candles and invocate fervent prayers. In the small house, elevated above an altar, is a small, darkcoloured effigy of the Virgin Mary. Strangely, her hands are missing. On a nearby wall, worshippers attach supplicating messages by the millions, just as in the Jewish Wailing Wall, in Jerusalem. The above scenario reminded me of the time, in 1968, when the late Achmat Davids and I started our researches into the origins of the Muslims at the Cape. We visited the tombs of the kramats (holy men) around the Cape Peninsula and interviewed people who frequented these tombs. Apart from the historically verifiable individual sages buried in specific graves and mausoleums,

we visited other ‘graves’ that dotted the scene. These were often attributed as the burial places of unknown individuals divined as kramats via dreams. Some of the stories were tenuous, at best. Recently, I saw a somewhat hidden, brick-enclosed grave that had mushroomed in the fynbos on Signal Hill. A small, attached sign simply read, ‘Unknown’. Mausoleums, such as that of Rumi, are often places of beautiful art; others are simple, like the purported House of the Virgin Mary. They remind us of the past, of great historical events and personages that determined belief and veneration. But, there are others. ‘Scourge of the Earth’, the Mongol, Timur The Lame, sacked and pillaged Baghdad and crippled the Muslim Empire. He became a Muslim and built a magnificent burial tomb in Samarkand. He, and others of his ilk, believed that they were saviours of the world but sowed death and destruction. Of interest is that his body was exhumed by the Russians, in 1941, even though Timur’s tomb was inscribed with the words, ‘When I rise from the dead, the world shall tremble.’ His casket was also inscribed: ‘Whomsoever opens my tomb shall unleash an invader more terrible than I.’ In any case, three days after the archaeologist Gerasimov began the exhumation, Adolf Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, the largest military invasion of all time, upon the Soviet Union. Millions of Russians were slaughtered. ‘Timur was re-buried with full Islamic ritual in November 1942, just before the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad.’ (Wikipedia) No art can cover such inequity.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . July 2016

Running to warm the hearts of ‘the guests’

RUSHDA KLEINSMIDT IF you were out after Taraweeh this past Ramadaan, you might have seen a group of runners puffing steam in the cold night air on the streets of Cape Town, accompanied by a motor convoy. What you witnessed may have been a boeber run. ‘What’s a boeber run?’ you ask. Before Ramadaan, a group of running friends decided that they would like to reignite a project initiated by Islamic Relief in 2015 – handing out boeber and blankets to people sleeping on the streets. However, being runners, it had to involve actual running. And so the Boeber Run for the Homeless was born where, every Wednesday and Friday nights, after Taraweeh Salaah, a group would meet for an easy 5km run, usually in the direction of an area known for its homeless population. On the first night, Irafaan Abrahams, a teacher at Rocklands High School, recalls that there were nine runners and five cars. But by the next outing, attendance had tripled as runners and non-runners alike were eager to share in the barakah. Numerous pots of boeber appeared each

Beginning in Ramadaan, this year, runners from a number of clubs in Cape Town have been serving food and hot beverages, and distributing clothing and blankets, to the homeless around the city. To mark Mandela Day on July 18, they served 670 cups of boeber at the same time at six different locations in Cape Town. After playing their part in commemorating the legacy of the late Nelson Mandela, the runners gathered on the Grand Parade with the balcony of the City Hall – where the country’s first democratic president delivered his maiden speech to the nation upon his release from prison – as the backdrop. Photo ZAAHID APPOLES

night, along with blankets, sandwiches, toiletries and bags and boxes of clothing. After a while, Irafaan had to appeal to volunteers to bring smaller pots of boeber as the desire to assist those in need became overwhelming. ‘It was a sight to behold the night after Laylatul Qadr, when the people of Hout Bay lined up in the cold, just for a cup of warmth and a loaf of bread to sustain them for a few more days. Volunteers moved amongst the ‘guests’ wrapping them in blankets and serving cups of boeber. ‘Every guest received the opportunity to walk through what resembled a night market, where helpers fished through neatly sorted clothing items for something suitable. ‘Some walked away smiling and others with eyes glistening with tears for the kindness and respect shown to them.’ This was the scene described by an emotional runner who participated in the Ramadaan 2016 Boeber Run for the Homeless. When asked why he came back week after week to assist, Yousuf

Kanuni’s response was simple: ‘It humbles me.’ Yousuf is a talented and wellknown athlete who, with his wife Moeshfeeka by his side, braves the cold and rain to share the sweetness of boeber with those in need. This group of extraordinary people do not simply hand over the goods and pat themselves on the back for doing something nice. Every outing starts with an appeal to the Almighty to cleanse the hearts of all involved and to encourage volunteers to mingle with those they serve, whom they respectfully call ‘our guests’. The aim for each group member is to get to know at least three homeless people by the end of the night. While serving boeber and loaves of bread, helpers talk to the guests, learn names, stories and try to make them feel human again. ‘Why run five kilometres?’ you ask. Why not just gather and distribute? Irafaan feels that running has changed his life and has committed to always running for a cause. He explained that running

five kilometres is significant as it represents the five pillars of Islam, the five daily salaah, the five fingers of a hand extended in kindness, and to celebrate the fifth successful year of the million rand challenge – a sports project that raises money for a multitude of charities. Will boeber runs for the homeless continue next Ramadaan? The group is certain that it will. In fact, the desperate need for assistance has motivated the team to plan monthly runs for the rest of the year, scheduled to take place on the Saturday before SASSA grants are paid, as this is usually the most desperate time of the month. When asked what specific night or encounter stood out, Yousuf and Irafaan agree that meeting William in Woodstock had changed their lives forever. William, after spinal surgery, is unable to work and lives in a threadbare shack, most days not knowing where his next meal will come from. Fellow boeber runner Ismail Kleinsmidt invites families and individuals to join in on the expe-

KaramatT our 2016 SYRIAN CRISIS APPEAL

Join us on a spiritual fundraising tour and help ease the plight of our brother & sisters in Syria.

rience. ‘Bring anything,’ he says, ‘a small pot of boeber, sandwiches, old clothes. ‘And if you don’t have anything to bring, don’t let that stop you. Come show your support by lending a hand in distribution. Come share a cup of boeber with us.’ The team wishes to thank every person who participated in the 2016 Ramadaan Boeber Run for the Homeless: The Grassy Park Islamic Coordinating Council, who sponsored the first 30 blankets; Gift of the Givers for the steady supply of blankets thereafter; Spice Mecca for the packets of boeber mix that warmed the stomachs and hearts of hundreds; and all the runners, family members and friends who sacrificed their sleep to assist their fellow human beings. A BoeberRun facebook page has been created to keep volunteers informed of scheduled runs. Soon, the group hopes to have a website as well. Visit the facebook page for details and join the group on their next run for an experience that is sure to change your perspective forever.

Muslim Hands Sunday 14 August 2016 7:30 am - 16:30 pm

Price: R250 pp (Includes Lunch & Luxury Bus Tour) Register online or at the Muslim Hands office: 1 Carnie Road, S & H Centre, Rylands, 7764, Cape Town

muslimhands.org.za I 021 633 6413 Muslim Views