RAMADAAN 1436 l JUNE 2015
Vol. 29 No. 6
Ramadaan kareem S we prepare to fast this Ramadaan, it is important that we reflect on the meaning of true human compassion for those in distress. On April 25, an earthquake measuring 7,8 on the Richter scale devastated Nepal, killing over 9 000 people. Rural areas were most seriously affected and hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and possessions. Disaster relief funding and physical aid in times of crises are usually never in short supply. And Muslims, particularly in this sacred month, undoubtedly join the many international efforts to provide aid for victims of disasters. Strangely though, it is vigilance and the capacity to defend the vulnerable in these times that appear to be in short supply. Human traffickers are bereft of human compassion, hence their opportunistic convergence on these areas to gather ‘supplies’ for their trade. Investigative reporters have exposed the schemes of human traffickers preying on vulnerable young women for sexual exploitation across South Asia. In addition, thousands of Nepalese migrant labourers are routinely trafficked to suffer slave labour conditions in the Gulf states. Over the past two years, hundreds of enslaved Nepalese have died under appalling conditions in Qatar as this Gulf state prepares to host the 2022 World Cup. Disasters, whether natural or man-made, render the weak vulnerable to human predators. This Ramadaan, let us create awareness of this injustice and support efforts to resist this evil. Ramadaan kareem!
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A woman carries goods at a distribution point in Godawari, Kathmandu, after the earthquake that struck Nepal on April 25 destroyed her home. The disaster claimed the lives of more than 9 000 people and injured 19 000. The aftershock, 7,3 in magnitude, struck Nepal on May 12 again. It was the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. A volunteer who visited the district commented that the people of Godawari, in the aftermath of the earthquake, received aid workers with extraordinary warmth and hospitality. A tragic consequence of the earthquake is the exploitation of vulnerable children by human traffickers seeking opportunities to profiteer from the plight of the victims. Photo SHIRAAZ MOHAMED
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RAMADAAN 1436 AH: iNsiDe tHis eDitioN of MusliM Views
Ramadaan and the exploration of texture Ramadaan: a month for all The hifdh tradition among females at the Cape Significance of munajat and adhkaar in Ramadaan Q&A on the current state of the Woolworths boycott Hajj operators’ survey gets poor response Asserting the identity of Muslims in the townships Food for thought: origin, source and health effects Cameroonian refugee describes being targeted as foreigner Moulana Yusuf Karaan of the Strand passes away Hajj Stories: ‘Always with me...’
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ASRI: Re-establishing the Muslim voice in public policy At 89, activist Zuleikha Mayat publishes her latest book Family, football and brilliant Barca: turning worlds around Gang violence a scourge in many local communities ‘Still I rise’: sharing addiction experiences to instil hope Focus on Finance: Breakdown of tax-free investments Ramadaan: Islam’s built-in weight-loss plan Fasting in Ramadaan: a key to gratitude Reaping the harvest of Ramadaan Art can expose the powerful just as they ill-treat the downtrodden Sporting event recalls slave history
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