Muslim Views, May 2019

Vol. 33 No. 4

RAMADAAN 1440 l MAY 2019

INAUGURAL SOUTH AFRICAN BLACK MUSLIM CONFERENCE

Commitment to unity, solidarity and scholarship

See the ‘Taraweeg Survey 2019’ supplement in this special Ramadaan edition.

The Taraweeg Survey 2019 is produced by the Boorhaanol Islamic Movement in collaboration with Muslim Views.

RAMADAAN KAREEM

Aslam Mxolisi Tawana speaks at the historic inaugural South African Black Muslim Conference held between April 19 and 21, 2019 at the Park Continental Hotal in Johannesburg. The conference had to be moved from its original venue in Soweto due to the huge demand for attendance, which the preferred venue in Soweto could not accommodate. More than 300 delegates from across South Africa deliberated over the three days about matters concerning the past, current and future growth and progress of the Black Muslim experience in post-apartheid South Africa. A number of resolutions were passed, including the key matter of ths inaugural conference becoming an annual get-together. Amongst the conference resolutions were commitments to forging unity, engaging in self-reliance, advancing scholarship and developing leadership, with a special emphasis on the Black Muslim Woman and youth. See page 6 for a full report.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

3

O sinner, forgive or you will not be forgiven!

Shaikh Sa’dullah Khan.

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Fasting and voting converge spiritual and social responsibilities Vol. 33 No. 4 l RAMADAAN 1440 l MAY 2019

RAMADAAN this year coincides with the national elections in South Africa. It is both rare and significant that fasting and voting converge in our country at a time we face major choices and challenges.

Those who have registered to vote have fulfilled one part of their civic duty.

They now have a duty to make informed decisions when exercising their right to vote.

The consequences and impact of the citizens’ votes are real and far-reaching. And they affect every single person living in South Africa.

Choosing a political party and a political candidate to vote for is akin to entrusting an emissary to take charge of everything that matters to you.

Therefore, considerations like values, trust, morality, reputation, history, expertise and competence are vital in exercising that right. Ambivalence and feeling conflicted about a party and its leaders is normal and even necessary.

At times, one must exercise painful introspection of our loyalties and their meaning in moral and historical terms.

The most meaningful decisions are difficult ones and are founded on one’s deepest convictions and beliefs, as well as on rational grounds. Thus, the responsible citizen feels the gravity of the vote. Similarly, the responsible Muslim who fasts appreciates a sense of accountability in both the worldly and spiritual sense. As much as we are accountable to Allah for our deeds and our faith in this world, we also have a responsibility, as Muslims, to care about and act in the interests of humanity, in the loftiest sense of the term.

Active citizenship for the fasting Muslim means seeking spiritual growth while being fully engaged with concerns about social conditions affecting people around us. It makes little sense for anyone to speak of active citizenship in our democracy while being indifferent to the social ills prevalent in our society.

A healthy sign of engagement between Muslims currently is the debate on social inclusion of all Muslims as part of a universal ummah and community of believers, and furthermore as part of humanity and all of creation. Engaging each other on the means of building our humanity as well as our democracy, is both a politically and spiritually restorative process. Doing so while fasting and electing a government significantly enhances the meaning of the process. The convergence between the worldly and the spiritual in this instance transcends symbolic value. It is, in important ways, a unique and unprecedented experience for Muslims in South Africa. Fasting is a very powerful reminder of the importance of the material conditions of the poor, and the role we play, at this time of democratic change, to influence a change in those conditions. The pangs of hunger that we happily endure in our consciousness of Allah are also reminders of our responsibility towards those whose miserable lot is often designed and imposed by powerful interest groups like political parties.

Ramadaan, by design, is a social and inclusive activity, even when we strive for spiritual growth through meditation and quiet reflection. Our fast can only be enriched by striving for positive social action and change.

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views, and is the institutional voice of the newspaper.

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SHAIKH SA’DULLAH KHAN THE Prophet said, ‘All human beings sin, and the best of those who sin are those who repent,’ (Tirmidhi) As human beings, we do good but we also make mistakes and are, therefore, constantly in need of pardon and forgiveness. Allah, therefore, assures us: ‘O my servants who have transgressed against their souls, never despair of the mercy of Allah.’ (Quran 39:53) In light of this, Imam alShaafii wrote, ‘In You, O Creator, I raise my longing for forgiveness as a sinner and a wrongdoer.

‘O Possessor of Kindness and Generosity, when my heart becomes constricted and my paths become narrow, I find hope in Your pardon and forgiveness as an opening and an escape.

‘My sins seem so many but when I compare them to Your forgiveness, I find Your forgiveness to be far more magnanimous than all my sins.’ (Diwan as-Shaafii) It is said that ‘to err is human and to forgive is divine’.

Both parts of this statement are true.

Wise ones have said that forgiveness is God’s invention for coming to terms with a world in which, despite their best intentions, people do err, they do sin, they do wrong others and hurt each other.

Allah began by forgiving us and He invites us all to forgive each other.

We expect Allah to forgive us but are we prepared to forgive others?

Some of us have become so hard-hearted that we refuse to forgive, as if we are ourselves not in need of forgiveness. The Prophet counselled, ‘He who is not merciful will not be shown

mercy, and he who does not forgive will not be forgiven.’

(Haythami) Isn’t it strange how so many of us who are full of faults see every little sin in everyone else yet are blind to our own shortcomings?

Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, ‘Glad tidings to those more concerned about their own shortcomings than bothering about the faults of others.’ (Bazzaar) Imam Shaafii warned, ‘Let not your tongue mention the shame of another for you yourself are covered in faults and all people have tongues.

‘If your eye falls upon the sins of your brother, shield them and say, “Look away! I also have faults and other people have eyes too!”’ (Diwan as-Shaafii) The Prophet thus warned: ‘O you who believe with your tongues but faith has not yet entered your hearts, do not backbite Muslims.

‘Do not seek to uncover their faults because whoever seeks out the faults of others, Allah will seek out his faults.

‘And if Allah seeks after someone’s faults, He will expose him even for (what he committed) in his home.’ (al-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad) In a world so highly critical of everyone, at a time when pessimism, vilification and suspicion abounds, we need, more than ever, to give ourselves the benefit of hope and give other people the benefit of the doubt.

Instead of being over critical of ourselves, looking down upon others and burying people in negativity, let us inspire them to look up to Allah and elevate themselves.

There are so many faults in the best of us and so much goodness in the worst of us that it does not behove the rest of us to look down upon any of us.

We should remember that seeking forgiveness is a sign of humility, forgiving others is a sign of magnanimity and, in the final analysis, forgiveness is not merely a set of behaviours but is rather an attitude, a great attitude, a positive attitude, an attitude of the Divine, al-Ghaffaar, the Forgiving.

Recall the promise of Allah: ‘If you pardon, reconcile and forgive then know that, surely, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ (Quran 64:14) Shaikh Sa’dullah Khan is the CEO of Islamia College, Cape Town.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

Timol inquest findings: hope for families?

IMTIAZ AHMED CAJEE

THE re-opening of the 2017 Ahmed Timol inquest and the subsequent criminal charges of murder laid against Joao Rodrigues has provided democratic South Africa a glimpse into its tragic past: a history of its apartheid racist ideologies entrenched with the arrest, detention, torture and killing of its opponents, irrespective of race, creed or colour.

Judge Billy Mothle’s ruling reversing the 1972 inquest findings, stating that Ahmed Timol had not committed suicide but was murdered in police custody at the notorious John Vorster Square Police Station (renamed Johannesburg Central Police Station) is a victory, not only for the Timol family but for all ordinary South Africans whose loved ones were martyred for us to obtain our freedom and live in a constitutional democracy.

There is a minority view that after the historical ruling by Judge Mothle on October 12, 2017, the Ahmed Timol matter should be closed.

The minority holds the view that Rodrigues who, according to his own testimonies at the 1972 and 2017 inquests was the last person in the room with Timol before he allegedly jumped and committed suicide (direct medical and forensic evidence contradicts his version explaining why his version must be tested in a court of law) should not be pursued for failing

The writer, Imtiaz Ahmed Cajee, speaking at a press conference of the Imam Haron Foundation on February 8, 2019.

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to disclose the truth.

It is felt that this pursuance of justice, post the 2017 inquest, is traumatic and we need to move forward as a country. This is a view that I dispel.

Our history cannot be selectively remembered.

We have a tendency to remember our martyrs in a democratic South Africa when it is convenient for us: at political rallies, particularly at the time of elections; when renaming institutions and at posthumous awards ceremonies, amongst others. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.

We owe it to all our martyrs that the truth be revealed and justice be served in how they were

murdered. It is due to their sacrifices that we obtained our freedom with all its challenges.

The memories, pain and tears of our mothers and fathers during the apartheid era must serve as a reminder and an inspiration in a democratic South Africa. This will ensure that we serve our beloved country with loyalty, pride and honesty as we now serve the masses in our country in a constitutional democracy.

The constant reminder of our history and memories of fallen martyrs must serve as a form of political conscientising that is desperately needed.

Our leaders have no ethics and morality in ruling the country. It is

a sense of entitlement of comrades who contributed to the liberation struggle that has led to the country witnessing their rampant looting and abuses of state resources with no shame. This cannot continue.

It is therefore imperative that the Ahmed Timol court proceedings continue without hindrance and Rodrigues faces the full wrath of the law. He spurned the opportunity to testify at the TRC hearings in 1996 when approached by the TRC investigator.

The NPA failed to investigate the Timol matter when they were approached to do so in 2003. It was only through pressure exerted to the NPA in early 2015 that a decision was made in October

2016 to re-open the Timol inquest.

The application brought by Rodrigues’s legal team for a permanent stay of prosecution against their client due to the lengthy time delays in investigating the matter, alleged political settlement between political parties and his age must be opposed.

A full bench at the South Gauteng High Court heard arguments in this matter on March 28 and 29, 2019. Judgment has been reserved.

In February 2019, a letter from former TRC commissioners was sent to President Cyril Ramaphosa urging him to establish a commission of inquiry into the political interference that has stopped the investigation and prosecution of virtually all the cases referred by the TRC to the NPA. There has been no official response to the request to date.

It is painful to observe that the comrades of our fallen martyrs, comrades who held positions in the highest office in the country, were complicit in ensuring that TRC recommendations for further investigations be halted. The question that beckons is: why?

One can only conclude that there were deals made to protect the interests of individuals. The interests of the victims’ families were never considered and the history of our fallen martyrs was intentionally thwarted.

Imtiaz Ahmed Cajee is the nephew of Ahmed Timol and is the author of the book, ‘Timol: Quest for Justice’.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

First South African Black Muslim Conference held in Johannesburg ASLAM MXOLISI TAWANA

THE historic South African Black Muslim Conference kicked off on April 19 till April 21, 2019, at the Park Continental Hotel, in Johannesburg.

The venue of the conference, which was initially the Amphe Theatre, in Soweto, had to be moved two weeks before the start of the conference due to the overwhelming number of registrations that came through.

The Amphe Theatre, which can only accommodate 140 delegates, would not have been large enough to accommodate the 300 delegates from all corners of South Africa who attended the formal conference and the more than 500 who attended the gala event as per invitation.

Qari Hafidh Mohammad Khoza opened the proceedings at the gala event with a qiraat. After the recitation of the Quran, the gala event observed a moment of silence to honour four deceased individuals, in line with African culture and heritage, who played pivotal roles in Black Muslim communities.

These deceased individuals are Imam Abdullah Haron, Imam Ebrahim Jele (imam of Dlamini Mosque, in Soweto), Alima Zainab Nkumane (madrasah teacher in Winterveldt, Pretoria) and Ouma Duria Shuping (the matriarch of Galeshewe Muslims, Kimberley), may Allah be pleased with them.

Of the Islamic organisations that were invited, only the Muslim

One of the 300 delegates who attended the first South African Black Muslim Conference, held in Johannesburg, from April 19 to 21, Dineo Nomayeza Ma Photo SUPPLIED Qhawe.

Judicial Council (MJC), United Ulama Council of SA (UUCSA), South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf), Awqaf SA, Imam Haron Foundation and the World Association of Muslim Youth (WAMY) attended the conference.

With an African flavour permeating the conference, delegates were dressed in various African attire in line with their cultural heritage throughout the three days of the event.

From time to time, the conference would break into African song wherein the greatness of Allah was praised, and salutations were sent upon the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (SAW). The Afro-Muslim group, Ubuntu Islam

info@broadwaysweets.co.za

also entertained the guests at the gala evening with their African songs praising Allah and Rasoolullah (SAW). The mood was jovial and celebratory throughout.

The gala event was addressed by well-known academic and member of the South African Planning Commission, Professor Khadijah Moloi, who addressed the topic of ‘Creation of a community model for Black Muslims in the townships and rural areas’.

The keynote address was delivered by former president of the Muslim Youth Movement, Dr Tahir Sitoto, who spoke on the topic ‘SA Black Muslims, past, present and future’.

The speakers who delivered

presentations were well-known and respected ulama, academics, lawyers, engineers, businessmen, authors, politicians, community activists, poets, marriage counsellors and community elders who all delivered high-level lectures at the conference.

The speakers covered a wide range of topics, ranging from developing Black ulama in the township to becoming community leaders, to developing the educational status of Black Muslims, to the issues of nikah vs the paying of lobola, to how to build entrepreneurs amongst the Black Muslim community.

The speaker that stood out was Moulana Fuad Lobi, a third generation Muslim, who spoke about the ‘Role of Black ulama in building Islam’. He started his presentation with a history of Islam in the townships.

Moulana Lobi, who in addition to his Islamic studies also holds an honours degree in Political Science and is the grandson of the pioneering imam of Langa township, in Cape Town, Imam Dawood Lobi, who was a student of Imam Abdullah Haron in the 1950s.

On Sunday, April 21, the conference ended with a decision that it would be an annual event. The following were the declarations adopted by the conference: We the delegates gathered at the South African Black Muslim Conference as held from the 19-21 April 2019 at the Palm Continental Hotel in Johannesburg, commit ourselves to: l the promotion of anti-sectari-

anism, unity in action, solidarity and self-reliance; l the development of scholarship, leadership and entrepreneurship amongst the Black Muslim community, with specific focus on Black Muslim women and youth; l the provision of re-orientation, mentorship, coaching and support programmes to Black Muslims who are studying and are products of established Islamic institutions; l the establishment of educational, social, cultural and economic structures and institutions that will respond to the challenges of Black Muslims; l have this conference annually; l consolidate the papers delivered at the conference into a programme of action; l facilitate the summits that will put into action the papers and resolutions of this conference; l ensure the spread and propagation of Islam amongst the indigenous people of South Africa; l encourage the establishment and participation of all Black Muslim organisations and shuras to the South African Black Muslim Conference; l establish and create opportunities to emancipate black Muslims from perceived and apparent stumbling blocks.

Aslam Mxolisi Tawana was a panellist at the conference and part of the organising committee.

You may contact the writer via email: aslamt@mtts.co.za

www.broadwaysweets.co.za JHB +27 11 615 7120 or +27 11 615 7360 CPT +27 21 933 4343 DBN +27 31 824 9140

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Muslim Views . May 2019

Ramadaan is a special month to connect with Allah ALLAMA MOULANA SAYED IMRAAN SHAH ZIYAEE

GLORY be to Allah Almighty, who opened the doors of Jannah (Paradise) in this great month and made siyaam (fasting) a means of protection for us from the fire of Jahannam (Hell).

Endless salawaat (peace, blessings) be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Ramadaan is a month full of blessings, a month full of excitement, a month full of sacrifice and forgiveness.

It is the ninth month on the Islamic calendar. It is in this month that Allah Almighty revealed the Holy Quran; that book which is the code of conduct for all muslimeen.

Fasting in the month of Ramadaan is also an important fundamental pillar of Islam. Any Muslim rejecting the fast of Ramadaan will not be regarded as a Muslim.

This month brings so much reward yet, sometimes, we are so busy in our rat race lives that we do not reap the full blessings of this auspicious month. May Allah Almighty allow us to attain His pleasure. Ameen.

Ramadaan comes from the word ‘ramad’, which means ‘to burn’.

The days are to fast while the nights of Ramadaan are for worshipping Allah Almighty. We, therefore, pray to Allah and seek His forgiveness in order to burn away our sins.

Moulana Sayed Imraan Shah Ziyaee is the principal of the Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre (CTIEC), in Eagle Park, Photo CTIEC MEDIA Cape Town, and khalifa of Hazrat Allama Peer Sayed Haseen ud Deen Shah.

Allah Almighty is fully aware that His creation are most likely to sin and thus need an opportunity to repent and reform, hence Ramadaan is a blessing to the ummah (nation) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Ramadaan is a month in which we can make lots of duah (prayer) and istigfaar (seek forgiveness) for all the sins we have committed.

What is the objective of fasting?

Almighty Allah states in the Quran: ‘O you who believe, fasting has been made compulsory upon you, as it was made compulsory upon those before you so that you may become God conscious/ pious.’ (2:183).

The purpose is indeed for one to become closely connected with his Creator and become a being that has reformed towards righteousness.

Ramadaan may be regarded as a month-long training camp wherein two types of training occurs: the external and the internal training. The external training is the physiological training in refraining from food, drink and sexual intercourse, and the internal training is the spiritual training wherein one purifies the soul through various good actions, such as reciting and learning the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, increasing doing good deeds and becoming a better per-

son from within, with no force.

We are so caught up in other activities, we sometimes forget that the true purpose of life is to worship Allah Almighty. Ramadaan gives us the opportunity and encourages us to be good, practising Muslims.

What is expected from us in this holy month?

We should make sincere toubah (repentance) to Allah Almighty to redeem ourselves from the sins that we have plunged into.

Toubah is an inseparable entity of Ramadaan. Toubah elevates our position in the sight of our Creator. We feel reconnected with Allah Almighty.

We should also feel the plight of the poor and needy in our communities and surrounding areas. We should feel grateful for the various bounties and blessings we have been granted by Allah Almighty.

When we have suhoor or iftaar/ boeka, we should not over-prepare and waste.

It is incumbent that we take heed of this. We must change the way we feast, else there is no use of the fast if it did not have an impact on the way we behave.

Muslims should behave with good, sound character, always but especially in Ramadaan. Allah Almighty is not in need of our food and drink. We are in need of His mercies and blessings.

We should abstain from all bad actions, foul talk, lies, deceit, backbiting, gossip and much more so that we can reap the full benefits of this blessed month.

In conclusion, we should use this auspicious month to our advantage. Hadhrat Abu Huraira (RA) narrates that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: ‘Whosoever fasts in Ramadaan out of sincere faith and hoping for reward from Allah Almighty then all his previous sins will be forgiven.’

(Bukhari) May Allah Almighty grant us a very spiritual and rewarding Ramadaan kareem. Ameen.

Moulana Sayed Imraan Shah Ziyaee is the principal of the Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre (CTIEC), in Eagle Park, Cape Town, and khalifa of Hazrat Allama Peer Sayed Haseen ud Deen Shah.

Muslim Views . May 2019

9

Ramadaan: pursuing taqwa through tazkiyah SHAIKH SA’DULLAH KHAN

‘TAZKIYAH’ in the Arabic language implies purification, growth, advancement and to bring the self to the height of excellence.

The highest level of such excellence is to reach nobility in the estimation of the Divine, as Allah states, ‘The most honourable of all in the sight of Allah are those with the highest degree of taqwa.’

(Quran 49:13) Attaining taqwa (piety/ Allahconsciousness) is in fact the primary objective of fasting the month of Ramadaan. ‘O you who proclaim faith! Fasting has been prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, in order that you may attain taqwa.’

(Quran 2:183) We note that tazkiyah and taqwa are interconnected. Allah cautions, ‘Do not ascribe purity or righteousness to yourself, only Allah knows those who are pious.’

(Quran 53:32) A well-known duah or supplication of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) combines the notion of purity with piety: ‘O Allah, grant my soul its capacity for piety and purify my self. You are the best to

The spiritual dimension of the self is enlivened by giving attention and expression to those positive qualities that emanate from the best inner promptings of the nafs (soul) and the qalb (heart)... purify it as You are its guardian and its protector.’ (Sahih Muslim) So, tazkiyah is integral to the pursuit of taqwa, and eventual success for any individual comes from treading the path of purification of the self.

Tazkiya-tun-nafs (cleansing of the self) is an essential feature in human development and focuses on the purification of the self from all negative and evil tendencies that may arise.

It includes purification from weaknesses in human inclination as well as purification from negative aspects that could appeal to our desires and lead us to impropriety.

Treading the spiritual path, on the other hand, is manifested not in renouncing the world but rather in renouncing those negative traits

that arise due to greed, envy, hatred, selfishness, egoism and arrogance.

Tazkiyah is a resolute commitment to a personal process of selfcorrection, moral advancement and spiritual goodness.

We should realise that being spiritually sound necessitates being morally good; and goodness (ihsaan) emanates from husnniyyah (sincere intention), husnzann (positive consideration), husn-al-khuluq (good character) and amal-us-salih (righteous deeds).

A person who is spiritually developed is expected to harbour good intentions, have a clean heart and manifest a positive attitude, an endearing personality while always displaying exemplary behaviour.

The spiritual dimension of the self is enlivened by giving attention and expression to those positive qualities that emanate from the best inner promptings of the nafs (soul) and the qalb (heart).

Spirituality thus entails the developing of a heightened level of Allah-consciousness coupled with an increased dedication to the cultivation of a spirit of righteousness. It is a process of ascending levels of awareness by organising one’s journey through life in intimate communion with the Divine, ever aware that ‘from Him we come and unto Him is our ultimate return’, and realising that manifesting ihsaan (goodness) throughout our lives is eventually what matters most.

We should, therefore, fervently aim to develop the (fada’il) virtues

of sincerity, honesty, gratitude, patience, generosity, simplicity, humility, magnanimity and compassion.

In this special month of Ramadaan, the month of high intensity moral development and spiritual rejuvenation, let us make a commitment to cleanse our hearts and minds of all base thoughts and destructive emotions, beliefs and concepts.

This is only possible if we guard our organs of tongue, stomach, ears, eyes, hands, feet and mind of all sins, both outward and inward.

Let us rid ourselves of diseases such as pride, jealousy, malice, illfeeling, backbiting, anger, selfrighteousness, dishonesty, pretension, vanity, selfishness, vainglory, revenge, obsessive love of the world, manipulation of power and abuse of Allah’s favours.

We could, through tazkiyah, pursue the pathways to taqwa and, perchance, attain spiritual fulfilment in the context of an ever-challenging modern life. An improved self certainly contributes to a better world or at least to a better self.

Shaikh Sa’dullah Khan is CEO: Islamia College, in Cape Town.

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200 20 x 400 g

323

NO VAT

NO VAT

11

2692

50

Unit price when bought in bulk pack

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ANCHOR Instant Dry Yeast

D’LITE Cooking Oil

138 12 x 750 ml

24

19

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D’LITE Cooking Oil

25 x 500 g

00

663

COOKING

156

8 x 2.5 kg

12

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122 48 x 10 g

1000

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254

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CORDON BLEU 70% Fat Spread

MARVELLO 70% Fat Spread Original

D’LITE 37% Fat Spread Tub

285

35250

199

950

1175

1658

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159

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SNOWFLAKE Self-Raising Flour

152

80

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62 1033

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10 x 200 g

3150

96

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128

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8 x 2.5 kg

1450

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252

50

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1400

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12 x 400 g

9

90

87

140

174

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190

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2483

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FATTI’S & MONI'S Macaroni or Spaghetti

129

130

35

00

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6 x 1 kg

17

1050

21

149

3 x 900 g

6 x 100’s

12 x 100 g

(All variants) 67

JUNGLE OATS Regular

105

109

126 YUM YUM Peanut Butter

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30 x 500 g

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CLOVER Tropika Dairy Blend (All variants) 1.5 l

17 each

JIVE Soft Drink (All variants) 2l

10

50

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Muslim Views . May 2019

Ramadaan expo honours slain activists MAHMOOD SANGLAY

FREEDOM Day, the legacy of Imam Haron, important social issues and the significance of the national elections on May 8 were major themes at the Spice Mecca Ramadaan for All expo at the Cape of Good Hope Castle, from April 26 to 28.

The expo was attended by over 30 000 people.

These themes resonated with the traditional target audience of Muslims but also with a broader audience of other faith traditions as well as social and religious activists.

The official opening ceremony featured a diverse range of speakers, including representatives from other faiths.

Selected items on the expo programme were broadcast on the radio station Voice of the Cape and iTV. The setting of the Castle of Good Hope as venue offered both a symbolic and a physical confrontation between our colonial past and our present challenges as citizens in a democracy about to vote in national elections on May 8.

Given the significance of the timing and setting of the expo, the programme addressed these converging themes in stimulating ways that illuminated some vexing questions and interrogated many comfortable assumptions of our time.

Shreef Abbas, CEO of Spice Mecca, said the expo had sur-

The panel of speakers were Professor Muhammed Haron, son of Imam Haron who was killed in 1969, Imtiaz Cajee, nephew of Ahmed Timol, killed in 1971, Nkosinathi Biko, son of the Black Consciousness activist, Steve Bantu Biko, who was killed in 1977, and Lukhanyo Calata, son of Fort Calata, one of the Cradock Four who were killed in 1985... passed the objective of offering an inclusive trade platform to usher in the sacred month of fasting.

‘We are contextualising the spiritual significance of Ramadaan with relevant social and political themes so that we may deepen our understanding, appreciation and devotions for the love of humanity and in true submission to Allah,’ noted Abbas.

The Jumuah sermon by Shaikh Sadullah Khan, on April 26, in reflecting on the significance of Freedom Day, emphasised the importance of freedom from economic exploitation, political exclusion, social oppression, injustice and tyranny.

In this respect, he questioned the nature of the freedom experienced by South Africans today due to poor governance by those in the highest public office.

The sermon similarly addressed religious and ideological extremism and denounced these as a means of achieving any virtuous

objective.

It also foregrounded the failures of our democracy, after 25 years, in meeting the fundamental human rights of our people.

In calling for an interrogation of our current leadership, the speaker exhorted all to return to the values of heroes like Imam Haron.

On April 27, coinciding with Freedom Day, an audience of 100 people benefitted from a symposium on the theme of freedom.

Cassiem Khan of the Imam Haron Foundation moderated the symposium and Shaikh Ihsaan Taliep set its tone with some opening remarks.

The panel of speakers were Professor Muhammed Haron, son of Imam Haron who was killed in 1969, Imtiaz Cajee, nephew of Ahmed Timol, killed in 1971, Nkosinathi Biko, son of the Black Consciousness activist, Steve Bantu Biko, who was killed in 1977, and Lukhanyo Calata, son

of Fort Calata, one of the Cradock Four who were killed in 1985.

Minister of Economic Development, Ebrahim Patel, Distinguished Professor of Education at Stellenbosch University, Aslam Fataar, and Cape High Court Judge, Siraj Desai, were respondents.

The family members of the freedom fighters killed in the apartheid era offered narratives of their experiences of the deaths of their loved ones.

They also raised critical questions about the painful struggle to obtain justice and full disclosure of the events leading to the deaths of the activists.

In meaningful engagement between speakers and respondents, there was broad recognition that sacrificing one’s life in resistance against apartheid was for the ideals of freedom, justice and dignity.

The message of the symposium is that there is an exchange between the attainment of these

ideals and the means offered by our democracy.

These means are pre-eminently political instruments although the justice system, activism, advocacy and the like are also important.

Politically, the citizen has the power of the vote to engage those in political office over corruption, state capture, inequality, underdevelopment and the indignities associated with large-scale poverty.

As believers and as citizens, argued the participants, we invoke the sacrifice and martyrdom of heroic figures like Imam Haron.

Death in activism and martyrdom are invoked as a price paid for freedom, justice and dignity.

Therefore, the heroes of the past, particularly the figure of the martyr, offer a legitimate means to apply moral and ethical pressure on those in political office to deliver on the promise of freedom, justice and dignity.

The speakers and respondents also shared reflections on the meaning of sacrifice in respect of broader struggles.

Fataar averred that the ‘blood of the martyr would be wasted on those who support the Zionist state of Israel in its persecution of the Palestinians’.

He argued that the same applies to those who trample on the sovereignty of Venezuela, those who fail to be hospitable to the refugee, those who fail to challenge gender and all forms of unfair discrimination, and those who violate the rights and dignity of the poor and the marginalised.

Muslim Views . May 2019

13

Which bakkies have the best resale value?

THE resale value of any vehicle – bakkies included – is significant when shopping for wheels. With bakkies, in fact, it is of great importance because companies often operate pick-up fleets.

A bakkie buyer can, literally, lose tens of thousands of rands when the time comes to sell.

Now, for the first time, it is possible to name the top 10 bakkies in the land – when it comes to resale value.

The best bakkie in the country – in terms of resale value – will come as no surprise.

‘It’s the Toyota Hilux,’ reveals Darryl Jacobson, managing director of True Price.

Jacobson and the rest of the True Price team attend all major bank repossession auctions in Gauteng.

They do this in order to gather data pertaining to vehicle sales.

This data is utilised to provide free vehicle evaluations to South African motorists.

‘We now have data pertaining to thousands of vehicles on auction on our system.

An analysis of this data has revealed some extremely interesting findings when it comes to which bakkies have the best resale value.

‘We have produced a top 10, based on actual prices achieved on

auction.

The figures pertain to the percentage of original selling price that has been achieved on auction,’ he explains.

1. Toyota Hilux According to Jacobson, the Toyota brand is one of the most loved and trusted in South Africa.

‘Motorists believe that they are purchasing reliability and peace of mind when they opt for Toyota,’ he notes.

A second factor that bodes well for the Hilux is Toyota’s aftersales service.

‘Toyota dealers have an outstanding reputation for delivering good service at fair prices.

Furthermore, the dealer network is vast, meaning that you don’t have to look long and hard to locate a dealer.

Spare parts are also readily available,’ Jacobson points out.

Whenever a Hilux comes up on auction, Jacobson says it’s a case of bees to honey.

‘Interest in these vehicles is always immense – on the part of both the private buyers and dealers, too.’

Based on data gathered at major bank repossession auctions, the Toyota Hilux has come out as the best bakkie in the country, based on resale value.

Photo MotorPress

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

14

Muslim Views . May 2019

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

2. Chevrolet Utility This plucky little pick-up – no longer available new in South Africa (thanks to the departure of General Motors) – surprised Jacobson with its number two ranking. ‘To be perfectly honest, I would have expected the number two spot to go to the Ford Ranger because it is an incredibly popular bakkie in South Africa,’ he comments.

Having said that, Jacobson notes that the Chevrolet Utility is very popular on vehicle auctions.

‘Previously badged the Corsa Utility, this benchmark sub-one-ton bakkie was rebadged the Chevrolet Utility, back in 2010.

‘It was an incredibly popular bakkie. In fact, at the time of rebadging, sales were rapidly approaching the 150 000 mark.

After rebadging, its popularity did not wane. And for good reason: it is an affordable, robust and reliable workhorse,’ Jacobson maintains.

3. Isuzu KB/ D-Max The Isuzu KB is one of the most well-known bakkie derivatives in South Africa, hence its number three ranking. As Jacobson notes, it is now known as the Isuzu DMax. ‘The name was changed in October last year, in line with international naming conventions,’ he explains. The name change has done little to dispel enthusiasm for

the KB, which was first launched in South Africa in 1978. ‘Isuzu DMax sales volumes were up over 8,7 per cent in 2018 (versus 2017), and the bakkie’s market share is a respectable 14,4 per cent.

‘These bakkies are known to be reliable and durable. While they don’t quite have the rock star status of some other bakkie contenders (the Ranger, for instance), Isuzu bakkies are solid contenders that offer good value for money,’ says Jacobson.

4. Nissan NP200 When it was launched in South Africa in 2009, the NP200 had big shoes (or should that be tyres?) to fill. Its predecessor, the iconic 1400 Nissan Champ (initially the Datsun 1200) had been around for 37 years, and it had clocked up 275 000 sales.

Jacobson believes that the NP200 could be just as successful.

‘Highly versatile and functional, this affordable half-tonner is a firm favourite on vehicle auctions.

Buyers really like its class-leading payload (800 kg), load box volume (1,26 m3) and load box length (1,81 m) together with its fuel-efficient engines,’ he reports.

5. Ford Ranger The Ranger is a terrific bakkie that has been widely praised – both by members of the motoring media and by the buying public in this country. ‘An analysis of new vehicle sales reveals that it is consistently the second most popular bakkie in South Africa,’ notes Jacobson.

Buyers like the vehicle’s attractive styling, good levels of comfort and safety features. ‘Back in 2012, it was the first bakkie to earn five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test,’ Jacobson reveals. He adds that bidding on the Ranger is always keen on auction, with interest from both private buyers and dealers.

6. Volkswagen Amarok The Volkswagen Amarok has a large – and growing – fan base, and it has also garnered some sought-after awards. ‘Most recently, it won the 2018 International Pick-up Award,’ reveals Jacobson.

He says the judges expressed similar sentiments to auction bidders. ‘The jury rated the Amarok as the epitome of ‘work hard, play hard’, a core element of the entire pick-up segment, and described the Amarok as a top pedigree workhorse.’

The clear design, the fantastic feel/ finish and the workmanship were specifically cited by the jury as being key factors in their decision. The size of the double cab with room for five people, the benchmark in the segment, also impressed with its modern design.

The new V6 engine is also a real hit amongst South African motorists,’ Jacobson reveals.

7. Mazda BT-50 According to Jacobson, the BT50 is especially popular with recreational buyers. ‘While it is a capable workhorse, it tends to be purchased by motorists who are

wanting to drive it for fun, rather than for business-related purposes,’ he explains.

First introduced to the South African market in 2012, the BT-50 is popular thanks to its great styling, high quality interior and outstanding driving dynamics.

‘Buyers also appreciate the fact that it comes with a three-year unlimited kilometre factory warranty, three-year service plan and three years of free roadside assistance,’ Jacobson reports.

8. Nissan NP300 Hardbody The Nissan Hardbody took a massive knock last year, when Global NCAP and the Automobile Association (AA) South Africa launched the second round of #SaferCarsForAfrica crash test results. The Nissan NP300 Hardbody scored the lowest ratings, which was a dire result for this bakkie,’ Jacobson comments.

However, while this has made some buyers nervous, others have remained loyal to this long-standing player within the South African market.

‘Buyers like the fact that it is a value-for-money vehicle, which is reliable too. It is not a lifestyle or recreational bakkie; it is a workhorse through and through. Buyers believe that it will get the job done, and that’s what counts,’ says Jacobson.

9. Nissan Navara The Navara is precisely what the Hardbody is not: a sophisticated vehicle that offers great ride comfort, refinement and panache

(considering that it is, after all, a bakkie). The next-generation Navara will be built at Nissan’s Rosslyn factory, following a R3billion investment.

According to Jacobson, the Navara – which shares a platform with the Mercedes-Benz X-Class – boasts impressive levels of noise, vibration and harshness, a refined driveline and good levels of driver and passenger comfort. ‘Some people say it’s every bit as good as the X-Class … and I cannot disagree,’ says Jacobson.

10. GWM Steed According to Jacobson, the GWM Steed is popular with budget-conscious buyers. ‘GWM is a brand that has changed opinions of Chinese products in South Africa. Typically, buyers were terrified of buying Chinese because of inferior quality.

‘The Steed, however, is a solid if basic bakkie. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of many of the other bakkie competitors (the Navara, Amarok and Ranger, for instance). However, many buyers don’t care. They want a bakkie that is cheap, and the Steed fits the bill,’ Jacobson concludes.

Motorists wishing to establish the value of their vehicles can visit www.trueprice.co.za and request a FREE evaluation.

Note: All vehicles in this study were first registered in the years 2015 to 2018 (both years inclusive) and they have done between 0 and 150 000 kilometres.

Source: MotorPress

Muslim Views . May 2019

15

16

Muslim Views . May 2019

Staying safe on the wet roads AS parts of the Western Cape start experiencing the first of the winter rainfall, here are some tips to stay safe on wet roads.

People driving too slowly: while slowing down in rainy weather is important, some drivers may take this to the extreme. Looking ahead by up to 12 seconds (where visibility permits) will enable you to quickly see these drivers and move around them where possible. If you cannot safely move around, maintain a larger following distance and patiently wait for an opportunity to do so.

People driving too fast: do additional checks in your rearview mirror so that you see a fast driver long before they are right up behind you. If you are on the highway, only use the right-hand lane for passing, and avoid sitting in that lane where you are most likely to encounter reckless drivers.

Traffic lights not working: this is common with large amounts of rain. Traffic lights are to be treated like four-way stops but with even more caution. In larger intersections, many drivers are uncertain of when to go or even reluctant to wait their turn. Never take it for granted that drivers will stop when they are supposed to.

Flooding: avoid areas that are prone to flooding and keep an eye on traffic reports. If you do come across a section of road where there is fast-flowing water rather turn around or pull over if you can safely do so.

It only takes 15 cm of water to lift some cars off the tar.

Hydroplaning and skidding: if you start to hydroplane, slowly take your foot off the accelerator and concentrate on steering straight. Never brake. Gently steer

in the direction you do want to go until you regain control.

Be patient: do not let reckless or impatient drivers take your attention away from the road. Rather accept that these drivers are inevitable and rather focus your at-

When roads are wet drivers must exercise extra caution and be aware that certain roads are prone to flooding.

Photo MOTORPRESS

tention on getting to your destination safely.

Source: MotorPress

Muslim Views . May 2019

17

Limitless possibilities ahead for winner of Volkswagen Touareg Sabbatical THE Volkswagen Touareg Sabbatical Initiative asked South Africans to share their ideas of how they would put the luxury of time to good use, with a sabbatical dedicated to making a difference.

An impressive 1 380 plans were submitted by fans of the brand but only one of these applicants was

promised the opportunity to turn the idea into a reality.

In an announcement interview hosted by broadcaster Bruce Whitfield, Johannesburg-based Dr Rufaro Nyamuda was announced as the successful applicant of the campaign. Her business idea was reviewed by a panel of industry experts, including Volkswagen’s

marketing and communications manager, Meredith Kelly, and Ogilvy’s creative director, Mike Martin, and deemed to have the potential to be ‘extraordinarily impactful to communities’.

Speaking about Dr Nyamuda’s entry, Volkswagen’s head of communications, Andile Dlamini, said: ‘The standard of the ideas submit-

ted to our Volkswagen Touareg Sabbatical campaign have been exceptional.

‘The variety of ideas that we received made it a very difficult task to select one recipient to receive funding. However, Nyamuda’s plan has the potential to make a significant social impact, and that is what we were hoping for when

we began this journey.’

Dr Rufaro Nyamuda’s vision – to devise a comprehensive and robust healthcare management and educational platform that promotes the optimal medical support of children from Grade 0 to Grade 12 – resonated with panellists as a worthy contender for funding.

Source: MotorPress

18

Muslim Views . May 2019

Painful narratives from refugees in Lebanon MAHMOOD SANGLAY

A MOTHER goes to sleep and awakes to discover her baby frozen to death. They burn their belongings just to keep warm. A child’s shoes are too small for her so she finds a bigger pair on a landfill dump.

These images are real and reflect actual experiences of Syrian and Palestinian refugees in Lebanon as conveyed to a delegation of nine women volunteers and relief workers of Africa Muslims Agency (AMA).

In March this year, the AMA delegation undertook a mission to refugee camps in several refugee camps in Lebanon. Members of the delegation shared some of their encounters with about 55 guests on April 6, at the AMA office in Cape Town.

The story of 12-year-old Malak, in Al Marhaba camp, is typical. She has only one set of clothes and it is often damp because when she washes it she is unable to wait for it to dry completely. All she has is a blanket to cover herself while waiting for her clothes to dry sufficiently to wear again. And she remains silent when her peers tease her at school for being poor.

In a shelter in Aramoun is a woman who was kidnapped and raped in Homs, Syria. Bereft of her dignity, her husband was unable to bear the shame, both for being powerless to defend her and for being unable to provide for her thereafter as a refugee.

Dr Aisha Kaka, an AMA volunteer from Johannesburg, comforts an 11-year-old refugee orphan in Camp Al Marhaba. She is Photo URDA one of several orphans with only one set of clothes and no shoes.

He abandoned her and she confined herself to her compound, unable to confront the haunting memories of the trauma. Instead, she found solace in a constructive preoccupation, sewing.

She told the AMA women that the sound of the sewing machine was therapeutic and that she enjoyed making garments to sustain herself whenever possible. AMA funded her project and brought some of her hand-sewn scarves to sell to donors.

Although the AMA women engaged mostly women and children, they also encountered men affected by the tragedy of war. The men in the camps generally are un-

able to find employment and, therefore, are unable to provide for their families.

A man at the medical facility in Arsal broke down in tears when he met the AMA delegation. He had lost hope in humanity. He did not know that there were people who cared, and was overwhelmed when he encountered genuine compassion.

Some of the AMA women described it as surreal.

The medical facility is quite threadbare and lacking basic equipment to meet the health care needs of its patients. Dr Basem Algalleh is its superintendent, qualified as an orthodontist but

compelled to undertake surgical procedures in order to save lives.

The facility attends to over 250 patients per day.

The visit to the Sabra and Shatila camps was particularly significant. The camp was never restored after the massacre of over 1 400 Palestinians in 1982.

A widow of seven children at the Al Awda camp in the Beqaa Valley works in the field for $4 per day. She is paid at month-end and often runs out of money. They routinely contend with hunger and with the cold in winter.

Three of her children were born blind. One of them is a 20-yearold girl who is studying psychol-

ogy at University of Lebanon.

Their mother has sacrificed everything to ensure they have an education even though the older ones have to assist with looking after the younger ones when she is in the fields.

A volunteer from Cape Town visited the camps twice, in October 2018 and in March this year.

She recalls ten-year-old Umr on her first visit to Al Awda. Umr clearly bore the war-imposed trauma on his young face and frame.

‘This boy haunted me,’ said Najma, recalling the depth of his psychological scars.

In March this year, she met him again. After a few months of psycho-social therapy and some healthy interaction with peers in the camp, he showed signs of a returning vibrancy and a normal boyhood. He is not simply responding to humanitarian aid. He is responding to human compassion.

‘This is not a Muslim, Christian or Jewish thing. This is a human thing. They just want their dignity back,’ says Imraan Choonara, national director of AMA. AMA’s Ramadaan project this year is to feed the fasting Syrian and Palestinian refugees. This involves the supply of food hampers and hot meals to the most needy families. They include 5 000 food parcels for Syrian, 3 000 for Palestinian and 2 000 for Lebanese refugees.

The project also includes 30 000 hot meals for Ramadaan.

Muslim Views . May 2019

21

From Nato forces to Islam KHADIJA MARTINEZ speaks to Fatima, from Seville, Spain, who narrates a fascinating and adventurous journey to Islam.

I MET Fatima a couple of months ago, when we both happened to be invited to the house of a Muslim friend.

I really liked her beautiful, smiling face and spontaneous laughter.

As we talked briefly, her story struck me so strongly that, a couple of weeks later, I found myself travelling to Seville to interview her.

We met in a nice garden for a cup of tea, and I asked her to tell me about herself.

Fatima was born and raised in a conservative Catholic family of military tradition, her father being a member of the special military forces.

She grew up in a private military housing complex with special security measures, an enclosed and over-protected world with no space for anything, let alone any new ideas.

As a teenager, living in that world, it should not have come as a surprise to her parents that she expressed her intention to join the army.

Women in the army is relatively new in Spain and, for military parents, it is not a profession they would choose for their daughters who are usually destined to become perfect housewives.

There was a big fuss but her parents’ absolute opposition only made her decision stronger. She started training on her own and as

soon as she turned 18, she joined the army. She was primarily enlisted in the air force, and shortly afterwards she switched to the marines.

During the first months of her training, they navigated around Spain and there was some service at the American military base in Rota, Cadiz.

On her first duty, she was sent with the Spanish army to join a Nato humanitarian mission in Lebanon.

It all sounded great to this young enthusiastic woman – an exotic country, adventures and a mission to help people involved in a terrible conflict.

Her first shock was the heat then stomach flu, and then the cultural one. ‘Once I got better and more confident in my new destination, I started to walk around the streets of Lebanon in my free time to mix with the locals, even to befriend some of them. I loved listening to their music and eating their food; everything was so different to what I was used to!

‘I fell in love with Arabic calligraphy. I bought quite a few pictures of calligraphy to decorate my home without knowing the meaning, just because of its beauty.

Most of all I became fascinated by the sound of the adhaan.

‘But the real impact was when I was on duty. I soon realised we had not come there to help anyone; we were an army, called upon to shoot when necessary without asking questions. And always under the command of the American troops. In Lebanon, there were many, many bullets shot.’

After this first service, she had a holiday at home; time to reflect

and as soon as she had to get ready to return, she packed medicines and toys for the children.

Back home again it was difficult to feel ‘at home’ anymore. But the boredom was soon interrupted by a new destination. She was sent to Afghanistan.

‘This is my worst memory. I still have nightmares. I had to bury pieces of children’s bodies. The enemy used children loaded with bombs to attack us. The enemy was outrageous but I also realised that we were not the ‘good ones’.

‘We raided villages although we were supposed to be there in the capacity of humanitarian aid. We made incursions in collaboration with the land forces under the command of the American army.

‘To wear a scarf there was enough to be a target. They would shoot at anybody who did not have the American flag on their shoulder.

‘I found myself in the trenches with my fellow Spaniards observing how, from time to time, a small group of the enemy got out of their trench, went further back and made strange movements of standing quietly and bowing.

‘We wondered why they were risking themselves as we could easily have taken advantage of the situation and shoot them with long-range weapons. We discussed it and realised they were praying.

No one dared shoot.

‘I found myself attacking a house, supposed to be a nest of the Taliban, and as we broke in all we found was a man on his knees, wounded, with his hands up, and a woman protecting a bunch of children with her body and arms.

I shouted to my group not to shoot and told them to run; in the confusion, I put all the money I had into the woman’s hand.

‘I realised that we were sent as ‘humanitarian aid’, for political reasons and also to avoid paying extra pensions for those of us who died there because instead of ‘died in combat’, they were labelled as ‘collateral damage’.

‘I was punished and arrested many times by my superiors.’

Soon afterwards, she was sent to Somalia.

‘In Somalia they talked to us about pirates but what I saw was the Americans attacking fishing boats. Our boat was not even allowed to come close to the ‘forbidden area’, which was what the American zone was called. Nobody knew what was really going on there.

‘The best part of the Somalian service was that we stopped in harbours like Alexandria, and places like Tanzania, Kenya,

(Left) Fatima, from Seville in Spain, tells her story about her journey to Islam which started as a marine serving with Nato forces in Lebanon.

Photo KHADIJA MARTINEZ

Fatima on her wedding day. She and her husband embraced Islam after she had become interested in the deen following stints with Nato forces in Lebanon, Photo SUPPLIED Afghanistan and Somalia.

Oman. We would stay for four or five days. I used to wander through the markets and even visited some mosques.

‘In Abu Dhabi, I joined a guided tour in which we were taught how to take wudu and pray. I felt generosity, hospitality, love for animals, happy women…

I felt very comfortable.’

And this was the end of her military career. Back in Seville, she started to read the translation of the Quran. She would search the internet for histories of the Sa-

habah and began sharing her feelings with a close friend of hers.

Together, they decided to get in touch with the Spanish Muslims in Seville. They arranged an appointment to join the Sunday gathering, when the members of the community gather to recite Quran and, afterwards, share cake and coffee.

That very day, she took the Shahada. Her new name is Fatima.

The next week, her friend took the Shahada. Now, they are happily married and involved with the community of Muslims in Seville.

Fatima, when she was still serving as a marine in the Spanish armed forces, preparing to leave with Nato forces to serve in Lebanon. This marked the start of her journey to Islam.

Photo SUPPLIED

22

Muslim Views . May 2019

Israeli Apartheid Week marked in South Africa ISMAIL MAHOMED

SEVENTY-ONE years on, the scourge of ethnic cleansing continues in occupied Palestine.

The United Nations, International Criminal Court and a host of oppressive, so-called democratic states secretly or with a forked tongue appear to support the status quo of occupation, oppression, mass killings and disenfranchisement of the Palestinian people by Apartheid Israel.

The recent resolution of the Arab League too smacks of blatant hypocrisy when some of the Middle Eastern states actually pride themselves in unsavoury relationships with Apartheid Israel and other such states.

Some countries in the African Union who had for hundreds of years been colonised, raped of their resources, depopulated and bitterly oppressed, now have new ‘Black-White’ leaders who choose to continue the legacy of their colonial slave masters.

These rogue states have callously chosen to motivate for observer status for Israel at the African Union.

What a shame!

Are not Africans capable of resolving their own problems by themselves?

Among those leading the crusade to sideline the plight of the Palestinian inhabitants, happen to be the previously colonised Senegal and Zambia.

Drawing attention to all of this, Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) was commemorated globally for the

Renowned literary figure and political activist, Umaruddin Don Mattera, reads from his latest book, A Song for Palestine, at the launch hosted by the Palestine Photo ISMAIL MAHOMED Solidarity Alliance, in Sophiatown, Johannesburg.

fifteenth time in over 250 cities from April 1 to 7, 2019.

In a variety of ways, the people of the world were reminded of the Nakba (Catastrophe) continuously unfolding in the occupied land of Palestine.

As part of the IAW programme in South Africa, a prominent activist-cum-academic, Badea Dwaik, who hails from Hebron, where Shuhada Street is located, arrived in this country.

He was a guest of the Palestine Solidarity Alliance and toured the country, talking to many audiences of cultural and academic diversity.

He emphasised the dictum that Palestinians will one day certainly return to their land. He also pro-

moted the idea of peaceful methods of challenging the enemy.

One such campaign is the ‘through the lens’ method by which the world is able to witness first-hand the carnage and other atrocities perpetrated by the notorious Israeli regime.

Apart from joining the global IAW, South Africans also commemorated Land Day on March 30.

Yari Hawari, writing on Aljazeera.com sketches the background to Land Day: ‘On March 30, 1976, Israeli police shot and killed six Palestinian citizens of Israel as they were protesting the Israeli government’s expropriation of thousands of donums of Palestinian land.

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‘Since then, March 30 has been known as Land Day. It has become a major commemorative date in the Palestinian political calendar and an important event in the Palestinian collective narrative – one that emphasises Palestinian resistance to Israeli colonisation and sumud (steadfastness).’

The commemoration in South Africa was co-ordinated at Constitution Hill, in Johannesburg, by the Palestine Solidarity Alliance.

A number of organisations from civil society participated in planting five olive trees to remember all the Palestinian martyrs who succumbed to the sniper fire of the Israeli Occupation Force. Those were the young and old who sacrificed their precious lives during the Great Return March, which took place a year ago, on March 30.

Organisations represented here on Land Day, amongst others, were: South African Jews for a Free Palestine, represented by Allan Hurwitz; Kairos from the Christian faith, represented by Siaan van der Merwe; Palestine Youth Movement (Global), represented by Loubna Qutami; United Front; and Hebron in Occupied Palestine, represented by guest of honour, Badea Dwaik.

Following the planting of the olive trees, all the delegates gathered in the Women’s Jail and were addressed by, among others, youth leader Loubna Qutami and Badea Dwaik. They elaborated on the current situation in Palestine, strategies to confront the enemy and mobilisation of the youth

throughout the world.

At this point also, the presence of other Palestinian activists, including Lema Nazeeh, hosted by BDS South Africa on other programmes must be acknowledged.

To crown the many activities that took place in our country, the Palestine Solidarity Alliance hosted the launch of A Song for Palestine, a book of poems on children by legendary literary figure and renowned political activist, Umaruddin Don Mattera.

The function was held at the Trevor Huddleston Institute, in Sophiatown. An opportunity was also given to many a guest and friend present to rekindle striking memories of the apartheid era and the liberation struggle.

Mattera is also well acquainted with the effects of colonial oppression and disenfranchisement, and an experienced fighter for liberation. He remains an icon amongst most South Africans and particularly among the oppressed.

Many of the guests waited patiently in a long queue to have their purchase autographed and to interact with Mattera. The book launch was certainly an inspiring, memorable and historic event, particularly for the children of Palestine.

The Palestine Solidarity Alliance together with the many unidentified activists for freedom, justice and peace in the world pray that their humble and selfless efforts will bring liberation for the people of Palestine and for other oppressed communities of the world a step closer.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

25

Uplifting Manenberg through spiritual intervention AMINA WAGGIE

GANG violence has been going on for many years in Manenberg, and in the nine months leading up to April 2018, the violence had reached a point where both adults and children were unable to leave the area to go to work or school as it had become too dangerous for them to leave their homes.

The residents felt that they had had enough and wanted something to be done to end the violence. A spiritual upliftment programme was then initiated by Moulana Sameeg Norodien, a resident of Manenberg and a man of many professions and trades.

He is a respected imam within his community, a madrasah teacher, a marriage counsellor, a death registrar, a community worker, a painter and the director of the Manenberg Centre of Islamic Information and Education.

In April 2018, Norodien and community leaders of Manenberg, along with Captain Ian Bennett, from Manenberg South African Police Service (SAPS), got together and initiated a peace treaty between the five gangs in the area: Clever Kids, Jester Kids, Hard Livings, Americans and Dixi Boys.

The violence stopped and any disagreements between gang members were to be discussed in private so as not to turn into public violence which, in turn, would result in civilian casualties.

In order to ensure that the peace between the gangs would continue, Norodien devised some

Members of the Manenberg community come out in their numbers for the weekly street dhikr, which is part of the community’s way of addressing the gang violence in the area. The initiative resulted in Moulana Sameeg Norodien receiving a Certificate of Commendation: Community Policing by the Manenberg South African Police Service (SAPS) for his sterling Photo SUPPLIED work in the community of Manenberg and the significant decrease in gang violence.

community projects to bring about a positive change and influence on the community. The first project initiated immediately after the peace agreement was the first ever mass boeka (breaking of fast) in the streets of Manenberg, where there were nearly 3 000 people present.

This was planned and coordinated by Norodien, Shaikh Saalih Isaacs, who is a member of the upliftment programme, the neighbourhood watch of Sherwood Park and the Manenberg SAPS. ‘It was said on that day, that if bad people can do bad things then good people can do good things,’ said Norodien.

Norodien has always been drawn to helping his fellow man and believes that by being of service to those in need, positive change can be brought about.

He has been involved in community work since the age of 18 and has never wavered in his dedication to uplifting his community.

Despite the many opportunities he was given to travel and teach in other areas, he has stayed loyal to the community of Manenberg.

‘I’m very involved and active in the community because I was born there and even though I got opportunities to go abroad and be an imam in other areas, I didn’t take these opportunities because I want

to work amongst my people in Manenberg,’ said Norodien.

After Ramadaan, the community had its first ever mass Eid Salaah in Manenberg Avenue, where there were over 200 people present.

The mass boeka and mass Eid Salaah was what sparked the beginning of a spiritual journey for most of those present. The aim of the spiritual gatherings was to reconnect the people with God and help them find peace and contentment within themselves and their community, and, over the past year, that has been achieved.

On Thursday, July 26, 2018, they held a mass community dhikr,

the first to ever take place in the streets of Manenberg, and not in a masjid.

The reason for having the dhikr in the street was to unite and uplift the community, Muslims and nonMuslims alike. More than 100 people attended.

A dhikr was held every Thursday after that until December 13, 2018, and was started again on January 31, 2019.

They held the dhikr every week in a different part of Manenberg and the attendance grew to nearly 600 people.

Aside from the weekly dhikrs, Norodien started outreach projects involving the elderly in the community. He also has madrasah classes for children and teenagers during weekdays, and Saturday classes for adults. This all forms part of the upliftment programmes in Manenberg.

‘This upliftment programme has been wonderful. Spiritual upliftment has really made a huge impact within the community of Manenberg. It has reduced the gang tension and conflict in the area.

‘Between 2016 and 2018, gang violence was at its peak and there were many murders and attempted murders but since the spiritual intervention in April 2018, there has been a massive reduction of more than 70 per cent in gang-related incidents.

‘Moulana Norodien has definitely played a huge part in creating an upliftment in the Manenberg residential area,’ said Captain Bennet.

26

Muslim Views . May 2019

Community worker Tahir Levy calls it a day TAHIR LEVY, who heads Al Gidmah Community and Welfare Workers, has announced that the office of the NGO will be closing at the end of June 2019, after 50 years of service.

Mr Levy and his volunteers had a simple motto – ‘To serve’ – and, indeed, this was the focus of his work over five decades.

Describing his years of service to the community as ‘both humbling and gratifying’, the untiring Mr Levy added: ‘I am thankful that we have been able to provide free services to hundreds, if not thousands, of people from the Cape Flats and surrounding areas.’

The free services offered by Mr Levy’s office allowed people to access, amongst others, child grants and old age pensions, UIF, maintenance payments for divorcees, District Six land claims and legal aid.

He also assisted people who had been served with eviction notices, helped to draw up wills, liaised on behalf of people who

were on the City of Cape Town’s waiting list for housing, referred religious matters to the Muslim Judicial Council and counselled families faced with drug addiction problems, and assisted them to enter rehabilitation centres.

Thanking all those who supported his work over the years, particularly during some challenging times, Mr Levy specifically noted the rental that was paid ‘for so many years’ by Citizen Surveys, which enabled him to offer his services from a central base at Fairview House, in Argyle Street, Woodstock.

The veteran community worker recalled with fondness what his wife often told him: ‘We are married in community of property but for the most part you have become the property of the community.’

‘I now realise the truth in those words,’ said Mr Levy. ‘I thank my wife, Fatima, and children for their unwavering support and, finally, at the age of 84 years, I am retiring.’

‘I am thankful that we have been able to provide free services to hundreds, if not thousands, of people...’

CMRM expresses solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka We call on all peace and justice loving people to redouble our efforts to spread love and compassion to heal our troubled world.

IT is with profound sadness and tragic bewilderment that the Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) congregation received the heartbreaking news of deliberate acts of terror targeting Christian churches as well as hotels in Sri Lanka during the holy Easter Sunday services on April 21, 2019.

These bomb blasts are the latest acts of inhumanity and cold-heartedness targeting places of worship, and have claimed the lives of over 100 Christian worshippers and maimed over 500 people in Sri Lanka.

We extend our sincere condolences to the people of Sri Lanka

and pray for victims and their loved ones.

These all too frequent attacks on sacred places of worship, and the tragic loss of life and maiming that they cause are emblematic of the heartbreaking hatred and cruelty that has beset our current world.

We call on all peace and justice loving people to redouble our efforts to spread love and compassion to heal our troubled world.

We appeal especially to our Muslim brothers and sisters to reciprocate the solidarity and compassion that poured out in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque attacks in March, this

year. Let us be at the forefront of condemning these attacks and reaching out in solidarity to our Christian faith communities, neighbours, families and friends who are grieving at this most sacred time of Easter on the Christian calendar.

We call for the perpetrators to be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice, and the world community to reach out in solidarity with the grieving people of Sri Lanka.

Issued by Jaamia Galant, secretary; Dr Salih Solomon, chairperson; and Imam Abdur Rashied Omar, imam, on behalf of the CMRM Board.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

27

Terror attacks in Sri Lanka a lesson for South Africa DR FIROZ OSMAN

A SERIES of bomb blasts ripped through the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo, on Sunday, April 21, killing about 300 people and injuring 500, shattering ten years of calm after the 25-year civil war that cost over 50 000 lives.

The fractious Sri Lankan government admitted to a major intelligence failure, with President Mairthripala Sirisena unaware of warnings from Indian and American intelligence agencies of an impending attack. This resulted in the resignations of two top security officials.

An obscure Muslim group, the National Touheeth Jama’ath (NTJ), was blamed for carrying out the carnage. However, the coordination and sophistication of the attack pointed to external involvement. Isis duly claimed responsibility for the dastardly deed, albeit three days later.

This was despite the claim by USA president, Donald Trump, declaring that Isis’s so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq, was ‘100 per cent’ defeated, touting it as one of his administration’s biggest foreign policy successes, and one his predecessor wasn’t able to achieve.

Speaking to US troops at Elmendorf Air Force Base, in Alaska, where Air Force One briefly stopped to refuel on its way back from Vietnam, Trump boasted: ‘You kept hearing it was 90 per cent, 92 per cent, the caliphate in Syria. Now it’s 100 per cent. We did that in a much

It is entirely possible that a foreign state or intelligence agency was the catalyst behind the attacks, and the NTJ are merely pawns in a much larger and even more dangerous game. This should serve as an abiding lesson for South Africa... shorter period of time than it was supposed to be.’

US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, said that the United States will keep fighting ‘radical Islamic terror’ in the wake of the Sri Lanka attacks.

‘Radical Islamic terror remains a threat,’ Pompeo told reporters.

‘This is America’s fight, too.’

So, Isis had to be resurrected.

The US State Department has warned of further attacks in Sri Lanka in a revised travel advisory, urging increased caution and adding, ‘Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Sri Lanka.’

Unfortunately, radical groups brainwashed by noxious Saudi Wahhabi ideology oblige, and perpetrate heinous crimes, transgressing fundamental Islamic tenets.

Much like Al Qaeda, Isis is an American and Western-created, Saudi Arabian financed instrument of terror designed to destabilise, divide and conquer its enemies in the Middle East and elsewhere.

It primarily serves as a pretext for US military and its allies’ interventions abroad; it foments a manufactured domestic threat; and justifies regime change, invasion and occupation of nation states. The USA and its allies act with impunity and in violation of international law.

This tragedy raises a number of pertinent questions. Who benefits?

Certainly not the minority Muslims who never had a problem with the Sinhalese majority nor with the Christian minority. Nor does Sri Lanka benefit, whose booming tourist industry suffered a loss amounting to billions of dollars.

Why Isis? And why their claim only three days later? Where did the weapons originate? And where were the obscure NJT trained and financed? And what motivation would Isis have to destabilise Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka, a poor island known for its magnificent beaches, jungles and tea plantations, has become an arena for geopolitical impor-

tance between its neighbour India, and China, which has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure.

Sri Lanka has joined the Chinese Belt Road Initiative (BRI), and the growing Chinese influence in the country disrupts the power balance which India seeks, to turn the country into something of an Indian protectorate.

It is entirely possible that a foreign state or intelligence agency was the catalyst behind the attacks, and the NTJ are merely pawns in a much larger and even more dangerous game. This should serve as an abiding lesson for South Africa.

South Africa has been accused of harbouring Isis ‘sleeper cells’ that plot attacks on foreign embassies, synagogues and government installations.

The modus operandi is as follows: usually, an embassy issues a warning of an impending terror attack from an anonymous source.

This is emblazoned on the front pages of the media, creating panic.

Self-styled ‘terror-experts’ hype-up

a climate of fear through the media. Government is forced to ramp up security, chasing phantom ‘terrorists’ to reassure the frightened public.

This charade of the Isis bogey has been prevalent since this country hosted the World Cup in 2010, and shrill alarm bells have rung regularly. Usually, the suspicious culprit is a dark skinned, MiddleEastern person, sporting a beard or donning a veil, that fits the Western profile of an ‘Islamic terrorist’ – the stereotype of the new enemy.

South Africa, a country rich in natural resources and following an independent foreign policy based on human rights, and with a natural affinity in supporting the oppressed, can become a target for destabilisation, ala Sri Lanka, by foreign agents using the bogey of ‘Muslim terrorists’.

South Africa’s downscaling of the embassy in Apartheid Israel, opposing sanctions against Iran and support for Venezuela, and its moral high ground in world politics, inter alia, could antagonise and obstruct the hegemonic geopolitical designs of the Western powers and their allies.

The tragedy in Sri Lanka and the deaths of so many innocent lives should alert us all that many of the terror outfits we know today are linked to geopolitics and the pursuit of global dominance and power.

Dr Firoz Osman is an executive member of Media Review Network, an advocacy group based in Gauteng.

Muslim Views . May 2019

29

Positively Muslim honours Faghmeda Miller, living with HIV for 25 years AMINA WAGGIE

TO mark their 25th anniversary, Positively Muslim held a fundraiser to celebrate their organisation’s achievements and to honour their special guest, co-founder of Positively Muslim, Faghmeda Miller, on Saturday, April 6, 2019, at the Athlone High School hall.

Miller was the first Muslim woman in South Africa to publicly declare her human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status in 1994, an era when communities were uninformed and in denial.

She has triumphed through many challenges and has shown Muslims that HIV, like many other chronic illnesses, can be managed. In the face of stigma and discrimination, she became a beacon of hope for the marginalised.

This year marks her 25th year living with HIV and hence the fundraising event celebrated a double anniversary.

When Miller first revealed her status, she was judged and ridiculed by her community, which at that time was very conservative.

Not many understood or knew what HIV and Aids were, let alone the various ways in which the virus could be contracted.

Miller only received support from her community when she stated that she had contracted the virus while she was married. Before that she had received very little support. The judgement and stigma attached to HIV had to be stopped and Miller made it her mission to do that, which resulted in the formation of Positively

Faghmeda Miller, special guest at the event, was honoured with an award for her role in the establishment of Positively Muslim and her continuous support and upliftment of those living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids). She is pictured with the founding members of the NGO. From left to right are Fatima Noordien, Faghmeda Miller and Farahneez Hassiem.

Photo THAAKIR HENDRICKS

Muslim. A short and inspirational speech was given by Miller about her experience as a Muslim living with HIV while trying to break the stigma attached to it. She believes that she is living proof that one can live a long and normal life with the virus, especially if one has the support of the community.

‘One of the main reasons that people do not live long with the virus is because of the judgments of society and a lack of support from family and the community.

What has carried me through this journey has been my Creator and my mother, who has played an instrumental role in me being here (alive) today.

‘She encouraged me to eat, take my medication and rest when I needed to. Without a support system in place, it is very hard to go through the journey alone.

Positively Muslim hopes to be that support system to those suffering from the disease,’ said Miller.

She has dedicated her life to making a difference in the lives of those infected, and affected, with HIV and Aids. She is seen as a leader within the community as she has made a tremendous impact on others by being a spokesperson and a role model for the Muslim community.

‘We recognise her tireless efforts in representing the Muslim community and South Africa, locally and internationally, for the past quarter century. In addition, her story and trajectory challenge the prevailing stereotypes of HIV and Aids, and is an example that HIV can affect all, irrespective of religion, race, gender or socio-economic status,’ said Najma Altalib,

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committee member of Positively Muslim and Miller’s sister.

Altalib mentioned that many of the past leaders and ardent stalwarts have passed on without getting acknowledgment for their sacrifices for the Muslim community, and the fundraising event was aimed at honouring both past and present community leaders.

Positively Muslim is a registered non-government organisation (NGO) that supports disadvantaged communities by hosting workshops on alternative health modalities and changing perceptions around disease. Their aim is to ensure that those affected by a disease or illness will take responsibility for their own wellbeing. There are different aspects of their work, which consists of partnerships, training, education, social media, technology, disease,

health, reproductive health, treatments and health alternatives.

Their focus is on strengthening the person and building strong, connected families that are community spirited.

The organisation placed on record their first annual report as a self-funded organisation of volunteers and activists on a health mission from April 6, 2018, to April 6, 2019. They aim to unveil the aspects of disease so that it can be seen as a ‘dis-Ease’.

The 25th anniversary event hosted more than 500 guests, some of whom were family and friends who all came out to show their support and to learn more about the organisation and the special guest, Miller.

The tickets cost R200, which entitled the bearer to a threecourse meal and the ability to participate in a lucky draw. The audience enjoyed the programme and the entertainment which was provided.

If you would like to volunteer, donate or simply learn more about the organisation, you may contact Positively Muslim on their email address: positively.muslim.2014 @gmail.com.

30

Muslim Views . May 2019

Imam Haron 50th year commemorative events update

TO mark 50 years after the death in detention of ash-Shaheed Imam Abdullah Haron, the Imam Haron Commemoration Committee (IHCC) has organised a number of events, until September 29, 2019 – the date on which Imam Haron was buried after his killing on September 27.

The events aim to raise awareness about the struggle of the Imam against apartheid, and to learn more about his personality and character as a community builder, activist and revolutionary so that current and future generations can draw lessons to continue to strive for justice.

Cassiem Khan, coordinator of the IHCC, is encouraging the pub-

lic to remember Imam Haron at the their existing events on the calendar of schools, madrasahs, sports clubs, mosques, at dhikrs, khatams and during Ramadaan programmes, amongst other events.

The IHCC kicked off its programme of events with the media launch of the Imam Haron Foundation on February 8. This was followed on February 10 by a Quran khatam at Masjid ul Rawbie, in Mitchells Plain, organised by the Muslim Judicial Council to mark its 74th anniversary.

A number of other programmes were held where Imam Haron was honoured throughout March and April.

While many more programmes are in the pipeline, the major event is on May 28, marking the day when the Imam was arrested. It also launches the #Imam123Days campaign, 123 indicating the number of days Imam Haron was held in detention before his brutal killing at the hands of apartheid special branch interrogators.

This programme will be held at Al Jaamia Masjid, in Stegmann Road, Claremont, where Imam Haron officiated.

Other confirmed events are: l June 16, 2019: educational quiz at Alexander Sinton High School, Crawford. l Date tbc: sevens rugby tournament at City Park, Crawford. l July 18-19, 2019: tribute concert at ArtsCape Theatre, Cape Town. l August 2019: celebrating Aunty Galiema Haron, widow of Imam Haron, with a dhikr at Claremont Main Road Mosque on the occasion of her birthday. l September 2019: Lecture, play and Apex public event at City Park Stadium.

For further information on the activities planned or to add your organisation or jamaah’s name to the programme of events, contact the IHCC coordinator, Cassiem Khan, via WhatsApp at 076 640 7928 or email him at cassiemkhan9@gmail.com.

Cassiem Khan can also be contacted for the banking details of the IHCC.

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Nisa Gaibie opened the exhibition of her work at the Academia Art Gallery, at Islamia College. The exhibition will be open to the public till June 30, 2019, and the opening hours are from 9am till 5pm on weekdays, and 9am till 1pm on weekends. The exhibition officially opened on April 16, featuring Abbas Jamie as keynote speaker and Shaikh Saâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;dullah Khan as guest speaker. Gaibieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s display consists of a range of 13 paintings on blockmounted canvas, depicting the sacred in the form of verses from the Quran.

She is pictured above, right, with Saaid Dawood at the gallery in front of the Asma ul-Husna, which is a collage of 102 mini hand-made canvases in various sizes, ranging from 100 mm x 100 mm to 200 mm x 200 mm. These canvases are all assembled on a board with the first name being placed on the right, going down in rows and ending on the left. The board itself has a concrete finish and spans 3,6 metres x 1,35 metres. The concrete finish was chosen to complement the individual canvases which are finished in ranges of blues, greens and corals, interspersed with

metallics in a marbled finish. The canvases are carefully placed and spaced with gaps at irregular intervals. These empty spaces are filled with tiny shelves onto which little ornaments are placed. The black shelves also gives it a linear feel and adds structure to the almost random placings. The art piece is a complex yet, easy-on-the-eye, feast for the viewer who can visit it umpteen times and see something different each time. Each one is an art piece on its own with one of the beautiful names of Allah. The bigger canvases also have the meanings, which were carefully researched to give the viewer more depth into the names.

Some of the canvases intentionally have no descriptive details, the intention being that the viewer would be intrigued enough to go and do his or her own research and find out more about the blessed names. The aim of this art piece is not only to give visual effect but to inspire the viewer to come closer to Allah by learning more about His beautiful names and, in that way, getting to know Him better.

Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

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make any package to any destination globally. Having travelled extensively worldwide, we bring our own personal experience into the preparation of an ideal, cost effective, yet comfortable ÄşÂ&#x192;ÂŚÄ&#x2026;Â&#x192;äĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x20AC;ĹŹ/Ä&#x2DC;ŏůòĂ&#x201A;ĹŹĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x201A;Ä&#x2C6;œŏģĂ&#x2DC;ĹŹ,Â&#x192;Ä&#x192;Ä&#x192;ĹŹÂ&#x17D;ĹŹhÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;òŏģſĹ&#x201C;ĹŹÄ&#x2019;áĹ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x203A;áģÄ&#x2DC;²ŏ/Ä&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x203A;òÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x2C6;Â&#x192;òŏáĹ&#x203A;ĹŹĹŻÄŁĹŹÄ&#x2019;Â&#x192;Ä&#x2026;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹ,Â&#x192;Ä&#x192;Ä&#x192;ĹŹÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;œŏhÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;òŏÂ&#x192;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2DC;ÄŁĹ&#x201C;ÂśÂ&#x192;Â&#x203A;Ä&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹ ĹŻÄŁĹŹÂ&#x192;ĹŹĆ?áœĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x201C;ĹŹĹ&#x203A;ÄşĂ&#x201A;ÂŚĹŻĹ&#x201C;ĹżÄ&#x2019;ĹŹÄŁĂ&#x2DC;ĹŹÄşĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x203A;ÄŁÄ&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x203A;ĹŹĹ&#x201C;Ă&#x201A;äÂ&#x192;Ĺ&#x201C;ÂśÄ&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;Ĺ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x203A;ĹŹÄŁĂ&#x2DC;ŏòĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x201C;áůÂ&#x192;äĂ&#x201A;ĹŹÄŁĹ&#x201C;ĹŹĂ&#x2122;Ä&#x2DC;Â&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;·Â&#x192;Ä&#x2C6;ĹŹĹ&#x203A;ĹŻÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;χÄ&#x2DC;äĹ&#x20AC;ĹŹtĂ&#x201A;ĹŹÂ&#x192;ĹŻĹŹzĹżĹ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;ĹŹcÄŁĹżĹ&#x201C;Ĺ&#x203A;ĹŹÂ&#x17D;ĹŹ tĂ&#x201A;Ä&#x2019;Â&#x203A;Ä&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;Ć&#x2022;ĹŹcĹ&#x201C;Â&#x192;Ć&#x17D;Ă&#x201A;Ä&#x2C6;ŏòÂ&#x192;Ć&#x17D;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹĹ&#x201C;Ă&#x201A;Ă&#x2122;Ä&#x2DC;Ă&#x201A;œŏůòĂ&#x201A;ĹŹĹ? Ă&#x201A;Ĺ&#x203A;ĹŻĹŹsÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2C6;ĹżĂ&#x201A;ĹŹĂ&#x2DC;ÄŁĹ&#x201C;ĹŹÄ&#x2019;ÄŁÄ&#x2DC;Ă&#x201A;Ć&#x2022;ĹŹÄşÂ&#x192;ÂŚÄ&#x2026;Â&#x192;äĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x203A;Ĺ&#x17D;Ĺ&#x20AC;ĹŹ Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x2C6;ĹŹĆ&#x2022;ģſŏòÂ&#x192;Ć&#x17D;Ă&#x201A;ŏůģŏœģŏáĹ&#x203A;ĹŹĹŻÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2026;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹ Â&#x192;ÂśĆ&#x17D;Â&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;ĹŻÂ&#x192;äĂ&#x201A;ĹŹÄŁĂ&#x2DC;ŏůòáĹ&#x203A;ŏģĺĺģĹ&#x201C;ĹŻĹżÄ&#x2DC;áůĆ&#x2022;ŏůòÂ&#x192;ĹŻĹŹĆ?Ă&#x201A;²ŏÂ&#x203A;Ć&#x2022;ŏůòĂ&#x201A;ĹŹĆ?áÄ&#x2C6;Ä&#x2C6;ĹŹÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;œŏÄ&#x2019;Ă&#x201A;Ĺ&#x201C;ÂŚĆ&#x2022;ĹŹÄŁĂ&#x2DC;ŏůòĂ&#x201A;ĹŹ Ä&#x2C6;Ä&#x2019;áäòůĆ&#x2022;²ŏÂ&#x192;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2DC;ÄŁĹ&#x201C;œŏĆ&#x2022;ÄŁĹż

What we offer: Hajj & Umrah: We buy rooms in bulk from local Saudi operators hence allowing us to secure Ĺ&#x201C;ÄŁÄŁÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x203A;ĹŹÂ&#x192;ĹŻĹŹÂ&#x192;ĹŹĆ?òģÄ&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;Ĺ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Ä&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹĹ&#x201C;Â&#x192;ĹŻĂ&#x201A;ŏůģŏůòĂ&#x201A;ŏĺſÂ&#x203A;Ä&#x2C6;áŒĹ&#x20AC;ĹŹtĂ&#x201A;ĹŹÂ&#x192;Ĺ&#x201C;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹÄŁÄ&#x2DC;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹÄŁĂ&#x2DC;ŏůòĂ&#x201A;ĹŹĂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x201A;Ć?ĹŹÂ&#x192;äĂ&#x201A;Ä&#x2DC;ĹŻĹ&#x203A;ŏůòÂ&#x192;ĹŻĹŹÂ&#x192;Ĺ&#x201C;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹ/Â&#x192;ĹŻÂ&#x192;ĹŹÂŚĂ&#x201A;Ĺ&#x201C;ůáĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x201A;œŏ Â&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;œŏòÂ&#x192;Ć&#x17D;Ă&#x201A;ĹŹÄŁĹżĹ&#x201C;ĹŹÄŁĆ?Ä&#x2DC;ĹŹhÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;òŏÄ&#x2C6;áŒĂ&#x201A;Ä&#x2DC;Ĺ&#x203A;Ă&#x201A;ŏůģŏœģŏhÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;òŏĆ&#x17D;áĹ&#x203A;Â&#x192;Ĺ&#x203A;²ŏģſĹ&#x201C;ĹŹ]Â&#x192;ſœáŏhÄ&#x2019;Ĺ&#x201C;Â&#x192;òŏŒģÄ&#x2019;ÄşÂ&#x192;Ä&#x2DC;Ć&#x2022;ĹŹÂ&#x203A;Ă&#x201A;áÄ&#x2DC;äŏ Ä&#x2C6;ĹŹ Firdous. We dont use 3rd parties for hotel rooms as we deal directly with the hotels and Saudi agents. For many years we have received the top achiever/ top producer rates for many hotels hence our rates being the best in the market Dubai, Jordan, Palestine & Turkey: We have our own partner companies in these

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34

Muslim Views . May 2019

Reflections on Transformative Living

Why Jeff Bezos is wrong IMAM AFROZ ALI

HE may be right – Jeff Bezos – insofar as what he may have meant, when he told Thrive Global regarding work-life balance vs work-life harmony.

But words make impact, and words from a powerful person make powerful impact.

Before delving deeper into the whole concept of the work-life dichotomy, let us also acknowledge that his statement about ‘work-life balance’ (as was also the case of Arianna Huffington) has made positive impact on the masses, and although it has been taken up by many looking to bring balance into their lives, the issue is mostly exploited by the marketeers and social media gurus of how to sell anything and everything via Facebook (or Amazon).

And that might exactly be the point overall: not everything is for sale or about work or that ‘life’ is not some compromising rivalry with work.

Bezos’s contention is about the term ‘balance’, that it ‘tends to imply a strict tradeoff’. His contention is not about the work-life dichotomy, and that is where he is very wrong, and dangerously influencing yet another generation or two towards a seriously materialistic lifestyle, where the overarching human capital lies in

Afroz Ali.

Photo SHARAFAT JAFFER

selling and buying through some employment.

But human capital is far greater than being seen through the lens of algorithms and sales potential.

This ever-popular dichotomy, work-life balance, is further complicated when ‘balance’ is explained by David Ballard, the director of the American Psychological Association’s Center for Organisational Excellence, as, ‘I think the way work-life balance gets talked about is frequently inaccurate … The ‘balance’ part of it is implying that you are equally

Ramadan

dividing time and energy, which isn’t necessarily the case.’

My contention is that they both are advocating for something less than harmonious, where the ‘work-life’ dichotomy is assumed to be inherently good, and somehow the virtuous aspiration of ‘balance’ is a problem.

Let’s address Jeff Bezos’s assertion first.

The problem is not so much that the ‘work-life balance’ paradigm is a trade-off between the two; there is some truth to that.

Furthermore, his popularising coinage ‘work-life harmony’ may use the term ‘harmony’ but it implies anything but.

We must bear in mind that ‘work’ referred to in this context is employment, not work as in, for example, charity, parenting or volunteering but work as in what one does as employment (and, sure, getting paid for) to make a corporation profitable. And therein lies the problem.

The paradigm we ought to seek to live is not ‘work-life balance’ or ‘work-life harmony’ but a balanced life through which we attain harmony. Work is just one of the many important segments that make up our lives.

Work is not that sole force that brings balance or harmony to our lives. It is important, undoubtedly, but it is no more important than,

Join us for the month of Ramadan at Hilton Cape Town City Centre.

We will be serving a Iftar buffet

daily from 18:30 in 126 Cape Kitchen and Café.

We recognise that we did not negatively compromise on one thing for the sake of another but we sought an effective balance regarding them.

Life is work in progress. There will be no one point in time where we will find harmony, which we can then magically bottle up for use the next day and the next after that. The art of living in harmony lies in the mastery of what our lives are made up of. Mastery of our work, mastery of our personal relationships and mastery of our personal being, all influence each other in contributing to a balanced life: a balanced life in which we experience – as many times as we possibly can achieve it – harmony.

Harmony is a result of mastering the art of juggling life (and work might be the heaviest of weights we throw up in the air that causes the greater of imbalances).

In a follow-up article, I will address the various spheres of our lives as well as the idea of harmony that arises from living a balanced life, and suggest why Jeff Bezos may also be partly right.

Imam Afroz Ali is the founder of Transformative Living, based in Sydney, Australia, and is an advisor to Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library & Resource Centre, based in Cape Town, South Africa.

for example, our physical and emotional health or our spiritual or faith needs.

David Ballard’s assertion is simply technically incorrect. Balance is not an equal division of things, even if there are only two of them on either side of a seesaw. Just as balance of weights is not attained based simply on equal division of mass on either side of a centrally placed fulcrum, the burdens and responsibilities of life are also not attained by creating a dichotomous lifestyle.

Two dissimilar weights can be balanced on a fulcrum by simply moving the location of the fulcrum. That is pretty much high school physics. Human nature is slightly more tricky, yes, but the principle is similar.

Similarly, life does not come in equal packages. In fact, life’s burdens and joys change pretty much daily. And the art of living is learning to move the fulcrum of life proportionate to the heavy burdens and light joys as they change.

The fulcrum of life is called moderation. As long as we seek to achieve moderation in the various spheres of our lives, we will be able to, hopefully, find a reasonable balance. When we do, we then experience harmony and contentment within ourselves, that we gave the best we could to all the various spheres.

Celebrate Mother’s Day

in Style

This Mother’s Day Ooh la la Mama

Treat Mom to a delicious Mother’s Day Lunch from 12:30 - 15:30 Dinner from 18:30 - 22:30 at Hilton Cape Town City Centre We are serving a buffet fit for a queen to enjoy for the whole family and give special thanks to mom.

Our restaurant is 100% certified Halal and we have prayer room facilities on site.

12 May 2019 For the menu and bookings please contact:

Our Iftar menu will be available for

Hilton Cape Town City Centre

R 285

T: 021 481 3700 | E: capetown.events@hilton.com

including Zam Zam water or Falooda and Medjool dates on arrival.

Children under the age of 12 can enjoy the same buffet for 50% of the price.

R395.00 per person

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CONTACT US TO RESERVE YOUR TABLE: T: +27-21-4813700 / E: capetown.events@hilton.com HILTON CAPE TOWN CITY CENTRE 126 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

VAT included 50% off for kids under 12 years

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Tell: 021 481 3700 Email: hiltoncapetown_126ckc@hilton.com HILTON CAPE TOWN CITY CENTRE 126 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa

Muslim Views . May 2019

35

Indonesian martial arts form marks ten years in SA MARIAM GILLAN

ON March 30, 2019, Persaudaraan Pencak Silat SA (PPSSA) celebrated ten years of pencak silat in South Africa at the Suleman Nana Memorial Hall, in Crosby, Johannesburg.

The celebration was attended by more than 250 people from Bosmont and surrounding areas, representatives of the South African government, and ambassadors from Turkey and Malaysia.

The event was also attended by a delegation of Indonesians who were instrumental in bringing this Indonesian martial art to South Africa in 2009.

Amongst the delegation was the founder member, Sariat Arifia, who proposed that they bring pencak silat to South Africa, and former Indonesian ambassador to South Africa, Pak Sugeng Rahardjo, who endorsed the idea.

The ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, H E Salman Al Farisi, in his remarks stated ‘that colonialism had unified the people

of Indonesia and South Africa even though the two communities were separated by the ocean’.

The ambassador further added that PPSSA was the bridge and glue of the brotherhood of Indonesia and South Africa, and hoped that the close relationship between the two countries will continue and develop.

The ambassador also presented pencak silat equipment to Ammaar De La Rey, who is an instructor studying in Indonesia. He is fluent in Bahasa Indonesia.

PPSSA collaborated with Awqaf SA, who launched the book From the Spice Islands to Cape Town: the Life & Times of Tuan Guru, written by Shafiq Morton.

PPSSA felt honoured to be a part of this launch as Tuan Guru was from Indonesia, and this was the 25th year of diplomatic relations between South Africa and Indonesia.

We got some comments from some of the people who attended the event. PPSSA’s first Indonesian instructor, Ka Jojo, from Jakarta,

Pictured from left to right are Sariat Arifia, founder member of Persaudaraan Pencak Silat SA (PPSSA); Zeinoul Cajee, CEO Awqaf SA; H E Mr Salman Al Farisi, Indonesian ambassador; Mr Sugeng Rahardjo, who was the Indonesian ambassador in 2009 when pencak silat was introduced, and endorsed its introduction.

Photo MARIAM GILLAN

said: ‘I am very touched and proud of the struggle of our brothers and sisters in Bosmont.

Those with all limitations continued our struggle to develop

Hajji Jatnika and Marsidah Siti from Indonesia (creator and teacher of Senam Hijaiyah Indonesia); Yusuf Latha – Al Ashiqeen Masjid, Florida.

Photo MARIAM GILLAN

Instructor Ammaar De La Rey with Persaudaraan Pencak Silat SA (PPSSA) students doing a pencak silat performance.

pencak silat in South Africa.’

PPSSA’s first South African instructor, Ammaar De La Rey, noted: ‘We have come a long way with pencak silat.

‘We have been through so many trials and tribulations over the years.

‘We still have a long way to go but, after our 10th anniversary event, our future is looking brighter.’

‘Being a part of pencak silat has not only helped me to build confidence and shape my personality, it has also taught me to be patient with myself.

‘For ten years we have struggled, and overcame many obstacles that we have faced.

‘It has been a constant battle but, at the end of the day, it proves to always be fruitful.

‘The organisation has many dedicated members, which include the committee and students. If it were not for the efforts of these dedicated members, we would not have made it as far as we did.

‘Our classes are continuously growing and flourishing, which means that our family and brotherhood can only grow stronger.

One of the first lessons I have learned from pencak silat is to never give up; not only in pencak silat but in every aspect of life.

And for this I will always be grateful,’ was pioneer student, Maajida Matthews’s comment.

‘The 30th March 2019 event has marked the ten year celebration of pencak silat in South Africa. Having been a student of

pencak silat since November 2015, what an experience it was to realise the care for South Africans from the other side of the globe by our Indonesian trainers.

‘Their wisdom is unmatched and their lessons not only for pencak silat training but for life.

‘We were so honoured as students to have time to grade and train with them, knowing the ten years of effort, commitment and duahs that came with their visit to South Africa.

‘We have learnt that even though our bodies may have limitations, it is the strength of the mind and the spirit that allows us to accomplish what we never thought possible.

‘To all our Indonesian and South African trainers, and the South African ‘soldier’ lady doing all the ground work, Mariam Gillan, we salute you with thanks and pray that our journey continues through the assistance of the Almighty, in a most beautiful way, ameen,’ said Gadija Greeff, Student of the Year 2017.

‘Very happy to see the youth and kids of South Africa, stay in positive activities and empowering themselves.

‘What they performed in ten years celebration, shows that we’re very committed to making everybody who joins us be a person with good manners, good etiquette, good environment.

Therefore we would like to invite everybody to join us,’ concluded Sariat Arifia, the founder member of PPSSA.

Photo MARIAM GILLAN

36

Muslim Views . May 2019

The Khoe and the Muslims, a shared destiny

The Khoe showed the early Muslims the way around the mountains.

Photo SHAFIQ MORTON

The Khoe showed the early runaway communities where they could survive on Table Mountain and its surrounds all the way to Constantia.

Photo SHAFIQ MORTON

SHAFIQ MORTON

KATHERINE Jeffries, the editor of Cape Naturalist, wrote in 1934 that Cape Town was surrounded by a ‘Holy Circle of Malay tombs’. It is believed that Tuan Guru gave birth to the idea when he said that this circle would protect the city from calamities.

Whatever the case, the burial places of our holy people – or karamats – have played a pivotal role in our history and social consciousness.

They have proved to be energy points that have kept the community spiritually alive through visitation, veneration and powerful symbolism.

However, what I feel has never been studied before is the geography of our karamats, and what they tell us about the early days of the Cape and our origins.

Space precludes a more detailed examination but we can certainly

point to some obvious, but previously unobserved, phenomena.

The starting point is that our community – hailing from East and West Africa, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, India, Bengal and Southeast Asia – was never a ‘Malay’ one, but one of multiple identities.

It was guided, educated and comforted by the Sufi exiles from the Indonesian archipelago.

This would have created the Orientalist ‘Malay’ myth, due to their imprint being Southeast Asian.

But there is more to this narrative, which includes the assimilation of Khoe and even Europeans into the Cape Muslim community.

My interest here is the forgotten relationship that the Khoe and the early Muslims enjoyed, something that is profoundly revealed via the location of our karamats.

Evidence of this is seen by our early healers, most of them from Asia, using local cures. The question is: who taught them to find

things such as buchu and impepho?

Sadly, local Khoe history is hardly given its due.

This is because encounters with people such as Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Jan van Riebeeck were primarily patronising and, ultimately, antagonistic.

Van Riebeeck, for example, built his star-shaped castle near modern-day Strand Street, on the site of a Goringhaiqua village.

In 1657, Free Burghers were granted freehold land on the banks of the Liesbeeck River, originally communal acreage where the Goringhaqua of Devils Peak had grazed their herds.

It set off the Khoe-Dutch war of 1659 and was the catalyst for the socio-economic demise of a people who had lived at the Cape for centuries, if not millennia.

It saw Van Riebeeck planting his infamous wild almond hedge to keep the Khoe out of the lands he had appropriated.

Before the ravages of smallpox and the bitterness of colonial exile into the dusty interior of the northern Cape, historical accounts say the Khoe consisted of large groups, some asserting as much as 4 000 people.

The major clans were the Goringhaiqua, the Gorachouqua and the Cochoqua.

In other words, van Riebeeck did not dock his Dutch India men in an uninhabited port awaiting his patronage.

The Cape would have been well populated, and its territories and resources fully accounted for.

If we are to be candid about our history, the Khoe – and not the Nguni tribes – are our first freedom fighters.

The intersection of the Khoe and the Muslim community begins, I believe, with Malaccan exiles being confined to the Constantia forests in 1668 where ancient Khoe cattle tracks near Die Hel nature reserve can still be found today.

There is no doubt that these Southeast Asian rulers and scholars would have become covert rallying points for escaped slaves and the Khoe.

Nearby Kirstenbosch had been a Khoe settlement, as well as Hout Bay, the seat of the Gorachouqua.

Shaikh Yusuf, who was exiled and confined to the dunes of Macassar in 1694, would also have been a focal point.

In those days, the areas of the Cape Flats were a maze of seasonal swamplands in which the Khoe and slave runaways could seek refuge.

What effect did Shaikh Yusuf’s comforting discourse, one that the soul was free, have on the troubled and oppressed souls that sought him out?

The most convincing evidence that gives fuel to my theory of Khoe-Muslim affinity is the series of graves and karamats along the Oudekraal plateau, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean towards Llandudno.

Oudekraal was the site of the last known Khoe settlement at the Cape.

Its layout – where there would be good fishing, water, hunting and shelter – would have been strong in the collective memory of the Khoe.

The better known karamats at Oudekraal are those of Shaikh Nur al-Mubeen (circa 1716) and Tuan Sayyid Jaffer (dates unknown), who was discovered by Shaikh Muhammad al-Iraqi, in the 1930s.

These shaikhs, and hundreds of people, lie buried along a welltrodden Khoe highway between Cape Town and Hout Bay, between the Goringhaiqua and the Gorachouqua.

There is no doubt that the slave runaways and convicts, those who coalesced around their Sufi shaikhs hiding in the mountains until the late 18th century, would have had contact with the local Khoe.

They would, certainly, have fully identified with the lot of the Company’s ‘renegades’.

I believe that in the same way the Khoe trails traversed the Cape giving it heart and pulse before the Portuguese landed in the 15th century, we need to start looking inwardly at the blood which courses through our veins.

Surely, this natural affinity means that Khoe is but one of our multiple identities?

We need to cast away the colonial and apartheid fetters that lay shame on mixed heritage, one that still subliminally ridicules us as creolised, second-class citizens.

If truth be told, many of us in the Cape enjoy a legacy that places our DNA on this soil centuries before Dias and Da Gama set sail.

It is now time for us to come out and embrace it.

Macassar, Cape Town, where Shaikh Yusuf would attract slave runaways and Khoe seeking refuge.

Photo SHAFIQ MORTON

Muslim Views . May 2019

37

South Africa: the state of its nation and its politics SEDICK CROMBIE

SOUTH Africa is in the grip of the political season with electioneering being the norm of the day as we are bombarded by the media – television, social media, radio and the like – participating in this four- or five-year bout of political grandstanding and season of promises.

Then there are the election rallies and political skirmishes between political parties with the odd bout of fisticuffs or should one rather say chair throwing thrown (pardon the pun) in the mix.

As political parties try to outdo one another with the usual, over the top criticism of the other, putting blame for all the country’s ills – political, economic, social and even the lack of rainfall – at the door of the other, that happens to be in power, often only by a slender majority.

We have, thankfully, been spared the floor-crossing shenanigans of past years, when elected incumbents of a political party jumped ship after being offered a top-notch job at another political party or merely for being overlooked by his own party for a certain position.

If that was not the height of political opportunism and self-serving interests at the expense of his/ her electorate then what is?

Betraying your constituency or political party in such a pathetic fashion really showed up the fibre and character of so many who hold political office in modern day politics.

In this, South Africa is no different to others: self-aggrandizement, egoistic (think opening of parliament and red carpet), delusional, personality cult and something that is exemplified by the current American incumbent in the Oval Office.

Thankfully, we have been spared these shows of individual opportunism in South Africa with the enactment of legislation that stopped this political floor-crossing practice.

The portrayal of these character traits by modern-day politicians, however, has, unfortunately, blighted the noble political intentions of community upliftment and caring for those most vulnerable in society: the indigent, disabled, aged, youth and women – for whom public officials have been voted into office.

Today, the propensity shown by politicians is rather to work in clandestine ways to undermine the

The portrayal of these character traits by modern-day politicians, however, has, unfortunately, blighted the noble political intentions of community upliftment and caring for those most vulnerable in society: the indigent, disabled, aged, youth and women – for whom public officials have been voted into office... public good and the offices of political and public administration in their haste to amass wealth at an alarming rate while in office.

The current discourse in South Africa is solely focused on the grotesque amounts of the public purse that is going or has gone into the pockets of politicians in cahoots with public servants and bureaucrats.

Gone are the days when political office bearers only received a stipend or were only reimbursed for travel and meeting attendance while serving their communities after hours while still holding a day job.

If we believed this narrative to be only that of the public service then we were shocked with the way in which the private sector could hold its own where graft and bribery are concerned: Steinhoff, Trillian, McKinsey…the list is extensive.

Corruption in politics and government in South Africa and the world at large has given politics a bad name. If you see this article to be a tirade of scolding politicians and political parties then look at the evidence of gross corruption and misconduct that go unpunished and unfettered, defying any logic.

The only refrain coming from those supposed to look after the public’s interest is that they have not been found guilty in a court of law. Where are the noble actions of recusing oneself or resigning due to accusations of involvement in dubious practices, and where witnesses to your corruption are

numerous at commissions and public hearings?

This tendency of remaining in political office and seemingly being above the law creates a dangerous precedent to those followers and lower level officials who take the cue and afford themselves immunity to corrupt practices and of also being untouchable.

This culture then permeates state organs, influences bureaucrats and even extends to those with a modicum of authority.

Bribery or payments in clandestine methods has become part of the new paradigm of the public service. Law enforcement agencies (traffic officials, police), security officers at payment points and public health facilities, airline staff and government officials – the list becomes exhaustive – all start to get in on the act as they emulate their political masters.

It becomes a severe indictment on a society and country when corrupt practices become part of the prevalent culture within the public and private domains.

Those who are unscrupulous and open to nefarious practices in amassing illicit wealth find this fertile ground and the climate conducive to circumvent the system.

They find it easy to adopt bribery as a means of ensuring their illegal actions are not under the microscope of official or legal scrutiny.

Those who should protect and serve society from these shady characters and dodgy practices in upholding the law are looking the other way and, at worst, start to get in on the act, in cahoots with

those from the underworld.

The law enforcement agencies, bar the few good men and women, start to become complicit and even act as couriers for their criminal handlers. It is at this point where the rot has fully and truly set in.

A surgeon could not have been so clinical in his methodology in how to completely break down the fibre and character of a law-abiding society as those from the criminal underworld, deftly supported by those with a darker agenda of self-enrichment.

Whatever argument of a deeper malaise in South Africa is offered by some who specialise in errant human behaviour, what cannot be overlooked is that this abnormal behaviour is breaking society and this country apart.

Corruption, bribery, looting, smuggling and all kinds of illegal practices are then not endemic anymore to such a society but rather an epidemic that is increasingly hard to eradicate.

And the electorate who put those political representatives there becomes increasingly frustrated and restless where the society shows symptomatic signs of political turmoil: burnings and uprisings, which point to signs of low-key revolutionary behaviour.

Official responses by government of lack of funds to claims of lack of service delivery by communities are all treated with contempt by societies who see evidence of large-scale plundering of the state’s coffers by elected representatives and bureaucrats.

How can it be that there are no

Once in South Africa, the struggle of poverty followed. He had to pay a portion of his fees... with his family already struggling in Guinea, he had to fend for himself.

Shortly after arriving, he got a campus job but only earned R600 per month.

- See ‘Narratives for Thought’ - PAGE 42 of this edition

funds for basic services, community health centres, maintenance of schools, and university fees while unrestrained evidence of plundering of the state’s coffers are so blatant and obvious for all to see, with each day bringing more shocking revelations?

And this is not the preserve of one political party only but done in equal measure, depending on the size and scope of the political party. It is even being done on the basis of levies, increases and costs where no viable answers can be afforded to the electorate for such spurious increases.

Let us hope that this elections brings forth a political rejuvenation where a new breed of politicians arise that put the public good above themselves and the party, not one where the current malaise is experienced of one political party trying to outdo the other in the tender stakes.

And will those for whom the stakes are highest allow themselves to perish for their past indiscretions or are they going to let us reap the whirlwind by unleashing all types of mayhem upon the country?

If things in South Africa continue the way it is going at the moment then it will not be long before the country is empty and someone has to put out the lights.

But then again, someone is already putting it out at the moment.

Sedick Crombie is active in recording the legacy of the non-racial sports movement, Sacos (South African Council on Sport).

38

Muslim Views . May 2019

Health File

Diabetes and the eye SIRAJ ALLIE and WASEELA ALLIE

DIABETES is a disease that affects the body’s ability to produce or use insulin (often referred to as insulin sensitivity).

When we eat food (carbohydrates), it is broken down into glucose. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to transfer the glucose from the blood to the cells of the body so that it can be used for energy and metabolism.

Insulin acts as a ‘key’ to a door.

The chemical message of the insulin opens the doors of the cells to allow the glucose to enter. If there is too little or no insulin or if there is enough insulin and the cells of the body are resistant to it, the doors of the cells cannot be opened, which results in too much glucose that remains in the blood. For this reason, blood glucose levels are higher than normal for individuals with diabetes.

In South Africa, seven per cent of adults aged 21 to 79 have diabetes (2016), which amounts to approximately 3,85 million people. A large portion of these remained undiagnosed.

Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke and lower limb amputation.

Diabetic eye disease Diabetic eye disease comprises a group of eye conditions that affect people with diabetes. These conditions include diabetic retinopathy

(damage to the tiny blood vessels in the light sensitive tissue in the back of the eye), cataract (where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy) and glaucoma (where the pressure of the eye is higher than normal).

All forms of diabetic eye disease have the potential to cause severe vision loss and blindness.

Diabetic retinopathy involves changes to retinal blood vessels that can cause them to bleed or leak fluid, distorting vision. This is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes, and a leading cause of blindness among working-age adults.

Controlling diabetes by taking medications as prescribed, staying physically active and maintaining a healthy diet can prevent or delay vision loss.

Because diabetic retinopathy often goes unnoticed until vision loss occurs, people with diabetes should get a comprehensive eye examination at least once a year.

Using equipment like the Fundus camera, we are able to store images of the retina and can monitor the disease year on year.

Diabetic eye disease also includes cataract and glaucoma.

Cataract is the clouding of the eye’s lens. Adults with diabetes are two to five times more likely to develop cataract than those without diabetes. Cataracts also tend to develop at an earlier age in people with diabetes.

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that damages the eye’s optic nerve.

The optic nerve is a bundle of nerve

get enough sleep and monitor your blood sugar levels regularly because ‘what gets measured, gets managed’.

Siraj Allie.

Photo SUPPLIED

fibres that connects the eye to the brain. Some types of glaucoma are associated with elevated pressure inside the eye. In adults, diabetes nearly doubles the risk of glaucoma.

Pre-diabetics This is a prediagnosis of diabetes.

You can think of it as a warning sign. This condition arises when your blood sugar level is higher than normal but it is not high enough to be considered diabetic. Pre-diabetes can be reversed using the following advice.

Exercise regularly. This can help you lose weight and increase insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity means that your cells are better able to use the available sugar in the bloodstream. Exercise also helps your muscles use blood sugar for energy and muscle contraction.

Control your carbohydrate intake. Carbohydrates are broken down to glucose, which helps with

Waseela Allie.

Photo SUPPLIED

blood sugar control. Consult your dietician or general practitioner to get a better understanding of what constitutes good foods.

Lose some weight. It’s a nobrainer that maintaining a healthy weight will improve your health and prevent future health problems.

Even a seven per cent reduction in body weight can decrease your risk of developing diabetes by up to 58 per cent.

You should also be conscious of your waist-line as it is perhaps the most important weight-related factor for estimating your diabetic risk.

Control your stress levels. Stress increases blood sugar levels. We can control stress levels through exercise or relaxation methods.

It has been shown that fasting twice a week, regularly, can reverse prediabetes.

Other ways of reducing your blood sugar levels are to drink lots of water, increase your fibre intake,

General advice We prefer to examine patients whose blood sugar levels are below 10 at the time of the eye test.

It is advisable to have the eye test early in the morning and on a fasting stomach i.e. before you have breakfast.

This allows us to give you the most accurate prescription.

Annual eye examinations are advisable to best monitor any possible changes in your eye. When there is damage to the blood vessels in your eye in the early stages, there are no symptoms. The earlier we detect changes, the greater the chance of preserving the vision.

Active diabetics have 40 per cent less blood vessel damage so stay active.

It is recommended to have 150 minutes per week with moderate to vigorous physical activity.

The more you educate yourself about diabetes, the longer you will live and the better the quality of your lifestyle will be.

Siraj Allie [B Sc (hons) B Optom FOA (SA)] and Waseela Allie (B Optom) may be consulted at Specs for Africa or phone 021 638 1370.

Muslim Views . May 2019

39

Melomed Gatesville Hospital celebrates three decades of providing world-class healthcare WHAT started out as Gatesville Medical Centre with 133 beds, in 1989, turned into The Melomed Group, consisting of five private hospitals, namely: Melomed Gatesville, Melomed Mitchells Plain, Melomed Bellville, Melomed Tokai and Melomed Richards Bay as well as a specialised mental health life-skills establishment in Claremont.

The Melomed Group opened its first hospital in 1989. This facility now houses the single largest floor specialised intensive care unit (ICU) in the Western Cape that is staffed by highly skilled and experienced cardiac ICU nurses who ensure the safety and well-being of all patients in their care as well as fulfilling all the patients’ surgical and medical needs.

The medical teams overseeing the cardiac unit are of the highest calibre.

Melomed Gatesville Hospital has grown over the period of time to include facilities such as oncology, nuclear medicine, renal dialysis and a fully staffed emergency/ trauma centre.

This facility is the first of its kind in a previously disadvantaged area in the Western Cape offering convenience and accessibility to surrounding areas.

‘Each Melomed hospital has a personality of its own, and

Mr Ebrahim Bhorat, founder and chairman of Melomed, Mrs Bhorat and Dr Jeeva, a gynaecologist at Melomed, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Melomed Photo SUPPLIED Gatesville Hospital.

Melomed Gatesville has been serving the private healthcare needs of communities in the surrounding suburbs of the Cape Flats, keeping up with the health demands of the community.

‘The hospital has attracted and retained many highly respected specialist doctors emanating from previously disadvantaged communities, as well as nurses and healthcare practitioners.

‘Its success is largely due to the core skills derived from its passionate and energetic management team and staff.

‘Our dedicated team consists of highly skilled individuals, each of whom has become part of the Melomed family,’ says the hospital manager, Mr Henry Hendricks.

Mr Ebrahim Bhorat, the founder and chairman, states: ‘The success of the Melomed Private Hospital Group since its inception in 1989 has been powered by four driving forces: quality of treatment by our specialist doctors and medical teams, service excellence, broadening access to healthcare, and the transformation of the medical sector.

‘Over the years, we have made significant strides in our progress towards improving the overall quality of the patient experience at our hospitals.

‘We further strengthened and grew our operational structures by placing an important focus on operational efficiency.

‘Melomed continues to ensure that the quality of the facilities and excellent care remain uncompromised, and we constantly grow in demand to provide affordable and quality healthcare. I wish to particularly thank the specialist doctors at our hospitals, our referring general practitioners and, most importantly, our staff.

‘I finally wish to thank our stakeholders who continue to show confidence in the strength of our business and the calibre of its leadership.

‘We now look forward to further growth and improvements in the decades to come.’

Mr Ridwaan Allie, the CEO, concludes: ‘Melomed can look back and reflect with pride on how far we have come since those humble beginnings, and we now continue to create a statement of confidence in the health development sector.

‘Being the largest whollyowned, black, private hospital group in the healthcare industry in the Western Cape, the company prides itself on providing worldclass medical facilities, which are accessible to all in the Western Cape and, now, KwaZulu-Natal.

‘I would particularly like to thank the past and present people who have been with Melomed since its inception for their loyalty, passion, commitment and living the values of Melomed.’

Melomed is committed to providing quality, private healthcare.

We have over 30 years of experience in delivering the latest, innovative medical services to our communities and we stand ready to serve them in the years ahead.

Melomed, providing affordable, quality healthcare.

RAMADAAN KAREEM. We wish to convey our best wishes to you...

May Allah’s immaculate grace and exceptional wisdom conquer your life as you celebrate this holy month.

Have a blessed and peaceful Ramadaan!

www.melomed.co.za

PROVIDING AFFORDABLE QUALITY HEALTHCARE.

40

Muslim Views . May 2019

Marriages in community of property In Part 13 of this series, ADVOCATE FATIMAH ESSOP discusses the implications of marriages concluded in community of property.

AS mentioned in my previous article, Muslim couples can choose to have their marriages concluded by both Muslim rites and civil rites.

If you conclude a civil marriage, whether through your imam who is a marriage officer or through a ceremony at the Department of Home Affairs, the matrimonial property regime of your marriage will automatically be in community of property, unless you have stipulated otherwise.

Matrimonial property refers to all the property owned by the parties who are married to each other, including assets like the family home, cars, furniture or investments.

A matrimonial property regime will also determine how debts are dealt with in a marriage.

This becomes particularly important when a marriage ends, whether by death or divorce, where one of the spouses is sequestrated or where one of the spouses incurs a debt or sells property to a third party.

The matrimonial property regime is governed by the Matrimonial Property Act of 1984.

Once the spouses marry in community of property, everything they own when they marry and everything they acquire during their marriage automatically falls into their joint estate, that is, all their assets and all their debts.

This all happens automatically by operation of law the moment the couple marries, and they do not have to sign any contract or documentation to this effect.

In this matrimonial property regime, both parties owe each other a duty of support, unlike in Islamic law where only the husband has a duty to support his wife and children.

The general rule is that all assets will form part of the joint estate and become the joint property of both spouses, with a few exceptions, like assets that have been excluded in a will or a deed of donation, delictual damages from third parties for nonpatrimonial loss and some other

exclusions.

Spouses in the marriage have equal power to deal with the joint estate and, other than exceptions listed in sections 15(2) and 15(3) of the Matrimonial Property Act, spouses can enter into transactions independently and need not obtain their spouse’s consent.

Some of the exceptions listed in section 15(2) is that a spouse needs the written consent from the other spouse to alienate or mortgage any immoveable property in the joint estate, withdraw money from the other spouse’s bank account, buy expensive items on credit, bind him/ herself as surety for another person’s debts, alienate, cede or pledge any stocks, shares, insurance policies or similar kind of investments held by the joint estate.

Most of these transactions can be ratified by the other spouse after the transaction has been concluded, provided that it happens within a reasonable time, except for the alienation of immovable property, which cannot be consented to later on.

On death or divorce, the assets in the joint estate must be divided equally between the spouses.

Hence, on the death of the one spouse, the surviving spouse is automatically entitled to her or his

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Submit your CV to Razack Abbas: e-mail – safia.islamicart@gmail.com or razack@kdoors.co.za For questions of clarity only call Razack Abbas 082 856 0150 or Zaitoon Ebrahim 083 683 8766

half of the joint estate.

The remaining half of the joint estate will either be distributed according to the will of the deceased spouse or in terms of the intestate laws of South Africa as discussed in previous articles.

On divorce, the joint estate must also be divided equally, unless an order is granted in terms of the Divorce Act of 1979, for the forfeiture of the benefits of the marriage in community of property.

The court will consider this where one of the spouses has requested that the other spouse should lose their right to claim their half of the joint estate.

The criteria the court will consider when making such an order includes the duration of the marriage, circumstances leading to the breakdown of the marriage or any substantial misconduct of one of the parties.

The spouse requesting forfeiture will have to properly motivate his/ her case to the court.

It is important to note that even if you have concluded a marriage by Muslim rites through a nikah, if you have also married civilly and in community of property then it is the latter matrimonial property regime that will be applicable and enforceable in terms of South African law.

All the legal provisions I discuss above will be applicable to your marriage as well as your divorce.

You will have to obtain both a

civil divorce in terms of the Divorce Act of 1979 as well as an Islamic divorce, through one of the divorce methods I discussed in previous articles.

If you obtain a divorce through the Divorce Act and you have not obtained your Islamic divorce then you will have what is termed ‘a limping marriage’. You will still be considered married in terms of Islamic law, despite your civil divorce.

It is therefore important that couples are fully aware of the consequences of concluding a civil marriage and especially one that is in community of property.

It is also useful to note that the Muslim Judicial Council Fatwa Committee has issued a fatwa stipulating that ‘It is difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile community of property as a consequence of marriage with ownership and transfer of property under the Shariah’. (see ‘MJC position on Succession and Related matters’ dated 19 July 2017.)

I shall elaborate further on the MJC ruling and alternative matrimonial property regimes in my next article.

Advocate Fatimah Essop has a degree in Islamic Law and Arabic from International Peace College South Africa (Ipsa) and is currently a lecturer and PhD candidate in Law at University of Cape Town (UCT). She is a FAMAC accredited family mediator.

42

Muslim Views . May 2019

Narratives for Thought

Souleymane’s arduous journey to pursue the first revelation SABEEHAH MAHOMED, our newest columnist, traces the arduous journey of Souleymane Diallo, from a village in Guinea, and his determination to seek knowledge.

HAVE you ever thought that of every word revealed, the first instruction of Islam was ‘read’ – not pray, obey or even believe.

Why? ‘Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.’ (Quran 96:3-5) This article is not about the importance of seeking knowledge, it is about a young man who is desperately striving in pursuit of knowledge; something our religion is founded on.

Souleymane Diallo, from the village of Labe, Guinea, is the sixth of 13 children. When he was five years old, his family relocated to Ivory Coast where his father ran a successful shop that provided for his family.

In 2010, the Ivorian post-election crisis occurred, a political stalemate and violent conflict ensued. By April 2011, over 94 000 refugees had fled to neighbouring Liberia, 500 000 were forcibly displaced and 1 000 people had died.

Souleymane’s family were victims of this crisis. People were starving and the situation was worsening.

Late one night, every business in their area was rampaged, leaving his father’s shop looted and destroyed. With nothing left to sustain them, his family was forced back to Guinea and the children had to leave school.

Souleymane was now only ten years old.

After the crisis ended, his father informed them that their uncle would be returning to Ivory Coast,

Souleymane Diallo, in his determination to seek knowledge, was forced to leave his family in Ivory Coast – where they were refugees from a small village in neighbouring Guinea – to further his education in South Africa.

Photo SABEEHAH MAHOMED

and were asked whether they wanted to join him and continue their schooling. The idea of struggling without money and living far from home to be educated was not appealing to the young children.

No one wanted to return to school, except Souleymane.

When asked what made him choose to return alone to Abidjan, Ivory Coast, he said, ‘I don’t know why. At that moment it was just a

feeling, I just knew I wanted to go back. I didn’t know what was to happen.’

Sure enough, a myriad of challenges awaited him.

He lived in a slum which, compared to the informal settlements in South Africa, he stated was in a much worse condition. By 6pm, doors and windows had to be shut. ‘It was a normal occurrence for us if someone was shot or

stabbed outside every night.’

Each day, through primary and high school, Souleymane walked half-an-hour to and from school.

With very little money, he worked part-time when not in school.

For a young boy, his life consisted only of studying and working. He could have decided to drop out of school and return home to his family in Guinea but he pushed on.

You may think that his academic performance was affected by his circumstances but it was not. Souleymane was a constant top achiever, graduating in third position.

After being selected to study at the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in South Africa, Souleymane needed money for his visa, travel documents and a few items.

He and his father spent a month seeking financial assistance from relatives, and managed to raise some money but not enough.

Time was against him as he was supposed to have been in South Africa two months earlier.

His mother, who was still in the village, sold her three cows for a small amount and sent it to him.

Thus, Souleymane finally journeyed to Johannesburg to further his education.

Once in South Africa, the struggle of poverty followed. He had to pay a portion of his fees at ALA, which amounted to R10 000 ($700). With his family already struggling in Guinea, he had to fend for himself.

Shortly after arriving, he got a campus job but only earned R600 per month.

Even if Souleymane saved every cent he earned, he would still be short of almost R6 000 towards his fees. Without payment, results are withheld, examination admissions denied and one may be expelled. And, having to return home without completing one’s education means the end of the only opportunity to seek a better life.

In addition to the constant financial stress Souleymane carries with him, he worries about his sick father back home, the living conditions of his family, and seeks to perform at his best, academically, keeping up with the intense

Once in South Africa, the struggle of poverty followed. He had to pay a portion of his fees... with his family already struggling in Guinea, he had to fend for himself.

Shortly after arriving, he got a campus job but only earned R600 per month. academic pressure at a prestigious institute.

He reads his five daily salaah with the jamaah on campus and spends his free time reading Quran.

However, his quest for a better life through education came at the cost of a social life. He says, ‘A part of me wants it but then another part says I don’t need it, I have to just keep moving.’

To end this inspiring story on a positive note, when I asked Souleymane how he planned to pay his fees and avoid being expelled, he was somewhat calm and resigned to doing his best and leaving the rest to Allah.

‘And He will provide for him from sources he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah then He will suffice for him.’ (Quran 65:3) A few weeks later, without Souleymane knowing, the team at Sanzaf agreed to sponsor him, Alhamdulillah!

Sabeehah Mahomed holds a postgraduate honours (BA) degree in Islamic Studies. She is an entrepreneur and businesswoman and former executive member of the Johannesburg Youth City Council. She is a public speaker and serves on multiple organisations. In 2018, Sabeehah represented South Africa at the International Youth Summit in Lahore.

Make the best of every moment this Ramadaan #RamadaanMoments FROM the month-long fast to waking up for suhoor, the lifestyles and schedules of millions of Muslims around the world undergo significant change during the holy month of Ramadaan.

This is why Ramadaan Moments founders, Sayed Ridhwaan and Nomaan Hazarvi, believe that technology should adapt to people’s needs during this special pe-

riod.

Ramadaan Moments is a social media campaign that was founded in 2015 as an educational initiative by the Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre (CTIEC).

The campaign is driven by CTIEC Media and IV media, which operates in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Each Ramadaan, the Ramadaan Moments team brings

you lessons and inspiration from the Holy Quran and the life of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), advice, health tips, recipes and a platform for gaining knowledge through questions and answers.

The Ramadaan Moments campaign runs on various media platforms, in the form of graphics, video and audio content that is broadcast on Radio 786, Deen Channel, Muslim Views Face-

book, SA News Network, Eastwave FM, Lenasia Times and Isandla Media.

This year’s Ramadaan Moments features will include daily hadith, fatawa by Mufti Sayed Haroon Al Azhari, daily nasiha by students of CTIEC, recipes for suhoor and iftaar, health tips by Dr Mujeeb Hoosen and tons of beneficial information and articles related to Ramadaan.

We wish all our followers and the larger Muslim community a blessed Ramadaan kareem; may the choicest blessings of Allah fill your life with joy and prosperity, and may all your deeds be accepted.

Follow the campaign on social media @RamadaanMoments or follow the hashtag #RamadaanMoments.

Ramadaan kareem.

44

Muslim Views . May 2019

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -

Leadership through strategic planning IDM PUBLICATIONS

THE Islamic Dawah Movement of Southern Africa (IDM) hosted a one-day intensive leadership strategic planning course for duaats at its Durban headquarters on March 28, 2019.

Conducting the training was former under-secretary in the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Shaikh Ahmad Abdullah Alsaban.

He is a well travelled and illustrious scholar who holds a bachelor’s degree in Principles of Deen (Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University) and serves as a board member in organisations such as Wedaad Association for the Abandoned Kids, Islamic Relief Organisation and the National Charity Society for the Prevention of Drugs, to name but a few.

This workshop was designed to develop a network of trained and confident duaats who will be equipped to collaborate across the region, to draw on each other’s strengths, strengthen each other’s weaknesses and, together, not only establish and deliver sustainable management development programmes for dawah but also introduce such other initiatives as will help to embed an exemplary conduct for duaats so as to assume a leadership role in their communi-

Shaikh Ahmad Abdullah Alsaban during the duaat training course held at the IDM headquarters in Durban.

Photo SUPPLIED

ties.

‘As a multi-cultural country, South Africa has many traditional practices carried out by its different religious and cultural groups.

One has to be mindful of the fact that no single approach can be applied for every group,’ cautioned Shaikh Alsaban and that duaats must be dynamic in this approach.

He further laid emphasis on the provision of theoretical underpinning that will support developmental dawah programmes.

Shaikh Alsaban elucidated that ‘Dawah is a service and a daee is a service provider, therefore, a minimum of sound communication

skills is essential. This approach should be geared towards looking, in particular, at three of the most important aspects – selecting a relevant message for each group, choosing the right subject and knowing the right tools for conveying the message.’

By grouping attendees into teams, examples and scenarios were generated on how to effectively choose and adapt to the approach. Focusing greatly on personal growth and goals afforded duaats insight into how future progression can be achieved.

Since the mission of the duaats is to spread the message of Islam,

they were also encouraged to acquire more knowledge both Islamically and secularly. Consequently, it was emphasised that they should remain truthful in their endeavours.

Islam believes that truthfulness is one of the pillars the world’s survival depends on. ‘Speech or speaking is an exclusive human trait, lying is seen as losing your humanity. So when giving dawah, not only is it important that you do not lie but also preach that you cannot lie and the faith of Islam is all about truth. You can give examples from the Quran and Sunnah of what lying means and what its consequences are,’ explained Shaikh Alsaban.

Participants were reminded not to worry if non-Muslims did not accept Islam as the purpose of dawah is not to convert or convince others to Islam; our actions and character should serve as ambassadors to all who see us.

He stressed that there is no compulsion in religion and that hidayat comes from the Almighty.

By doing charity work and helping others, we demonstrate not only how Islam affects our lives but how it can affect the lives of others. The community is urged to get involved in their local area by

helping the old or disadvantaged or with organisations that help with the environment, community, feeding schemes, orphanages and, ultimately, any cause that allows a person to grow from giving their time to the community.

Most of the present dawah activities are conducted by small groups and individuals.

Because personal examples in word and by action are the most powerful for successful dawah, Muslims should present themselves as workers for justice, peace and welfare of all humankind.

We should take active part in some of the activities going on in non-Muslim communities, making our presence beacons to all those with whom we interact.

Our children are the future leaders of their communities.

The most important factor for dawah to continue effectively is raising callers from the new generation of Muslims living in the West who are knowledgeable about Islam.

‘It is the responsibility of the entire Muslim community, particularly Islamic schools, mosques, callers and parents to establish interesting, long-term, educational programmes for children to strengthen their faith, accustom them to Islamic practices, assert their Islamic identity and protect them from negative stereotypes,’ concluded Shaikh Alsaban.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

47

Harnessing blockchain technology for waqf FATIMA TAYOB

How the blockchain works.

Image SUPPLIED

IN a world where poverty thrives, one in three families live without adequate shelter, one in seven families live without access to healthcare, and one billion people live on less than $1,25 (R17) a day. There are also 22 000 children who die each day due to poverty.

The solution is not new. For decades, the successful development and management of Islamic assets have been based on three key components: zakaah, a form of alms giving, treated as a religious obligation in Islam; sadaqah, a concept of sincere voluntary giving of charity, and waqf, an endowment of assets to be held in trust.

One of the most notable achievements for society, by the Islamic civilisation, was the conceptualisation of the charitable endowment known as waqf. This was popularised by the Ottoman empire as a means of welfare financing and poverty alleviation. It was the helping hand that supported the state in its welfare activities for centuries.

However, as the sun set on the Islamic empire, many of these assets turned dormant due to a shift in focus from social welfare to religious pursuit.

nate and rekindle the power of waqf development through blockchain technology.

The beauty of combining the technological concept of the blockchain with the historical and traditional concept of the waqf is that, at their very core, both these innovations deal in maintaining a sense of public trust for the benefit of society as a whole, both presently and towards perpetuity.

How is blockchain technology helping waqf development?

Waqf assets are managed by non-profit advisory boards and are intended to create value and social benefits for the public in general.

The use of blockchain could address this by tracking each contract electronically across the lifespan of the investment.

The Endowment (Waqf) Chain allows participants to create project proposals to develop and invigorate endowment properties.

Others can fund these project proposals by contributing funds. If the project goals are met, the project proposal is accepted, and a certain number of endowment tokens are created and distributed to the participating funders.

Over time, the global waqf system continued to decay, suffering from a lack of interest and resources.

While governments and organisations focused on preserving existing awqaf (plural of waqf), the original purpose of serving the community and humanity was sidelined. In recent years, we have

seen a revival of waqf properties being utilised for their original purpose, like education, mosques, healthcare and cash waqf.

In todays information and technological age, we look at whether waqf can have an even wider scope and appeal where there will be more than 5,6 billion smartphone users this year (2019),

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48

Muslim Views . May 2019

Silence and denial no more VANESSA RIVERA DE LA FUENTE

THERE is a saying attributed to Abu Huraira that says, ‘Whoever conceals (the fault) to Muslims in this world, Allah will conceal him (his faults) in this world and in the hereafter. Allah will help a person so long as he is helping his brother.’

I have heard this hadith being cited many times, to many Muslims, men and women, when it comes to covering the faults and mistakes of other believers, and I agree that, at times, this may be an act of mercy or compassion.

But what happens when it comes to a crime or abusive behaviour that affects, for example, women and girls?

It is not a myth that women all over the world are subjected to a variety of violence and oppression.

Women and girls are hijacked, raped, assaulted, murdered, their experiences mocked or banalised and their bodies thrown around like trash.

People get outraged, asking how this is possible. This is possible because of numerous factors, one of them being denial.

Denial is a silent violence that aims to make invisible a trauma may be evident or not, to make it acceptable as normal for a community, and allows the victims of this trauma to be exploited by a system of oppression or people in power.

In recent years, we have seen in the media how many Muslim preachers, imams, shaikhs and scholars have been exposed all over the world as sexual predators and abusers of women and girls.

Vanessa Rivera de la Fuente.

Photo SUPPLIED

Denial is that voice sugarcoated with correctness that asks us to shut up and sit down on our own pain so as to not disturb anyone.

It is a silence that yells loudly because, sooner or later, it will speak through the different ways in which we hurt ourselves and others.

In recent years, we have seen in the media how many Muslim preachers, imams, shaikhs and scholars have been exposed all over the world as sexual predators and abusers of women and girls.

Nabila Sharma, a British Muslim, has shocked the whole of Europe with her book Brutal.

Published in 2012 and translated into several languages, it narrates how, at seven years old, Nabila Sharma began her lessons at the mosque with an imam who would brutally molest her on the slightest whim.

Each day, he would make her perform unspeakable acts, physically and mentally torturing her into compliance, to fulfil his perverse desires.

But it’s not just famous leaders and scholars.

Many homes that are called ‘Islamic’ because they are formed for Muslims, are refuge to abusers, cheaters, child molesters and rapists who continue to go to the mosques and interact with us, while their relatives ‘cover their faults’.

An honourable community is one that knows how to distinguish

between faults and crimes, and is able to correct the faults and has the courage to raise its voices against crimes to ‘forbid evil’.

Islam is peace but there can be no peace without justice, and for justice to exist, it is necessary that we stand up and speak up about what is wrong and unfair.

During my years as a Muslim, I have seen how Abu Huraira’s hadith is used to cover abuses of all kinds and to harm the victims of such abuses, asking them to be silent about the behaviour of their perpetrators.

For women as victims, justice and peace mean to break the glass wall of denial, to speak up, to demand our and other women’s humanhood, to develop empathy among women in the context of oppression, which allows us to see ourselves as people and see our-

selves in other women, to build a sense of community to resist the violence that means to survive in misogynistic societies.

Is a religion accountable for the injustices that happens in its realm? Islam is justice so Muslims should be committed to the dismantling of any system of oppression.

This starts with breaking the silence, as individuals and community, about the violence some of us have suffered, some of us have helped to deliver, some of us have covered and which some of us have kept in denial.

Vanessa Rivera de la Fuente is a global consultant in gender, human rights and development, and describes herself as a Muslim feminist. Your comments and feedback are valued. Email her at: vrivera.de@gmail.com

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50

Muslim Views . May 2019

Global warming: the effects on the oceans and the seas SHAIKH DR MUHAMMAD RIDWAAN GALLANT

ALLAH says (in translation) in the Holy Quran: ‘And He it is who has subjected the sea (to you) that you eat thereof fresh, tender meat, and that you bring forth out of it ornaments to wear.

And you see the ships ploughing through it that you may seek (thus) of His bounty (by transporting the goods from place to place) and that you may be grateful.’ (Surah An-Nahl:14) Allah SWT has given humankind the oceans and seas to use for their benefit. It is ironic that humankind is destroying the benefits from Allah SWT. Allah says in the Holy Quran: ‘Evil (sins and disobedience of Allah) has appeared on land and sea because of what the hands of men have earned, that Allah may make them taste a part of that which they have done, in order that they may return (by repenting to Allah, and begging His pardon).’ (Surah Ar-Rum:41) In this case, humankind-induced global warming and overfishing play a vital role in the destruction of the food chain in

The temperature of the water is important for fish in terms of their dietary habits. When the water gets too warm, the enzymes they use for digestion are less efficient. This influences their growth and reproduction... the oceans and the seas.

Global warming, which results in climate change, causes a rise in sea temperatures. The oceans of the world cannot yield sustainable seafood due to the rise in water temperature.

According to data gleaned from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the average global sea surface temperature, the temperature of the upper few metres of the ocean, has increased by approximately 0,13°C per decade over the last century.

Warming of the water in the oceans happens in the top layer of the oceans as well as the deeper

waters. As the water heats up, marine heat waves will become more frequent.

The temperature of the water is important for fish in terms of their dietary habits. When the water gets too warm, the enzymes they use for digestion are less efficient.

This influences their growth and reproduction.

The coral reefs provide habitat for many fish and other marine life. Warmer waters cause coral bleaching. The loss of coral reefs reduces the habitat of many sea animals and it disrupts the ecosystem in the ocean.

When carbon dioxide increases in the atmosphere due to the burn-

ing of fossil fuels, the oceans absorb it. Seawater reacts with the carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid.

This causes the acidity of the seawater to increase. This phenomenon affects all life in the ocean.

In addition, with the rise in temperatures, the ice melts, more water will flow from the glaciers and ice caps into the ocean and seas. When the water warms, it expands in volume.

The combination of the effects has played a major role in the rising of average global sea level between 10 and 20 centimetres in the last century, according to the In-

tergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The rising of sea levels has, globally, caused sinking land or subsidence, eroding coasts and temperamental storms on many areas bordering the sea. Many islands face the danger of being swallowed by the sea.

Fresh water aquifers are threatened in many places due to the rise in sea level.

When saltwater intrudes into freshwater aquifers then drinking water is threatened as well as freshwater for agriculture.

The oceans and seas play a vital role in the survival of those living on the land.

Yet, recent UN gatherings in the last few years were not very effective in convincing highly industrialised countries to reduce their carbon emissions.

Global warming is slowly choking life in the oceans but the present situation can be saved by using alternative methods of energy generation, such as renewable energy.

We must implement all possible alternative strategies before the ocean system collapses, which will have catastrophic consequences for humans and the planet.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

51

Let’s reap the benefits of this Ramadaan MASNOENA ALLIE ISAACS

‘RAMADAAN is the month in which the Quran was sent down as a guidance for humankind, containing clear signs which lead to the straight road, and distinguishing the truth from falsehood.’ (Quran 2:185) Muslim Hands wishes a Ramadaan kareem to the entire Muslim ummah. Through your generous support, we continue our humanitarian mission to assist community development and to aid emergencies across the globe.

Ramadaan is the month of giving; we encourage you to continue your spirit of selflessness and generosity through this holy month.

Allah, the exalted, says: ‘Spend, O Son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.’

[Prophet Muhammad (SAW)] Our sincere duah for the entire Muslim ummah is for their good health, especially of those fasting; that Allah SWT grant Jannah to our family and friends who are no longer with us and grant ease to those in difficulties.

May Allah SWT reward you with goodness from the Muslim Hands team.

Fitrah is the annual compulsory charity that every Muslim pays before the Eid khutbah, and ensures that all Muslims can enjoy the day of Eid. This amount ranges between R30 and R50.

Shaikh Irafaan Abrahams (MJC president) among other shaikhs in Cape Town cut the ribbon at the send-off ceremony as the Big Aid Convoy containers leave for Turkey.

Photo SUPPLIED

Fidyah also becomes payable for the person who has become extremely weak due to an illness or old age, and cannot fast.

Sadaqah is voluntary charity and the amount is at the will of the benefactor.

‘Those who (in charity) spend of their goods by night and day, in secret and in public, have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear nor shall they grieve.’ (Quran 2:274) At Muslim Hands your donations for sadaqah goes towards emergency appeals, wells and the lighting of Masjid Al-Aqsa.

The Arabic word ‘zakaah’ literally means ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’, and by fulfilling this religious duty, Muslims ensure

that their wealth has been purified for the will of Allah.

Zakaah is one of the five pillars of Islam and is obligatory on every Muslim who has reached puberty, and is of sound mind, and has above the minimum required amount of wealth (nisab).

The majority of Muslims choose to pay their zakaah during Ramadaan because the rewards are so much greater in this month.

The Big Aid Convoy is back!

In Ramadaan 2018, Muslim Hands experienced the true spirit of giving, caring and the generosity of the South African community at its very best. The Big Aid Convoy, a challenging task of sending containers of rice and

Muslim Hands containers were sent from the UK and South Africa to Turkey, in 2018. Muslim Hands will be sending another Big Aid Convoy this year.

Photo SUPPLIED

flour from South Africa to Turkey for the benefit of the Syrian refugees, was initiated by Muslim Hands UK and adopted by Muslim Hands South Africa.

Through your generous support, Muslim Hands continues our humanitarian mission this Ramadaan to send another aid convoy of rice and flour to help feed Syrian refugees.

For ten days only, from May 6 to May 15, your nearest container can be found at a local masjid across South Africa. We will have containers in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), once again, gladly endorsed the campaign and urge our Muslim community to take up the

challenge of rallying our families, friends and neighbours to generously donate to our brothers and sisters in Syria, in cash or kind.

Volunteers are welcome to assist us in this campaign as we will need all the assistance from the public.

Together, we can make a difference. So, reap the rewards of Ramadaan and help us fill these containers to feed Syrian families.

Drop-off point address details will be confirmed soon. Kindly stay up to date with our Big Aid Convoy by checking out our website www.muslimhands.org.za and our social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Donate today, call Muslim Hands on 021 633 6413.

52

Muslim Views . May 2019

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Islamic Relief thanks you for saving lives YUSUF MOHAMED

ALLAHUMMA baarik lanaa fee Shabaan wa ballighnaa Ramadaan. (O Allah! Bless us during Shabaan and allow us to reach Ramadaan.)

As we approach the blessed month of Ramadaan, I wish to thank all our donors and partners for their unwavering support over the past year.

It has been challenging as millions of people around the globe struggle to rebuild their lives.

The ongoing conflicts in Syria and Yemen have displaced an unprecedented number of men, women and children. The impact of climate change has resulted in extreme weather patterns – from droughts and earthquakes to cyclones and flash flooding that washed away entire villages.

Your generosity became a lifeline to these vulnerable and destitute families. Alhamdulillah, your donations allowed us to reach over 1,7 million people across 21 countries, including more than 178 000 right here at home.

Our interventions ranged from providing emergency relief items such as food, medical supplies and shelter to those caught in conflict, to empowering single parents with the skills and capacity to become self-reliant; as well as bursary support for tertiary students.

In Syria, eight years of crisis has

Ammar and his friends attend remedial classes at a camp supported by Islamic Relief South Africa. Pictured here are school desks that were handed over to the school that conducts classes outdoors.

Photo MAJDI SAMAAN, ISLAMIC RELIEF WORLDWIDE SYRIA MISSION

caused unimaginable destruction and misery. Refugee camps in Syria lack basic services, such as clean running water, sanitation and school infrastructure.

Since the conflict began, the Islamic Relief global family has delivered more than R8,27 billion worth of aid inside the war-ravaged country and in neighbouring countries, assisting millions of people, subhanAllah!

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian children have grown up knowing nothing but war and destruction. Many have learning disabilities due to having suffered

psychological trauma.

In the Rif camp, near the city of Sarmada, in Southern Aleppo, seven-year-old Ammar Al-Hussein is one of 502 children who received remedial classes to improve their reading, writing and mathematics.

Islamic Relief South Africa’s donors funded three such schools with education supplies, including desks, stationery, school bags and white boards, Alhamdulillah.

Preparing for Ramadaan 1440 This Ramadaan is an opportunity to embody the essential values

of Islam and, in doing so, to answer the call of those whose lives have been torn apart by circumstance.

Since 1984, our mission, vision and values have guided Islamic Relief to better the world and touch the lives of over 120 million people, and this year should be no exception.

We must dig deeper and push harder in our endeavour to help more people out of the depths of despair into the light of love and humanity.

Ramadaan is the time for us to be especially strong in our resolve, earnest in our efforts and sincere in our intentions to fulfil our responsibility with excellence to those less fortunate. We should be especially mindful that fulfilling our zakaah obligation is not only a religious duty but a right that the poor and needy have over us.

With the help of Allah and your support, we will continue to provide emergency relief, and deliver essential development aid to our brothers and sisters in humanity across the globe so that they too may live with hope and dignity.

On behalf of the Islamic Relief South Africa family – our management, staff and volunteers – we renew our intention to make this month one of extraordinary excellence as we work to fulfil our purpose, for the sake of Allah and in your name.

We pray that Allah SWT accepts our commitment to serve those burdened by poverty, conflict and disaster. May our actions and ibadah be blessed, and may the month of Ramadaan bring us and our families multiplied rewards and increased prosperity, ameen.

Banking details Fulfil your zakaah, sadaqah, fitrah, fidyah and Lillah through Islamic Relief South Africa. General donations may be deposited into Islamic Relief SA, Standard Bank, Account number 005318459, Savings Account, Fordsburg branch, Branch code 005205, Reference: RAM19 and contact number.

For zakaah contributions, use the following bank account details: Islamic Relief SA, First National Bank, Account number 62161066933, Cheque Account, Smith Street Branch, Branch code 221426, Reference: RAM19 and contact number.

Please email or fax your bank deposit slip to info@islamic-relief.org.za for the attention of donor relations officer, Sumayah Francis. For more information, call the Cape Town head office on 021 696 0145.

Yusuf Mohamed is the chief executive officer of Islamic Relief South Africa.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

53

Ramadaan mubarak from Sanzaf SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

PROPHET Muhammad (SAW) is reported to have said: ‘The fast remains suspended between the heavens and the earth until the fitrah is discharged.’ (Targheeb) As we usher in the holy month of Ramadaan, the South African National Zakah Fund (Sanzaf) would like to take the opportunity to wish you a month of blessings, clemency and enlightenment.

Ameen. The holy month of Ramadaan is not only a spiritual time of the year for all Muslims but an extremely engaging and busy month for Sanzaf as we commence with our largest distribution month of the year.

This year, the South African National Zakah Fund celebrated its 45th anniversary – over four decades of serving the Muslim community without reproach and with complete transparency, ensuring that zakaah, the third pillar of our beautiful faith, has been executed. As the cost of living in South Africa continues to rise and with the country’s unemployment rate at a staggering 27,1 per cent, with more than 50 per cent of the youth not having jobs, there is an increased need for social welfare organisations such as Sanzaf to assist those in need with basic provisions and development opportunities.

Sanzaf aims to do this with the

On April 14, 2019, Sanzaf hosted their annual Pre-Ramadaan packing ceremony at the Athlone Civic Centre. Volunteers and staff united to prepare over 3 000 substantial Ramadaan hampers, which will ensure over 10 000 individuals have something to prepare for iftaar during the holy month. Sanzaf will host their Fitrah Hamper packing on Saturday, June 1, at the Rylands Civic Centre. The public are more than welcome to join Sanzaf and help them #GiveHope.

Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

effective distribution of zakaah and changing the lives of our beneficiaries through development and relief. With Ramadaan on our doorstep, we reflect on last year’s operations as, once again, thousands of fitrah parcels were distributed nationwide, ensuring that the needy had a means of sustenance for the month, and more than 130 000 people were served with iftaar during the month.

In addition, zakaah education programmes were in full swing in mosques and institutions, with Sanzaf panels explaining the work-

ings of zakaah to the public. This service is available to the public throughout the year and via online platforms available on the website.

This year, Sanzaf offices countrywide have increased their operations and plans in the lead up to the holy month of Ramadaan. The aim is to serve over 185 000 iftaar meals, ensuring needy beneficiaries have a nutritious meal with which to break their fast.

Through partnerships with over 100 mosques throughout South Africa, this Ramadaan, over 23 000 families will benefit from

fitrah food aid hampers. In the Western Cape, Sanzaf will support daily iftaar programmes at 60 mosques in and around the province, and up to 18 000 families will receive fitrah food aid hampers. Over 2 500 families will receive grocery hampers before the beginning of Ramadaan, ensuring that they have essentials to prepare iftaar and suhoor during the holy month, benefitting over 10 000 individuals.

In keeping with our continued efforts to create awareness and educate the public on zakaah, Sanzaf Zakah Seminars will be hosted weekly, affording the public the opportunity to gather pertinent information and have their questions answered by experts in person.

Upcoming Ramadaan events and zakaah seminars May 2, 2019: Pre-Ramadaan dhikr, Colorado Park mosque, 4 Rosewood Drive, Weltevreden Valley, Cape Town.

June 1, 2019: Pre-Ramadaan hamper packing, Rylands Civic Centre, Gatesville.

June 1, 2019: Sanzaf Soul Souk, which includes SANZAF 5 Pillar Quiz programme and ceremonial fitrah food aid hamper packing at Athlone Civic Centre.

Zakaah seminars April 25, 2019: Awwal Masjid, Ladies zakaah seminar April 30, 2019: Masjid-ul-Quds,

Ladies zakaah seminar May 12, 2019-Masjidul Ishraaq, Grassy Park May 19, 2019: Masjiedul Nur, Paarl May 26, 2019: Gujjatul Islam Masjid, Stellenbosch June 1, 2019: Al-Masjidur Rawbie, Portlands Please note that zakaah seminar dates are subject to change due to circumstances. Further seminars in Goodwood Masjid, Panorama Masjid, York Road Masjid, Habibia Soofie Masjid and Malmesbury Muslim Society will be held at dates and times yet to be confirmed.

For more information on the Sanzaf Zakaah Seminar nearest to you, visit www.sanzaf.org.za.

As we head into another Ramadaan, we thank you for your continued support, and appeal to you to continue supporting our efforts in serving humanity by channelling your zakaah, sadaqah and Lillah through Sanzaf.

For more zakaah-related information, information on our projects and programmes, upcoming events and to sign up for volunteer programmes, visit our website, www.sanzaf.org.za or contact Sanzaf Western Cape’s distribution office on 021 638 5108.

Thank you for helping us give hope for the last 45 years. Here’s to many more, Insha Allah.

54

Muslim Views . May 2019

Discussions with Dangor

The South African Black Muslim Conference: points for reflection Black Muslims are confronted with unique challenges, including the lobola system and education, writes EMERITUS PROFESSOR SULEMAN DANGOR.

The South African Black Muslim Conference was held in Johannesburg from April 19 to 21, 2019.

The programme included the following topics: exploring a community building model for Black Muslims; South African Black Muslims in a global perspective; developing Black ulama to be community leaders; SA Black Muslims – past, present and future; the role of Black ulama in building Islam; bridging the sectarian divide; the role of women in creating sustainable Black Muslim societies; Black Muslim women and political involvement; Black youth activism for holistic development of our nation; Black Muslim youth; Black Muslims in South Africa – integration or segregation?

There were also papers on marital issues and family structures; ICT as economic stability vehicle; economic development – opportu-

nities in agriculture; Black Muslims and educational challenges; madrasah education – challenges and solutions.

This article is a summary of the talks and interviews before and during the conference. Since details of the papers presented at the conference were not available at the time of writing this article, the issues identified by the presenters have not been included.

Indian Muslims were assured that they need not be concerned about the conference being labelled a ‘Black’ Muslim conference. It was not an anti-Indian conference and not intended to bash Indian Muslims.

Since Indians are also classified as Blacks and enjoy BEE status, it is strange that they should express misgivings about the conference.

After all, Malawians, Senegalese and others do meet to discuss matters affecting them specifically.

Black Muslims will continue to engage with Asian Muslims on matters that affect all Muslims of this country.

Among the motives of the conference mentioned by speakers and interviewees were to discuss issues pertinent to Black Muslims, the spread of Islam to the indigenous communities in the country,

the upliftment of Muslims in townships and rural areas, the development of Black entrepreneurs, organising Black communities, education, and the status and role of Black ulama.

Black Muslims are confronted with unique challenges, including the lobola system, education, access to deceased family members for burial, and general ignorance about Islam. For Black Muslims, issues such as lobola and burial are complex and not understood by those not affected directly by them. They also experience racism on the part of Indian Muslims.

Non-Muslims in the townships are generally ignorant about Islam and cannot understand that Blacks can adopt Islam as their way of life. Many assume that Islam is an Indian religion and that Black women only adopt Islam when they marry foreign (Muslim) nationals, like Pakistanis. They also identify Black Muslims with Boko Haram, implying that they are terrorists.

On the other hand, Black Muslims are concerned about Muslim extremists infiltrating the country since they will create serious problems for Muslims in South Africa.

Muslims are obliged to protect even the non-Muslims from vio-

Muslims should contribute to solutions to the socio-economic challenges facing the majority of South Africans. lence perpetrated by extremists.

The result of these misconceptions about Islam and Muslims is that Black Muslims experience discrimination in schools, in taxis and on the streets (where they are distinguished by their attire, such as the hijab). They are told that they are not Black and often experience xenophobic attacks by those who assume that they are foreign nationals.

Unfortunately, early immigrant Muslims have neglected their duty to attract the majority of the indigenous population to Islam.

They had the opportunity to invite their employees to embrace their faith but failed in this respect. The mantle of invitation to Islam has now been inherited by Black Muslims who will take the lead in promoting Islam in the country.

Why do Black Muslims have to be confirmed or defined by others?

Should they not define themselves? It is incorrect to assume that African customs contradict Islam. Unless Islam is indigenised, it will not have ‘arrived’ in the country.

If Black Muslims were to adopt a community model of development, which model will they choose?

Will it be informed by the National Development Plan 2030?

Will issues such as unemployment and poverty be taken into account?

Muslims should contribute to solutions to the socio-economic challenges facing the majority of South Africans.

What strategies will Black Muslims use to achieve their objectives? When they encounter resistance to their project of selfdevelopment, what mitigating factors will they adopt to deal with resistance? How will they measure success? These are critical questions and have to be given due consideration.

Black Muslims have built very few mosques to date. They will have to undertake the responsibility of establishing as well as taking care of their own institutions.

What steps are required to assume responsibility in this regard?

There is a lack of leadership among South African Muslims.

Presently, Black Muslims find themselves at the periphery. What will be the nature of the (future) leadership of Muslims in this country?

Asian and Black Muslims should meet on equal terms. Unity is vital for the future of Muslims in this country.

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56

Muslim Views . May 2019

Time is not a fixed dimension: Part 1 DR NISAR MARCUS

‘BY time. Indeed humankind is at a loss. Except those who believe, do righteous deeds and exhort one another to truth as well as patience.’ (Surah 103) The most common interpretation of the first two verses of Surah Al-Asr is that humankind is generally in decline as time progresses.

In fact, Yusuf Ali translates/ interprets the first verse as ‘By (the token of) time (through the ages).’

I disagree with this interpretation since the word used for time is ‘asr’ as opposed to ‘dahr’.

Asr is the general term for time, whereas dahr refers to a point or interval in time.

I believe that the surah states that if one accepts the existence of time in its totality then one must accept that humankind is at a loss.

The existence of time is universally accepted, even though there is a discrepancy as to the connotation of this abstract notion.

The general perception is that time is a measure of the age of a physical entity or its position within the framework of the universe.

We usually measure time by way of the position of the earth relative to other bodies of the universe.

However, Einstein’s theory of special relativity produced a completely new perspective of this abstract notion.

In this theory, it is shown that time is not a fixed dimension but

Another prediction of the theory of general relativity is that time is also affected by mass. In 1962, an experiment was performed where an accurate clock was mounted at the top of a high tower, and another one was placed at the bottom of the tower. The one at the bottom was found to run slower... varies with respect to the inertial frame of the observer.

Consider a pair of twins. Suppose one twin went on a long trip in a spaceship travelling at a speed close to the speed of light, and the other twin stayed at home.

When the first twin returns home, he would be much younger than his twin brother.

This is referred to as the twin paradox.

The reason for this variation of time is because the speed of light is constant in every inertial frame, and speed is the quotient of space and time.

Thus, even space may vary, depending on the inertial frame of the observer. This is consistent with our belief that light is the first creation of Allah. In fact, light is more fundamental than both space and time.

From Einstein’s famous equa-

tion, E = mc2, one could deduce that even energy and mass is secondary to light. Mass may be converted into energy, which gives rise to colossal explosions, such as in atomic bombs.

Another prediction of the theory of general relativity is that time is also affected by mass.

In 1962, an experiment was performed where an accurate clock was mounted at the top of a high tower, and another one was placed at the bottom of the tower.

The one at the bottom was found to run slower.

Because of the finite speed of light, our current observation of the stars in the night sky is as they were some time in the past, depending on the distance they are from the earth.

The closest star to our solar system is just over four light years away, and thus we observe it as it

was just over four years ago.

Some stars are so distant from the earth that we observe them as they were even before the formation of the earth.

The further we look into space, the further back we look into time.

Ironically, certain individuals in the past and even currently use the positions of the galaxies in the night sky as a way of predicting the future (fortune telling) and even describing the characters of people born in a certain month of the year (astrology).

It is clear that this is simply an absurd way of generating wealth with as little effort as possible.

There is an interesting duality between time and events. An event may be defined as a point in spacetime.

However, time is usually measured by our observation of events.

Thus, even though an event is de-

fined in terms of time, our understanding of time is entirely dependent on our study of events.

In the second part of this article, we will discuss a new viewpoint of time as presented by Professor Stephen Hawking. He was a theoretical physicist from Cambridge University. In 1963, he was diagnosed with motor neuron disease, and passed away on March 14, 2018. He should be commended for his opinion of the state of Israel. In May 2013, he was invited to attend the Fifth Annual Israeli Presidential Conference, held under the auspices of Shimon Peres. However, Cambridge University issued a statement indicating that he had refused to attend the conference since Palestinian academics at the university had informed him of the boycott of Israel because of its atrocities against Palestinians.

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Muslim Views . May 2019

57

58

Muslim Views . May 2019

Focus on Finance

Carbon tax here to stay?

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, give us an idea of how carbon tax will affect us.

AFTER the last few months of rolling blackouts and living our lives around loadshedding schedules, many South Africans are fearful about the future. Will Eskom turn the lights on at the end of the tunnel?

On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, the long anticipated Carbon Tax Bill was passed by South Africa’s national assembly. The sustainability challenge affects us all, climate change is a reality and we all need to play our part in changing our lifestyles and going greener.

Carbon tax is set to come into effect on June 1, 2019, if this effective date is not again further postponed. This tax is, however, eminent in order for South Africa to meet its target set in the Paris Agreement and play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

South Africa’s commitment under the Paris Agreement is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42 per cent by the year 2025. In order to meet this objective, the tax will be implemented in two phases – Phase 1 from June 1, 2019, to December 2022, and phase 2 from 2023 to 2030.

The tax will work on the ‘polluter pays’ principle and will, therefore, mostly affect major energy users. You may be asking how this carbon tax, which is supposed to be levied on the polluter, will affect you. Well, concerns have been raised that the carbon tax could lead to possible job losses, further increases in tariff hikes which, in turn, could have a ripple effect on the already strained South African economy.

Complementing the implementation of the carbon tax will be a package of tax incentives and revenue recycling measures to min-

Hassen Kajie

Aysha Osman

imise the impact in the first phase of the policy.

The design of the carbon tax provides significant tax-free emissions allowances, ranging from 60 per cent to 95 per cent for the first phase.

This includes a basic tax-free allowance of 60 per cent for all activities, a 10 per cent process and fugitive emissions allowance, a maximum 10 per cent allowance for companies that use carbon offsets to reduce their tax liability, a performance allowance of up to five per cent for companies that reduce the emissions intensity of their activities, and a maximum 10 per cent allowance for trade exposed sectors.

These allowances will be to provide sectors sufficient time and flexibility to transition their activities through investments in energy efficiency, renewables and other low carbon measures.

Ultimately, after allowances, this will result in a relatively modest carbon tax rate, ranging from R6 to R48 per ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emitted.

However, companies that exceed the stipulated threshold for certain activities will be penalised R120 per ton of CO2.

The revenue recycling measures are expected to help mitigate possible short-term negative impacts on the economy and jobs.

It was noted by the national

Complementing the implementation of the carbon tax will be a package of tax incentives and revenue recycling measures to minimise the impact in the first phase of the policy...

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treasury that the impact of the tax will be reviewed after at least three years of implementation of the tax.

The review will take into account the progress made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in line with South Africa’s national determined contributions commitments.

The review could result in future changes to rates and tax-free thresholds in the Carbon Tax, and will be subject to the normal transparent and consultative processes for all tax legislation.

We will leave you with this quote from Barack Obama: ‘The shift to a cleaner energy economy won’t happen overnight, and it will require tough choices along the way. But the debate is settled.

Climate change is a fact.’

Let us all do our part to help our beautiful planet.

Please note that the above is for information purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. As each individual’s personal circumstances vary, we recommend they seek advice on the matter. 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.

Muslim Views . May 2019

59

Getting a little ‘extra’ at Upcycled Cafe, in Jozi DILSHAD PARKER

THERE are few places one goes to eat that captures the imagination with an ususual setting while simultaneously delivering a treat for the palate.

Upcycled Cafe, in the heart of Benoni, is one such place that if you’re travelling to Johannesburg would be a tragedy to leave off your gastronomic roadmap.

I had come across this cafe online and was immediately intrigued by the upcycled inspired decor. So when I visited the City of Gold, in March, I simply had to pay a visit.

Halaal spots are typically centred around South and Central Johannesburg, in places like Fordsburg, also known as ‘Foodsburg’ or Lenasia, a predominently Muslim area. The more affluent areas like Sandton and Houghton are also seeing a rise in the amount of halaal venues available. So it’s unusual to find a destination spot like Upcycled Cafe in the East, and in Benoni no less.

I call it a destination spot because it’s not the kind of place that you just go for the food. The creative owners have poured their energy into every piece of furniture and decor in the place. It’s where the ordinary has got a little ‘extra’.

Every item of furniture has been repurposed from something that may have just ended up in the scrap yard. Think of a loveseat for two made of an old, 1950s style, car fender.

Chairs fashioned from vintage wooden cooldrink crates made

An old car fender becomes a love seat for two in Upcycled Cafe, in Benoni.

Photo DILSHAD PARKER

comfortable with bright pillows and fabrics.

Consol glass jar lights suspended into a chandelier made from an old, distressed, wooden cold drinks box.

The walls are peppered with box-mounted photographs of scenes from their journeys overseas. There is simply no end to the visual stimulation.

An examination of the menu was very short because I took one look at the breakfast options and knew immediately what I wanted: Masala Eggs like Grandma used to make – spicy scrambled eggs served with a side of spicy potoato, sausages and a Puff Paratha. Was there even a choice?

I think not.

Zulfi had the Hipster Heaven, which was avocado toast on wholegrain topped with flaked Hot Rock Salmon, two poached eggs, pickled purple onion petals and toasted seeds.

An old, distressed cold drinks crate and a few jars become a chandelier, backdropped by a pair of shutters morphed into a photo frame.

Photo DILSHAD PARKER

Both these dishes were standout dishes on their own. The Masala Eggs had lots of dhanya in it, and the potatoes flavoured with whole mustard. The sausage, which I am picky about was very good but I do find that sausage and cold meat products from Johannesburg and Durban are generally better than in Cape Town. The paratha, flaky and buttery.

This was comfort food at its best and sure to lift the spirits of anyone missing mom’s cooking.

The Hipster Heaven avo toast was delicious but in a much more fresh and healthy way. The salti-

Masala eggs like grandma used to Photo DILSHAD PARKER make.

ness of the salmon went down well with the creaminess of the avo. I felt the poached eggs were just slightly overdone; I like them quite runny. But the toasted seeds were divine. Almost pralined and generously sprinkled over the top.

I found the location of Upcycled Cafe a bit unusual. This type of creativity and attention to detail is more typically found in upscale malls and hippie suburbs. So being situated in an old retail building next to a bakery (Lazeeza’s, also owned by them by the way), a pharmacy and supermarket/ takeaway behind a mosque in Mackenzie Park felt a bit incon-

gruous.

After striking up a conversation with Saaleha, the owner and creative brain behind it all, I learned that they are planning to soon move to a new location on Atlas Road, in the Benoni area.

Saaleha had brought out some sweet treats which was displayed under glass domes on a table at the counter to entice you into something decadent after your meal. Lord knows, it doesn’t take much to twist my rubber arm and before you know it, I had added a ricotta and lemon tea cake, honey and orange blossom madeleine and a spicy tea to round off breakfast.

At this point, it stops becoming breakfast seeing that it includes dessert right? Both items were artfully presented on their plates and the tea was served in an on trend clay teapot.

The lemon and ricotta tea cake was light and delicious, and I could taste the orange blossom honey that the madelein had been syruped with.

The tea could have been spicier but I enjoyed it, and the teapot held enough for me to have a cup there and still take a full second cup with me in a paper cup – I wasn’t being cheap; you just don’t waste masala chai.

This review is independent and meals were paid for. Dilshad Parker is owner and author of www.hungryforhalaal.co.za

60

Muslim Views . May 2019

Light from the Quran

Ramadaan: experiencing enlightenment and spiritual joy IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED

REFLECTING on Ramadaan, Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, in his contemporary Quranic tafsir, Risale-i Nur, enumerates some of the purposes and instances of wisdom in the fast of Ramadaan that look to our social lives, our personal lives, the training of our nafs (instinctual soul) and our gratitude for Allah’s ni’mah.

He says that one of the many instances of wisdom in the fast of Ramadaan with respect to one’s gain and profit, who comes to this world to cultivate and do trade for the akhirah, is as follows: The reward for actions during Ramadaan is a thousand fold. According to Hadith, each word of the All-Wise Quran has ten merits; each is counted as ten merits and will yield ten fruits in Jannah.

During Ramadaan, each word bears not ten fruits but a thousand, and ayahs like Ayat al-Kursi thousands for each word, and on Fridays in Ramadaan it is even more. And on Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power), each word is counted as thirty thousand merits.

The All-Wise Quran, each of whose words yield thirty thousand eternal fruits, is like a luminous Tree of Tuba that gains millions of those eternal fruits for believers in Ramadaan.

So, we need to look earnestly at this sacred, eternal profitable trade

then consider it and understand the infinite loss suffered by those who do not appreciate the value of its words.

Bediuzzaman says that, to put it simply, Ramadaan is an extremely profitable display and market for the trade of the akhirah. It is an extremely fertile piece of land for the crops of the next world. It is a brilliant holy festival for the parade of our ibadah in the face of Allah Almighty’s divine sovereignty.

Thus, we have been charged with fasting in order not to heedlessly indulge the animal needs of the nafs, like eating and drinking, nor to indulge the appetites lustfully and in trivialities for, by temporarily rising above animality and abandoning the calls of this world, we approach the angelic state and enter upon the trade of the ahirah.

By fasting, we approach the state of the ahirah and that of a ruh (spirit) appearing in bodily form. It is as if we become a kind of mirror reflecting the Eternally Besought One. Indeed, Ramadaan gains for us a permanent, eternal life in this fleeting world and brief, transient life. Certainly, a single Ramadaan can produce fruits equal to that of a lifetime of eighty years.

The Quran stating that Lailatul Qadr is more auspicious than a thousand months is decisive proof of this.

The most excellent fasting is to make the human senses and organs fast together with the stomach.

Bediuzzaman says that, for example, a king may declare certain days to be festivals during his reign, or perhaps once a year, either on his accession to the throne or on some other days that reflect a glittering manifestation of his sovereignty.

On those occasions, he favours his subjects, not within the compass of his laws but with his special bounties and favours through his unveiled presence and his wondrous activities. He favours with his special regard and attention those who are completely loyal and worthy.

In the same way, the All-Glorious Monarch of all the worlds, who is the Sovereign of Pre-Eternity and Post-Eternity, revealed in Ramadaan the illustrious decree of the All-Wise Quran, which looks to these worlds. It is a requirement of wisdom, then, that Ramadaan

should be like a special divine festival, a divine display and a spiritual gathering. Since Ramadaan is such a festival, Allah has commanded us to fast, in order to disengage us, to a degree, from lowly, animal activities.

The most excellent fasting is to make the human senses and organs fast together with the stomach. That is, to withdraw them from unlawful things and from trivia, and to urge each of them to their particular ibadah.

For example, to ban the tongue from lying, backbiting and obscene language and to make it fast; and to busy it with such activities as reciting the Quran, praying, glorifying Allah’s names, asking for Allah’s blessings for Nabi Muhammad (SAW) and seeking forgiveness for sins; and, for example, to prevent the eyes from looking at members of the opposite sex outside the stipulated degrees of kinship, and the ears from hearing harmful things, and to use the eyes to take lessons and the ears to listen to the truth and to the Quran. This is to make other organs of the body fast, too.

As a matter of fact, since the stomach is the largest factory in the body, when it has an enforced holiday from work through fasting, the other small workshops are made to follow it easily.

Furthermore, the factory of the stomach has many workers, and many of the human organs are

connected to it. If the nafs does not take a rest from activity during the day for a month, it makes the factory’s workers and those organs forget their particular duties; it busies them with itself so that they remain under its tyranny.

Also, it confuses the rest of the organs in the human body with the clangour and steam of the factory’s machinery. It continuously attracts their attention to itself, making them temporarily forget their exalted duties.

It is because of this that, for centuries, those closest to Allah Almighty have accustomed themselves to discipline and to eating and drinking little in order to be perfected.

Through fasting in Ramadaan, the factory’s workers understand that they were not created for the factory only. So the rest of the organs, instead of delighting in the lowly amusements of the factory, take pleasure in angelic and spiritual amusements, and fix their gazes on them.

Bediuzzaman concludes that it is for this reason that, in Ramadaan, the believers experience enlightenment, fruitfulness and spiritual joy, which differ according to their degrees. Their subtle faculties, such as the heart, spirit and intellect, make great progress and advancement in that blessed month through fasting. They laugh with innocent joy in spite of the stomach’s weeping.

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62

Muslim Views . May 2019

From Consciousness to Contentment

Fasting is prescribed for you JASMINE KHAN

DO you remember as a child asking your parents: ‘Why do we have to fast?’

Mostly, the answer was: ‘So we can feel with the people who have nothing to eat.’

However, that was when we were children and, as the years passed and we moved into adulthood and with our spiritual growth, we have come to realise the wisdom of the verse from the Holy Quran: ‘O you who have attained to faith! Fasting is ordained for you as it was ordained for those before you so that hopefully you will have taqwa.’ (Surah Baqarah, verse 183) There are various interpretations of this verse, for example, that you might remain conscious of Allah, that you may ward off (evil); that you may (learn) self-restraint, so perhaps you will become mindful of Allah, so that you might become righteous.

For eleven months of the year, we are inclined to be so caught up in the various pressures of living and earning a living that, unconsciously, we find ourselves drifting.

This is normal and it is because we are human and prone to failings.

Once again, our All Merciful Creator comes to our rescue, and gently and lovingly brings us back

to awareness and consciousness.

Initially, staying without food and drink is a bit of a shock to the system but after fasting for a few days, our focus shifts away from the physical aspects of life. We not only get by without food but also cease to focus on buying and preparing food; this allows the spiritual part of our beings to come forward and, eventually, it becomes more dominant.

The opening of our spiritual ‘eyes’ and ‘ears’ enables us to feel, see and hear things we would not normally do. When we are so connected, we are open to receive the messages that Allah sends us all the time – and which we some-

times are not even aware of – and this motivates us to intensify our prayers.

All our ibadahs are done with complete conviction and because of our commitment, our duahs are accepted and we see the results of our efforts.

The duah of a fasting person is always accepted, and when we obey the command to fast during Ramadaan, Allah’s blessings pour into our lives. Fasting with pure intention releases us from cravings and even addictions.

When we fast, our minds gain clarity and we are able to see solutions to our challenges.

When you are facing a particu-

lar challenge, fasting will provide your mind with clarity and the ability to see solutions which were eluding you before. Fasting along with duah, will serve as a weapon for the believer when confronted by challenges.

Another benefit is that this month improves relations among families, neighbours and even colleagues. During this month, we are all more kind and more compassionate towards others.

Fasting can turn away Allah’s judgement. Because an entire city decided to fast, call upon Allah and turn away from evil, Allah spared Ninevah, even though He originally planned to destroy it.

The duah of a fasting person is always accepted, and when we obey the command to fast during Ramadaan, Allah’s blessings pour into our lives.

Fasting with pure intention releases us from cravings and even addictions...

The unhealthy food we are so fond of clogs our digestive systems and clouds the mind. We are inclined to overdo our eating and when the body is busy digesting, it takes blood away from the brain to perform increased digestive functions.

A diminished blood flow will result in being out of touch with our conscience and unable to hear the voice of our Creator. Therefore, drugs and alcohol is forbidden because it interferes with our perceptions.

Apart from the fact that fasting during Ramadaan is incumbent upon us, there are several benefits.

Once again we realise that whatever our merciful Creator commands us to do, has physical benefits in this world.

This is in addition to the immense reward for our obedience to His commands. By not eating, we give our digestive systems a rest and increase the flow of blood to our minds. Also, by not eating, it means the body has a chance to begin eliminating the clogging effects of the wrong kinds of food.

Fasting results in a very clear mind which is free to become fully in tune with our Creator. Combined with praise and prayer, fasting can bring about a manifestation of Allah’s presence and peace.

Muslim Views . May 2019

Art’s for All

63

Frescoes and murals – funny or forceful Some of the first local murals I saw were in the old post office building in central Cape Town, writes DR M C D’ARCY.

FRESCOES and murals are ‘in your face’, huge, wall paintings.

Murals are painted on dry walls. Frescoes are essentially art techniques in which coloured pigments are applied to wet, plastered walls. In conversation, it really doesn’t matter what term is used.

Wall paintings go back hundreds of thousand of years, when ancient man placed his hands on cave walls and blew pigment over it so that the hand outlines were fixed to the cave wall. He then graduated to painting animals and humans, using sticks or feathers with wet pigments.

We do not know whether this was for fun or religious purposes.

These murals can be seen across the world but Africa and Europe are particularly rich in such paintings.

Recently, a whole collection of such art was discovered more than a kilometre deep in a Spanish cave.

How did they paint in such dark caverns? No one knows.

The pinnacle of rich and detailed paintings cover the walls of many Egyptian tombs, including that of the relatively small tomb I saw of the famous boy king, Tutankhamen. These spectacular scenes have strong resurrection-religious connotations.

Hieroglyphic ‘writing’ accompanying the murals and read by experts confirm this.

Often, the depictions and script are from the Egyptian ‘Book of the

Tasneem Soni hard at work to bring grace to Salt River’s image.

Photo M C D’ARCY

A wall in Chatham Street, Salt River, lovingly decked with an encouraging mural by Tasneem and Shaheen Soni.

Photo M C D’ARCY

Dead’ retelling the journey to the hereafter. I was amazed when I had the pleasure of viewing the artistically detailed scenes of everyday life in ancient Egypt.

Even though some are more than 3 000 years old, they are as bright as if they were painted yesterday. One illustration I viewed was of a standing adult male being circumcised with a sharp stone ‘knife’.

Some of the first local murals I saw was in the old post office building in central Cape Town.

The grey building was once the tallest building in Africa. On the walls of the indoor, cavernous plaza were huge, staid mural panels that recorded episodes from the history of Cape Town’s largely ‘white’ colonial era. They are still there.

In 1983, I attended a huge medical conference in Iran. On the way from the airport to the posh Hilton Hotel venue, I was shocked to see enormous, luridly coloured frescoes adorning a plethora of buildings.

Many of the frescoes depicted the Iranian revolutionary struggle and the savage war with Iraq.

They urged the young men and women to fight for the new order against Iraq and the cohorts of deposed Iranian Shah Reza Pahlavi, who had fled the country.

Enormous pictures depicted eminent leaders of the government, including Ayatollah Khomeini, Ayatollah Montessari (whom I met later at a special tea for us) and President Khamenei, who opened the medical conference.

The frescoes were prime examples of forceful adoration of brave young men with guns. The art had no reservations regarding the depiction of the human form – a far cry from the censorship of depicting realistic human form as preached by many conservative Sunni clerics, such as those I recently encountered in Mauritius who denounced the depiction of any human form.

I’m not certain whether these clerics also censor pictures of cows or cats. (British prudish minds in the Queen Victorian era covered the udders of cows with bras.)

Ancient Egyptians worshipped

cats and there are millions of mummified cats. When Egypt was under British rule, mummified cats were exported to Britain and burnt as fuel on steam locomotives.

Murals and frescoes were not foreign in the Muslim empire in the times of Bagdad’s heyday. In the ruins of some of the summer retreats of the caliphs, mural remnants attest to this. Some were more risque than mere flowers.

Closer to home, in the 1970s, murals appeared on the walls of a few buildings in Cape Town. At the top of Hanover Street there was a religious mural on the walls of a church.

In 2006, internationally renowned Iranian muralist, Nasser Palangi, came to Cape Town with his artist wife, Farida Zavery, who staged a mixed-media (paints interspersed with cut-outs of paper plastered on the painting) exhibition, ‘The Hand of Fatima’, at the Bo-Kaap heritage centre.

They were so enamoured with Cape Town and its rich diverse community that Nasser proposed that he do a mural of the history of the local community of the BoKaap in a upper Wale Street arcade.

Nasser dipped into my collection of history books and memorabilia and made a collage scene of historic figures, cultural events and everyday life in yesteryear Cape Town.

A small group of local artists, with the help of tour guide, Shereen Habib, contributed significantly to the project. I financed a commemorative plaque for the project and the artists involved.

Vandalism struck, and it is now

Psychedelic exuberance on wall and car will pop eyes in Salt River’s newest Photo M C D’ARCY mural.

gone.

The pinnacle muralist of the twentieth century was a prolific Mexican artist, Diego Riviera. Initially a cubist artist (art rendered in geometric box patterns), he hobnobbed in Paris with artists such as Picasso but later charged into muralism with force.

A communist, he rendered vast dynamic scenes of the struggle of the working class in the cities of Europe and the USA. When commissioned by the arch Wall Street capitalists to paint a mural in New York’s Rockefeller Centre, he placed a bust of iconic Soviet communist, Vladimir Lenin, right in the centre of the mural. The capitalist mural connoisseurs were not amused.

Revitalising downtrodden and decrepit sections of cities is on the rise, despite Cape Town’s recent notorious gentrification penchant.

Woodstock and Salt River are high on the spectrum for ‘developers’ to pounce and open these prime areas for high-end housing and

Flight to Salt River’s brighter future starts on the wings of a little bird.

prestigious commerce.

However, there are signs that the denizens of these areas are resisting by upgrading and beautifying these areas themselves.

Recently, artists helped in this direction by painting huge murals on walls scraped of peeling paint and plaster cracks.

Helping these communities, artists such as Tasneem and Shaheen Soni have dedicated talent, time and money to help in this noble cause.

May their work be recognised, not only as beautification but as living art infused with messages telling those who wish to demolish the living spaces of the disadvantaged that, with effort, something can be done to make their traditional spaces better to live in and enjoy.

Those murals are strong beacons that shout: turn around your bulldozers; we are here to stay.

PS: My left hand was operated on. This column was largely ‘written’ with one finger. Pray for me.

Photo M C D’ARCY

64

Muslim Views . May 2019

Muslims need to retrospect after Christchurch After the wave of support from across the world to the Christchurch killings, RAASHIED GALANT argues that the gunman learnt from the Muslims. He wrote this piece prior to the wave of terrorist bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday, April 21, which claimed the lives of more than 250 people in churches.

CYCLONE Idai, which struck the east coast of Africa, causing vast destruction in three of our neighbouring countries, was the second calamity the world witnessed in March, this year. It hit landfall on a Thursday, exactly seven nights after the first calamity that month, when more than 40 Muslims were martyred in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Those musallis were shot at a location that is among the first to perform Jumuah on earth, every week. The ghastly reports and prayers for those killed, reverberated through mosques and mimbars across the world that day, as almost everyone had Jumuah after Christchurch.

For that man to mercilessly kill innocent Muslim worshippers, in the holy hour, in a mosque, is something he learnt from Muslims. For that man to desecrate a place of worship and a gathering of praying people with death and mayhem, he learnt from Muslims.

Muslims have been killing innocent Muslims in their mosques, during salaah, in Jumuah, at Eid salaah, at Sufi gatherings, Moulood celebrations, Arbaeen vigils, and other events for decades. Muslims have been desecrating places of worship – of Muslims and non-Muslim alike – with death and mayhem, for decades, and God alone knows how many other times over the past one thousand years.

The Christchurch killings, I hope, should give Muslims the tools to introspect about themselves, their mentality, their humanity and their place in this world.

Over 300 people were killed in a mosque, during Jumuah, in Egypt, by a suicide bomber, two years ago. It is a tale of tears to recount all the other mosque attacks

by Muslims in Yemen, Nigeria, Somalia, Tanzania, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even South Africa, in the years before and after that.

Then there are attacks on innocent worshippers. Close to 100 were killed at the shrine of Lal Shabaz, in Pakistan. Over 80 were killed during the Arabeen march, in Iraq, in 2016. And these were just the worst. Christchurch is an

atrocity that pales in comparison.

Baruch the Jew shot 39 Muslims in the Mosque of Abraham in 1994, over two decades ago. A white supremicist killed six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin. An avowed Islamophobe killed six Muslims at a centre in Quebec, Canada.

A young neo-Nazi shot nine people at a Baptist church in Charleston, USA, and, in 2017, apparently motivated by a domestic squabble, a young gunman killed 26 worshippers at a Baptist church in Texas.

Hands down, when it comes to the killing of innocent worshippers, Muslims take the cake. Less than two months before Christchurch, 23 people were killed in a suicide attack during mass in a Roman Catholic cathedral in Muslim-majority Jolo, in the Philippines. This was in January, this year.

It should be a testimony of shame and utter disgrace for all Muslims at the death and carnage that fellow Muslims have wrought on particularly Christians, in their places of worship, in Nigeria, Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan over the past decade.

And I’m talking here only about attacks on churches and worshippers.

This is not even to mention the civil and sometimes state-sponsored persecution by Muslims outside places of worship on Christians, Ahmadis, Bahais, Yazidis, Sikhs and Hindus in the Middle East, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia.

My patience has been sorely tested by the glib reactions of Muslim commentators following Christchurch, railing on about Islamophobia, the influence of Donald Trump, and the safety of Muslims in the West, without any meaningful self-reflection on the actions of some Muslims, not all, but Muslims nevertheless.

But perhaps that time can come as Christchurch gives us the tools to introspect. And it is not the killings, the actions and motive of the gunman that are the tools but the commiseration and solidarity from across the spectrum that followed the killings.

People gather outside Masjid Umar in Mount Roskill, an Auckland suburb, to show solidarity after the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand. The writer says these killings should gives Muslims the tools to introspect about themselves.

Photo SHER SINGH MANAKDHERI

After January 27 this year, was there any Muslim, anywhere in the world, who sought out a Catholic church to commiserate with them at the loss of their sisters and brothers in the Philippine attack?

In Bangladesh, whipped up men marched through the streets denouncing the West and protesting the action of the neo-Nazi in New Zealand. Where were they when hundreds were killed during Jumuah, in Egypt?

Did any of the stupendously rich Nigerian Muslims, including their President Buhari, go to St Theresa’s Church, in Madalla, in 2011, after 42 people were killed

by Boko Haram during a Christmas Day service, to say, ‘Maaf, they do not do this in my name.

Here is money to rebuild your church.’

In one incident, Muslims in Cairo formed a human chain around a church in symbolic solidarity and protection of the worshippers inside. Considering Cairo is a city of more than 18 million, that chain should have been ten people deep. It was a pittance of a show.

When 13 Coptic Christian men were ritually slaughtered on a

beach by Isis, in Libya, did those rich Muslim individuals – and even governments who denounced it – go to the Coptic Christian community and say, ‘Maaf, forgive us, here is money as reparation for the families. They do not do this in my name.’ Our Quran teaches us about blood money and reparations.

Did any Muslims start a fund perhaps to help rebuild a 100-year-old Ahmadi mosque in Sialkot, Pakistan, after Muslims tore down its dome and minaret last year?

What about the dozens of churches shot up and bombed by Boko Haram? Is there any fund to help them rebuild?

When over 90 Ahmadis were killed in an attack during Jumuah, in Pakistan, in 2010, even though they condemned it, not a single prominent government official or politician attended any of the funerals.

The most despicable reaction from Muslims to Christchurch came from Turkey, with calls for the resumption of salaah in the Hagia Sophia, in Istanbul.

For more than 700 years to date, Muslims have prevented,

banned, Christians from praying or performing any service in that church. What an insult this is to our Christian brothers and sisters, many of whom came out in droves in New Zealand to say, ‘We stand with Muslims.’ I say, let the church services resume in the Hagia Sophia, now!

Christians, Jews and Hindus – not all but I generalise here to give you all the blessings – you have on many occasions in South Africa invited Muslims into your places of worship to address you, to share some Quranic verses, to join in a prayer or simply be welcoming.

But, other than Claremont Main Road Mosque, where does a reciprocal gesture of respect and solidarity happen in a local mosque?

At the beginning of this year, some Muslims in the Cape stirred up scandal within their community, insulting our fellow Hindu citizens in the process, by denigrating a sacred Hindu wedding ritual conducted at an inter-faith wedding attended by prominent Muslims.

It is only recently, in the past few years, that the Muslim Judicial Council has deigned to wish our fellow citizens a Happy Christmas yet, there are still some Muslims who maintain that you may not utter the words ‘Merry Christmas’ to anyone, and least of all ‘Happy Diwali’.

Such is the narrow-minded mentality of Muslims towards other faith adherents, and here I generalise even if it includes me, since the deviation from this is marginal and pursued through a minefield of backlash or scandal.

It will be contrary to Muslim belief to accept that the Christchurch killer was the maker of his own destiny. God – Allah – was director of the ghastly scene that unfolded in that mosque on March 15. And a groundswell of humanity arose after that. This is what Muslims should introspect and humble themselves about, and, most importantly, change about themselves.

Christians, Jews, Hindus and others, it is not your place to demand to speak in our mosques.

That is our fight, in our sacred spaces and amongst our co-religionists.

Non-Muslims, from whatever faith, I thank you for your commiseration and solidarity following the Christchurch attack. May our humanity rise even higher in meeting and protecting you during your times of distress and persecution.