Islam here oct nov

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ACTIVE, VISABLE, PRACTISED AMONG PEOPLE

EDITION

06,

OCT-NOV

2015,

SAFAR

1437,

WESTERN

CAPE

EDITION.

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HOW TO SURVIVE IN

SOCIAL

MEDIA-STAN

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SOCIAL MEDIA & THE POLITICAL

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SOCIAL MEDIA & THE LEGAL

SOCIAL MEDIA & BEING SOCIAL

POINT & CLICK

EX-DRONE OPERATOR SPEAKS

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WHAT ALLAH SENT AS A MERCY

THINK ! Before you post and tag WE LOOK AT THE REAL WORLD IMPACT OF INTERNATIONAL, PERMANENT & PUBLIC PLATFORMS

THE SOCIAL MEDIA AGE

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he social media age had brought the world together in a way we have never seen before in history. At the touch of a screen, we can communicate and share information with anyone across the globe instantly. But with this amount of power, or shall we say the lack of which to a certain degree, comes a great deal of responsibility. What are

our rights with regard to freedom of speech and what potential consequences result from sharing information across social media platforms? Social Media, due to only being of any serious consequence in this past decade, is at present an under developed area of law. How our courts will deal with issues arising out of Social Media usage is still, to a large extent, uncertain. What’s happening abroad is useful as it gives us an idea of the types of

questions and risks we are likely to face and take pre-emptive measures to guard against such risks.

right to privacy, safety, dignity and reputation for example.

THE LIMITS OF FREEDOM

Social media platforms are firstly publishing platforms and so practically viewed within the framework of media law. About 17 years ago social media could have been described as printed media, radio and television. That was until we were introduced to the World Wide Web and all the

Important first to realize is that Freedom of Expression is limited by law. This is because unlimited freedom naturally impinges on and comes into direct conflict with the freedom of expression of others. It conflicts with a person’s

THE CONSTANT PUBLISHER

wonderful things that we are now capable of from our desks without having to go to the library, the post office or even having to speak to somebody in person. During the past 10 years a number of social networks popped up and can best be described as addictive for some users. Facebook seems to be by far the most popular social networking platform followed closely by Twitter with a growing user base. ...CONTINUED PG. 4

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SOCIAL MEDIA

ONCE OUR VOICES HAVE RETURNED, WHAT NEEDS TO BE SAID?

they presented was alien to what people on the ground were able to tell the world in real time, through Social Media.

TWITTER’S REALM OF THE POLITICAL AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS MUSLIMS PIC: ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISLAM HERE

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These past month, South Africans bore witness to the power of Social Media. We noticed that it took the Mass Media days before it brought the story to the forefront.

In the meanwhile, protesters were effective at engaging with the general public about their concerns – in real time.

Is the public willing to wait until 7 O’clock in the evening to be told what the headlines are? Or does the public find it more interesting to engage with the people on the ground (via tweets) about the issue of the day?

The Mass Media’s patrician, elitist attitude towards what they believe to be real news and what is not, must be reconsidered in light of #FeesMustFall.

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veryday millions of people around the world log-on to social media to interact with friends and family members; and an increasing number of people, primarily consume their news on Social Media (mainly twitter, facebook and youtube).

The Arab spring,#OccupyWallStreet, #RhodesMustfall and #FeesMustFall have changed global behaviours of how people around the world consume their news.

During the above-mentioned events, the Mass Media(TV and newspapers) were slow to report these stories and when they finally did report the news, the narrative

Several years ago, a popular American news channel initially presented #OccupyWallStreet protesters as ‘hooligans’ and ‘hippies’. That news channel, alongside several other channels changed their narrative after they realised that what they reported was contradictory to the millions of tweets in the ‘twitter-sphere’ reporting the same event. Therefore, news channels changed their narrative because of the power of Social Media. This is a colossal change in history, a contrast to when news channels dictated the agenda of the day.

SAFAR 1437

the news,prior to the Social Media era.

Without Social Media would we have heard the story of Ahmed Mohamed, the teenage Muslim boy that got arrested because his home-made clock was mistaken for a bomb? Probably not.

For us Muslims, Social Media provides a platform to voice out our concerns about the injustice in the world and to teach the world the beauty of The Deen. We have the means and the drive to counter the anti-Muslim narrative that has been spread by islamaphobic media channels. These Channels have polluted the image of The Deen for decades and we can reverse those effects and win the hearts and minds of billions of people across the world.

K.Omar Masombuka

PROTESTERS STOPPING TO ESTABLISH THE SALAAH IN TAHRIR SQUARE PIC: ASSOCIATED PRESS

#Stallholders and #FeesMustFall could’ve been just another news bulletin we could’ve read (or most probably missed) passing by at the bottom of the news screen on

BUILDING A FUTURE BASED ON ANCIENT CRAFT SKILLS

Not many consider a future in Boat & Yaught building, but here is why you should.

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early three quarters of our planet is a no-go zone, which is why someone, somewhere, had to come up with the concept of a boat. Indeed, primitive vessels were probably the first vehicles mankind ever made.

When the financial crisis first started, people suddenly seemed to develop an interest in producing something rather than sitting at a computer.

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craftsmanship and knowledge is the most overlooked in the great pantheon of this nation’s historic skills. We have forgotten and lost more types of vessel than we have developed modern ones in the past 50 years.

Single marques of motorcar have entire museums devoted to their every foible and development, whereas fleets of truly beautiful and highly-efficient local boats have disappeared forever.

Wind the clock on and it was always going to be the case that a nation surrounded by water would evolve a rich and varied heritage when it came to the art of building boats.

There is a renaissance in interest in traditional skills, since a real change in 2008 when the financial crisis first started and people suddenly seemed to develop an interest in producing something rather than sitting at a computer.

And such was the case – at one time every stretch of coast surrounding these isles would have boasted some kind of indigenous vessel which would have been adapted and designed through long years of experience to cope with local conditions.

Some would argue that this wealth of local

As for the academic side of traditional boat research, this develops as students embark on their various projects. A wide range of disciplines (called Unit Standards, or US) is covered in the Yacht and Boat Building course, including Design, Marine Joinery/

Woodwork, Fibreglass/Polymer Composite Fabrication, Metalwork/Welding, Marine Systems (including plumbing, inboard propulsion systems, hydraulics, gas and electrical), Computer Aided Drawing (AutoCAD), and Boat Building Standards.

These skills, once learned, offer a diverse set of job opportunities that are almost equally varied as the skills themselves.

You can get a job as a boat builder in both luxury yachts (mostly Fibreglass) or industrial application vessels (mostly fishing boats, barges, etc. worked mostly in aluminium). Work as a Marine electrician; deck fitter; systems installer; Architect; Manufacturer of fibreglass swimming pools, bakkie canopies; playground equipment or custom car bodies in the motor industry; Cabinetmaker and even as

a welder. False Bay College’s Boat Building Academy is equipped with the latest tools and simulators to ensure students are wellprepared for industry and offers students a 3 year qualification with 6 months of each year at the Academy and the following 6 months spent in Industry for Industrial experience, or Work Placement. During Work Placement a student has to keep a logbook, which has to be signed off each week by his/her supervisor and handed into the Academy at the end of Work Placement. www.falsebaycollege.co.za for more details.

ISLAM HERE PROMOTES ACTION WITH KNOWLEDGE. “TO PRODUCE LEADERSHIP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT TO SERVE & EDUCATE EACH OTHER IS TO LEAD.” THIS NEWSPAPER WILL EXPLORE THEMES FOR MUSLIMS LIVING IN A POSTTERROR DIALECTIC WORLD. A WORLD IN WHICH THEY CONSTANTLY CONFRONTED BY A HOSTILE MEDIA FORCING UPON THEM TWO REACTIONARY & EXTREME RESPONSES. ONE OF DEBASEMENT & APOLOGETIC AND OFTEN FALSE PUBLIC RELATIONS AND THE OTHER EXTREME AND VIOLENT. WE SEEK TO FILL THE VOID AND LACK OF EXPRESSION WITH REGARDS TO ISLAM IN THIS AGE. EDITOR JOURNALISTS -

NABEEL ABDALHAQQ K.OMAR MASOMBUKA NABEEL ABDALHAQQ FALSE BAY COLLEGE BLACK LOTUS CREATIVE DR. DANIEL SIRGEL

LADY AISHA COLLEGE WAJAHAT S. KHAN F. BRINLEY BRUTON SAEED SAEED ADVERTISING - NANGAMSO PRINCE.-NANI

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ISLAM HERE CONSIDERS ITS SOURCES RELIABLE & VERIFIES AS MUCH DATA AS POSSIBLE. THE NEWSPAPER IS MEANT AND UNDERSTOOD TO BE A GUIDE & COUNCIL BY WHICH TO ASSESS CURRENT MODELS OF THE THEMES BEING ADDRESSED. READERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESEARCH AND DISCOVER THOSE THEMES FOR THEMSELVES. THE PUBLICATION SEEKS TO AID THE PROCESS IN THE BEST MORAL & ETHICAL MANNER, & WILL NOT TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE USE OF SUCH EXPLORED THEMES INTO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE READER. ALTHOUGH PERSONS OR COMPANIES MENTIONED HEREIN ARE BELIEVED TO BE REPUTABLE, NEITHER ISLAM HERE PUBLICATION, ASABIYYA TRADING CC, NOR ANY OF ITS EMPLOYEES, SALES EXECUTIVES OR CONTRIBUTORS ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY WHATSOEVER FOR THEIR ACTIVITIES. Cape Town, Western Cape 8000. Asabiyya Trading cc , is a Level 3 BEE Contributor , ISLAM HERE Newspaper Western Cape

Editor’s Desk A

salaamualaykum to all our readers & thank you all for picking this copy of ISLAM HERE.

Social Media as a platform, whether we LIKE or DISLIKE it, has become part of our everyday existence. As a generation that ‘remembers’ a lived experience without Social Media and smart devices, the particular task we find ourselves in is to re-access and properly define the world we live in, engaging with a new language unable to link itself sufficiently to the value system we grew up with.

Crucial to understanding our sense of morality and values in the present Social Media Age, especially as a Muslim community, is that these morals come from a time when this technology did not exist. Suddenly our right to privacy, has become a vital aspect of our daily lives as we willingly participate privately and publicly on a platform where your information and location are not in your ownership. We willingly sign this over when logging on to social media platforms.

What we inherit from this, besides having to trust these multi-national corporations in possession of our information, is a need for digital security, to prevent hackers from accessing our personal information.

We are now in pressed position to delve evermore into the virtual experience.

No as I have entered my 30’s, I ask

myself some reflective questions about my own lived experience now integrated so dependently on what feels like an inescapable participation with these digital platforms and frameworks.

I watch as a seven year old navigates an iPad faster than I can decide what to do with it. I asked this young boy what he thought an iPad was, so he explained to me, “It’s like a phone, only bigger, that’s all.” He wasn’t incorrect, however I began to grow worried that in what he participates so easily and willingly of this virtual experience he is having, he does not as yet realise its impact on him. The truth is that I hardly know what the impact of this technology or Social Media is having on me either. But out of a sense of responsibility for this child’s future, we ought to find out!

As for what it is, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with social media.

It is still qualitatively constructed on the input of people. What they desire, what they hope for. Social Media gives this to us. But only virtually. The real problem is how we perceive things.

So really the question is not about Social Media. The question is about us. Who we are. I don’t mean to say just as Muslims, although there is an inner obligation in us as Muslims to engage with this knowledge, but as what ‘Man’ is as a creature.

This touches on the many different aspects of our lived experience.

How we deal with issues effecting us socially, and Social Media facilitates this brilliantly. There is a lot of good in this as the desire for Justice is a central issue for us.

But what about how this effects our actions online. Legally speaking do we have the total freedom to say whatever we wish to without punitive repercussions from the law? What does the excessive use of social media do to us on a physiological level? Does it change just the way we do things or how we think? How does this affect PIC: STOCK PHOTO

our psyches and how does this affect us long term? If our brains are wired to connect, what are we connecting to? Can we really connect with people without being in their presence and by simply looking at a screen? Social Media has proven itself a great tool for networking but the question is what we are using it for.

Assalaamualaykum.

Nabeel Abdalhaqq Editor

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ISLAM HERE SAFAR 1437

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THINK ! Before you post and tag ...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 THE CONSTANT PUBLISHER

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hese statistics may be good for Facebook, but what does it mean for employers? First of all there is the question of the productivity of employees that access Facebook and other social networking sites during office hours, as well as the associated infrastructure costs. Another concern is the reputation of the business of the employer, or its employees, as a result of the information published on these sites. During the past couple of years we have seen a number of employees being dismissed as a result of defamatory information that was published on Facebook.

In the eyes of the law, it can be said, as soon as you publish something on social media, it is as if you published it on the front page of a newspaper. Whether you are utilising Facebook; Twitter; Radio; Television or even a Whatsapp message, it applies to this same frame work of law to govern freedom of expression.

IT IS ABOUT ASSOCIATION Your digital presence on the internet also holds associations.

Meaning that you, whether or not it is an official capacity, represent these associations. These associations could be a company you work for, the school you attend or organisation you are a member of.

ONCE IT IS RELEASED, IT IS OUT OF YOUR HANDS Unfortunately, to avoid conflict, if you do not wish what you are wanting to post online to be in connection with any of these associations then it is best to not

let it exist on digital format. What gets placed on the internet stays on the internet, not because it gets archived on some remote server in California, but because once it is released (shared) into the public sphere you have no control over what the chain of publication does with that information. It does not matter how many associations you have in a closed network.

Even if you send, what you intend as a private Whatsapp message to a friend, you have no control on what your friend does with that information. He or she may take a screen-shot of the posted message as some form of evidence.

This might not seem especially significant a threat, but you have to remember that social media lacks context as well as non-verbal communication signals that express the intent of the communiqué as a whole. If what has been shared has not been intended to harm someone or impinge on their rights in anyway and, regardless, results in that being the case, you can be made liable for that.

LEGAL BOUNDARY Defamation is one such way this can cause harm. This means to damage an individual’s or organisations reputation. In South Africa, the limit allowed for this, is if the information is firstly correct and secondly it is done for the public good/interest such as a review of services delivered when you are not a competing company. However if it is not the case, and there is malicious intent you can be held liable. We have seen an increasing amount of people being dismissed from employment in South Africa based on this same principal.

Bringing your company into disrepute, where as a known employee, you publish something against company policy, such as sharing an inappropriate joke or

making racist or sexist comments publicly and as a result the company receives a bad name. Another example is where people breach the ‘Duty of Good Faith’ expected from employees handling the reputation of the companies they work for.

Such as talking about your boss or customers you dealt with on social media in a negative way. This may affect you whether you do the posting or not.

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CASE IN POINT A point in case is, Sedick & another / Krisray (Pty) Ltd [2011] 8 BALR 879 (CCMA), both the operations manager and bookkeeper were dismissed for bringing the company’s name into disrepute by publishing derogatory comments about the owner of the company on Facebook. The employees claimed that their right to privacy was breached by the employer by accessing their profiles on Facebook. They further argued that the comments they made did not identify any person or organization and could therefore not have damaged the reputation of the company.

The Commissioner noted that in terms of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communicationrelated Information Act 70 of 2002, “any person . . . may intercept any communication if he or she is a party to the communication, unless such communication is intercepted

by such person for purposes of committing an offence”. According to the Commissioner the internet is a public domain and Facebook users have the option to restrict access to their profiles as well as the information that they publish. In this case the dismissed employees did not block access to their profiles and as such any person could have accessed the information that they have published. The admissibility of the employer’s evidence was accordingly not an issue. Turning to the comments that were posted the commissioner found that former or current employees of the company, that accessed the profiles of the two employees, would have had no difficulty in identifying the person they referred to in their communications. The dismissal of the two employees was therefore found to be fair.

From the above it is clear that a dismissal under such circumstances could be fair, provided that the employer follows the correct procedures and that the evidence used against the employee has not been illegally obtained in terms of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act.

NO SUCH THING AS ANONYMITY Social media needs to be handled with responsibility. Anonymity on social media does not exist as even if you publish something under an alias, if what you have published is a criminal offence, you can still be tracked and found out. By virtue of the fact that social media platforms assigns users an IP address, delivers information on your location as well as what kind of device you are using, it is very easy to find out who you are even if you have created a fake account.

CYBER-BULLYING

This may affect children who engage in cyber-bullying, which is fast becoming an epidemic in schools today, who think that, because they utilize a fake account to bully and intimidate fellow students, they will not be caught.

If they are taken further, this may result in a criminal record. Students in South Africa may contact any magistrate’s court in the country and freely receive assistance if they are being targeted by cyber-bullies.

CLICKING IS THE ONLY THING THAT IS SIMPLE You cannot simply publish on sensitive topics using social media. You lose tone, context and control over how your comments are perceived. Beware if you are tagged in on a post as well. This automatically makes you part of the chain of publication, where every single person tagged in a post are equally responsible for its content. According to South African law, it can be said, that if you have a Facebook page, you are solely responsible for what appears on that page and are treated as an editor. By something being on your page you have both editorial rights and approval, so long as you have seen it.

PERMENANCE Think before you post and before you associate or allow yourself to be associated. If it is something you would not feel comfortable expressing or showing in public, it probably best you don’t publish it on any social media or have it in digital format. Most of all we need to teach our children how to be responsible with publishing on social media if you allow them to utilise it. Once something is on the Internet, it stays on the internet and can scar you for life.

ISLAM HERE

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SOCIAL MEDIA

ISLAM HERE SAFAR 1437

SOCIAL MEDIA & REWIRING THE BRAIN PIC: DREAMSTIME IMAGES

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veryone loves Social Media now days. It allows us to connect in ways we have never known possible. It has helped us facilitate our everyday meetings and transactions. It is a fascinating, new phenomenon and when we look at it deeply from a brain point of view, when we start from the foundation that the brain is actually the social organ of the body, we can understand why social media and brain function would go hand-in-hand. That is the reason social media took off in the last 10 years. It is because the brain is social.

We are wired to be social.

RESHAPING THE BRAIN People really want to connect with each other. And then social media was designed and kept on creating itself, then social media, in-fact, is going to be shaping the brain. So that the brain is responsive to culture. Research done by the Mind Sight Institute at the University of California,

Los Angeles, were able to show that cultural experience’s, that is messages sent out in society that are mediated through communication, either one on one or mass media communication shape the actual structure of the brain.

And so it is a two-way street, the brain created social media, and social media continually shapes the brain. One of the simple things I think social media does, is it brings us back at least a feeling on one level that we’re having the connections that we are evolved to have.

WHAT SOCIAL MEDIA IS LACKING It is a great question. Is social media replacing our relationships or is it adding to it? From a brain point of view, the difference between e-mail and social media versus face to face interaction is very interesting. Studies have shown what it is like when you are with someone face to face.

For example, where you have eye contact, you are sharing facial expressions, there is a tone of voice you can hear, the posture of the person, the gestures, the timing of what they do, the intensity of what they respond with are the seven signals of non-verbal communication. Eye contact; Facial expression; Tone of voice; Posture; Gesture; Timing & Intensity, if you memorize those, it becomes really useful because then will see what texting, what email and what most media actually is lacking.

NOT ENOUGH FACE TO FACE TIME

Now if you look at what area of the brain both sends out those non-verbal signals and receives them and makes sense of them, it’s the right hemisphere of the brain. And the right hemisphere of the brain is much more closely connected to the lower regions OR the higher right areas are connected to the lower regions of the brain. These lower regions work with the body itself to create out emotions to give us the ‘Felt’ texture of lived-life.

A deep concern in the development of the brain is that the more people spend time NOT using non-verbal signals and instead use mostly verbal signals (i.e.. Text with language that has this linear way of being distributed), activates primarily your left hemisphere of the brain which is distant from the lower areas that help mediate emotion with the body. Even Auto-Biographical Memory, which relates to things we remember during the course of our lifetime, periods, general events and eventspecific knowledge.

SOCIAL DISPLAY RULES All information contained within this type of memory relating to ourselves including knowledge of the kind of person we were, are and will be, is dominant on the right side of the brain.

Being left-brained, you become dominated by just logistics. Importantly, caring how people are going to care about you or like you is a left brain activity. This is called Social Display Rules.

WHAT WE NEED So from a hemisphere point of view, what is deeply concerning is that if social media, email, texting are not giving people more face to face time with each other or getting in touch with what is going on inside themselves, then the next generation will be more used to a very surface level of experiencing the world. So there is nothing inherently wrong with social media but if it is replacing time for face to face interaction then that could be a big problem.

However, all this being the case, it is important to remember that it is the brains job to adapt and to rewire. Adjust to the pressures of everyday life. If all these scientific findings tell us anything, it is that we have to manage that adaptation with life patterns that are healthy to our existence. Life patterns that transmit our value systems to our children.

It is best noticed in a younger generation simply because it is so difficult to be aware of these changes in ourselves. The impact of excessive use of social media means that we need to set aside time to be social. And it is clear that we cannot use Social Media to do that. We have to maintain the real and intimate relationships with other people as a path to a healthy mental situation.

Dr. Daniel Sirgel Executive Director Mind Sight Institute

JUST POINT & CLICK

Ex DRONE Operators speak out about civilian casualties in new documentary

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“Just point and click, it’s that simple.” Was the chilling remark Brandon Bryant makes in a telling documentary called “DRONE”

by Norwegian film maker Tonje Hessen Shei. The director notes, “I think the US is setting a very dangerous precedent with their use of drones, killing thousands of people outside declared battlefields, with no transparency or accountability. There are urgent issues of possible war crimes, human rights and international laws of war that need our immediate attention.

With DRONE we give a voice to people on different sides of the new warfare, and I hope the film will spark a much-needed international debate on the US secret use of drones, who we are as a world community and where we are heading.”

The documentary is loosely based on the experiences of Brandon Bryant as a US Air-force Drone Operator, from recruitment to the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and suicidal tendencies resulting from the guilt of killing civilians. Brandon and Michael Haas are some of the only exDrone operators coming forward to expose the unnatural and inhumane reality that drone warfare poses to the world.

The Documentary has a lot to say that needs to be heard. Some of it is already fairly familiar, though that makes it no less urgent. The morality of killing people without trial and the substantial civilian casualties caused by the so-called targeted strikes have been the source of debate and protest for some time. And others

have argued, as this film does, that drone warfare is actually a recruitment tool for terrorist groups because of the resentment it is generating. Brandon explains in the documentary, “What happens when you’ve killed someone’s loved one that has had nothing to do with terrorist activities? Or that you kill someone’s child? What happens when their are no avenues to seek justice for that killing? All that is left for you is revenge.”

Being a drone operator requires a very specific skill set. Through games like the official US military sponsored game “America’s Army” the US military recruits young gamers to be drone operators at gaming conventions. What follows from this is a targeted training they receive to be able kill on behalf of the state, detached from the moral and ethical human responses to killing with the click of a button in socalled targeted strikes. Speaking at a press conference in New York, Haas, along with other former drone pilots spoke about the heartless culture of the program and the mental consequences for those involved.

They told of a workplace where Afghani and Iraqi children were referred to as “fun sized terrorists” and killing them earned the sickening euphemism of “cutting the grass before it got too long.” #NOTABUGSPLAT The film thoroughly visits the human cost on both sides. Seen in the film, huge portraits such as this one of a girl (bottom left) has been unfurled in a Pakistani field as part

of an effort to communicate directly with Predator drone operators and humanize innocent victims of American strikes, activists say. The picture laid out in a field in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region 10 days ago is of a girl who activists say lost her parents in a drone strike. It is part of a campaign entitled #NotABugSplat, which draws its name from the slang term “bug splats,” which Predator drone operators sometimes use to denote direct kills.

“This idea of us visually connecting locals with drone operators is two years old,” said Shahzad Akbar, an anti-drone activist who works with international rights group Reprieve. Two years ago, the collective distributed posters in the tribal area of Waziristan, the hardest hit region.“Our posters have been up on roofs in Pakistan’s Waziristan since then, looking directly at drone operators, except nobody cared because we could never take a picture of them and show them to the world,” Akbar said.

The group could not widely disseminate pictures of this installation because it was impossible to take photographs from the air in the area, he said. At least 2,296 people and 416 civilians have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan, according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Wajahat S. Khan, F. Brinley Bruton and ISLAM HERE

ONLINE TELEVISION FOR THE

GLOBAL URBAN MUSLIM NOW AVAILABLE IN SOUTH AFRICA!!

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e at ISLAM HERE, are very proud to welcome the Alchemiya online television service into the country. Given the serious bad press of Islam in the media and the need for quality media that focusses on the Beauty of Islam, they have produced inspiring and masterful pieces such as: An intimate documentary about boxer Muhammad Ali; Imam Al Ghazzali; a traveller’s guide to Muslim Spain; a short film about Muslims in Paris during the Second World War and a host of acclaimed regional films, too many to name. With all these on offer, on-­demand videostreaming service Alchemiya has already attracted some industry buzz as the “Muslim Netflix” and is now available in South Africa.

All of the films and documentaries on their service are available to watch from South Africa. They purchase a global license so that their programmes are available worldwide. Also, with their 7 day free trial, anyone can go into the

website and take a long look at Alchemiya without the pressure of having to decide whether or not to subscribe immediately.

The enthusiastic reception that has greeted Alchemiya – which means “chemistry” in Arabic – is immensely satisfying to its founder, Navid Akhtar.

“Everything is going well, ­alhamdulillah,” he says. “There seems to be a real appetite for what we are producing and we are now focusing on getting more programs to keep up with it. It is really an exciting time for us.”

MEET THE GUMMIES A veteran of the British television industry, Akhtar has worked as a producer for the BBC and Channel 4 for two decades. In 2013, he was responsible for heading Channel 4’s Ramadan content, which featured the first live British broadcast of the call to prayer.

He explains that one of the seeds for Alchemiya came from that project. “For the call to prayer, they wanted to shoot it inside a mosque and get an imam,” he says.

“I said no – I used one of the

hippest and coolest muezzins [who recite the call to prayer] and he also happened to be a graphic designer with a great voice. We put him in a funky shirt and shot him in the cool parts of London.” “I wanted to reflect the creative energy that is in the Muslim community in London.” While travelling, Akhtar had realised that this vibe is not unique to British Muslims, but is in evidence in plenty of other cities.

“In about 2010, I began to see this same type of mindset emerging in places in Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,” he says. “I began to see these new types of Muslims coming in and I gave them a name: global urban Muslims – or as I like to call them ‘Gumies’. I realised they were a market that hasn’t been tapped.”

THE BEGINNINGS After deciding that online was the best platform for Alchemiya, Akhtar begin setting up a small team in London early last year to help launch the service. The first step was to define what Gumies would want from such a service. A self-described Gumi

PIC: ALCHEMIYYA - THE ALCHEMIYA TEAM

himself, Akhtar says they are not interested in overtly religious programming. Instead, they are more engaged by the cultural and artistic aspects of Islam, something not catered for by the plethora of religious television stations.

faith.” After formally announcing the launch of Alchemiya with an introductory video in August last year, Akhtar and his team managed to secure £90,000 in seed money from British and international donors to begin sourcing content for the project.

“There remains a lot of religious content that’s more focused on how to be a Muslim and it is all very prescriptive,” he explains. “We are more interested in ideas – for example, on how people fuse graffiti with calligraphy. Or on people who find new ways to dress as a Muslim but within the guidelines of the

Alchemiya has an everexpanding, eclectic selection of Islamic programming created by established and new filmmakers.

For more information on the Alchemiya services as well as to subscribe visit www.alchemiya. com Saeed Saeed

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A MERCY UNTO ALL I

slam is spreading to every people of the world, from the Germans to the Japanese, the Russians to the Zulus. Today we cannot say what a Muslim looks like, only by their actions and a light, testimony to what lies within perched upon their faces.

We know someone is Muslim when we begin to recognise traces of the Deen on them.

Of course, for us, Assalaamu alaykum is enough. In it, a dua, is everything a Muslim wishes upon another Muslim. In it is a declaration of safety. You, your family and your possessions are safe with me. It is an obligation upon hearing it that you return the greeting and its sunnah is to return one better than you have received. Wa alaykum salaam wa rahmatullah. Peace & Mercy.

That is the guarantee in the relations between us. Its starts the moment we meet. No other people in the world would be able to understand this. If you do not wish to greet your fellow Muslim then fear Allah, you will be returned to Him and be answerable for it.

It is reported in Sahih Muslim, that the messenger of Allah, salallahu alayhi wasalam said,

“You will not enter the Jannah until you believe and you will not believe until you love each

other. Shall I show you something that, if you did, you will love each other?

Spread peace between yourselves.”

PIC: CHARLES FRED

Our Ummah today has a great wealth of culture, language, spirit & colour. At no other time in history has it been like it is now. Our Jama’at, is proven and established in our love for the Messenger, sallalahu alayhi wasalam. We stand in honour united in our love for him. His city is more beloved to us then Makka. We recognise each other by the actions of his sunnah.

The smallest of sunnahs among the people make us remember him. What made this ummah, so praise worthy is that we have a good opinion of one another for the sake of Allah, we cover over each other’s faults.

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We forgive often, we spend lavishly on each other. And most importantly, we call each other to what we wish for ourselves, and that is towards good. Some people today wont even want this for their own families.

Since the fall of the last Khalifate, least of which, in the realm of those who fought on behalf of the British for its removal with the promise of an Arab Renaissance, we have not seen any real establishment of Islamic Dawlet, together with its social & economic practices and parameters.

What is left visible to the world of a once great Islamic era in civilisation is a billionstrong people, although separated by flags; imaginary state lines and colonial national anthems, still profoundly connected to one another. The attacking of Muslims, has become an attack on the last visible vestige of the political prowess of Islam in the modern age.

the militant energies of the youth that rises mainly out of chivalry and then taint it.

Not with Truth, but mere ideology. Fear without Hope.

How could such people utter dua to Allah asking that HE, Glory be to Him, make the Deen uppermost in the land and to bless the Muslims, raise them up, bless the rightly guided Khalifs and then lay harm upon a single Muslim and think themselves justified? Of what greater good do they intend, armed to the teeth with American weapons and a video-gamed version of Islam? A ‘counter-strike game’ where if you die, you re-spawn in the Jannah.

Perhaps they think that they will win us over by cursing the non-believers.

It is narrated in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger sallalahu alayhi wasalam, said, when asked by the Muslims to curse the non-believers,

Groups that attack Muslims under the guise of acting on behalf of Islam, have not only left themselves bereft of any Deen recognisable to the mass body of Muslims but damages an inherent quality of the Muslim community.

That of trust and security among each other. That we protect and love each other for the sake of Allah. That we do not hold suspicion on one another. The believers are merciful with each other. We wish peace and mercy but also justice. They pray upon

“I have not been sent to curse people, but as a mercy to all mankind.”

We affirm this of our Messenger, Sallalahu alayhi wasalam, and his message. Whoever does not, could not say they know Him. Continued on Page 9...

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...Continued from previous page.

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rightly guided and not those who have been lead astray and those that Allah, Glory be to Him, is angry with.

Ibn Taymiyyah says to us:

“Allah will support the just state even if it is led by unbelievers, but Allah will not support the oppressive state even if it is led by believers.”

We seek the help of Allah in all our affairs.

He is the One who knows best what those affairs are.

PIC: OMAR MUKHTAR

When the great Libyan anti-colonial liberation fighter, Omar Mukhtar, protected two surviving Italian prisoners, saying:

“We do not kill prisoners.”

A fellow warrior protested and said:

“They do it to us!.”

Omar Mukhtar responded with these majestic words:

“They are not our teachers.”

T

he above statement by our teacher, Omar Mukhtar, in the light of recent events that have shook the world, must lead us in a deep reflection as to the very origins of our Deen. It is not that most of us take our Deen from our parents or culture by virtue of being born to this circumstance.

It is that we all have taken our Deen from a single source, embodied in a lived practice and spread from that behaviour to others around it. This is the sunnah of the Messenger, Sallalahu alayhi wasalam.

Omar Muhtar, may Allah have mercy on him, was a man who fought in a war. He experienced the height of colonialism in his lifetime. He undoubtedly witnessed many atrocities committed by the colonial powers. Through the raising up of his people and leading them in the battlefield, he still maintained an untainted view of the Muslim situation inherited from the many that came before him. Each one before, understood as closer to the source then he.

We are Muslims. Our actions are governed

by Allah’s laws. They are not our laws, they are His. In knowing that, we cannot claim as the people of the Torah did before that we are in possession of a ‘guarantee’ that, by virtue of being Muslim, be on the favourable side of that law. We are different. We are the people of the Fatiha.

We worship Him alone and rely on Him alone, and petition him to make us of the

In Europe, recent events have proved themselves a detraction from the truth that the real alien invasion from the East into the continent are not the asylum seeking Muslims of previously colonised lands, to whom Europe owes its Renaissance, but was the sect of usurers running from the East to set up bank in a land that had already outlawed usurious practises under Christian law. This system of excess, and its pre-disposition to generate poverty, lead to the spread of a Freudian psychology developed to examine but never cure the inward imbalance and corruption that permeated the European lived experience.

The discourse of freedom in Europe today has receded to the basest level, intrigued solely with the boundaries of sexual expression by an obsessive Freudian examination. Today’s Europe is not the Europe of Renaissance we are looking at. The ancient Greeks known for the sensuality and great lexicon, did not have a word for sexuality. Such a concept did not exist. What we do see today, is a collapsing union under a German currency. The situation is financially unsustainable and all hands need be on deck to persuade the European peoples that union was indeed in their best interests in the first place and to stay put.

The following, is a copy of signed statement on the recent events in Paris by Mosque committees, Muslim organisations and leaders within the British Muslim community.

A Statement on the Atrocity in Paris In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful, and may Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions and grant them peace.

Our first concern is to express our sympathy for those murdered brutally in Paris and for their families and loved ones who have been so abruptly deprived of them, as well as the larger group of people who have been seriously injured and traumatised by this singular event. This necessarily extends to ever wider circles of Europeans in general, who must be alarmed at the presence of such criminals, however few, who can apparently strike suddenly without warning in this way.

We want to convey our most sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and our desire for a speedy recovery of the wounded.

Second, we want to make absolutely clear not only our complete abhorrence of the outrages perpetrated in Paris, Beirut and elsewhere by this small group of wellorganised and ruthless killers, but that the religion of Islam does not countenance such actions in any way whatsoever.

Moreover, not only is their action a crime, but there is prima facie evidence of such serious flaws in their apprehension of Islam as to call into question whether they should even be considered Muslims. This group has long been known to Muslims as Kharijites, literally ‘those who have gone out’ of the Muslim community. They are nihilists and do not represent the clear teachings of Islam at all.

PIC: GETTY IMAGES

Their crime has been further compounded by their besmirching Islam itself and the good character of Muslims and by their thoroughly covering over the essential nature of Islam. Nothing better illustrates this than the opening phrase that heads every single chapter of the Qur’an bar one, and with which I began this document as is customary for any written document: “In the name of Allah the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful.” The importance of this message of Divine mercy is utterly central to Islam. It is the message that Muslims have to convey to humanity, and yet these nihilists have transformed the

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image of Islam into a horrendous religion of hatred and revenge. In addition, they have similarly perverted the importance of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who brought a revelation endorsing the authentic messages of Moses and Jesus and of all the Prophets, peace be upon them, a message that made Muslim civilisation a home and a sanctuary for Jews, Christians and others throughout its history. It was a civilisation of worship of the Divine and generosity to and concern for others, particularly the poor and needy.

In place of that, these sectarians not only consider people of other religions fair game to the extent that they will slaughter men, women and children, but in addition regard other Muslims with a similar implacable hatred. Thus, the greatest number of their victims has always consisted of Muslims.

We ask Allah that this crime will not be the cause of further alienation of Muslims and non-Muslims, as its perpetrators so clearly intended, but that it will unite us in rejecting these people and the spurious ideology that they represent. We ask too, that He thwart the designs of these malignant people.

Jamal Sealey, Community Leader Abdassamad Clarke, Imam The following scholars and Imams wish to add their names in support of this statement: Mostahfiz Gani, Kingston Upon Thames; Imtiyaz Damiel, Abu Hanifah Foundation; Imam Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Kiani; Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri, Imam of Al-Mustafa Islamic Centre Ireland; Abdullah Hasan, Executive Director & Chief Imam, Holborn Mosque, London; Sheikh Fahimul Anam – Beacon Institute; Fadel Soliman, Bridges Foundation; Hammad-ur Rahman Fahim; Dr Saeed Algadi, Almuntada Trust; Imam Yahya Ibrahim, Chaplain, University of Western Australia & Curtin University; Yusuf Rios, Director of the Shaukani Institute, US; Dr Mansur Ali, Cardiff University; Qari Muhammad Asim, Imam, Makkah Mosque Leeds; Imam Irfan Chishti MBE, Executive Imam – Manchester Central Masjid; Imam Muhammad Mustaqeem Shah, Bradford Imams’ Forum; Jasser Auda, Director, Maqasid Institute, UK; Zaqir Shaikh, Darul Arqam Educational Trust; Mohammedalsaeedi, Academic teacher in the European Institute of Human Sciences; Hammad-ur Rahman Fahim, European Islamic Centre; Imam Abdul Mateen, London; Imam Ghulam Moyhuddin, Ashton Central Mosque; Dr Ridhwan ibn Saleem, Ha Meem College, London; Mujahid Ali, Hafs Academy; Mawlana Samsud Duha, Ebrahim College;

ISLAM HERE

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BUSINESS

ISLAM HERE SAFAR 1437

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Competition: A professional looking Web site can level the playing field for smaller companies trying to compete against larger enterprises. It’s also a way to stay in the game; even if people can’t find you on the Web chances are they can find your competitors.

Credibility: When you can point customers, partners, even potential employees or investors to a Web site, it tells them you are a serious business.

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So why should small businesses take advantage of being online?

Here are some advantages to having your business listed online: The legitimacy and professionalism of a business is often judged by their website.

People generally have more trust in companies with a website.

Today, consumers across all age brackets use the Internet and, particularly for computer-literate users, the Internet is the first place they’ll turn for information about a vendor,” The internet is a place where you can make your business look

bigger and more reputable than it actually is just by having the right web presence.

The Internet offers an opportunity to introduce yourself to consumers exactly when they are searching for your businessby appearing in the major search engines.

For niche businesses, the Web presents an opportunity to reach the nationwide or global community, where geographic limitations might otherwise force you out of business.

Visibility: With more and more consumers logging onto the Web to research products and services, if they are going to find your business, your business needs to be on the Web. Reach: With a Web site, you are no longer limited to a customer base that is in physical proximity to your shop. Your place of business may be in Cape Town, but your customers can be in Johannesburg.

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BENE VITA’s

winning recipe ‘wrapped’ for Halaal diet New wellness brand, Bene-Vita (meaning good life), has proved to have a winning recipe with the launch of a range of Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) products aimed at the Halaal community.

be used for baking dessert and savoury meals, as well as Banting friendly chocolates and energy bars, as the extent of what we can offer is practically limitless” commented Khan.

Bene-Vita was founded by two busy working mothers who were looking for Halaal foodstuffs that could help them create ‘balanced eating’ for themselves and their growing families. Nadia Matthews and Rayghana Khan, both qualified Somatologists, also wanted to help address lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, that are growing in prevalence among the Muslim community, known for their ‘sweet tooth.’

The products are currently available through the shop located in Imam Haron road, right in the heart of the community they are looking to assist, and also online via their website. But, accordingly to both, this is just the beginning. “We are already investigating export orders for our products,” confirmed Amodien, “the market for Halaal health foods is growing and we would like to grow along with it. We believe can provide one of the key health food solutions to our global community and are excited about the future prospects of what could be a truly ‘local’ brand” concluded Amodien. www.bene-vita.co.za

Says Matthews: “We spent some considerable time looking for the right partners to help us create a series of products that could deliver the right nutritional and health benefits but not compromise on taste. The result is Bene-Vita and we have both been blown away with the overwhelmingly positive response we have received so far.”

“Such is the demand, we are also looking at stocking ready-made Macadamia flan cases which can

Nadia Matthews & Rayghana Khan at their store in Claremont

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THE LADY AISHA COLLEGE

WOMAN-FOCUSED EDUCATION FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

T

he Lady Aisha College is a visionary establishment specifically for young Muslim women. It is here that future leaders/post-matric/A-level students (aged 18 -24) receive a profound educational experience from which they can draw for the rest of their lives.

Since Western education often leaves our young women illequipped to make sense of themselves and their place in the world as Muslims, and since it does not provide the essential skills they need on their journey into further education and work, and significantly for marriage and motherhood, The Lady Aisha College offers a tailor-made curriculum crucial to our current times.

By exploring an extraordinarily diverse array of subjects and focusing on the various stages and domains of a woman’s life, we connect our students with Woman as an independent, transformative and spiritual being. During our one-year course, our students

How do you equip young Muslim women with skills for today’s challenging world?

examine pivotal and influential women through the ages from ancient times to the present, and learn how they navigated, influenced and played determining roles in their society. This is underpinned by our study of Sayyidetuna Aisha, radiyallahu ‘anha, and her inherent wisdom and movement among the blessed First Community.

Through fiction, drama and poetry our students also look at a variety of women over the last 400 years whose qualities of character and archetypal situations in which they found themselves are extrapolated in such a way that the students learn a wealth of wisdom not only about these women and the times in which they lived, but also about themselves and our modern world.

Our young women explore the dynamics of marriage as a collaborative treaty, embark on reclaiming the waning knowledge of midwifery and the fitra practices around pregnancy, birth and post-partum care, and explore

the science of motherhood as well as child psychology.

Traditional and culturally diverse skills pertaining to the running of a harmonious and beautiful home are also taught, and the broad curriculum is expanded further to include various artisan skills such as crochet, sewing, Andalusian stucco and painting, as well as exercise classes and extra mural activities.

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN FOR FEBRUARY 2016 Contact Hajja Rahima Brandt: 0842132250 / Hajja T. Dutton 0793416723

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