muslim views, january 2016

Vol. 30 No. 1 RABI-UL-AKHIR 1437 l JANUARY 2016

YUNUS OMAR

THERE have been manydeeply moving stories thathave emerged following

the release and very publicnational and provincialannouncements of the country’stop 2015 Grade 12 academicachievers, and the associatedbragging rights of provinces whooccupy various positions on theranking tables for the ‘best performing province’ in terms ofGrade 12 results.

Two of these stories do notconcern Grade 12 students at all.Far from the fanfare of the matricresults, an 11-year-old youngsterfrom Thohoyandou, in Limpopo,was shot to death, allegedly by his10-year-old best friend, after theirGrade 5 end-of-year results hadbecome known.

Reports suggest that the 11-year-old was killed because hehad passed his Grade 5 examina-tions, while his alleged killer, his10-year-old friend, had failed,and would be compelled to repeatthe grade in 2016.

A second tragic story duringthis period also concerns a 10-year-old boy, accused of stealingschool stationery items from asupermarket in Verulam, KwaZu-lu-Natal.

The report which outlines theKwaZulu-Natal incident indi-cates that the child’s mother hadtold the boy that he would onlybe able to get the required sta-tionery items at the end of Janu-ary, as she could not afford to buystationery before the end of themonth. Their family, according toher, lives off a grandmother’s statepension.

These two tragic incidents arenot connected to Grade 12 annu-al results in any way if news itemsreporting on education in manymedia are studied. Yet, these sto-ries speak to the systemic violencethat arguably characterises educa-tion, and schooling in particular,in South Africa.

The case of the Grade 5 pupilkilled in an apparent case of jeal-ousy or resentment because hehad passed, is a poignantreminder of the incredibly highsocial value placed on schoolingachievement in the country (andelsewhere).

The reasons are obvious, yet, ifwe are to make any inroads intomaking sense of the annual fan-fare which accompanies therelease of the Grade 12 schoolresults, we have to begin tounpack what is at stake in ourschooling system.

In essence, schooling achieve-ment, for the overwhelming

majority of young people in thiscountry, represents the only legit-imate means of escaping the hor-rendous impoverishment in ourhighly unequal country.

For most people, includingthose who work for wages whichkeep them/us firmly positioned ina category described as ‘the work-ing poor’, there is no familyinheritance or successful familybusiness through which someform of dignified economic lifecan be achieved.

In their world, academicachievement is the only legalroute through which social aspi-rations can be achieved. It is, asillustrated so starkly in the killingof our young Limpopo compatri-ot, a matter of life and death.

The social stigma attached toschool failure is massively height-ened by the expectations anddreams of older family memberswho remain crushed by anapartheid (and largely carriedover to the post-apartheid) econo-my that kept them at the feet ofmadams, sweating in the factoriesof the rich and in the gardens ofthe ‘baas’.

For them, the investment oftheir meagre monies in the educa-tion of their children and grand-children often represent a final,desperate bid to see their youngfamily members ‘make it throughthe system’ and progress econom-ically and, through that economicindependence, attain some sort ofsocial mobility and progress.

The ‘stationery’ case, while itinvolves a 10-year-old, speaksloudly to the ongoing crisis inpost-school, or higher education.The #FeesMustFall campaignwhich rocked the country, atevery level, in the second half of2015, has seen several universitiesin the north effectively shut dur-ing the 2016 registration period,with various calls for higher edu-cation institutions to, amongstother demands, allow studentswith outstanding fees-debt to reg-ister for 2016 and be able toattend classes. The theft of schoolstationery by a young SouthAfrican who wanted to be sparedthe humiliation of his poverty infront of his teachers and class-mates ought to shame us all.

The Grade 12 students whopassed in 2015 (and their teach-ers, family and supporters) are tobe commended for their achieve-ments. Remember, though, asEqual Education has reminded us,that over 450 000 students whoenrolled for Grade 10 in 2013 didnot make it to matric in 2015.

As Equal Education pointedout, this drop-out rate hasdecreased but stands at a stagger-ing 47 per cent. In other words,just over 50 per cent of Grade 10students made it to matric in2015. Bear in mind, too, that asmall percentage of the Grade 12Class of 2015 will be able to finda place in tertiary education insti-tutions in 2016. Those who havepassed Grade 12 and who findthemselves not able to study fur-ther in 2016, will join an army ofunemployed youth in a cruel sys-tem which blames the victims forbeing unemployed, instead oflooking squarely at a profit-max-imising-at-all-costs economy notunduly concerned about youthemployment and skills-impartingto school-leavers.

Many of those Grade 12s of2015 will join the chants of ‘FeesMust Fall’ and ‘Access to Educa-tion for All’. The education-cum-economic movements from 2015are back in 2016, and the nationsits back and criticises at its peril.

Our dead 11-year-old compa-triot from Limpopo and our theft-accused youngster from Verulamare part of our collective socialchallenge. They urge us to look atthe Grade 12 results in far moresophisticated ways.

Annual matric resultsattention must shift tobroader analysis

The intense annual national focus onthe Grade 12 examination results provides a useful but misleadingsense of the health of the SouthAfrican schooling system. Very often,simplistic blame is shifted onto teachers, like those pictured hereattending workshops during their holidays, rather than honest assessments of a schooling systemwhich still prejudices township andrural students. Photo YUNUS OMAR

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . January 20162

Muslim Views . January 2016 3

Muslim Views

The days of the Houseof Saud are numbered

THE Middle East is of strategicvalue to US and European imperial interests because of oil

and the security of Israel.These interests largely explain the intervention of the US in the Middle Eastand the destabilisation of the region.They certainly influence the one key development, the on-going expansion ofthe Israeli occupation of Palestine.In addition, they influence more recent developments relating to the Iran nucleardeal and the Saudi-led bombing of Yemensince March 2015.However, Saudi aggression beyond itsborders is part of a more complex set ofgeopolitical issues.And the mass execution of 47 Saudis,including the Shia leader Nimr al-Nimr,leading to the break in diplomatic tiesbetween Iran and the Saudi Kingdom, islikely to shape a series of other developments in the region.Iran’s alliance with Russia in supportingthe Asad regime now defines a greaterdivide in the battle for Syria, in oppositionto the US, Iraq, the Saudi Kingdom, Qatarand other Arab states.These bipolar tensions are now at anunprecedented high.The Saudis and Israel have failed to sabotage the Iranian nuclear deal. Instead,they now have Iran as a more belligerentenemy, and in stronger alliance with Syriaand Russia.Enter into the fray Iraq, Libya and Yemen,who are at the same time battling Daesh.The latter is a third force, whose emergence is the fallout from westernintervention in the Middle East, and whosereach is now global.The result is a region with a network ofhighly dynamic multilateral conflicts inwhich Daesh is the common enemy ofenemies.

In Iraq, Daesh has lost control of Ramadi,and Falluja appears to be next in line.According to analysts, if Mosul falls, it willmark a turning point in the onslaughtagainst Daesh.The developments in Libya are also important. Libya has not emerged from thechaos since the US-sponsored murder ofQaddafi in 2011.While the two rival Libyan governmentsstruggle to keep an agreement signed lastmonth, Daesh is gaining ground.The Saudi bombing of Yemen, one of thepoorest countries in the Arab world, isleading to its decimation and thousands ofYemenis are on the brink of starvation.This US-supported campaign is now astalemate as the Houthi resistanceremains steadfast.Similarly, the US, Israel and the Saudishave failed to topple Asad. Instead, theyhave empowered random extremist groupslike al-Qaeda and Daesh in Syria.The American agenda of manufacturingsectarian conflict between Sunni and Shiais now openly expedient for the Saudis.They are evidently fomenting ethnic,nationalist and religious conflict under thepretext of championing the ‘war on terror’.Desperate to remain in power, they aredoing whatever it takes to sustain the support of the Neocons who have interestsin the industrial military complex and theIsrael lobby.And brute force is necessary to keepthings from falling apart.Ordinary Muslims in the kingdom feel thebrunt of brutal crackdowns on peacefulprotests. Civil liberties have never existed.The Saudis are arming violent Wahhabi/ Salafi elements, destabilisingSyria, Iran, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.It is almost impossible to distinguishwhether these groups are loyal to, orinclined to become loyal to, Daesh.In escalating regional chaos, where bilateral imperial and Saudi interests battleto remain ahead in the race, ultimately,these powers do not care a whit.But desperate measures have failed torestore the stability and security of theSaudi Kingdom.It is as vulnerable as a raving lunatic surrounded by open enemies and friendswho can be trusted only as long as theirsupply of oil remains secure.And these friendships are crumbling ascheaper and more abundant sources ofenergy in the West are eroding the kingdom’s economic and geopolitical valueto the US and Israel.At stake for the Saudis is their 270-year-long reign.They know their days are numbered, asone Arab despot after another has, sincethe Arab Spring, fallen to popular uprisings. American interests, like theirfriendship, are dissipating as the Saudisenvisage their end.

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views,and is the institutional voice of the newspaper. Correspondence can be sent to [email protected]

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HENNIE VAN VUUREN

‘PAY back the money!’These four words havecome to be the rallying

cry for executive accountabilityin South Africa.

President Jacob Zuma bears aheavy responsibility for theobscene use of public funds athis private residence. However,the focus on Zuma alone missesa far larger question: why hascorruption become entrenchedin public life and political con-testation for power? Focusingon an individual reinforces theimpression that his removalfrom public office would cleanthe corruption slate.

Equally problematic is theargument that Public ProtectorThuli Madonsela can stop therot.

Both individuals are impor-tant office holders whoseactions are critical to the func-tioning of the state and ourdemocracy. They serve as light-ning rods for public sentiment.But, if either were removed fromthe politicale q u a t i o n ,would thes y s t e mc h a n g e ?Unlikely.

The rea-sons for thishave as muchto do withour past aswith thep o l i t i c a leconomy ofthe first 21 years of democracy.They also have as much to dowith private sector venality andcorruption as with criminalitywithin the state.

Economic crime wasstate policy under apartheidSouth Africa has long strug-

gled with a culture of corrup-tion. From the mid-1970s to theearly 1900s, the state was wag-ing a war against its people. Atthe same time, it was engaged insystemic economic crime tobreak international oil and armsembargoes. These practicescriminalised the activities oflarge parts of the public and pri-vate sectors.

This extended from corpora-tions to commercial banks, themilitary establishment and theSouth African Reserve Bank. Itwas a potent mix which enabledeconomic crime to flourish: amix of state secrecy, of a monop-oly on insider knowledge heldby a tightly networked elite andof the uncertain future createdby a new regime.

The networks of individualsand institutions behind this werenever exposed or investigated.They escaped accountability andwatched the Truth and Reconcil-iation Commission flicker by ona television screen. The newdemocratic state sought reformthrough new laws, institutionsand self-regulatory measures

that promised a panacea for avery deep-rooted problem. But,while we live in a fundamentallymore open society, many of theproblems remain.

Neo-liberal outsourcing of state functions creates

corrupt spaces

Public procurement hasgrown massively over the pasttwo decades. The state currentlyspends approximately R500 bil-lion every year buying servicesand goods from the private sec-tor. According to the PublicAffairs Research Institute(PARI), government expenditureon procurement now accountsfor 42 per cent of the state bud-get, which is higher than theOECD countries average of 29per cent.

As public capacity decreases,the need to outsource grows.This creates interaction betweenthe public and private sectorsthat is vulnerable to corruption.It allows a culture of mutual fin-ger-pointing between the stateand private contractors when

things go‘ w r o n g ’ .This is a by-product ofthe newpublic man-agement, aThatcheriteoutsourcingmodel ofe f f i c i encyfavoured bypublic sec-tor reform-

ers in South Africa since themid-1990s.

These policies have decen-tralised public procurement. Theapartheid-era model of state ten-der boards was replaced byaccounting officers within stateinstitutions. PARI’s Ivor Chipkinargues that there are potentiallyhundreds of thousands of pro-curement points across thecountry and ‘the proliferation ofthousands of separate politicaleconomies’.

The criminal justicesystem is undermined

While this model was beingimplemented, the state anti-cor-ruption institutions began toshow the first signs of politicalinterference. The system wasalready vulnerable to corrup-tion. Now, accountabilitythrough law enforcement wasbeing gradually eroded. Thishad been an important measureof control.Courtesy: Amandla!Next month, Hennie vanVuuren, a research associate atthe Institute for Justice andReconciliation, currently focusing on transitional justiceand economic crime, and activein the Right2Know Campaign,focuses on the consequences ofcorruption in procurementpractices for communities, andthe level of private sector corruption.

Corruption: a networkof profiteers: Part 1

This is a by-product of thenew public management, a Thatcherite outsourcing

model of efficiencyfavoured by public sectorreformers in South Africasince the mid-1990s.

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr that the Messenger of Allah(SAW) said: The curse of Allah is upon the one who offers a bribeand the one who takes it. (Ibn-Majah and Al-Tirmidhi)

Muslim Views


MAHMOOD SANGLAYTHE world Halaal food trade isa rapidly expanding phenomenon. This is accordingto the State of the Global Islamic Economy Report2015/2016 (SGIE).

The report is commissioned bythe Dubai Islamic EconomyDevelopment Centre, in partner-ship with Thomson Reuters, aglobal leader in information forbusinesses and professionals, andin collaboration with DinarStan-dard, a New York-based growthstrategy research and advisoryfirm.

The SGIE report says that theglobal Halaal food and lifestylesector was $1,8 trillion in 2014and is projected to be $2,6 trillionby 2020, representing a growthrate of six per cent.

The food sector alone, accord-ing to this report, is currently$1,128 trillion, representing 17 per cent of the total globalmarket and projected to be worth$1,585 trillion in 2020.

An important indicator of thegrowth of the industry is the levelof commercial activity in the formof international trade exhibitionsfocused exclusively on Halaal.For 2016, at least seven suchtrade exhibitions are scheduled invarious parts of the globe.

The first is the Penang Interna-tional Halal Expo & Conference(Pihec), from January 29 to 31, inPenang, Malaysia.

This event is hosted and organ-ised by the Penang governmentand its reach includes the marketsin Southeast Asia, West Asia andEurope.

The expo was launched in2010 and includes a one-day

international Halaal conference.Pihec also offers culinary com-

petitions, appearances byrenowned chefs, interactive semi-nars, entrepreneur workshopsand networking sessions.

An attraction this year is therenowned World Curry Festival(WCF), which originated in Brad-ford, UK, in 2010. The festival isrenowned for its display of culi-nary arts and attracting currylovers in the West.

The second exhibition is Gul-food 2016, from February 21 to25, at the Dubai World TradeCentre. This will be the launch ofGulfood, hosted by the DubaiWorld Trade Centre, which hasorganised trade exhibitions forthe past three decades.

The third is the World HalalSummit, from March 30 to April2, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The event is the thirteenth of itskind and is an amalgamation ofthe Malaysian International HalalShowcase (Mihas) and six confer-ences. Mihas claims to be thelargest integrated Halaal food

and beverage trade fair, with over500 businesses showcasing theirproducts and services from morethan 30 countries.

The fourth is Halal ExpoEurope, from April 17 to 18,in Beursgebouw Eindhoven, theNetherlands. The European mar-ket services over 50 million Mus-lims with halaal products and ser-vices.

The European Halaal industryhas an estimated worth of $70 billion. The focus at the expowill be on food, cosmetics andfinance.

The event will also featurepanel discussions and seminars aswell as pre-arranged business-to-business meetings with a view tocreating strategic partnerships.More than twenty countries areexpected to participate in theevent.

The fifth trade exhibition isHalal Food Asia Exhibition &Conference, �from May 10 to 12,in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistan islisted in the SGIE report as thesecond, after Malaysia, among

the top 10 global Halaal foodmarkets.

The event features exhibitorsfrom Arab, African, SoutheastAsian and European countriesand the Americas.

The sixth is Thaifex WorldFood Asia, from May 25 to 29, inBangkok, Thailand. Today, Thai-land is the sixth largest halaalfood exporter in the world. Thedomestic Halaal food market inThailand grows around 20 percent per annum.

Almost 27 per cent of the 30 000 food factories in Thailandare currently producing halaalfood and its exports to Muslimmarkets are booming.

Finally, the seventh event isExpo Halal Spain, from Novem-ber 10 to 11, in Feria de Madrid,Spain. There are over 44 millionMuslims in Europe and theHalaal industry has a 16 per centmarket share of total global foodindustry. According to the organ-isers, Muslims spent about $137 billion in tourism in 2012.

Like the other events, ExpoHalal will offer a meeting point ofHalaal buyers and suppliersbetween East and West. TheMediterranean also offers pleas-ant weather conditions, which issuitable for both the tourism andagro-food sectors. Spanish agro-food exports are valued at 38 mil-lion euros, which is 16,2 per centof total national exports.

A robust global Halaal food trade envisaged for 2016Grand Master Chef Hemant Oberoi,left, and Hardeep Singh Kohli at theWorld Curry Festival, in Yorkshire, in2015. This annual festival, launchedin 2010, in Bradford, UK, is now anattraction on the programme of thePenang International Halal Expo, thismonth, in Malaysia. Photo SUPPLIED

The introduction to the State of the Global Islamic Economy report 2015/2016 states: ‘Momentum has beenbuilding since last year, the Halal food sector saw SouthAfrica partnering with Malaysia as the Western Cape FineFood Initiative and the Malaysian Industry GovernmentGroup for High Technology (MIGHT) signed a co-operation agreement to foster partnerships betweenthe Halaal industries of the two countries.’ This report iscommissioned by the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre in partnership with ThomsonReuters, and in collaboration with DinarStandard.


Muslim Views

Muslim Views


DR AUWAIS RAFUDEENA HEGEMON is a power thatseeks to control, both throughcoercion and, even more so,through persuasion. It seeks topersuade people that its view ofthings is the way things actuallyare and that they, too, should seeit this way.

In other words, it naturalisesits own view of the world. Thisview of hegemony was a keytheme that emerged at a confer-ence entitled ‘A new Middle East:Resetting the balance of power’,hosted by the Afro-Middle EastCentre, and that took place inJohannesburg from December 7to 9, 2015.

In his presentation, analystOmar Shaukat astutely arguedthat Isis should be seen as a hege-mon, in this sense. It shifts theterms of discourse so that others –even its enemies – start speakingin terms of Isis’s discourse.

In a remarkable example ofthis, Shaukat points out that evenShias have now started viewingSunnis in terms of the takfirrubric, that is, which Sunnisshould be considered kaafir intheir view. But, of course, thisrubric was originally propoundedas an aspect of Isis discourse butwhich Shias have now inter-nalised!

Why does Isis seek to shift theterms of discourse? This shift isdriven by Isis’s view of the ‘good

life’, that is, of how it sees eternalfelicity and the ideal order of theworld. And so, as Shaukat pointsout, they counter-intuitively seewar as continual ‘good’ as theylurch towards what their mostcommitted members believe willbe the apocalyptic showdownthat will take place in Syria.

Shaukat’s key insight – Isis as ahegemon – raises, I believe, anumber of reflexive issues foranalysts of the movement andrelated phenomena. It is typicallysuggested that we take recourse toliberal democracy and humanrights to counter its extremism.But I think, given the philosophi-cal basis of Isis – its particularview of the good life – that theseresponses miss the boat by quite adistance.

Democracy and human rightsdo not offer explicit visions of thegood life. They offer methods,strategies and protections to facil-itate life; these are important butlimited. There is no telos here, notexture to life, no clear goal insight. They hardly compete withthe compelling, even if deeplymisguided, narrative offered byIsis.

But more than that, democracyand human rights themselves seekto shift the terms of discourse.They themselves, of course, seekto impose a hegemonic order.They may not have an explicitview of the good life but theyhave an underlying idea of how

they would like the world to be.And so they strive to make usthink within certain categories –nations and borders, women’srights, equality, market – cate-gories which we then accept asnatural.

We find ourselves raising anddealing with questions within theimplicit and explicit frameworksunderlying their constructions.So, democracy and human rightsare as imbued with theology asIsis is. The theology might be farmore implicit but it is clearlythere. Just as Isis thinks about lib-eral democracy in terms of itsexplicit theology, so do the for-mer think about and deal withIsis in terms of its implicit – butequally real – theology.

I am not saying that we shouldget rid of theology. We cannot.Nor am I saying that the theologyof democracy and human rights is

wrong. On the contrary, there aresome critical values these systemsoffer and which we need to cher-ish.

But I am saying that the pro-ponents of liberal democracy andhuman rights should acknowl-edge their positions as theology,as attempts to shift the terms ofdiscourse, as their constantendeavour to establish their posi-tions as hegemons.

Once we do this, we can then,perhaps, start shifting the debatebeyond such state-centric dis-course to notions of the good life,to a deeper questioning of theconstructions, assumptions andvalues that underlie our ‘modern’theologies, to a real introspectionon whether these theologies areindeed creating the virtues neededto offset the global crises whichface us all, crises which form thefertile recruiting ground for

groups like Isis.Why all of us? I say this

because damage to ecology, eco-nomic inequality, the breakdownof the traditional family andpolitical violence know noboundaries. We all face them andwe all, to varying degrees, areresponsible for them. And it maybe that some of these crises, forexample, the breakdown of thetraditional family are not as pro-nounced in some countries as inothers.

But, essentially, because of thenature of the modern state – anever-expanding juggernaut – andpredatory capitalism, whichreduces all things to commodities,the fact is that we are all prone tothe destabilisation we see in Syria,for example, the ‘third world’ aswell as the ‘first world’.

A relatively ‘thriving’ economymight mask the problem for awhile but the systemic challengeremains for all nations.

And so we need a new para-digm altogether, one that resiststhe lazy dichotomy of the Islamictotalitarianism versus liberalhuman rights model but, rather,recognizes the commonality ofour problems and the need forsolutions that question our mostfundamental hegemonic assump-tions.Dr Auwais Rafudeen is SeniorLecturer, Department of Religious Studies and Arabic atUniversity of South Africa.

Isis as a power that controlsthrough coercion and persuasion

… the proponents of liberal democracy

and human rights should acknowledge

their positions as theology, as attempts

to shift the terms of discourse, as their

constant endeavour to establish their

positions as hegemons

Muslim Views


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Muslim Views


ON the passing of Hadhrat SaiedSoofie, on Sunday, January 17,the following message was issuedby Moulana Goolam KutbudienKagee, on behalf of the HabibiaSoofie Masjid, in Cape Town,and Shah Abdul Aziz Soofie andMufti Goolam MuhammedSoofie, on behalf of the SoofieSaheb Badshah Peer Darbar, inDurban:

The Habibia Soofie Masjidand family would like to bid asombre farewell to HadhratHajee Shah Mohamed SaiedSoofie Siddiqi, the head custodianof the Habibia Soofie Saheb Bad-shah Peer Darbaar in Durban andthe Sahibe Sajjada (Head) of theChishti Nizami Habibi SoofieOrder of South Africa, whopassed away while on Umrah, inthe holy land of MakkatulMukarramah.

Hadhrat Hajee ShahMohamed Saied Soofie was thesecond eldest son of HadhratShah Goolam Muhammad SoofieSani (RA), and was honouredwith the head custodianship ofthe mazaar of Hadhrat SoofieSaheb (RA) and Hadhrat ShaikhAhmed Badsha Peer (RA) afterthe demise of his father, in 1978.

Hadhrat was instrumental inthe renovations, particularly froman artistic and design perspective,of various Soofie masaajid, suchas Soofie Masjid Riverside, SoofieMasjid Kenville, the SoofieMasjid in Cape Town as well asthe mazaar of Hadhrat SoofieSaheb in Riverside, Durban,Hadhrat Shaikh Ahmed BadshahPeer in Brook Street, Durban andHadhrat Moulana Abdul LatiefQazi in Rylands Estate, CapeTown.

Hadhrat Saied was also the

most senior member of the Soofiefamily.

It is at this time we rememberthe hadith of the beloved Prophet

(SAW): ‘A person who passesaway while performing the Hajjor Umrah will not be questioned(in the qabr) nor will any reckon-

ing be taken from him (on the dayof Qiyamah). He will be told: ‘Enter Jannah in peace with thosewho have attained salvation.’(Bayhaqi).

It was the wish of Hadhrat topass away in the holy lands ofMakkatul Mukarammah or Mad-inatul Munawarrah and, by thegrace of Almighty Allah andthrough His infinite mercy, thewish was accepted and Hadhratpassed away in the precincts ofthe Holy Haram of Makkah inthe hour of Dhuhr Salaah, onSunday, 7th Rabi-ul-Akhir 1437.

Hadhrat was honoured to havehis Janaazah Salaah in front ofthe Kaabah, in the Haram ofMakkah, with over a million peo-ple reading for him. Hadhrat wasthen buried in the cemetery of theHaram, which is located a fewkilometres away from JannatulMuala.

Hadhrat Shah Mohamed SaiedSoofie will be remembered for hishumble, kind and modest ways.He was a person who occupiedhimself with the remembrance ofAllah SWT.

His nights were spent in volun-tarily and Tahajjud prayers, whilethe day was spent attending func-tions, visiting the sick and ensur-ing the needs of the communitywere fulfilled. He would ensurethat he always honoured the invi-tation of his fellow Muslim,whether rich or poor.

Hadhrat has left a great legacy,and history will judge hisunselfish contribution to theMuslim community in Durbanand all over South Africa.

When the news of Hadhrat’spassing reached South Africa,thousands of mureedeen, devo-tees and followers gathered in

Riverside, Durban and othermasaajid across the country,while others took to social media,expressing their deepest sympathyand condolences, in respect to thisgreat Sufi master.

What more can be said about aman who lived his life in the ser-vice of Allah and Islam, illuminat-ed his days and nights withadhkaar and durood, and asreward, was granted an illuminat-ed end?

We pray to Allah SWT to grantHadhrat a high abode in Jannat-ul-Firdaus, to make his grave agarden from the Gardens of Par-adise, to widen his grave and tofill it with Light upon Light, InshaAllah. May Allah SWT honourhim with the company of thebeloved Prophet Muhammad(SAW), the awliyaa and the sali-heen, and may he be raised on theday of Qiyaamah with all thegreat personalities whom he layburied amongst in MakkatulMukarramah. Ameen.

Revered Chishti leader passes on while on Umrah

Hadhrat Shah Mohamed Saied Soofie

Auwal Masjidmarks 222 yearsSOUTH Africa’s first mosque,Auwal Masjid, in Dorp Street,Cape Town, will be commemorating its 222nd yearwith a khatm of the Quran, onSunday, January 31, between8.00am and Dhuhr.

The khatm is the first of anumber of programmes plannedto mark the masjid’s milestone.

In the following edition, Mus-lim Views will be publishing anarticle by Dr Hishaam Palmer onthe history of the masjid and itsrole in establishing the roots ofIslam in the Cape and beyond.

Muslim Views


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NURUDEAN SSEMPAMUSLIM Refugee Association ofSouth Africa (MRASA) will collaborate more with faith-based institutions to promote social cohesion betweenforeign migrants and local SouthAfricans.

This is according to MRASAdirector Ramadhan Wagogo at acommunity forum under thetheme ‘The role of faith-basedinstitutions in strengtheningsocial cohesion’, held at LutheranYouth Centre, in Athlone, onDecember 5, 2015. ‘We all knowthe great contribution faith-basedinstitutions made in the struggleagainst apartheid in this country,’said Wagogo. ‘Working withthem is a matter of necessity.’

MRASA is also working withother stakeholders, like IslamicRelief South Africa, to promotesocial cohesion between foreignmigrants and local South Africancitizens.

According to Islamic Relief’sMinhaj Jeenah, Islam has a strongheritage of forced migrant protec-tion stemming from the originalteachings of the Quran as well asfrom historical examples takenfrom the lives of great prophets(peace and blessings be upon allof them).

‘Yet, this tradition is notalways applied in the moderncontext, despite Muslim countriescurrently hosting around 50 percent of the world’s refugee popu-lation.’ Said Jeenah, pointing tothe booklet Islamic Relief is com-

piling in collaboration withMRASA on the rights of forcedmigrants in Islam.

Shaikh Sadullah Khan, CEO ofIslamia College, in Lansdowne,spoke about Social Cohesion inLight of the Golden Rule and theSpirit of Ubuntu. He said, ‘Socialcohesion holds societies togetherand is thus a positive social rela-tionship. It celebrates diversity inan inclusive manner while work-ing with common values, andensuring that all have equal accessto basic services, education,

healthcare, justice, livelihood andhousing.’

He went on to say that in lightof the golden rule and in the spir-it of ubuntu, social cohesionassumes a common vision andvalues and equity for all, despitediversity and irrespective of cir-cumstance. ‘Social cohesion iscrucial to overcoming crime,poverty, unemployment and highdependency ratios, lack of nation-al identity, xenophobia, racism,tribalism, drug and alcohol abuse,women and child abuse, elderly

abuse, corruption and moraldecay.’ He concluded.

For his part, the Dean of theEvangelical Lutheran Church ofAthlone, Gerard de Vries Bock,said that in our daily lives, cultur-al, ethnic and racial differencesmay matter but they can be seenand celebrated as what Godintends them to be – blessingsrather than a means of oppressionand discrimination. ‘We are achurch that belongs to Christ,where there is a place for every-one,’ he said.

The social cohesion forum wasalso addressed by, among others,the outgoing Head of the WesternCape field office of the UnitedNations High Commissioner forRefugees, Patrick Kawuma, FaizJacobs, Western Cape ProvincialSecretary of the African NationalCongress, and Captain JunaidAlcock of South African PoliceService, Athlone.

Patrick Kawuma pointed outthat the UNHCR is not a faith-based institution and extends ser-vices to all people, and activelyworks to ensure that refugeeshave a dignified life.

He further announced that theUNHCR is launching a projecttogether with the Department ofHome Affairs in early 2016 toensure that deserving asylumseekers don’t experience unneces-sary delays in obtaining refugeestatus.

According to Fatima Hen-dricks, a student at Cape Town-based Madina Institute and oneof the conveners of these commu-nity engagements, more forumslike these are planned for 2016 totry to find answers for xenopho-bia and unresolved racism withinthe hearts and minds of many ofus.

More information aboutMRASA’s programmes may beobtained from www.mrasa.org.zaor telephone 021 637 9181.

Refugee organisation to work with faith-based institutions to foster social cohesion

(Left) Some of the participants at theAthlone social cohesion forum organised by MRASA.

Photo SUPPLIED

Muslim Views


SADIQ TOFFATHE Islamic heritage of Bo-Kaap is not just aboutmosques, old buildings andsamoosas. It is even more thanthe stories of the achievements ofthe Friends of Allah SWT – likeTuan Guru – who founded itscommunity.

The most precious legacy ofour Islamic heritage is its values.

We protect our mosques andour homes, our kitaabs and ourkramats so we can keep alive andremember the values they give tous. Without values, we will loseeverything; with them, we havegained everything.

The Companion of the Prophet(SAW), Ammar ibn Yasir (RA)said: ‘Whoever has three valueswill have completed the faith:fairness from yourself to others,offering peace to the world andspending in charity even whilepoor.’ (Bukhari).

Fairness, charity and offeringpeace unto others, even those thathave harmed us, are values thatare intrinsic to an Islamic life. Butthey are also universal human val-ues, shared even by those we seeas different. In this way, our faithallows us to bridge histories thatdivide us – between black andwhite, between poor and rich,between Muslim and non-Muslim– and build a shared future.

How do we recognise thesevalues in Bo-Kaap? And how canwe protect its Islamic heritagewithin a secular, individualisticand materialistic society?

I want to begin by telling a dif-ferent history of Bo-Kaap, anIslamic history and a communityhistory. Any history of an Islamiccommunity is a history of twostruggles. The two struggles are

the same no matter whether thoseMuslims are in a majority, like inthe Middle East, or in a minority,like in the West.

The first struggle is a strugglefor justice against the oppressionof others – against prejudice,inequality and the destruction ofcultural heritage in all its forms.

The second struggle is a strug-gle for peace against those sameinstincts in ourselves – instinctsthat make us bitter, greedy andproud, and lead us to live in thepast. These are the two meaningsof jihad.

Bo-Kaap as a place of safety for outsiders

‘And hold fast, all together, bythe rope of Allah, and be notdivided among yourselves/ foryou were enemies and He joined

your hearts in love so that, by HisGrace, you became brethren.’(Quran 3:103)

Bo-Kaap was not establishedwhen the first Muslims arrived atthe Cape as slaves in the mid-1600s. For over a century, theywould live scattered lives in hard-ship on the fields of slave planta-tions; as domestic servants in themasters’ houses; or as politicalprisoners and fugitives at isolatedsanctuaries. But, by the late1700s, a settled community andcohesive culture began to takeroot among enslaved immigrants,most of whom were Muslim, atthe edge of the city. Bo-Kaap aswe know it today began to takeshape.

At first, its people could notown property; they had to carrypasses and they were not allowed

to practise their religion, on pun-ishment even by death. Despitethis persecution, Islam was flour-ishing by the time of slave eman-cipation, in 1834, when a third ofCape Town was Muslim.

Bo-Kaap as a place of prosperity through ibaadahThis community comprised

over a dozen Indian Oceannations across East Africa, theArabian Peninsula, the Indiansubcontinent, South Asia and theFar East. It was the most diverseand cosmopolitan community inthe early modern world.

There were three key charac-teristics that kept this communityunited despite its great diversity.

The first key aspect was theunmistakable centrality of Islamto their lives, testament in the tenmosques constructed around Bo-Kaap that served as the focalpoints for moral values and col-lective cultural life.

But this was not any dominantor singular image of Islam waryof difference. Rather, through theblending and adapting of manyexisting practices from differenttraditions over many generations– like ratiep and rampies sny –aremarkably rich, new and distinc-tive culture would develop.

The last major aspect con-tributing to the emergence of acosmopolitan Islam at the Capewas the development of a com-mon language and literatureamongst Cape Muslims.

Melayu, which was the lan-guage of commerce, literature andthe arts amongst Indian Oceancultures, became the first linguafranca, or common language, that

would connect the myriad ofnative tongues spoken among theBlack diasporas at the Cape.

By the 1850s, a unique writtenlanguage would develop toreplace Melayu among the CapeMuslim community. Known asArabic-Afrikaans, it is the firstemergence of the Afrikaans lan-guage, and was first written in themadaris of Bo-Kaap, using theArabic alphabet.

This remarkable ability is tes-tament to the resourcefulness andcreativity of the Cape Muslims ata time when many Muslim chil-dren could not gain access even tobasic public education.

Bo-Kaap as a place of struggle for human values

Heritage is not about living inthe past but in learning from thepast in times of change or crisis.

Today, Islam is under siegeeverywhere, both from within theMuslim world and from without.Bo-Kaap is also under threat bothfrom within the community andfrom without as it faces a time ofunprecedented change and uncer-tainty. But, we must be carefulnot to cast blame on outsidersthat we see as different. We needto struggle for the two meaningsof jihad, be it within our city,within our homes, within ourhearts. Our best means to protectour Islamic heritage is to remem-ber the values of how to live a lifethat is just, charitable and offerspeace. This is something Bo-Kaapcan teach to a world in need of it.Sadiq Toffa is a lecturer in theSchool of Architecture, at University of Cape Town, andtrustee in the Tana Baru Trust.He is the nominator of Bo-Kaapfor the World Monuments Fund([email protected]).

‘Community heritage’: building a shared future for Bo-Kaap, Part 2 - Islamic valuesA section of a madrasah notebookfrom 1860 written in Arabic-Afrikaans.

Courtesy ACHMAT DAVIDS, 2011

Muslim Views


BASHEER MOOSAGIEAN important question surfacesabout whether a person practising Islam can invest in acompany that is not 100 per centcompliant with Islamic law. Thequick, knee-jerk response will bea resounding ‘no’. The protracted answer, however,boils down to the consensusamong Islamic scholars regardingfinancial investing: that thereexists a need.

So, what does a ‘need’ mean inthis context?

If investing in financial mar-kets was as simple as black andwhite then investment decisionsshould be simple: invest in busi-ness activities that are compliantwith Islamic law, and, conversely,

refrain from those that are not.However, the truth of the matteris that investing in financial mar-kets is neither black nor white,and thus the exercise of investingposes a conundrum for Muslims.

The primary reason for theprohibition in investing in finan-cial markets is based on Islam’sprohibition on interest. There isunanimity among shariah schol-ars that the use of interest,whether paying or receiving, isimpermissible.

The secondary prohibition ison earnings, mainly, from imper-missible activities, such as non-halaal food and beverages, non-halaal entertainment and tobac-co. In light of this, any entity thatdeals with interest will automati-cally make investing in those busi-nesses impermissible.

And here is the caveat: invest-ments that are impermissible canbe made permissible on the basisof necessity.

According to MohamedHashim Kamali, a respectedauthority on Islamic commerciallaw, under the legal maxim ofdhurura (necessity), Islamic schol-ars have agreed that there is aneed for investment in financialmarkets. He argues that thepreservation and protection ofMuslim wealth forms part of oneof the crucial objectives of Islam.

There are a few core principlesthat scholars use in order togauge whether an investment fallsinto the necessity basket; howev-er, certain restrictions remain.

Although business activitiesmight meet the requirements ofthis necessity, there are limitswhich investment categoriesshould not breach. For example,any provision to finance or invest

in a hotel that plans to include acasino has to be avoided.

Muhammad Taqi Usmani, apioneer in the field of Islamicfinance, motivates that an entitythat cannot be avoided is one thathas a conventional bank accountwhich accumulates interest.Unfortunately, interest is aninevitable reality of the currenteconomic system and, therefore,cannot be avoided.

Since the doors of investing infinancial markets have opened forMuslims, what options do theyhave? And can these investmentoptions offer a market-relatedrisk/ reward alternative as well?

Islamic finance entryUntil the 1980s, Muslims were

discouraged from investing infinancial markets because of theshariah’s prohibition on certainbusiness activities. In the 1990s,when a majority of the Islamic

scholars reached consensusregarding the acceptability ofinvesting in equity markets,changes within shariah rulingsrelated to investment saw thedawn of shariah-compliant finan-cial markets.

The ability of shariah-compli-ant investments to survive andgrow during the recent financialcrisis further enhanced theirattractiveness in the financialindustry. Though some Islamicfinancial institutions were hurtduring the crisis, they were lessaffected than those in the conven-tional financial industry, whichsaw high profile institutions col-lapse.

Since the shariah prohibits theuse of interest as well as invest-ment in firms with high debtratios, shariah-compliant invest-ments were, to a large extent,buffered during this period.

As a result, large financialinstitutions established Islamic-compliant footprints that soughtto take advantage of thisupswing, and use Islamic invest-ment vehicles as a means of diver-sification.

Today, Muslims representapproximately one-fifth of theworld’s population and are esti-mated to have more than R30 tril-lion to invest. With growth in thedemand for shariah-compliantinvestments, the need for havingshariah-compliant options areincreasing to accommodate thisopportunity.Basheer Moosagie is a businessdevelopment analyst and volunteers as a consultant atGrow Movement, a UK-basedNGO that helps to unlock thepotential of entrepreneurship inAfrica.

Is investing in financial markets permissible?Although this article discusses investment infinancial markets, itserves as a primer to theintroduction of Islamicfinance. This series willinitially touch on keyaspects of Islamicfinance as well as discuss contemporaryissues facing the industry. During the latter stages, the columnwill attempt to debunksome common mythsaround Islamic finance,as well as compareIslamic finance with its conventional counterpart. Bashier Moosagie. Photo SUPPLIED

According to Mohamed Hashim

Kamali, a respected authority on

Islamic commercial law, under the legal

maxim of dhurura (necessity), Islamic

scholars have agreed that there is a need

for investment in financial markets.

He argues that the preservation and

protection of Muslim wealth forms part

of one of the crucial objectives of Islam.

Muslim Views


Struggle stalwart, AhmedKathrada, was interviewed bythe Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Director, NeeshanBalton, to mark the 26 yearssince his release from prison.This means that the time spentin prison and the years following Kathrada’s release, asat last year October, were nowequal. ZAAKIRAH VADI captured highlights of that interview in a two-part series.Part one was published in ourDecember 2015 edition.

WHILE lighthearted about hisworkload and reintegration intopolitical work, Kathrada’s 26years of freedom have seen himinvolved in several areas ofwork.

He was, to a certain degree,active in rebuilding the ANC afterits unbanning; played a role in re-establishing the new parliament;conducted heritage work specifi-cally related to Robben Island;has served on the PresidentialAdvisory Council on NationalOrders; has expressed his concernaround issues of corruption;strongly advocates for the educa-tion of children; has a particularinterest in the Palestinian strug-gle; and has published severalbooks.

Kathrada has also been aboard member of the NelsonMandela Foundation.

In 2008 – with a bit of reluc-tance based on his view that arank and file activist like himselfcould not form a foundation inhis name – he finally acceded tothe idea of forming a foundation.When asked why he had agreed,Kathrada jokingly said, ‘I am adisciplined chap.’ He added,

‘Maybe I saw the light.’Despite being 86-years-old, he

remains active in the organisa-tion, which aims to deepen non-racialism.

His lack of wanting to occupyany top position is a regular fea-ture of his 26 years of freedom.

Kathrada was a member of theinterim leadership core of theANC and SACP – the latter he leftas he felt he could not contributefully by being active in twoorganisations.

He was elected to the ANC’sNational Executive Committee in1991 but declined to serve againin 1997. ‘I thought that thereshould be newer people coming inand that you serve a certain timeperiod and make way. It couldalso be that I may have looked atpeople who really played a part. Ican’t claim I made any significantcontributions. I must have said Iam just a passenger.’

While part of talks leading upto the Groote Schuur Minute,Kathrada says that he played nosignificant role in the negotia-tions. He also says that beingamongst the ‘big shots’, he hardlyattempted to speak. ‘I may havejust heckled a bit,’ he adds.

Although initially opposed tonegotiations during the latter part

of his imprisonment, he explainsthat he had come to realise that itwas the only way forward. ‘ByGroote Schuur, I was quite com-fortable with the negotiations.People who advocate that Man-dela sold out, thought that deKlerk was just giving in. It wasn’tas if the Nats had been weakenedto an extent where they were justprepared to give over.

‘We [the ANC] had a veryexperienced leadership at thetime, and they took everythinginto account – what was ourstrength, and that we were not ina position to just ignore the Nats.’

Kathrada adds that the ANChad never run a national armyand police force, or agricultural,industrial and mining sectors. ‘Allthose considerations had to betaken into account. We neededthat interim period.’

For a man who considers him-self a ‘brother’ to Mandela,Kathrada’s role as ‘ParliamentaryCounsellor in the Office of thePresident’ was unsurprising. Yet,he feels that the title was too‘exaggerated’ and would havepreferred just, ‘ParliamentaryCounsellor’.

Despite being in the top ten ofthe ANC’s parliamentary list,Kathrada chose not to be a minis-

ter. ‘I had written a letter sayingthat if my name was mentionedfor a cabinet post, I woulddecline. The letter did not reachMadiba, and he announced that Iwas Minister of Prisons. I was aminister for two whole days! For-tunately, the IFP had to be inte-grated and was given that posi-tion.’

Kathrada says that it was lessabout modesty but more abouthis own ‘ineptitude’. It is a viewthat many of those who knowKathrada would challenge, sayingthat his role as a lifelong activistand a politician is understated.But Kathrada is adamant: ‘Idecided I am not fit. I do not havethe aptitude for these positions.So I opted out of a lot of things.Perhaps it was a lack of self-con-fidence, as well as inexperience.By then, we had a big pool of peo-ple who were in a better positionto fulfil such roles. I did not havethe merit for it.’

It is for this reason, too, that hechose not to head the correction-al services parliamentary commit-tee but remained an ordinarymember. ‘It was too much respon-sibility… perhaps a bit of laziness.

‘In all these things I got out of,the learning experience wasalways there but my contributionwas questionable.

‘I would have preferred toremain an active member – notnecessarily at committee level –doing anything that was asked ofme.’

Where he does concede that hehas played a role, though, is onRobben Island. Till today,Kathrada takes guests fromaround the world on tours of hisformer prison. While he says thatthe idea did not originate withhim, Robben Island did become aWorld Heritage Site under hischairpersonship.

‘With Robben Island [post1994], we came into somethingcompletely new – we had no par-adigm to turn to. Although weconsulted people outside thecouncil, we had to rely on ourown initiatives.’ In 2006, heretired from this post. In August,last year, the Kathrada and Man-dela foundations spearheaded aworkshop that explored the pos-sibilities of launching a nationalanti-racism network.

An interesting video wasscreened. It demonstrated how afollower, in his or her own right,is also a leader. The clip showedan individual, walking to thefront of the crowd and dancing.Although considered the ‘leader’,or ‘innovator’, he looked quiteabsurd. This changed when hewas joined by a ‘follower’ or two,plucky enough to dance with him.This in turn encouraged others toparticipate, forming the basis of a‘movement’.

Ahmed Kathrada is this type of‘follower’. And although heprefers being a backbencher inhistory for all sorts of odd rea-sons, his contribution – before,during and after his imprison-ment – to the building of a non-racial, democratic South Africa, isunquestionable.Vadi is Communications Officerat the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation.

Kathrada, a leader who prefers the back benchAhmed Kathrada points to a pictureof Oliver Tambo, taken at KholvadHouse by Herb Shore in 1953, on display at the OR Tambo CulturalPrecinct in Wattville, near Benoni.

Photo ZAAKIRAH VADI/Ahmed Kathrada Foundation

Muslim Views

13Muslim Views . January 2016

ASHREF ISMAILCRASHES occur for a variety ofreasons but, mostly, becausethere was a lack of concentrationresulting in insufficient space andtime to bring the car to a haltbefore hitting a hazard.

People tend to be overwhelmedby thoughts that are distracting,and now, with the increase in theillegal use of mobile phones whiledriving, the problem is exacerbat-ed.

Add to the lethal mix, the hugenumber of poorly trained drivers,fraudulently obtained licences,alcohol abuse, fatigue, errantpedestrians, stray animals, pot-holes and inadequate enforce-ment, and you have a frighteningrecipe for disaster, which resultsin the average fatality rate of 40people per day.

Let me introduce you to aneffective system that will make ahuge improvement to your obser-vation skills and, thereby, ensureyour safety. It is called the ‘Com-mentary Driving System’ and issuccessfully used by police ser-vices around the world as well asoff-road rally competitors.

As the name implies, you giverunning commentary abouteverything you see in front ofyour car, behind you and on yoursides, and literally talk out loudto yourself. Sorry passengers,you’re just going to have to bearwith the driver or even help toobserve as the proverbial back

seat driver.Since it is called a system, you

need to be systematic about theway you observe and prioritisethe hazards that you encounter.So, it is best that you commenceyour observation by doing aquick exterior pre-trip inspectionfollowed by an interior pre-tripinspection.

Then, quickly describe yourmental and physical condition:are you tired, angry, depressed,worried, anxious etc.

A quick description of the car’scondition will help you to adjustyour speed and be more cautiousif you know that your car’s tyresare worn and/ or if the brake padsare faulty.

The same applies to your phys-iological condition – psychologi-cally, you ought to drive morecarefully when you know thatyour mental frame is not optimal.

As you set off, quietly describethe weather, the road type you’retravelling on and pay carefulattention to both moving and sta-tionary hazards.

This means checking your inte-rior rear-view mirror every eightto ten seconds, your exterior mir-rors when making lane changes,and all the while giving ‘commen-tary’ on all moving hazards, suchas vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians,animals that are in front of you,behind you or on your sides.

When describing stationaryhazards, make sure that you startwith all road signs, especiallywarning signs.

If you passed a warning signand you did not notice it, youhave failed!

Remember to SEARCH farahead, not just in front of thecar’s bumper. In that way, youwill have sufficient time to IDEN-TIFY potential hazards. PRE-DICT what they will do and how

they will affect your safety.DECIDE on your course of action(change speed, change directionor simply hoot) and, once youhave decided, EXECUTE themanoeuvre swiftly. The timetaken from ‘searching’ to ‘execu-tion’ should not take longer thana few seconds.

Don’t worry if you see morethan you can talk about.

The brain has the power toregister every observation, even ifyour mouth has not had thechance to keep up with your eyes.

The important thing is that thebrain will process that informa-tion and allow you to make thenecessary adjustments constantlyas you are bombarded with visualstimuli, especially in an urbanenvironment.

In practice, then, it would go

something like this: while drivingdown the street in your suburb,your eyes are constantly searchingthe road for hazards and you spota ball bouncing into your path(identification). You predict that achild will come running after theball, which truly happens. Youdecide on the correct action totake, changing speed or directionand promptly execute themanoeuvre.

This folks, in Advanced Defen-sive Driving Skills, is called ‘TheSIPDE System’ and, together with‘the Commentary Driving System’is a highly effective solution toimproving your observation, safe-ty and driving pleasure.

Be safe out there!In the next edition: The Systemof Vehicle Control – The ABCPrinciple

DRIVE 4 LIFE DEFENSIVE DRIVING SKILLS

SIPDE and the Commentary Driving System

Electric Vehicle. The way the world is moving as seen through the developmentof the BMW i3 and i8. Photo GOOGLE

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

Muslim Views

14 Muslim Views . January 2016

ASHREF ISMAILAS I write this piece, I amobserving my 51st birthday. Youwould have noticed that I usedthe word ‘observing’ rather than‘celebrating’ because, at this age,the celebrations stop and birthdays become days for introspection, reflection and anxiety.

Truth be told, there’s a lot tocelebrate, both personally andprofessionally. While it was atough year, in more than one way,it has also been a very rewardingyear in many ways.

One of the greatest motoringevents this year took place on mybirthday and is cause for greatcelebration. Arguably the mostanticipated new model introduc-tion in Ford South Africa’s illus-trious history, the launch of theFord Mustang, has finally becomea reality, to the delight of motor-ing enthusiasts countrywide.

The Mustang is Ford’s mostrevered and recognisable name-plate, having become an automo-tive icon the moment it waslaunched in 1964, (the year I wasborn) followed by more than 50years of continuous productionand over nine million cars sold tofans around the world.

This is the car that gave theworld an affordable and highlydesirable performance car that

was a favourite even amongstafter-market tuners.

The latest Mustang, unveiledon April 17, 2014, to mark itsremarkable 50th anniversary, isnow, finally, available for sale inSouth Africa, following the com-mencement of right-hand driveproduction for the first time at theFlat Rock Assembly Plant, inMichigan.

Just look at the followinginteresting stats and facts: sinceits international launch, it wasdeclared the world’s best-sellingsports car in the first half of 2015,the world’s most-liked vehicle onFacebook (with more than eightmillion likes) and has made morethan 9 000 appearances in televi-sion, music and video games. Ithas appeared on more boys’ bed-room walls than many other mar-ques – I think!

This car has pedigree andstreet cred very few sports carscan match – that is a fact!

The new Mustang is loadedwith innovative technologies, anddelivers dazzling performanceand style. It is available in a com-prehensive line-up, spanning sixmodel derivatives, including thesleek and seductive Fastback, aswell as the stunning Convertible.

In terms of powertrains, buy-ers have the option of a roaring5.0-litre V8 or the all-new 2.3EcoBoost engine that delivers an

exceptional combination of per-formance and fuel economy.Notably, both engines can bematched to a choice of either six-speed manual or automatic trans-missions, and there’s the option ofboth Fastback and Convertiblebody styles to suit every taste.

A Ford Mustang is about theway it looks, drives and sounds,and the new car does not disap-point in any of these departments.

Ford’s acclaimed 5.0 litre V8produces a whopping 306kW ofpower along with a thunderous530Nm of torque, allowing theMustang 5.0 V8 GT FastbackManual to sprint from 0 to100km/h in just 4,8 seconds.

The line-up includes the all-new 2.3-litre EcoBoost tur-bocharged engine that delivers233kW and 430Nm of torque ontop – sufficient to achieve aremarkable 0-100km/h time of

5,8 seconds.Despite its dynamic potential,

the 2.3 EcoBoost engine uses just8,0 l/100km* in the combinedcycle, linked to 179 g/km CO2

emissions*.The new Mustang features a

significant number of innovativetechnologies, providing driverswith enhanced information, con-trol and connectivity.

On a twisty back road or aweekend track day, the driver canuse the Selectable Drive Modes,which adjusts the AdvanceTracelectronic stability control, throt-tle response, automatic gearshiftpatterns and steering to matchNormal, Sport+, Track or Snow/Wet settings.

Selectable Effort ElectricPower Assisted Steering enablesdrivers to choose a Normal, Com-fort or Sport steering weight andfeel.

All models are sold with afour-year/ 120 000km compre-hensive warranty, five-year/100 000km service plan, three-year/ unlimited km roadside assis-tance and five-year/ unlimited kmcorrosion warranty. Service inter-vals are every 20 000km.

Needless to say, the waiting listis going to be huge because, foronce, there is now a viable alter-native to the usual M3s, AMGsand RS4s of the motoring world.

Loud and proud, large and incharge, the Mustang will appealto the hearts, minds and pocketsof performance enthusiasts and,given its iconic nameplate her-itage, will be a galloping salessuccess.

Don’t delay, order one of theseponies for you today and makeone of your new year’s resolutionscome true!

*manufacturer’s figures

Iconic FordMustang gallops in

Ford’s iconic Mustang eventually reaches our shores and in right-hand drive form, ready to tackle the established performance marques. Photo GOOGLE

Muslim Views

15Muslim Views . January 2016

In response to our invitation in theDecember 2015 edition of Muslim Views,A A J MARAAHIB shares her Kombimemories.

AS I emerged from the assembly line, Iwas brainwashed into believing that I wasspecial– not just the average vehicle. I amGerman – precision engineered; I have status; I am VW – Kombi to be precise.

My top section was sprayed white – forhonesty and purity; my bottom-half, lightblue – for faithfulness and dependability.

After standing proudly in the showroomof a well-known car sales company for twodays, anxiously anticipating an excitingfuture on the roads, a middle-aged ‘Oom-pie’ from the Boland spotted me. It waslove at first sight.

After signing the nuptial (licence andthird party) documents, he wanted to, inhis words, ‘Take my new bride home.’Home was at his olive farms, in Paarl.

My daily duties were to transport theemployees to the farms and back home. Wealso, regularly, took visitors to our beauti-ful city on sightseeing tours in and aroundthe Mother City. We spent many, happy,easy-going years together.

Sadly, in November, 1994, I was part ofthe ‘movable property’ in my late owner’sestate and again found myself in a show-room. Although I was a bit older now andnot looking as good, my innate endow-ments – the energy, the drive and the per-formance – were still apparent. After all, Iam a VW. I stood there hoping and prayingthat some good-natured soul would buyme.

On a Friday, after Jumuah, I noticed anold man breathlessly walking towards me.He looked friendly enough for me to want

him to buy me. But when I saw hisentourage, I cowered and wanted to reverseaway. The entourage comprised the motherand seven mischievous-looking young chil-dren. While the old man was negotiatingprice and delivery, the over-excited lot wasalready exploring my insides. For them, itwas ‘instant rapport’ and for me, a re-awakening. Life was about to start afresh.

On reaching home, the kids nagged togo for a drive. What an exhilarating drivethat was. It started with Signal Hill thenalong Boyes Drive to Simon’s Town.

The following day, and every Saturdaythereafter, was ‘flea market’ day; every Sat-urday, at a different venue, which made lifeinteresting. During the week, I had to takethe children to school.

We enjoyed great adventures together,going to the beach, the kramats, MonkeyTown, Strawberry Farm, rallies, weddingsand moon sightings at Three Anchor Bayfor Ramadaan and Eids.

The most bloodcurdling of all anticswith me and these kids was when ShaikhNaazim Haqqani visited Cape Town. Thehosts had requested that no children beallowed to the ‘gathering’ that Saturdayafternoon. Thus, after ‘flea market’, I wasparked in the road and the parents verynicely asked the children to sit quietly inOld Kombi and participate in the dhikr,which could be heard outside the house.

Halfway through the dhikr, the fatherhappened to glance at the window. In frontof his eyes, some mysterious force was atwork. Laden with soft goods, toys, trestles,crates of cold drinks and the seven chil-dren, I was slowly moving forward.

Shocked, the old man sped to my slowlymoving body. He had forgotten to removethe keys from the ignition. Inside, ‘ten-

years-old’ was on the floor busy at the ped-als while ‘eight-years-old’ was at the steer-ing wheel, using ‘six-years-old’ as a cushionto sit on so that he could see through thewindscreen.

What happened next will be left to theimagination.

Time was marching on. I was getting onin years. What used to sound like energeticchatter coming from my engine, nowsounded like a motor boat struggling tostay adrift.

We had visitors from the UK and offeredto take them to Table Mountain. They

crammed me, Old Kombi, with the driver,fourteen adults, four children, three heftypicnic baskets and a crate of cool drinks.

Halfway up Kloof Street, I had hadenough. I spluttered, coughed, jerked anddecided to throw in the towel. Fortunately,cousin Passat saved the day and towed mehome.

But that was not the end of Old Kombi.Early one morning, while the old man wasaway on a missionary tour, ‘nine-years-old’went running into the house exclaiming:‘Come see, Gerald (our gardener) hasturned Old Kombi into a house!’

Gerald and his girlfriend had decidedmy fate. They had set up house in me, com-plete with bed, small cupboard, gas stoveand washbasin.

This story has been edited.

Sharing Kombi memories

Muslim Views


Muslim Views


This is part one of aseries by MAHMOODSANGLAY, focusing ona recent tour of Indonesia by 36 SouthAfricans and threesenior diplomats of theOffice of the ConsulGeneral of Indonesia toSouth Africa in CapeTown.WE touched down, literally inthe first minute of 2016, in Singapore, en route to CapeTown. At present, Singapore Airlines holds exclusive rights forcivilian air travel between SouthAfrica and Indonesia.

Thirty-nine people were partof a tour to Indonesia fromDecember 16 to 31, 2015. Thetheme ‘Back to your Roots’ iswhat attracted them to invest twoweeks of their time and theirmoney in a journey that offered aunique experience of Indonesianhistory, culture, leisure and eco-nomic opportunity.

Suburban Travel and Tours,established in 2014 by FatiegBehardien, designed a touristpackage suited for South Africansof Indonesian origin. The idea,initially, was to explore, searchand, perchance, discover theplaces and people to whom theycan trace their origins almost 322years ago, during the Dutch colo-nial era. The first Muslims, onrecord, to arrive at the Cape werethe Mardykers, in 1658. Howev-er, it is commonly held thatShaikh Yusuf of Makassar (inIndonesia) established Islam atthe Cape of Good Hope, in 1694,when he was exiled by the Dutchfor resisting colonial rule.

In the 300 years since thearrival of Shaikh Yusuf at theCape in 1694, till the dawn ofdemocracy in 1994, not muchwas done to recover lost historyand reunite the Indonesian peo-ples separated by colonialism andslavery.

Glorious tercentenary celebra-tions of Islam in South Africawere held in 1994. Over the past22 years, there have been notableindividual and collective efforts inCape Town of families of Indone-sian descent to build genealogicalrecords.

However, the Back to yourRoots tour is the first event of itskind to launch direct engagementwith Indonesia with the supportof academic expertise, spiritualleadership and Indonesian diplo-macy.

Many Muslims of Indonesiandescent are earnestly seeking totrace their roots to Indonesia, andthis quest, according to Behardi-en, is largely what motivated histour.

Back to your Roots is thelaunch of what is potentially agrand, long-term project. It isambitious in its magnitude, scopeand diversity. The leisure, sight-seeing and cultural leg of the tourbalances a typical tourist pro-

gramme with its theme.The sites visited invariably

offer opportunities for further,even personal enquiry about a vis-itor’s own ancestry. The majorityof the group, 31 members, invest-ed in the tour for this purpose.

However, Suburban Travelalso invested in what is known asthe media leg of the tour, consist-ing of eight members. ShahiedaCarlie represented Voice of theCape and the two iTV personnelwere Sheraz Khan and AllanTshuma. I represented MuslimViews.

In addition, the media groupconsisted of three spiritual lead-ers, Moulana AbdurragmaanKhan, Imam of Masjidur Ragma,in Cape Town, and Hajji OmarGabier, President of the CrescentObserver Society. The third is alsoan academic, Shaikh Ighsaan Tal-iep, Principal of International

Peace College South Africa (Ipsa).The media and ulama were

often supported by the PrincetonUniversity Ph.D candidate,Saarah Jappie, whose fluency inBahasa was useful at crucialtimes.

These eight members of thegroup were committed to a spe-cial itinerary and programme onthe tour, involving high-levelappointments with members ofgovernment, national and provin-cial institutions and religiousleaders. These involved interviewsand discussions exploring bilater-al relations at cultural, economicand, at times, diplomatic levels.

This was possible largelybecause three Indonesian diplo-mats were part of most of thetour, namely, the Consul-Generalof Indonesia to South Africa, HisExcellency, Abdul RachmanDudung, supported by his Eco-

nomic Consul, Riyadi Asirdin,and their assistant, Frieda Olivia.

The consul-general’s officeworked closely with SuburbanTravel to co-ordinate especiallythe high-level appointments in theprogramme, such as that with theIndonesian Deputy Minister ofForeign Affairs, the Governor ofBanten and the Mayor of Makas-sar.

Generally, the clients of Subur-ban Travel were satisfied thattheir expectations had generallybeen met, and, in many cases,exceeded. They expressed appre-ciation for the opportunity toengage in activities that connectedthem to their cultural past andleisure activities consistent with agood holiday.

One expectation that was notmet was the Moulood celebra-tions in the palace of the Sultan ofCirebon, on December 24. InOctober, 2014, Muslim Viewsreported, based on informationsupplied to Behardien, that this isthe world’s largest Moulood. Evi-dently it was not.

We, including the tour leader,had anticipated an expansivegathering of people in an openpublic space. Instead, it was a cer-emonial event inside the palace ofSultan Arief Natadiningrat, inCirebon.

It was characterised less bylitanies in praise of the Prophet(SAW) and more by elaborate rit-uals performed by scores of can-dle-bearing rank and file subjects

of the sultan. While the salawaatwas certainly heard and the sul-tan’s address was replete withpraise of the Prophet (SAW), theexercise mainly demonstrated theprevailing reverence for the sultanby his subjects.

The success of the tour may beattributed to good co-ordinationof the diverse leisure, cultural anddiplomatic aspects of the pro-gramme. This included meetingswith and visits to leading andpowerful religious organisations,the rectors of universities, anorphanage attached to an educa-tional institution from kinder-garten to tertiary level and with adecades-long legacy of philan-thropy, an audience with the Sul-tan of Cirebon and Directors ofTourism and Chambers of Com-merce.

A significant outcome of thetour was the signing of severalMemoranda of Understanding byShaikh Taliep on behalf of theMJC and Ipsa with leaders ofpowerful Indonesian Islamicorganisations and universities.

These highlights and otherswill be the focus in forthcomingparts of this series.The Muslim Views journalist wasone of the sponsored members ofthe Back to your Roots tour toIndonesia. The reports in thisseries are, however, written independently.

Indonesian tour raises interest in local quest for ancestry

This map of Indonesia shows the three islands of the archipelago covered by the Back to your Roots tour. We commenced our two-week tour in Jakarta, followed byvisits to Banten, Bandung and Cirebon by bus. Using the Indonesian domestic airline, Lion, we then flew to Makassar and, finally, Bali. Courtesy GOOGLE MAPS

(Left) The South Africans visited As-Syafi’yah Orphanage, in Jakarta,on December 18. The visitors weretouched by the poignant recitation ofvarious qasidas by 120 orphans aged6 to 15. As-Syafi’yah incorporates theorphanage as part of a larger educational institution, from kindergarten to university.

Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

(Above) Nia Nisacaya, Director ofInternational Tourism Promotion inJakarta, met with the South Africanson December 17 to discuss bilateralinterests in tourism. Niscaya said thebrand Wonderful Indonesia is onethat should resonate particularly withSouth Africans due to the cultural andhistoric ties between the two nations.


On December 24, the tour groupattended the Moulood programme inCirebon. The group was againaccorded a royal welcome and thegroup leaders were granted an audience with Sultan Arief Natadiningrat, left, in his palace. Withhim are, from left, Hajji Omar Gabierof the Crescent Observer Society,Shaikh Ighsaan Taliep, of Ipsa, HisExcellency Abdul Rachman Dudung,Consul General of Indonesia in SouthAfrica, Professor Amal FathullahZarkasyi, Rector of University ofDarussalam Gontor, and FatiegBehardien, tour leader and CEO ofSuburban Tours.


Muslim Views


MAHMOOD SANGLAYTHE Interactive CommunityAccess Network (ICAN) Centre,in Halt Road, Elsies River, CapeTown, is the hub of a significant technological development in thearea. All residents now haveaccess to internet, email and fax.In addition, the centre offersyouth and adult workshops onthe use of this technology.

The centre is part of the West-ern Cape government’s roll out ofR1,3 billion broadband plan toconnect communities across theprovince over the next threeyears. This initiative builds on thecity’s broadband initiative inwhich R222 million has been setaside over three years towards theroll out of broadband infrastruc-ture throughout the metro.

The ICAN Centre is a digitalpublic access facility at the ElsiesRiver Multi-Purpose Centre.

The centre provides opportuni-ties for the community to developbasic to advanced digital skillsand can facilitate activities likefinding employment, networkingand developing informationsources for entrepreneurs.

The centre is open from08.30am to 8.30pm, Mondays toFridays, and from 9am to 1pm onSaturdays. A membership regis-tration fee of R15 is payable.Members are issued an ICANsmart card, which gains access tothe facility. Members receive 45minutes of internet usage per dayand 300MB of free data permonth. The Centre offers a pro-gramme of activities for childrenaged 5 to 14.

Details may be obtained fromFatima Allie at 082 066 3353.

Elsies River centre technology boost

The ICAN Centre, in Elsies River, offers a variety of activities for children from 5 to 14 years of age, in addition to public access to broadband internet.Photo SUPPLIED

Muslim Views


Leading scholar for Ghousia ursA LEADING scholar and direct descendant of Shaikh Sayed AbdulQadir Jailani will be the guest at the56th Annual Urs Celebrations organisedby the Ghousia Manzil.

Shaikh Afeefuddin al Jailani was bornin Baghdad, Iraq, and is the 19th directdescendant of one of the most universal-ly acclaimed and celebrated saints andSufi masters of all times. Shaikh AbdulQadir Jailani’s knowledge and teachingsare well-documented in a large numberof books that he wrote on both shariahand tasawwuf.

The urs, to be held at Ghousia Manzil, Mabel Road, Rylands Estate,on Saturday, January 30, commemorates the passing away of ShaikhAbdul Qadir Jailani.

Shaikh Afeefuddin has studied under many illustrious Islamic schol-ars, among them the late Mufti of Iraq, Moulana Al Shaikh AbdulKarim Al Mudarris.

A specialist in shariah, fiqh and tasawwuf studies, Shaikh Afeefud-din is the head of Darul Jailani International and the chairman of theAl Wariseen Trust.

The urs programme starts at 3pm and concludes with a lecture byShaikh Afeefuddin, after Esha Salaah.

Does art imitatelife or life imitateart?AFTER the Islamic State attack onParis and San Bernardino in LosAngeles, to comprehend what ishappening, viewing the 1998movie, The Siege, with DenzelWashington and Annette Benning,is vital.

The Siege highlights the betrayalof an Islamic movement by theAmerican state who initially trainsand supports the rebels. Like Islam-ic State, the movie stresses terror-ism, draws in Islam but sub-plotsother tricky agendas at play. Like inthe movie, Islamic State retaliatesby targeting those nations thatbetray its cause. Currently, IslamicState and its handlers have alreadyachieved some of their goals.

A goal of this war was the oilfields of Syria and Iraq that areoccupied by Islamic State. Since

Russian satellites confirmed thatthe oil is trucked to Turkey, theworld must know which westernnations sustain Islamic State bybuying the oil. While it is easy toconsider Islamic State as terrorists,we must identify those that benefitmaterially from this war.

The killing of innocent peopleand propaganda must be exposed.Those that lead the campaigns, likethe USA, Britain and France, andtheir counterparts, like the Taliban,Al Qaeda and Islamic State, togeth-er kill 100 times more regular peo-ple than enemy combatants.

Comparatively, consider thedeath toll since the initial invasionby the USA, Britain and France ofAfghanistan, Iraq and Libya, andcompare the killing statistic underSaddam Hussein and MuammarQaddafi.

Also, Islam and Muslims havesuccessfully been linked to terror-ism and violence fuelled by a globalagenda that has long been in themaking. After the collapse of the

communist bogeyman, the Westneeded a new diversion or else reg-ular people could grasp what theirregimes were actually doing.

Creating a global Islamic bogey-man is basic politics 101. Hatredfor Muslims was required as we allneed someone to blame for whatgoes wrong in life. In the Europeanwar (WW2), the Nazis blamed theJews, and in the recent GreatAfrican war in Central Africa, theHutus blamed the Tutsis and so on.

When people are distracted withthreats of terror, regimes do whatthey want. This includes suspend-ing human rights as it transpires inEurope. Who cares when Muslimsare detained or killed?

Similar sentiment after 9/11indorsed the US invasion of Iraqand Afghanistan without evidenceor a UN mandate. This suggeststhat rules only apply when it worksfor the USA, Britain, France etc.

Recently, Russia annexedCrimea and parts of Ukraine andnow bomb Syrian territory. Where

is the United Nations resolutionsand the ‘coalition of the willing’ forpeace, justice and human rights?

How come the British parlia-ment deliberated for one day beforesending in planes to bomb Syrianterritory but failed to intervene inthe many other horrific acts of warwhich crush human rights else-where?

While Islamic State pervertsIslamic values, that is not the onlyissue at play as the hypocrisy ofwestern nations that initially fuelledthis war and then turn on theirproxy IS, must be held liable.

What is obvious is that thebetrayal of Islamic State by the

USA, Britain, France etc is a keyreason why acts of terrorism willcontinue in western cities.

This ongoing war does not bene-fit Islam or the global Muslim com-munity. It bears the hallmarks ofwestern imperial political shenani-gans.

In the words of the wise, Mus-lims must think deeper when itcomes to global political gamesplayed by our mutual enemies. Wecannot be fooled again like we werewith the Iran/ Iraq war, where a fewoligarchs benefitted at the cost ofmillions of ordinary people.

Cllr Yagyah AdamsCape Muslim Congress

LETTERS TO THE EDITORLETTERS TO THE EDITOR

THIS year, the CTIEC (CapeTown Islamic Educational Centre) will celebrate Moulood-un-Nabi (SAW) with a resolve topromote peace, love, unity, harmony and brotherhood.

Celebrating the birth anniver-sary of the Holy Prophet (SAW) isthe duty of every faithful. There isno happiness greater than thebirth of the beloved Prophet(SAW). CTIEC is playing its rolein fulfilment of its duty.

The Blessed occasion ofMoulood-un-Nabi (SAW) will becelebrated with traditional fer-vour this year. The prestigiousGrand Moulood 1437 will beheld at the Masjidul Kareem Cen-tre, in Eagle Park (Cape Town),on Sunday, January 31, 2016,starting at 10am. Renowned reli-gious scholars, qaris, munshidsand naat khawans from acrossthe Muslim world will attend theevent.

Sayed Ridhwaan Mohamed,spokesperson of CTIEC, shedlight on the details of the CapeTown Grand Moulood 1437 inhis media briefing about prepara-tions for the event. He said thatdistinguished international andlocal religious, social and politicalpersonalities, renowned naatkhawans, scholars, ambassadorsand intellectuals would attend theGrand Moulood in Cape Town.

A street march in honour ofProphet Muhammad (SAW) isscheduled to begin at MasjidulKareem, at 10am, led by the Prin-

cipal of the CTIEC, AllamaMoulana Sayed Imraan ShahZiyaee, and leading ulama. Themarch around the streets of EaglePark will last no longer than 45minutes and will end back at themasjid where guests will be wel-comed for the official GrandMoulood event.

The opening will begin with aqiraat recital by Cape Town’sShaikh Qari Harun Moos, fol-lowed by naats by one of SouthAfrica’s talented naat khawans,Hafidh Noor Mohammed KhanZiyaee, from Johannesburg, andnasheeds by various Cape Towngroups.

Lectures will be delivered byAllama Khalifa Mufti SayedHaroon Al Azhari, from the CapeTown Ulama Board, and ShaikhFakhrudin Owaisi Al Madani.Lunch will be served after DhuhrSalaah.

The proceedings of the eventwill be covered live around theworld through CTIEC MediaDivision Networks and variousnational TV networks.

Moulana Sayed ImraanZiyaee, Principal of CTIEC,noted, ‘This is a virtuous andblessed gathering to celebrate theMost Beloved Of Allah (SAW)and that is the reason we haveembarked on presenting theGrand Moulood celebrationsacross South Africa this year,including major cities like Johan-nesburg, Cape Town and PortElizabeth.’

Placing on record that therewere over 5 000 people whoattended the Grand Mouloodevents in 2015, Sayed RidhwaanMohamed said that love of theHoly Prophet (SAW) is the basisof our faith, adding that theYounus family and DUP/ CTIEChas been making efforts to spreadthe love of the Prophet (SAW) forthe last 37 years in South Africa.

He said that the sight of thou-sands of people attending theMoulood celebrations every yearbore witness to the efforts of theYounus family and DUP/ CTIECin this regard wherein the faithfulstrengthen their bond with theirbeloved Prophet by celebratingthe birth anniversary of the HolyProphet (SAW).

CTIEC invites the communityof Cape Town to participate in anevent that seeks to rekindle thelove of the Prophet. The love ofthe Prophet (SAW) and celebra-tion of the Moulood is incumbentupon all Muslims, especiallyupon those who aspire towardshis (SAW) way of life. This love isnot personal love but, rather, theProphet (SAW) is loved becausehe symbolises all that is beautifulin God’s creation. His virtues areuniversal and, as such, the cele-bration of his birth is indeed a cel-ebration of humanity.

For more information contactMoulana Sayed Imraan Ziyaee on082 833 2036 or Sayed Rid-hwaan on 021 396 2896.www.ctiec.co.za

CTIEC Grand Moulood celebration

NATURAL human virtues, such astruth, goodness, compassion, jus-tice and beauty have been, and arebeing widely disregarded and eventrampled upon, and so we find mil-lions of people in the world todayafflicted by grinding poverty andfamine, by oppression andexploitation; by violence and theevil effects of unjust wars.

If you look at the human condi-tion, you cannot fail to be movedby the indescribable pain and suf-fering that many people undergothroughout the world. It is a deadconscience that will not be filledwith anguish at the sight of starvedand shrivelled bodies, or at thesight of innocent children disfig-ured and maimed by chemicalweapons.

In anguish and even rage youmay well ask, for example, whathelp is there for the millions of peo-ple in various parts of the worldwho face starvation and death as aresult of famine, drought or beingdriven out as refugees from theirown homes?

What help is there for the mil-lions of people who are uprootedfrom their ancestral homes throughpolitical conflict, racial violence,sectarian strife or the economicgreed of plundering industrialnations?

What help is there for the healthand quality of life of whole com-munities whose excreta flow inopen drains around their shantydwellings, and whose children areinfested with tapeworms and otherdebilitating and life shortening dis-eases?

What help is there for communi-ties living under the stranglehold ofdrug traffickers of cocaine andcrack, who would kill, rob, maimand impose their rule of fear andinsecurity in what were oncehavens of peace and tranquillity?

And so you can continue askingsuch questions and adding to thecatalogue of falsehood, evil, injus-tice and ugliness in our world.

ASE AmeenMountain Rise

Pietermaritzburg

The current global issues

Write to: [email protected] • Fax: 086 516 4772Kindly include full name and address. Letters must not exceed 500 words

Shaikh Afeefuddin al Jailani

Muslim Views


ADI SETIAIN the wake of the 2007-2009financial and economic meltdowns, a lot of intellectualand practical work is being donein the area of monetary and economic reform.

In this regard, the work of theUK-based New Economics Foun-dation is exemplary and rigorous,and warrants critical attention byall concerned; and we may alsocite the work of the global Islam-ic Gift Economy (IGE) network.

To set such constructive reformwork in a larger conceptual con-text or discursive framework, wemay do well to revisit the mean-ing of the term ‘economy’ or ‘eco-nomics’.

These terms, I think, have beenmuch abused and corrupted in themodern, secular and reductionist,and largely moribund academicdiscipline of economics andfinance.

Though this revisiting isapproached from an Islamic intel-lectual and historical point ofdeparture, it brings certain coreethical principles pertaining to theeconomic domain of life that res-onate well with the ethico-moralsystems of other faiths, includingChristianity, and the tradition ofAfrican ubuntu economy, as wellas with the general ethical ‘tenor’of much of the dynamic, ongoingrevisioning of economics andfinance undertaken in the Westfrom a critical humanistic per-spective.

Economy ashousehold management

The word ‘economy’, of Greekprovenance, originally meanshousehold management (tadbeeral-manzil), as distinct from‘ethics’ (management of the selfor ilm al-akhlaaq, tadbeer al-sakhs, tadbeer al-nafs) and ‘poli-tics’ (management of the city orsiyasah, tadbeer al-madinah).

In household management, theoverriding concern of the head ofthe household is the prudent man-agement of resources, income andexpenditure to provide for theneeds of its members, humansand non-humans.

In a typical household, moreconcern and resources are devot-ed to the care and needs of thedisabled and the weak (babies,children, the elderly, those withhandicaps), while the less depen-dent and independent membersare left to fend for themselves or

are expected to contribute theirshare of work or labour to theoverall economic and wellbeingof the household.

Economy and ecology as stewardship of the extended household

The village, city or country as awhole can be seen as an extendedhousehold in which the steward isthe local or national government,and the same principle of moreconcern for the disadvantaged ofthe population, applies here aswell.

So, the ‘economy’ extendsfrom the family (tadbeer al-manzil = management of thehousehold) to the city (tadbeer al-madinah = management of thecity) and even to the whole earthas the macro-household (khilafatal-ard = stewardship of the earth).

From this deep perspective,economics and ecology are essen-tially one science and one disci-pline, not separate disciplines atloggerheads with one another, asis currently the case in secularmodern academia and policymaking. There is no trade-offbetween economy and ecology,rather, economy must conform toecology. Moreover, ‘economics’(al-iqtisad = the seeking of what isjudicious) in the Islamic under-standing, is the science of earningand provisioning (ilm al-iktisabwa al-infaq); it is the study ofhow people earn their livelihoodsby drawing upon the divine boun-ty in nature (fadl Allah fi al-ard),

and, thereby, a healthy economyis dependent upon a healthy ecol-ogy.

Since economics is the scienceof household stewardship, andthe end of this stewardship is thewellbeing of the household thenany economic system that leads tothe dissolution of the householdor the earth’s biosphere as themacro-household, can only be anelaborate nihilistic inversion ofthe true meaning and purpose ofeconomics and the economy.

Economy as the seeking of what is judicious

The above thinking and con-ceptualising on the true meaningof ‘economy’, ‘economics’ and the‘economical’ can be gleaned froma close reading of Islah al-Mal(Restoration of Wealth) and otherclassical Islamic texts on themeaning, function and purpose ofwork, industry, livelihood andsimilar topics.

Ibn Abi al-Dunya (d. 281/894,author of Islah al-Mal) has devot-ed three chapters on qasd (pru-dence, moderation) in wealth,food and clothing. The followingsaying of al-Hasan al-Basri (21-110/ 642-728) captures thisunderstanding of what constitutesa true economy and its relation tothe ethico-moral notions of pru-dence, judiciousness, balance,moderation and temperance:

Indeed, the signs of a believerare: strength of religion, prudencein gentleness; that he be a guidewhen certainty is required; dis-

cernment in knowledge; intelli-gence with wealth, giving when itis right; thrift when one is rich,forbearance when one is poor;beneficence when one is able;carefulness when one has desire;restraint in exertion; patience inhardship; strength in the face ofadversities; that he be steadfast inprosperity; that he be thankfuland not overwhelmed by anger;that his endurance be to defendnot deviate; that he not be frivo-lous; that he not be arrogant orpresumptuous; that he not harmhis neighbours; that he not rejoiceat others’ affliction; that his pas-sions do not overwhelm him, hisdesire does not ruin him, histongue does not squander him,his sight does not get ahead ofhim, his private parts do not over-whelm him; he does not inclinetowards his caprice, his stomachdoes not disgrace him, his greeddoes not provoke him, his housedoes not confine him; he is notstingy, he does not waste, he doesnot squander; he is not tight-fist-ed, he is the same person when heis wealthy, and he is like everyoneelse in hope; there is no ambigui-ty to be seen in his character orfaith, there is no hubris in his joy,there is no anxiety in his grief; heguides those who seek his advice,and his companions are happywith him.Adi Setia is Associate Professorat CASIS-UTM, and GeneralCoordinator at Islamic GiftEconomy Academy & Advisory(IGE-AA)

The meaning of ‘economy’ or ‘economics’: Part One

Muslim Views


THE new year may have juststarted but it’s not too early tojump-start your finances and getthem into better shape. One hugeway you can increase yourchances of reaching your moneygoals is to bridge the gapbetween your income and yourexpenses.

Increasing your income in 2016

Now is the time to brainstormways to earn more money so youcan use that extra income foryour financial goals, like payingdown debt or investing moretowards retirement.l Master the art of negotia-

tion. You may be the star per-former on your team but areyou getting the pay youdeserve? Close the gap bynegotiating a raise. Don’t justgo into your bosses’ office andexpect them to hand it over.Prepare, research, practicewhat you’re going to say andhave a ballpark figure you’reshooting for.

l Become a crafty entrepreneur.Earn some money by makinghealth smoothies appealing topeoples’ desire to become morehealthy versus their laziness tomake the effort. There are sev-eral difficult ways to earn extraincome. Give it some seriousthought.

Saving money in 2016Depending on your situation,

you may find it easier to hunt

around your budget and findways to cut your costs of living.l Have a strategy with groceries

and bulk shop. You can seri-ously cut back on your grocerycosts and save some time overthe month by buying themajority of your dry and long-lasting goods in bulk. Bringalong a friend and split thegoods if you think bulk for youand your family is too much.

l Optimise your time and moneywith meal planning. It soundstoo simple but sitting downand planning your meals forthe next week (or beyond) canhelp keep food expenses incheck and reduce waste. Planout your meals on the week-ends and we guarantee youwill love it. You can also pre-pare your meals ahead of timeand freeze them. They can bereal lifesavers for those nightswhen you’re just too tired orbusy to whip up supper fromscratch.We all have one, yet we often

don’t even think about it – ourmoney memory has a powerfuleffect on our finances and rela-tionship with money.

What is your money memory?

Think back to your youth and toyour first experience of money.How old were you, how muchmoney did you have and what didyou ultimately do with themoney? A money memory is justthat, our first memory of money,and it is something we all have.

Your first money memorycould be that of receiving somewell-earned chore allowancewhen you were younger. How didyou feel when you received thiscash? Were you thrilled, could

you not wait to spend it immedi-ately or were your first thoughtsto save it for a rainy day?

This money memory could bewhat shapes and affects yourspending habits today. Like somany South Africans, do yousplurge in a bit of retail therapyevery time you come into somecash?

This year, as we embark on anew year, ask yourself whatmoney memories are you creatingfor your kids and the youtharound you, who look to you as amentor in their financial lives.What can you do to encourageyour children to become savvymoney managers in the future?

Learning to save is not taughtin schools, it is your responsibili-

ty to instil money values and toshape your children’s financialfutures.If you would like a specific topicfeatured in the upcoming issues,kindly send your suggestions [email protected] article is intended for information purposes only andshould not be considered as alegal document. Please note thatwhile every effort is made toensure accuracy, Nexia SAB&Tdoes not accept responsibility forany inaccuracies or errors contained herein. If you are indoubt about any information inthis article or require any adviceon the topical matter, please donot hesitate to contact any NexiaSAB&T office nationally.

Let’s start off the year savingFocus on Finance

This is the time of the year when wallets and purses arerather bare. HASSEN KAJIE, CA (SA), a director of NEXIASAB&T, based in the Cape Town office, and AYSHAOSMAN, CA (SA), National Technical Manager for NexiaSAB&T in the Centurion office, give sound advice on howto put your financial position on a solid footing.

Hassen Kajie is a Director of the CapeTown office of Nexia SAB&T.

Aysha Osman, National Technical Manager in the Centurion office ofNexia SAB&T.

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Muslim Views


SIERAAJ BANU BANDERKER

AS a physiotherapist in privatepractice, backache makes up 90per cent of our patients. It issuch a common condition thatone would be lucky to sufferfrom it only once in a lifetime orunlucky if it occurs very manymore times.

A backache can be either as aresult of a sudden onset caused bya twist, turn, fall or picking upsomething, or as a result ofosteoarthritis, poor posture, wearand tear, sports, occupational,among other causes. The latter isreferred to as chronic backache.

Backache seen by physiothera-pists is either as a result of:l Strain – when the muscles of

the back are injuredl Sprain – when loose ligaments

are involved/ tear/ injurybetween the vertebrae or facetjoints of the back.

l Chronic backache – as seen inconditions of wear and tear,sport, osteo-arthritis, poorposture, etc.

l Neurological backache – whenthere is pressure on the nerve(root) or when there is discprolapse, causing referral ofpain down the leg.Physiotherapy is indicated in

all patients with backachealthough it may not be beneficialin some cases of neurologicalbackache.

The process of physiotherapyA detailed history of the

patient and the condition must be

taken. This must include theoccupation and ergonomic designof the patient during work, leisureand at home.

Special investigations, such asX-rays and MRI scans, should belooked at if available and dis-cussed with the patient.

A thorough assessment, includ-ing a full posture evaluation mustbe carried out.

The range of movement of theback in all directions must berecorded to assess limitations aswell as to elicit the symptomscausing the backache.

Palpations of all the structuresof the back, such as the superfi-cial and deep muscles and inter-vertebral and facet joints and lig-aments must be done on the back.

A neurological examinationmust be included if indicated bythe patient’s symptoms of pinsand needles, burning pain orreferral down the leg.

A diagnosis must be compiledand a detailed explanation of thephysiotherapy treatment plan,goals setting, education pro-gramme and the process of returnto pre-injury form must be givento the patient.

Physiotherapy treatmentThe soft tissues of the superfi-

cial and deep muscles can bemobilised/ released with massagetechniques and/ or the use of deeptissue massaging.

The joints can be mobilised/loosened to relieve stiffness andpain and thereby increase therange of movements and func-tion.

Electrotherapy modalities/machines, such as Interferential,Ultrasound and TENS, will cer-tainly be used to relieve pain andpromote healing.

The technique of nerve/ neuraltissue mobilisations will be need-ed in the case of neurologicalbackache to relieve pressure offthe nerve or loosen adhered nervetissue. Manual traction may alsobe applied to try to relieve nerveroot compression.

Acupuncture and dry needlingare also techniques used by phys-iotherapists either as an adjunctor as an alternative to the tradi-tional methods of treatmentsmentioned above.

Posture correction is criticalfor the correct alignment of thespine and the stresses placed onthe back during activity or rest.

Ergonomic assessment andadvice is crucial in the preventionof recurrence of backache.

A stretching and exercise pro-gramme, including strengtheningand stabilising exercises must begiven as part of a home pro-gramme to maintain flexibility,strength, maintenance of a goodback and to prevent recurrences.

Kinetic handling/ back caremust be taught so as to makeback care awareness a natural

part of daily life.Final rehabilitation will con-

clude the physiotherapy treat-ment programme when there isreturn to full strength and flexi-bility and pre-injury state.

Caring for your backStrong abdominal muscles are

required to prevent backache asthey act as a natural corset andshould be used to brace the backduring all activities, especially lift-ing.

Strong quadricep muscles ofthe upper legs are needed duringlifting as opposed to using thetiny muscles of the back. Heavyloads place undue strain on thesmall muscles of the back, whichare designed for lifting. Kinetichandling/ back care principlesmust be used in all activities.

Use correct ergonomics, espe-cially during work but also pro-longed activities at home or dur-ing leisure and sport. Weight lossis advised in cases where there isan increase in the load around theabdomen as it will place a con-stant strain on the muscles, jointsand ligaments of the back.

Rehabilitation programme forthe maintenance of full range ofmovement, strength and flexibili-ty to prevent injury.

Surgery for backache shouldbe a last resort as surgery willresult in scar tissue formation ashealing of the cut structures is ofa poorer quality and has a ten-dency to adhere. If no properpost-surgery care or physiothera-py is given, it can result in the scartissue becoming adherent, causing

pain and stiffness from the opera-tion rather than from the originalcause. However, in some cases,such as severe compression ordisc prolapse, surgery is the onlysuccessful method of treatment.

Sequel of backacheRecurrence is common in cases

where injury is as a result ofwork, poor posture or obesity.Under these situations, life-stylechanges and back care awarenessare crucial for a healthy, pain freeback. If changes are not made,recurrence will lead to absen-teeism from work, increase in sickleave and can lead to loss ofincome.

There will be a decrease infunction and range of move-ments, resulting in further obesityand loading on the back. Pain willincrease and may become con-stant, leading to depression and avicious cycle.

In the case of unresolved back-ache, the following could result:referral to a general practitionerfor medication, injections, specialinvestigations such as X-rays, CTscans or MRI scans; referral to anorthopaedic specialist with a spe-cial interest in back injuries orsurgery; referral to a pain clinicfor management and pain relief.

Remember to always look afteryour back as it is the only one youhave and it has to carry you for alifetime.Sieraaj Banu Bandeker, BScPhysiotherapy (University ofCape Town), is in private practice at the Belmed Centre, inBelthorn Estate.

The role of physiotherapy in treating backacheHealth File

Strong abdominal mus-cles are required to pre-vent backache as they

act as a natural corset...

30 Koeberg Road, Maitland

Muslim Views


Comprehensive Oncology Service & Unit available at Melomed GatesvilleTel: 021 637 3794

Oncologist Dr I ParkerTel: 021 637 3794Emergency No: 082 940 2664

DermatologistMelomed Gatesville:Dr A Moolla - Tel: 021 637 6007/ 2362

Dermatologists Melomed Bellville:Dr N Gantsho - Tel: 021 948 8131Dr A Moolla - Tel: 021 637 6007/ 2362

Dermatologist Melomed Mitchells Plain:Dr S Fakir - Tel: 021 391 2933

[email protected]

Melomed Gatesville: 021 637 8100Melomed Bellville: 021 948 8131

Melomed Mitchells Plain: 021 392 3126Melomed Claremont Private Clinic: 021 683 0540

Melomed Tokai: Opening Soon!Melomed Claremont Private Clinic: 021 683 0540

JANUARY IS

SKIN CANCER

AWARENESS

MONTH

Protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation is important all year round, not just during the summer or at the beach. UV rays from the sun can reach you on cloudy and hazy days, as well as bright and sunny days. UV rays also refl ect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow. Indoor tanning (using a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan) exposes users to UV radiation.

Whenever you venture out in the sun, be smart about it. To enjoy what the sun has to offer without risking your health, follow these simple rules: The hours between 10am and 4pm are the most hazardous for UV exposure outdoors. Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours. Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck. Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays. Use sunscreen with sun protection factor (SPF) 20 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection. Avoid indoor tanning. Do monthly mole checks and go for regular screening.

Preventthis summer

skin cancer

South Africa has thehighest incidence ofskin cancer in theworld. Knowing how toprotect yourself isessential in the fightagainst this commoncancer, which, if caughtearly, can often becured, writes, dermatologist, Dr NOMPHELOGANTSHO.PEOPLE of all colours and ori-gins get skin cancer. However,those with light skin who sun-burn easily are at higher risk.

Risk factors include unprotect-ed or excessive UV exposure, suchas from sunlight or tanningbooths; pale skin which burnseasily and is often associated withnatural redheads and blondes; ifyour job exposes you to certainchemicals such as in coal tar,arsenic and radium; a family his-tory of skin cancer; if you havemany moles on your skin andparticularly unusual shapedmoles; and if someone has suf-fered severe sunburn in the past.

What happens in the body tocause skin cancer?

Sometimes errors or mutationsoccur in the DNA of skin cells;when these mutations grow out ofcontrol they can turn into cancercells. There are many differenttypes of cancer but the three mostcommon types are BCC (BasalCell Cancer), SCC (Squamous

Cell Cancer) and Melanoma.These skin cancers have differentsubtypes so it’s difficult todescribe how each looks. Thereare many variants as well.

Can some of the types of skincancer enter the blood stream andcause cancer elsewhere in thebody?

All types of cancer can spreadto other areas of the body, skincancer included; ranging fromBCC, which is generally slowgrowing, to Melanoma, which is

very aggressive.Are sunbeds safe?No. A recent report has found

a direct link between the use ofsunbeds and skin cancer. Manysunbeds give out greater doses ofUV rays than the middayMediterranean sun.

What about fake, rub-on tan-ning products?

The main ingredient in faketan is DHA (dihydroxyacetone).It’s listed as a cosmetic ingredientunder EU legislation, so it’s likelyto be safe with normal dose andusage.

What can the average persondo to prevent skin cancer?

The best way is to avoid longexposure to intense sunlight, andpractice sun safety. You can exer-cise and enjoy the outdoors butdo it safely. Always avoid directsun exposure between 10am and4pm. Teach children the shadowrule – if your shadow is shorterthan you, the sun’s rays are mostharsh.

Practise the SLIP, SLOP, SLAPand WRAP rule, which means:Slip on a shirt; Slop on sunscreen– SPF of at least 30+ and reapplyit every two hours, even on over-cast days. Remember to applysunscreen on your ears and neck,too; Slap on a wide-brimmed hat;and Wrap on sunglasses.

Avoid other sources of UVlight, such as tanning beds andsun lamps, which are dangerous.Check your skin regularly andreport any changes to a dermatol-ogist. Check your skin often forany new skin growths or changesin existing moles, freckles, bumpsand birthmarks.

Any change on your skin mustbe checked by a dermatologist.Also, any change in sensation, aspread of pigmentation, oozing,scaling or bleeding from a skinlesion must be assessed immedi-ately. Look out for pre-cancer evi-dence, such as areas of skin thatare red and rough to touch; thesecan be treated with liquid nitro-gen.

Can areas of the body thathave never been exposed to thesun get skin cancer?

Yes, they can. Sun exposure isjust one of the risk factors forskin cancer. Other risk factorsinclude a family history of cancer;using irritating substances; molesor birthmarks.

Are there special precautionsto be taken for children?

Educate children on the risksof sun exposure, and teach themthe sun safety advice of slip, slap,slop, wrap and staying out of thesun between 10am and 4pm.Babies under a year old should bekept out of direct sunlight.

In which area of the body isskin cancer the most common?

The upper back and lower legsare common for melanoma inlight-skinned people; other skincancers are found mostly in theareas most often exposed to thesun, such as the face and arms.Dark-skinned people should bevigilant of melanoma on thepalms of their hands and soles oftheir feet.

If a person has never experi-enced bad sunburn, can they stillget skin cancer?

Yes they can because sunlightis just one of the risk factors.

What should we look for onsunscreen to ensure we are beingprotected?

It is best to use the best sun-screen possible. Most contain acombination of ingredients foreffective protection against dam-aging ultraviolet rays; both thedeeply-penetrating UVA and theshorter-wave UVB. Look for theCANSA sign or a circle aroundthe letters UVA to indicate UVAprotection. Use sunscreens withan SPF of 30 +.

How is skin cancer treated?There are many options for

treating skin cancers, dependingon the type, area, depth, severity,age and skin type of the patient.They will need to see a dermatol-ogist and discuss the variousoptions, which range from freez-ing (using liquid nitrogen), toradiation, excision (surgicalremoval), curettage (scraping out)and cautery, Laser, PDT (Photo-dynamic therapy), Mohs (micro-graphic surgery), etc.

Encourage everyone to bemore aware of their skin and any-thing that changes.

Simple, non-invasive treat-ments for early skin cancer orprecancerous lesions can savetime, money and heartache.Annual mole scans done by a der-matologist should be mandatory,especially for light-skinned peo-ple.Dr Nomphelo Gantsho is a dermatologist [FC Derm (SA)]with rooms at Melomed, Bellville. She may be contactedon 0834450296 or 021 9488131; or via email:[email protected]

Skin cancer: get the facts

Dr Nomphelo Gantsho, dermatologist.Photo SUPPLIED

Muslim Views


Children in the besieged Syriantown of Madaya are starving todeath. In this town, which hasbeen under siege since lastAugust, families are eating leavesand grass in a desperate attemptto survive.

Shocking pictures and videosthat have been leaked fromMadaya showing malnourishedbabies and children, and starvingadults, reveal the true extent ofthe suffering in Syria. There is noescape for the thousands of inno-cent citizens living in this night-mare. The town is surrounded bylandmines.

Muslim Hands is working onthe ground to deliver life-savingsupport to the people of Madaya.Our partners have already distrib-uted vital relief and are nowpreparing another emergencyfood distribution. The humanitar-ian crisis in Syria is continuing toescalate. With millions of peopledisplaced and in desperate need oflife-saving aid, your donation isneeded now more than ever.

By giving to the Syria CrisisAppeal, you are helping us pro-vide Syrians with much neededfood, water and medical supplies.

We also provide shelter tothose who have lost their homes,education to children with noaccess to schools, and opportuni-ties and training for those whoare out of work because of theconflict. With millions of peopledisplaced and in desperate need oflife-saving aid, your donation ismore important than ever.

Muslim Hands also has anambulance service, which pro-vides vital medical assistance tosuffering Syrians. Ambulances areused to transport patients in needof treatment and also act asmobile clinics where doctors cancarry out routine check-ups andtreat simple cases. R3 600 willcover the running costs of anambulance for one day.

In times of conflict, when acountry’s infrastructure is dam-aged and displaced people areforced to live in temporary shel-ters, access to clean waterbecomes severely compromised.This is the harsh reality insideSyria and on the borders wheremany families are risking healthand even death by drinkingunsafe water. By donating a watertanker delivery, you will be pro-viding 100 people with clean, safewater for drinking and domestic

use for the whole day. R7 500 willcover the cost of one tanker deliv-ery.

By giving a family relief pack-age, you will be supplying all theessential items to see a Syrianfamily through the next monthand beyond. As well as enoughfood items and water to last amonth, the package includesmuch needed medical supplies,clothes, blankets and hygieneitems, like soap. You can donate afamily relief pack for R4 500.

In 2013, Muslim Hands beganworking with locals in Aleppo,Syria, to refurbish an old breadfactory and bring it back into use.Alhamdulillah, the factory nowproduces 30 000 loaves a day,feeding thousands of people daily.As all running costs are coveredby Muslim Hands, by donating,you are helping to alleviatehunger as well as providing a

sense of stability and normality toa community devastated by yearsof conflict. By donating R9 950,you will cover the running costsof the bread factory for a day.

Since the outbreak of the con-flict in 2011, the situation in Syriahas steadily deteriorated:l A staggering 7,6 million people

have been internally displaced.(This is more than the entirepopulation of Hong Kong.)

l 3,2 million people have fledSyria as refugees. (More than1,7 million of these are chil-dren.)

l 12,2 million people are in needof dire assistance. (It is thebiggest humanitarian crisis ofour time.)Muslim Hands international

fundraisers for the Syria crisis:l Family Fun Day – A day full of

excitement, food, games, andlaughter for all the family.

l Syria 5km walk – 7 locationsin total, 1 200 people in atten-dance.In efforts to proactively raise

funds towards this cause, MuslimHands South Africa will be host-

ing a spiritual tour of seven kra-mats in the Cape, on Sunday, Jan-uary 31, 2016, starting at7:30am. The tour departs fromHabibia Soofie Saheb Masjid, inRylands, and ends at the mazaarof Sayed Mahmud, in Constantia.

Shaikh Fayzel Lillah will be thespiritual guide and en route enter-tainment of enchanting nasheedswill be provided by some of ourlocal up-and-coming nasheedreciters. Help us raise funds forour brothers and sisters in Syriaby purchasing a ticket for R250,which includes lunch.

Let us show our support to ourSyrian brothers and sisters inneed.

Tickets are available at theMuslim Hands office, in CarnieRoad, Rylands, or on the MuslimHands website:

muslimhands.org.za.Contact Muslim Hands today

on 021 633 6413 for more infor-mation.

Look out for our next Syriafundraiser. Join Muslim Hands onthe Table Mountain Challenge onMarch 27, 2016. The participa-tion fee is R500 per person.

If climbing mountains is notfor you but you would like todonate towards Syria, you can.From the comfort of your home,sms the word SYRIA to 38325 todonate R10. Each sms costs R10and free sms’s do not apply.People in Syria are starving. Helpus continue supporting Syria.Let’s show the Syrian familiesthat they have not been forgot-ten. For further information,contact Muslim Hands on 021 633 6413 or visit muslimhands.org.za

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -

Syria under siege

Muslim Hands work in Syria.Photo SUPPLIED

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We are pleased to announce that the Journey of the Spirit will again depart from Durban, South Africa in April 2016 on its three night four day voyage. The cruise brings together Muslims from all sectors of the economy and professions and

sails to Portuguese Island off the coast of Mozam-bique aboard the magnificent newly revamped Sinfo-nia cruise ship. This is a retreat like no other!

Meals are strictly Halaal. Accommodation for all passengers will be in the lovely staterooms of the MSC Sinfonia. Amenities on board the ship include an exclusive shopping centre, beautiful lounge, putt-putt course, spas and a wellness centre.

There are designated recreation areas for children with games and organized activities under supervision also provided are various shows that include clowns and magicians.

Guests have time to socialise in a friendly and re-laxed atmosphere and may choose the events and activities from the daily programmes offered.

MOTIVATIONMirza Yawar Baig Consultant, trainer, author and speaker. The doyen of leadership training and effective human relations in the Islamic world and beyond.

SPIRITUAL• Shaykh Nour Aswad The melodious voices of

Syrian ensemble, will enhance meditation and de-light the senses with their performances.

• Sufi meditation, Zikr, will be conducted each morning.

• Congregational prayers will be held 5 times each day. Weather permitting, Jumma (Friday prayers) will be held on deck.

ISLAMIC ENTERTAINMENT• Ahmed Bukhatir World renowned international

and award winning singer from the UAE - famous on 5 continents - a great voice of Islamic music.

• Simmi Areff One of South Africa’s funniest comedians.

• Muhammed Yaseen Mohamed Young and innovative South African singer/songwriter.

DATES: APRIL 15th – 18th 2016

For bookings please call MSC Cruises on 087 075 0850 or book via: [email protected] booking discounts apply.

Terms & Conditions apply as per MSC Cruises - for full details please visit: www.msccruises.co.za

For any marketing and sponsorship opportunities or to find out more details you may contact BBP International Ernest Botes on 011 483 1144 or [email protected]

DURBAN

PORTUGUESE ISLAND

Disclaimer: MSC Cruises, BBP International Proprietary Limited and/or X-Seed Technologies SA Proprietary Limited (collectively hereinafter referred to as the “Companies”) bears no responsibility and shall not be held liable in the event that any of the above named persons are not onboard Journey of the Spirit. The Companies also reserve the right, in its sole discretion, to vary the above programme without notice to the passenger.

Muslim Views


Muslim Views


MAHMOOD SANGLAYSEVERAL charities were designated beneficiaries of Crescent Lifestyle’s membershipbenefit programme on November25, 2015, in Rylands Estate,Cape Town. The top six charitiesand their respective donationsreceived were Gift of The Givers,R33 414, Ikageng Orphans R18 048, Al-Imdaad Foundation, R17 944, SultanBahu Centre, R15 609, BaitulIlm Primary School, R11 614,40and Muslim Judicial Council, R7 572.

The total amount of R251 118paid at this second round ofdonations for 2015 brings thetotal contribution to charity sincethe programme was launched, in2007, to R2,75 million. The pro-gramme has 30 000 subscribers,supports 150 charities andemploys 55 people. The CapeTown office was opened in June2015.

The programme essentiallycentres on a web-based applica-tion for Muslims who, as regis-tered members of the programme,are entitled to use a membershipcard to enjoy access to a range ofbenefits.

These include discounts fromretail alliance partners, mosqueand restaurant listings, communi-ty events, daily and weekly Islam-ic teachings, competitions andcharity events �and real-timemosque specific and community

relevant in-app messaging.Director of the programme, Al

Firnas Patel, says CrescentLifestyle is today the main sourceof information for the individualon prayer times, funeral noticesand moon sightings.

He adds that the loyalty pro-gramme is ‘among the best’ avail-able in the South African retailtrade market.

Crescent Lifestyle’s web appli-cation designers, NXT\ DigitalInnovation, has won theWebAward for Best Faith BasedWebsite at the 2015 WebAwardCompetition.

The award was for their workin building the Crescent Lifestyleapplication. The application gen-erates over 3 500 downloads inone month, and attains a 4.8 outof 5 star rating from the GooglePlay Store, according to thedesigners.

Crescent Lifestyle pays over R250 000 to charitiesThe Muslim Judicial Council’s (MJC)Ulama Outreach Programme was oneof the beneficiaries at the media conference of Crescent Lifestyle, onNovember 25, 2015, in RylandsEstate, Cape Town. Pictured, fromleft, are Al-Firnas Patel, director ofCrescent Lifestyle, and representingthe MJC are Moulana Dawood Sampson and Moulana Abdul KhaliqAllie. Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

Muslim Views


IN the wake of the San Bernardino attack in the UnitedStates, with 14 people dead atthe hands of a radicalised husband and wife, severalRepublican presidential candidates have intensified theircriticism of Muslims or Islam.

On December 7, DonaldTrump released a shocking pro-posal to bar Muslims from enter-ing the United States. His contro-versial proposal is based onresearch conducted in 2015 bythe Center for Security Policy, aneo-con think-tank run by FrankGaffney. He claims that 25 percent of Muslims living in theUnited States ‘agreed that vio-lence against Americans here inthe United States is justified as apart of the global jihad’.

There has been condemnationfrom all sides to Trump’s propos-al.

In response to the Trump pro-posal, a prominent Saudi billion-aire, Alwaleed bin Talal, whoprovided financial assistance toDonald Trump when he was infinancial difficulties in the 1990s,has described him as a disgrace tohis country. He went so far as tocall on Trump to drop out of therunning to become Republicancandidate for president.

His anti-Muslim commentshave already caused a businessbacklash in the Middle East,which his company just a fewmonths ago had flagged as a keygrowth market. They have yield-ed growing alarm as many won-der what the approaching electioncould mean for the involvementof the United States in theirregion.

Dar al-Ifta, the authority thatissues religious edicts in Egypt,called Donald Trump’s comments‘extremist’ and warned that they‘threatened societal peace’ in theUnited States.

‘There is something disturbingabout where the Americans aregoing in their relations with theoutside world in general and withthe Arab and Islamic world inparticular,’ said AbdulkhaliqAbdulla, a retired professor ofpolitical science, from the UnitedArab Emirates.

‘Donald Trump sounds morelike a leader of a lynch mob thana great nation like ours,’ saidNihad Awad, national executivedirector of the Council on Ameri-can-Islamic Relations.

There has been overwhelmingcondemnation of Trump’s pro-posal by critics, including his ownparty leadership.

America’s most senior Republi-can, Paul Ryan, the leader of theUS House of Representatives, dis-missed Donald Trump’s com-ments on Muslims, saying suchviews are ‘not what this partystands for and more importantlyit’s not what this country standsfor’.

The Democrats declared: ‘HisIslamophobia doesn’t reflect ournation’s values – it goes farenough to destroy our country’sreputation and could even threat-en our national security.’

‘This is reprehensible, preju-diced and divisive,’ said HillaryClinton.

In Britain, Prime MinisterDavid Cameron, of the Conserva-tive Party, dismissed DonaldTrump’s position as ‘divisive,unhelpful and quite simplywrong’.

A petition calling for DonaldTrump to be banned from enter-ing the UK has attracted morethan a quarter of a million signa-tures. The petition, launched byScottish resident and long-timeTrump critic Suzanne Kelly, blastsTrump for ‘unrepentant hatespeech and unacceptable behav-iour’ that ‘foments racial, reli-gious and nationalistic intoler-ance which should not be wel-come in the UK’.

Prime Minister Manuel Vallsof France, which is still reelingfrom deadly attacks by Islamicextremists, wrote on Twitter: ‘MrTrump, like others, fuels hatred,’and ‘Our only enemy is radicalIslamism.’

The first study to examine reli-gious identity and workplace dis-crimination against AmericanMuslim doctors, conductedbetween 2013 and 2014, foundthat nearly half felt more scrutinyat work compared to their peers,and nearly one in four said theyexperienced religious discrimina-tion during their careers.

Almost ten per cent of thephysicians interviewed claimedthat patients had refused theircare because they are Muslim.Some doctors in private practicesay they are shocked by the levelof support within the medicalcommunity for Trump’s proposedban.

In light of the recent attacks inParis and San Bernardino, anti-Muslim sentiments haveincreased substantially. DonaldTrump’s comments have alreadycontributed to unprecedentedincrease in hate crimes directed atAmerican Muslims.

Among the hate crimes andbias incidents that have takenplace since December 7 are thefollowing: damage to Islamic cen-tres, death threats, verbal andphysical assaults, placing of a

pig’s head outside an Islamic cen-tre, vandalism of centres, arson,throwing rocks at women, firingat women, firebombing, smashingof windows and threateningphone calls.

American Muslim women areintensely debating the risks relat-ed to wearing their head-cover-ings. Women wearing the hijabare commonly stared or cursed ator have strangers tug at theirscarves.

Asifa Quraishi-Landes, anIslamic law specialist at Universi-ty of Wisconsin-Madison, advisedMuslim women that if they feltthat their life or safety is threat-ened in any way because of theirdress, they may adjust their cloth-ing accordingly (referring to thehijab). Muslim women in severalcities are even organising or tak-ing self-defence classes.

On the other hand, many Mus-lim women say this is the timewhen they need to make theirpresence known by wearing thehijab, without any modification,as an act of defiance.

It is worrying that over 60 percent of Republicans support Don-ald Trump’s proposal of barringMuslims from entering the UnitedStates.

What is more worrying,though, is that, according to apoll conducted recently, moreAmericans support DonaldTrump’s proposed Muslim banthan oppose it.

The survey found 46 per centin favour with 40 per centopposed, and the rest undecided.And to cap it all, as many as 55per cent of Americans overallhave either a somewhat or veryunfavourable view of Islam.

Based on these statistics, themajority of American citizens hasa negative view of their Muslimcounterparts and opposes theimmigration of Muslims.

DISCUSSIONS WITH DANGORDISCUSSIONS WITH DANGOR

Trump’santi-Muslimcommentshavealreadycaused abusinessbacklash inthe MiddleEast, which

his company, just a fewmonths ago, had flaggedas a key growth market,writes Emeritus Profes-sor SULEMAN DANGOR.

Donald trumpets anti-Muslim rhetoricThere has beenoverwhelming

condemnation ofTrump’s proposal

by critics, including his

own party leadership

Muslim Views


IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED

WE have just come out of a period of more intense focus onthe life and message of ourbeloved Rasulullah (SAW). Welook to the writings of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi on theesteemed personage of our Nabi(SAW) contained in his contemporary Quranic tafsir,Risale-i Nur (The Treatise ofLight).

In citing these ayaat fromSurah Al-Fath, ‘It is He who sentHis Messenger with the guidanceand the Deen of Truth to exalt itover every other deen, and Allahsuffices as a witness.

‘Muhammad is the Messengerof Allah…,’ Bediuzzamanexpresses that the Possessor andMaster of the universe does every-thing with knowledge, disposesevery affair with wisdom, directseverything all-seeingly, treatseverything all-knowingly andarranges everything, willing theinstances of wisdom, purposesand benefits that are apparent inthem.

Since the One Who createsknows, surely the One Whoknows will speak. Since He willspeak, surely He will speak tothose who possess consciousnessand thought, and who will under-stand His speech. Since He willspeak to those who possessthought, surely he will speak tomankind, whose nature andawareness are the most compre-

hensive of all conscious beings.Since He will speak to

mankind, surely He will speak tothe most perfect of mankind andthose most worthy of address.Since He will speak to those whoare most perfect, most worthy ofaddress, highest in morality andwho will guide humanity, He willcertainly speak to Muhammad(SAW), who, as friend and foealike testify, is of the highest dis-position and morality, who isobeyed by one fifth of humanity;to whose spiritual rule half of theglobe has submitted, with theradiance of whose light the futureof mankind has been illuminedfor over thirteen centuries; towhom the people of imaan – theluminous segment of humanity –renew, five times daily, the oath ofallegiance; for whose happinessthey make duah, for whom theycall down Allah’s blessings andfor whom they bear admirationand love in their hearts.

Certainly, Allah Almighty willspeak to Nabi Muhammad (SAW)and, indeed, He has; He willmake him the nabi, and indeedHe has; He will make him theguide for the rest of humanity,and indeed He has.

Allah’s Most Noble Rasul(SAW) declared his prophethoodand presented to humanity theQuran of Mighty Stature andsuch manifest miracles which,according to scholars, numberone thousand.

The miracles of Rasulullah(SAW) were extremely varied.

Since his messengership was uni-versal, he was distinguished bymiracles that related to almost allspecies of creation.

Bediuzzaman says in thisregard that Rasulullah (SAW)brought with him the light oftruth and spiritual gifts sent bythe Creator of the universe, whichwere connected to the truths ofthe whole universe, each speciesof creation – water, rocks, trees,animals and human beings to themoon, the sun and the stars – wel-comed him and acclaimed hisprophethood, each in its own lan-guage, and each bearing one ofhis miracles.

Bediuzzaman further discussesthat all the states and acts ofRasulullah (SAW) testified to hisveracity and prophethood but notall of them had to be miraculous.

Allah Almighty sent him inhuman form so that he might be aguide and leader to human beingsin their social affairs, and in theacts and deeds by means of whichthey attain happiness in bothworlds; and so that he might dis-close to humans the wonders ofdivine art and Allah’s power thatlie in all occurrences, and, thoughin appearance they seem custom-ary, in reality, they are miracles ofdivine power.

Bediuzzaman contends that ifRasulullah had abandoned thehuman state in his acts andbecome extraordinary in allaspects, he could not have been aleader or have instructed humanswith his acts, states and conduct.

He was honoured with para-normal phenomena in order toprove his prophethood to obsti-nate unbelievers and, from timeto time, performed miracles as theneed arose. But his miracles neveroccurred in such a way thatwould have compelled everyoneto believe.

In accordance with the pur-pose of the examinations and tri-als that humans are to undergo inthis world, the way must beshown to them without deprivingthem of their free will: the door ofintelligence must remain open,and its freedom must not besnatched from its hand.

But if miracles had occurred insuch an apparent way, intelligencewould have had no choice; AbuJahl would have believed as didSayyidina Abu Bakr (RA); coalwould have had the value of dia-monds, and no purpose wouldhave remained for testing andaccountability.

Although some qualities andaspects of Rasulullah (SAW) havebeen described in books of histo-ry and biography, most of thosequalities relate to his humanness.But, in reality, the spiritual per-sonality and the sacred nature ofthis blessed being are so exaltedand luminous that the qualitiesdescribed in books fall short ofhis high stature.

According to the rule, ‘Thecause is like the doer’, every day,even at this moment, the amountof ibaadah performed by hisummah is being added to the

record of his perfections.He is also, daily, the object of

countless duahs of his vastummah, in addition to being theobject of divine mercy in an infi-nite fashion and with an infinitecapacity to receive.

He is, indeed, the result andthe most perfect fruit of the uni-verse, the interpreter and thebeloved of the Creator of the cos-mos.

Thus, according to Bediuzza-man, Rasulullah’s (SAW) truenature, in its entirety, and thetruth of all his perfections, cannotbe contained in the human quali-ties recorded in books of historyand biography.

Bediuzzaman concludes thatRasulullah (SAW) is the source ofhonour for all mankind, the onewho is unique in all creation, whobears on his back the burden ofall men, and who, standing onthis earth, lifts up his handstowards Allah’s throne and offersa duah which contains the essenceof the ibaadah of all mankind.

We thus regard Rasulullah asthe most worshipful servant ofAllah, the model of love, theexemplar of mercy, the glory ofmankind, and the most luminousfruit of the tree of all creation,that is Allah’s Beloved.

O Allah! Grant blessings andpeace to the one whom You sentas a mercy to all the worlds, andto all his family and Companions.And have mercy on us, hisummah, through Your Mercy.Ameen.

Light from the Qur’an

Nabi Muhammad (SAW), the model of love and exemplar of mercy

Muslim Views


JASMINE KHANMANY years ago, I visited afamily member who was very ill.To this day, I remember howtraumatic it was for me to seethis man suffering; his body wascurved like a bow and he wasstruggling to breathe.

What was even more distress-ing was that his bed was sur-rounded by visitors, staring whilethis man was fighting for his life.I could not help but reflect thathis dignity was being compro-mised.

More recently, someone veryclose to me was diagnosed withcancer, and the night that hepassed away, the room was filledwith women; no amount ofappeals to them to leave the roomhad any effect.

Months later, his daughterconfessed to me that it had beenher father’s wish to have only hiswife and daughters present as hecommenced his return to Allah.

These two incidents came intosharp focus just a few weeks agowhen a friend whose niece wasdying of cancer asked: ‘Why dopeople visit the sick and sit forhours, and most of the time chat?’This prompted me to ask theopinions of several of my friends.

What is also becoming moreprevalent is that people diagnosedwith a terminal illness refuse tohave any visitors except closefamily.

I know of two cases where thishappened and it really upset theirfriends.

One person categorically stat-ed that it showed a low level ofimaan.

This response was a bit harsh,I feel, so I put it to her that per-haps the person wanted to spendher time trying to get closer toAllah and being with her immedi-ate family.

We all know that at some pointwe are going to die, and no onebut Allah knows the exact time.Yet, when a person hears that theillness is terminal it brings therealisation of death to the fore.

Doctors have been wrong butthere surely is nothing wrong ifthose patients want time to reflectand spend quality time with theirnearest and dearest.

I was surprised at how strong-ly people feel about this subject.The responses ranged from ‘wehave to respect the dying person’swish’, ‘the sick person should beaccorded his or her dignity’, ‘visi-tors should not sit for hours andbe a burden on the family’, andthe strongest was about thosewho visit and then discuss amongthemselves someone who had thesame illness and how that personsuffered.

The comment which impressedme the most came from a youngwoman who said that you cannotstop someone from visiting youbecause it is that person’s haqq.

Whenever we seek guidance,the obvious thing to do is to go tothe Quran and Sunnah.

Our deen is so all encompass-ing that one wonders why we stillflounder in confusion and why we

do not follow the guidelines setout for us.

First, and most important, isthe fact that visiting the sick isone of the six duties one Muslimowes another.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah bepleased with him) reported: TheMessenger of Allah (SAW) said:‘Verily, Allah, the Exalted, andGlorious will say on the Day ofResurrection: O son of Adam, Iwas ill but you did not visit Me.He will answer: O my Rabb, howcould I visit You and You are theRabb of the worlds? ThereuponAllah will say: Did you not knowthat such and such, a slave ofMine, was ill but you did not visithim? Did you not realise that ifyou had visited him (you wouldhave known that I was aware ofyour visit to him, for which Iwould reward you) you wouldhave found Me with him?’(Saheeh Muslim)

‘If a man calls on his sick Mus-lim brother, it is as if he walksreaping the fruits of Paradise untilhe sits.

‘And when he sits, he is show-ered in mercy, and if this was inthe morning, seventy thousandangels pray for him until theevening; and if this was in theevening, seventy thousand angelspray for him until the morning.’(Ibn Majah 1/244, and Sahih At-Tirmithi 1/286)

The Prophet (SAW) also said:‘A Muslim visiting his sick broth-er will continue to be in the har-vest of paradise until he or shereturns home.’

‘A visitor walking to visit asick person will be wading in themercy of God.

‘When the visitor sits with thesick one, they will be immersed inmercy until his or her return.’(Sahih Muslim)

It may be our right to visit thesick but with every right comes aresponsibility.

If we want the reward, wemust be prepared to follow theguidelines.

It should not be the responsi-bility of the family to police visi-tors; we have to show respect notonly to the person who is ill butalso have empathy for the familywho are facing their own trauma.

We should not sit for hoursand chat about inconsequentialthings.

Hospital visits should be donewith respect for the rules of thehospital; do not linger too long atthe bedside, especially if the per-son is unable to converse.

We should at all times bemindful of what we say, particu-larly when visiting the sick.

Be particularly careful of tiringthem out with unnecessary chat-ter.

Illness may incapacitate some-one but we still need to respecttheir dignity and their privacy.

A scholar of Islam, Imam IbnAbdul-Barr, wrote in his book ofIslamic jurisprudence, Al-Kafi,‘Whether you visit a healthy or anill person, you ought to sit whereyou are told.

‘Hosts know better how toensure privacy in their home.

‘Visiting an ill person is a con-firmed Sunnah. The best visit isthe shortest. The visitor ought notto sit too long with an ill person,unless they are close friends andthe ill person enjoys their compa-ny.’

The visitor should be sincere inhis intention. Once he hasachieved the objective of his visit,he would have no reason to bur-den the sick person with a pro-longed stay and unnecessary dis-turbance.

The Syrian scholar, ShaikhAbdul-Fatah Abu Ghuddah,wrote in his book on Islamicmanners: ‘The length of the visitshould not be longer than thetime between the two sermons ofFriday. In this respect, it was saidthat the visit should be longenough to convey salaams andwishes, to ask the sick how theyare doing, to pray for their recov-ery and to leave immediately afterbidding them farewell.’

The length of the visit willdepend on how sick the person is,and how eager for the visit. Somepeople welcome visits and, if itcheers them, by all means stay; aslong as it does not inconveniencethe family.

Be sure to show compassionthrough appropriate words, cor-rect conduct and length of stay.Rasulullah (SAW) said: ‘Showmercy to those on earth, the Oneabove the heavens will showmercy upon you.’Referencewww.islamreligion.com/Islamicmorals and practices

From Consciousness to Contentment

The etiqette of visiting those who are sick

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Muslim Views


Parent child relations, a guide toraising children. Authors: Dr Hisham Yahya Altalib, Dr AbdulHamid Ahmad AbuSulayman & Dr OmarHisham Altalib. The International Institute of IslamicThought, London.

I AM excited about this book.The authors, who have academicqualifications and personal expe-rience of parenting, have consult-ed many familiar sources,reviewed videos on parenting anddrew from practical parentingprogrammes.

I found myself on familiar ter-ritory because I can relate tomany of the principles and tech-niques described.

I have been reviewing some ofthe chapters on Channel Islamand the Voice of the Cape andthought that it would be a goodidea to share my views with thereaders of Muslim Views.

The aims and objectives of thebook are:l To stress the importance of

‘good’ parenting and the par-ents’ duty to raise childrenwho will be well adjusted butalso a benefit to society.

l To impart the necessary educa-tion and skills needed toachieve the above.

l To help parents create a har-monious and functional homeenvironment in which chil-dren’s development, morally,spiritually and physically, isnurtured.This work comes as a result of

the authors’ experiences in boththe Western and Muslim world.Non-Muslim parents can alsobenefit from this work because,throughout the book, referencesare made to the excellent exam-ples of parenting by the prophetsrevered in both Islam and Chris-tianity.

Images depict families fromdifferent cultures, which makes ituser friendly. The quotes from avariety of sources complement thecontent admirably.

A ‘criticism’ I have is that thecontent could have been struc-tured differently and, at times, theauthors over-explain and repeatpoints. However, this is not amajor concern.

It’s a reference book with user-friendly exercises for parents andchildren at the end of each chap-ter to reflect on what was learntand to improve parent-child rela-tionships.

Some of the exercises areaimed at small groups of parentsso that mutual support canemerge as a result of the discus-sions. This says that ‘you are not

alone’.The integration of Islamic

sources and psychology is good. Itcovers many aspects of parentingand has a wealth of informationthat can assist parents and care-givers.

The book is a must for practi-tioners and parents. Theoreticalapproaches are covered and prac-tical suggestions made.

General positive parentingprinciples, stages of developmentand tools are described.

Some specific issues, such asbullying, single-parenthood, therole of fathers, sex and sexualityeducation, raising boys and rais-ing girls, and anger in children aredealt with. Two very importantsections that I particularly likedare ‘Raising children who Love

God (Allah)’ and ‘CharacterBuilding’.

The first chapter poses thequestion: ‘Good parenting: whatis it and how do we begin?’

The following quote from thissection is just enough to spark thereader’s interest. ‘Again, althoughwe know that we have a license todrive a car etc., we do not feelthat it is necessary for people to

be trained for parenthood.‘Although there is no all-

encompassing fast-track modelwe can use, there are proceduresthat can be implemented to helpus achieve our goal. Along theway, we come to realise that theroad to good parenting is alwaysunder construction, and thatalthough we may make improve-ments, we cannot expedite theprocess. Do not look for “shortcuts” to successful parentingbecause they do not exist.’

The authors make the follow-ing points in their introduction:l We should put the same effort

in parenting our children as wedo in the pursuit of wealth,careers and so on.

l It cannot be left to trial anderror. Parenting is tough andrequires constant attention.

l An important aspect of childrearing is effective communica-tion, which involves active andempathic listening skills.

l An important responsibility ofparents is to develop leader-ship traits in children, to raisechildren who will become peo-ple of strong character, withsound morals and ethics andwho will have a sense of civicresponsibility.

l They emphasise the impor-tance of the family home – cre-ating a happy and peacefulenvironment for all familymembers. They describe thehome as ‘an incubator, a plat-form and a stage where familymembers are actors and com-munication is the script’.The acknowledgement that

parenting is a huge responsibilityand that parents should not giveup in despair when things gowrong is very supportive of andencouraging to parents.

The authors emphasise that itis never too late to overcome chal-lenges.

The following advice from thebook says it all: ‘We need tospend less time looking back andfar more time looking ahead… Itmay help to visualise the past assculpted marble or hardened con-crete, and the future as pliantclay, still to be moulded.’

It is never too late to startbeing a better parent, they say.Review by FOUZIA RYKLIEFTo order a copy, visit the BaitulHikmah online bookstore onwww.hikmah.co.za or contactthem via email:[email protected] or telephone031 811 3599Fouzia Ryklief is a social workerregistered with the South AfricanCouncil for Social Service Professions (SACSSP)

Positive and Effective Parenting‘Parent child relations, a guide to raising children’ review

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Muslim Views


TURKEY is tremendous! Itstraddles East and West, one partsited on continental Europe, theother, Anatolia, makes up AsiaMinor. It is an ancient land,weathered and withered yetvibrant, energetic; a deep well ofart, culture and delectable Turkish Delight sweets.

Turkey’s written history datesback more than three thousandyears to the Hittites who grazedthe land, planted its earth withedible crops and erected stonecities. The Greeks occupied AsiaMinor for many centuries, sprin-kling their towns and gods acrossthe land.

The Romans displaced theGreeks and usurped their citiesand deities with abandon. Theyfortified cities and built waterviaducts to irrigate barren landand to service their cistern-reser-voirs such as Basilica Cistern,deep underground near HagiaSofia Basilica. They worshippedin marble temples filled withincense from the spice and silkroutes of India and Asia.

The Christian ByzantineEmpire rose in the 4th centuryAD with the conversion of theRoman emperor, Constantine, toChristianity. He made Constan-tinople the Eastern Roman capi-tal.

The massive-domed HagiaSophia Church was erected nearthe old Hippodrome where thou-sands were entertained by theslaughter of gladiators and thecrunching spectacle of chariotraces spewing blood and guts formirth.

The Byzantines reigned formany centuries. During the Cru-sades, in the 11th century, Con-stantinople was sacked and rapedby the marauding Crusaders ontheir way to the Holy Land torelieve Jerusalem from the Mus-lims.

The Seljuk Turks from theTurkoman tribes of Asia steadilydisplaced the Holy Roman East-ern Orthodox Empire. Next, theOttoman Turks streamed acrossthe land and, in 1453 CE, 23-year-old Sultan Mehmet IIbesieged Constantinople,

breached the walls and tri-umphed. Constantinople becameIstanbul. Hagia Sophia became amosque. It is now a museum, cur-rently being restored.

In 1928, Turkey became a sec-ular state under the aegis ofMustafa Kemal Attaturk, who,in1915, defeated the British, NewZealanders and Australians at theBattle of Gallipoli (also known asthe Battle of Canakkale). Islamwas demoted from being the statereligion.

The land has many stories totell. Excavations have revealedsome of its grandeur and its vor-tices. The story of Troy and itsdownfall, when besieging Greekarmies presented the city with awooden horse filled with soldiers,was once thought of as just astory in the Iliad and Odysseybooks of Greek historian andphilosopher, Homer.

The discovery and excavationof the real Troy by the Germanarchaeologist, Heinrich Schlie-mann, is in itself a wonderful taleto tell. There are over two hun-dred ancient cities yet to be exca-vated.

The yesteryear Muslims ofCape Town had an importantconnection with the sultans ofIstanbul during the nineteenthcentury.

With this in mind, and intend-ing to write about it, I was edgedon to see Turkey itself for back-ground information.

The plane from Cape Towntouched down at Ataturk Airport,Istanbul, in the early hours of themorning. The journey throughcongested traffic to the hotel tookabout two hours.

Freshened up, we tackled thedelights of the old section ofIstanbul with its historicmosques, the old Roman cisterndeep under the city and thedelightful covered bazaar (built in1461) with its thousand littleshops and souks.

Istanbul is an energetic city ofover fourteen million inhabitants.Even though we went in the off-season, it was congested withtourists from across the globe,hungry for its history, its arts and

the delightful Turkish Delightsweetmeats.

The old city houses the Top-kapi Palace, home of theOttoman sultans from the fif-teenth to the nineteenth centuries,and where some of Islam’s holyrelics are housed, including theseal that Prophet Muhammad(SAW) used to mark his letters tothe further corners of the Islamicrealm. Across the Golden Hornseaway, via the Galata Bridge, isthe ‘New City’ with the newDolmabache palaces and TaksimSquare, famed for Sunday saun-tering and protest demonstra-tions.

On Sundays and holidays,hoards, some say more than amillion souls, march down IstiqlalRoad, home of brand-name fash-ion goods, local and internationalrestaurants and sweetmeat storesdripping with syrup and honey todrown you in a Wham! sugarrush.

There’s nothing of the slowswagger of South African strolls,though. Turks generally walkbriskly. But, let’s savour its gemsslowly and ruminate on its past.The following is a taste of what isyet to come.

Three great mosques dominatethe skyline of Istanbul. The greatHagia Sofia is historically the old-est. It has had many restorations.The uncovering of mosaics on thewalls revealed very interestingmaterial.

The second mosque we willdeal with is the SüleymanyeMosque, one of the great marvelsof architecture from the hand ofthe incomparable architect,Mimaar Sinan. Mehmet, a pupilof Sinan, designed the SultanAhmed Mosque, also known asthe Blue Mosque. Bursa, the oldOttoman capital, sports the

unique Green Mosque.The Topkapi Palace housed the

Ottoman caliphs until the mid-nineteenth century. It is still a glo-rious structure and the repositoryof the relics of the ProphetMuhammad (SAW) and the firstfour caliphs of Islam. It also hous-es vast collections of preciousjewels and Chinese porcelain. It isa must visit.

Turkey is a vibrant collectionof top art and artisans, famedover the millennia for their excel-lence, particularly in tiles, ceram-ics, carpets, textiles etc. We haveto sing their praises in moredetail.

Moulana Jalaluddin Rumi, therenowned poet and sage associat-ed with the whirling dervish spir-itual ritual, is buried in Konya. Itis a fascinating place. We willattend a ceremony and learnabout it later.

Cappadocia is a stunningplace, full of geologic marvels andtons of history, art and, of course,hot air ballooning. Cappadocia,Ephesus and Pamukkale (Cottoncastle) thermal springs cannot bemissed.

And we will meet an old friendwe have spoken about before:Nasrudin Hodja.

Everyone in the Middle Eastand Turkey adores him. Was hefact or fiction? Never mind. Heasked me a question: When Noahhad sailed in the ark during thegreat flood for forty days withoutseeing land, he saw somethingmoving on the horizon.

Half an hour later, a pigeonlanded on the ark with a twigfrom an olive tree firmly in itsbeak. Noah then knew that hewas near land. Nasrudin’s ques-tion was: What sex was the bird,male or female?

And there’s more to come.

The landhas manystories totell. Exca-vationshaverevealedsome of itsgrandeur

and its vortices, writesDoctor M C D’ARCY.

FOR ALLFOR ALLTurkey is an artistic and historic delight

Early morning hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, floating above the strange volcanic cones, chiselled out and once used as Christian churches.

Photo M C DARCY

A ceramic plate of whirling dervishes. The striking central calligraphy is brilliantbut note how the artist’s few deft strokes of the pen depict the swirling movement of the peripheral figures. Photo M C DARCY

Supremo-architect Mimaar Sinan’s Süleymanye Mosque. The many lamps wereonce fuelled by oil yet the domes were not blackened by soot. Sinan’s ventilation designs saw to that. Also note the stunning stained glass windows.

Photo M C DARCY

Sultan Ahmed Mosque – the Blue Mosque. The outline is divine in symmetry and execution. Note the fluted dome andsemi-domes framed by delicate, pencil-thin minarets. Photo M C DARCY

Muslim Views


TOYER NAKIDIEN

ON January 21, 2015, one ofCape Town’s revered elders,Hajji Isgaak ‘Ivan’ Agherdien,passed on.

Much as Hajji was well lovedby many who knew him, there aremany more who do not know hiseventful past. I visited Aunty Fati-ma, Hajji’s wife, and a few of hisfriends to learn more.

Hajji was born in South End,Port Elizabeth, on September 29,1925.

By his teen years, Hajji wasalready interested in and passion-ate about drama. His high schoolfriend, Connie Simon, related thatwhile they were rehearsing for aschool play, Ivan – as he wasknown – would not hide how hefelt when they fluffed their linesduring rehearsals. ‘Dan rol hydaai oë as ek nie my woorde kennie.’ (Then he rolls his eyes whenI don’t know my lines.)

Hajji moved to his brother inKimberley to complete matric atWilliam Pescod High School. Thisis where he met Aunty Fatima.She explains that her mothermade everyone feel welcome –very much like Aunty Fatima doestoday.

Hajji lived a few streets away,and he and a few friends wouldregularly visit there after a gameof tennis. However, at that stage,there was no sign of romance. Infact, when Hajji matriculated andwent to Hewat Training College,in Athlone, Cape Town, to com-plete his teacher training, hebefriended Wilfred King – wholater lectured at Hewat – and theyvowed to remain single forever.

After World War II, AuntyFatima’s family moved to SaltRiver, Cape Town. By this stage,Hajji was teaching at Roggebaai.He again met Aunty Fatima andrekindled the friendship.

It didn’t take Hajji long torealise that this was the womanhe wanted to spend the rest of hislife with, and he proposed. Theywere married on November 8,1959.

A few years after the wedding,the couple took a boat trip toBeira, Mozambique. From there,they visited friends in what wasthen Southern Rhodesia (Zim-babwe) and Northern Rhodesia(Zambia).

Hajji decided that SouthAfrica, which was becoming moreand more racially divided – theNational Party was in power –was not where he wanted to raisehis two young daughters, Nadiaand Tasniem. He made someenquiries and, in 1964, moved toLusaka.

The Agherdiens stayed inLusaka for about nine years, inwhich time Hajji became theheadmaster at Woodlands Prima-ry School. One of the members ofstaff who is still in contact withthe Agherdiens was LorraineChereau.

She became so attached toHajji that, on her wedding day,she gave him the honour of walk-ing her down the aisle.

During this period, neighbour-ing Rhodesia was undergoingpolitical change and a state ofemergency was declared in Zam-bia. Hajji, not wanting his familyto fall victim to the possibleunrest but not wishing to returnto South Africa, enquired about ateaching post in Francistown,Botswana. However, before thiscould be finalised, he received achilling letter.

Aunty Fatima relates that itwas usual for Hajji to fetch herafter work. When he did notarrive on time, which was quiteunlike Hajji – who was alwayspunctual – Aunty Fatima knewthat something was wrong. Hajjiarrived much later than usual; infact, the place was deserted by thetime he finally arrived. He wasashen and too shocked to speak.Mutedly, he handed her a letter.

It was a deportation order.Ironically, the letter only

applied to Hajji. Aunty Fatimaand the two daughters could staybut Hajji had to leave withinseven days.

They arranged with somefriends to drive them to the bor-der but, when they got there, theRhodesian guards would notallow Hajji through. Time wasrunning out. If he was not out ofthe country by noon the next day,he would be thrown in jail.

Aunty Fatima and two friendsraced back to Lusaka, which wastwo hours away, and managed tocontact a friend, Dolly, at HomeAffairs to arrange for an exten-sion of the deportation order. Atthe same time, Aunty Fatima con-tacted another friend, Miriam,who worked for Zambia Airlinesto arrange tickets to fly Hajji andtheir two daughters to safety.

At the eleventh hour, Hajji andthe two young girls were whiskedoff to safety in Botswana.

Aunty Fatima stayed in Lusakato wind up their affairs. Onceagain, friends came to their assis-tance.

Daniel, now married to Lor-raine, whom Hajji had walkeddown the aisle, asked her to staywith Aunty Fatima until she had

wound up their affairs and wasready to leave for Botswana.

A few days after Hajji’s depar-ture, the Agherdiens were dealtyet another blow. Aunty Fatimareceived a letter from the authori-ties informing them that theirbank account had been frozen.Fortunately, this blow was not assevere as it could have been.

The ever-resilient Aunty Fati-ma had been accumulating for-eign currency. She was thus ableto utilise these funds to see herthrough until she left the country.

After winding up their affairsin Lusaka, Aunty Fatima wasreunited with her beloved familyin Botswana.

Not long after this, Aunty Fati-ma’s mother, who was alone inSalt River, took ill. Once again,Aunty Fatima had to be separatedfrom her husband as his contractran to the end of the 1973 schoolyear.

Hajji Isgaak Agherdienreturned to Cape Town and took

up a teaching post at Talfalah Pri-mary School, in Sherwood Park,in 1974. While he was teachingthere, Doctor Quint, under whomHajji had taught at Roggebaai,who was doing a school visit asinspector, saw him and, com-menting that he, a qualifieddrama teacher, was wasting histalents there, arranged that Hajjibe transferred.

In 1975, Hajji started teachingat Spes Bona High School. For thenext few years, Spes Bona becameknown for staging the matricShakespearean setwork plays.

Five years later, Hajji againreceived a letter from Lusaka.This time, however, the news wasgood. Hajji was informed that heagain had access to his bankaccount in Lusaka. Needless tosay, the money was a welcomerelief and, in May, 1980, Hajjiand his wife, Fatima, set off on afive-month journey to fulfil whatis the dream of every Muslim –the Hajj.

Friends, Romans, countrymen…(Far left): Much as Hajji was set onremaining a bachelor, when he metHajja Fatima in Cape Town, hereneged on the vow he had taken,proposed and married his lifetimespouse. Hajja Fatima and Hajji IsgaakAgherdien were married for over 55years, until his passing in January,2015.(Left): The multi-talented Hajji applying make-up to a cast memberof one of the Spes Bona productionsof Macbeth. For this production, Hajjiused an African theme, depicting theWeird Sisters as witch-doctors andthe soldiers were dressed in contemporary military uniform, tomimic the then recent coup led by IdiAmin, in Uganda, in 1971.(Below): As the two Agherdien girls,Nadia and Tasniem, were registeredon Aunty Fatima’s passport, they hadto take her passport with them whenthey left Lusaka. The pilot returnedthe passport to the air traffic controller who, in turn, delivered it toAunty Fatima, after the girls, togetherwith Hajji, had landed safely inBotswana. This is a copy of part ofthe envelope that contained the passport. Photos SUPPLIED

muslim views, january 2016

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