Vol. 29 No. 11 SAFAR 1437 l NOVEMBER 2015

YUNUS OMAR

ONCE again, economicinequality has drivenSouth Africans to the

streets, reminding us of the falsenotion of a rainbow nation –there is no pot of gold at the endof the rainbow. Instead, university students have reminded the country that thosewho control the gold, paint pretty rainbows in the skies forus to chase.

Events at the country’s univer-sities over the past weeks haveunnerved those in power whohave merrily gone along over thepast two decades turning the neo-liberal noose ever tighter aroundour necks.

Startling figures have been cal-culated, and have been widely cir-culated in all sectors of society.Since the advent of the post-apartheid period, an estimatedR700-billion has been lost toSouth Africans through corrup-tion.

Just one-tenth of that amountof money would be more thanenough to fund every universitystudent who is a victim of thecontinued inequality that charac-terises our country.

Keeping in mind that we areofficially the most unequal societyon earth, it is little wonder thatthe pot is boiling over on ourcampuses. The myths and promis-es sprinkled before its citizens’

eyes in 1994 have evaporated.A recurring rallying theme on

placards and voiced at demon-strations by students at virtuallyevery campus in the country has itthat ‘our parents were solddreams in 1994... we’ve come totell you that we’ve woken fromour sleep’.

Things moved very quicklyonce Wits University students hadstarted the ball rolling with theirdemand for a zero-per centincrease in university fees for2016.

The movement caught on likewildfire at the University of CapeTown (UCT) where, a few monthsago, massive student actionresulted in an acceleration of thetransformation agenda, and the

highly significant action whichresulted in the hated figure ofimperialist Cecil John Rhodesbeing lifted off his pedestal anddriven away unceremoniously onthe back of an open truck.

That campaign, named by thestudents as #RhodesMustFall(RMF), lost some momentumover the past months.

But the solidarity momentumwith Wits saw the birth of a stun-ning #FeesMustFall campaign,drawing on the previous RMFcampaign, but independent of it.

What followed is unprecedent-ed in the post-apartheid era.

Students across the countrybegan to discuss the zero-per centfee increase, and began to articu-late a radical critique of the issues

around the promised, and fought-for, ‘free, quality education forall’ in a post-apartheid SouthAfrica.

In a matter of days, universitystudents began to link their strug-gle to the broader struggle of themost victimised persons they meton their campuses every day: peo-ple who work on the campusesbut who are not members of theuniversity staff: so-called ‘out-sourced’ workers.

Within days, students andcampus-based outsourced work-ers around the country had addedthe demand for the insourcing ofall workers, i.e. those who workat the universities should be onthe payroll of those universities.

Those students and workers in

Cape Town, accompanied by pro-gressive academics and non-acad-emic staff, were seen in historicalscenes beamed around the worldas they entered the precincts ofParliament to press their demandsto the nation’s elected leadershipinside Parliament.

The EFF raised their voicesinside those chambers for theMinister of Finance’s budgetspeech to be adjourned and forParliament to address the stu-dents and workers.

The EFF were promptly eject-ed.

Instead, the country witnessedbizarre footage of elected parlia-mentarians listening to a budgetspeech inside while its citizensgathered outside to present theirdemands of a re-ordered budgetto those elected officials.

The country watched as stu-dents and workers moved ontothe Parliamentary precincts, weresmashed back, with many arrest-ed and charged.

At the Union Buildings, laterthat week, thousands of studentsand workers massed outside, win-ning a significant victory in theform of a presidential announce-ment that their first demand, thatof a zero-per cent fee increase for2016, had been agreed to.

But the die has been cast for afar broader agenda: for a start,free, quality education for the dis-advantaged and the workingclass.

Student-worker solidarityflowing from this movement hasthe potential to disrupt the busi-ness-as-usual neo-liberal agenda.

Inequality and its savage out-comes of hunger and deprivationare at the heart of the new debate.

Students and workers haveshown that when talking falls ondeaf ears, as it has for decades,the streets are public spaces wherepublic demands for an end tosocial inequality can be made,and won. #CapitalismMustFall...

STUDENT-WORKERSOLIDARITY

SIGNALS BREAK WITH THE PAST

A National Education, Health andAllied Workers’ Union (Nehawu) member at UCT speaks to students,staff and outsourced workers at UCTon October 22. These engagementsare fuelling deeper solidarity betweenuniversity students, workers, academics and non-academic staffsat various higher education campuses across the whole of SouthAfrica. What started as a revoltagainst massive university feeincreases has become a united frontof people from across the class-divide in the country as citizensconfront the most unequal society onearth. This progressive movementwhich started on the campuses isbeing taken to local communitiesacross the country, and it will have toguard against attempts to sow division in its ranks in variousattempts to protect the neo-liberalstatus quo.

Photo YUNUS OMAR

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 20152

Muslim Views . November 2015 3

Muslim Views

The revolution startswith the studentsAFTER 21 years of democratic rulein South Africa, the #FeesMustFallmovement heralds the true sense ofa people’s revolution. The end ofapartheid rule and the election of ademocratic government, in 1994,were attended by the kinds of negotiations and compromises thatfailed to serve the people’s interests.The list of scandals we have witnessedover two decades of ANC rule can nolonger be whitewashed witheuphemisms such as ‘teething problems’ or the ‘birth pangs’ ofdemocracy. Topping the list are thearms deal, a court finding that JacobZuma had a corrupt relationship with abusinessman, the crises in the policeservices and the national prosecutingauthority, the uprising against e-tollsand the debacles at Eskom and theSABC.Youth unemployment stands at 60pecent and inequality and poverty areescalating.The massacre of 34 mineworkers atMarikana and the failure of the government to hold the most powerfuland culpable figures to account werethe gravest acts of injustice underdemocratic rule.The combined effect of these on ordinary South Africans – the erosionof trust and confidence – was ignoredand underestimated by the governmentand the ruling party.An official count of 35 service deliveryprotest marches per day, for much ofthe past decade, is a powerful barometer of the crisis in our country.

Yet, no appropriate action was taken.It is in this context that the #FeesMust-Fall movement is historic and unprecedented. And it is noteworthythat the movement emerged from university campuses, a place wherecritical enquiry and freedom of expression are paramount and non-negotiable values.The systemic exclusion of the poor andthe imposition of debt even on those ofthe middle class who can barely affordexorbitant fees were grounds for a crisis in the making for many years.Yet, as with most scandals and crises,there was a failure to address thebasic concerns of students, until themovement spread to campuses acrossthe country.Protests in the last two weeks of October were historic. It showed thepower of the students’ movement thecountry has not seen since the 1976uprising in schools. Neither apartheidnor democratic South Africa has witnessed thousands of studentsmarching on Parliament, Luthuli Houseand the Union Buildings in three consecutive days.And it has accomplished, in a matter ofdays, what decades of appeals, complaints and negotiations failed toaccomplish. The head of state wascompelled to respond to a national students’ movement. And the relief of azero-rate increase won is now firmly onthe agenda, along with long-standingoppressive student debt, poor studenthousing conditions and outsourced university labour.The solidarity across campuses presents an opportunity for continuedinclusiveness across class divisionsand sustained momentum beyondcampuses to civil society.The movement has the potential todevelop into a popular workers’ struggle, with the support of the middleclass, to confront government withbasic people’s concerns in areas suchas health and housing.A single merit of the movement worthnoting is its decidedly non-partisanposition. Attempts by the ruling party,the official opposition and others tohijack and exploit a student’s movement were successfully thwartedand its integrity was maintained.This is vital for the development of themovement to one that remains broad-based and that grows into apeople’s movement for justice andprosperity for all.

Our editorial comment represents the composite viewpoint of the Editorial Team of Muslim Views,and is the institutional voice of the newspaper. Correspondence can be sent to editor@mviews.co.za

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Continuing our series on corruption, we publish anextract from an article by theAnglican Archbishop of CapeTown, DR THABO MAKGOBA, which appearedin the booklet, ‘InterfaithReflections on the FightAgainst Corruption’, publishedby the Western Cape ReligiousLeaders’ Forum.

WE are largely agreedthat corruption is acorrosive cancer at the

heart of our nation, infectingand affectingevery part ofsociety.

It seriouslydamages howsociety oper-ates – espe-cially govern-ment and thepublic sector,at every level,from nationalto local. Andit threatens tound e rm i n e ,even destroy,our attemptsto create anation basedon the idealsof the Free-dom Charterand on one ofthe best con-stitutions inthe world.

These highasp i ra t ions ,for which somany strug-gled for solong, even atthe cost oftheir lives, aretossed asideand treatedwith contemptwhenever abribe isoffered, a backhander taken, acorner cut for gain or anappointment made to someonewho has not rightfully earned it.

Corruption isn’t just a prob-lem found in faraway corridorsof government and private cor-porations. It isn’t all about ten-derpreneurs and fat cats. Wemust also admit that bendingthe rules in our day-to-day livesis also corruption.

When we hear of traffic finesdisappearing for a small pay-ment, that is corruption. If wemanage unfairly to jump queuesand pull strings – even if nomoney changes hands – that,too, is corruption. So, too, isdoing shoddy work or in otherways not fully delivering whatwe have contracted and beenpaid to do. At this level, corrup-tion affects us all.

The time has come to say‘enough is enough’, and draw aline, and say we will not standfor it any more.

It is right that faith communi-ties should be at the forefront ofthis; because it is not just a ques-tion of opposing corruption

because it hurts our nation, andhurts those in need most of all.More than that, we know whatmorality is, and that corruption,by its very nature, is alwayswrong; it is sinful; it is evil. It isnot only criminal, it is wicked. Itis not only illegal, it is immoral.

These are strong words – butthey are not an exaggeration ifyou look at the terrible effects ofcorruption on every level of thisnation’s life. So we who areleaders of the faith communities,must stand up and declare this,loud and clear.

We musteducate ourown peopleto take thisstand withus. If all ourpeople refuseto becomeinvolved, ifall our peo-ple refuse tooffer bribesand refuse toaccept bribesthen we canchange theway ourc o u n t r yworks.

To donothing is toallow cor-ruption toc o n t i n u e .And what wehave on ourside to fightcorruption isthe intrinsicstrength ofthe faithc ommu n i -ties.

We do notpursue allthat is goodand true andjust merelybecause of

some intellectual conclusion thatit is preferable. We do sobecause we have deep spiritualwells on which we can draw.Here we will find the strengthwe need, to make these changesand follow this course.

We must teach and remindour people that this is our reali-ty – that our faiths give us tangi-ble encouragement for promot-ing the good and overcomingthe bad.

God will encourage us andstrengthen us to say ‘no’ to thetemptations to follow thesedestructive paths of selfish andimmoral greed.

He will help us all to go for-ward, in the paths of justice, ofhonesty, of righteousness – a lifethat is shaped by addressing theneeds of the neediest, and open-ing the doors of opportunity toall.

This is our vision, our goal –let us set our eyes, our hearts,our wills upon it; and let usovercome corruption and allthat stands in the way of thisglorious future than can liebefore us.

Corruption: a spiritualand material challenge

Dr Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishopof Cape Town, at the World EconomicForum on Africa, in Addis Ababa, in 2012.

Photo WIKIMEDIA

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

Muslim Views . November 20154

SHAFIQ MORTONTWENTY-FOUR hours afterPresident Jacob Zuma’s historicmeeting with Hamas leaderKhalid Mesha’al, in Pretoria, thecommunity of Cape Town wasaddressed by Mesha’al at theDar ul-Islam school campus.

The rally was attended byDavid Mahlobo, State SecurityMinister, Zola Skewiya (formerMinister of Social Development),Marius Fransman, ANC head inthe Western Cape, and MuslimJudicial Council officials,Moulana Ihsaan Hendricks andShaikh Ebrahim Gabriels.

With the ANC traditionallyenjoying warm relations with thePLO for over 40 years, the moveto recognise Hamas has been seenas a significant policy shift. Saidthe ANC’s Secretary-General,Gwede Mantashe, ‘We are start-ing a relationship withHamas…we are formalising ourrelationship.’

The visit was condemned bythe South African Zionist Federa-tion, and caused a froth of fury inTel Aviv. The ANC – whichdeclared its support for BDS in2012 – reaffirmed its commit-ment to Palestine at its NationalGeneral Council meeting in Octo-ber.

The Hamas visit comes afterbehind-the-scenes lobbying and adiplomatic visit to Gaza by thenDeputy Foreign Minister,Ebrahim Ebrahim, in 2010.Ebrahim, a former struggle stal-wart, met with Hamas minister,Mahmud al-Zahar, in Gaza.

Political observers feel that theANC, deemed terrorist in its dayby the US, is uniquely placed toshare its negotiating skills on get-

ting the best out of a powerfulfoe. As a formerly armed resis-tance movement, the ANC wouldbe able to contribute with sub-stance.

The ANC hosted the Palestin-ian Authority (PA) with full statehonours, in Pretoria, late lastyear, where there is an accreditedPA ambassador.

But informed sentiment hasturned to the view that the idea ofa two-state solution needs to berevisited.

Israel’s creating of facts on theground through occupation(deemed illegal by the UN) andconstructing the apartheid wall(also deemed illegal by the WorldCourt) has made Oslo unwork-able.

Most South Africans familiarwith apartheid-style territorialfragmentation as in the West

Bank, can only see a ‘Bantustan’forming and permanent disen-franchisement arising out of thetwo-state solution.

It is felt that the two-state Oslosolution would simply entrenchthe old status quo of Israeli con-trol, and would leave the WestBank divided into at least twentycantons with multiple check-points. In other words, Palestin-ian freedom of movement andeconomic activity would be forev-er policed by Israel.

It is in this light that it isbelieved the Hamas visit to SouthAfrica is an historic occasion; anoccasion that could open the doorto a whole new discourse on thePalestinian question.

This has happened much to thechagrin of Israeli shills in theopposition Democratic Allianceand African Christian Democratic

Party, whose unconditional cure-all for the Mid-East crisis is thetwo-state mantra, with Hamasdeemed a terrorist organisation.

While Mesha’al’s speech firstlydealt with predictable issues –occupation, intifadah, Mandelaand Al-Aqsa – he did touch onother topics.

Largely under-reported, thesecond part of his message wouldhave been heard by those whohad to hear it – even though theywould very likely deny what hehad said due to his words not fit-ting the snarling terrorist ‘let’sannihilate Israel’ typecast.

This is because Mesha’al wenton to define a vision that puts tobed the terrorist stereotype ofHamas, a movement that movedaway from its original ‘charter’ in2006, and that has come tounderstand – like An-Nahdah in

Tunisia – the notion of secularpolitics.

Addressing the youth,Mesha’al said that the world hasbecome a confusing place. Therewas tremendous confusionbetween extremism and piety.‘Don’t mistake extremism forpiety,’ he warned, referringobliquely to Al-Qaeda and Isis.‘Don’t become a victim of confu-sion.’

Mesha’al noted there was adifference between resistance andterror.

‘We never kill one another onthe basis of our differences. AsMuslims, we just don’t do this.We are of the wasitiya, the peopleof the middle way. We are notagainst Jews. But we are againstoccupation.’

South Africans had achievedtheir rights, he said. Palestinianswere proud of South Africans.

‘Preserve your gains, keep yourunity. Stand side by side with theANC that fought for your libera-tion. Be good citizens in your owncountry. There is no contradictionin being a good citizen and sup-porting justice elsewhere,’ he said.

To the predominantly Muslimaudience, Mesha’al said there wasalso no contradiction betweenbeing a good Muslim and a goodcitizen, too. This was the Prophet-ic example set by Muhammad(SAW).

‘As Muslims, as SouthAfricans, be of those who lead theway in everything,’ he said toapplause.

Hamas in South Africa: opening a new conversation?Mesha’al tells South African Muslimsnot to be confused in confusingtimes, and not to mistake extremismfor piety. Photo SHAFIQ MORTON

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Muslim Views

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Muslim Views . November 20156

MAHMOOD SANGLAY‘THE Halaal market place is riddled with conflict of interests,’says Moulana Yusuf Patel,Chairman of the South AfricanNational Halaal Authority(Sanha). This statement is part ofSanha’s annual report presentedat its Annual General Meeting,held on October 18, at MasjidGhiedmatiel Islam, in TarongaRoad, Rondebosch East, CapeTown. The meeting was attendedby about 92 people, including afew women.

Sanha was launched in 1996and consists of five exco mem-bers, a council of eight ulamabodies, including the JamiatulUlama, a theological committeeof eight ulama and 15 constituentmember organisations. In addi-tion, 142 local Muslim organisa-tions, primarily in Gauteng andKZN, comprise Sanha’s associatemembership. Sanha employs 120people at three offices in Gauteng,KwaZulu-Natal and the WesternCape.

Following elections at theAGM, the existing executivestructure essentially remained inplace. The one ‘notable’, newappointment is that of MoulanaJunaid Adam as Treasurer.

The aim of Sanha is, inter alia,to develop a uniform Halaal stan-dard and to certify products thatcomply with Halaal require-ments. Sanha’s stated commit-ment includes the development ofnational collaborative relation-ships in the industry and to pro-tect the rights of the ‘Halaal-con-scious’ consumer.

In his report, the chairman ofSanha, Moulana Yusuf Patel, saidthe estimated 236 internationalHalaal authorities in the world

subscribe to varying standards.He added that collaborationbetween them is grossly inade-quate and that the proliferation ofHalaal certification bodies has ledto a ‘disjointed, disorganised andsub-standard Halaal environ-ment’.

Moulana Patel added that theindustry is plagued by fragmenta-tion due to infighting, division,fraud and greed. Other challengesare poor networking and collabo-ration, the absence of a viable,independent, global accreditationauthority and the lack of relevantacademic research on the broadconcept of Halaal.

The report of the TheologicalDirector, Moulana MuhammadSaeed Navlakhi, was the mostrevealing. The moulana said that40 per cent of fast moving con-sumer goods (FMCG) in a typicalsupermarket aisle, in South Africaand globally, carry a Halaal logo.The development of Halaal parks

in South Africa is an indication ofthe compelling growth of theHalaal industry.

In his activity report, MoulanaNavlakhi focused on both nation-al and international development.Locally, 230 new clients havebeen certified Halaal, 138 certifi-cates have been withdrawn, 9 072inspections were carried out andSanha holds a total of 1 675clients on its books. Sanha’s totalincome for the past financial yearwas R18,8 million and its expens-es were R18,6 million.

Of the 1 675 clients certifiedby Sanha, restaurants comprise22 per cent, culinary 11 per cent,bakery, nine per cent, raw materi-als, eight per cent and dairy, sixper cent (i.e. a total of 56 per centor 944 clients). The balance (44per cent) constitutes an additional18 categories of establishments,some as obscure as logistics, med-ical, sanitisation and toll packers.

Although the AGM pro-

gramme did not make provisionfor questions from the floor, Mus-lim Views asked a number ofquestions related to the reportsand Sanha’s position in the Halaalcertification industry. This includ-ed a question on Sanha’s positionon providing certification servicesto South African companies, likeWoolworths, that have a traderelationship with Israeli compa-nies in Occupied Palestinian Ter-ritories.

Given recent developments inthe occupation of Palestine, thismatter is of public interest, partic-ularly in the Muslim community.Does Sanha support the BDSmovement and the call for theconsumer boycott of Wool-worths?

In response, Sanha said it doesnot ‘certify any companies inIsrael’ but this does not clarify itsposition on Halaal certificationservices to companies importinggoods from Occupied PalestinianTerritories. However, Sanha saysit does ‘align itself’ to the BDSmovement and that it does notprovide any services to Wool-worths.

Questions related to trendsand anomalies in the certificationand de-registration of establish-ments are outstanding, pending aresponse from Sanha.

In addition, Muslim Viewsasked for clarity on Sanha’s posi-tion regarding the call for unityamong the national Halaal certifi-cation bodies. Sanha is the onlymajor body that declined to jointhe National Halaal Forum in2014, despite its policy of a com-mitment to ‘national collabora-tive relationships’ in the industryand to protect the rights of the‘Halaal-conscious’ consumer.

However, as an ‘interim mea-sure’ Sanha supports collabora-tion on building a uniform stan-dard, and would support unitybased on ‘sincerity, justice andtransparency’.

The keynote address at theAGM was by Moulana Muham-mad Vanker, who focused on theinterdependence between aHalaal and a physically healthylifestyle.

A surprise item on the pro-gramme was the formal recogni-tion of ‘selfless community servicebeyond the call of duty’ awardedto Tahir Levy, from Woodstock,Cape Town.

On October 20, Sanha alsocontributed a presentation to aseminar hosted by Wesgro. Theseminar focused on opportunitiesfor Western Cape-based business-es in the ASEAN market. Thismarket consists of South EastAsian nations, namely Indonesia,Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand, Brunei and Vietnam.

Sanha’s presentation focusedon the Halaal aspect of theseopportunities and ways ofunlocking the potential forgrowth in these markets.

Sanha AGM reports an industry ‘riddled with conflict of interests’The South African National HalaalAuthority (Sanha) recognised HajjiTahir Levy by awarding him a plaqueof appreciation for ‘selfless community service beyond the call ofduty’. The 80-year-old Levy is a self-employed community worker basedin Woodstock, Cape Town. He hasbeen offering social services andguidance to the community for 55years, including counselling for HIV/AIDS, drug addiction, divorce andassistance with wills and testaments.Levy is also a successful District Sixland claimant but has refused tooccupy the property returned to himby the City of Cape Town in solidaritywith thousands of other claimantswhose properties have not yet beenreturned.

Photo MAHMOOD SANGLAY

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 7

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Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 20158

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THE ELECTRONIC INTIFADA

...provides ammunition for challenging Zionist lies

MAHMOOD SANGLAYCLAREMONT Main RoadMasjid hosted Israeli journalistand activist, Amira Hass, asspeaker for Jumuah, on October16. She addressed the Jumuahcongregation on the recent developments in Palestine.

Hass was born in Jerusalem, in1956, and is the daughter of twoHolocaust survivors. She has beenwriting about Palestine from1991, soon after the First Intifadaand, after 22 years, still writes forthe Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

Hass spent three years in Gaza,from 1994 to 1997, in order toreport on the living conditions ofPalestinians in this area.

In 1997, she moved to Ramal-lah to continue her work as ajournalist.

Hass is known as the only Jew-ish Israeli journalist who has livedfull-time among the Palestiniansand she is often quoted as saying,‘Just as reporting about Englandshould be from London, andabout France from Paris soreporting about Palestine shouldbe from Palestine.’

She is the winner of severalprestigious journalism awardsand wrote a book titled Drinkingthe Sea at Gaza, published in2000.

Her talk at Claremont MainRd Masjid was prefaced by anobservation that she was ‘thrilledbeyond words’ as a Jewish Israelito speak in a masjid, particularlyin one that accommodatedwomen in full view and one thatplayed a role in the historic resis-tance against apartheid.

Hass introduced her talk withreference to her political educa-

tion at the hands of her parents.The words ‘a people in struggle isa beautiful people’ were original-ly uttered by her father. Hermother once commented onPalestinian youth confrontingarmed Israeli soldiers with stones,saying ‘Oh, how sweet they are.’

The way Hass contextualisesthese recollections, and their evo-cation, have a peculiar appeal.Palestinian resistance againstIsraeli occupation, particularlyMolotov cocktail attacks againstIsraeli military targets in the WestBank protecting the privilege andprosperity of Israeli settlements,often remind her of her parentsand inspire her as a journalist.

With reference to the recentacts of Palestinian resistance andthe wave of stabbings of Israelisby Palestinians, Hass describedthese as new means of exposingthe futility of extraordinary mea-sures to protect Israeli security

while Palestinians remain vulner-able to Israeli aggression.

Hass added that her messageto Israelis is that such sporadicPalestinian attacks pale in com-parison with the ‘permanent’ his-toric and sustained current dam-age inflicted by Israelis on Pales-tinians. She identified both mili-tary and non-military forms ofaggression, such as the expropria-tion of land and the daily humili-ation of Palestinians at check-points.

She said that the prolonged,sustained and historic nature ofthese practices have acquired anormality both in Israel and inthe rest of the world. The Pales-tinian struggle is thus also a strug-gle to expose this false normalisa-tion of occupation which masksthe relentless foregrounding ofPalestinians as terrorists commit-ted to destroy the normal andpeaceful lives of Israeli citizens.

The normalisation process forIsraelis is sustained by a bureau-cratic violence in the form ofexpelling Palestinians from theirvillages and bulldozing theirhomes. The routine publicdestruction of Palestinian life andculture is, by design, a part ofnormal Israeli population growthand development.

Hass said eighty per cent of thestabbings occur in East Jerusalem,which is the area where Palestini-ans are less than third-class resi-dents, not citizens.

Their daily life is directlyaffected by the physical presenceof Israeli settlers and occupiersforging and imposing a normalexistence in this colonial state.The stabbings by lone Palestini-ans are designed to expose theabnormality of it all in the expres-sion of their anger and despair.

Based on the work of indepen-dent researchers, she doubts that

Israel has any intention of turningAl-Aqsa into a Jewish compound.It appears Hass views the plans ofbuilding the Third Temple in theplace of Masjid Al-Aqsa as that ofa fringe Israeli ‘fundamentalistclique’ who cannot succeed. Iron-ically, the very day Hass spoke atthe masjid, the Israeli Minister ofHousing and Construction wasreported to have expressed thesame extremist desire.

This view of Hass is couched inher caution that the political con-flict should not become a reli-gious one because Muslims, Jewsand Christians all have a legiti-mate right of access to their reli-gious symbols.

In what appears to be a con-troversial view, Hass said Al-Aqsashould not be regarded as only areligious symbol for Muslimsbecause it has already become apolitical symbol for resistanceagainst Israeli occupation.

However, she acknowledgedthat the restrictions imposed onMuslim Palestinians and the priv-ileges accorded to Jews who enterthe compound under heavy mili-tary escort is offensive and a vio-lation of the basic rights of Pales-tinians.

Hass supports a one-state solu-tion and the protection of therights of Jews and Palestinians toself-determination.

‘Without the principle ofequality for both peoples, there isno future,’ she concluded as thecongregation applauded.

Amira Hass: ‘Al-Aqsa is a political symbol’Amira Hass was guest speaker atClaremont Main Road Masjid, in CapeTown, on October 16. Describing thehistory of South Africa, she said, ‘Apeople in struggle is a beautiful people.’ Photo MARIAM BADEROON

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 9

DR SALIM PARKERA SIGNIFICANT percentage oftravel medicine consultation isspent on vaccine preventable diseases. Yet, statistics show thatonly two per cent of deaths intravellers are caused by infectious diseases.

The World Health Organisa-tion (WHO) indicates thatinjuries are amongst the world’sleading causes of death and dis-abilities, and tops the causes ofdeath in young people aged 15-29years. It is, in fact, also the lead-ing cause of preventable deathamongst travellers, accountingfor about a quarter of deathsamongst travellers in foreigncountries.

Motor vehicle accidents, expo-sure to unfamiliar and, at times,risky environments, communica-tion issues, different safety stan-dards compared to the homecountry, an over-reliance on touroperators, and a blasé attitudetowards safety when on vacationare all factors that have beenimplicated in the high number ofnon-natural deaths amongst trav-ellers.

Sometimes, unexpected naturalevents can account for the tragicdemise of travellers – the so called‘Act of God’.

In 2006, just prior to the com-mencement of the Hajj, 243 pil-grims (out of an estimated 3-4million) died due to natural caus-es, according to official Saudireports. The majority of thesedeaths were caused by cardiacevents in elderly pilgrims with co-morbidities.

Pakistan, with over 150 000pilgrims that year, reported thedeath of 130 pilgrims during thatentire Hajj, mostly due to cardiacdisease and pneumonia.

A day before the commence-ment of the 2006 Hajj, a buildingcollapsed, leading to 76 fatalities.On the last day of that particularpilgrimage, about 360 pilgrimslost their lives in a stampede atthe Jamarat bridge, where pil-grims assemble to stone the Jama-raats.

It again drove home the pointthat more people lost their lives intwo days due to non-natural caus-es than the death toll due to nat-ural causes over the entire six-week period that most pilgrimsstay in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.

Since 2006, the Saudis havemassively expanded the peltingarea, and it currently comprisesfive levels, with unidirectionalflow of pilgrims, and from 2007till 2014, there have been relative-ly no major incidents. More than250 000 pilgrims can pelt in anhour.

Other areas in Makkah – suchas the Holy Mosque, where theKaabah is situated – are currentlybeing expanded. It is envisagedthat the capacity of the mosquewill double by 2016. Enormouscranes are used during thisprocess.

The Hajj of 2015 again illus-trated the devastating effects ofnatural and non-natural disasters.

On September 11, 2015, a fewweeks before the Hajj but bywhen a large number of pilgrimshad already arrived in Saudi Ara-bia, a storm accompanied by

unusually high winds led to thecollapse of one of the construc-tion cranes in the Holy Mosque,killing at least 111 pilgrims andinjuring close to 400.

The Saudi authorities deemedit an accident caused by highwinds, and the crane being in anincorrect position. The contractorinvolved is currently being inves-tigated.

A few days later, on September17 (about five days before Hajjwas to commence), a hotel inMakkah caught fire. Its morethan 1 000 residents were evacu-ated and only two injuries werereported, with no fatalities. Afaulty rice cooker was identifiedas the cause even though suchelectronic goods are banned inhotel rooms.

Some pilgrims are faced withdifficulty as the hotels struggle tofeed the vast numbers of pilgrims,shops in the area are quickly soldout of essentials and street food

vendors prosecuted. Pilgrimsresort to cooking, baking andexperimenting with a variety ofdangerous appliances in order tofeed themselves.

The unforeseen stampede thatsent shockwaves throughout theworld occurred on September 24,2015. The Saudi authorities putthe death toll at 769 with morethan 1 000 injured. Unofficialpress reports put the figure atmore than 1 400, which wouldmake it the deadliest stampede inhistory.

The stampede did not occur atthe Jamaraat bridge but at theconfluence of two roads in thearea. Pilgrims were on MinaStreets 204 and 223 movingtowards the Jamaraat bridge.Where the two streets meet, thesecurity personnel (more than100 000 are deployed during theHajj) had difficulty controllingthe crowds.

Simultaneously, some pilgrimswere allegedly returning along thesame route from the Jamaraatbridge, adding to the chaos. Eye-witness reports indicate that thetemperature of about 45 degreesCelsius, and the fact that pilgrimshad been sleeping uncomfortablyin the open in Muzdalifah theprevious night, added to thecrowd being restless.

The incident led to a diplomat-ic row between Iran, which hadthe highest number of casualties,and Saudi Arabia. The incident isbeing investigated and it needs tobe ascertained how the crowdcontrol measures, which is veryhigh on the Saudi priority list,had failed. Helicopters constantly

hover over the area, and state ofthe art cameras can be seen every-where.

In addition, because of theconstruction taking place inMakkah, the number of pilgrims,this year, was decreased by about20 per cent. The Jamaraat bridgearea is reported to be able toaccommodate five million pil-grims since 2007, and there isreported to have been fewer thanthree million this year.

No investigation can lessen thehuman tragedy that unfolded infront of the whole world as socialmedia and television zoomed inon the horror. Religious leadersproclaimed the victims as martyrswho are guaranteed a place inheaven.

The survivors I spoke to didnot speak of a wish for death andmartyrdom; instead, they wantedwhat is always taught as the ulti-mate benefit of Hajj, which is toreturn home to their families andloved ones, free from sin, just asbeing a newborn child.Dr Salim Parker is a generalpractitioner with an interest inHajj and Travel Medicine (hajj-doctor.co.za). He is the Presidentof the South African Society ofTravel Medicine (SASTM). Hehas accompanied pilgrims on theannual Hajj for the last fifteenyears as a medical officer, andpresented travel medicine relatedresearch at the last four confer-ences of the International Societyof Travel Medicine (ISTM). Hisfirst book, ‘Travel MedicineAnthology’, a collection of histravel medicine articles has justbeen published.

Hajj fatalities in perspectiveThe stampede did notoccur at the Jamaraat

bridge but at the confluence of two roads inthe area. Pilgrims were onMina Streets 204 and 223

moving towards the Jamaraat bridge…

Simultaneously, some pilgrims were allegedly

returning along the sameroute from the Jamaraat

bridge, adding to the chaos

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201510

ASHREF ISMAILIPSOS South Africa released the2015 Product Quality Awards,and Toyota South Africa Motorsstood out with three platinumawards, one gold award as wellas three category wins, illustrating, once more, thatquality is synonymous with Toyota.

Toyota was awarded PlatinumAwards for Best Overall LightCommercial Vehicle (LCV) Brand(PP100 score of 33), Best OneTon Double Cab LCV Brand (34)and Best Local Plant Manufactur-ing LCVs (31), in the latestresults.

Toyota was also awarded withGold as the Best Volume Passen-ger Car Brand (31) and wasranked first as the Best LocalPlant Manufacturing PassengerCars (25). In addition, Toyotawas a clear leader in the LCV cat-egories, with its flagship Hiluxwinning best Petrol Single Cab(26) and best Diesel Single Cab(31).

Toyota also won three of theeleven sub-categories which makeup the passenger section, includ-ing Toyota Auris (Top Hatch),Toyota Avanza (Multi-PurposeVehicle – MPV), and Lexus ES(Medium Sedan). Four Toyotavehicles were in the Top 10 vehi-cles overall, including the numberone position (Toyota Auris).

This is the largest study of thiskind in South Africa and formspart of Ipsos’ Syndicated Auto-

motive Research. The study cur-rently talks to more than 30 000vehicle owners each year. Thequality survey takes place threemonths after purchasing a newvehicle to ascertain any problemsexperienced with the vehicle.

The industry average numberof problems per 100 vehicles(PP100) has remained between 30and 40 since 2011, which is ahuge improvement since 2005,when this measurement indicateda score of over 140 problems per100 vehicles recorded.

The 2015 Kinsey SurveyThe recently announced 2015

Kinsey Survey and introductionof Toyota Value Service pays tes-timony to efforts by Toyota SouthAfrica to ensure competitive partspricing and reasonable cost ofownership.

Toyota has made its mark onceagain in the 2015 Kinsey Reportin no uncertain terms and, withoverall wins in three of the ninecategories, and seven podiumpositions, it is comfortably thisyear’s most successful brand

when it comes to parts pricing.Toyota – also the most success-

ful brand in the history of theKinsey Report – has raised itsgame, refocusing on parts pricing,and reaffirming its position as abrand that takes a holistic view ofvehicle ownership.

The Avanza is a success story.This compact people-mover has,since its launch, been victorious inits category a remarkable fivetimes, including 2015.

The Corolla and Corolla Questmodels are a winning combina-tion, placing first and second inthe Family Favourites category,for the second year running. TheCorolla has a long-standing histo-ry in the C-segment of this coun-try, and the Corolla Quest, a newentry to the market, has madequite a stir as a firm entry-levelfavourite in this segment.

The Fortuner was namedSouth Africa’s best-selling SUV,and its first place in the Crossovercategory is another reason whySouth Africans love this vehicle.The RAV4 also performed well,earning third place in the catego-ry – up from sixth place in 2014.

Toyota Value ServiceTo further support the cost of

ownership, Toyota has intro-duced Toyota Value Service, aproduct that offers affordable ser-

vicing at Toyota dealershipsacross the country. The productwill give customers an opportuni-ty to maintain a full Toyota ser-vice history, thereby improvingvehicle’s resale value as well.

All Toyota vehicles older thanfive years automatically qualifyfor affordable servicing at Toyotadealers, nationwide, through theToyota Value Service product.Toyota Value Service is brokendown into the Base Service, basedon the first service in the sched-ule, with all other items due onthe actual service interval avail-able as optional items, giving cus-tomers full control of their serviceitems and, ultimately, of the costinvolved in services.

Toyota Value Service offersmany benefits to customers,including affordable servicing byqualified Toyota technicians; safe-ty, through the exclusive use ofToyota Genuine Parts (with a 12-month warranty on the parts); theability to structure the packageand maintain a full service historywith a Toyota dealer, which willcontribute positively to the vehi-cle’s resale value.

Utilising the Toyota Value Ser-vice online quoting tool, cus-tomers are in a position to deter-mine the cost of a service inadvance by simply entering theirvehicle’s VIN or registration num-ber. This means that TVS is a true‘pay as quoted’ offering. Cost ofthe base service will include 10%discount on parts and a deter-mined labour rate.

Toyota tops quality survey and reduces ownership costsThe Toyota brand leads the way withaffordable spares and excellent quality, ensuring good resale value.

Photo GOOGLE

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 11

By the time you read this,you’re probably ready todepart on your annual holiday pilgrimage to one ofmany wonderful destinations around thecountry or even across ourborders. Lucky you!ASHREF ISMAIL shares afew timely road safety tipsto ensure that your holidayis not marred by an avoidable breakdown or adisastrous crash.SO you’ve serviced your car,checked your vehicle’s roadworthiness, double-checkedthe spare, jack, spanner and tool-kit, and also included afirst-aid kit.

If you’re towing a caravan ortrailer, you’ve checked its brakes,tyres as well as the towing equip-ment and electrical connections.

Because you’re an adventurousexplorer, you’ve opted to stray offthe beaten track and explore theless busy but more scenic backroutes. It would be a good idea toconsult the AA or local touristinformation websites to acquaintyourself with road conditions ifyou’re venturing far off the majorroutes.

If you’re planning on travellingalong the national routes, you canget regular traffic reports onNews24 and various radio sta-tions. If you’re going to be cover-ing a lot of ‘gravel travel’, it isalways a good idea to carry an aircompressor and a puncture repair

kit. Check that your navigationsystem correctly picks up the des-tination co-ordinates, and don’tforget to carry car chargers foryour mobile devices.

Remember that December/January is an extended peak traf-fic flow season in southern Africaso huge traffic volumes, break-downs and, sadly, crashes are areality along all major arterialroutes. Also expect delays at tollgates, border crossings and stop-go construction sites. Factor-inthese delays when planning yourtrip, take along bags of patienceand make sufficient rest stops sothat you eliminate road rage.

Road traffic law enforcementis also at its peak and roadblockswill be common. Make sure thatyou’re carrying your licence and,whatever you do, please do not betempted to offer a bribe for anytransgressions you may be guiltyof. It is estimated that 65% of allcrashes during holiday seasonsinvolve the abuse of alcohol by adriver or pedestrian so be extra

careful of road users who mayhave imbibed one too many.Alcohol affects observation, con-centration, perception and reac-tion. It also impacts on drivingskills, moods and behaviour.

As a safe driver, make an effortto be extra careful, and avoidtravelling at night when drunkendrivers and pedestrians pose aneven greater risk. Random breathtesting, especially in the metro-politan cities are a reality soplease be patient at these road-blocks as they are there for every-one’s safety.

Fixed speed cameras areinstalled along major nationalroutes. If your GPS device is ableto pick them up, it will save youlots of money and hassles but alsobe aware of hand-held devicesoperated by traffic police hidingin bushes.

On certain sections of nationalroads, average speed prosecutiontakes place, so it will be advisableto set your speed on cruise con-trol.

When setting off on a long trip,avoid leaving too early or travel-ling at night as road hazards, suchas pedestrians, stray animals, pot-holes, un-roadworthy and over-loaded vehicles are an all toocommon sight. The concentrationrequired to avoid them causesadded fatigue which, on its own,can have fatal consequences.

It’s a good idea to maintain athree-second following gapbetween you and the other car.Increase this distance duringadverse conditions and inclementweather. Drive smoothly and gen-tly, looking far ahead and plan-ning your position, speed andgear changes accordingly. Thiswill reduce consumption, stressand unnecessary vehicle wear andtear.

Keep left and pass right, don’ttail-gate and also don’t cut-in infront of cars. Nothing infuriatesdrivers more than a road hog thatdoesn’t use the turn signals or dri-ves recklessly and negligently.Speaking of which, please don’t

get involved in road rage – it’s justnot worth it. Yes, there are manyroad hogs out there but just beprepared, be patient and be politeat all times.

Finally, remember that manytraffic officers, police officers,ambulance and emergency servicepersonnel and hundreds of volun-teers have sacrificed time awayfrom their loved ones to ensurethat you and your loved onesreach your destinations safely.

The public road is a sharedspace so let us share some peace,love and appreciation during thisholiday season by giving a friend-ly hoot and a wave to our guysand girls in shining armour aswell as to our fellow motorists.

Have a well-deserved break,buckle up at all times and comeback safely!Ashref Ismail is an accreditedAdvanced Defensive DrivingSkills Instructor dealing withfleet risk management. He can becontacted on 061 447 8506 orash@fmxafrica.co.za

Holiday travel tips: be prepared, be polite and be patient

When driving, always be polite, be prepared and be patient on your way to yourdestination and back, safely and without stress. Photo SHUTTERSTOCK

Beach driving is banned in South Africa so don’t take a chance.Photo SHUTTERSTOCK

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201512

ASHREF ISMAILSOUTH Africans, in general, aresports mad. They are also carcrazy. While many of our overseas counterparts see automobiles as a means to getthem from A to B, for us, a caris a status symbol, a mobile billboard to shout to everyonethat we have arrived, literallyand figuratively.

The passion and enthusiasmcan manifest itself in differentways: participating competitivelyor collecting automotive memora-bilia, radio-controlled kit cars,motoring books, DVDs or, whenone is able to afford them, realvintage car collections.

Affordability always remains acritical issue as the love of carscan be an expensive hobby. Allowme to warn you, though, whetherit’s a real, childhood dream ofowning a muscular, hair-on-chest,old school, throbbing V8 or arecent, mid-life denial crisis, thesymptoms are the same: ‘I wantone and I want it now.’

So blinded are we at obtainingthe ‘bargain of a lifetime’ that wewill often overlook a number ofinherent and overt faults that,weeks later, will become yourundoing! Trust me, I’ve beenthere.

What you have to remember isthat for all its nostalgic and senti-mental emotions, a vintage car isan old car, and no matter howwell they were built in its days,over time, it needs lots of tender

love and care which, obviously,costs lots of money. And it neverends…

In my short, collect-a-vintage-classic lifetime, I have ownedseven old Mercs and one Kar-mann Ghia which, incidentally, isthe only one that Shombo (SheWho Must Be Obeyed) fancied.Amongst the seven, most werewhat Mercedes calls ‘Young Clas-sics’, meaning that they arearound twenty years old.

The oldest was a 1972 Mer-cedes Benz 230. You notice I usedthe word ‘was’ because I havesold all but two: a 1994 specialedition E220 Sportline, with fullservice history and only

140 000kms on the clock, and asexy, 1996 two-door V8 Convert-ible SL 500 – my weekend spe-cial!

As for the rest, I’ve had a love-hate relationship with them.While, outwardly, they all lookedwell-kept and desirable, dealingwith rust in the most obscureplaces, procuring expensive,sometimes, unavailable parts anda never-ending budget, with lotsof patience, are required to wantto prevent yourself from overdos-ing on Caltex Super Oil!

Believe me, nothing is moreheart-breaking and gut-wrench-ing than watching the expensiveoil-change, done by the geriatric

and hard-of-hearing Oom Fred-die, result in a major oil spill onyour garage floor, the next day.

Of course, worse is trying toclean the mess before Shombosees it. And see it she will, becausecleaning an oil spill cannot bedone quickly or in secret.

So, why do people still insiston buying an old car, vintage orotherwise? I can only speak formyself… and thousands of otherdedicated collectors: Passion! Yesfolks, a simple word but heavy inmeaning and emotions – passionfor the memories of the goldenage of motoring.

Think of amazing early cars,such as the first mass produced

Ford Model T, the original Volk-swagen Beetle, the avant-garde,frog-shaped Citroen DS, the oh-so-gorgeous gull wing MercedesBenz 300 SL, the elegant Jaguar EType, the legendary Willy’s Jeep,the chrome embellished CadillacEldorado and other cars from theearly era, which represented theromance and magic of a by-goneera that is difficult to replicate inour plastic, throw-away society.

The final deal maker will bewhen you’re confronted byhordes – okay, make that many,curious onlookers who will waveat you as they pass you, whileothers will actually take pics ontheir cell-phones and the hordes,sorry, many, who will strike up aconversation at the parking bayor fuel stops.

Those experiences are justpriceless, and owning a unique,eye-catching beaut can be a won-derful and fulfilling thing but youneed to do your homework first.

Final words of wisdom:research, consult and sleep over itbefore making that move. Hope-fully, it will be a rewarding andhighly enriching experience!

Please send me pics of yourspecial vintage or classic car onAsh@fmxafrica.co.za. Provide abrief story on it and we could fea-ture it in MV Motoring!

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The agony and ecstasy of owning a vintage classicLike all things, if you treasure andtake care of them, collecting vintageclassics can be highly rewarding.

Photo SHUTTERSTOCK

Muslim Views

13Muslim Views . November 2015

ASHREF ISMAILAS a ‘Vaalie’, I must say that Iam extremely grateful to theAlmighty for allowing me towork in environments that provide lots of road travel.

As a former sales rep, roadsafety practitioner and currentmotoring journalist and transportconsultant I get to visit the lengthand breadth of Southern Africa.

I have always mentioned onmy radio show, Bumper2Bumper,on Channel Islam International,that our region is a world in onecountry: we have a huge coastlinethat is lapped by both the Indianand Atlantic Oceans, majesticmountains like the Drakensbergand iconic Table Mountain, thevast Karoo and Namib deserts, anabundance of fauna, flora andmarine life. We have a great cli-mate and the warmest people,with big-hearted hospitality.We’re not perfect but there’salways biltong to make up for theimperfections, isn’t that right?

My personal favourite pastimeis driving. Yes, memorable roadtrips, off the beaten track toexplore fascinating scenery andenjoy hidden landscapes that areawe-inspiring and good for the

soul. Having covered ‘millions ofmiles’ in my lifetime, I can defi-nitely concede that some of themost spectacular mountain passesare to be found in the WesternCape, and here are my favourites,in no particular order:l Chapman’s Peak and Signal

Hill, in Cape Town

l Seweweeks Poort Pass – out-side Laingsburg

l Meiringspoort Pass – betweenOudtshoorn and BeaufortWest

l Swartberg and GamkaskloofPass –‘Die Hel’, near PrinceAlbert

l Montagu Pass and Outeniqua

Pass (between George andOudtshoorn)

l Franschoek Pass, outside thepicturesque town bearing thesame name

l Gydo Pass, north of Ceresl Sir Lowry’s Pass, on the N2

near Somerset Westl Piekenaarskloof Pass, near Cit-

rusdall Bain’s Kloof Pass, near

Wellingtonl Du Toit’s Kloof Pass, near the

Huguenot Tunnel, on the N1l The eerie Uniondale Poort,

outside UniondaleHave I missed out any major

passes that I should know of?Please let me know on Ash@fmx-africa.co.za Please place thesepasses on your bucket list if youhave not seen them. Believe me, itis life changing! Pack a picnic bas-ket or, if you have to, book anight at a quaint guesthouse andenjoy what nature has providedfor free. Take lots of pics andemail them to us. We would loveto feature your stories.

Next month, we look at othermajor passes in the rest of thecountry so send us your entries onAsh@fmxafrica.co.za and TWOreaders, whose pics and captionsare adjudged to be the best, willeach win one year’s subscriptionto Getaway magazine. Entriesmust reach us by November 27,2015.

Make a pass around a mountain pass

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The Western Cape, in particular, isblessed with some of the most spectacular and scenic mountainpasses so go out and explore!

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WINNERS!To celebrate the launch of MV Motoring,Muslim Views – in association withDrive4Life and FleetMax Africa (Pty)Ltd – gave away Advanced Defensive Dri-

ving Skills Training vouchers, valued atR1200 each, to 20 lucky readers!

The winners, who attended the courseon Wednesday November 4, were:Shiyaam Abrahams, Moegamat Iegsaan

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Selby Khalid Mogane, Hassan Mohamed,Farhad Natha, Mohamed Azeem Rahim,Mogamat Ganief Sedick, Adnan Septem-ber, Siraaj Tasriet, Lance Volkwyn andMahier Willoughby.

Muslim Views

14 Muslim Views . November 2015

AAISHA DADI PATELTHE South African NationalZakah Fund (Sanzaf) recentlyhosted its inaugural Conferenceon Awqaf, Zakah and Microfinance as Tools forEmpowerment. The conference,which took place over October25 and 26, in Pretoria, came as itwas realised that there was agreater need for consolidatingdefinitions of what these Islamicfinance concepts mean, andunderstanding what kind of roleSouth Africa could play in whatis predominantly a more globalconversation.

‘Sanzaf celebrated its 40th yearlast year. In the year or two pre-ceding that, we decided to bemore involved in knowledge-sharing at a global level. Welooked at a space where we couldparticipate in conferences. Lastyear, in May, we hosted a confer-ence in Cape Town, focused onSub-Saharan Africa.

Following that, we were invit-ed to a conference in New Yorkand we were signatories of WorldZakat Forum, an internationalbody. A few months later, wewere invited to a salaah core prin-ciples conference, in Indonesia.Through our experiences, welearnt and gathered a lot. Andthis was what hosting the confer-ence was about – trying to bringback our learning, and usingexperts in the field to do so,’ saidMohomed Hoosen Essof, Gaut-eng Administrator for Sanzaf.

Essof told Muslim Views, ‘Wewanted to change the trajectoryof zakaah and development relat-ed work in South Africa, and tothat end we identified two useful

themes for a South African ‘NGOdevelopment sector’. The firstwas zakaah core principles –guiding NGOs in the field, espe-cially zakaah-based, to see howbetter they can do their work andimprove their efficiency and effec-tiveness as an NGO.

‘The second was micro-finance: what we tried to do wasinvite the Pakistani delegates thatwe had present to introduce anIslamic micro-finance model in apractical way.’

Although the conference wasprimarily aimed at NGOs, therewere also many individuals andsocial activists present.

‘There are a lot of individualsdoing their own work so the con-ference was not limited to onlyone group of people only. We hada few academics and businesspeople coming in as well,’ saidEssof.

The turnout on Sunday, the25th, was as Sanzaf had expected,with just under 100 people pre-sent

On Monday, the 26th, it wasslightly less, which could beattributed to the fact that it was a

working day. Essof said that therewas a slight difference in the peo-ple present on both days, whichshowed a diverse interest in thevariety of the programme. Over-all though, Essof said that Sanzafwas pleased with the overallturnout.

The programme was stimulat-ing and interesting. On both theSunday and Monday morning,international guests presentedmodels which worked in theirown countries. Sunday afternoon,said Essof, was ‘very unique’.

‘We had scholars representingdifferent ulama in this country onthe same platform, discussing var-ious issues of the fiqh of zakaah.So, while ulama may have thesediscussions, it’s usually closed; weopened it up and they presentedvery academic papers to peers.

‘On Monday afternoon, wehad a platform for social entre-preneurs. We invited activists andentrepreneurs to present theirideas for social change, and thiswas really nice as it allowed themnot only the opportunity to pre-sent their ideas and be critiquedfor it but also the chance that the

models that they present can bepicked up by others and improvedbecause the fact of the matter is,no single NGO can do all of thework. In this space, activistscould then consider: if my idea isgood enough, can someone elsereplicate it in another area? Therewas an opportunity for people toshare in a safe space, and that wasa unique thing.’

Essof told Muslim Views thatSouth Africa was the secondregion in the world to release areport on charity and giving inthe Muslim world, which tookplace at the conference on themorning of the second day.

Speaking about some of thehighlights of the conference, Essofsaid that, from an internationalperspective, the papers that werepresented were very accessible.‘They were very practical, to theextent that if you were an NGO,you could link and take up someof these things and start it off; itwasn’t purely academic.’

Another highlight was thediversity of the participants andthe presenters, who came frominternational and local spaces.

‘The engagements with the vari-ous people, particularly inter-NGO, was very stimulating,’ saidEssof.

In terms of whether thereneeds to be more of these confer-ences, Essof says that they arenecessary to close gaps betweentheory and practice when it comesto Islamic finance. ‘There needs tobe a more coherent structure, andwe need to try to equip ourselveswith more knowledge. We may be21 years into democracy, wecome from a history of isolation.We have been swimming in a fishtank instead of an ocean. Weshould know what we are experi-encing internationally, trend-wise,in terms of knowledge. Weshouldn’t repeat the mistakes ofothers and, instead, learn fromthem.

‘Sanzaf is trying to play a rolein facilitating knowledge-sharing,and so we hope that somethinggood can come out of this. All ofthe papers which were presentedare available online. The confer-ence was also live streamed, andthat is available via YouTube andthe website.’

Sanzaf hosts inaugural conferenceSanzaf received R1 million theyinvested with AwqafSA in order tostart masjid renovations. The funds,which were invested with AwqafSAover several years, were raised bySanzaf through the Qurbani-linkedMasjid Waqf Project. From left: ProfIrfaan Beik (National Board of Zakatof Indonesia), Akhtar Thokan (AwqafSA), Zainoul Cajee (Awqaf SA),Haroon Kalla (Awqaf SA), DrShawakat Allie Thokan (SanzafTrustee), Abdool Carrim Gani (SanzafTrustee), Shauket Fakie (SanzafNational Chairperson) and HoosenEssof (Sanzaf Gauteng Administrator).

Photo SANZAFMARKETING DEPARTMENT

Muslim Views

15Muslim Views . November 2015

MAHMOOD SANGLAYMASJIDUL Quds, in Gatesville,Cape Town, organised two toursto Iran for members of its congregation, from March 26 toApril 7, 2014, and April 28 toMay 9, 2015.

The first attracted 67 congre-gants and the second, 30. Theitineraries of the tours were iden-tical and the places visited includ-ed Tehran, Mashad, Tabriz andIsfahan. The focus of the tourswas on places of historical andcultural interest, particularly theirarchaeology and architecture.

Liakat Sonday, organiser of theforeign destination tours onbehalf of the Masjidul Quds com-mittee, told Muslim Views thatthe rationale behind organisingthe tours was, essentially, aresponse of the committee to var-ious enquiries and requests frommembers of the congregation.

Masjidul Quds has beenorganising tours for members ofits congregation to foreign desti-nations since 2011, and the coun-tries visited were Morocco, Spain,Palestine, Jordan and Syria. Theinterest in Iran came directly fromcongregants who were drawn tothe history of the country andwho questioned the way it isdepicted in the media.

Iran’s nuclear programme andits geopolitical role in the greaterMiddle East, especially the multi-national conflicts in the region,raised many questions about thecountry and its people. Sondayadds that the interest in historical,cultural and political issues by faroutweighed any interest in theSunni-Shia divide. This religiousschism appears, at most, to havebeen of marginal interest to themembers of the tour groups.

Despite this interest in Iran, itwas certainly not on the list ofpopular tourist destinations fortypical tour operators. It was onthis basis that Masjidul Qudshosted 67 visitors to Iran in 2014,the second highest number thathad gone to any of the destina-tions. Syria had the highest, with72 members of the congregation.

The experience in Iran, accord-ing to Sonday, was ‘perceptionshattering’. They had expectedIran, after being subjected todecades of sanctions and interna-tional isolation, to manifest evi-dence of dire poverty, a devastat-ed infrastructure and civil strife.Instead, they found a country inrelative prosperity and a friendly,resilient and peaceful nation thathad become, to a large extent,self-sufficient.

Above all, according to Son-day, Iran is a safe home to allfaiths and Sunnis have no causeto fear persecution.

Several members of the twotour groups interviewed con-curred, and everyone agreed thatthe Iranian people are warm andhospitable. One member of the2015 tour group, a senior citizen,even received an invitation, out-side of the itinerary, from an Iran-ian family in Isfahan who hosted

him for coffee.Generally, the visitors were

unanimous that the tour was edu-cational, that it helped them bet-ter understand the differencesbetween Sunni and Shia religiousbeliefs and practices, that thesedifferences were not significantand that the two sects, essentially,shared common fundamentalbeliefs and practices.

One member of the 2014 tourgroup inspected the copies of theQuran in hotel rooms and foundthere was no difference with theQuran the Sunnis use, says Son-day.

Although Shaikh Abdurag-maan Alexander and Shaikh FuadIsaacs, imams at Masjudul Quds,did not join the tours to Iran,Sonday says there was no objec-tion from them to organising thetours under the auspices of themasjid.

A remarkable outcome of thevisits to Iran was the reciprocalinterest shown by ordinary Irani-ans in Sunni Islam, particularlySufism in Sunni Islam. Membersof the tour groups indicated thatShias were perhaps equallyunaware of how close they wereto Sunni beliefs and practices, andexpressed an interest in learningmore about Sunni theology.

An example relates to the well-known Shia rejection of the lead-ership of the first three caliphsAbu Bakr (RA), Umar ibn Khat-tab (RA) and Uthman ibn Affan(RA). It appears that the Shiasencountered by the tour grouphave a long-held expectation thatSunnis reciprocate this Shia posi-tion by rejecting Ali ibn Talib(RA) as a caliph in Islam.

The local Shias expressed sur-prise when they discovered thatAli (RA) is an equally reveredfourth caliph in Sunni Islam.

These encounters culminatedin a visit to South Africa by the2014 tour guide, Hamzeh Rezaei,who visited Masjidul Quds inJune this year and attendedJumuah as well as a local dhikr.Rezaei’s visit, according to Son-day, was equally an ‘eye-opener’for him as for the South Africanswho had visited Iran.

The Masjidul Quds tours toIran are consistent with its policyof ensuring an open forum of itsmimbar.

When asked if the masjidwould offer its Jumuah forum toa local Shia leader like MoulanaAftab Haider, Sonday said it isnot likely as there are sensitivitiesin the congregation relating tothat degree of openness that must

be taken into account. However,he says there are other forumsorganised by Masjidul Qudswhere Moulana Haider’s partici-pation is possible.

Leading experts on the MiddleEast, from diverse perspectives,agree that the Sunni-Shia divideand the conflict we see today arenot the result of religious differ-ences between these two sects.What appears to be years of con-flict and bloodshed between Sun-nis and Shias in recent years is afunction of the political agendasof imperial powers.

According to Faleh AbdulJabar, of the Iraq Institute forStrategic Studies, there has been,particularly since the Iran-IraqWar in 1980, a renewed politici-sation and a militarisation ofSunni-Shia differences after cen-turies of peace between Sunnisand Shias.

Similarly, other Middle Eastexperts, such as Azzam Tamimi,Editor in Chief of Al Hiwar TV,and Mehdi Hasan, presenter forAl Jazeera, agree that these con-flicts between Shias and Sunnishave clear geo-political elementsin which imperial powers play acrucial role.

Western, particularly Ameri-can, interests in oil and in thesecurity of Israel mainly drive for-eign policy in the Middle East.

While Western powers haveshown gross ignorance, and, attimes, miscalculated the implica-tions of the theological differ-ences between Sunnis and Shias,they have, in many ways, suc-ceeded in exploiting and manipu-lating these differences in order toserve their strategic goals.See Mahmudah Begum Jaffer’sIran pictorial on pages 16 and17.

Iran tour addresses mutual ignorance between Sunnis and ShiasA remarkable outcome of the visits to Iran was the

reciprocal interest shown by ordinary Iranians in Sunni Islam, particularly Sufism in Sunni Islam. Members of the tourgroups indicated that Shias were perhaps equally unaware of

how close they were to Sunni beliefs and practices, and expressedan interest in learning more about Sunni theology

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 17

Muslim Views

16 Muslim Views . November 2015

MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

AN overseas trip means a lot of work:searching, researching, bookings,phone calls, confirmations, emails etc.

This just sounded too much so the easy waywas to find out where Masjidul Quds, inGatesville, was going this year.

I found my daughter Hauwa and I travellingto Iran with a group on a tour organised bythe committee of Masjidul Quds. There were30 of us, travelling to six different cities inIran, enjoying the beauty and the cuisine, thefriendly people, so proud of their country, sohappy that we had come to visit. With all ourhotels, travelling, transfers and meals pre-arranged we were very well cared for.

It felt as if we were visiting two countries,Iran and Persia. There was so much history, somuch to learn. Persepolis was a wonderfullyenlightening experience.

From my visit to this historical site, I dis-covered that these ancient buildings wereextensively decorated with patterns. Almostevery surface is carved out with some or otherpattern. Many were depictions of ceremonies

or battles, and many were for decorative pur-poses.

I feel I understand why most Iranian build-ings carry such beautiful ornamentation. Itmust be in their blood. Even the height of themodern buildings is a reflection of what wesaw in Persepolis. It was a challenge to leanback to take photographs of the panels thatreached so high up.

From bustling Tehran, we flew to the city ofMashhad, where we visited the shrine ofSayed Imam Ali Reza (RA), the great, greatgrandson of Beloved Nabi Muhammad(SAW).

Not far from Mashhad is the city of Tous.Here we visited the tomb of the great poet,Firdausi.

Down south, in serene Shiraz, we found theshrine of the celebrated poet Hafez, and alsothat of revered poet Shaykh Sadi, who pennedthe words, ‘Balaghal ula bi kamali hi’.

The Nasir-ol-Mulk Masjid, in Shiraz, iswell-known for its spectacular stained-glasswindows.

The city of Yazd proved no surprise as oneof the oldest towns in the world; it has a char-

acter of its own. Here we had the opportuni-ty to visit the tomb of Cyrus the Great andalso a Zoroastrian temple.

What do I say about magnificent Isfahan? Iwould want my photographs to speak. I donot have words to do justice to the beauty ofIsfahan.

I have privately researched Islamic art since1976, and it was a picture given to me in thatyear, of the dome of the Shah Abbas Masjid inIsfahan, that triggered my interest, alham-dulillah. I have now also developed a greatadmiration for the Shaykh Lutfullah Masjid,in Isfahan.

After a brief visit to Qom, we made our wayback to Tehran, to start our journey backhome.

Two very full weeks of beauty: from muse-ums, bazaars and Persian carpets, hand-print-ed tablecloths and miniature paintings tokebabs, saffron rice and saffron tea; fromawe-inspiring architecture and tranquil gar-dens to sweet poetry and exquisite craftsman-ship, all in the company of our amazing trav-el companions. Our lives could never be thesame again, Alhamdulillah.

The beauty of Iranthrough my lens

(Above) A Persian carpet designed on the inner dome of the Shaykh Lutfullah Masjid, in Isfahan. Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

(Left) The Narenjastan Gardens andMuseum, in Shiraz.

Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER(Right) A painting by miniaturist, H Fallahi, Isfahan, which took tendays to complete.

Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

(Above) The unbelievably high artistic structures at Persepolis.Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

(Right) The entrance to the shrine ofSayed Imam Ali Reza (RA), in Mashhad.

Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

(Left) A reflection of the morning sunthrough the stained-glass windows ofthe Nasir-ol-Mulk Masjid, in Shiraz.

Photo MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

I feel I

understand why

most Iranian

buildings carry

such beautiful

ornamentation.

It must be in

their blood.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201518

AS hundreds of thousands ofpeople are forced to flee the conflict zones of Syria,Afghanistan and Iraq, Europe iswitnessing a refugee crisis, thelikes of which has not been seenin this part of the world sinceWorld War II.

Building on the work we havealready been carrying out in theMiddle East and other war-tornparts of the world, Muslim Handsis working on several fronts toprovide support to refugees trav-elling through Europe.

Over 2 500 people have diedwhile trying to cross the Mediter-ranean in this year alone.

Over 60 per cent of migrantsto Europe this year are, in fact,refugees fleeing conflict zones.Four million Syrians have regis-tered or are awaiting registrationwith the United Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees(UNHCR).

With teams in Calais, Macedo-nia, Vienna, Greece and Frank-furt, we need your help to delivervital aid to those most in need.

With your generous support,our work thus far entailed:l Macedonia: 500 food packs

and 300 Eid giftsl Hungary: two tons of food,

3 000 blankets and five tons ofwinter clothing

l France: 12 000 food parcelsl Germany: 1 000 food parcels

and 1 000 clothing itemsl Greece: 1 000 food parcelsl Austria: 12 000 hot meals

The following is a short feed-back from one of our teams onthe ground:

‘Bismillah, Alhamdulillah. Inthe blessed days of Dhul Hijjah,we have successfully completedour food pack distribution afterFajr today at Piraeus Port,Athens. We were very worriedthis morning, at the port, as theferry from the island of Lesboswas due to arrive at 6.30am butended up arriving at around7.15am as it was delayed by ahuge Norwegian ferry liner,which was, unfortunately, givenpriority over it.

‘We slightly adjusted the foodpacks today to include more fruitand spreadable cheese, and low-

ered the amount of water as therefugees were already having tocarry so many items in theirhands. We actively attempted towalk into the crowds today seek-ing out families and directing oth-ers, in Arabic, to our distributionvehicle. The refugees were sograteful that we had come to theirassistance in their moments ofgreat need.

‘It was incredibly difficult tohold back our emotions today, asfamily men ourselves. So manyyoung children and babies havebeen caught up in this hugemigration of refugees. One won-

ders what lives they have lived sofar.

‘Do they know where theirfamily homes are? Did they evergo to a school? What is a normallife for them? So many questionsbut, at the end, only prayers toour Merciful Lord for their safetyand security at this blessed time.

‘We witnessed what appearedto be a never-ending chain ofrefugees flooding into the porttoday, and they really didn’tknow which way to head in orderto get to the Macedonian border.We tried our best to assist themwith our local volunteers direct-

ing the way. We pray that ourbrothers and sisters safely make itto their intended place of refuge,and they remain firmly in ourthoughts and duahs.

‘We are planning to prepareour next distribution of foodpacks and attempt to also distrib-ute cooked food to the encampedrefugees in downtown Athens,later this evening, insha Allah.Baraka-Allahu feekum, was-salaamu alaikum, Muslim Handsresponse team, Greece.’

Alhamdulillah, Muslim HandsSouth Africa has been activelyraising funds for the Europerefugee crisis.

We have had two successfulcharity car washes. The first tookplace on October 10, at RylandsPrimary School, in Rylands, andthe second car wash, on October17, took place at the CaltexGarage, in Johnstone Road,Rylands.

Muslim Hands receivedtremendous support at both thesefundraisers. We would like tothank the community for comingout in numbers to not only sup-port us but to help make a differ-ence to the refugees.

The refugee crisis is far fromover. You can still help make adifference in their lives by donat-ing as little as R10. Send a textmessage with the word ‘Refugee’to 38325 and donate now. EachSMS costs R10 and free SMS’s donot apply.For more information, you cancontact Muslim Hands on 021 633 6413 or mail@muslimhands.org.za.

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -Muslim Hands’ response to the Europe refugee crisis

Image SUPPLIED

MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER recently attended a hightea/ art expo fund-raising eventat Jam ’Eyyatul Qurra’ (JEQ)Primary School, and was morethan impressed by the artworkproduced by the learners whoare aged 7-9 in Grades 1-3.

She chatted to the principal,Mrs Nazeema Omar, who said,‘Because the children are in such a

high pressure learning environ-ment, we try to give them a bal-anced and a holistic education.

‘We make a big fuss about artand physical education, and,soon, music will be introduced. Aprofessional coach teaches themskills in the physical educationclass and we motivate the chil-dren to look forward to activitiesthat enhance their learning.

‘Creative arts are part of thecurriculum but we place a littlemore emphasis so that they actu-ally look forward to art classes atthe Frank Joubert Art Centre.

‘The serene setting of the cen-tre gives the children the opportu-nity to unreservedly discover theircreative side.

‘Every art lesson is plannedaccording to the syllabus require-

ments so their artwork ties inwith their themes. Each theme isenhanced with Quranic ayaat andahadith so that knowledge isimparted in context.

‘Some of the children have sur-prised us (and maybe even them-selves) with their talent and theycan’t wait for the four art lessonsper term. This takes place on aFriday morning.

‘Children are very enthusiasticand even if they are sick, theynever stay absent on an art Fri-day.

‘Parents have raved over theart pieces their little darlings haveproduced. In fact, parents willing-ly purchased the art works oftheir children, which we hopenow enjoys prime spaces on theirlounge walls.’

On display at a high-tea/ art exhibition fund-raising event at Jam ’Eyyatul Qurra’ was artwork produced by learners from Grades 1 to 3. From left, the artwork of Aaliyah Sha, Grade 3; Aeesha Ryklieff, Grade 2;and Aamina Ally, Grade 3. Photos MAHMUDAH BEGUM JAFFER

Art at hifdh-focused primary school

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 19

‘THERE are Hajj visasavailable. I am sure ofthat. Doc, we’ll again

stand on the plain of Arafah. Iam going to find out from theSaudi embassy in Pretoria onhow to obtain it and I’ll get it forboth of us. If they only give onethen you must go, Doc, becauseif you are there then I know I amthere in your heart and duahs.’

He sounded determined, and Iknew that he would resolutelypursue his goal. He was my Hajjbosom friend. It was a Mondaymorning, two weeks before Hajjwas to commence with the vastmajority of hujjaaj already inSaudi. But the two of us were stilllow and perspiring with anxietyat the toe of Africa that is theCape Peninsula.

A variety of factors had led tous not being part of the normalworkers’ quota, and the thoughtof missing out on Arafah for thefirst time in a very, very long timewas an unbelievably painful one.

Three days later, I got a callthat shocked me. ‘My Dad is notbreathing,’ his daughter anxious-ly said over the phone. It was justafter midnight that Thursday, inthe very early hours of the morn-ing. I was immediately wideawake. He had underlying med-ical conditions but he certainlywas not terminal.

As I lived a distance fromthem, I asked them to call anambulance immediately. My mindraced back to a few years ago,also in the early hours of themorning, when he called me whenhis son was not breathing.

I had to write out his son’sdeath certificate that very morn-ing, a young man in the prime ofhis life taken away from us intragic circumstances. Was historygoing to repeat itself? I rushed toget done and then got anothercall.

He was a tireless worker forthe guests of Allah, during Hajj,for a number of years. Many pil-grims will fondly recall the effortshe had put in for them, whether itwas carrying bags for the elderly,pushing wheelchair-bound hujjaajor doing more mundane butequally important backgroundtasks, such as sorting out airlinetickets.

Sometimes, he walked longdistances in scorching heat, suchas when a hajji on Mina forgother medicine in Makkah and heunselfishly fetched it. One year,when he was on one of theseerrands, he developed heat stroke,a life-threatening emergency, andhad to be put in an ice bath andgiven intravenous fluids.

We warned him that a subse-quent heat stroke could potential-ly kill him but, the very next year,he again had to assist a pilgrimand again walked long distancesduring a heatwave.

He suffered another heatstrokeand had to again be resuscitated.Miraculously, he survived andwas soon planning his next trip.

I took the call as I was about toleave the house. ‘The ambulancewas here,’ his daughter said. Shestarted crying, ‘They said he isnot with us anymore.’

I could hear voices in the back-ground, and tried to comfort her.‘I am on my way, I’ll be thereright now,’ I ended off and rushedthrough.

I had also treated his father,who was an absolute legend inthe Hajj industry. His father hadsevere medical problems but wason Arafah year in and year outand I frequently had to refer himto hospital in Makkah when hehad exacerbations of his medicalconditions. I also saw to himwhen he was on his last.

Subsequent to that, my friendhad numerous medical issues butnever really any severe ones,except the two episodes of heat-stroke. The one constant both heand his father had, and latelymyself also, was our annual pres-ence on Arafah.

It was as if fate had determinedthat we should meet many, manyyears ago. I was en route fromMadinah to Makkah when thebus I was travelling in stopped. Itook wudu and inadvertently leftmy watch in the ablution area. Heand his father arrived in Makkahwith a different group a few dayslater and needed a place to fresh-en up before going to performtheir Umrah as their accommoda-tion had not been sorted out yet.

As a wandering doctor, I vacat-ed my room for new pilgrims thatmoved into our building, and thetwo of us landed up in the sameroom.

We started chatting and, after awhile, talked about our arduousbus trips from Madinah toMakkah. ‘Some people are care-less,’ he said at one stage. ‘Lookwhat I found lying at one of theplaces where the bus stopped.’ Hetook out a watch.

‘That is my watch!’ Iexclaimed.

‘You are careless,’ he replieddryly. We both burst out laugh-ing. We laughed on many occa-sions for years after that.

I was met by an extremely sadcrowd at his house. He lived in aclose-knit community and virtual-ly all the neighbours as well as hisfamily had already assembled. Istill had to do the formalities anddutifully performed the requiredmedical examination.

He looked content, at peace

and had an angelic glow on hisface. ‘You said we’re going to beon Arafah together,’ I thought.‘How are we going to be theretogether?’

I remembered his words: ‘Ifthey only give one [visa] then youmust go, Doc, because if you arethere then I know I am there inyour heart and duahs.’

I looked at him and it seemedas if he smiled. I knew that I hadto be on Arafah this year. I thenknew that we were going to be onArafah this year.

Those in the Hajj industryknow one thing about me andthat is that I can be persistent. Iwould never ask for the visa of anaccredited pilgrim as that woulddeprive someone of repaying theirobligation to their Creator, andprevent them from answeringtheir invitation extended thou-sands of years ago.

But there were other means: aninvitation by an official in Saudito a South African was reluctant-ly declined by the local here. ‘ButI know of someone who wouldreally want to go,’ he told theofficial in Saudi Arabia and for-warded my name.

I, had, by then, badgered everysingle contact I had met over thelast fifteen years and everyonehad tried in their own way.

The Saudi embassy in Pretoriamust have been irritated by thenumber of letters that reachedtheir desk but it was worth everydrop of ink used.

I received a visa and flew outon the very last flight from SouthAfrica.

It was two days before the fivedays of Hajj.

On Arafah, I thought of allthose who had earnestly madeduah that I would get there. Some

I know for years, others I metrecently and a few I have nevermet but felt like I knew them afterreading their mails and text mes-sages. I was convinced that theaccumulated duahs surely, expo-nentially, ensured success.

I was on Arafah. I again didnot get to Madinah, the home ofmy heart. But I was on Arafah,the home of our souls. I was withmillions, all of us united in oursubmission to our Creator.

I was not alone for he was withme in my heart and duahs. Wewere on Arafah, as he had said wewould be. ‘Labaik! We are here.’

In memory of my dear friend,Mogamat Shafiek Orrie, whoseheart was always in Makkah andhis spirit on Arafah. May Allahgrant him and all deceased Jan-natul Firdous, insha Allah.Comments to:salimparker@yahoo.com

We’ll again stand on the plain of Arafah

I had to write out his son’sdeath certificate that verymorning, a young man inthe prime of his life, writesDoctor SALIM PARKER.

Arafah, the pinnacle of Hajj is where we are closest to our Creator, Allah SWT, before we stand before Him on the Day ofJudgement. Photo SALIM PARKER

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201520

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTWITH the Grand Moulood all set to takeplace around South Africa with traditionalfervour, South Africans can now preparethemselves for a grand celebration ofMoulood in the coming months, hostedby Cape Town Islamic Educational Centre(CTIEC).

Each year, the Grand Moulood is cele-brated with a number of traditions and dif-ferent activities, including the recitation ofthe salawaat, qirah and dhikr, talks aboutIslamic history and street marches in hon-our of the Blessed Birth.

Sayed Ridhwaan Mohamed, Spokesper-son for CTIEC, threw light on the details ofthe Grand Moulood 1437 in his media

interaction to brief the media about prepa-rations for the event. He said that distin-guished religious, social and political per-sonalities, renowned naa’t khawans, mun-shids, scholars and intellectuals wouldattend the Grand Moulood.

The chief highlight of the GrandMoulood is the keynote lectures by inter-

national and local speakers.‘These programmes will reflect the

South African spirit of gratitude for themessage and mercy to mankind as broughtto us, the ummah of Muhammad (SAW),during the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal.

As Moulood has been commemoratedglobally for centuries, we will give recogni-

tion to all groups who have maintained thebeautiful legacy of celebrating theMoulood, annually, in these areas.

The Grand Moulood would thus com-prise renowned and respected ulama, qur-rah, and community leaders,’ he explained.

Moulana Sayed Imraan Ziyaee, the Prin-cipal of CTIEC, commented, ‘This is a vir-

tuous and blessed gathering to cel-ebrate the Most Beloved of Allah(SAW) and that is the reason wehave embarked on presenting theGrand Moulood celebrationsacross South Africa this year,including major cities like Johan-nesburg, Cape Town, Durban andPort Elizabeth.’

Placing on record that therewere over 7 000 people whoattended the Grand Mouloodevents in 2014/ 2015, Sayed Rid-hwaan Mohamed said that love ofthe Holy Prophet (SAW) is thebasis of our faith.

Sayed Ridhwaan Mohamedadded that the Younus family andDUP/ CTIEC have been makingefforts to spread the love of theProphet (SAW) for the last 37 yearsin South Africa.

He said that the sight of hun-dreds of people attending theMoulood celebrations every yearbore witness to the efforts of theYounus family and DUP/ CTIEC inthis regard wherein the faithfulstrengthen their bond with theirbeloved Prophet by celebrating thebirth anniversary of the HolyProphet (SAW).

CTIEC invites the South Africancommunity to participate in anevent that seeks to rekindle thelove of the Prophet.

The love of the Prophet (SAW)and celebration of the Moulood isincumbent upon all Muslims, espe-cially upon those who aspiretowards his (SAW) way of life.This love is not personal love but,rather, the Prophet (SAW) is lovedbecause he symbolises all that isbeautiful in Allah’s creation.

His virtues are universal and, assuch, the celebration of his birth isindeed a celebration of humanity.

The Grand Moulood events willrun from December 23, 2015, toJanuary 31, 2016, in four majorcities across South Africa.

All the events will have differentspeakers and reciters; street march-es will be held at certain eventsonly, and refreshments/ meals willbe served at all events.

The proceedings of the megaevents will be covered live aroundthe world through CTIEC MediaDivision Networks and variousnational TV networks.

The CTIEC Grand Mouloodevents are held under the hon-ourable patronage and prominentleadership of Hazrat AllamaMoulana Sayed Imraan ShahZiyaee, the Principal of CTIECand a descendant of the HolyProphet (SAW).

Muslim Views is one of the offi-cial media sponsors of the GrandMoulood. Other media sponsorsinclude Channel 4 Production SA,Lenasia Indicator, Deen TV, RisingSun community newspapers andLenasia Times.For more information on theGrand Moulood events, you maycontact Moulana Sayed ImraanZiyaee on 082 833 2036, SayedRidhwaan Mohamed Ziyaee on021 396 2896 or Whatsapp 084 352 1969; alternatively, mailadmin@ctiec.co.za.

A grand celebration of MouloodThe CTIEC Grand Moulood events are held under the honourable patronage and prominent leadership of

Hazrat Allama Moulana Sayed Imraan Shah Ziyaee, the Principal of CTIEC and a descendant of the Holy Prophet (SAW).

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 21

Muslim Viewschanged my viewI FULLY agree with your viewsand the views of Imam DrRashid Omar regarding the coverage of the recent Hajj inMuslim Views, October 2015.

My husband and I were onHajj when these very shockingtragedies occurred.

When I arrived in Makkah, Iwas oblivious to the surroundings(the cranes and the noise and dustof the ongoing construction) aswe were fulfilling our ibaadaat,and everyone is in a spirituallyheightened state of mind.

After the crane incident, Iwould walk into the haram and,in my heart, I would say: ‘Inna lil-laahi wa inna ilayhi raajioon.’

I admit that while I wasshocked by the tragic events thatoccurred, I thought that it was inAllah’s decree that it happenedand made duah that Allah SWTgrant the deceased Jannatul Fir-dous and grant their families easeand patience, insha Allah.

To die in the most blessed cityon the dunya is surely a duah ofall Muslims. Maybe I havebecome desensitised by thetragedies that occurred inMakkah and Mina.

But, after reflecting on thesearticles and experiencing the waynon-Arabs are treated by theSaudi authorities, especially ourelderly, I feel differently. I do feelthey can be more respectful andcompassionate to the guests ofAllah.

People will warn you about theSaudis’ arrogance and that onerequires loads of sabr, and wehave become very accepting ofmany things because we are on aspiritual journey.

I am in agreement that weshould put pressure on the Saudisto do more to ensure the safety ofAllah’s guests. They are the custo-dians of the holy cities and, there-fore, should consider the sanctityof life a priority.

We had a most incredible jour-ney of a lifetime and, Alhamdulil-lah, Allah made it easy for us. TheSaudis should be commended fordoing an excellent job in facilitat-ing the Hajj as everything is somuch easier for us than it everwas for our forefathers. However,the Saudis also need to take con-structive criticism when it is due.

Shukran for the awareness.Wiesaal Abrahams

Cape Town

Muharram meanderingsIT’S the tenth of Muharram andas I return from the mosque afterMaghrib, I look up at the gibbous moon.

Over the top of my glasses I seethe full moon. I remove my specsand yes, it is definitely the slightlyblurred, full moon. Am I lookinginto the future or back into thepast while standing in the pre-sent? Is this the very moment theworld was created, the sea openedfor Nabi Musa, the moon split for

Nabi Muhammad, Nabi Adamstood on Jabal Rahmah withSayyidah Houwwa?

Or is this the side effects ofreading ‘Ecstasy is an emotionalexplosion’ in Muslim Views, Vol.29 No 10, page 39?

Muharram mubarak to theeditor and to all the staff, readersand letter writers as well as con-tributors to your hard copy socialmedia titled MV.

�I am reading Dr M D Saloo-jee’s article on page 25, ‘Lookingafter your eyes’, now. Perhapsthere is a logical explanation formy uncanny and strange observa-tion tonight, next week or lastmonth?

SalaamAmien Baderoen

Strand

Islam has theanswerOVER the decades as a community worker, I have wit-nessed the absolute necessity forwidespread Islamic values in thebroader South African society. Asan example, I will utilise oneadvice from the Quran to clarifyits power, and also comment onthe chaos that ensues if theadvice is ignored.

While the Quran clearly stipu-lates that divorce must be cordialand not hostile, many couples failin this regard. Thus, teachers atschool and madrassah spend vitalclassroom time dealing with theemotional fallout of fighting par-

ents who have no idea of theextent of their selfish conflict.

As the chairperson of a multi-cultural primary school in theCity Bowl area, I regularly inter-act with poor, middle-class andwealthy families. At the schoolthere are Jews, Christians andMuslims. This cosmopolitan mixallows an opportunity to interactwith people from diverse back-grounds and cultures, leading to abetter understanding of people.

This interaction confirms thatacross society where there is anethical father and mother etc, kidsare prone to learn values andvirtues. While we all have faultsand flaws, what is vital is that afoundation in religious values isimperative as absence of such val-ues creates limitless problems forsociety.

Example: the current globaldivorce statistic in westernnations, including South Africa, isabove 50 per cent. The results ofthis statistic instantly reflect atschool and madrassah, especiallyif the divorce was concluded withhostility.

The irony is that, because of alow level of Islamic values andeducation, some parents igno-rantly use kids to hurt the other.Kids also use parental hostility toemotionally blackmail parents formaterial gains. In the end, the sit-uation is ugly and often public asthe hostility goes to law court,and issues of interdicts and coun-tersuits become the norm.

This situation can continue foryears as the mother fights forchildcare etc and the fatherbecomes absent. Later, the motherand father marry other partnersand the kids have new issues tomanage.

The point is that youths areoften left to make life-long deci-sions while they are evidently

unqualified and unskilled to makethe critical choice of who tomarry. While love and emotionsare key, what is also vital is thatqualified and educated parentaladvice must be part of the deci-sion-making process.

With increased westernised,negative social influences like ‘trybefore you buy’ and ‘livingtogether’, Muslim youth areunder phenomenal social pressureto comply with these unislamicpractices.

In the end, parents, teachers,religious leaders and communityelders must continue remindingyouth that the Quran is perfectand that the advice is divine andbeyond question.

What we cannot allow is foryoungsters to make decisions thatcreate and generate chaos forthemselves and society, and thenuse the excuse that they did notknow what they were doing andnobody guided them.

Cllr Yagyah AdamsCape Muslim Congress

‘Stop falling forthese cons’I FULLY endorse Mr Lorgat’sthinking about spiritual bargaining (MV, October 2015).

This kind of thinking compro-mises our deen. Before we do any-thing, we are banking in advance!No! Rather do good for the sakeof good!

In addition, some of these col-lections are pocketed byunscrupulous people who waitlike vultures for disasters andemotionally hyped scams to milkthe masses.

Stop falling for these cons.Sabiha DoolarkhanSouth Coast, KZN

LETTERS TO THE EDITORLETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Write to: editor@mviews.co.za • Fax: 086 516 4772 Kindly include full name and address. Letters must not exceed 500 wordsRecently, the Consul General in Cape Town of the Republic of Indonesia, AbdulRachman Dudung, met with members of the Cape Mazaar Society to discuss thesociety’s role in upgrading and maintaining the mazaars (kramats) since 1982.Also present at the meeting were members of the Cape Malay Heritage Society.Pictured are (from left): Moegamat Gielmie Hartley, Hajji Abdullah Waggie (CapeMalay Heritage Society), Consul General Abdul Rachman Dudung, Aqil Brey andMahmood Limbada (Cape Mazaar Society). Photo: RIYADI ASIRIDIN

Cage Africa opens CT officeCAGE Prisoners NPC, trading as Cage Africa, has opened an office inCape Town in order to extend the organisation in Africa and continue to cement its support for the London office of Cage.

Cage is an organisation that advocates for the rights of communitiesimpacted by the War on Terror. It campaigns for due process, the prin-ciple of the rule of law and dialogue as means of ending the War onTerror.

Karen Jayes, co-ordinator for Cage Africa, said: ‘This marks a newchapter in the life of Cage Africa where we are increasing our capabil-ity to assist those who are negatively impacted by oppressive policiesemployed in the name of the War on Terror in Africa.

‘We aim to reverse the prevailing War on Terror narratives prevalentin South Africa by highlighting how they create an atmosphere of sus-picion that betrays the country’s multicultural ethos.

‘We welcome communication from community leaders, members ofthe public sector and the media, as well as any member of the publicinterested in hearing more about what we do.’

The contact details of Cage Africa in Cape Town are: Ground Floor,State Street House, River Park, Gloucester Road, Mowbray, 7700.Telephone: +27(0) 21 680 5270; Fax: +27 (0) 21 680 5011

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201522

DR NADIA HAMDULAYI AM a general practitioner andwas recently diagnosed withbreast cancer, at the age of 48years. Just as no two people areexactly alike, no two breast cancers are exactly the same.

Breast cancer is a life-changingevent, one you cannot anticipateor plan for, one in which you haveno choice.

Breast cancer is an uncon-trolled growth of breast cells.Cancer occurs as a result of muta-tions, or abnormal changes, in thegenes responsible for regulatingthe growth of cells and keepingthem healthy.

The genes are in each cell’snucleus. Normally, there is anorderly process of cell growthbut, over time, mutations can‘turn on’ certain genes and ‘turnoff’ others in a cell. That changedcell then keeps dividing, produc-ing more cells just like it, forminga tumour.

A tumour can be benign ormalignant. Benign tumours arenot considered cancerous butmalignant tumours are cancerousand, if left, can eventually spread.

Initially, breast cancer may notcause any symptoms. A lump maybe too small for you to feel or tocause any unusual changes.Often, it shows on a mammo-gram or, as in my case, the ultra-sound.

A lump that is painless, hardand has uneven edges is morelikely to be cancer but, some-times, the lump can be tender, softand rounded. According to the

American Cancer Society, any ofthe following unusual changes inthe breast can be a symptom ofbreast cancer:l swelling of all or part of the

breast;l skin irritation or dimpling;l breast pain;l nipple pain or the nipple turn-

ing inward;l redness, scaliness or thickening

of the nipple or breast skin;l a nipple discharge other than

breast milk;l a lump in the underarm area.

These changes can also besigns of benign lesions so it isimportant to see your doctor.

Usually, breast cancer eitherbegins in the cells of the lobules,which are the milk-producingglands, or the ducts, the passagesthat drain milk from the lobulesto the nipple. Less commonly,breast cancer can begin in thestromal tissues, which include thefatty and fibrous connective tis-sues of the breast.

Over time, cancer cells caninvade nearby, healthy breast tis-sue and make their way into theunderarm lymph nodes – thesmall organs that filter out for-eign substances in the body.

Non-invasive cancers staywithin the milk ducts or lobulesin the breast. They do not growinto or invade normal tissue with-in or beyond the breast. Non-invasive carcinomas are some-times called ‘carcinoma in situ’ (inthe same place) and ductal carci-noma in situ is the most commontype of non-invasive breast can-cer.

Invasive ductal carcinoma isthe most common type of breastcancer. About 80 per cent of allbreast cancers are invasive ductalcarcinomas. ‘Invasive’ means thecancer has invaded or spread tothe surrounding breast tissue.

Invasive lobular carcinoma isthe second most common type ofbreast cancer. About ten per centof all invasive breast cancers areinvasive lobular carcinomas.

The breast cancer’s stage refersto how far the cancer cells havespread beyond the original site.

After the initial diagnosis,which includes a biopsy, you andyour doctors will put together atreatment plan specific to yoursituation, based on your patholo-gy report.

Your treatment plan will bemade up of one or more specifictreatments that are intended totarget the cancer cells in differentways and reduce the risk of future

breast cancer recurrence. Yourtreatment decisions will be basedon your unique situation, whichcan include surgery, lumpectomyor mastectomy, chemotherapy,radiation therapy and/ or hor-monal therapy, if the cancer ishormone receptor positive.

At the moment of my diagno-sis, I felt like my whole identityhad been turned on its head. I wasno longer just a doctor, I was acancer patient! I was a patient,with all the fears and questionsthat anyone faced with the diag-nosis experiences: How will Icope? Who will look after mychildren? Am I going to die?

But then I went into ‘doctormode’, gathered all the informa-tion about my condition and Ihad to make the crucial decision:a lumpectomy or mastectomy. Ihad a stage 1 lobular invasive car-cinoma, known for a high rate ofrecurrence. I opted for a bilateralmastectomy with reconstruction.

It was a personal decision. Icouldn’t go back to work think-ing about recurrence, continuousmonitoring, examinations, imag-ing and biopsies. I didn’t need anychemotherapy or radiation as thecancer had been detected veryearly.

Chemotherapy treatment usesmedicine to weaken and destroycancer cells in the body, includingcells at the original cancer siteand any cancer cells that mayhave spread to another part of thebody. Chemotherapy can affectnormal cells, too, hence the sideeffects, including anaemia,fatigue, hair loss and nausea.

Breast self-examination shouldbe part of your monthly health-care routine, and you should visityour doctor if you experiencebreast changes. If you are over 40or at high risk for the disease, youshould also have an annual mam-mogram and physical examina-tion by your doctor. The earlierbreast cancer is found and diag-nosed, the better your chances ofbeating it.

As a cancer patient, one needsall the support of family andfriends. There is an expectationthat once the cancer treatment iscompleted, your cancer story hasended but, in fact, it is only begin-ning. One’s life now includes ateam of surgeons, gynaecologistsand oncologists.

We are always leading suchbusy, stressful lives, waking up inthe morning with a thousandthings to do each day. Cancer hastaught me to put things in per-spective, to slow down, to see andfocus on the important things andrenewed appreciation of the peo-ple in my life.

When struck by an illness, onehas to put trust in Allah, to be sat-isfied with what He has decreed.Our existence on earth is but atransient stop on the way to life inthe hereafter.

Good health makes us feelinvincible but bad health has away of humbling us and forcingus to depend on Allah.Doctor Nadia Hamdulay (General Practitioner) is a cancersurvivor and member of IMA.She has a practice in Cravenby,Cape Town.

Breast cancer: a personal accountHealth File

After the initial diagnosis, which

includes a biopsy, youand your doctors willput together a treat-ment plan specific toyour situation, basedon your pathology

report

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 23

get checked today!Diabetes

Melomed BellvilleDr B Ford: Tel (021) 948 8131Dr V Leboho: Tel (021) 950 8917Dr E Reid: Tel (021) 948 2443Dr P Roelofse: Tel (021) 949 8598

Melomed Mitchells PlainDr E Danso: Tel (021) 392 6136Dr R Samson: Tel (021) 391 2020Dr T Mudaly: Tel 021) 391 6255

Melomed GatesvilleDr S Rajpaul: Tel (021) 637 5644Dr Abdul Gafoor Bilal: Tel (021) 637 7079Dr I Abdullah: Tel (021) 633 4647/80

www.melomed.co.zainfo@melomed.co.za

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!

Diabetes is a disease in which a person’s blood contains more glucose than it should. This can lead to health problems that can become deadly if not treated properly.There are several different types of diabetes, and each type is managed in a slightly different way. While some types of diabetes can be reversed, others can’t. Glucose acts as a fuel source for the human brain. It powers the cells in the human body’s tissue and muscles. Type one and type two diabetes are both chronic conditions that there is no cure for. Both prediabetes and gestational diabetes can sometimes be reversed. If not caught and treated, prediabetes can eventually lead to the onset of type two diabetes. Gestational diabetes can show up during pregnancy but may disappear after childbirth. Get your Glucose levels checked at any Melomed hospital by contacting any one of the Physicians listed below.

Dr R Samson: Tel (021) 391 2020Melomed Claremont Private Clinic: 021 683 0540

NOVEMBER

IS DIABETES

AWARENESS

MONTHDr A Bruning: Tel (021) 638 5158Dr N Abrahams: Tel (021) 699 0095Dr C Arendse: Tel (021) 637 7276Dr J Naidoo: Tel (021) 637 8100

DR SURESH RAJPAULDIABETES is a common diseasewhich is increasing worldwide,especially in low and middleincome countries.

In 2014, approximately 8,3per cent (or 382 million people)of the world’s adult populationhad diabetes, and this number isexpected to increase to 592 mil-lion people by the year 2035.These are large numbers andSouth Africa is not spared with anestimated prevalence of 8,4 percent, translating to 2,7 millionSouth Africans having diabetes in2014.

A frightening finding is thatmany diabetics are not diagnosed,despite the simplicity in diagnos-ing diabetes i.e. a fasting bloodglucose of greater than 7 mmol/l,a random blood glucose greaterthan 11,1 mmol/l or a bloodHba1C of greater than 6,5.

Symptoms of diabetes are fre-quent urination with increasedthirst as well as blurred vision,itching of the body, weight lossand fatigue. People at risk of dia-betes are those who have a firstdegree relative with diabetes, arequite inactive, are overweight orobese. Hypertension is a furtherrisk factor.

People with cardiovascular dis-ease, such as stroke or heartattack, should always be screenedfor diabetes amongst other riskfactors.

Of great concern is the spreadof Type 2 diabetes to the youngerpatient, such as teenagers andeven children. Paediatricians whopreviously mostly treated Type 1diabetics, are now seeing childrenwith Type 2 diabetes. This

increase is related to the burgeon-ing childhood obesity and inactiv-ity as well as excessive calorieconsumption.

Type 1 diabetics are usuallythin, with onset of diabetes at ayoung age and have to be treatedwith insulin, without which thereare serious repercussions, such asweight loss, diabetic comas andincompatibility with normal liv-ing.

In Type 1 diabetes, there isdestruction of the pancreatic cellsthat produce insulin, and hencethe treatment has to be insulinreplacement by injection. Insulinis the hormone naturally pro-duced by the pancreatic glandthat lowers elevated blood glu-cose (sugar) by facilitating thetransfer of glucose from the bloodvessels into various cells.

By contrast, Type 2 diabetesusually develops at an older ageand is due to a combination ofinsulin resistance (where moreinsulin than normal is required toreduce the blood glucose value)and decreased insulin productionfrom the pancreas. Type 2 diabet-

ics tend to be obese, and are treat-ed with lifestyle modificationcombined with various glucose-lowering tablets, and/ or insulininjections.

Pre-diabetes is the stagebetween having normal bloodglucose levels and diabetes andhas an incidence of approximate-ly eight per cent of the adult pop-ulation. Pre-diabetics are at ahigher risk than non-diabetics ofhaving cardiovascular disease.

It is hoped that by targetingthis stage with appropriatelifestyle changes, the progress todiabetes can be delayed orstopped. These lifestyle changesare best undertaken at a commu-nity level, with education playingan important role.

Measures that are recommend-ed are weight loss – with surpris-ingly mild reductions being bene-ficial – and healthy eating(encompassing consumption ofvegetables, fruit and white meat,such as poultry or fish, whileavoiding overfeeding and exces-sive consumption of refinedstarches and fats).

Exercise is strongly recom-mended and should be undertak-en for a minimum of at least 150minutes a week. Fancy exerciseequipment is not required and canbe achieved by brisk walking forfive, thirty-minute sessions perweek.

Type 2 diabetes is often accom-panied by other risk factors forcardiovascular disease, such ashypertension, obesity, reductionin the so-called good cholesterol(HDL) and an elevation in totalcholesterol. Thus, not surprising-ly, one finds that diabetics are atan increased risk of cardiovascu-lar disease, such as heart attacksand strokes, with the risk increas-ing with more risk factors.

It is strongly recommendedthat diabetics do not smoke.Approximately 70 per cent of dia-betics will die from a cardiacrelated complication. Diabetesaccounts for most chronic kidneyfailure patients requiring dialysis,and is also the leading cause forblindness in adults.

However, all is not doom andgloom!

The message is to address therisk factors, aiming for control ofblood pressure, cholesterol, bodyweight and glucose. The targetsshould be discussed with yourhealth care worker (medical doc-tor, nursing sister or diabetic edu-cator) and should be regularlychecked, with a minimum of twochecks per year for well-con-trolled individuals.

Good control, as shown in var-ious studies, reduces the chancesof heart attacks, strokes, blind-ness and chronic kidney failure. Aten-year diabetic control studyshowed that benefits from gooddiabetic control extended tobeyond the study period.

Diabetes needs to be tackledon two fronts: firstly, preventionat the community level; and, sec-ondly, ensuring that those peoplewho develop diabetes receiveappropriate treatment and inter-ventions aimed at reducing thecomplications of this very com-mon disease.Dr Suresh Rajpaul is a specialistphysician at Melomed Gatesville.Telephone 021 637 5644

No excuse for undiagnosed diabetesIn Type 1 diabetes … the treatment has to be insulin replacement by injection… Type 2 diabetics tend to be obese, and are treated with lifestyle modification

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201524

NURENE JASSIEMSANZAF offers skills development opportunities inpartnership with various institutions, in order to providelong-term solutions for beneficiaries and their families.These opportunities form part ofthe Sanzaf Education, Empower-ment and Development (SEED)Programme.

Sanzaf’s partnership with theComputer, Accounting, andDevelopment (CAD) TrainingCentre has proved highly success-ful, especially for the Sanzaf ben-eficiaries who attend the OfficeAdministration courses at CAD.

Of the latest group of 16 grad-uates from this course, three havealready found permanent employ-ment and six are awaiting a finalresponse from potential employ-ers.

‘[This course has] not onlytaught me some valuable skillsand life lessons but it has alsoboosted my self-confidence andability to see my potential as ayoung individual.

‘I am so grateful to Sanzaf forgiving me this opportunity to beable to do this course and achievewhat I have,’ said Faeeza, one ofthe graduates.

Another graduate, Aqeelah,echoed Faeeza’s sentiments andsaid: ‘When we started here, wehad no idea what to expect.We’ve all learnt so many things inour time at CAD, not only aboutoffice admin but also about life,how any ‘bad’ situation can beturned into something good.

‘You have the power to changeyour situation and you need towork hard to achieve your goals.’

Sanzaf Western Cape will behosting a number of events forthe remainder of 2015, inshaAllah.

A Sanzaf Five Pillars Quizcompetition and a Zakaah Semi-nar will be held along the GardenRoute, in conjunction with San-zaf’s George office, on November14 and 15.

The Annual Unified Jalsa,which seeks to bring together and

acknowledge the various SanzafDawah training groups, takesplace on December 13, at ParowCivic Centre.

In commemoration of WorldAid’s Day on December 1, 2015,Sanzaf’s Manenberg, Retreat andBelhar offices will be hosting spe-cial events aimed at educatingpeople about the disease and pro-viding a nutritious meal to thosein need.

Sanzaf will be hosting its annu-al Senior Citizens Outreach Pro-gramme on December 15, 2015.

- ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE -Sanzaf empowers families and edutains the youth

The latest group of Sanzaf beneficiaries who completed a course in OfficeAdministration at the Computer, Accounting, and Development (CAD) TrainingCentre. Photo SUPPLIED

IN the Name of Allah the MostGracious, the Most Merciful, Ibear witness there is no god butAllah, and Muhammad (Allah’sblessings and salutations be uponhim) is the final Messenger ofAllah. May Allah’s eternal Ridha(favour) be upon his blessedhousehold and all his venerated Companions. Ameen.

Previously, we discussed thelevels of the Quran and the vari-ous degrees of the religion –Islam, Iman and Ihsan.

In Part Two, we continue thediscussion of the verse: ‘And Wehave bestowed this divine book asan inheritance to such of Our ser-vants whom We have chosen(meaning for Islam). Among themare those who have wronged theirsouls and some who follow amiddle course, and some who areforemost in righteousness andvirtue by His Will. Such is thegreat gift bestowed from ourLord.’ (Surah Fatir:32)

The Prophet (SAW) said: ‘Thewonders and marvels of theQuran will never cease.’ And inanother hadith, ‘Verily, the Quranhas an outer and an inner mean-ing.’

‘Perhaps,’ says Shaikh Ahmadal-Alawi, ‘the one who cleaves tothe outer meanings does not seethe Book of Allah as being any-thing other than what his feebleintellect can perceive, and rejectswhat lies beyond that.

‘He does not realise that whathe perceives of the outer meaningof the Book of Allah, is only thepeel around the core. So does hebelieve that what his intellect hasperceived is what the Compan-ions of the Prophet have under-stood of the Book of Allah?’

Never! Let him examine hissoul, and let him see if his heartconceals something more pre-cious than what his words con-tain. And if so, then he will be onewho has clear proof from hisLord. And if not, then what hehas lost is greater than what hehas gained.

Sayyidina Ali (Karram WajHahu) said: ‘If I wanted to, Icould load the backs of 40 camelswith the commentary and tafsir ofSurah al-Fatihah.’

And Sha’rani quotes, in hisYawaqeet al-Jawaheer, thatAbdullah ibn Abbas is reported tohave said: ‘Were I to tell you whatI know of the tafsir of Allah’swords, “His command descendsbetween them,” (Q. 65:12) youwould stone me to death or callme an unbeliever (you wouldmake me kaafir).’

Salman al Farisi, may Allah bepleased with him, said: ‘Were I totell you all I know (of knowledgereceived from the Prophet) youwould say. ‘May Allah havemercy on the killer of Salman.’

These adillah (textual proofs)in the words of the Prophet

(SAW) and his Companions (mayAllah be pleased with them) areall narrated and taken from thegreat scholars of Quran andHadith.

So, we can see that the esotericand deeper meanings of theQuran do not originate from theSufis per se, as some people maywant to think. (It is certainly noinnovation on their part.)

This is why I present the textu-al proofs from the Prophet andhis Companions. So that we canunderstand that the Quran hasdegrees and so does the religion.And Allah has given each genera-tion of the ummah their fair shareof contemplating the Quran.Allah says: ‘Do they not contem-plate and ponder (the message) ofthis Quran?’ (4:82)

Shaikh al-Alawi (RA) explainsin his tafsir: ‘If the Book of Allahdid not contain such marvels thenwe would not have been orderedto contemplate it through thepassing of time, and the verb“yata dabbarun” is in the present/future tense. And the Quran is thefinal revelation and is meant to berelevant to all times, till the end oftime.’

And the shaikh says, mention-ing Ibn Abd al-Barr and othereminent scholars who have saidwhen relating the words of theirpredecessors, ‘Laysa kalimatunadarr alal ilm…’ ‘Nothing is moreharmful and dangerous forknowledge, scholars and studentsthan the claim that “the scholarsof old (al-Mutaqaddimun) havenot left anything to be said bythose who came after them”. Ifthis is the case then where is ourshare of contemplation? The onewho makes or believes such aclaim has no basis for it otherthan his poor opinion of theremaining righteous people of thebelievers.’ (Al-Baqiyat as-Salihat)

Far be it for Allah to leave HisBeloved Prophet’s community(ummah) wandering in bewilder-ment.

‘My community is like rain, itis not known which part is morebeneficial, the first or the last.’

In Jami’ al-Saghir, Imam Suyu-ti quotes this hadith: ‘Allah willsend to this community at thestart of every hundred yearssomeone to renew its religion forit.’ Shaikh al-Alawi believes thatthis renewer (mujaddid) is not

someone who follows the opinionof others but, rather, takes direct-ly from the Book of Allah and theSunnah of His Messenger withoutany intermediaries, and he onlymakes use of what serves torenew the faith.

And also the hadith: ‘The earthis never without 40 men who arelike the friend (Khalil al-Rah-man). By their means are yougiven rain, and by their means areyou given aid. When one of themdies, Allah substitutes another inhis stead.’

To end off, there is a hadith inSahih al-Bukhari: One of theCompanions of the Prophet said:‘O Messenger of Allah, will thereever be any people more greatlyrewarded than us since we believein you and we follow you?’

He answered: ‘Why would younot do so when the Messenger ofAllah is amongst you, bringingyou revelation from Heaven? No,a people will come after you; theywill receive the Book of Allah onpages between covers, and theywill believe in it and act on it, likeyou; their reward will be greaterthan yours.’

Wal Hamdulillah

The Quran, its meanings, and levels of belief of the MuslimsThis is the second of a two-part khutbah, delivered atHabibia Soofie Masjid, Cape Town, in August 2015, byShaikh MAHDIE HENDRICKS where he discusses the levels of Quranic interpretation. While this is a vast subject which cannot be fully discussed in two sessions,he aims to give the reader some insight to this topic,which might encourage the enquiring mind to do furtherresearch.

‘Perhaps,’ says Shaikh Ahmad al-Alawi,

‘the one who cleaves to the outer meanings

does not see the Book of Allah as being anything

other than what his feeble intellect can perceive,

and rejects what lies beyond that.

Former auditor-general, Shauket Fakie, was elected as the National Chairperson of the South African National Zakaah Fund (Sanzaf), at the organisation’s Triennial General Meeting (TGM) in Pretoria, on Saturday,October 24. Shauket Fakie replaces outgoing National Chairperson, SajidDawray. Sanzaf’s National Office Bearers (NOB) for the next three years werealso elected at the TGM. On the eve of the announcement, Dawray said: ‘Iwish the new incoming National Office Bearers well and I am confident thattheir formidable talents will certainly enhance the efficacy and impact of thefund’s projects and programmes. I thank all the remarkable members of thefund with whom I served for their invaluable good counsel, dedication andsupport during my tenure.’ On accepting his nomination as National Chairperson, Shauket Fakie paid tribute to the founding members of Sanzaf.In outlining his vision he said: ‘We need to change the game plan and consider serious social engineering and really move close to a sustainable,credible and demonstrable model. Other changes to the NOB team include:Abdul Kader Mohamed, who replaces Fayruz Mohamed as National Treasurer. Mohamed now holds the position of First Deputy Chairperson,while the outgoing First Deputy Chairperson, Showkat Mukadam, moves tothe position of Second Deputy Chairperson. Asif Joosub was appointedAssistant National Treasurer. Mogammat Amien Jacobs replaces NazeemSamie as Secretary, while Rageema Jacobs maintains her position as theCoordinator for the NOB. Some of Sanzaf’s National Office Bearers, picturedabover are, from left: Abdul Kader Mohamed (National Treasurer), Mogam-mat Amien Jacobs (National Secretary), Shauket Fakie (National Chairper-son), Sajid Dawray (outgoing National Chairperson), Rageema Jacobs(National Coordinator) and Fayruz Mohamed (First Deputy Chairperson).

Photo SANZAF COMMUNICATIONS

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 25

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201526

Supports Breast Cancer AwarenessSupports Breast Cancer AwarenessSupports Breast Cancer Awareness

Pink Hijab Day 2015visit www.vocfm.co.za or follow us on

MICKAEEL COLLIERTHE past few decades, postcolonialism in Africa and thedecline and fall of the communistbloc, were dominated by thedebates around modernisation,underdevelopment and variousdependency theories.

At the time that these debateswere raging, South Africa duringthe 80s and 90s was largely iso-lated from these debates as thegoverning powers’ attention wasfocused on escalating protests andthe consequent increasingamounts of societal repressionthat caused it.

However, in post-apartheidSouth Africa, the focus shifted toa transitional settlement and,slowly, the debate around devel-opment and sustainabilityemerged.

Successive post-apartheid gov-ernment socio-economic policiesand programmes attempted todrive the development debate.The Reconstruction and Develop-ment Programme (RDP), whichwas, in effect, the developmentpolicy statement of the govern-ment, aimed at establishing amore equal society throughreconstruction and development,as well as strengthening democra-cy for all South Africans.

Although the RDP was viewedas the cornerstone of governmentdevelopment policy, it did notdeliver in terms of economicgrowth, which impacted negative-ly on the policy itself.

In addressing this disconnect

between the social and economicpolicies, Government then intro-duced a macroeconomic policyframework called the Growth,Employment and Redistribution(Gear) strategy, in 1996, to stimu-late faster economic growth,which was required to provideresources to meet social invest-ment needs.

The policy encompassed mostof the social objectives of theRDP but was also aimed at reduc-ing fiscal deficits, lowering infla-tion, maintaining exchange ratestability, decreasing barriers totrade and liberalising capitalflows.

While the Gear strategy wassufficient for the achievement ofmacroeconomic objectives, it fellshort of providing to the socialchallenges of the country, mostnotably, poverty reduction andemployment creation, as wasenvisaged.

Gear was replaced, in 2005, bythe Accelerated and SharedGrowth Initiative for SouthAfrica (Asgisa) as a further devel-opment on the first two develop-mental strategies.

Following the recall of Presi-dent Thabo Mbeki, Asgisa wasreplaced with the New GrowthPath (NGP) which recognisedthat structural unemployment,poverty, exploitation and oppres-sion of workers continues; and,most profoundly, that theinequalities are now deeper thanever before.

In this regard, the NGP wasenvisioned to accelerate growth in

the South African economy, andto do so in ways that rapidlyreduce poverty, unemploymentand inequality.

To help overcome these struc-tural challenges and contribute tothe achievement of higher levelsof economic growth, NGP wasseen as a necessary policy.

In early 2013, the governmentthen introduced the NationalDevelopment Plan (NDP) asSouth Africa’s long-term socio-economic development roadmapfor eliminating poverty andreducing inequality in SouthAfrica by 2030, by addressing thecountry’s socio-economic imbal-ances.

Twenty-one years into theNational Democratic Revolution,it seems that government, busi-ness and civil society have notbeen able to adequately addressthe developmental challenges thatface our society.

The fact that we have had closeto six development strategiespost-apartheid indicates that,somewhere along the line, wehave not got the formula rightand, in essence, we have missedthe plot.

The ever increasing servicedelivery protests and, mostrecently, the student uprising#feesmustfall campaign, indicatesthat, firstly, the strategies andpolicies that have been imple-mented have not been effective,and, secondly, and I think moreimportantly, the nature of thedevelopment challenges that isrequired is not understood.

Driving down the N2 highway,we see people crossing the nation-al road at great risk to their ownpersonal safety, and, often, ourresponse to this is a sense ofindignation at the ‘stupidity’ and‘backwardness’ of ‘these’ people.

However, have we stopped tothink that their final destinationmay be just across the highway,and that using the overheadbridge provided for pedestrians isa fifteen-minute walk from theirhouse, just to cross over and thenwalk fifteen minutes back, in theopposite direction to get to apoint, where they may or may notfind work for the day.

Faced with this reality on adaily basis, I’m sure many takethe chance and dart across thehighway.

Another example: think of theindignity of living in a smallshack, with no electricity, noaccess to running water, no toiletsand having to use a bucket orportable loo while your familysits in the room.

How many of us would be ableto survive this as our daily reali-ty?

I think we have missed theplot. It seems that we do notunderstand poverty. Yet, the solu-tions for poverty are developed inboardrooms far removed fromthe reality on the ground, letalone the understanding of thatreality.

Development is about peopleand not about objects.

When analysing the Islamicsystem of development, we are

faced with a holistic approach todevelopment that incorporatesIslamic ethical social principlessuch as adl (justice), istihan (pref-erence to the better), maslaha(public interest), shura (consulta-tion), urf (custom), istislah(reform) and itidal (harmony).

Furthermore, Islamic socialfinance presents two mechanismsto achieve this holistic, sustain-able development.

First is the system of zakaah,which is a compulsory, reliefmechanism to a specified list ofrecipients.

Second is the Waqf system,which is a preferred sunnah (high-ly recommended, voluntary)establishment of an endowmentthat could be focused on variousprogrammes but, if implementedcorrectly and with strategy, couldbe extremely focused to achievesocietal goals of sustainabledevelopment.

Previous articles in this serieshave elucidated on the examplesof the various waqfs (endow-ments) that were made through-out history, and this is not for ourdiscussion now.

Suffice to say, though, that theperpetual developmental natureof the Waqf institution, inessence, functions as a socio-eco-nomic re-distributive mechanismwithin society by encouragingcivil society participation inaddressing the challenges thatface our common future.Mickaeel Collier is a politicalanalyst and Deputy CEO ofAwqaf South Africa.

THINKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITYThe South African experienc and the need for the proliferation of waqf

AWQAF - promoting self-reliance and sustainability

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 27

BROAD-based black economicempowerment (B-BBEE) strivesto ensure that equitable opportunities are created andoffered to black South Africansin a sustainable manner.

This is in alignment with ourcommon pursuit as SouthAfricans, as it builds a sustainablefuture for all our children. It alsomakes good business sense toensure that all your employees aregiven the tools to contribute tothe growth of your business.

B-BBEE recognises that someracial groupings in South Africahave been significantly more dis-empowered than others.

Who are the beneficiaries of B-BBEE?In formal legal terms, the ben-

eficiaries of B-BBEE are ‘blackpeople’ which, according to the B-BBEE Acts is ‘a generic termwhich means Africans, Colouredsand Indians, including only natur-al persons who are citizens of theRepublic of South Africa by birthor descent; or are citizens of theRepublic of South Africa by natu-ralisation: a) Occurring before thecommencement date of the Con-stitution of the Republic of SouthAfrica Act of 1993; or b) Occur-ring after the commencement dateof the Constitution of the Repub-lic of South Africa Act of 1993but who, without the apartheidpolicy, would have qualified natu-ralisation before then.’

The amended broad-basedblack economic empowerment(BEE) Codes of Good Practice

have moved the scoring line forbusiness and placed more empha-sis on direct black ownership andcontrol of companies.

The debate about the JSE andreal black ownership began afterPresident Jacob Zuma said, in hisState of the Nation address, thatblack-controlled companiesaccount for as little as three percent of the stock exchange.

Zuma’s comments paved theway for the release of the amend-ed Act and codes, that came intoforce on May 1 and which place alot more emphasis on black own-ership and control.

But the impact will not bebiggest on listed entities that arestill able to count indirect owner-ship in their tally of black owner-ship.

Instead, it will be felt in small-er companies, which will needdirect black ownership. Previous-ly, a company might be entirelywhite-owned but could achievegood BEE levels by excelling inareas such as employment equity,skills development, preferentialprocurement, socioeconomicdevelopment or enterprise devel-opment. But now, the categoriesfor compliance are condensedfrom seven to five, three of whichare priority elements and must becomplied with.

The broad-based BEE levelsrange from one (the highest)down to eight or noncompliance.Compliance with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empower-ment Act and codes remains vol-untary.

The incentive to comply isamong companies that tender togovernment. They score higherpoints in the tender process ifthey have a good broad-basedBEE level. Listed companies canstill include indirect ownership intheir tally of black ownership.The regulation says black peopleare inherent JSE shareholdersthrough pension funds and otherSouth African mandated invest-ments.

Government still recognisesthere may be multinationalswhose global practices preventthem from complying with theownership element of broad-based BEE through the tradition-al sale of shares to black SouthAfricans. In such cases, the codesallowed for black ownership to beearned through contributions,known as equity.

The biggest change in thebroad-based BEE Act is thatfronting has been recognised andcriminalised. It has been clearlydefined and the consequences forthose found guilty is a fine of up

to 10% of turnover or, for indi-viduals, up to ten years in prison.According to the Department ofTrade and Industry, ‘fronting’means a circumvention orattempted circumvention of thebroad-based BEE Act and thecodes.

The new codes award points tobusinesses for developing poten-tial black-owned suppliers. Pointsare earned by awarding these sup-pliers with three-year contractsand contributing towards creat-ing jobs within these suppliers.

Many of the changes outlinedin the broad-based black econom-ic empowerment codes of goodpractice legislation will, hopeful-ly, see BEE becoming less of abox-ticking exercise and more of

a strategic objective, focused onsustainability and real change.

If you would like a specifictopic featured in the upcomingissues, kindly send your sugges-tions to technical@nexia-sabt.co.za.This 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 con-tained herein. If you are in doubtabout any information in thisarticle or require any advice onthe topical matter, please do nothesitate to contact any NexiaSAB&T office nationally.

The impact of B-BBEE on the South African economy

Focus on FinanceHASSEN KAJIE, CA (SA), a director of NEXIA SAB&T,based in the Cape Town office, and AYSHA OSMAN, CA(SA), National Technical Manager for Nexia SAB&T in theCenturion office, look at the impact of B-BBEE on theSouth African economy.

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.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201528

IN this article, I wish to reflecton some of the divisions within the community in

which the ulama are involved.The first problem we face is

that fatawa are issued by ulamabodies as well as individualmuftis.

The former issue fatawa after aprocess of shura while the latterreflect personal opinion.

So, when they issue contradic-tory fatawa, it, naturally, leavesthe community in a confusedstate. Furthermore, if the mufti,for instance, insists that his is theonly valid fatwa, it rules out alldiffering views – so much forrespect for ikhtilaf!

This is also the case with theHalaal issue. Instead of concedingthat there are diverse views on themethod of slaughtering, the ten-dency of some muftis is to insult,humiliate and discredit thoseulama who disagree with them,and to declare products certifiedby them as totally haraam.

This has serious implications.It means that, in the view of suchmuftis, all Muslims who acceptthe bona fides of the relevantHalaal-certifying authority andconsume those products, are con-sidered to be consuming haraamand, therefore, committing a sin.If we cite from the Majlis on thisissue we would all be considered‘carrion eaters’.

Recently, a mufti went on airand announced that all machine-slaughtered chickens are haraam.It naturally created a lot of heatedexchanges, and objections from aHalaal-certifying authority in theregion.

The presenter decided toaccept an invitation to inspect theplant. He returned the next day toannounce that he could not agreewith the mufti’s claims. Fitnah-mongering?

The MJC considers gelatinderived from non-halaal slaugh-tered animals as halaal butSANHA does not.

So what does a consumer do insuch a case?

For instance, if I accept theSANHA position and am invitedfor breakfast by Shafiq Mortonwho offers me yoghurt containinganimal gelatin, certified halaal bythe MJC, do I refuse to eat it andthereby insult my host?

And if I follow the Majlis’ rul-ing that all machine-slaughteredchickens are haraam, what do Ido if Shafiq invites me to lunchand I know that he buys NIHT-approved chickens? Eat the veg-etables?

(By the way, another Halaalcertifying authority has beenlaunched in KwaZulu-Natal. Socan we expect more confusion? Ihope not!)

Then there is the argumentadvanced by some ulama thatSouth Africa is dar al-kufr sothings which are not permitted inan Islamic state become permissi-ble here. The debate over the per-missibility of accepting interest, inthe 1940s, is a case in point.

However, the United UlamaCouncil does not consider thiscountry as dar al-kufr but dar alamn (abode of peace) because weenjoy religious freedom here. Sothat argument is based on a falsepremise.

Another practice (which Iassume has been sanctioned bysome ulama) is classifying zakaahas donation tax. First, it is not adonation but a religious obliga-tion. Second, if the Receiver ofRevenue grants a rebate on theamount claimed, can it be saidthat the zakaah has been dis-charged?

A ruse that was used byemployers in the past was theprinciple of ‘agreement’ (support-ed by some ulama). Based on this,employers would pay their staffless than the minimum wage. Tomeet the legal requirements, theemployer would give the staff thefull wage on Friday who then hadto return the ‘excess’ on Monday.

This reminds me of the story inthe Quran of the fishermenamong the Banu Israel, who werenot allowed to fish on the Sab-

bath; they would cast their netson Friday and pull them out onMonday! Very inventive!

The fiasco over the proposedMarriage Bill is another blot onthe Muslim community. Insteadof making shura and reachingconsensus before submitting pro-posals, Muslim individuals,including ulama, and organisa-tions were submitting contradic-tory proposals and even demand-ing that the bill should not bepassed, which is why it has beenput on the back burner.

The demand by some groupsthat the Constitution is supremeand that all the provisions of theproposed bill should be in confor-mity with the Constitution cannotbe countenanced. At the otherextreme, the objection to the billby some ulama on the groundsthat a non-Muslim court cannotbe allowed to decide on sharimatters no longer holds water.

The courts are increasinglybeginning to grant implicit recog-nition to marriages conducted interms of shariah. The downside isthat the courts have awardedmaintenance in terms of SouthAfrican law where the marriagehas not been registered, as hastranspired recently. This couldhave been avoided had the Mar-riage Bill been endorsed.

Ironically, some ulama whoclaim that they do not recognisethe jurisdiction of South African(‘kufr’) courts are prepared to usethese courts to obtain relief forthemselves!

If the dispute between the pro-ponents and opponents of the billwas simply a matter of interpreta-tion, there might have been a pos-sibility of thrashing out a com-promise but, as matters stand, thedifferences are irreconcilable.

In my view, there is no likeli-hood of the bill seeing the light ofday. Interestingly, the Majlis and

Muslim Women’s Association areon the same side, albeit for differ-ent reasons.

The practice of considering theletter of the law rather than thespirit of the law is another chal-lenge. Since the Quran permitspolygamy it is argued that therecan be no restrictions placed onpolygamy. So the imam will con-duct the nikah without takinginto account whether the man iscapable of maintaining or treatingtwo wives equally – which is theQuranic imperative.

Any talk of regulatingpolygamy to protect women fromabuse is dismissed as interferingin ‘God’s law’. Since the Qurandoes not oblige the husband toseek his first wife’s permission –which is the standard answer tothose who question this practice –men simply inform their firstwives that they have contracted asecond marriage.

The result is that many wiveschoose to walk out of the mar-riage. Other husbands do noteven inform their wives about thesecond marriage. Upon theirdeaths, the wives pitch up fortheir share of the inheritance.

We are still saddled with themoon debacle, where somemosques in the Cape celebrateEid-ul-Adha with Saudi Arabiawhile the rest of the province cel-ebrates it with the rest of SouthAfrica. And I have been informedthat at least one mosque relies onscientific evidence for the com-mencement and end ofRamadaan. Where is ijma?

I cannot see any of these differ-ences being resolved any timesoon, if ever. I suppose we haveno choice but to live with thesecontradictions for the foreseeablefuture.

But I still do not know whetherI should accept Shafiq Morton’sinvitation for breakfast!

DISCUSSIONS WITH DANGORDISCUSSIONS WITH DANGOR

Instead ofconcedingthat thereare diverseviews onthe methodof slaugh-tering, thetendency ofsome

muftis is to insult, writesEmeritus ProfessorSULEMAN DANGOR.

Should I accept Shafiq Morton’s invitation for breakfast?

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 29

IBRAHIM OKSAS and NAZEEMA AHMED

WE live in times whereour need for spiritualsupport and assistance is

becoming more apparent.In his contemporary Quranic

tafsir, Risale-i Nur, BediuzzamanSaid Nursi conveys that becauseof our impotence and countlessenemies, we need a source of sup-port to which we can turn torepulse those enemies. Likewise,because of the abundance of ourneeds and our extreme immateri-al poverty, we need a source ofassistance from which we maymeet our needs.

Bediuzzaman says: ‘O man!Your one and only point of sup-port is belief in Allah. The onlysource of assistance for your ruhand conscience is belief in theakhirah.’ Thus, one who does notknow of these two sources suffersconstant fear and his conscience isperpetually tormented.

The person who seeks supportfrom belief in Allah, and seekshelp from belief in the akhirah,experiences many pleasures anddelights in his heart and ruh sothat he is consoled and his con-science is at ease.

He continues, saying that sinceit is only iman that affords thesesources of support and assistance,having iman requires us to say,‘Alhamdulillah!’ It is only imanthat removes the pain that occurswhen lawful pleasures start tofade.

Furthermore, having iman notonly points us to the source ofnimah but also ensures that thenimah continues and does notdiminish.

The things that we may imag-ine to be hostile and foreign, andlifeless and lost, the light of imanshows to us as friends and broth-ers, as living and as constantlyglorifying Allah while a personwho looks with the eye of heed-lessness supposes the beings to beharmful, and he takes fright.

In the view of misguidance,there are no bonds between thethings of the past and those of thefuture. There is only an insignifi-cant, partial connection betweenthem. As a consequence, thebrotherhood of the people of mis-guidance is only for one minutewithin thousands of years.

However, in the view of iman,all heavenly bodies appear as liv-ing and familiar with one another.Iman shows each of these to beglorifying their Creator throughthe tongues of their beings.

In this respect, all heavenlybodies possess a sort of life andspirit. There is no fear, therefore,when the heavenly bodies areconsidered with this view ofiman; there is only familiarity andlove.

The view of kufr sees humanbeings, since they are powerless tosecure their desires, as ownerlessand without protector; it imag-ines them to be grieving and sor-rowful like weeping orphans onaccount of their impotence.

The view of iman, on the otherhand, sees human beings as livingcreatures, not as orphans but asofficials charged with duties, asservants glorifying and extollingAllah Almighty.

The light of iman depicts thisworld and the akhirah as twotables displaying numerous vari-eties of nimah from which abeliever benefits through iman,his senses and his subtle, spiritualfaculties.

In the view of misguidance, thesphere from which a being maybenefit diminishes and is restrict-ed only to material pleasureswhile, in the view of iman, itexpands to a sphere whichembraces the heavens and theearth.

A believer considers the sun tobe a lamp hanging in the roof ofhis house, and the moon to be anight-light.

They thus become a nimah forhim.

With the eloquent ayahs inSurahs Ibrahim and Yunus,respectively, ‘And He has madesubservient to you the sun and themoon,’ and, ‘He it is Who enablesyou to travel the land and thesea…’ the Quran of MiraculousExposition alludes to this won-derful nimah and barakah, whicharises from iman.

In The Rays, one of the booksin the Risale-i Nur Collection,Bediuzzaman draws our attentionto the different forms of nimah,each of which requires us as peo-ple of iman to express constant

and countless hamd to AllahAlmighty.

Bediuzzaman says that, firstly,it is through iman that we knowthat Allah Almighty’s existence isa nimah surpassing all otherforms of nimah.

The nimah of Allah Almighty’sexistence is a source and a foun-tain containing endless varietiesof nimah, innumerable sorts ofbarakah and uncountable kindsof gifts.

It is, consequently, incumbenton us as people of iman to offerhamd for the countless nimah ofiman to the number of particles inthis world.

One of the nimah for whichhamd should be offered is thenimah of Allah’s rahmah. Indeed,rahmah comprises nimah to thenumber of living beings that man-ifest Allah’s rahmah.

We are connected with all liv-ing creatures and, in this respect,we are pleased by their happinessand saddened by their pain. Thus,a nimah found in a single individ-ual is a nimah also for his or herfellows.

Another nimah that deserveshamd, is Allah Almighty’s com-passion. One who feels sorrowand pity at the weeping of a child,surely feels pleasure at a mother’scompassion for her child. Thus,pleasures of this sort are a nimahand require hamd and shukr.

Another nimah requiring hamdand shukr to the number of all thevarieties and instances of wisdomcontained in the universe is Allah

Almighty’s hikmah. Just as man’sself is endowed with the manifes-tation of Allah’s rahmah, and hisheart with the manifestation ofAllah’s compassion, so too doeshis intellect take pleasure inAllah’s hikmah.

In this respect, they requireendless hamd through declaring‘Alhamdulillah!’

Bediuzzaman informs us that,likewise, there are countlessforms of nimah in each of AllahAlmighty’s one thousand and onenames manifested in His creation.Thus, Allah’s beautiful, divinenames and sacred attributesrequire us to express ‘Alhamdulil-lah’ as great as the world, since ineach are endless forms of nimah,each of which requires endlesshamd and shukr.

Likewise, Nabi Muhammad(SAW), who is the means ofattaining the nimah of iman andwho has the authority to open allthe treasuries of nimah, is alsosuch a nimah, that for all eternity,we, as humankind, bear the debtof praising and applauding him.

Likewise, the nimah of Islamand the Quran, which are theindex and source of all varietiesof nimah, deserves unending andinfinite hamd.

From Bediuzzaman’s account,we conclude that the phrase‘Alhamdulillah’ is such a blessedphrase that we should make itone that moistens our tongue byconstantly offering hamd to AllahAlmighty, and making unendingshukr to Him, Insha Allah.

Light from the Qur’an

‘Alhamdulillah’: a blessed phrase

AHMAD Al-Raysuni’s book, Al-Shura: the Quranic Principle ofConsultation, discusses the sub-ject of consultation, examiningthe topic as a tool for reconstruc-tion and reform in the Muslimworld. It uniquely captures theuntouched areas of consultationwhile still highlighting what isnew and useful.

Muslims remain largely unawareof the importance and value of theQuranic principle of al-shura(mutual consultation) and the sig-nificant role it can play in theadvancement and reform of Muslimsociety.

The opening chapter of thisbook discusses ‘The place of con-sultation in Islamic Life’, whichhighlights the importance of consul-tation both in texts relevant toIslamic law and on the level of prac-tical necessity. The first part takes

the reader through a number oftexts from the Holy Quran andProphetic traditions.

Such texts include the Quranicverses that recount the exchangewhich Allah SWT initiated with Hisangels concerning the creation ofAdam and the future of his descen-dants on earth. The significanceand comprehensiveness of consulta-tion are likewise demonstrated inthe second half of this chapter,which is devoted to an elucidationof consultation’s purpose and bene-fits.

Chapter two discusses ‘BasicIssues in Consultative Practice’.Consultation-related issues are dis-cussed here in the context of threethemes. The first of these is that ofconsultation relating to publicaffairs. Section two of the chapterdeals with membership in consulta-tive councils, particularly those thathave the right to consider questions

on the level of national governmentand its specific realms of jurisdic-tion.

An overview of what scholarshave had to say about the condi-tions and qualifications required ofsuch advisors yields the followingthree: integrity, knowledge, and

experience. The final theme dis-cussed in this chapter deals with thequestion of whether the outcome ofconsultation is to be consideredbinding or only instructive.

In chapter three, ‘An overview ofIslamic Consultation From itsFunding Era onwards’ is discussed.The first part of this chapter dealswith the initial consultative experi-ences of the Islamic community,that is to say, the manner in whichconsultation was conducted duringthe lifetimes of the Prophet and therightly guided caliphs.

Section two includes a briefoverview of the developments wit-nessed by the practice of consulta-tion – on the levels of both practice,and theorisation and scholarlyinterpretation – subsequent to theera of the rightly guided caliphs.

The final chapter of this bookdiscusses ‘Consultation Today:How Do We Promote it and BuildUpon it?’ This chapter takes as itsstarting point, the lesson to begleaned from historical experience,

both its virtues and failings, for thesake of restoring consultation to itsplace of honour, and rebuilding itboth conceptually and organisa-tionally.

To get your copy contact BaitulHikmah on 031 811 3599 orinfo@hikmah.co.za, or visitwww.hikmah.co.za for more infor-mation.

A guide to consultation based on Quran

Calling all writersBOORHAANOL Islam haslaunched a new magazine calledThe Cape Muslim (Kayfee). Fortheir second edition they hope tostart publishing short stories,Insha Allah.If you have written a short storyor if you are able to write one,please submit your work to Jasmine Khan:jkinflow@telkomsa.net.

In memory ofAHMED MURCHIE

who passed away suddenly onWednesday 21 October 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Aasia,daughter Aaisha and sons Umar and Ali.

The management and staff ofMuslim Views extend their

condolences to the family of thelate Mr Murchie. We make dua

that Allah grants him the highestplace in Jannah. Ameen!

Mr Murchie, trading as TheChange Factory, was a regularadvertiser in Muslim Views for

more than a decade, not missinga single edition in that period.

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 201530

JASMINE KHANI AM often amazed as I watchfriends and family members trying to do as much as possiblebefore they will even considersitting down.

Life is like an express train,hurtling along and picking upmore carriages along the route;the carriages being the extra taskswe set ourselves.

Allowing our bodies to rest isessential. The lack of proper restis an impediment to living ahealthy life. Without adequaterest and enough sleep, we riskcausing illness to our bodies, andto our emotional well-being.

Rest and relaxation is essentialin order for us to live a healthylife filled with well-being. In fact,it is as important as the workitself. If one drives oneself to thepoint of exhaustion, the quality ofwork will diminish.

Also, we have to bear in mindour responsibilities towardsspouses, children and parents.Being in constant motion or con-stantly tired will certainly impacton the quality of the relation-ships.

In order to function, the bodyneeds sufficient sleep, andalthough the amount neededvaries from individual to individ-ual, the average is 7-8 hours.What is happening now is that wetry to do more tasks at night, inorder to get a head start on thefollowing day’s workload, to theextent that office workers takesome of their work home.

This results in an overworked,rundown body, more prone to ill-ness because the immune systemhas been compromised.

Lack of adequate rest affectsconcentration, clear thinking andmemory. It will also affect yourmood; in fact, science has proventhat lack of sleep affects the per-sonality, and tired, overworkedpeople are grumpy, impatient andshort-tempered.

The sleep-wake cycle of thepineal gland becomes disrupted aswe increasingly eat, work andsocialise at night, not realising thepsychological and physical effectson our bodies. It becomes increas-ingly difficult to switch-off theproblems of the outside world; intaking them home we jeopardisedomestic commitments.

Allah says in the Quran: ‘Sure-ly, in the daytime you have pro-longed occupation…’ (73:7) Lifeis about balance; what should beachieved in the evenings will sus-tain and nourish us into the day.However, we use artificial light toextend those pre-occupations.Once the daylight ends, the pinealgland goes into increased produc-tion of melatonin.

By extending light artificiallyto levels of and above 500 lux, weimpede this production. In theQuran Allah tells us to: ‘Stand inprayer by night, half of it or a lit-tle less or a little more and recite

the Quran in slow, measuredtones.’ (73:2-4)

These verses recommend thatwe should rest and that there ismerit in rising during the nightbecause ‘Truly, the rising by nightis a time when impression is keen-er and speech more certain.’(Q73:6)

The time of maximum dark-ness brings sound sleep, whichrefreshes the body after a day oflabour. The pituitary and thepineal glands work in unisonthrough relaxation and medita-tion, which Rasul (SAW) used todo throughout his life.

It is therefore apparent that wehave to use the day for labour andthe night for rest and, because ofthe state of the body during dark-ness, it is of great value to standin prayer if we choose to drawnearer to our Creator.

Clearly, the night was notmade for work or play. ‘It is outof His Mercy that He has put foryou night and day, that you mayrest therein (during the night) andthat you may seek His Bounty(during the day).’ (28:73)

It is just as important to strikea balance during the day. Thereare many who work until they aretotally exhausted. Rasulullah(SAW) emphatically warnedagainst overworking our bodies.He said: ‘Your body has a rightover you, and one of those rights

is to allow it rest and relaxationat regular intervals.’ (Riyad Al-Saleheen)

He was asking workers toavoid a work regime that woulddrive them into exhaustion: ‘Youare required to work to the extentof your abilities for Allah is notimpatient unless you yourselvesbecome impatient.’ (Jami Al-Saghir)

We can see, therefore, that weare not supposed to rush aroundlike a fly buzzing against glass orrefusing to take a rest for fear ofbeing considered weak. We needto be aware of our limitations andavoid overindulgence and fatigue.Our deen expects us to do so.

In another hadith, Rasulullah(SAW) instructed the believers to‘refresh your hearts hour by hour(every now and then)’. (Tirmidhi)

According to a report byAbdullah ibn Masud, there is alsoan addition to this hadith thatsays: ‘The hearts tend to go blindwhen they are denied a (needed)reprieve.’

In another hadith, Rasulullah(SAW) warned against over-exer-tion, being severe on our bodiesand then turning this practice intoa recurring habit, so much so thatwe are, in fact, unable to sit stilland just be. ‘Do not be harsh withyourselves lest you be dealt withharshly for some people wereharsh with themselves, and Allah

dealt with them harshly.’ (AbuDawud)

There is a very good reasonwhy the workday has a middaybreak; as the hours pass, thesecretion of cortisol decreases,which causes exhaustion.Research has found that at thistime, the body secretes a chemicalsubstance which has a tranquilis-ing effect. In fact, we are at thelowest level of concentrationseven hours after rising.

The noon prayer brings quiet-ness to the heart and body and,following this, it is the recom-mendation of Rasulullah (SAW)that we should take a rest. Hecalled it ‘qaylula’ (nap), whichreinvigorates the body. Failure torest the body at this time causes adecrease of neuromuscular com-patibility.

Rasulullah (SAW) said: ‘Gethelp with suhoor for fasting andqaylula for qiyam. Have qaylulaas Satan does not have it.’

We are approaching the end ofthe year, a time when most peoplelook forward to taking a rest.However, Islam is a way of bal-ance, and we need to take care ofour bodies as well as our minds.Sometimes, we rest our bodies butour minds are still buzzing.

Instead of driving ourselvesuntil certain things are done, weshould pace ourselves. A little restand relaxation will greatlyenhance our physical health; inturn, this will bring stability toour emotions. Such a state willnaturally be more receptive to aspiritual connection, Insha Allah.

From Consciousness to Contentment

The importance of rest and relaxation‘It is out of His Mercy that He has put for you night and day, that you may

rest therein (during the night) and that you may seek His Bounty (during the day).’

THERE are four basic categoriesof developmental milestones:physical, communication, socialand emotional, and cognitivedevelopment. I will focus brieflyon communication milestones,and more substantially on socialand emotional milestones.

Communication milestones areabout children’s development oflanguage and the ability toexpress themselves.

By age two years, most chil-dren have some vocabulary. Theycan use simple, two-word sen-tences at 18 months, can under-stand basic commands such as‘eat your porridge’. Two-year-olds use words like ‘mine’ a lot.They use ‘no’ often. They havespecific words to describe items.

By age four years, languagedevelopment becomes moreadvanced. They begin using pastand present tenses, can namethings and follow directions.They can understand conceptslike ‘tomorrow’ and ‘yesterday’and use sentences involving time.

The parents’ role is to oftenengage them in conversation; stopwhat we are doing when theywant to tell us something or ask aquestion. When they point atsomething, name it, describe it,using colours, shapes and tex-tures.

Tell them stories; make upyour own and encourage them toadd to the stories. Take them tothe library. Read to them.

Social and emotional mile-stones involve the development ofunderstanding their feelings;

appropriate expression of feel-ings; the feelings of others andsocial competence, which is aboutsharing, cooperating with andgetting along with others.

Cooperation and social compe-tence are skills that benefit fromdirect experience. Children at thisage can be very possessive andhave difficulty sharing. Learningto get along with others is anessential skill.

In a few years, a child will gofrom spending most of his timewith family and close friends tospending most of the day interact-

ing, learning and playing withother children.

Researchers have found thatemotional development andsocial skills are essential forschool readiness. Examples ofsuch abilities include payingattention to adult figures, movingeasily from one activity to thenext, and cooperating with otherchildren.

Giving children the opportuni-ty to interact with other childrenis one of the best ways to teachthem how to relate to others.While toddlers may find playing

with other children of the sameage frustrating at times becausethey often lack patience and theability to share, things will gradu-ally begin to improve with ageand experience.

As children play and interact,they begin to develop problem-solving skills. If they get into ascuffle with another child, whichhappens often with toddlers, firstacknowledge the feelings of eachchild by verbalising what you see.

Instead of saying ‘no’ and‘don’t fight’, say: ‘I see two chil-dren who are angry because theywant the same toy.’ Thereafter,introduce the idea of taking turns.It helps to have two toys, explain-ing that they will take turns toplay with the toys. With olderchildren, ask them for ideas onhow to solve the problem.

Young children, especially tod-dlers, express their feelingsthrough their behaviour. We needto teach them about their feelingsand expressing feelings accept-ably. They need help in becomingaware of their own feelings,assurance that their feelings arereal and normal but that fighting,for example, is not allowed.

We need to help them under-stand that when they say, ‘I hatemy sister,’ they are really saying, ‘Iam hurt because she won’t ...’Give them the words, i.e. givethem a ‘feeling word’ vocabulary.

Parents in the Parent Centreworkshops are asked to brain-storm alternative words for ‘sad’,‘mad’, ‘bad’ and ‘glad’ (words weoften use).

The longest list of alternativesis for the word ‘bad’. Words suchas ‘ignored’, ‘rejected’, ‘aban-doned’, ‘disappointed’,‘ashamed’, ‘hurt’ and ‘humiliated’are always on this list.

Parents can teach empathy byencouraging children to thinkabout how others feel. We canstart by inquiring about ourchild’s own feelings. For example:‘How did you feel when you lostyour toy?’ ‘How did that storymake you feel?’ ‘How did you feelwhen Achmat pushed you?’

Once children learn to identifytheir own feelings, ask themabout how other people may feel:‘How do you think Saadiq feltwhen you took the toy fromhim?’

By posing such questions, chil-dren can begin to think abouthow their actions affect others.

The old adage ‘practice whatyou preach’ needs to be empha-sised. Children must see and hearus showing empathy, co-opera-tion and good manners. We needto use the words that we wantthem to learn and use, so that itbecomes a habit.

If our children see us sharing,expressing gratitude, being help-ful and sharing feelings, they willlearn how to interact with otherpeople.

The early stages of our chil-dren’s development are excitingtimes. These little people are fol-lowing their paths and we need toembrace that and learn skills tomanage the challenges that comewith it.

Positive and Effective ParentingParenting through the child’s developmental stagesPart 3: Parenting toddlers and pre-schoolers

A father, in the Parent Centre’s Fatherhood Involvement project, conducted inHangberg, Hout Bay, reading to his son. Photo ZEENAT HENDRICKS

Muslim Views

Muslim Views . November 2015 31

ASTRONOMICAL artprices for sought-afterpieces often make

blistering headlines, strident andbold.

Such prized art are now farbeyond even the moderately rich.Only the super-rich have enoughpocket money to dabble in theinternational art market, gob-bling up anything of note andfame.

This scenario has reached ourshores, particularly with the workof the late Irma Stern, who blazedthe art scene in South Africa fromthe 1920s till her death, in 1966.

But the average artist shouldnot be browbeaten and discour-aged when their works do notmatch that of the bright-baubleprices reached at London’s Sothe-by’s or the other renowned auc-tion houses of New York andParis.

Prices of desired objects aregenerally ruled by supply anddemand. And, in the case of art,sometimes, by the aesthetic exe-cution of the artwork in whatevermedium is in current vogue. His-toric or salacious provenance(history of the artwork) is theicing on the trinket.

Recently, I braved a rainy Sun-day morning to view an exhibi-tion of Irma Stern’s work at IzikoNational Gallery, in Cape TownGardens. Yes, it was worthwhilebut a small collection of paintingsby South African artist, MosesTladi, in an adjoining room raisedsome questions about the historicsocial nuances and artistic moresthat rule the art markets.

Here was a white superstarthat dwarfed and, literally, burieda black artist who had paintedwith his soul. Why?

Irma Stern was largely anExpressionist artist. Her paintingsare impasto-bold with thick paintand frequently spiced with a loudcolour-palette of screaming reds,greens and blacks.

Locally, her art was at firstrejected as obscene but, subse-quently, acclaimed both in thelocal and international spheres.She has an interesting history thatnow feathers the provenance ofher art.

Irma Stern was born of Ger-man-Jewish parents, in 1894, inSchweizer-Reneke, Transvaal. Shestudied art at the Weimar Acade-my, Germany, where she cameinto contact with the new, muchderided, Expressionist way ofpainting with thick, primarycoloured paints and minimal real-ism.

Her paintings, particularly theportraits, essentially portrayedthe essence of her subject in his orher surroundings rather than clas-sically realistic images. Most ofher portraits have no name of thesitter. She won many internation-al accolades and prizes.

The family travelled much, vis-iting the Congo, East Africa and

Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa.She visited Zanzibar several timesand even met the then Sultan ofZanzibar, Sayyid Khalifa BinHaroub, when it was under therule of the Oman Arab regime.

This visit resulted in her pub-lishing two journals of her travelsand executing many portraits ofZanzibari men and women, andframed these in classic Zanzibarcarved frames. It is mainly thesepaintings that have reached stellarprices.

In October 2010, her BoharaGirl sold for R26,7 million. In2011, one of her paintings, ArabPriest, was sold for R34 million atBonham’s Auctions, London, tothe Qatar Orientalist Museum.There was a problem with exportpermits regarding this picturesince it was over 60 years old.

Recently, a painting by IrmaStern – of a young Arab man inZanzibar – was discovered in aless well-to-do London homebeing used as a kitchen noticeboard. The painting was worthR19 million.

This painting also had anotherinteresting history (provenance).It had once been donated by BettySuzman, sister-in-law of the well-known political activist and par-liamentarian, Helen Suzman, forsale to finance Nelson Mandela,Walter Sisulu and Oliver Tambo’sTreason Trial defences.

Irma Stern returned to SouthAfrica in 1920 and lived in CapeTown.

Her home, in Rosebank, isnow a museum. When I visitedthere, many years ago, it wasstuffed with her memorabilia. Shehad a penchant for Zanzibaricarvings.

Irma Stern’s fame and the esca-lation of the prices of her paint-ings rest on: (1) her ability as anartist; (2) the very interesting sub-jects she painted; (3) Over a hun-dred solo exhibitions of her workin London, Paris and a number ofinternational countries; (4) theexciting stories and provenancesurrounding her paintings provid-ed fascinating stories in which toview each and every painting; (5)her absorbing personal history,socially and in the art-world; (6)the current financial climate ofvolatile currencies that swaymega-rich investors to invest intangible assets that would poten-tially escalate in value.

Walk further into the museumand you’ll find the exhibition ofMoses Tladi, born in Limpopo,on the wrong side of the SouthAfrican racial and colonial fences.But, adversity did not deter him.

In a letter to art historian Bar-bara Lindop, exiled painter Ger-ard Sekoto dryly remarked ofTladi: ‘Moses did have some tal-ent.’ (The Times 6/10/2015)

The paintings I saw on themuseum walls were of unequalquality but even the greatest artistcannot produce masterpiecesevery day. I have seen worsepaintings on gallery walls thatwere acclaimed and lauded bylocal and international art soci-eties and galleries.

So, why is Moses Tladi anotable figure in South Africanart?

In South Africa’s racist colonialhistory, many art and craft soci-eties and guilds, ‘non-white’artists and craftsmen wereshunned as lepers, best not seenor heard. Many years ago, I wrotein Muslim Views about the Mus-lim silver work apprentices who,by law, could never become qual-ified silversmiths and wereexcluded by closed, exclusivelywhite, guilds at the Cape.

The same treatment implicitlyapplied to other artists ‘ofcolour’. I also wrote about thefirst Muslim painter, HashimDavids, who exhibited his workin the 1940s and how I bought apainting of his at a flea market.

Well, Moses Tladi, born inLimpopo, ‘was the first blackartist to be formally exhibited inSouth Africa, two oils and sixdrawings under the title “SpecialExhibit by Native Artist” at theSelbourne Hall, Johannesburg in1938.’

He was also the first Blackman to exhibit his work at theSouth African National Gallery ofArt, in 1931, writes Sean 0’Toolein The Times (6/10/2015). It isnot evident whether Moses actu-ally saw his paintings hanging inthis museum.

Moses Tladi was a gardenerfor mining boss, Herbert Read.Herbert’s neighbour, HowardPim, was a progressive city politi-cian and art collector. The twodiscovered that Moses painted

landscape scenes using housepaint and sticks for brushes.

They encouraged and helpedMoses to exhibit his artistic work,and, during the 1930s and 1940s,Moses exhibited widely in SouthAfrica until he was forcibly evict-ed from his home, in 1956, by theiniquitous apartheid Group AreasAct. He built a house in Sowetobut never painted again.

Moses died there three yearslater. His work disappeared fromthe art scene until this exhibitionof 30 of his works curated by the‘brilliant young curator, AndreaLewis’. The Artist in the Garden –The Quest for Moses Tladi, byAngela Read Lloyd, was the inspi-ration and quest for this exhibi-tion of Moses Tladi’s passionatehunt for recognition of his artisticendeavours.

Compared with his illustriousand acclaimed art-auction super-star neighbour, Irma Stern, whatis Moses Tladi’s paintings worth?

This comparison highlights thesins of the past that haunts the artworld of South Africa. Eventoday, visit galleries and exhibi-tions and see what dominates thewalls of these hallowed places ofdisplay. It is for you to breakdown the barriers by producingwork of excellence and beauty tochange injustices.

It is no good just to moanabout inequality. Moses Tladishowed the way, using sticks andhouse paint; he shattered the iniq-uitous monopolies on gallerywalls. Locally, in the late 1940s,the late Hashim Adams, usingsimilar means, painted exquisitestill life canvases.

Like Moses Tladi parted theseas of neglect and dust in thisexhibition, Hashim Adams’s tal-ents should be resurrected for thepublic at large to enjoy. We’llexplore the routes to thePromised Land some time later.

Prices ofdesiredobjects aregenerallyruled bysupply anddemand.And, in thecase of art,

sometimes, by the aesthetic execution ofthe artwork, writes DR M C D’ARCY.

FOR ALLFOR ALLArt-fame rules the art market

Muslim woman. Photo SUPPLIED

Moses Tladi’s landscape. Photo SUPPLIED

Irma Stern (left) and Moses Tladi (right). Photos SUPPLIED

The Arab Priest. Photo SUPPLIED

Muslim Views

32 Muslim Views . November 2015

WHEN Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leaderof the self-styled Islamic

State ostentatiously declared, inJune 2014, from the GreatMosque in Mosul, Iraq, that hisnew ‘caliphate’ had come intobeing, it was, in truth, both anassertion of the organisation’sunbridled ambitions and theuntangling of the Sykes-Picotmap in Syria and Iraq.

To be sure, the pronouncementwas by no means a purely verbaldistinction; subsequent eventsunearthed the group’s objectives,with far-reaching consequencesfor the world at large.

Historically, World War I sawthe dissolution of the OttomanEmpire, which reigned over a vastterritory at its height, includingmuch of what is the Middle Easttoday.

The Empire’s entry into thewar was with much deliberation;while the Prime Minister arguedfor continued neutrality as its bestoption, the opportunism of theMinister of War led the Empireinto war and, arguably, to itsimminent end.

Having harboured strategicinterest in the Empire, the AlliedPowers (Britain, France and Rus-sia) failed to deliver a more coher-ent defence policy. To this extent,the Ottomans were driven into analliance with Germany (the Cen-tral Powers), whose primary con-cern was to counteract increasingBritish encroachment on theregion.

An essential component ofBritish strategy was to encouragethe Arabs to rise up against theiroverlords. To this end, an agree-ment was sought with the dis-gruntled Amir of Makkah, Sharif

Hussein, who had aspired tobecome the ruler of the Hijaz, ifnot King of all Arabs.

With the expertise of a Britisharmy officer, T E Lawrence (pop-ularly known as Lawrence of Ara-bia), enticing the Hashemites withthe prospects of self-determina-tion, the day was won. This was aseminal moment in the futuredevelopments of modern-dayMiddle East.

As World War I raged, behindclosed doors the Sykes-PicotAgreement was concluded. Itspelt out the partitioning of theArab lands of the OttomanEmpire, relegating them to Britishand French spheres of influence.

The consequences of the Sykes-Picot Agreement were far-reach-ing.

Subsequent to World War I,the Allied powers (Britain andFrance) reneged on their promiseto grant the Arabs independencefor their support against theOttomans in World War I. Withthe stroke of the colonial pen, onMay 16, 1916, the Sykes-PicotAgreement was created, deter-mining the fate of the Arab peopleand that of the Middle East.

The British had never envis-aged self-determination for theArabs. Moreover, the British hadno desire to align with those whosought national freedom. Alliedvictory saw ruler-drawn, arbi-trary lines drawn across theSykes-Picot map, whose archi-tects the Briton, Mark Sykes, andthe Frenchman, George Picot,chose to ignore ethnic and reli-gious distinctions – the touch-stone of all regional hostilities.

The decades following the FirstWorld War saw colonial powersexert tremendous influence overthe Arabs, frustrating their effortsat establishing democratic gover-nance. This gradually resulted inassertive nationalism whose mainobjective was to oust the foreign-ers and the authoritarian rulers.

This anti-colonialist stancefrom the 1950s was a major fac-tor in the rise of militarist regimesthat had come to dominate Arablands.

Between the1950s and 1970s,the realities on the groundremained buried by the commongoal of expelling the colonialist,and, later, by the sweeping surgeof Arab nationalism. This, in

effect, gave momentum to thebelief that standing united, thedistinctions would dissipate.

However, the tensions andaspirations that had been con-cealed for decades gradually cameto the fore. In the 1980s and1990s Hafez al-Assad, SaddamHussein and Muammar Gaddafiquelled the differences using unre-strained force, driving oppositionunderground, which surfacedonce the 2011 Arab Spring top-pled the dictatorships.

In Syria, the Sykes-Picot struc-ture began to unfold when itscountrymen took to the streets forreforms. The Bashar al-Assadregime chose to prioritise its sur-vival at the expense of the coun-

try’s unity, responding with a bru-tal crackdown on civilians. Thesituation escalated into civil war.The ongoing conflict has acquiredsectarian overtones, and militantgroups of all hues add anotherdimension to it.

American foreign policy, dic-tated by strategic interests,endorsed the war on Iraq (2003-2011), resulting in the overthrowof Saddam’s Ba’ath Party and hisexecution. Nuri al-Maliki’s gov-ernment, dominated by Shias wasseen as alienating the Sunnis,fuelling a Sunni insurgency, whichsaw the emergence of Al-Qaeda inIraq, re-emerging more ferocious-ly after the US withdrawal in theform of ISIL/ ISIS/ IS/ Daesh, fur-

ther exacerbating sectarian ten-sions.

The origin of IS must be seen inthe light of America’s incursionsinto Iraq, under George Bush.Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, like manyothers, had become radicalised atCamp Bucca, the US prison inIraq.

Waging a holy war in the nameof Islam, giving a literalist readingto the scriptures, IS vows to elim-inate all ‘infidels’ and ‘apostates’and, with a warped mentality,draws recruits from countriesworldwide in its mission.

The physical destruction of theSyria-Iraq border is crucial to theIS narrative; with tenaciousresilience, the group has seizedvast swathes of territory and bull-dozed the old Sykes-Picot bor-ders.

The Sykes-Picot Agreementsurvived only owing to leader-ships forced onto the Arab peo-ple, shattering the entire structureof the Arab world in its wake.

The political system of thesegovernments conceded little or nodemocratic substance in thedecades subsequent to World WarI. The failure of the modern Arabstates saw Arab uprisings in theregion in 2011.

The fall of the dictators heldout the hope of freedom andunity. But the old tensions sur-faced following the uprisings,which ensued in sectarian vio-lence. The region was in turmoil,which saw the rapid rise of mili-tancy under the cloak of Islam.

The message ‘smash the Sykes-Picot borders’ by IS has had far-reaching consequences. The pro-found historical changes wroughton the colonial map have deeppolitical significance. Time alonewill tell the fate of the MiddleEast.

The root cause of currentturmoil in the Middle East

Zones of French (blue) and British (red) influence and control established by theSykes-Picot Agreement, signed on May 16, 1916. French diplomat, FrançoisGeorges-Picot, and Mark Sykes, Middle East adviser to the UK War Cabinet,drew up what is officially known as the Asia Minor Agreement in secret negotiations between their two governments, with the assent of Tsarist Russia.The agreement was exposed by the Bolsheviks, following the Russian Revolution of October 1917. Graphic WWW.PASSIA.ORG

AMENA HAYAT traces thebackground to the 1916Sykes-Picot Agreement,which marked theentrenchment of Britishand French hegemony inthe Middle East, the post-Word War II intervention ofthe US in the region, andthe subsequent rise of theself-styled Islamic State.She argues that the 1916agreement is the root ofthe current turmoil in theMiddle East.

Allied victory saw ruler-drawn, arbitrarylines drawn across the

Sykes-Picot map, whosearchitects the Briton,Mark Sykes, and the

Frenchman, George Picot,chose to ignore ethnic and

religious distinctions – the touchstone of allregional hostilities