cnews_ february 2008

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TOP 10 MUSLIM MATRICULANTS

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NURJAHAN, CHAMPION OF FAMILY LAW

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ISLAMIC MEDIA AGENCY CCCK 2002/001313/23

Editor: Sanaa PetersenReligious Contributors:

Dr Abdul MalikPrinters: F.A. Print

Lifestyle Editor: Mymoena Arnold Tape

466 Lansdowne Road,Lansdowne, 7780

Tel: 021 697 2294 • Fax: 021 697 2304Email:[email protected]

Website: www.islamicmedia.co.za

Inside this issue

19TH EDITION FEBRUARY 2008 - Safar 1429

SHEIKH RAED SALAH FINALLY VISITS CAPE TOWN By Sanaa Petersen

POOR CONSUMERS PAY FOR BREAD CARTELS PRICE-FIXING

MILKING’ THE POOR CONSUMER

Have your say with the President

PAGE 3

CHIEF RABBI SAYS MOVE

GAZANS TO A PALESTINE IN

SINAI

PAGE 8

Sheikh Raed Salah, fondly known as Sheikh Al-Aqsa,

because of his dedication to the preservation of Masjidul Aqsa and leader of the Islamic Movement in the Occupied Palestine 1948, previous Mayor of Umm el-Fahm, Head of the Supreme council for Da’wah and Relief Agency and Free Prisoners Agency, arrived in Cape Town on the 31 January.

His visit illustrated the harsh realities of Masjidul Aqsa and the Palestinian people. Sheikh Raed was first scheduled to visit South Africa (SA) in 1998, but on the eve of his departure, he suffered a blotched assassina-tion attempt on his life instead killing three of his supporters. A second attempt to visit SA, was retaliated by the Zionist incarcerating him. “It has taken over ten years (of good rela-tions) to get the Sheikh to visit South Africa,” said Mln Ihsaan Hendricks, president of the Muslim Judicial Council and host.

The Sheikh mainly addressed varied large Muslim audiences and pointed out that Masjidul Aqsa remains in danger of oblit-eration by the Zionist. He high-lighted that in earlier years of occupation the Zionist denied excavating under Masjidul Aqsa and openly vowed to

build the Temple of Solomon on its ruins. Sheikh Raed reminded the Muslim audi-ences, that Masjidul Aqsa is the first Qibla, before Makkah, and the place where the sacred journey of Miraaj occurred. He said that the preservation of Masjidul Aqsa is the respon-sibility of all Muslims and not only Palestinians. “The United Nations (UN) was originally established for all the people of the world, they (UN) select who to help, but we don’t depend on the UN, we calling on the jus-tice loving people of the world …we pray Allah (swt) will allow us to liberate Masjidul Aqsa,’ said Sheikh Raed. His brief visit rejuvenated the com-mitment of Muslims to liberate Masjidual Aqsa and Palestine from the illegal occupation of the Zionist. “Don’t think we asking for your charity and donations,” said Mln Ihsaan and urged Muslims to give Masjidul Aqsa its haq (right).

The Cape Town leg of Sheikh Raed’s visit raised over R1million for the preservation and liberation of Masjidul Aqsa, with Mln Ihsaan Hendricks, Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, Sheikh Ihsaan Taliep pledging half of their salaries, until its liberation.

The most heartwarming event,

which left the Sheikh and par-ticular Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels and Sheikh Erefaan Abrahams in tears was the mini Mahrajaan (rally) led by the Muslim youth. A tearful Sheikh Gabriels said, “This day is the proud-est moment in my life.” The Darul Islam hall overflowed with young Muslims, from the independent Muslim schools, pledging their commitment to

the plight of Masjidul Aqsa and Palestine. The youth displayed their consciousness of the dire situation in Palestine with ref-erence to Gaza and donated their lunch monies to Masjidul Aqsa.

Picture gallery on page 12

Last month, the price of bread rose between 35c and 40c

a loaf after the Competition Commission, confirmed it inves-tigated price-fixing allegations against Pioneer Foods, Premier Foods and Tiger Brands and would ask the Competition Tribunal to fine Pioneer 10 percent of its R11,7-billion turnover of last year. The commission fined Tiger Brands an administrative penalty of R98,8-million last year. Premier Foods was granted immunity in return for its willingness to assist the investigations. Pioneer Foods, which owns Sasko and Duens bak-eries, faces a fine of nearly R1,2-billion for allegedly colluding

with rival bakeries to fix the price of bread. Pioneer Food denies it had done anything wrong. "We have sent them the names of the people in their company who attended meetings (with rival bak-eries) where prices were fixed and we have provided details of the times when these meetings took place, but Pioneer still insists they have done nothing wrong,” said Thulani Kunene, acting deputy commissioner of the Competition Commission. Kunene said Pioneer would defend itself in an open hearing before the Competition Tribunal. The date of the hearing is not known.

In 2006 the Competition Commission referred a

cartel case against Clover Industries, Clover SA, Parmalat, Ladismith Cheese, Woodlands Dairy, Lancewood, Nestle SA and Milkwood Dairy to the Competition Tribunal.

Clover successfully applied at the time for leniency in relation to the accusation that it removed surplus milk from the market in order to keep prices high. A sep-arate investigation was under-way into a complaint by the Milk Producers' Organisation

who said supermarkets were taking part in price-fixing.

In 2006, the commission said investigations since 2005 had found evidence of price fix-ing by milk producers and the manipulation of trading condi-tions for raw and retail milk. If found guilty, the milk compa-nies could pay a penalty of up to ten percent of their annual turnover. And, then the price of Milk will increase!

Sheikh Raed Salah, Leader of the Islamic Movement in Jerusalem, arrived in Cape Town on 31 January 2008

2 February 2008 - Safar 1429

NEWS BITESCOMPILED BY SANAA PETERSEN

SANZAF congratulates the 2007 Academic Achievers

Yvonne Ridley sues Islamic TV bosses for sex and religious discrimination

High-profile Muslim convert Yvonne

Ridley was driven out of her pre-

senter job on an Islamic TV station

by "sexist" male bosses, a tribunal

has heard. The former Fleet Street

and Al-Jazeera reporter claimed a

campaign of bullying and smears

from Islam Channel chiefs was

more stressful than when she was

kidnapped by murderous Taliban

fanatics in Afghanistan. Ms Ridley,

a member of George Galloway's

Respect party who styles herself

'Sister Yvonne' after very publicly

converting to Islam, is suing the

channel for sex and religious dis-

crimination and constructive dis-

missal after her current affairs show

was axed last year. She told a

London tribunal relations with chan-

nel boss Mohammed Ali - who she

claimed thought gay people should

be "thrown off tall buildings" - got

so bad he deliberately set out to

trash her reputation by claiming he

had seen her kissing and shaking

hands with men. This, she said, was

a serious slur for a devout Muslim

woman that threatened to wreck

both her career and her marriage.

British Jews condemns Israel’s oppression in Gaza

A controversial coalition of prominent

Jewish activists and academics has

reignited controversy in the British

Jewish community after taking out a

paid advertisement in The Times this

week calling for Israel to lift its eco-

nomic blockade of the Gaza Strip and

accusing the state of breaching inter-

national law. The statement appeared

on the inside pages of the paper and

was signed by 250 of the group’s

members, entitled "End the siege of

Gaza!" "Independent Jewish Voices"

was formed a year ago and counts

Nobel laureate Harold Pinter and actor

Stephen Fry among its prominent sig-

natories. The group was formed to

provide an alternative to the Board

of Deputies of British Jews - a cross

communal Jewish organisation dating

back to 1760 - who the IJV felt were

inauthentically presenting themselves

as the exclusive voice of Judaism in

Britain.

ANC, SABC: divorce on the cards?

The relationship between the ruling party and the public broadcaster has severely deteriorated in the past few

years amid accusations by Jacob Zuma supporters, which includes Zwelinzima Vavi-led Cosatu, Fikile Mbalula-led ANC Youth League (ANCYL) and Buti Manamela and his Young Communist League (YCL), that Mpofu and head of news Snuki Zikalala are biased against Msholozi. Some observers believe that the ‘marriage', which has lasted for more than a decade, might be heading for a ‘painful divorce'. Prof Harber said: “Things are topsy-turvy. Normally, political parties try and seduce the media and journalists play hard-to-get. “But here the SABC has stripped off its clothes and it is parading around naked, and the political party is beg-ging them to get dressed.”

AMERICAN CANDITATES USE ISLAM TO SECURE VOTES

Juan R.I. Cole, a professor of history at the University of Michigan, said that immediately after Sept. 11, 30 percent of Americans had a negative view of Islam. But reports published in the Washington Post and USA Today in December found that 45 percent of Americans held nega-tive views of Islam. He said such a change "is not natural." He blamed

"the American right wing" and the media for creating this negative view to help win elections. Cole and Corey P. Saylor, legislative director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, discussed "Exploitation of Islamophobia in Elections," or how they said politicians are creat-ing and exploiting new threatening terms to manipulate public opinion and get their votes.

Cole said President Bush and other Republicans, including some of the current presidential candidates, have used the term "Islamofacism." He compared it to an old political tac-tic. "They used to make them afraid of the Communists, now they are making them afraid Muslims," he said. Most people would find such a term applied to other religions to be "highly objectionable," Cole said. "Nobody talks about Christofascism, and they should not."

While fascism is an old, hierarchi-cal, elite system that is based on discrimination, he said, "Islam is none of these things." Noting that Rep. Tom Tancredo, who briefly ran for president, suggested blowing up the Islamic holy sites of Mecca and Medina if there were anoth-er attack on the U.S., Cole asked what the U.S. response would be if

Iranian leaders suggested blowing up the Vatican. He called ideas such as Tancredo's "crackpotism of the highest order."

Both Cole and Saylor said Muslims in the U.S. today face similar prob-lems of other minorities, including Japanese-Americans during World War II and African Americans.

NEW FLEA-MARKET FOR RONDEBOSCH

Rashidah Mahatey starts local flea-market on the corner of 4th Avenue and Mosman Road in Rondebosch East, “The site has huge potential and we want to turn it into a real family social destination by intro-ducing a small park for children as well as hosting programs for ladies. We also want this flea market to be different from others by encourag-ing home industries. We know there are a lot of ladies who are looking for an outlet for their business and this will serve as an ideal opportu-nity for them,” said Mahatey. Those who wish to apply for a stall can contact me at 021-633 1833 or 082 7843844 or visit us at the flea mar-ket on a Saturday

The South African National Zakaah Fund – WC (SANZAF) congratu-lates all matriculants on their aca-demic achievement, with a spe-cial note to the learners from the Independent Muslim High Schools. Evidently, these learners have dis-played remarkable achievements in their scholastic and Islamic cur-ricular by achieving distinctions in the Arabic language.

“We commend the Islamic Media Agency for the first ever awards ceremony in the Province,’ said Mogammad Amien Jacobs, Administrator.

SANZAF believes that through education a community can be empowered to develop and grow into a progressive, sustainable and positive one. It recognizes that not

all achieving learners are financial-ly able to further their studies.

“SANZAF is committed to empow-ering the destitute and the needy person, who is intent on pursueing their education,” said Jacobs.

Since, its inception in 1985 the SANZAF Education and Empowerment Project has grown dramatically into one of SANZAF’s prioritized projects. In the finan-cial year ending August 2007 SANZAF Western Cape has award-ed R1,652,635 in bursaries. The budget for the current academic year is R2mil.

The chart reflects the type of insti-tution, the number of students SANZAF assisted and the total amount sponsored.

SANZAF WESTERN CAPE Bursary Project01 September 2006 - 31 August 2007

511,739(117 assisted)

249,640(50 assisted)

379,029,739(105 assisted)

512,232(133 assisted)

University Private College Technical College Darul Uloom

For more information on the application process of a bursary please log onto www.sanzaf.org.za or telephone 0861 726923

February 2008 - Safar 1429 3

President Thabo Mbeki addressed the nation at the

opening of Parliament on 8 February 2008, below is an edited version of his speech, highlighting the main points affecting South African citi-zens. The full address can be downloaded from our website – www.islamicmedia.co.za. We encourage our readers to respond to Mbeki’s speech which is addressed to them, citizens of South Africa. Please begin your response with Dear Mr President and email to [email protected], fax 021 697 2304 or sms 074 2274345, we will publish it and forward to him.

State of the Nation Address (edited)They (SA citizens) are con-cerned about the national emer-gency into which the country has been thrown by the unex-pected disruptions in the sup-ply of electricity.

Energy crises: Black-outsIn essence the significant rise in electricity demand over the last two years has out-stripped the new capacity we have brought on stream. The resultant tight supply situation makes the overall system vul-nerable to any incident affect-ing the availability of energy. In this situation, we have to curtail the unplanned outag-es and the only way we can do this immediately is reduce demand and thus ensure a bet-ter reserve margin.

Government will start imple-menting a campaign to ensure efficient lighting, solar water heating and geyser load man-agement in households, includ-ing housing standards for all new houses and developments. We urge households that can afford to act immediately to consider implementing these energy-saving measures.

On the supply side Eskom is working furiously to ensure the

introduction of co-generation projects as a matter of urgency. We are taking steps to enhance Eskom's mainte-nance capacity. We have emergency task teams dealing with the challenge of coal quality and supply with the coal mining industry and we are work-ing to fast track the approval and construction of gas turbine projects. All these actions, taken together with the electricity saving measures, will improve cer-tainty and raise the reserve margin.

Next week the Provincial Premiers will convene their fora with mayors to plan and imple-ment the energy saving measures in all the munici-palities across the country. They will be supported by technical teams from EDI Holdings, Eskom and the National Energy Efficiency Agency. The Department of Provincial and Local Government will co-ordinate this activity sup-ported by the line Departments of Mineral and Energy and Public Enterprises.

I will convene a meeting of the Joint Presidential Working Groups to co-ordinate our overall actions. I will also shortly announce a team of 'Energy Champions' consist-ing of prominent and knowl-edgeable South Africans who will assist government with the energy efficiency campaign and inform investors and com-munities on the actual situa-

tion and how they can help to address our current challenges.

Information and communi-cation technologyWe will this year complete the licensing and operationalisa-tion of Infraco. Already, money has been allocated for Sentech to become a wireless internet wholesaler as well as finance its digitisation. Working with other governments on the con-tinent and the private sector, we will complete the process to launch the undersea cables.

At the same time, we aim to provide digital broadcasting

to 50% of the population by the end of the year. Attached to this will be a manufactur-

ing strategy for the development in South Africa of Set Top Boxes, which should be finalised by the middle of the year.

Having noted that the tardiness with which government processes applica-tions for invest-ment in relation to issues such as land acquisition, infrastructure and e n v i r o n m e n t a l impact assess-ments can at times make or break investor deci-sions, set up a call centre through which prospec-tive investors and government can track these pro-cesses.

Skills develop-mentA deliberate focus will be on matters of skills d e v e l o p m e n t . Work to review the National Human Resource D e v e l o p m e n t Strategy will be

completed this year, and the projects that the joint team of government, labour, busi-ness and academic institu-tions organised under the Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) will be intensified.

In addition to this work we will in the coming period prioritise further interventions in the further education and training (FET) colleges, the sector edu-cation and training authorities (SETAs), resourcing schools in

the lowest three quintiles, free-ing them from the responsibil-ity to charge fees, and speeding up on-the-job training for pro-fessional graduates.

Further, after correcting weak-nesses in our Adult Basic Education programme, we shall this month launch the Kha Ri Gude mass literacy campaign. This will include the training of master trainers who will provide basic literacy classes to 300 000 adults and youth in 2008.

Alleviating of PovertyAmong the key proposed interventions are: expand-ing the public works pro-gramme, employment sub-sidies for direct job-creation for targeted groups, enhancing employment search capability, improving education and train-ing, improving services and assets among poor communi-ties, specific interventions in poor households, and ensur-ing effectiveness of institutions supporting women and other sectors. Among others, we will make an evaluation of the gen-der machinery so as to improve all aspects related to women empowerment.

Parallel to this initiative is a special project to examine interventions required to deal with vulnerable children over the age of 14.

We will require a National War Room for a War Against Poverty bringing together departments such as Social Development, Provincial and Local Government, Trade and Industry, Agriculture and Land Affairs, Public Works and Health as well as pro-vincial and local administra-tions, which will work with non-governmental organisa-tions (NGOs) and business to identify the interventions

continue on page 6

Have your say with President Thabo Mbeki

President Thabo Mbeki at the opening of Parliament on 8 February 2008 - Sanaa Petersen

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TOP 10 MATRICULANTS FROM MUSLIMHIGH SCHOOLS Alia Limbada

Shabbeer Omar came in tops with 98% at the

Annual Award Ceremony for Independent Muslim Schools and Kaamilah Fakier followed close behind with 97,5%. Shafeeqa M o h a m m a d , with 96%, came in third followed by runners up Shakira Dawood, Ridwaan Osman, Zaakirah Moosa, Altaaf Harnekar, Ulfa Hendricks, N a t h e e r a h Galer and Ijaaz Mukaddam.

The above learn-ers were named as the Top Ten Achievers of Distinction from the Independent Muslim schools in the Western Cape and were award-ed on Wednesday at the first-ever Islamic award ceremony in the province. The awards, held at the International Peace University of South Africa, were hosted by The Islamic Media Agency (IMA) with their partners the Muslim Judicial Council – Youth Desk (MJC).

Minister Cameron Dugmore at the ceremony handed over The 2007 Overall Top Achiever - IMA Trophy of Academic Excellence to Omar in addition to a Futuregrowth Albaraka Equity Fund (A Shariah compliant unit trust invest-ment) valued at R2500-00.

Omar came in at 208 in the province, out of a total 48 000 learners who wrote the Senior Certificate Examinations in 2007.

Dugmore highlighted the importance of such an inde-pendent event and was in the process of finding Omar a scholarship/bursary to spon-sor his studies in Actuarial Science at the University of Cape Town in 2008.

The award, still in its pilot stage was to highlight the achievements of Muslim learners at the six indepen-dent Muslim schools in the province according to organiser, Sanaa Petersen, Director of the Islamic Media

Agency (IMA). The Muslim high schools are Al-Azhar High (Athlone), Iqraa Academy (Old Belhar), Darul Islam High (Surrey Estate),

Madrasatul Rajaa (Strand), Islamia College (Lansdowne) and Darul Arqam Institute (M/Plain).

“The IMA has worked with various youth through its community newspaper and its partnerships with the MJC Youth Desk where we have empowered them by improving their writing skills. Often, these young people would complain that their achievements were never acknowledged. Through this, we realised

that we need to recognise our Muslim youth, not only for completing Matric but for excelling and wanting to be better and want better.

All these debates and talks throughout the year culmi-nated in this award of excel-lence,” said Petersen.

A total of 326 learners from these independent schools wrote the matric exam and a total of 18 learners achieved distinctions, Petersen report-ed. “Even though the num-ber of learners who achieved distinctions are few, we are hoping that the awards will jack them up a bit.”

Three of the top ten told

the media that they planned to study Medicine at the University of Stellenbosch. Ijaz Mukadam from the Al-azhar High said that he

planned to specia-lise in cardiology, while Natheerah Galer said that the hardest subjects for her were math-ematics and sci-ence. According to Shakira Dawood, who received 94% at the end of mat-ric, her achieve-ment came after hard work and a balanced lifestyle. “I had quite a bal-anced life last year. I would go to the movies with my family and also have my breaks. But when it came to exam times I would really put my head to it and wok hard.”

With the mat-ric class of 2007 receiving the first award for Muslim i n d e p e n d e n t

schools, Petersen ensured that the 2008 ceremony would be much bigger as the on-going aim to uplift learners in the community continues. The IMA sin-cerely appreciates the com-mitment of the community bank Albaraka Bank for their unflinching support, Frysche Marketing and Hijri Travel for sponsor-ing the 2nd and 3rd prizes, Salies Electrical, Ummati and the MJC Youth Desk.

Congratulations to the 2007 Academic Achievers of the Independent Muslim High Schools. Wishing our young leaders a successful and bright future.

MEC Cameron Dugmore awards the Top 10 Academic Achievers of the Independent Muslim High Schools in the Western Cape with the Islamic Media Agency : 2007 Awards of Academic Excellence Pic: MH Fryddie


The plight of abuse against children has over the years

been prioritized by the NGO sector as a top priority on their agenda and has drawn the attention of our Legislators, resulting in government formu-lating stringent laws with heavy punitive measures to deal with perpetrators of this crime.

In no-way am I criticizing this very necessary and long over-due move by all, but my point is that while we focus much of our energies on the safety and the prevention of our children from abuse, very little is said or done with regard to parent abuse. This particular type of crime is on the increase, yet it escapes, as much as we parents try to wish it away, it is there and needs to be addressed. After perusing the following quranic chapters and verses namely, C17:23-24; C29:8; C31:14-15; C46:15 you will discover how serious the Almighty views the crime of parent-abuse.

In these verses it becomes clear that the child has no jus-tification whatsoever to treat its parents with disrespect. The Almighty makes it abundantly clear that event if the parents to persuade the child to ascribe partners to Him, the child should in no way obey their parents, but still maintain the love and respect for them. The child is constantly reminded of the trials, trauma and tribula-tions the parents underwent in raising them, with specific reminders of the hard times the mother experienced during her pregnancy. Once again the Almighty reminds the child of its total dependence whilst in its infantile stages until it reached the age where it could fight and fend for itself.

In early days many of our par-ents were not afforded the luxury of high academic edu-cation. The earlier generation of parents were largely victim to circumstances and had to suffice with only a few years of primary learning, with very few reaching secondary level, let alone tertiary or university level. They were forced to leave school in order to earn a living to sustain their families. In many instances mothers had to work in the absence of the father. Academics, intellectu-als, professors were few and far between.

In this modern day and age the situation has changed sig-nificantly. Every second family prides a doctor, lawyer, teacher, chartered accountant, engineer and many other academics. This begs the question, How is this turn-around possible? Many parents went through life struggling to provide a ‘better’ quality of education for their children. Some parents went to extreme measures (sacrific-es) to acquire financial assis-tance to ensure their children completed tertiary education. If we should ask our parents what payment they expected for all their patience, persever-ance, love and sacrifices. The answer would be simple, they expect no materialistic return only love, respect, appreciation and kindness. The rights which the Almighty enjoins on us, which is due to our parents.

Sadly, instead of reciprocat-ing their love, sacrifices and kindness, some of us, children have become arrogant and self-important, viewing our par-ents as an embarrassment. We hide our parents away when our high profile socialites come to visit. Locked away in back

rooms when colleagues of the academia frequent our posh residence. The ‘old folks’ or ‘oxygen thieves’ are some of the unbecoming names we call them. They appear to be a nui-sance and children find it diffi-cult to tolerate their parents so-called irresponsible behavior when they’ve reached old age or bordering on senility. Parents are becoming a nuisance to children when they have become ill and frail. Children have forgotten the narration of the Prophet (saw), ‘Al Jannatu tagta aqdaamul Ummahaat’ meaning ‘The paradise lies at the feet of the mothers.’ Some

children place their Jannats in old-age homes. Interestingly, in the past two parents could raise and average of twelve children under the most trying conditions, but twelve children find it a major problem to tend to one or two parents.

Lastly, to illustrate the value placed on parents , I would like to narrate an incident during the time of the Prophet (saw). A man came to the Prophet (saw) saying that he had repaid his parents for everything that they had done for him. The Prophet (saw) enquired as to what it was which was so important,

when the man replied, “I car-ried them in Tawaaf around the holy Kaabah, and there is no greater act done to par-ents than this.’ The Prophet (saw) answered that even if he carried his parents for a thousand circumambulations of the Kaabah it would not be equivalent to one drop of milk his mother fed to him when he was a baby.

Ismail Osman is the public relations officer of the Islamic Social and Welfare Association (ISWA)

Abuse of parents – a neglected plightBy Ismail Osman

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continuing from page 3

required in specific house-holds and implement them as a matter of urgency.

We shall this year attend to other specific priorities which are critical to the country's war against poverty, in pursuit of socio-economic inclusion. These are:

* speeding up land and agrarian reform with detailed plans for land acquisition, better imple-mentation of agricultural sup-port services and household food support, and improving the capital base and reach of the Micro-Agricultural Finance Institutions of South Africa (MAFISA) to provide micro-credit in this sector: focus will be placed on areas of large con-centrations of farm dwellers and those with high eviction rates, and we aim to increase black entrepreneurship in agricultural production by 5% per year, and the audit on land ownership will be speeded up;

* the Budget will provide for an increase in the social grant system by equalising the age of eligibility at 60, thus benefiting about half a million men;

* intensifying efforts already started to scale up assistance to co-operatives and small enter-prises especially those involv-ing women, with emphasis on providing training and markets, including linking them up with established outlets;

* scaling up the National Youth Service programme including a graduated increase of the intake in the Military Skills Development programme of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) from the cur-rent 4 000 to 10 000. R700 mil-lion has already been given to the SANDF to start scaling up this programme;

* intensifying the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) which, by surpass-ing the set targets, has shown potential to absorb more entrants: this will include increased intake of young peo-ple in the programme to main-tain public infrastructure, dou-bling the number of children enrolled in Early Childhood Development to over 600 000 through 1 000 new sites with more than 3 500 practitio-ners trained and employed, and increasing the number of care-givers. About R1 billion over baseline will be allocated

to programmes that fall within the EPWP; and, lastly,

* introducing the system of products for preferential pro-curement by government from small, medium and micro-enterprises; and through the Small Enterprises Development Agency setting up a rigorous system to ensure that the 30-day payment period is observed.

We will also integrate the pro-gramme to speed up the devel-opment of sustainable human settlements, with intensified efforts, as a matter of urgent priority, to accelerate univer-sal access to water, sanitation and electricity, so that by 2014, we should have decent human settlements and access by all households to these services.

Accelerating our advance towards the achievement of a goal of health for all includes intensified implementation of the National Strategic Plan against HIV and AIDS. We also aim during the course of this year to reduce tuberculosis (TB) defaulter rates from 10% to 7%, train over 3 000 health personnel in the manage-ment of this disease and ensure that all multi-drug resistant and extreme drug resistant TB patients receive treatment.

We aim to complete the work on the comprehensive social secu-rity system, benefiting from the consultations that have started with social partners.

YouthThe first of these is a proposal that we should develop an oath that will be recited by learners in their morning school assem-blies, as well as a Youth Pledge extolling the virtues of humane conduct and human solidarity among all South Africans. The Minister of Education will next week elaborate on the national debate on these matters.

CrimeCabinet has agreed on a set of changes that are required to establish a new, modernised, efficient and transformed crimi-nal justice system. Among other things, this will entail setting up a new co-ordinat-ing and management structure for the system at every level, from national to local, bring-ing together the judiciary and magistracy, the police, prosecu-tors, correctional services and the Legal Aid Board, as well as other interventions, includ-ing the empowerment of the Community Police Forums.

We shall also, during the course of this year, process the Bills on the transformation of the judiciary in consultation with judges and magistrates, com-plete the strategy aimed at strengthening border control and security, further give life to the Victims' Charter, pay par-ticular attention to the issue of repeat offenders, and continue the implementation of addition-al measures deriving from rec-ommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Informed by the imperative to intensify the offensive against organised crime, as well as the recommendations of the Khampepe Judicial Commission on the functioning and location of the Directorate of Special Operations and continuing reflections on this matter, we shall by the end of March this year, interact with Parliament on legislation and other deci-sive measures required further to enhance our capacity to fight organised crime.

What I do know and hereby make bold to say is: whatever the challenges of the moment, we are still on course!

Please email your views, addressed to Dear Mr President

Blissful Marriage is an excellent book, aimed at both single people and married couples alike. It is an easy read and a practical guide for young and mature adults. It adequately introduces the objectives for marriage which are unfortunately not always considered when embarking on this extremely important jour-ney.

The authors challenges one to question and ponder about what one should look for in a potential spouse be it male or female. A brilliant and detailed questionnaire is also included to assist and guide with the selection process.

We now make our way to tried and proven ingredients for a successful marriage, can you imagine what these could possibly be :• The 7 Essential C’s• The 5 Wonderful A’s• The 7 Magical S’s

You’ll definitely have to read the book to find out as it also discusses other ingredients such as • Rahmah• Love• Forgiveness• Trust and Faithfulness• Open mindedness and Understanding• Respect• Patience

What I loved about the book is that it’s filled with examples based on Quran and Hadith.

I found the chapter on Tazkiyah (Purification of the Soul), particularly fascinating. It is encouraging to see that an entire chapter is devoted to this very important aspect, empha-sizing the fact that in order to have a whole-some relationship one has to continually strive to purify one’s own soul.

There’s still loads more gems e.g case studies on common marital problems and not forget-ting family dynamics but buy the book and discover it for yourself.

Title: Blissful Marriage , A Practical Islamic Guide Authors: Dr Ekram and M Rida BeshirPaperback: 278 pagesPublisher: Amana Publications (August 2003) Language: EnglishISBN-10: 159008019X ISBN-13: 978-1590080191Sister Roshaan has started a Muslimah bookclub, please call her on 083 647 3707 for more details.

Ingredients• 1 x 1,5kg chicken cut into por-

tions• 3 medium-sized onions• 65 ml butter or ghee• 2 x Shaikhs Exotics stick cinna-

mon pieces• 3 x Shaikhs Exotics whole carda-

mon• 2 x Shaikhs Exotics whole cloves• 5 ml salt or to taste• 30 ml garlic and ginger paste• 20 ml Shaikhs Exotics Chicken

Masala• 2.5 ml Shaikhs Exotics Garam

Masala• 125 ml coconut milk• 30 ml tomato puree• 3 potatoes quartered• 375 ml water• ¼ bunch fresh coriander leaves,

washed and chopped

Method1. Braise onions with stick cinna-

mon, cardamon and cloves in butter till golden brown.

2. In a bowl make a paste with Chicken Masala, Garam masala, tomato puree, ginger and garlic paste and 1 cup (250ml) water.

3. Add masala paste to onions and cook for 5 min.

4. Add chicken pieces and cook for 5 min. so that the chicken is well coated with spice mix.

5. Add 375ml water and cook for 10 min.

6. Add potatoes and coconut milk and cook for 10 min. or until potatoes are soft.

7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

8. Serve with basmati rice or rotis and papadams

Optional: Add 50g raw cashews when adding potatoes for an exotic taste

This Exotic Chicken Curry can be made the day before as the fla-vour increases the next day.

Enjoy !

Aziza’s Exotic Chicken Curry

Book ReviewsBy Roshaan Misbach


Upon first meeting with Nurjahan

Khan, you cannot help but be

enamoured by her verbal feistiness

and firm resolve. Meeting her on a

particularly cold Cape Town morning,

I was surprised to find a modestly-

clad woman before me, devoid of

designer labels and accessories, with

a warm smile and engaging personal-

ity. She definitely did not conform

to the general stereotyping of female

lawyers, chic and emotionally defunct.

So much for stereotyping!

Hailing from a suburb called

Kensington in Cape Town, Nurjahan

Khan is one of seven siblings.

Patriarchal traits were very evident in

Nurjahan’s home. However as a girl-

child, finding herself in a man’s world,

she would constantly question and

challenge. She attributes these patri-

archal traits to our apartheid legacy

and cultural impositions, “during the

apartheid days, games were played

and men played these games while the

women were just expected to follow,

used like pawns in it all”. Nurjahan,

however says she never saw herself

as a victim, “since you can choose

whether you want to be a victim or

not”.

Twenty-eight year old Nurjahan

enrolled for matric part-time, intent on

pursuing her childhood dream to study

Law. Three weeks before she was due

to write her final matric exams, hav-

ing persevered and persisted for three

years, Nurjahan suffered a personal

setback. Her husband of ten years was

tragically killed in a motor vehicle

accident in Johannesburg. Widowed

with three children to fend for, her spir-

its were at an all time low. However,

sheer determination managed to get

Nurjahan through her matric.

In 1985, she enrolled at the University

of the Western Cape for a B.A. degree

full-time, since she was now unde-

cided between Law or Psychology.

However, during 1986 she eventually

made up her mind and switched over

to Law.

However tragedy was to strike

yet again, when in that same year

Nurjahan’s mother fell seriously ill

with cancer. Nurjahan summarily

abandoned her studies to tend to her

mother, who passed on shortly there-

after. Nurjahan resumed her studies

part-time despite the emotional tur-

moil raging within.

She started working at the Department

of Justice in 1996, leaving in 2001 to

set up her own advice office, “assist-

ing complainants with problems such

as child maintenance, divorce, access,

custody and protection orders”. All

of this while still pursuing her stud-

ies. In 2005, after 20 years of hard

labour, personal trials and tribulations,

Nurjahan completed her studies.

Today Nurjahan Khan is an esteemed

and accomplished advocate of the

Cape High Court. When it comes to

justice and the implementation thereof

Nurjahan, dedicates her professional

labour to ensuring that no stone is

left unturned or allowed to pile for

too long. In the foreword of her

recently self-published and warmly-

received book, Law and I (2006),

she says, “Most challenging is the

issue of child support and domestic

violence having the most devastating

socio-economic effect on women and

children. I found it difficult indeed, to

keep issues of maintenance, divorce,

access and custody separate because

they are so intrinsically interlinked

within the complex nature of domestic

relationships”. Herein lies the depth of

Nurjahan’s passion for justice, evident

in the Family Law course she has

also introduced, empowering social

workers from diverse communities on

the Cape Flats, with a comprehensive

understanding of South African Family

Law, using her book as a guiding and

informative tool. She points out that,

“I offer workshops as a service to the

community so that people are more

equipped and informed when they

visit the courts and police stations.”

Nurjahan has on record repeatedly

commented that the Justice Deparment

“has dismally failed the people and let

the children down”.

Adding to this Nurjahan makes a very

serious concluding statement at the

end of her book, “ We are a long way

from rectifying past imbalances. What

is required is progressive restructuring

and reshaping of mindsets in govern-

ment to facilitate social cohesion in

order to attain Constitutional value of

human dignity”.

In order to spread the word, create

a deeper and increased awareness,

Nurjahan has distributed her book

free of charge to various NGOs on

the Cape Flats. Her hope is that these

NGOs will invest in purchasing more

copies of the book to help their field-

workers, who deal with these actual

cases on the ground. She also hopes to

take her workshops to other provinces

as well.

Asked whether her family life was

ever adversely affected, Nurjahan

comments “ I am saddened, because

often we compromise on family time

to serve the community, so one must

try and strike the balance.”

Nurjahan says she has “always been

inclined to run to people’s assistance”,

drawn to helping others in need or dire

straits. An established pillar of support

and source of refuge within her family,

professional and social circles. She

has always “felt obliged to come to the

rescue” of those who call on her.

Cape Town is fortunate to have such a

champion in the legal arena within the

ambit of child support, custody, access

and domestic violence, with the neces-

sary moral will and fortitude to help

ensure her that she contributes produc-

tively and positively to the collective

upliftment, empowerment, education

and more importantly, protection of

the weak and vulnerable, at all times.

Nurjahan’s book, Law and I, is avail-

able at the following Cape Town out-

lets :

Shaiks Exotics in Lansdowne, I

Care Children’s Foundation and at

Newworld Foundation at a cost of

R169.00 . The books are also available

on the shelves at municipal libraries in

the Western Cape.

If you have any questions for

Nurjahan please email us on info@

islamicmedia.co.za or fax on

0865 038 747.

NURJAHAN, CHAMPION OF FAMILY LAWBy Mymoena Arnold Tape

Lentegeur, Mitchells PlainTel: 021 372 1106Fax: 021 372 1110

Congratulations to the 2007 Academic Achievers of the Independent Muslim High

Schools. Wishing our young leaders a successful and

bright future.

SAXONSEA HARDWARE & GIFTS

Congratulations to the 2007 Academic Achievers of

the Independent Muslim High Schools. Wishing our young leaders a successful

and bright future.

Sincerely Imam Achmad Dien of Masjid Ummah, Kent cresc,

Saxonsea, AtlantisCnr Hermes Avenue & Grosvenor

roads, Saxonsea, Atlantis, 7349

Cnr Hermes Avenue & Grosvenor roads,Saxonsea, Atlantis, 7349Tel: 021 572 5466/4560

Fax: 021 572 7189


Shukrie Frydie, Mogamad Rafiq Salie and Shaikh Mogamad Adiel Brown emerged

as the winners of the second national Qur’aan recital competition held under the auspices of Nurush Shabaab in South Africa.

The event kicked of on 3 December 2007 with recitations of the Holy Qur’aan by reciters from Malaysia, Iran, Indonesia and Lebanon at various mosques in the Western Cape.

More than 50 participants from across South Africa entered the contest out of which five top reciters qualified in the Junior and Teenage categories and six reciters in the Senior category of the competition finals.

The national competition which was held at the Masjidur Rahmaan complex in Hanover Park, Cape Town, commenced on 7 December and ended with the competition finals on 9 December. Yusuf Fisher and Waseem Shaikh achieved first and second runner up positions in the Junior category respectively while Muhammad Ameen Abdoraooft and Ismail Ebrahim attained second and third place in the Teenage category. The second and third place positions in the Senior category were taken by Shaikh Fahmie Parker and Shaikh Muhammad Allie Davids. Waseem Shaikh who hails from Durban was the only partici-pant from outside Cape Town to reach the top positions in the competition.

Saadiq Moolla, 18, matriculated from Rondebosch Boys High withdistinctions and is a Mathematics genius. His love for the mathematics subject enabled him to compete in the International Mathematics Olympiad in 2006, which was held in Slovenia and again in 2007 in Vietnam. In 2005 he represented South Africa in the Pan-Africa Mathematics competition which was held in Algeria.

'I enjoy mathematics, it is interesting and intricate... I love challenges,' said Saadiq. He is very keen in helping others to study

mathematics and intends on tutoring pri-mary school learners, but first has to settle in at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he is studying Medicine.

Following in big brother's footsteps is his little brother, Haroon, 17, who has com-peted in the 2007 Pan-Africa Mathematics competition which was held in Nigeria. 'We are very proud of our sons and sup-port them in their quest,' said their dad, Dr Shabir Moolla

NURUSH SHABAABQIRAH WINNERS

MATHEMATIC EXTRAORDINAIRES

A group of Anti-Zionist Orthodox Jewish

Rabbis toured several New Hampshire sites

on 7 January 2008, campaigning the end of

the Zionist State of Israel.

"We all have been witness to the tragedy of

the strife and bloodshed, in the most holy of

places, the Holy Land. This pain and suf-

fering has been ongoing, unabated, for well

over fifty years,

The time has come to step back and truth-

fully analyze the root cause of all this suffer-

ing, to Arab and Jew, alike.

From ancient times, the relations between

the Jewish and Arab peoples, have been

those of peace, brotherhood and harmonic

coexistence. Friendship reigned between

them in all the Muslim countries. What has

transpired to cause such a complete reversal,

that mistrust and deep rooted animosity

exists between these people?

The answer is actually very clear and sim-

ple. The birth of a wholly new and entirely

materialistic movement named "Zionism".

"Zionism" is the basis of the State of "Israel",

and is not the same as the religion, Judaism.

In fact it is antithetical to Judaism.

Zionism is a political movement, created

almost entirely by non-religious Jews. Its

existence is a mere hundred years.

The philosophy of Zionism is the trans-

formation of Judaism, from a religion and

spirituality, to a base nationalism. It is a

materialistic goal to have a land, army etc.,

removing the Almighty out of the equation.

Orthodox Jews have opposed the ideology

of Zionism since its inception and the State

of Israel from the day of its ratification.

The existence of the State of Israel is in

direct contradiction to the teachings of the

Torah which forbids the establishment of a

Jewish state and commands Jews to remain

in exile until released from that exile by

the Almighty Himself, without any human

intervention, at which time all nations of the

world will live together in peace.

This rebellion against the Almighty has

been compounded immeasurably by the

fact that in order to create this State, a land

has been taken, clearly against the will of

the indigenous population, the Palestinian

people. Many have been murdered, their

homes and properties have been confiscated

and untold thousands have been expelled,

etc., their suffering continues unabated until

the present day.

We decry, in the strongest of terms this

ongoing crime and tragedy. The anti Zionist

Jewish people sees itself as simply continu-

ing the Jewish peopleâ€™s age old obliga-

tion of living humbly and in peace with all

nations, in loyalty to their authorities, as is

required by the Torah.

Rabbis, Orthodox Jewish leaders and lay-

men, have combated the concept of Zionism

continuously since its inception and up

until the present day. True Torah Jews will

never accept Zionism and the State of

â€˜Israelâ€™.

Supporting the Palestinian people, does not

make one, in any way, less of a friend of the

Jewish people and most certainly does not

label one an anti-Semite.

In fact, the contrary the mere existence

of the state of Israel and the actions that

emanate from it is the greatest cause of the

exacerbation of anti-Semitism throughout

the world.

How much more Arab and Jewish blood

must be spilled?

May we merit to see the day, soon in

our times, when all humanity will serve

the Almighty in brotherhood and harmony.

AMEN."

For more information please contact Rabbi

Yisroel Dovid Weiss at 914-262-8342

Neturei Karta International, Jews United

Against Zionism - www.nkusa.org

Fairfield Meat CentreFairfield Meat CentreThe most popular Meat Centre

339 Voortrekker Road Parrow Tel:021-939 4222 or 021-930 3162 Fax 021-930 7460

Congratulations to the 2007 Academic Achievers of the Independent Muslim High Schools. Wishing our young leaders a successful and bright future.

Junior category winners at the Nurush Shabaab Qirah competition with 1st place Shukri Frydie, 2nd place Yusuf Fisher and Waseem Shaikh took 3rd place

Haroon and Saadiq Moolla, mathematic extraordinaires

AN URGENT APPEAL FROM JEWISH RABBIS, TO THE CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA


THE MUSLIMAH OF BONTEHEUWEL CELEBRATES MUHARRAM

AL-AZHAR PRIMARY CELEBRATES MUHARRAM WITH THEIR ELDERLY NEIGHBOURS

AFGHANISTAN Community health workers in the frontlines of health care

The highlight for the Muslim and non-Muslim residents

of Lotus River each Muharram is a day of pampering. The Al-Azhar Primary school in Lotus River, treats their elder-ly neighbours to a five-course lunch with live entertainment. After all the pampering, each guest, is given a ‘barakaat’ filled with biscuits, fruit, bread, lindt chocolates, mon-etary contribution and more.

In Chaka, a village with a population of about 1,750,

community health work-ers Abdul Qayum Habibi and Shafiqa Habibi, a mar-ried couple, work together to provide essential health care and referrals. Selected by the local shura, or village council, according to criteria such as literacy, the trust and respect of the community and their level of commitment as vol-unteers, they are two of four community health workers here. After their selection, the

couple undertook a six-month training course based on a stan-dard curriculum endorsed by the Ministry of Public Health. During the course, they learned about common health prob-lems, first aid, raising health awareness in the community and making referrals to the nearest health centre, a two-hour walk away. Alongside his new responsibilities, Abdul Qayum continues his work as a schoolteacher in the village, while Shafiqa is also a house-wife and mother.

Providing health care as a coupleIt is unusual for women to venture outside their homes to work in many parts of rural Afghanistan. Health care provided by couples, there-fore, has distinct advantages, both for the providers and the recipients. In Chaka, not only does Shafiqa have the oppor-tunity to work for the health of her community, but she is also able to bring health mes-sages home to women who

are barred by tradition from contact with men other than those in their families. “It is difficult for women to work with men,” Abdul Qayum explains. “At least as hus-band and wife we can work together, where I work with the men and my wife works with the women.” Shafiqa agrees “As a couple, both men and women in our vil-lage feel comfortable coming to us discussing their health problems,” she says. “In our village, I work with chil-

dren and women of all ages. We have cases of diarrhoea, pneumonia and also many children facing malnutrition. I also talk to mothers about the importance of breastfeeding.”

Like this dedicated cou-ple in Chaka, community health workers across rural Afghanistan enter into a trans-parent and vital contract with their community, delivering health messages and services where they are needed most.

EHPEkeraams Halaal Polony

cold meat processing

Congratulations to the 2007 Academic Achievers of the Independent Muslim

High Schools. Wishing our young leaders a successful and bright future.

Arnold Centre, Westflour Circle, AtlantisTel: 021-572 0966 Cell: 082-338 9274

[email protected]

To grow your business advertise in the Community News.

Phone Gadija on 084 3220142 and Ekeraam on 082 3389274. Muharram special deals – contract rates at 2007

prices,ends 29 February 2008.

Office number 021 697 2294,email: [email protected];

fax 021 697 2304

Property FeatureFocus March edition

Attention Estate Agents – residential, commercial/industrial, bond originators

and developersCall us for preferential rates, deadline

29 February, publication date7 March 2008.

Contact us on 021 697 2294,email: [email protected];

fax 021 697 2304

Soraya Salie reading a poem to the guests of the Ladies Muharram celebration held at Bellville Swimming baths

Latiefah Hendricks from

Bonteheuwel, a married home

executive and mother of three, decided

a year ago to host a social event for the

Muslim ladies in her area, including

family and friends, during the month of

Muharram, as part of her Islamic social

obligation. This year the Muharram cel-

ebration was held at Bellville Swimming

Baths, from 9am till 13h30.

The guest complement cut across all

ages, hailing from diverse spheres of

life.

The keynote address was delivered by

Soraya Salie, a revert and cancer survi-

vor of note.

72 year old Amina Philander, a past pri-

mary school teacher of Pioneer Primary

Bonteheuwel, enthralled the guests with

her Haj tales and buckets of wisdom.

Activities for the morning included an

introduction to fabric painting and for

the more adventurous, a dip in the swim-

ming pool with some exercises to boot.

Guests were treated to a lavish breakfast

spread and finger lunch, followed by an

array of desserts.


One of the most disconcerting diseases doing the rounds these days, other than those of a bio-medical type - is impas-sioned denial to any and every point of critique that appear to undermine our reconciliatory, brilliant optimistic post-1994 South African brand.

This inclination towards denial alludes to a literal one-party democracy too drunk with power to separate ideology from the rational problem solving and constructive debate that are the basic tenets of a democratic culture.

Moreover, with such thirst for power comes an inevitable guilt that is played out in defensive rants bred by fascist ambitions for power, resulting in a self-perpetuating vicious cycle. This guilt furthermore creates a desire to attack critics and recast them as the 'other' - enemies of the new South African democracy, because the revolution and the revolutionaries are infallible.

As the run-up to Polokwane has thus far illustrated, the cannibalism for pow-er's sake has long begun. This sort of thirst for establishing power, ideology and personal achievement at national leadership level is filtering very fast through the structures of regional, local and student leadership.

The National Democratic Revolution (NDR), as many in positions of power remind us is a never-ending process with national leadership providing tacit

mentorship to local and student lead-ers, with fancy political jobs almost guaranteed in order to carry on these later stages of the revolution. After all, politicians pass on or join business, or both, and the next rung of political leadership must come through to take over the reins.

What we have ultimately is an assem-bly-line of arse-licking student leaders prepared to sacrifice even the respect and dignity of their own mothers to further their political careers.

In no other forum has this been better exemplified than in the events that took place during this week's mass meet-ing between University management, security services, staff members and students over security issues at UKZN, following the rape of a UKZN student in the residences a week ago.

In a forum that was designed to show-case the measures and mechanisms that were to be upgraded and improved to avoid a repeat of the tragic event, the issue degenerated into a politically charged circus.

Student representatives formally con-demned the 'alleged' rape with the sincerity of an MP addressing poor communities during election time. This condemnation was aptly followed by bizarre allegations that the University community's mobilization and collec-tive outrage to the rape case was essen-

tially race-based, because the victim was an international student, and by implication, not a black student.

A black African rape victim is as vic-timised and oppressed as a White rape victim. Their suffering is the same irre-spective of their racial/cultural back-grounds and also irrespective of the level of attention the crime receives after the fact. In this case, gendered analysis of issues around identity and power must take precedence over all other analytical prisms.

Women are disproportionately the vic-tims of gender based violence, and therestoration of agency needs to occur in a space defined by and for women.

References to the Zuma rape allega-tions (with the implication that as he was found not guilty all other allega-tions of rape are to be mistrusted) serve only to perpetuate a misogynistic sexist point of view that results effectively in a re-victimisation of the woman involved.

Some statistics say that 10 women are raped every four minutes in this coun-try, and that a woman is killed every six hours by a man close to her.

Statistics are a notoriously inaccu-rate way to understand society and its workings and they of course conceal as much or more than they reveal. Nevertheless the aforementioned fig-

ures are extremely difficult to ignore. They suggest that South African women are under attack in an undeclared war perpetuated primarily by men. The fact that it is undeclared makes it ever more difficult to fight against.

In fact, history shows us that when we try and draw attention to the unac-ceptably high rates of gender violence (ala Charlize Theron and the rape ads), we are labelled as unpatriotic, and as tarnishing the image of the rainbow that is supposedly representative of a reconciled, democratic South Africa. This knee-jerk jingoistic reaction for-gets that when over half the population lives and dies in fear of the other half, the rainbow has long disappeared. And the attempt to reduce this issue to a race based one is reprehensible, as it serves mainly to dilute and displace the argu-ments around gender-based violence.

Perhaps a psychological perspective is needed to understand why men abuse and brutalise women. Perhaps it's an instance of mummy didn't love me enough so I will go out and hurt other women. Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable that South African society is dysfunctional in the extreme and perhaps part of the explanation does have historical roots. But these are inadequate in explaining the particular violence perpetrated against women so frequently. Going back to statistics, we have, arguably, the highest rate of rape in the world (other than in situations of

war). This level of violence is not eas-ily hidden away and trying to displace the issue simply serves to increase anger and frustration.

Nevertheless, there is a perception that there are greater levels of security from violence within the confines of the campus than outside it.

Whether this is justified or not is obvi-ously questionable given the numer-ous security breaches that have been experienced. Perhaps the short term measures that need to be put in place to ensure that students are able to study without excessive levels of fear need to involve a trade-off between security and freedom at least until South African society normalizes to an acceptable level.

This could involve implementing dra-conian access control measures par-ticularly in the residences. It could also involve providing all (female) students with personal security devices (like stun-guns or pepper spray) that would enable them to take back some agency in terms of providing for their security especially at this vulnerable time. Other measures obviously need to include better training of security personnel, and perhaps making gender sensitivity literature widely available to the whole university community.

Azad Essa and Aisha Lorgat are researchers at IOLS-Research

POWER OBSCURING RAPE by Azad Essa and Aisha Lorgat

MAIL BAG – LETTERS, EMAIL AND SMS [email protected] • fax 021 697 2304 sms 074 227 4345

Photograph of Prophet Muhammad (saw) posted on WikipediaWikipedia site has published the image

of the Prophet Mohammad (saw). Please

sign the petition on the below mentioned

link to have it removed. We need 10,000

signatures to get pictures of Prophet be

removed from WIKIPEDIA. So far only

4300 signatures are obtained. Please act

now! JAZAKALLAHU KHAIRA. Also,

please inform all your Muslim contacts.

FOR PICTURE OF PROPHET AND

DETAILS OF ISLAMIC MOVEMENT

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_

FOR THE REMOVAL PETITION TO

BE SIGNED; PLEASE LOG ON;

_http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/

removal-of-the-pics-of-muhammad-

from-wikipedia_

Learn to deal with your reality Part 1 In this life, if you inwardly disparage

something you can't have, its value will

diminish for you. And if you are not

contented with not getting something that

you really wanted, then your heart will

find solace.

"Allah will give us His Bounty, and [also]

His Messenger [from alms, ect]. We

implore Allah [to enrich us]." (Quran

9: 59)

I once read about a man who fell out

of a window . The ring he was wearing

became stuck around a nail that was'nt

nailed down completely on the ledge,

and consequently, his ring finger was

pulled from its root, leaving him with

four fingers. The amazing thing is not

the incedent itself, but the contenment

shown by the man long after the accident,

contentment that that is illustrated in the

following words, "It hardly ever crosses

my that I have four fingers on one hand

or that I have lost a finger. It only comes

back when I remember the accident.

Otherwise, my work is going well and I

am content with what happned"

"Allah has made His decree, and as He

pleases, he does."

I know a man who lost his left arm as a

result of desease. He has lived for many

years since: he got married and has chil-

dren. He drives his car without difficulty

and performs the various tasks of his work

with ease. He is so at ease that it is as if

Allah created him with only one arm to

begin with.

"Be content with what Allah has portioned

out for you and you will be the richest of

people"

How quickly we adapt to our circum-

stances! And it is amazing how we adapt

our thinking when a change in life-style is

imposed upon us. Fifty years ago, a house

consisted of a carpet made from palm tree

leaves, a jug for water, a small amount of

coal, and a fewother paltry items. People

managed as they do now, and a lack of

resources or comfort did not make life any

less important that it is now.

An Arab poet said:"The soul desires more

if you encourage it, But it returns to con-

tentment when it is disciplined"

(BY Aaid ibn Abdullah al-Qarni) email by Faagir

The Indonesian Consul-General, Mr Andradjati with Antonia Malan of the Transcription of Estate Papers at the Cape of Good Hope, SA (TECP) hosted a workshop on 26 January, in developing strategies to attract community participation in research on the 'exiles' and 'bandi-eten' at the Cape. If you would like to know about your ancestors or have 'kitaabs' or information to share, please contact TECP on [email protected] or 021 650 2358


US Attorney H. Candace Gorman has revealed

that her client Abdul Hamid Al-Ghizzawi has been infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Al Ghizzawi believes the infection happened dur-ing medical procedures at Guantanamo in 2004 when he was given a blood test which resulted in alarm amongst the hospital staff. Al Ghizzawi was not given any explana-tion for the alarm at the time. As a result Al-Ghizzawi has now been told that he is suf-

fering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Having already been suf-fering from Hepatitis B and Tuberculosis (which he also acquired at Guantanamo) Al Ghizzawi has been held in severe isolation in Camp 6.

Gorman filed an emergen-cy application with the US Supreme Court asking that the US military be ordered to treat Al-Ghizzawi’s medi-cal problems and for medi-cal records to be turned over to her. Chief Judge Roberts

denied the motion despite it being stated by the chief med-ical doctor at Guantanamo, Dr Sollock, that Al-Ghizzawi did not suffer from any ill health on arrival to the base.

Al-Ghizzawi’s health has rapidly deteriorated and Cageprisoners calls for the immediate release of his med-ical records so that adequate medical treatment can be given to the detainee. Spokesman for Cageprisoners and for-mer Guantanamo detainee, Moazzam Begg said,

“That a man who has endured more than half a decade in the world’s most infamous prison – without charge or trial – is now infected with the world’s most dreaded dis-ease is preposterous. How will the US administration explain this one to his fam-ily? More ‘robust interroga-tion techniques’?”

With Al-Ghizzawi’s condi-tion as it is, Candace Gorman made the following plea,

“Al-Ghizzawi is an innocent

civilian turned over to the Americans in response to a bounty (cash American dol-lars for Arabs). Al-Ghizzawi has been taken from his wife and young daughter and he will die if he is not given immediate medical care, and yet the American military cannot be bothered… I ask that all of you please contact the American state department and ask them to release this innocent and very ill man.”

Four rebel groups have been fighting to over-

throw Idriss Deby, Chad's president, who seized power in a Libyan-backed uprising in 1990.

After leading a lightning three-week offensive from Sudan's Darfur region to topple Hissene Habre, Deby became president. He was then elected in the country's first multi-party election in 1996. In 2001 he was re-elected for a second term.

However, large-scale deser-tions from the army in 2004 and 2005, which forced Deby to disband his presidential guard and form a new elite military force, weakened the president's position and encouraged the growth of armed opposition groups.

The Rally for Democracy and Liberation (RDL) was formed in August 2005, and the Platform for Unity, Democracy and Change (SCUD), two months later, to overthrow the current gov-ernment, accusing it of being corrupt and totalitarian.

Later that year, the RDL and SCUD joined six other groups to form the United Front for Democracy and Change (FUCD).

Ndjamena attackedIn April 2006, FUCD brought Chad to the brink of all-out civil war, crossing the entire country as far as the capi-tal before government forces were able to repel the attack with French logistical and intelligence support.

Deby blamed the attack on the Sudanese government, claim-ing that many of the rebels were either Sudanese backed by their government or resi-dents of Chad conscripted by the Sudanese.

The battle occurred just months after a conflict between Khartoum and Ndjamena had ended with the signing of the Tripoli Agreement. Deby broke off relations with Sudan as a result, expelling its diplo-mats and threatening to stop giving shelter to thousands of Darfur refugees.

Three weeks later Deby was re-elected for a third time, capitalising on a change to the constitution that removed a two-term limit for heads of state and an age limit of 70 for presidential candidates.

The opposition boycotted the election.

In November, a state of emer-gency was imposed in the capital after an escalation of activity by armed rebel groups.

Peace accordHostilities left hundreds of people dead in clashes in the east but in October last year four rebel groups signed a peace accord with the govern-ment. Deby described it as the last chance for peace.

Mahamat Nour Abdelkerim, the leader of the FUCD, was made defence minister after the peace deal was signed.

The peace deal was under-mined when Arab horsemen raided and torched villages

whose inhabitants are mostly of black African descent, kill-ing around 300 people.

In late November the accord all but totally collapsed when Abdelkerim accused Deby of ordering an attack on his fighters.

In December, Abdelkerim was removed from his posi-tion and his faction rejoined the armed opposition.

The conflict is further com-plicated by about 240,000 ref-ugees from Darfur who have crossed the border and now live in a number of camps alongside about 180,000 Chadians displaced by vio-lence. (Al-Jazeera)

The National Library in Canberra, Australia, host-

ed an exhibition in December dusting off the neglected and unrecorded great contribu-tions of Muslim cameleers to Australia in the 19th century.

"Muslims have come to this country and contribut-ed blood, sweat and tears," said Philip Jones, the cura-tor of the "Pioneers of the Inland: Australia's Muslim Cameleers" exhibition.

Jones added that expedition diaries confirm several cam-eleers deserve the status of "explorers."

"Cameleers assisted all major expeditions into Australia's uncharted interior, starting with the Burke and Wills expedition in 1860, and have contributed significantly to Australia's economic and cul-tural development," he said.

"They successfully negoti-ated these enormous obsta-

cles across the landscape and brought supplies and provi-sions and took wool and min-erals back to ports from the inland in a way that was pre-dictable and efficient."

Nearly three thousand cam-eleers came to Australia between 1860 and 1930.

Nineteen of every 20 were Muslims and their effect on inland Australia was pro-found, said Jones.

With the arrival of motorcars, many of them returned home but some remained, married and established communi-ties and mosques in outback towns.

Jones notes that Muslim pio-neers enjoyed an atmosphere of tolerance and freedom of religion unlike today.

"I think in ways that we would tend to be a bit surprised by now because after all these are people coming into small

country towns, building reli-gious mosques, praying five times a day, holding their reli-gious festivals, speaking in a foreign language....a whole range of cultural practices and gestures which are today greeted with some kind of irritation if they're encoun-tered in Australian society."

GUANTANAMO DETAINEE INFECTED WITH HIV VIRUS

CHAD’S SPIRALING CONFLICT

AUSTRALIA HONOURS MUSLIM EXPLORERS


Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger has been

quoted as calling for Gazans to be transferred to the Sinai Peninsula, to a Palestinian state which he said could be con-structed for them in the desert.

In an interview in English with the British weekly The Jewish News, the chief rabbi also said that while peaceable Muslims should be allowed to pray in Jerusalem mosques, they should recognize that Jerusalem belongs to the Jews. Muslims have Mecca and Medina, he was quoted as saying, adding that "you don't need a third place."

Metzger called for Britain, the European Union and the United States to assist in the construc-tion of a Palestinian state in

Egypt's Sinai Desert.

According to Metzger, the plan would be to "take all the poor people from Gaza to move them to a wonderful new modern country with trains buses cars, like in Arizona - we are now in a generation where you can take a desert and build a city. This will be a solution for the poor people - they will have a nice county, and we shall have our country and we shall live in peace."

Metzger was quoted as telling the paper that the plan was new and he had not presented it to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"I have thought about it with some wise people only in the last two weeks, and I think it is a great idea - nobody spoke

about it before." He expressed his intent to discuss the mat-ter with Olmert and anticipated that the idea would find popu-larity among Israelis. He pref-aced his comments by pointing out that he could not advise on political matters as he is a religious leader in Israel, not-ing that according to the law he "cannot be involved in political situations."

Muslims 'don't need a third place Metzger also called for Muslims to have the freedom to return to pray in mosques on condition that they do so peaceably: "We will welcome every Palestinian man who wants to pray in his mosque. Every Friday they can come, but with one condition, without violence. We have the same feeling about prayers, we want to give you respect but let

us live and believe our land is the Holy Land and Jerusalem belongs to us. You have another place, Mecca and Medina, you don't need a third place."

In the interview Metzger also described Jerusalem as "the capital city forever to the Jewish nation." He argued that Muslims have no connection to Jerusalem commenting that "behind the Kotel we have a mosque. But when they pray even though they are in our holiest place, they face Mecca. Their back is to Jerusalem. So you can see from only one sign that it does not belong to them. They have nothing - no con-nection."

The tenure of Metzger, 54, appointed as chief rabbi in 2003 for a ten-year term, has been

marked by controversy. In 2006 Attorney General Menachem Mazuz called on him to resign his post in a report which alleged that he had accepted discounted hospitality at a num-ber of Israeli hotels - a call that Metzger rejected.

Metzger has also proposed the establishment of a "religious United Nations" comprised of religious leaders from around the world, and was named one of the 12 most influential inter-national religious figures in a recent CBS documentary enti-tled In God's Name.

Video of the interview is available by logging on: h t t p : / / w w w. y o u t u b e . c o m /watch?v=s8KR3dIAjM4&eurl =http://www.totallyjewish.com/

CHIEF RABBI SAYS MOVE GAZANS TO A PALESTINE IN SINAI By Saul Sadka

To view more photographs log onto: www.islamicmedia.co.za.

Supporters at the Mahrajaan 'Al Aqsa in Danger' held at Darul Islam Hall 3 February

Principals of the Independent Islamic High Schools receiv-ing a Thank-you gift from Sheikh Raed Salah at the youth, Mahrajaan on 4 February at the Darul Islam Hall

Sheikh Raed Salah at the youth mini Mahrajaan.

Learners of the Darul Islam Primary School pledging support at the youth, Mahrajaan on 4 February at the Darul Islam Hall

Learners welcome Sheikh Raed Salah at CT International Airport on 31 January

(l-r)Sh Ebrahim Gabriels, Sh Raed Salah, Sh Ihsaan Taliep and Mln Ihsaan Hendricks at the Mahrajaan 'Al Aqsa in Danger' held at Darul Islam Hall 3 February

Learners of the Darul Islam Primary School pledging support at the youth, Mahrajaan on 4 February at the Darul Islam Hall

Sheikh Raed Salah presents a gift to Dr Anwah Nagia from Altius Investment Holdings, who hosted the business break-fast, in aid of the Palestinian crises and Masjidul Aqsa

cnews_ february 2008

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