CNEWS_January 2007

SANAA PETERSEN & Dr AHMED

ABDUL MALICK

Pop Singer Britney Spears, 24,abruptly filed for divorce fromher rapper husband KevinFederline after two years ofmarriage - and two children -while he was filming inCanada.Federline was taping a reality

television show and talkingabout Spears being his biggestfan - until he gets an SMS. Urdumped! Then he puts his headin his hands, rips off hismicrophone and disappears,returning 30 minutes later, vis-ibly angry.And, he is not the only personthat has been divorced via aSMS. My friend Rubeenareceived her divorce notifica-tion four years ago, when tex-ting was not as popular. WhileRubeena was at home caringfor their nine month old baby,her then husband, SMSed "Idivorce you with immediateeffect" and he supplied herwith his attorney's details."We were married by Muslimrights and everything was sort-ed out by his attorney. Ihaven't seen him since," saidRubeena. She believes that hehas remarried and relocated toLondon. Is divorce by SMS binding inIslam? We speak to Dr AhmedAbdul Malick, who holds aPhD in Islamic Media andCommunications, from theUniversity of Indonesia:Talaq(divorce) is a social phe-nomena such as Nikah andRaj-ah which needs religiousguidance and cannot be jokedabout. The ProphetMuhammad (pbuh) said, " There are things when theytake place, its seriousness istaken in earnest, and its jest istaken in earnest: 1-Marriiage,2-Divorce, 3-The Raj-ah orrecall/freedom."

The jurists all agree that atalaq materializes and the mar-riage contract come to an endwhen the husband pronouncesthe word "talaq" in Arabic orin any other language. Talaqcan also take effect in the writ-ten or oral form. When oneutters the talaq, it is done soeither in the sareeh(direct) orin the kinayah form (indirectform)

Talaq Al-SareehTalaq Al-Sareeh is the plainform of speech which clearlyillustrates what is been said,for example - "You aredivorced". This talaq, accord-ing to all four imams, is bind-ing without reservations. Thistalaq is also valid if an expres-sion of speech, is attached tocertain parts of the wife'sbody, for example if a mansays to his wife: "O Thurayah,

I have talaqed twothirds of yourbody" or " I havetalaqed your pri-vate parts," thenthe talaq is valid.It is agreed uponby the majority ofthe ulama of thematha-hib that theqasd (intention) isa pre-requisite oftalaq. When onetalks about divorc-ing his wife whileasleep, this type oftalaq is not bind-ing. And if he haslost his senses anddivorced his wife,his talaq will notbe binding.The Shafi-iy-yah,Hanabilah andTha-hiriy-yah saythat a talaq sareeh

becomes bindingwith three differentutterances.

1- Al Talaq - Divorce2- Al Firaq - Separation 3- Al Sarah - Release/LiberateThese three words whichdescribe talaq are mentionedin the Holy Qur'an -

1.The word Talaq is mentionedin the Holy Qur'an. Soorah AlBaqarah: verse 229 "Talaq is twice, thereafter youhave to decide to come togeth-er with goodness or to separatewith equity and justice.2. Here we have an example ofthe word Faraq- separate, usedin the Holy Qur'an denotingthe word talaq . "And if theyseparate from each other,thenAllah willprovide abundancefor both of them from His All-reaching Bounty, for Allah isHe who cares, and He is All-wise."

3. Here we can see how the

Holy Qur'an used the wordSarah-release/liberate in theform of talaq. Soorah AlAhzab: Verse 28. "O Prophet!Say to thy wives, "If it be thatyou desire the life of thisworld and its glitter, thencome, I will provide you foryour enjoyment, and releaseyou (or set you free) in a hand-some manner."Imam Shafi-iy and theHanabilah regard these threewords as sareeh forms of talaq.Inspite, of Arabic speakingcountries today, the words"you are haraam for me" havealso become evidently clear todenote talaq. THE DECREE OF THETALAQ AL SAREEHThe talaq decree is carried outas a wajib if pronounced inany of the sareeh formsaccepted by the various a-immah (leaders). This isbecause the sareeh form oftalaq does not need a niyah tomake it clear.AL TALAQ BIL KITABATIILAL GHA-IB:THE TALAQ IN WRITTENFORM TO ONE WHO ISNOT PRESENTThe talaq is valid if it is writ-ten, subject to the followingdetailed conditions. It caneither be illustrative or non-illustrative.Illustrative Script: This is aclear evident script that hasleft a mark behind, like thewriting on paper, the ground oron a wall. Although textingtalaq by SMS is a contempo-rary issue, if a husband SMStalaq to his wife, who definite-ly recognises her husband'scellular number, it is binding.This talaaq is in its writtenform and is agreed by themajority of the ulama of thematha-hib such as Shafi-iy-yah and Hanafiy-yah.

CONTINUED TO PAGE 3

Divorce by sms

Mortified: Britney Spears dumps husband,Kevin Federline by sms.

Keeping you in contact with the Islamic community and keeping the community in contact with you...

Firstfemaleto set

foot onthe

moon

PAGE 2

Inside this issue

Hajjindustry

in turmoil

PAGE 3

DesmondTutu onIsrael

being anapartheid

state

PAGE 6

A charming new guest house sit-uated in the heart of Gatesville,Cape Town has opened inDecember 2006. It's owner,Showket Mohamed of the suc-cessful Top Boutique stores,regards each customer as hisfriend. This motto is evident inthe tastefully decorated andfurnished bedrooms, luxuarybathrooms and personalized

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Wish all Muslims aMuharram Mubarak andall Hujjaj a Haj Makbool

and Haj Mabroor –Insha-Allah.

FREE COPY15TH EDITION JANUARY 2007 MUHARRAM 1428

Anousheh Ansaricaptured headlinesaround the world as

the first female privatespace explorer. InSeptember 2006,Anousheh earned a placein history as the fourthprivate explorer to visitspace and the first astro-naut of Iranian descent. She was born in Tehran,Iran and moved to theUnited States at age 16.She turned 40 years oldwhile in quarantinepreparing for her trip intospace. Anousheh lives in

Plano, Texas with her hus-band Hamid Ansari.She earned a bachelor'sdegree in electronics andcomputer engineeringfrom George MasonUniversity in 1989 and amaster's degree in electri-cal engineering fromGeorge WashingtonUniversity in 1992. She iscurrently working towarda master's degree inastronomy fromSwinburne University.In 1993, Anousheh con-vinced her husband thatthey should quit their jobs,cash in their savings andcreate a telecommunica-tions startup.They founded telecomtechnologies, inc., (tti) inRichardson, Texas andcreated a product called a"softswitch" that allowedvoice communicationsover the Internet. By 2001,Anousheh helped tti earnthree key U.S. patents.The company had grownto 250 employees and

experienced 100 percentsequential growth yearover year since its incep-tion. In 2001, the companysuccessfully merged withSonus Networks, Inc.(Nasdaq: SONS), aprovider of IP-based voiceinfrastructure products, ina deal worth approximate-ly $750 million.Today, Anousheh serves asco-founder and chairmanof Prodea Systems. Shehas received multiple hon-ors, including the WorkingWoman's NationalE n t r e p r e n e u r i a lExcellence Award, GeorgeMason University'sE n t r e p r e n e u r i a lExcellence Award, GeorgeWashington University'sDistinguished AlumniAchievement Award, andthe Ernst & YoungEntrepreneur of the YearAward for SouthwestRegion. She also has beennamed a life member ofthe Association of SpaceExplorers.

First Female Private Space Explorer & First Space Ambassador

2January 2007 - Muharram 1428

SANAA PETERSEN

The District SixBeneficiary andRedevelopment Trustrecently released thenames of the next 100families who will bereturning to DistrictSix. The list includesthe 23 ownerclaimants and 77 ten-ant claimants.According to the Trustlegal advisor, Ighsaan

Higgins, the list wascompiled on a 'firstcome, first served'basis with the namesverified by the nation-al Land Commission.The claimants werechosen using the crite-ria based on whetherpeople wanted toreturn and their will-ingness to meet thefinancial obligationsinvolved. Claimants would have

to come up with R125000 for their three-bedroomed, 80m2houses, which wouldhave a lounge, yardand fitted kitchen.Higgins said, "Thecost of a R125 000 is afraction of the realbuilding costs, thegovernment, localbusinesses and foreignn o n - g o v e r n m e n t a lorganizations wouldcover the shortfall."

District six resident returning home

Divorce by smsCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Non-Illustrative Script:This is when no visible marksare left to indicate that onehas divorced his wife, likewriting on water or in the air.Invisible or illegible writingscannot be regarded in hokum(decree) to be talaq, even ifthe intention has been madefor talaq.Illustrative script is dividedinto two kinds:Kitabul Marsoomah: This isthe customary official noticewhich is duly, addressed andposted to his wife, for exam-ple, "To my wife Thurayah. Ifyou receive this letter, thenknow truly that I havedivorced you". It is also bind-ing if he SMSed or emailedher and expressively declaredtalaq. The decree of such aletter is that a talaq is decreedby the qadee as a sareeh fromof talaq, even if it has been

expressed without a niyah.Kitabu Ghayrul Marsoomah:This is an unofficial letterwhich means it is notaddressed to the person inquestion. It perhaps onlyreads "my wife Thurayah, isdivorced". This type of scriptis only decreed as talaq if theniyah is connected to it andthe situation of the time isclear. It must be understoodthat the written notice takesthe place of a pronouncementwithout any niyah attached toit. If the letter is official. If itso happens that a man wrote aletter or SMSed or emailedhis wife to talaq her in anofficial manner, but laterclaims that the only reasonfor having written the letteror SMS was to assess hishandwriting and improve it,then the talaaq is not binding. We need to understand thatany letter not written in thehusband's own handwriting,

or not dictated by him,according to Imam Hanafiyand Imam Shafi-iy is notbinding. The husband alsoneeds to acknowledge that themessage is from him. And, ifa husband divorces his wifeby SMS with an unidentifiednumber, no talaaq is bindinguntil the husband acknowl-edges that he has sent theSMS. While a divorce, which isrecognised by the medicalfraternity as a trauma, isbinding by sms or email - weask, "Who or what cares forthe children. Will the nikahbe performed via sms oremail. What about the doop-mal and the janaazah … whathappens after the ceremony?Cellphone usage researchindicates that younger per-sons uses the 'confrontationnow and mortification later'reasoning.

Wishing all Muslims aMuharram Mubarak andall Hujjaj a Haj Makbool

and Haj Mabroor - Insha-Allah.

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SANAA PETERSEN

Labbaik Allahuma Labbaik (Here I am,Allah) resonated from the SouthAfrican hujjaj on the 8th Day of DhilHijja in the holy city of Makka. Amidst,the chaos back home, they were the'chosen ones', handpicked and accredit-ed by the South African Hajj andUmrah Council (SAHUC).I remember a time when my family andfriends, solemnly greeted us with theirhajj intention, leaving a printedreminder card with their departure dateand flight details, swearing - Insha-Allah (If Allah wills). Lo and behold,Allah willed and they left on the desig-nated day, teary eyed and blossominghearts, sometimes leaving family andfriends for four months at a time. In theold days (and today) the hujjaj were notwealthy, many saving their monies foryears; derived from the sale of koeksis-ters, samoosas, dressmaking and oddjobs to fulfil their 'fifth pillar'. In theold days and (shamefully) during theApartheid, they persevered throughunscrupulous travel agents, haj opera-tors and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia'sprocessing of visas, and yet they ful-filled their pillar of faith. Alas, todaywhen making the niyyah for haj, thehujjaj has to adapt its prayer from If

Allah wills, Insha-Allah to Insha-SAHUC, If SAHUC wills.

How SAHUC was born

South Africa's new democracy raisednew challenges for the Muslims ofSouth Africa, the Quran was the onlyconstitution they adhered to and in 1994a new constitution was drafted. Someargued that the new constitution shouldbe considered because South AfricanMuslims were living in a non-Muslim,secular country, others vehementlyclung to the Quran and tradition.SAHUC 's members argued that theMuslims of South Africa should struc-

ture and unite themselves intoa representative body to allowa level of regulation in the'industry'.In August 1995 SAHUC wasinitiated by the Department ofForeign Affairs-Middle EastDesk and twenty-nine Islamicorganizations, namely AfricanMuslim Agency, Al AnsaarFoundation, Call of Islam,Central Islamic Trust, DarulWaqaf Foundation (E Cape),Eastern Cape IslamicCongress, Ikwana Islamiya,Islamic Business Chamber,Islamic Council of SA,Islamic Dawah Movement,

Islamic Forum, Islamic MedicalAssociation, Islamic Research Centre,Islamic Research Organisation, IslamicUnity Convention, Jamiat (KZN),Jamiatul Ulama, Majlis Ash ShuraIslamic, Muslim Assembly, MuslimButchers Association, Muslim JudicialCouncil, Muslim World League, MuslimYouth Movement, SA Muslim TravelAssociation, SA Travel and HajjOperators Association, Sunni JamiatUlema, Sunni Ulema Council,Uitenhage Islamic Association and theUnited Ulema Council of SA and threepolitical parties, namely African

National Congress, Inkatha FreedomParty and the Pan African Congress.Although, the Deputy Minister AzizPahad inaugurated SAHUC's existancethe Department of Foreign Affairs main-tains it is not officially responsible forSAHUC. Pahad said responsibility andaccountability between the Departmentof Foreign Affairs and SAHUC can onlybe established through a statutory actand no statutory act has broughtSAHUC into being. Well, if the govern-ment cannot be held accountable forSAHUC, "Who is it's Matouf (spiritualguide)?"Who or what has mandated SAHUC intoexistence and allowed them to impose amandatory R400 levy. "This levy is usedfor administration costs, salaries andsetting up of offices," said a SAHUCexecutive member who does not want tobe named. In fact, many of the dynamicsaffecting the SAHUC structures aregladly volunteered 'off the record'. According, to its Newly AmendedConstitution SAHUC's controlling bodycomprises of the Founding MemberOrganisations with the mandate -"Sahuc shall be controlled, managedand directed by the Founder and accred-ited Member Organisations by virtue ofthe powers vested in the National

South African Hajj ‘industry’ in turmoil – Part 13

January 2007 - Muharram 1428

SAXONSEA

HARDWARE & GIFTS


and Haj Mabroor –Insha-Allah.

SincerelyImam Achmad Dien of Masjid-Ummah, Kent cresc, Saxonsea,

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Executive Committee (NEC). The controlling body is managed by theNational Executive Committee (NEC),which is representative of memberorganizations. Interestingly, SAHUChas over the past years 'amended' theirconstitution without following dueprocess especially where voting powersare concerned, so much so that the NEChave a permanent controlling vote of51% plus. Effectively, the NEC willalways out vote any opposing decisionin the lower ranks of SAHUC. This 51%ensures that the NEC could use thispower to vote for their allies. The SATravel and Hajj Operators Association(SATHOA) has two seats on the NEC,which in reality is useless because theyhave absolutely no chance of effectingchange within SAHUC - always votedagainst. On the other hand SAHUC usesSATHOA's presence to dupe the generalpublic in their 'transparent and includes'all roleplayers policy. SATHOA'sopposing votes at meeting are not pub-lised by SAHUC, hence creating thefalse impression that SATHOA andSAHUC are in bed together.According to an unnamed executivemember of SAHUC, they convenientlyneglect to inform SATHOA on decisionsmade and new rules implemented bySAHUC affecting the hujjaaj.

Wishing all Muslims a

Muharram Mubarak and

all Hujjaj a Haj Makbool

and Haj Mabroor –

Insha-Allah. Maheera’s Take-Aways

Wishing all Muslims a Muharram

Mubarak and all Hujjaj a Haj

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Insha-Allah.

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Email : [email protected]

A top Malaysian university hasdiscovered that the posturesused during the Muslimprayer,or solaah, have signifi-cant physical benefits, accord-ing to a research project byUniversiti Malaya's biomedicalengineering department. Initial results show the Muslimstyle of praying benefits theheart and spine, while increas-ing the capacity for memoryand attention.Muslims pray five times a day,with each solaah beginning in astanding posture, followed by adeep bow and then progressingto a sitting position on knees.The person then touches theirforehead to the ground, sits up

and repeats the process beforefinally standing again.Prime Minister AbdullahAhmad Badawi said the studyaffirmed the power ofprayer in a person's life, theNew Straits Times reported."The study investigates thephysiological interactions andeffects of the solaah postureson the human body," saidAbdullah, who likened solaahpostures to those practised inyoga."Since the majority of our pop-ulation are Muslims, it is bothof interest and importance thatwe not only understand thespiritual benefits of solaah,butalso ... its biological and med-

ical effects," he said.Abdullah, who champions amoderate form of Islam calledIslam Hadhari, has beenencouraging Muslims world-wide to give equal importanceto education, science, technolo-gy and development alongsidethe spiritual aspects of the reli-gion.Malaysia's population of 26million is made up of 60 per-cent ethnic Malays who aremainly Muslim and significantminorities of Indians andChinese who practiceBuddhism, Hinduism andChristianity. – AFP

Malaysian study finds Muslimprayers have physical benefits


The Discover Islam YouthMovement, Rondebosch EastYouth Movement and MuslimJudicial Council (MJC) YouthDesk hosted a three day youthcamp for boys from January12 - 14 and a one day campfor females within the sameperiod at Glencairn YouthCamp. The theme ofthe camp was titled'Youth and Morality'."At present there is ahigh disregard fordeen in the form ofe n t e r t a i n m e n t ,behaviour and activi-ties which is part ofthe lifestyle oftoday's youth. Theobjective of thiscamp is to kick offthe year by engagethe youth in alterna-

tive activities which wouldalso provide a platform forroleplayers in the communityto interact with the youth onissues and dangers they areconfronted with today, likedrugs," said the assistantcoordinator, Ihsaan Edries.

Youth and morality camp

Britian - Serious Fraud Office(SFO) investigators will con-tinue their investigation intothe activities of BAE in fivecountries, despite the collapseof the £2 million inquiry intothe alleged of slush funds tobribe Saudi Arabian officials. The SFO said that the 20-strongteam of SFO and Ministry ofDefence police were still exam-ining corruption allegationsover arms sales in Tanzania,Chile, Romania, South Africaand the Czech Republic. The Times revealed last monththat the SFO was investigating

BAE's sale of a £28 millionmilitary air traffic control sys-tem to Tanzania. The deal was financed by a £40million loan from BarclaysBank, which caused furtheranger because the debt waspaid from aid given to Tanzaniaby Britain to assist sustainabledevelopment, including pri-mary education. The PrimeMinister overruled GordonBrown and other Cabinet min-isters to approve the deal. As Mr Blair took "full respon-sibility" for the advice to dropthe inquiry, saying that a prose-

cution would have done"immense damage" to Britain, aformer SFO director, RosalindWright said that she was sur-prised that the Saudi case hadbeen dropped because ofnational security Wright said,"Public interest does not have adefined compass. It's a looseconcept. In this case there issomething I have never comeacross before which is nationalsecurity. I have never comeacross it in fraud and I have 18to 20 years experience of fraudprosecutions." BAE Systems gained £821 mil-

lion in value yesterday, afterthe decision to drop the Saudiinquiry. Investors were con-cerned that the SFO investiga-tion would lead to the Saudiscancelling a £20 billion deal tobuy 72 Typhoon Eurofightersfrom BAE. The company'sshare price jumped 27.25p to424.5p as this threat eased. Mr Blair said: "This is a veryimportant issue for our country.Leave aside the effect on thou-sands of British jobs and bil-lions worth of pounds forBritish industry. "Our relationship with Saudi

Arabia is vitally important forour country in terms of count-er-terrorism, in terms of thebroader Middle East and interms of helping in respect ofIsrael-Palestine - and thatstrategic interest comes first. Ifthis prosecution had gone for-ward, all that would have hap-pened is we would have hadmonths, perhaps years, of ill-feeling between us and a keyally. – THE TIMES

Britian and Saudi Arabia's Civil Union

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The usually somber boardroomof the Muslim Judicial Councilwas transformed into an inter-active workshop on the 28November 2006. The historicoccasion, which forms part ofthe MJC 40-day campaignagainst Vice and Sin, was afather and daughter night out. The workshop started at 7pmwith daughters walking nerv-ously behind their fathers. Thepresident of the MJC, MoulanaIhsaan Hendricks with his 13year old daughter, Atiyah wasthe first to make an appearanceand then the president of theUnited Ulama Council SA,Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels andhis 14 year old daughter,Raabi'ah. The other attendeeswere secretary- general of theMJC, Moulana Abdul KhaliqAllie and 12 year old daughter,Maimoonah, Fareed Stegmanand two daughters Naadhirahand Zulfa, Muhammad Nur anddaughter Juwayriyyah, DawoodAllie and daughter Thakiyah,Cassiem Gassiep and daughterAmina, Magmoed Laatoe anddaughter Zainab, RidwaanRichards and daughter Rukaya,Mogamat Gamiet and daughterGowwa, Ismail Solomon anddaughter Lailah. M l nIhsaan reiterated the impor-tance of the father's responsi-bility in their daughter's life asthey are regarded as their firstmale role model. He also, relat-ed the story of SaydinnahA'isha (ra) and the time of thenecklace, when she wasaccused of adultery.Eventually, when the veil of

fidna was lifted, the Prophet(saw) came to see her. A'isha(ra) was sitting and her fatherinstructed her to raise for theProphet (saw) but she refused.Her refusal reply was that Allahrevealed the truth and not theProphet (saw). "This is a pro-found answer. A'isha was notdisobedient to her father or theProphet (saw), infact she dis-played her love for Allah.Placing Allah above everythingelse," said Mln Ihsaan. ShEbrahim joined in the discus-sion adding, 'It is importantthat our women are educatedand given the necessary sup-port, so that they may becomeleaders in their own right. I amvery close to my daughters, weshare a special bond, I learnfrom them and they from me.They have enriched my life inmany ways." He further addedthat the Prophet (saw) said thatif a father had three daughtersand treated them well then heand the Prophet (saw) will bestanding side by side on the dayof reckoning. Then a man fromthe audience asked the Prophet(saw), 'What if you only havetwo daughters' the Prophet(saw) reply was the same. Andthe man enquired again "what ifyou only have one daughter',the Prophet (saw) reply was thesame.The facilitor, Ms FowziaRyklif, a social worker fromthe Parent centre pointed outthe difference of raising a girl-child to raising a boy-child.She also highlighted the scarystatistics of abuse perpetratedagainst women and children.She emphasized the importance

of providing a safe, nurturingand positive environment forall children.After the discussion session,fathers and daughters were pro-vided with five inspirationalpoems and art supplies. A pri-vate space was created forfather and daughter to reflecton the poems and reproduce apoem which best describestheir relationship, their aspira-tions, needs or tributes. "It isamazing to see this interactionbetween father and daughter,especially coming from theleaders of our community,' saidNajmunisa Solomons a socialworker from the Parent centre.After the interactive session,the daughters presented theirpoem. Lailah remarked, 'WhenI get married I want a husbandjust like my dad.' Naadhirahand Zulfa decorated their poemwith a sweet back drop becauseit reminded them of theirfather, "My dad is very sweet,we do lots of things together.'Amina expressed her love toher father, "I love you dad, youare my best friend.' Maimoonahsaid "When I grow up, I want tobe just like my dad." Gowwaexclaimed that her father is"the most honest, special andunderstanding person.' Zainabboldly stated that her father isher hero, 'he picks me upbefore I fall.' Thakiyah and herfather Dawood created a color-ful collage, titled 'Daddy'sGirl'. Jawayriyyah thanked herfather for all the sacrifices hemade, 'My daddy accepts me asI am because I am his daughter'and Rukaya was overwhelmedwith emotion and burst into

tears when she expressed herlove for her father. Daddy,Ridwaan gently hugged andwiped away her tears. T h e

fathers surprised theirdaughters by expressingtheir love and sharinganecdotes of raising theirdaughters with the group.The evening was aremarkable experiencefor all attendees and onethat will be encouragedin all communities."Tonight is a historic andmomentous experiencefor the MJC. An experi-ence that we are hopingto introduce to othercommunities,' saidMoulana Abdul Khaliq.He further said, 'Tonightis our commitment asReligious leaders to

emphasis the pivotal role thatthe father plays in his daugh-ter's life and in society.'

Ulama creates poetry with their daughters5

January 2007 - Muharram 1428



348 Victoria Road,Salt River,

Cape Town, 7925

Tel: 021 447 6002/3Fax: 021 447 3756

Email: [email protected]


Muharram Mubarak and

all Hujjaj a Haj Makbool

and Haj Mabroor -

Insha-Allah.

Suite 211, 2nd floor, Stadium On

Main, Main road, Claremont,

Cape Town, South Africa,

Tel: +27 21 683 4295

Fax: +27 21 6834395

Wishing all Muslims aMuharram Mubarak and allHujjaj a Haj Makbool and

Haj Mabroor - Insha-Allah.

Shop 26,Ottery Hypermarket Centre,

Tel: 021 703 3610Fax: 021 703 1640

Contact Raghma on 083 282 5554



Director : H.Petersen21 Warden Crescent,

Mountview, Lansdowne, 77800835501744

[email protected]://www.hpcs.co.za

PICTURES: Sanaa Petersen

Getting creative: Father Fareed Stegman spending quality time with hisdaughters Naadhirah and Zulfa

Bonding: Moulana AK Allie secretary gen-eral of the MJC creating poetry with hisdaughter Maimoonah

Shaikhs Exotics easy Seafood PaellaRice mix2 cups rice2 x Shaikhs Exotics whole carda-mon. 2 x Shaikhs Exotics stick cinna-mon pieces boil rice with abovespices and drain.

Seafood mix1Kg prawns deveined and washed.Braise prawns in oil till pink incolour ( few min.) 1/2g ShaikhsExotics Pure Saffron. Heat saffron inmicrowave for 1min. add ½ cupwater and allow to steep for 10min.(use 1/2 for garnishing rice, ½ for

marinade ). Fry 2 grated onions in½ cup oil till golden brown drain onpaper- towel. 1x green pepper, 1xred pepper sliced in strips fry for 5min. in onion oil. 1x bunch of freshcoriander leaves, washed andchopped

Seafood marinade1/4 cup oil2Tblsp tomato puree2 Tblsp lemon juice2 Tblsp yoghurtfried onion1/4tsp black crushed pepper

1 tsp crushed garlic1 tsp slivered garlic1 tsp salt2 tsp Shaikhs Exotics Seafoodmasala1/2 tsp Shaikhs Exotics GarammasalaHalf of saffron liquid½ of chopped coriander leavesMarinade for 30 min.

MethodIn a large flat pot put oil in whichonions were fried and 2 Tblsp ghee.Add marinade to pot and bring to a

boil. Add sliced red and green pep-pers. Add rice and prawns and mixgently with a fork. Alternately, layerrice and prawns in layers. Steam for10 min. Drizzle balance of saffronover rice before serving. Garnishwith flaked almonds and choppeddhanya.Enjoy!

Our seafood masala is excellentused in a paella, curry, on grilled orfried fish and Biryani.

Rubitex cc


Khalid Meshal's said in an inter-view with Reuters that Israel hasa right to exist on the certaingrounds:

Q: What does Hamas want? A: We in Hamas are with thegeneral Palestinian and Arabposition and we are with the con-sensus of the necessity of estab-lishing a Palestinian state on theJune 4 borders, including (East)Jerusalem, the right of return andthe withdrawal of Israel to theseborders.Q: Does accepting the 1967borders presuppose the exis-tence of Israel?A: The problem is not that thereis an entity called Israel, theproblem is that the Palestinianstate is non-existent. There is areality that Israel exists onPalestinian territory. The prob-lem is that the Palestinian statedoes not exist. My concern as aPalestinian is to found this state.International relations are notbased just on recognition. Q: Does that mean you acceptIsrael exists?A: We do not want to go intoissues that complicate the strug-gle. We are offering a realchance that the Arabs andPalestinians believe in. Therewill remain a state called Israel,this is an issue of fact but thePalestinians should not berequired to recognize Israel. Notall international relations arebased on the basis of recogni-

tion. Who will be the one to grabthis chance? Q: Does that mean you can for-mally recognize Israel? A: We as Hamas and asPalestinians do not talk aboutrecognizing Israel or accepting itas a reality. As a Palestiniantoday I speak of a Palestinianand Arab demand for a state on1967 borders. It is true that inreality there will be an entity ora state called Israel on the rest ofPalestinian land. This is realitybut I don't deal with it from thepoint of view of recognizing oradmitting it. It is a fact that wasthe result of historical factors. Q. Could Hamas recognizeIsrael in the future and alterits charter which calls forIsrael's destruction? A: Why should we occupy our-selves with a distant future whenwe have urgent needs to achievein the near future? The distantfuture will have its own circum-stances and positions could bedetermined then.Q. Are you saying you willdrive a harder bargain thanother negotiators in past? A. The method used by Israel inits negotiations with the PLO(Palestinian LiberationOrganization) and in its attemptsto take free compromises inreturn for limited small offerswill not work with the Hamasmovement. Hamas today has theconfidence of the people andwon the ballot. Hamas cannot

accept the logic of bargains withIsrael. Israel has to respectPalestinian rights. We aredemanding a Palestinian state onthe 1967 border includingJerusalem and the right of return.Israel has to say yes I agree andwithdraw. But for Israel to suckus into bargains in stages and inpackages, this road constitutesan attempt to weaken thePalestinian position, to lure thePalestinians into lowering theceiling of their demands and touse the time factor and pressurewhich will not work with us. Q. Will there be a newPalestinian government? A. We had a plan to go for a gov-ernment of national unity thatwas not technocratic but withministers who were experts andwe were searching for a formulathat would not bring symbolsinto the government. But thisproject failed. Now we say 'wego to an unconditional dialogue.Each side present their vision.'And at this stage we are commit-ted to the formation of a govern-ment of national unity headed bycurrent Prime Minister Haniyehand on the basis of the nationalaccord document. Then we agreeon the details regarding the for-mation of the government. - cur-tesy Media Review Network

In our struggle against apartheid,the great supporters were Jewishpeople. They almost instinctive-ly had to be on the side of thedisenfranchised, of the voicelessones, fighting injustice, oppres-sion and evil. I have continuedto feel strongly with the Jews. Iam patron of a Holocaust centrein South Africa. I believe Israelhas a right to secure borders.What is not so understandable,not justified, is what it did toanother people to guarantee itsexistence. I've been very deeplydistressed in my visit to the HolyLand; it reminded me so much ofwhat happened to us black peo-ple in South Africa. I have seenthe humiliation of thePalestinians at checkpoints androadblocks, suffering like uswhen young white police offi-cers prevented us from movingabout. On one of my visits to theHoly Land I drove to a churchwith the Anglican bishop inJerusalem. I could hear tears inhis voice as he pointed to Jewishsettlements. I thought of thedesire of Israelis for security.But what of the Palestinians whohave lost their land and homes?I have experienced Palestinianspointing to what were theirhomes, now occupied by JewishIsraelis. I was walking withCanon Naim Ateek (the head of

the Sabeel Ecumenical Centre)in Jerusalem. He pointed andsaid: "Our home was over there.We were driven out of our home;it is now occupied by IsraeliJews." My heart aches. I say whyare our memories so short. Haveour Jewish sisters and brothersforgotten their humiliation?Have they forgotten the collec-tive punishment, the home dem-olitions, in their own history sosoon? Have they turned theirbacks on their profound andnoble religious traditions? Havethey forgotten that God caresdeeply about the downtrodden? Israel will never get true securi-ty and safety through oppressinganother people. A true peace canultimately be built only on jus-tice. We condemn the violence ofsuicide bombers, and we con-demn the corruption of youngminds taught hatred; but we alsocondemn the violence of militaryincursions in the occupied lands,and the inhumanity that won't letambulances reach the injured. The military action of recentdays, I predict with certainty,will not provide the security andpeace Israelis want; it will onlyintensify the hatred. Israel hasthree options: revert to the previ-ous stalemated situation; exter-minate all Palestinians; or Ihope to strive for peace basedon justice, based on withdrawalfrom all the occupied territories,and the establishment of a viablePalestinian state on those territo-ries side by side with Israel, bothwith secure borders. We in South Africa had a rela-tively peaceful transition. If ourmadness could end as it did, itmust be possible to do the sameeverywhere else in the world. Ifpeace could come to South

Africa, surely it can come to theHoly Land? My brother NaimAteek has said what we used tosay: "I am not pro this people orthat. I am projustice, profree-dom. I am antiinjustice, antiop-pression." But you know aswell as I do that, somehow, theIsraeli government is placed on apedestal [in the US], and to crit-icise it is to be immediatelydubbed antisemitic, as if thePalestinians were not semitic. Iam not even antiwhite, despitethe madness of that group. Andhow did it come about that Israelwas collaborating with theapartheid government on securi-ty measures? People are scared in this country[the US], to say wrong is wrongbecause the Jewish lobby is pow-erful very powerful. Well, sowhat? For goodness sake, this isGod's world! We live in a moraluniverse. The apartheid govern-ment was very powerful, buttoday it no longer exists. Hitler,Mussolini, Stalin, Pinochet,Milosevic, and Idi Amin were allpowerful, but in the end they bitthe dust. Injustice and oppres-sion will never prevail. Thosewho are powerful have toremember the litmus test thatGod gives to the powerful: whatis your treatment of the poor, thehungry, the voiceless? And onthe basis of that, God passesjudgment. We should put out a clarion callto the government of the peopleof Israel, to the Palestinian peo-ple and say: peace is possible,peace based on justice is possi-ble. We will do all we can toassist you to achieve this peace,because it is God's dream, andyou will be able to live amicablytogether as sisters and brothers.

Desmond Tutu on Israel being an apartheid state

Khaled Meshal – "Does Israel have the right to exist"

Muhammadiya Primary School in Wynberg welcomed the

new year with salutations of the Holy Quran rendered by

Imam Rusdien, hafiz Waseem Abrahams and the

Muhammadiya learners, thereafter they enjoyed a scrump-

tious meal, specially prepared by the principal, Mr

Ismail's eighty-two year old father.

The Al-Azhar High School, in Athlone welcomed the new

year with a beautiful thikr lead by the principal Mr Suroor

Christians.PICTURES: R. Petersen


Muharram

Mubarak 1428

Our country Kenya has overmany years established itselfas a country that valuespeace, not just within its bor-ders but for its neighbours aswell. We have been knownto give home to refugeesfrom Uganda, Ethiopia,Somalia, Sudan, Rwanda,Burundi and Tanzaniaamongst others. We havebeen involved in resolutionof conflicts involving thesecountries with admirablesuccess. The latest being inthe Sudan and Somalia. In playing this role, Kenyamaintained a facilitative andneutral role and resisted spir-ited attempts and machina-tions by foreign nations to bean actor in these conflicts. We are all aware of the ten-sions that are present inSomalia between the Unionof Islamic Courts (UIC) andthe Transitional FederalG o v e r n m e n t ( T F G ) .Ultimately, it is only the peo-ple of Somalia who will reacha final settlement- and agreeto the kind of country theywant for themselves. As aneighbour and facilitator, weshould at best offer help andsupport to the peace initia-tives. Kenya has, in the past,received accolades from thepeople of Somalia for ourhospitality, facilitation andneutrality in the Somalia cri-sis. We have been seen as an hon-est broker, a disposition weneed to maintain. However, we are also awarethat Ethiopia, a country thathas had historical conflictswith Somalia, has now, as inthe past, sent troops intoSomalia. We are also awareand saddened that theEthiopia government has for-mally declared war onSomalia. Already, Ethiopiantroops are in Somalia

involved in overt and covertinterference. As Muslim Leaders, aregravely concerned that ourgovernment has decided totake sides on the Ethiopia-Somalia conflict, a decisionthat will endanger our securi-ty and the stability of ournation. These events are rais-ing serious concerns. Kenyais the Chair of Inter-Governmental Authority onDevelopment (IGAD). Assuch, Kenya bears heavyresponsibility for the out-comes of both the UIC-TFGand Ethiopia-Somalia con-flicts. Kenya cannot pretendto be aloof as the IGADChair, when it is aware thatone of its member, and neigh-bour, is at war in anothermember's territory. We call on the Kenya govern-ment as Chair of IGAD; 1) To urgently urge Ethiopiato withdraw its troops fromSomalia, since the invasion isan act which is a breach ofinternational sovereignty 2) Recognise the contributionof UIC in the stabilization of Somalia as a major player and

understand thatwe cannot havea lasting solu-tion without oragainst themand thereforethere is need toengage thempositively in thepeace initia-tives. 3) Suspendplans for thedeployment ofIGAD peacekeeping missionuntil an agree-ment is reachedbetween TFGand UIC. As concernedKenyans, we areaware that for-

eign troops have entered inthe Northern region of ourcountry, with the help of ourgovernment. Movements tothis effect have been wit-nessed in Moyale, Wajir,Isiolo and Garissa. We con-sider this as a strategy to useour country as a base toattack Somalia and destroythe peace and stability beingexperienced now in Somaliaand to discredit the Union ofIslamic Courts because oftheir Islamic credentials. Assuch, there is a growing riskof dragging Kenya to becomepart of the conflict, and turn-ing our country into anotherIraq and Afghanistan. Thiswill affect every peace lovinghuman being in Kenya with apotential of creating discordbetween Christians andMuslims. We demand that ourgovernment stop foreigntroops from using our countryfor their imperialistic goals.We are not prepared to seeour hard earned taxes beingused to facilitate a waragainst the people ofSomalia, endanger our securi-

ty, destabilise the region andpromote the American hege-monic agenda in the horn ofAfrica. We also challenge the mediato be fair and objective intheir reporting on Somalia toreflect the true situation inthe country. As Muslim Leaders, we reit-erate that the security and sta-bility of our country is para-mount and must be the firstpriority of our government.We deeply care and love ourcountry and we have to seethat it does not turn into achaotic and unstable place. We also urge the Union ofIslamic Courts to acceptKenya as an arbitrator in thecurrent conflicts to end theescalating conflict. And finally, we call upon allfaith leaders to join efforts inensuring peace and stabilityreigns in Somalia and thewhole region. This is our pas-sionate plea and prayer.

Issued by the National Muslim

Leaders Forum, which comprises

of - Sheikh Khalfan Khamis

Chairman Majlis Ulamaa,

Sheikh Dor Muhammad Dor

Secretary General-Council of

Imams and preachers in Kenya,

Sheikh A.A.A Elmaawy

Chairman- Kenya Association of

Ulama and Imams, Sheikh Ismail

Hassan Nairobi Muslim associa-

tion, Ibrahim A.Yussuf Deputy

Secretary Jamia Mosque commit-

tee, Abdulrahman Wandati

Executive Director Muslim

Counsultative Council, Abdallah

Ndope Chairman Islamic

Da'awah Group, Rashid Hashim

Vice-chairman:MEDA, Abdillahi

Abdi Chairman-National Muslim

Leaders Forum, MajmaulAhbaib Aidarus Sharrif.

National muslim leaders forum speak on Somalia


SALIM LONE

Undeterred by the horrors and setbacksin Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon, theBush administration has opened anotherbattlefront in the Muslim world. Withfull U.S. backing and military training,at least 15,000 Ethiopian troops haveentered Somalia in an illegal war ofaggression against the Union of IslamicCourts, which controls almost the entiresouth of the country.As with Iraq in 2003, the United Stateshas cast this as a war to curtail terror-ism, but its real goal is to obtain a directfoothold in a highly strategic region byestablishing a client regime there. TheHorn of Africa is newly oil-rich, and liesjust miles from Saudi Arabia, overlook-ing the daily passage of large numbersof oil tankers and warships through theRed Sea. General John Abizaid, the cur-rent U.S. military chief of the Iraq war,was in Ethiopia this month, andPresident Hu Jintao of China visitedKenya, Sudan and Ethiopia earlier thisyear to pursue oil and trade agreements.The U.S. instigation of war betweenEthiopia and Somalia, two of world'spoorest countries already strugglingwith massive humanitarian disasters, isreckless in the extreme. Unlike in therun-up to Iraq, independent experts,including from the European Union,were united in warning that this war

could destabilize the whole region evenif America succeeds in its goal of top-pling the Islamic Courts.An insurgency by Somalis, millions ofwhom live in Kenya and Ethiopia, willsurely ensue, and attract thousands ofnew anti-U.S. militants and terrorists.With so much of the world convulsed bycrisis, little attention has been paid tothis unfolding disaster in the Horn. TheUN Security Council, however, did takeup the issue, and in another craven actwhich will further cement its reputationas an anti-Muslim body, bowed toAmerican and British pressure to author-ize a regional peacekeeping force toenter Somalia to protect the transitionalgovernment, which is fighting theIslamic Courts.The new UN resolution states that theworld body acted to "restore peace andstability." But as all major internationalnews organizations have reported, thisyear Somalia finally experienced its firstrespite from 16 years of utter lawless-ness and terror at the hands of themarauding warlords who drove out UNpeacekeepers in 1993, when 18American soldiers were killed.Since 1993, there had been no SecurityCouncil interest in sending peacekeepersto Somalia, but as peace and order tookhold, a multilateral force was suddenlydeemed necessary - because it was theIslamic Courts Union that had brought

about this stability. Astonishingly, theIslamists had succeeded in defeating thewarlords primarily through rallying peo-ple to their side by creating law andorder through the application of Shariahlaw, which Somalis universally practice.The transitional government, on theother hand, is dominated by the warlordsand terrorists who drove out Americanforces in 1993. Organized in Kenya byU.S. regional allies, it is so completelydevoid of internal support that it hasturned to Somalia's arch- enemy,Ethiopia, for assistance.If this war continues, it will affect thewhole region, do serious harm to U.S.interests and threaten Kenya, the onlyisland of stability in this corner ofAfrica.Ethiopia is at even greater risk, as a dic-tatorship with little popular support andbeset also by two large internal revolts,by the Ogadenis and Oromos. It is alsomired in a conflict with Eritrea, whichhas denied it secure access to seaports.The best antidote to terrorism in Somaliais stability, which the Islamic Courtshave provided. The Islamists havestrong public support, which has grownin the face of U.S. and Ethiopian inter-ventions. As in other Muslim-Westernconflicts, the world needs to engagewith the Islamists to secure peace.

In Somalia, a reckless U.S. proxy war

Geography of Somalia

Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Gulf of Adenand the Indian Ocean, east of Ethiopia Geographic coordinates:10 00 N, 49 00 E Map references: Africa Area:total: 637,657 sq km

land: 627,337 sq km water: 10,320 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas Land boundaries: total: 2,340 km border countries: Djibouti 58 km, Ethiopia 1,600km, Kenya 682 km Coastline: 3,025 km Maritime claims: territorial sea: 200 nm Climate: Principally desert; December to February -northeast monsoon, moderate temperatures in northand very hot in south; May to October - southwestmonsoon, torrid in the north and hot in the south,irregular rainfall, hot and humid periods (tangambili)between monsoons Terrain: Mostly flat to undulating plateau rising tohills in north Elevation extremes:lowest point: Indian Ocean - 0 m highest point: Shimbiris - 2,416 m Natural resources: Uranium and largely unexploit-ed reserves of iron ore, tin, gypsum, bauxite, copper,salt, natural gas, likely oil reserves Land use:arable land: 1.67% permanent crops: 0.04% other: 98.29% (2001) Irrigated land: 2,000 sq km (1998 est.) Natural hazards: Recurring droughts; frequent duststorms over eastern plains in summer; floods duringrainy season Environment - current issues: Famine; use of con-taminated water contributes to human health prob-lems; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; deserti-fication Environment - international agreements:partyto: Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Ozone LayerProtection Geography - note: Strategic location on Horn ofAfrica along southern approaches to Bab el Mandeband route through Red Sea and Suez Canal

People of SomaliaPopulation: 8,591,629 note: this estimate was derived from an official cen-sus taken in 1975 by the Somali Government; popula-tion counting in Somalia is complicated by the largenumber of nomads and by refugee movements inresponse to famine and clan warfare (July 2005 est.) Age structure:0-14 years: 44.5% (male 1,918,209/female1,905,974) 15-64 years: 52.9% (male 2,278,406/female2,263,602) 65 years and over: 2.6% (male 96,256/female129,182) (2005 est.) Median age:total: 17.59 years male: 17.53 years female: 17.65 years (2005 est.) Population growth rate: 3.38% (2005 est.) Birth rate: 45.62 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) Death rate: 16.97 deaths/1,000 population (2005est.) Net migration rate: 5.19 migrant(s)/1,000 popula-tion (2005 est.) Sex ratio:at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2005 est.) Infant mortality rate:total: 116.7 deaths/1,000 live births male: 126.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 107.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) Life expectancy at birth:total population: 48.09 years male: 46.36 years female: 49.87 years (2005 est.) Total fertility rate: 6.84 children born/woman(2005 est.) HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 1% (2001 est.) people living with HIV/AIDS: 43,000 (2001 est.) deaths: N/A Major infectious diseases:Degree of risk: very high food or waterborne dis-eases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis Aand E, and typhoid fever vectorborne diseases: malar-ia and dengue fever are high risks in some locations water contact disease: schistosomiasis animal contact disease: rabies (2004) Nationality:noun: Somali(s) adjective: Somali Ethnic groups: Somali 85%, Bantu and other non-Somali 15% (including Arabs 30,000) Religions: Sunni Muslim Languages: Somali (official), Arabic, Italian, English Literacy: Definition: age 15 and over can read andwrite total population: 37.8% male: 49.7% female: 25.8% (2001 est.)

News on AFRICA

Interesting facts

In 2002 the late Mr Rashid A Sayed ini-

tiated the purchase of land in Ashton

(near Montagu), and the Ashton Islamic

Trust was formed to purchase the land.

Since then, with donations and

fundraising profits, building work com-

menced, and to date the super structure

is nearly complete (Alhamdulilaah). It

should be appreciated that Ashton has a

very small Muslim community, of

which more than half are reverts to

Islam.

Due to the small community and being

low income earners it has been extreme-

ly difficult to raise funds from within

the community and this has caused the

near stagnation of the project.

An appeal is therefore made to all

Muslims for donations - cash, building

materials or fittings in order to speed up

the completion of the Masjid and multi-

purpose centre, for the benefit of all

Muslims, within the area and those

passing through Ashton. Also, due to

close proximity (+/- 8km) of the

Montagu Springs Holiday Resort to

Ashton, Muslims will no longer have to

be concerned about Friday Jumu'ah

prayers (or any other waqts) while on

holiday at the resort.

For more information please contact

Imam Nur Al-ansaar Safodien on Cell

072-7794792 or log onto www.islamic-

media.co.za to view photographs.

8 January 2007 - Muharram 1428

Ashton Masjid andMulti-purpose Centre… needs you

January 27,2007 - The Darul Islam High School situated in Surry Estate opened its

doors in 1995 to provide an Islamic haven for Muslim youth in search of secular and

Islamic knowledge. Ten years later with the commitment of parents, staff, school

committee and local businesses the school paid their last instalment to the Malay

Choir Board.

Darul Islam High School makes final payment to secure school

Holidaymakers: Luqmaan, Imtiyaas andHoosain from Heathfield in Cape Townperform Jumuah at Ashton, while on holi-day in Montague.

Madrassah: Resident children attendingMadrassah classes at Ashton Masjid

Principal Sheikh Erefaan Hendricks (withplague) and Malay choir board cele-brate the school’s official ownership

ISLAMIC MEDIA AGENCY CCck 2002/001313/23

EDITOR: Sanaa Petersen

DESIGNER: Nazleah Hartley

PRINTERS: FA Print CC

466 Lansdowne Road,

Lansdowne, 7780

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Fax: 021 697 2304

Email:[email protected]

Website: www.islamicmedia.co.za

Views and opinions expressed by

contributors and advertisers in this

publication do not necessarily

reflect those of the editorial team or

the publisher.

EMPLOYMENT OFFER ACCOUNTS TRAINEE / CLERK

A small bookkeeping practice situ-ated in the Southern Suburbsrequires the services of anaccounts trainee or clerk.

Applicant must be computer liter-ate, preferable studying part-timetowards an accounting degree ora matriculant with accountancy as

a major.Please fax a 1 page CV to

086 6576459



Thank you for your support

Tel: 021 692 0359

THE CAKE SHOP


Muharram Mubarak and all

Hujjaj a Haj Makbool and

Haj Mabroor -

Insha-Allah.

For enquiries contact Sandra

tel: 021 572 0986

For Wholesale enquiries:

contact Iqraam (representative)

tel: 079 137 3232

Ekeraam on 082 338 9274

Ekeraam HalaalPolony

We specialise in warme worsies


Muharram Mubarak and all

Hujjaj a Haj Makbool and Haj

Mabroor -

Insha-Allah.

Shop 2, 531 Lansdowne Road,

Lansdowne, 7780

Tel/fax: (021) 7626456 Cel: 0846035182

[email protected]

[email protected]

Right Click Internet Cafe

We have gone online,

please visit us on

www.islamicmedia.co.za -

We have dedicated directo-

ries listing your masjid,

school, small business,

organisation on the world

wide web. More informa-

tion - email us on

[email protected] or

fax: 021 6972304 or phone

us on

021 697 2294

‘a c l i ck above the r es t ’

Proud supporters enjoy a scrumptiousmeal at the BoKaap Kombuis

Multi-Centre: A side view of the AshtonMulti-purpose community centre andMasjid

Al-Azhar Primary School celebrated its 10th

of Muharram with eighty of its older neigh-

bours from Lotus River. ‘All the elderly per-

sons from our community are invited to enjoy

a fun-filled afternoon with us,’ said the prin-

cipal, Mr Petersen. The afternoon with it

spectacular decorations and delicious three

course meal of denningvleis, roti, mutton

curry, grilled chicken, frikkadels, mash pota-

toes and yello w rice was generously donated

by the principal and staff of Al-Azhar

Primary. Mr Petersen stressed that ‘this is

celebration is from the heart and not a cent of

school monies are used ‘ A Lotus River resi-

dent, Wagheeda Cornelia, exclaimed ‘that

you feel like you belong to a family, here at

Al-Azhar.’

Al-Azhar Primary School welcomesthe new year with its neighbours

All the guests at Al-Azhar’s 10th of Muharram celebration...


PICTURES: M Yusuf Karriem

Documents

CNEWS_January 2007