CNEWS_Mar09

FIRDOWS BADROODIEN

President Kgalema Motlanthe deliv-ered the key note address at the open-ing of the Fourth InternationalHumanitarian Conference onSaturday, 7 February 2009 at theParow Civic Centre. The conferenceorganised by the Muslim JudicialCouncil was in aid of strengtheningthe efforts to "stop the humanitariancrisis in Gaza".

Representatives from 16 countrieswere present at the conference, name-ly Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt,France, Holland, Morocco, Malaysia,Libya, Saudi Arabia, Belgium,Lebanon, Palestine, Greece, Sudan,Turkey and S.A. President Motlanthesaid that he decided against writing aformal speech because he believedthat he was able to speak from theheart on the plight of the Palestinianpeople. He stated that a "deep senseof shared pain" existed betweenSouth Africans and Palestiniansbecause the Palestinians are living intheir very own apartheid state.Apartheid, an Afrikaans word mean-ing separateness was a system oflegal racial segregation enforced bythe National Party Government ofapartheid South Africa. This was achapter in South Africa's historywhere black South Africans werestripped of their citizenship andlegally became citizens of self-gov-erning Bantustans (tribal homelands).These Bantustans occupied small andeconomically infertile areas of thecountry. So too has Palestinians been

forced off their lands by illegalIsraeli settlers. The apartheid govern-ment segregated education, medicalcare and other public services andprovided black people with servicesgreatly inferior to those of whites. Israel's "security fence" or ApartheidWall carves Palestinian lands intoinaccessible areas, leavingPalestinians who live on the wrongside of the wall isolated from waterand crucial resources. Additionally,this wall isolates the Palestinian pop-ulation from each other and their wayof life. The Group Areas Act Of 1950designed to separate racial groupsgeographically, became the heart ofthe apartheid system. This Act whichwas passed on 27 April 1950 parti-tioned the country into differentquarters - areas allocated to differentracial groups. This law was the foun-dation on which political and socialseparation was built.

President Motlanthe spoke of hisvisit to Palestine in May 2008, hesaid that "Israel continued to changethe physical facts of Palestine andthat they are constantly constructingnew settlements and building roadsfor the exclusive use of Israeli citi-zens. He said, "Palestinians whousually took two minutes to walkacross the road from their homes totheir places of work, now have to usea different route, stopping at dozensof Israeli checkpoints." PresidentMotlanthe significantly went on tosay "Not even in the darkest days ofapartheid did we ever experienceanything like that". He believes unity

is the most potentweapon that thePalestinian peoplecan have and thatSouth Africa isuniquely placed toassist them to realiseeverlasting peaceand self determina-tion. He urged SouthAfricans to engagewith the people ofPalestine and helpthem attain unityand emerge as aunited force.

The system ofApartheid ignitedthe flame of internalresistance by politi-cal organisationssuch as the ANC,the BlackC o n s c i o u s n e s sMovement, the PACand the UDF. In turn, the SouthAfrican government responded withpolice brutality, resorted to deten-tions without trial, torture and cen-sorship. But despite sufferingextreme cruelty, and having to endureexile, these organisations retainedsupport for the anti-apartheid strug-gle in South Africa and continued torally support from international anti-apartheid movements. PresidentMotlanthe stated that similarly,Hamas, an organisation of socialworkers and a democratically electedgovernment of Palestine, should joinforces with other Palestinian groups

such as the Palestinian LiberationOrganisation (PLO) and internationalanti- apartheid movements. This however, seems impossible dueto the fact that the United States, theEuropean Union, Israel, Canada andJapan have labelled Hamas as aTerrorist organisation, in fear of whatEhud Olmert, Prime Minister ofIsrael stated in November 2007: "Ifthe day comes when the two-statesolution collapses, and we face aSouth African-style struggle forequal rights (also for the Palestiniansin the territories), then, as soon asthat happens, the State of Israel isfinished."

HANDSHAKE: President of the MJC, Moulana IgsaanHendricks welcoming President Kgalema Motlanthe at theopening of the 4th International Humanitarian conference on7 February 2009 at Parow Civic Centre

Keeping you in contact with your community 22nd EDITION MARCH 2009 RABI-UUL-AAWWAL 1430

Apartheid in SA –Heaven comparedto Palestine today

Emma Brady, a 35-year-old conference organiser,claims that she learnt ofher divorce when herhusband Neil Brady, a39-year-old IT consult-ant, changed his statuson Facebook, a socialnetworking website, toread "Neil Brady hasended his marriage to

Emma Brady." Onlyafter receiving a callfrom a sympatheticfriend in Denmark, didMrs. Brady realize whathad happened. "I onlyjoined Facebook becausethe girls at work said itwas good fun, what upsetme the most was not thefact that Neil had written

he had ended his mar-riage, but the commentfrom the girl in Canadawho said: "You are betteroff out of it."

Neil Brady now liveswith his mother.– Source: News agencies

KKggaalleemmaa MMoottllaanntthhee sseettssddaattee ffoorr SS..AA EElleeccttiioonnss

TThhee wwoorrlldd`̀ss ffiirrsstt ddiivvoorrcceebbyy FFaacceebbooookk

PICTURES: Sanaa Petersen

What's New:

President Kgalema Motlantheannounced that the general elec-tions will take place on 22 April2009. Speaking at the NationalAssembly, Motlanthe said: "I alsotake this opportunity to announcethe date for the fourth nationalelections for our country: 22 April2009. I must, however, emphasisethat the actual proclamation of thisdate will be made later." Theproclamation of the date simply

means that the date has been pub-lished in the Government Gazette.This publication officiallydeclares the election underway.On that date, the voting rolls willfinally be closed, but until then,voting rolls are still open for late-comers who are yet to register.They can do so at their local coun-cil offices.– Source: News agencies

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No-school as taxi strikesThe taxi strike has had a directimpact on learners who weresubsequently prevented fromattending schools. The WesternCape Education Department saida three-day, 11-13 February,strike by taxi operators has amajor impact on teaching in theprovince.Several schools acrossthe Cape Peninsula reported ahigh absenteeism rate amonglearners and teachers onWednesday andThursday.Schools were forced todismiss students early.Livingstone High School inClaremont also requested par-ents to decide for themselveswhether or not to send their chil-dren to school, stating "the safe-ty of our staff and students is ofparamount importance". TheCity of Cape Town will beengaging with the taxi industryat an industry wide level througha series of monthly meetings.The City is committed to thesuccessful implementation of theIntegrated Rapid Transport (IRT)System and engagement with thetaxi industry is an important partof the IRT. Executive MayorHelen Zille announced that thefirst of these meetings will beheld on 8 March. Mayor Zillesaid: "It is important that all

roleplayers in the taxi industryhave an opportunity to engagewith the City about issues ofconcern to them and that theCity can raise issues with thetaxi industry. These monthlymeetings will give us an oppor-tunity for broad dialoguebetween the city and the indus-try". Democracy in SomaliaSomalia`s parliament electedSheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed asthe country`s new president.Ahmed was sworn in on 31stJanuary 2009 in Djibouti andwas handed the daunting task ofstabilizing a country plagued byviolence and anarchy for nearly20 years. Sheikh Sharif SheikhAhmed was elected after theprevious president - a formersoldier, rebel and warlordAbdullah Yusuf resigned inDecember after failing to restorepeace to the war-torn country.Sheikh Ahmed a former geogra-phy teacher and chairperson ofthe Islamic Courts Union waselected to head a small localsub-clan in Jowhar. Ahmed waschairperson of the IslamicCourts Union that controlledMogadishu for six months in2006 before Ethiopian soldiersdrove them from power. Theimpoverished and drought rid-den Horn of Africa nation with apopulation of 8 million people

has had no functioning govern-ment, since clan-based militiaoverthrew General MohammedSiad Barre in 1991. SheikhSharif Sheikh Ahmed stated,"Very soon, I will form a gov-ernment which represents thepeople of Somalia. We will livepeacefully with east Africancountries and we want to coop-erate with them. Elections in IsraelNational elections to theKnesset, Israel's parliament, areheld once every four years,unless circumstances call forearly elections. This year's elec-tions saw two rival Israeli par-ties claim victory. The KadimaParty, led by Tzipi Livni, thecurrent Foreign Minister as wellas Benyamin Netanyahu, leaderof the Likud Party and formerPrime Minister of Israel, haveboth declared themselves victo-rious. Livni declared victory inthe early hours of Wednesday,February 11, saying: "Today thepeople chose Kadima…We willform the next government led byKadima." Netanyahu addressedhis party shortly before Livnispoke to hers and said: "WithGod's help I will lead the nextgovernment. Tzipi Livni won28 parliamentary seats beatingNetanyahu by one seat.According to Israel's Ministry ofForeign Affairs, "a government

requires the Knesset's confi-dence to function, it must have asupporting coalition of at least61 of the 120 Knesset members.To date, no party has receivedenough Knesset seats to be ableto form a government by itself;thus all Israeli governments havebeen based on coalitions of sev-eral parties, with those remain-ing outside the government mak-ing up the opposition". 3.5tons of disposable nap-pies clog landfills each yearAccording to The Green Guide95% of US families use dispos-able diapers to the extent of asmany as 8000 per child. Theresult is that 3.5 tons of themclog landfills each year. There isalso the matter of untreatedurine and faecal matter that caneasily contaminate surroundingground water. Pathogens in thewaste can be spread by animalsand insects. Bleaching the dia-pers gives rise to the chemicaldioxin which is potentiallyharmful to the factory workersand if trace amounts show up inthe diapers the babies skinbecomes exposed to dangerouscarcinogen. With all this as wellas the fact that most brands ofdisposables are made frompetroleum-derived plastic andwood fibre requiring 250 000trees to supply America'srequirements.

NEWS BITES

2 March 2009 - Rabi-ul-Awwal 1430

SANA EBRAHIM

From a modest intake of just14 students in 2004, to a stag-gering 85 in 2008; theUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal(UKZN) Certificate inIslamic Law course hasproved its weight in gold. Thecourse has had wide appealacross cultural, religious andracial lines. It gives non-Muslim students a betterunderstanding of Islamic Lawin particular; and Islam ingeneral. For Muslim students,a definite draw card has beenthe comparison of IslamicLaw to South African law inissues that affect them in theirdaily lives, like marriage,divorce, succession, Islamicbanking, and medical science.The course boasts a diversestudent profile. 'Ulama(Muslim theologians), aca-demics, businessmen, lectur-ers, home executives and stu-dents have all found rele-vance for it in their lives.This indicates that perhapspeople might want to studyIslamic Law not so muchfrom the point of view ofwanting to practise law, but toget an insight into Islam.

So exactly what is Shari'ah(or Islamic Law) and howdoes it differ from westernlaw? Course-coordinator AdvMuhammad Vahed explains:"Western law is man-madelaw; it's changing all the time,depending on circumstances.Whereas Islamic Law is

divine law and isapplicable to allMuslims for alltimes, whereverthey may be situ-ated." In the con-text of theCertificate inIslamic Lawcourse, studentsare equipped withknowledge on awide spectrum ofIslamic legalissues in order tocreate a betterunderstanding ofthe practicality ofIslam in a secularstate. Every mod-ule commences with anoverview of western law fol-lowed by a detailed discus-sion of Islamic law.Contemporary issues such asthe Amina Lawal Zina (adul-tery) case, the 'Khatif girl'rape case in Saudi Arabia, thecartoon cases involving theProphet Muhammad (pbuh),including the local JacobZuma cartoons in the contextof freedom of speech, theMuslim Personal Law Bill,and the global financial tur-moil are examined.

UKZN is the only tertiaryinstitution in South Africathat offers this course, whichhas created a huge demandfor it nationally. But UKZNis not a correspondence uni-versity and therefore thecourse was offered in 2008 asblock lectures at three new

centres located in Ladysmith,Gauteng and Cape Town. Theimmediate result was a signif-icant increase in enrolment -40 more students joined thecourse outside the GreaterDurban area.

The 2009 Certificate inIslamic Law graduation tookplace on 7 February withSheikh Mohammed Colbieachieving the highest aggre-gate and SheikhAbduragmaan Alexander,imam of Masjid Ighwa TulIslam in second position andMymoena Arnold in thirdposition.

Mrs Munirah Osman (lecturerin the School of Law atUKZN) stated: "In a timewhen social injustices andchallenges are facing manycountries, this course is espe-cially relevant." Future planswere also unveiled for the

certificate course, suchas developing it into apostgraduate diploma,and later on an LLM(Masters in IslamicFamily Law/ CriminalJustice/ IslamicBanking/ MedicalJurisprudence).

Mr Shabir Chohan,CEO of Albaraka Bank(corporate sponsors ofthe certificate course)highlighted that in thewake of the currentglobal economic crisis,flaws in the way busi-ness was done in thepast have surfaced.

"Governments bailing outbanks show them to be reallyjust treating the symptom andnot the cause. Islam has thesolution; based on risk-shar-ing, interest-free investment.This is evident from Islamicbanking in several countriesremaining largely unaffect-ed." The reason for this is thatIslam prohibits any form ofspeculation, whereas westernbanking and finance trade indebt and paper, which have nointrinsic value. Students interested inenrolling for the 2009Certificate in Islamic Lawcourse should contactMawlana Mulla on 079 79673070 [email protected]. Sana Ebrahim is a freelancejournalist. Read her 'Indiansin Africa' blog at http://indi-african.blogspot.com.

AWARDS: (l-r)Adeeb Abrahams-manager Albaraka,Prof Mohseen Ebrahim, Dr Muhammad Vahed, JudgeBashier Waglay, Shabir Chohan- CEO-Albaraka,Sheikh A. Alexander,


IInntteerreesstt iinn IIssllaammiicc llaaww ggrroowwss

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SANAA PETERSEN

Eid ul Adha is a time for reflectionand clarifying our connection withthe Divine. That was the theme ofSheikh Abd 'al Rasheed Brown's Eidmorning sermon at Masjidus Sunni.Sheikh Brown said, 'The sacrifice ofthe animal is merely an outward man-ifestation of our sacrifice for Allah.The flesh or blood does not reachAllah, but our taqwa does.' Retrospectively, what would defineour niyyah (intention) to consciouslypurchase and kill an innocent animal?Do we slaughter in the name of reli-gion? Do we slaughter because wewant good luck? Do we slaughter tochase the omens away? Do weslaughter to purify our 'gray' monies?Is our sacrifice ritualistic?

All these questions entered my mindas I was listening to the Sheikh stand-ing austerely on the mimbar (pulpit)addressing the predominately malecrowd. 'Taqwa is a basis for our-selves, of our society. If there is notaqwa, there is nothing for theMuslim, because all of the principlesupon which we build this ummah, canonly be internalized through taqwa.'

My mind drifting to a proclamationof a Muslim woman a few days prior'I felt like a piece of meat.' Sadly,these exclamations don't make it tothe mimbar, the headlines and neitherdoes it tug at the Ulamas' heart - it'sonly whispered between women. Ahumiliating legacy passed betweensisters from generation to generation.Many Muslim women irrespective oftheir status suffer in silence. Somewere brave enough to cry at the feetof the Ulama only to be chided. Somewere lucky to have registered theirmarriage in a secular court, allowingan opportunity for limited recourse.Some consoled themselves to areward in the hereafter.

On the day of Wuqoof my friendasked if I could meet with her friendRayghana, a forty-five year old beau-tiful and stylish woman. She saidRayghana needed help in coping withher divorce. My mission is to teachwomen to rewrite their legacy. I am aproject developer of the 'It's AboutMe' women's creative writing project.Since, it's launch in April, we facili-tated sixty-seven women's life sto-ries. A common thread in each story -these women entrusted their spiritu-ality to an understanding of theteachings of Islam woven by a dys-functional legacy.

Rayghana grew up in a traditionalhome in Bokaap. She was neverallowed to date and not encouragedto pursue a tertiary education. 'Mymother taught us, that it was not nec-essary to have an ambition, as ourhusband would look after us,' saidRayghana. Her first husband was herclassmate on high school. He was anon-Muslim and reverted to Islam.After eight years of marriage and twosons, he decided to convert toChristianity. 'I was left homeless andpenniless, ashamed to go back home,feeling like a failure.' Only with ahigh school certificate and two youngsons she moved from place to placelooking for work. After a few monthsshe found employment as a supervi-sor in a Wellness centre. She and herboys then moved in with her parents.No-one at work knew she wasdivorced, she pretended to be mar-ried, not wanting to deal with therejection - not only as a wife but as aMuslim.

The maintenance contractor, Nizar, atthe Wellness centre was a Muslim,who alleged to be a widower, playingon the sympathies of the women

staff. ButRayghana alwayskept a cordial rela-tionship until thewater pipes burstin her home. Herparents telephon-ing frantically andNizar overhearingthe commotionpromised to fix theplumbing. Hefixed the plumbingand then made reg-ular maintenancechecks, each timewanting to meether husband.Rayghana lied say-ing her husbandworked night-shifts. Then oneday, Nizar, made ahouse call duringthe day, not find-ing a husband, heinterrogates thedomestic helper.She obviously wasnot alerted to thelie and replies,'Mevrou, doesn'thave a husband.'

This revelationpropelled him topick Rayghana upfrom work pre-tending that thepipes burst in herhome, again.Driving around for

awhile looking for plumbing parts, hestops at Strandfontein Pavilion to buyan ice cream, as it was a hot summeryday. Before she could blink he was ontop of her, kissing and touching her.Too shocked to move, she waited forhim to stop. He touched her all overbut did not penetrate her as she wasmenstruating. Afterwards, he carriedon as if nothing happened telling herhow much he loved her. Too shockedto speak, she sat dutifully silent untilthey reached her home. She thenavoided him, he persued her relent-lessly. Too ashamed and afraid tospeak out, she pretended nothing hap-pened. She missed her monthly peri-od, thinking it's absence was stressrelated. When she missed her secondmonth's period, she went to the doc-tor, to discover she was pregnant.Distressed she confronted Nizar, hebeamed, finally claiming his prize,'Now you are mine,' he happilyexclaimed.

My mind drifting back to the sermon'the more you have, the more you willworry about sacrificing…And this iswhen you get into trouble. You startto manage things as if you own them.'

When Rayghana was in her lasttrimester, she received a knock on thedoor, she opened the door and infrontof her stood Nizar's 'deceased' wife.He was never widowed, he was amarried man with a four-year old sonand an eighteen month daughter.After the birth of their childRayghana refused to see him, her eld-erly father assumed responsibility,but this infuriated Nizar and he per-sisted in asserting his role as a father.Rayghana went to an Imam seekinghelp to end the miserable relationshipwith Nizar. The imam's response toher trauma was, 'Why you coming tocry by me, you made your bed, youslept with him.' Disillusioned sheinternalized her pain and humiliationand consoled herself that one day'Allah will save her'. Burying herselfin her work, defenseless againstNizar and the taunting of his wife shebecame a shadow of life. After herparents' death she relented to Nizarand became his second wife.

An emotional trauma that lastedtwenty-years abruptly ended on aFriday an hour after pleasing her hus-band, he hands her, what he termed a'love' letter. Bewildered she returnsthe letter to him unopened replying,'You have never written me a letterbefore, neither have you ever boughtme flowers or a gift, take your letterI don't want it.' The same eveningNizar's brother in-law, an Imam,delivers her the same unsealed envel-op. In it were three written talaqs.Perplexed, she telephones the offici-ating Imam, who was a mutual friend,he responded to her questions, 'Ithought you knew' and Nizar'sresponse was, 'Ek het jou lief maar ekis ook lief vir die doenya(status).' Hisfirst wife has since sued Rayghanafor a paternity test and R500 000 in damages.

In concluding the Eid morning ser-mon the Sheikh quotes from the HolyQuran; ' And those who exalt thesacred symbols of Allah, it is fromthe taqwa in their hearts. It is fromthe consciousness of Allah and theconsciousness of the hearts of heav-enly people; living and tarrying onthe earth for a short time, only toreturn to the heavens.' Sheikh Abd 'alRasheed explains, 'That is what sacri-fice is about. It's about making sacredthe mundane. It's about aligning yourlives to the prayer…constantly re-orientating our hearts to the Qiblahthat Allah has given us; not our nafs,hawa, shaytan and dunyah has givenus. And this is what we need to do.'

Do you have a story to share?Please email us - [email protected]

3March 2009 - Rabi-ul-Awwal 1430

PORTRAIT: Poised picture taken outside a hotel in Uganda.


SSaaccrriiffiicciinngg tthhee sseellff

The Saudi Gazette reports onthe 14 February theCustodian of the Two HolyMosques King Abdullah binAbdullah issued a RoyalDecree appointing the firstwoman to serve in a ministe-rial position.Royal decrees were issuedmaking, Nourah Al-Fayez,the first woman to serve asDeputy Minister of Educationfor Women's EducationPortfolio. The additional

changes in the composition ofthe Council of Ministers arePrince Faisal bin Abdullahbin Mohammed appointed asMinister of Education; DrAbdullah Al-RabeeahMinister of Health; Dr.Mohammed bin AbdulkareemAl-Issa Minister of Justiceand Dr Abdulaziz KhojahMinister of Culture andInformation. The newappointments come intoeffect February, 28.

SSaauuddii aappppooiinnttss ffiirrssttwwoommaann MMiinniisstteerr


The Al-Shabaab team, rep-resenting AlMarkaz alIslami masjid inKalksteenfontein wasawarded first place in theYEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Lovefor Life' Business Plancompetition convened bythe Youth Engineering theFuture (YEF) ProjectTrust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/O andCentre for Educationaland Skills Development inSalt River. Participantshad to develop a businessplan inorder to create aYoung participative spacewithin the masjid. Theyalso had to identify anddevelop sustainable frame-works to revitalise themasjid as an integral,functional and vibrantfundamental in the devel-opment Muslim Youth.

The Al-Shabaab team wona Sahara laptop, 3-1 HPOffice and each team mem-ber was awarded a Nokiacellular phone. Awqaf SAawarded the team withR5000 and a project man-agement course.

The YEF would like tothank the Adjudicators ofthe YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'Business Plans competitionnamely, Rudewaan Arendse,Amina Bhayat, Dr AnwaNagiah, Mickaeel Collier,Sheikh Shahied Esau andM. Amien Jacobs for theirselfless support.

About the Al-ShabaabOur mission is to provide aninstitute that will cater tothe holistic, educational,spiritual, cultural and devel-opmental needs of the com-munity. We intend to edu-cate the youth and motivateteenagers. Our motivationfor having the ShabaabCentre in the community ismainly to attract more youthto channel their energies

more productively. In addi-tion, we also believe thatskills development classesfor adults are greatly need-ed. There is an alarming call foryouth groups to be estab-lished in our communityand we believe that ShabaabCentre is the solution. TheShabaab Centre Team com-prises of a dynamic groupof young people who arededicated in their cause ofsocial upliftment in thecommunity. Each member iscommitted to doing as muchas they can in order to bringabout positive change totheir environment.

The Al-Shabaab TeamMushfiqa Ludewyk,15years My goal for 2009 is to makemy parents proud by pass-ing exceptionally well inthe academic field. I plan toattend university when Icomplete high school,Insha-Allah.

The subjects I enjoy study-ing are Afrikaans, Englishand Life Skills.

Fadwa Thorne, 18 yearsI am currently studyinghifdh at Abdullah binmas'ood hifth institute. Oncompleting my hifdh, Iwould very much like topursue my dream of becom-ing a nutritionist as I amhighly interested in themedical field. I also enjoyswimming, hanging outwith friends and networking(MXIT).

Zuraan Boltman, 16yearsIn my spare time I likegoing out with friends andchilling with family. Mygoal is to complete schooland thereafter study hifdhInsha-Allah. My favouritesubjects at school includePhysical Science andElectrical Technology.

Ayesha Nakidien, 20yearsI am currently learning

hifdh at Darul FurqaanHaafth Institute. I am a con-fident individual that ques-tions everything. I have astrong personality, yet Iremain friendly andapproachable. I would liketo study ClinicalPsychology and my aim inlife is to be happy, comfort-able and successful.

Shameega Jinoo, 17 yearsThis year I have been think-ing of studying hifdh. It ismy dream to be-able tomemorise the entire Quranand become a FashionDesigner, Insha-Allah. Ienjoy spending my freetime shopping, hanging outwith friends and listening tomusic.

Sharifa Donson I am an extremely hardworking, dedicated and"girly" 15 year old. I likeadventures and love learn-ing new things. I mostlylove history and cars. It ismy dream to become aCrime Scene Examiner.

Igshaan Solomons 17yearsI am involved in and com-mitted to the RCL and theMSA. I have taken threemajor subjects at schoollevel namely, physical sci-ence, biology and account-ing and I believe these sub-jects greatly affect myfuture. I also take part insports and extra muralactivities. I enjoy playingsoccer, rugby and takingpart in cross-country run-ning. I love keeping fit andkeeping updated on the lat-est trends in technology.

Diarise our 2009 EventUnity Carnival in May. Itwill be the first culturaland interfaith carnival inKalksteenfontein. Email: [email protected]

Winner of the YEF ‘Hubb 4 Life’Business plan competition

CELEBRATION: (Team leader) Fadwah Thorne,18 years, Hifz stu-dent; Shariefah Donson,15years; Ighsaan Solomons,16years;Ayesha Nakidien, 19years, Hifz student; Shameegah Jinoo,17years; Zuraan Boltman , 16 years; Mushfieqah Lodewyk, 14years

PICTURE: Sanaa Petersen

AYESHA NAKEDIEN

After being selected as part of theeditorial team for the YouthEngineering the Future (YEF)organization, a few of us were pre-sented with the opportunity toattend the Muslim JudicialCouncil`s banquet and conferenceover the weekend of 7th February2009. I then went from being anaverage teen to being a juniorreporter. Ever since the banquet,I`ve realized that journalism isn`twhat it seems to be. It`s about crit-ical thinking, the ability to readbetween the lines, prior research,knowing who`s who in the world,how to be specific when asking aquestion and not to mention, theability to write. Other thanthat…you get an all access pass,you get to meet important people,you stay updated and it gives youinsight into the way the worldworks. It`s an interesting yet tire-some job. My weekend as a juniorreporter was… AWESOME. I wasincredibly nervous, at times incred-ibly blonde but I learnt a lot, theexperience was amazing and thecompany was great. I`d like tothank everybody from the IslamicMedia Agency for helping me togrow, especially Sanaa Petersen,Zakareeya Pandey and FirdowsBadroodien for making me feelcomfortable, being patient with me,helping me out when I needed itand for not throwing me in the deepend completely. Here`s to moreinteresting stories.

A junior reporter’s first experience

WORKING: Junior reporter, AyeshaNakidien from the AlShabaabEditorial Youth Media team, puttingtheory to practice at the 4 theHumanitarian conferencehosted by the MJC.

Youth on The MOVE

AYESHA NAKEDIEN

On Saturday the 7th ofFebruary 2009, theMuslim JudicialCouncil and "Eitilaf ElKhair" (Union of Good)opened the 4th annualconference at the ParowCivic Centre. The con-ference was in aid ofthe Humanitarian crisisin Palestine.

The mission of "EitilafEl Khair" is"Coordination and suc-cessful communication

among and betweencharitable organisationsis the best way to sup-port the Palestinians'effort, preserve theirexistence and great her-itage and develop theirpersonal abilities andi n f r a s t r u c t u r e . "(according to theirCharter)

The two-day conferencewas attended by leadingpublic figures, amongthem were Sudan'sFormer President DrSiwar Al Dhahab, for-

mer Mufti of PalestineImam Ikrimah Sabriand international dele-gates from 16 countries.

The objectives of theE'tilaf El Khair is toreframe the priorities ofcharitable and reliefwork for Palestiniansand to coordinate thecharitable, voluntaryand relief organisationsserving Palestinians.

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UNION OF GOOD: Delegates at the E'tilaf El Ghair conference held at TheCapetonian Hotel in February.

PICTURE: Zakareeyah Panday


The Husami Go-Getters, representingthe Husami masjid inCravenby was awardedsecond place in theYEF 'Hubb 4Life'/'Love for Life'Business Plan competi-tion, convened by theYouth Engineering theFuture (YEF) ProjectTrust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/Oand Centre forEducational and SkillsDevelopment in SaltRiver. Participantshad to develop a busi-ness plan inorder tocreate a Young partici-pative space within themasjid. They also hadto identify and developsustainable frameworksto revitalise the masjidas an integral, func-tional and vibrant fun-damental in the devel-opment Muslim Youth.

The Husami Go-Getterswas awarded R2500from the SulaymanBhayat Foundation.The YEF would like tothank the Adjudicatorsof the YEF 'Hubb 4Life' Business Planscompetition namely,Rudewaan Arendse,Amina Bhayat, DrAnwa Nagiah, MickaeelCollier, Sheikh ShahiedEsau and M. AmienJacobs for their selflesssupport.

About the Husami Go-GettersOur at vision at HusamiGo-Getters YouthGroup is to buildbridges of understand-ing, love, respect, andhope between youngMuslims and all the roleplayers in society, witha special focus on fami-ly relations and devel-opment. Our mission isto create an interactiveforum which is botheducational and enjoy-able in order to supportand nurture the Islamicidentity of youngMuslims growing up inSouth Africa

Our objective is to cre-ate an interactive andparticipatory environ-ment that relates withthe needs of youngMuslims in societytoday. As well as anenvironment free fromintimidation for thoseyoung Muslims seekingspirituality. A special

focus will be placed onthe 12 to 17 year agegroup. Husami Youthwill position itself as aneducational resource foryoung Muslims wishingto learn about the bene-fits of growing spiritu-ally in a non-Muslimsociety.We believe as youth,that we need the supportof our parents, siblings,family, educators,Ulama and other roleplayers to be able totransform our societyinto an exemplary one.The Husami Youth com-mittee will provide aunique platform foryoung Muslims togetherwith their families tofurther grow as anIslamic unit.

Our TeamKawthar Langry, 14yearsI am a hard workeralways helpful towardsothers. I enjoy makingnew friends and tryingnew things. I am quiteshy and wouldn't usual-ly speak in big crowdsbut if the need arises, Iwill always try my best.I also enjoy reading andwriting.

Mu'mina Moollagee,13yearsI am currently in grade8. I am a dedicated,innovative, confidant,determined and hardworking individual. Mystrengths are helpingpeople and solvingproblems. I enjoy read-ing and eating, but Idislike vegetables anddogs.

Ismail Shaik Ahmed,13 yearsI have three sisters and I

am the youngest in myfamily. I love food, fastcars and computers. Iwould like to become anIT engineer one day. Mystrengths are being ableto work effectivelywithin a team as well asbeing a great teamleader.

Muneer Parker, 17yearsI am currently in matricand going Hifz parttime. I love sports, carsand I am always up for achallenge. I am a help-ful, sociable, confidentand adventurous indi-vidual. I believe thatmy strengths includebeing able to speak upand have my views andopinions heard.

Aadila Ahmed, 13yearsI am currently in grade8. I enjoy participatingin debates, swimmingreading and watchingTV. I am a friendly,helpful, confident andcaring person. Mystrengths include beingable to find a solution toany problem. 2009 Event:Friendship Festivalwhere we will confi-dently discuss dating,sexuality, friendshipand Islam, participatein a Debate, 'Knowyour Partner' quiz,make friendship mem-orabilia.When: Saturday 28February 2009Time: Thur to EshaprayerVenue: Husami Masjid,CravenbyEntry fee: R5.00,Boerewors rolls, juiceand refreshments onsale.

TEAM: (Team leader) Muneer Parker, Aadila Ahmed,Waseemah Moerat, Rameez Kamaloodien, Kawthar Langry,Ismail Shaik Ahmed, Fayaz Parker, Ibrahim Allie andMu’mina Moollaagee.


Youngest contenders scoops Second Place in 'Hubb 4 Life"competition

The Darul Islam High school par-ticipated in the YEF 'Hubb 4Life'/'Love for Life' Business Plancompetition, convened by the YouthEngineering the Future (YEF)Project Trust on 30 November 2008at SANZAF H/O and Centre forEducational and SkillsDevelopment in Salt River.Participants had to develop a busi-ness plan inorder to create a Youngparticipative space within themasjid. They also had to identifyand develop sustainable frame-works to revitalise the masjid as anintegral, functional and vibrantfundamental in the developmentMuslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF 'Hubb 4Life' Business Plans competitionnamely, Rudewaan Arendse, AminaBhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah, MickaeelCollier, Sheikh Shahied Esau andM. Amien Jacobs for their selflesssupport.

About the Darul Islam YouthWe at Darul Islam Youth, strive toempower the youth in order to builda better future by fostering their

leadership skills and instilling inthem God Consciousness. Ourvision is to be-able to empower theyouth by opening an innovative andvibrant youth centre, so that wemay redirect the youth`s attentiontowards beneficial endeavors. Ourmission is to keep the youth awayfrom harmful and idle activities andremain in a safe, fun, inspirationaland educational environment.Thereby enabling us to embark on ajourney to better ourselves andinspire our fellow young brothersand sisters to do the same.We are committed to developingleading scholars, sportspersonstogether with young dynamic lead-ers and ambassadors for Islam. TheDarul Islam Youth Committee ismade up of a diverse and energeticgroup of individuals, each bringinga unique quality to the organization,thus enabling our committee to cre-ate a positive awareness of Islam.

Diarise our Event:Darul Islam Health Festival -nutrition, diets, exercise andbeauty taking place in April.

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AYESHA NAKEDIEN

On Monday 9th February 2009,the Islamic schools of Cape Towngathered at the Darul IslamIslamic High School campus inSurrey Estate in an effort to voicetheir outrage at the situation inPalestine. And to show their sup-port and solidarity towards thePalestinian people who have beenattacked and brutally murdered.Darul Islam, AL-Azhar, MadressaTarbiyya, Hidaayatul Islam,Islamia, Iqra Academy, NoorulHuda, Iglaasiniyya and other reli-gious schools attended the rally.Students from various schoolsexpressed their views through

poems and song. Among thespeakers were Sheikh EbrahimGabriels and Abu Zaid - an inter-national delegate from Morrocco.Abu Zaid, on seeing the variouspresentations stated that in hisheart, he felt that the future ofIslam would be upheld with digni-ty and steadfastness. Even thougheach school had a different man-ner of bringing their views across,the message remained the same.We the youth have to play ourrole. Palestine is not only the landof the Palestinians, but the land ofall Muslims. We must stand upand be counted. Through unity, wewill be victorious.

PLEDGING: The learners of Darul Islam pledging their commitment to a peace-ful Palestine

PICTURE: Zakareeyah Panday

PPaalleessttiinniiaann yyoouutthh rraallllyy 22000099

Youth on The MOVE

Banking only one way, the Islamic way

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42 Klipfontein and Belgravia Roads, Ahtlone, 7764Tel: 021 637 8800 Fax: 021 637 8805

The Helping Hands,Connecting Hearts team,representing MasjidusSunni in Kromboom wasawarded third place in theYEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Lovefor Life' Business Plancompetition, convened bythe Youth Engineering theFuture (YEF) ProjectTrust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/O andCentre for Educationaland Skills Development inSalt River. Participantshad to develop a businessplan inorder to create aYoung participative spacewithin the masjid. Theyalso had to identify anddevelop sustainable frame-works to revitalise themasjid as an integral,functional and vibrantfundamental in the devel-opment Muslim Youth.

The Helping Hands,Connecting Hearts teamwas awarded R1500 fromthe Sulayman BhayatFoundation. The YEFwould like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF'Hubb 4 Life' BusinessPlans competition namely,Rudewaan Arendse, AminaBhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah,Mickaeel Collier, SheikhShahied Esau and M.Amien Jacobs for theirselfless support.About the Helping Hands,Connecting HeartsOur vision at HelpingHands, Connecting HeartsYouth Committee is to be-able to grow as a communi-ty, using the universal prin-ciples of Islam namely,` AlKulliya tus Sit`, which isthe preservation of Belief,life, intellect, lineage,honor, wealth and prosperi-ty.

We plan to cultivate anenvironment based ontrust, love and respect. Ourgoal is to support the for-mation of an identity ofyoung Muslims and non-Muslims alike growing upin a multi- cultural plural-istic environment. Weintend to develop fun, edu-cational and interactiveprogrammes, which attractyoung persons towardsspirituality. It is our mis-sion to provide a pleasura-ble and participative spacein which to educate andempower young persons.

About our team:Gaafitha Abdul RazakI am studying Hifdh andlove laughing and spendingtime with my friends (myfavorite people in theworld). I am a very socia-ble individual. I am alwaysup for trying new thingsand having a good time. Ienjoy travelling to differ-ent countries and meetingnew people. I am a verydetermined person. Fastcars and food are twothings that excites megreatly…lol. My weaknessis public speaking. I do

however posses a greatpassion for photographyand would like to become aphotographer one day.

Musaddiqah BrownI am studying Hifdh andenjoy shopping, chillingwith my friends and watch-ing movies. I am a verylovable person and I enjoymaking new friends. I amafraid of dogs and spiders.I am a very quiet personbut once you get to knowme you will discover mytrue personality. It is mydream to become a doctorone day.

Raees Ahmed IsmailI would describe myself asperson that is driven bysuccess and challenges. Itis my dream to achieve theinconceivable, the implau-sible and the most far-fetched of dreams. I am notafraid to just be me and toventure into open

untouched spaces. I ampassionate about life andits many different, beauti-ful and scary trials. Inessence, I would describemyself as a complex pas-sionate being that nevergives up and never loseshope.

Miekaeel AdamsI am currently completingmy Hifdh programme andhope to qualify as aChartered Accountant. Ihave an effervescent per-sonality and love people,drama and sport. I am driv-

en and motivated to suc-ceed in all that I plan to do.Israh Ariefdien, 14yearsI am currently studyingHifdh and still undecidedas to what I would like tostudy after my Hifdth pro-gramme. I don't particular-ly like public speaking butI do enjoy the planning of aproject or event. I likelearning new things and myfavourite colour is red.

Yaaseen EbrahimI matriculated two yearsago and then decided topursue the memorisation ofthe Holy Quran. When I amdone with my Hifdh pro-gramme I would like to fur-ther my studies in the arts,graphic design or anima-tion fields. I enjoy meetingpeople and learning newthings.Diarise our event:Car Rush (DriverEducation Programme)taking place in October.

TEAM: back (l-r) Mikaeel Adams, Amien Karriem, YaaseenEbrahim, Wazeer Isaacs, Raees Ismail and Suhail Waggie(infront) Musaddiqah Brown, Israh Ariefdien, Ghaafithau AbdulRazak and Uzair Achmat

PICTURES: Moosa Brown


Youth group placed3rd in ‘Hubb 4 Life’competition

space

MIKAEEL ADAMS

The Palestinian SolidarityGroup (PSG) with its partnersheld a Mass Rally at theViolets Rugby Sports groundin February to end the'Humanitarian Crises inPalestine'. Mercia Andrews ofPSG said, 'the struggle inPalestine is even longer thanSouth Africa's (liberation)struggle.' She called forIsrael's soccer team to bebanned from the 2010 WorldCup. And, former Minister ofIntelligence, Ronnie Kastrils,said that South Africans cannever celebrate their freedomuntil Palestine is free.Allan Boesak reminded the

crowd that it was thePalestinians that helped them(South Africans) fight for free-dom from Apartheid.'Christians should stand upagainst Israel in the same man-ner that they stood up againstthe apartheid government ofSouth Africa,' said Boesak Cosatu, Zwellenzima Vavicalled for:All companies should refuse tocarry shipment to Israel.The SA government shouldstand up against the ApartheidState of IsraelThe media should express thetruthIsrael should be banned fromthe 2010 World Cup.

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SOLIDARITY: (l-r) Speakers at the PSG 'Stop the Humanitarian Crises inPalestine' mass rally are Mercia Andrews - PSG; Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge -Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Zwellenzima Vavi -COSATU

PICTURES: Ghafithaa Abdul Razak

SHARING: - Taj and Maggie from the Stoke-on-tent college, ManchesterUK visits the Ibn Jazariy academy in Kromboom.

EXPERIMENTING: Mussaadiqa Brown and Miekaeel Adams, from YEFHelping Hands, Connecting Hearts with former president of Sudan DrSiwar Al Dhahab at mass rally, Vygieskraal.

Youth on The MOVE

381 Lower Main Road, Salt River Tel: 021 447 0297 e-mail:www.sanzaf.org.za

SANZAF Western Cape Head Office and Centre for Education & Skills Development

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The Al-Azhar High school partici-pated in the YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Lovefor Life' Business Plan competition,convened by the Youth Engineeringthe Future (YEF) Project Trust on30 November 2008 at SANZAF H/Oand Centre for Educational andSkills Development in Salt River.Participants had to develop a busi-ness plan inorder to create a Youngparticipative space within themasjid. They also had to identify anddevelop sustainable frameworks torevitalise the masjid as an integral,functional and vibrant fundamentalin the development Muslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'Business Plans competition namely,Rudewaan Arendse, Amina Bhayat,Dr Anwa Nagiah, Mickaeel Collier,Sheikh Shahied Esau and M. AmienJacobs for their selfless support.

About Al-Azhar High youth teamAt Al-Azhar, our objectives are tocreate a unique, innovative conceptthat will attract the youth towards thespiritual environment of the mosque.Highlighting the diversity withinIslam and moving away from the stig-ma attached to it.We aim to empower the youth by giv-ing them a voice and thereby afford-ing them with an opportunity toexpress their viewpoints.

We at Al-Azhar, plan to promote theMosque as a safe haven for youngpeople, in so doing provide an envi-ronment which encourages communi-

cation and tolerance among teens. Our teamSu-ad Williams, Fatima Ryklief,Zainab Martin, Shakira Jeppie,Yumna Abdol, Khaliel DoutieShaakirah De Vries, 17 yearsI am an extrovert and I am alwaysdoing things to improve my knowl-edge of media. I am extremely inter-ested in media as a whole. I wish topursue a career in journalism If Icould describe myself in one word itwould probably be practical, becauseI believe that things do not happen ontheir own. If you really want some-thing you have to reach out for it inyour own way and make things hap-pen for yourself. In 2007 I joined the

youth group atRadio 786. In2008, I entered theV o d a c o mJournalist of theYear not knowingwhere that wouldlead me…to tellyou the truth, Ientered just forfun. As a result,my radio featurewas short listedand I made theregional finals. Ihope to make 2009a successful year. Ibelieve that theYouth Engineeringthe Future willtake me places andthat is why I amforming part of theexecutive commit-tee.

Abdurosheed EmandienAs a muslim, there is an expectationfrom Allah S.W.T that makes me arepresentative for Islam as a whole.Thus I can say that being a Muslimhas molded me into a respectable per-son who behaves ethically. I see theYEF programme as a social uplift-ment scheme and would be suitablefor a person like me.

Our EventAl-Azhar High/ Colorado Park-Empowering the youth on mediaand IT

TEAM: (Team leader) Abdurosheed Emandien; Shaakirah DeVries; Su-aad Williams; Fatima Ryklief; Zainap Martin;Shakira Jeppie; Yumna Abdul and Khaliel Doutie



SHAAKIRA DE VRIES

The Al-Azhar High School inJanuary 2005, moved from theOttery campus, where thePrimary school was also housedto its premises in Athlone. Westarted the year with 182 stu-dents, 11 teachers and 9 classunits. Since then our intake hasincreased steadily over the past 4years. Currently (in our 5th yearat this campus) our enrolmentstands at 330 students, 23 teach-ers and 13 class units which willsoon increase to 15 units once theadditional two classrooms havebeen completed.Our academic record has alsorapidly improved over the 4years. In 2007 we had our firstgroup of matriculants who sat forthe National Senior Certificateexamination. Our pass percentagerate in this examination was88.8% with 56.8% Exemptions.In the 2008 Grade 12 Final NSCexamination, we achieved a100% pass rate with 58%Endorsements. The majority ofour students who have success-fully completed their Grade 12examinations have gone on tostudy further at tertiary institu-tions in this country and abroad.82% of the 2007 candidates arenow studying at a tertiary institu-tion. Many others are studyingeither in the Health Sciences,Engineering or Commerce fields.Some have gone on to studyIslamic Law and Religion.

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Al-AAzhar High school in Athlone adoptsthe Colorado Park masjid youth

Youth on The MOVE

The Darun Naim Boys High schoolparticipated in the YEF 'Hubb 4Life'/'Love for Life' Business Plancompetition, convened by theYouth Engineering the Future(YEF) Project Trust on 30November 2008 at SANZAF H/Oand Centre for Educational andSkills Development in Salt River.Participants had to develop a busi-ness plan inorder to create a Youngparticipative space within themasjid. They also had to identifyand develop sustainable frame-works to revitalise the masjid as anintegral, functional and vibrantfundamental in the developmentMuslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF 'Hubb 4Life' Business Plans competitionnamely, Rudewaan Arendse, AminaBhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah, MickaeelCollier, Sheikh Shahied Esau andM. Amien Jacobs for their selflesssupport.

About MUSCLE - Darun NaimBoysMuscle Association or MuslimsUnited for Social, Cultural andLeadership through Education is anorganisation with the sole purposeof attracting youth to the mosque inorder to uplift the community on amainly spiritual level through aca-demic and extramural activities.Our mission is to inspire and gener-ate enthusiasm among the youth toget involved in and around the

mosque as well as tak-ing part in its activi-ties. By attracting theyouth, we ensure astronger foundationfor the next genera-tion. Our aim is notonly to keep the youthoccupied, but to pro-vide guidance and apositive social climateto nurture their minds.We hope to reduce thenumber of misguidedyouth found on streetsand enhance the num-ber of youths helpingIslam flourish.

About our teamAltaaf HarnakerI am currently in mysecond year of Arabic and IslamicStudies at Darun Na'im - Institutefor Higher Islamic Learning. Priorto that I attended Habibia PrimarySchool and I matriculated fromIslamia College in 2007. I enjoycamping, fishing, hiking, martialarts, swimming and being withfriends.

Abdul-Kader Davids, 20 yearsI completed grade 7 at MorgensonPrimary School, thereafter I attend-ed Darul Uloom Arabia wal Islamiain Strand, where I concluded myhifdh after four years. My hobbiesare reading, swimming, playingcricket and rugby, taking walks andlearning new things.

Touhir Mohamed, 17yearsI am currently in the second year ofmy Islamic studies course at Darun-Naim. I attended Madrassa-tu-Tarbiyyah Primary School.Thereafter I completed my hifdh ofthe Quran under Sheikh IsmailLondt. I spend my free time playinggames, and I enjoy all types ofsport.Our EventDarun Naim Ijtimaa- SeparateBoys and Girls religious campstaking place in Junetion. Manyothers are studying either in theHealth Sciences, Engineering orCommerce fields. Some have goneon to study Islamic Law andReligion.

MUSCLE spiritually uplifts youth Al-AAzhar primaryhonours its elderlyneighbours

PAMPERED: The principal and staff ofthe Al-Azhar primary school hosted itsannual Muharram lunch for their elderlyneighbours. The neighbours were treatedto a 3 course sumptuous lunch preparedand served by the teaching staff.

TEAM: Abdul-Kader Davids, Altaaf Harnaker andTouhir Mohamed


The Muslim Judicial Council(MJC) Proud Supporter of the

YEF 'Hubb 4 Life' project

20 Cashel Avenue, AthloneTel: 021 696 5150/1/2

www.mjc.org.za


The Al-Shams youth teamfrom Park Road masjid par-ticipated in the YEF 'Hubb 4Life'/'Love for Life' BusinessPlan competition, convenedby the Youth Engineering theFuture (YEF) Project Truston 30 November 2008 at SAN-ZAF H/O and Centre forEducational and SkillsDevelopment in Salt River.Participants had to develop abusiness plan inorder to cre-ate a Young participativespace within the masjid. Theyalso had to identify and devel-op sustainable frameworks torevitalise the masjid as anintegral, functional andvibrant fundamental in thedevelopment Muslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thankthe Adjudicators of the YEF'Hubb 4 Life' Business Planscompetition namely,Rudewaan Arendse, AminaBhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah,Mickaeel Collier, SheikhShahied Esau and M. AmienJacobs for their selfless sup-port.

About Al-ShamsOur mission is to encourage alifelong participation withinAl-Shams in order to create athriving community. As wellas forming a relationship andnetwork with other youthgroups and organizations. Ouryouth group will ensure thatan integrated Islamic approachis fostered in all activities,

which we undertake all thewhile being mindful of theenvironment in which we live.Our philosophy is to provide aunique atmosphere for youthto interact and develop in anenvironment that wouldencourage sharing and the gal-vanizing of different ideas,feelings and opinions in orderfor them to contribute mean-ingfully towards their ownpersonal growth and theadvancement of our communi-ty.

Our vision is to provide youthwith a unique space to growphysically, intellectually andspiritually enabling them tolead a positive lifestylestrengthened by Islam and toremain mindful of our respon-sibilities as youth. At Al-Shams, we hope to position

ourselves as an educationalresource for individuals wish-ing to learn about Islam and itsculture. Our teamNabeelah Davids, 14 My education is very impor-tant to me although I don't likesport that much. Being anexecutive member is an honorfor me because I see this as anopportunity to develop in allaspects of life insh-allah.Growing up in a western soci-ety can be a difficult task, butI hope this program will equipme with the necessary skills.

Umaymah Davids, 18 yearsI am a first year student at theUniversity of the WesternCape, studying computer sci-ence. I'm a fun outgoing per-son who is game for almostanything. While I love spend-

ing time with my friends andhaving fun I know when to beserious. I've lived by themoto: "live life to the fullest",always hold your head up highAllah won't make you carry aburden you cant bare.

Gafeedha DavidsI am a 2nd year occupationaltherapist student at UWC. Iam the eldest of 3 girls. Beingthe oldest is not an easy job. Itcan be very stressful at times,but all I can do is be gratefuland thank our Almighty Allah.The reason I chose occupa-tional therapy as a career isbecause I have the passion towork with people and toenable them to live a satisfac-tory life with or without a dis-ability and to help them fulfiltheir daily occupations suc-cessfully. I'm an honest, trustworthy,patient and understandingindividual going through lifelooking for opportunities togrow and to become astronger, independent individ-ual within society. I am aresponsible person with thecourage to pursue my visionand my dreams. A positiveattitude brought me to where Iam today and a positive atti-tude will take me through lifeInsh-Allah.

Uzair Ramjam, 17yearsI am extremely imaginativeand really expressive. I amoutspoken, and an excellentmediator, yet I can still remaincritical an empathetic. I amindependent and hardworking.I am interested in literature,comparative religion, currentaffairs and politics, especiallyMiddle Eastern politics.

TEAM: From left to right: Shuaib Van der Schyff-12years, Teamleader – Gafeedha Davids-19years UWC student, NabeelahDavids-14 years, Umaymah Davids – 17years and Uzair Ramjam– 16years

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UZAIR RAMJAM

It probably seemed like justanother 'Youth Engineeringthe Future' gathering, wherewe would have another meet-ing and receive our next task,but this was not the case atall.

We all met at the MJC officeand it was interesting to notethat we, naturally, stood withour own crowd. The atmos-phere was, to a certainextent, tense because no onereally knew each other. Oh,but was that going to change.

We finally arrived at our des-tination, Spier, and what awonderful place it is. Wethen had time to roam aroundand see what Spier had tooffer. But my highlight wasplaying the interactive gamenext on our agenda.

Boys and girls were separat-ed and were to stand in a line,opposite someone. We werethen given one minute eachto introduce ourselves.Honestly, it was somewhatdifficult for me. And I think

this was a mutual feelingamongst us. You try speakingto someone about yourselffor one minute and try andmake an excellent firstimpression. Admit - it is dif-ficult!

Once our game came to aclose, the most perplexingpart approached. Not onlydid we have to remembereveryone's name, we had todraw a person's name out of ahat and describe them to thegroup. Sometimes the groupknew whom the orator wasspeaking of, while other ora-tors were dumbstruck them-selves.

When we got the person'sname correct, we could drawa gift out of the bag. We wereall asked to bring a gift withthat resonated the theme'sharing' without theValentines day hoo-haa - noreds, chocolates, flowers,cards, candles and soaps -worst of all the gift could notexceed R15. Sharing felt sospecial with our new friends,we not only exchanged giftsbut smiles and so much

laughter - we hadso much fun.

Then came the mostinteresting andunexpected part, amessage fromSanaa Petersen, theYEF facilitator,who said that thegame we played,proved that at ourdevelopmental age,it is difficult tomake a first truth-ful impressionbecause we didn'treally know whowe are. She left uswith the question -So, how is it thatteenagers can be ina (adult) relation-ship, and share of themselvesto others, if they don't reallyknow what qualities they aremade up of in the first place?

A quest to find one's self is alifelong journey and only youknow when you're reallyready. This message impact-ed heavily on my conscienceand made a lot of sense notjust to me but to the rest of

the group .

After this, the whole frame ofmind of the YEF groupchanged. Not only did we sitin unison, but we spokefreely to each other too abouta number of aspects.

On the way back, you couldnot help but observe the tran-sition of the atmosphere from

tense to a more relaxed feel-ing. And I think the objectiveof the day was successfullyattained.

What an event it was! Thisgathering was extremelyenjoyable. The ambience,food, games and the peoplewere just awesome.

PICTURES: Zakareeyah PandayYEF breaking the ice

UMAYMAH DAVIDS

Being my first time going out intothe world and having to take notesand interview people was nerve-racking. I had no idea what to expectand how to react. While sitting andlistening to the speakers I was takenin by what they said and the waythey said it. As the night progressed Ibecame more relaxed but when Ispoke to some of the guests mystomach was in a knots all overagain. I got up the courage interviewthe guests and had a blast. I’d love todo it again soon.

Shukran for the opportunity.

A junior reporter’s first experience

YEF TEAMBUILDING: YEF team building at Spier, 14 February 2009

Youth on The MOVE

The STEPS youth team fromIqra high school participatedin the YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Lovefor Life' Business Plan compe-tition, convened by the YouthEngineering the Future (YEF)Project Trust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/O andCentre for Educational andSkills Development in SaltRiver. Participants had todevelop a business plan inorderto create a Young participativespace within the masjid. Theyalso had to identify and devel-op sustainable frameworks torevitalise the masjid as an inte-gral, functional and vibrantfundamental in the develop-ment Muslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thankthe Adjudicators of the YEF'Hubb 4 Life' Business Planscompetition namely, RudewaanArendse, Amina Bhayat, DrAnwa Nagiah, Mickaeel Collier,Sheikh Shahied Esau and M.Amien Jacobs for their selflesssupport.

About STEPSWe at STEPS youth committeebelieve that our vision shouldplease Allah (S.W.T). It is ourmission to transform theMosque into a hub where socialresponsibility will germinateamongst the youth. Researchhas shown that there is growingdemand for the development ofIslamic youth groups. STEPSwill therefore provide the youthwith a safe Islamic environmentin which they can socialize aswell develop themselves spiri-tually, physically, emotionallyand intellectually. We recognizethe need to respond to the cur-rent socio-economic, political,cultural and religious chal-lenges facing youth today. It isour intention to draw the youthback to the mosque therebytransforming the mosque into ahub for constructive activity.We believe that through ouryouth committee, the youth`stalent and skills will be honed,cultivated and nurtured therebytransforming the youth into suc-cessful leaders.

About the STEPS teamJunaid MullajeeI am a natural leader with expe-rience in talking to largecrowds. I enjoy analyticalthinking and intellectualdebates. I`m religiously orien-tated and I attend a madressaover weekends. I am a privateperson but I can converse wellwith most people. I enjoy thesciences and nature, animals

and reading. I believe in stayingyoung and therefore still watchcartoons, play games and playwith my younger siblings. I amcurrently Head Boy of IqraAcademy.

Fatima NaidooI am a dedicated student inachieving the best in everyaspect and spirited in everygoal. Competitiveness is mymiddle name. I tend to be curi-ous, brilliant, open-minded,original, independent andeccentric. I have a highly devel-oped sense of social equalityand a lightning-fast intuitiveinsight.

Sameeu`d Deen MachelmI am an extremely focused indi-vidual who possesses a uniquepersonality. I am tenacious andhumorous as well as loyal tothose who are dear to me. I amIslamically orientated andtherefore carry myself withhumility and pride. I also have asincere love for the game ofcricket.

Caleb HagglandI am a caring and giving indi-vidual. I am peace-lovingstrongly apposed to using vio-lence as a method of resolvingproblems. I am focused andtherefore I am able to makedecisions on my own withoutgiving into peer pressure.

Nurah SimonI am a very committed student. Iam an honest and generous per-son. I am surprisingly sensitiveand can be dramatic at times. Ilove enjoying myself and Ibelieve that I will achieve anddeserve the very best.

Imraan JappieI am a very well mannered and

responsible person. I am a quicklearner and I am able to workwell under pressure. I am intel-ligent and posses good leader-ship and management skills. Iam very driven and believe thatnothing is too big to overcome.I can therefore accomplish any-thing I set my mind to.

Gaseenah MentoorI am generous warm- heartedperson. I can however be self-centered at times. I am very pro-tective of the people close tome, especially children andthose who are weak. I am cre-ative, dramatic, as well as sensi-tive. I posses strong organiza-tional skills and I considermyself a natural leader, one whois always up for a challenge.

Zubair RusdienI am a very dedicated person.The word failure never crossesmy mind. In fact, it is not evenin my vocabulary. I am anIslamically orientated personwith a great sense of humor andI enjoy having a good laugh. Ihave a great passion for cars.Both driving and working oncars brings me great pleasure.

Shaakirah RajabI can describe myself as beingan assertive person and I have astrong sense of self. Holdinggrudges is not something that Iwould do. I am drawn to physi-cal activities and adventureappeals to me. I have a naturalability to handle any projectassigned to me with boldness. Ialso have a great knack for cre-ating things.

Our event:Learner management - July2009

TEAM: (Team leader) Junaid Mullagee, Imraan Jappie, Zubair Rusdien,Gadija Jabaar, Razaan Hindley, Faatimah Naidoo, Shaakirah Rajab, NurahSimon, Gaseenah Mentoor, Sameeu’d deen Machelm, Gayaatunisa Ishmailand Aqeela Van der Berg



STEPS cultivating young leaders YEF gone sailing

SAILING: The SA National Zakaah Fund invited the YEFexecutive members to share in their 'family' day inFebruary. The YEF enjoyed a day on the Nauticat with alazy trip to Seal Island and lunch treat at Fish on theRocks.


CHILLING: The YEF STEPS youth taking a stroll onHoutbay at the SANZAF Family day.

CAPTIVATING: Fathima Naidoo and Junaid Mullageeconquers the 'Nail' project management exercise at theYEF January breakfast.

EDUCATING: Rudewaan Arendse, Project Manager anda member of the YEF Advisory board, facilitated a proj-ect management workshop at the January YEF meeting.He illustrated the importance of planning before execut-ing any project. The interactive and participative sessionproved to the young members that success lies in plan-ning, attention to detail and assertiveness.

Youth on The MOVE

YEF in training

Vangate Mall, Vanguard drive, Athlone, 021 6331065Hospital Welfare and Muslim Educational Movement (HWMEM) - 021 637 7866

Hijrah Travel, Hashiem Fryddie - 021 7058602Imam Hashiem LamaraTaj and Fairuz Aklekker

Awqaf FoundationCosy Corner, Ottery road, Wynberg - 021 7972494

Debonaires Pizza, Plumstead, Grassy Park and Kenilworth Centre

Proud Supporter of the YEF 'Hubb 4 Life' project

Muharram at Park Road,MasjidOur Muharrum program was heldon the 18th January 2009, where theimam Moegamat Noor invited underprivileged children and families tocelebrate the Islamic new year withthe Wynberg community. The eventstarted off with a Thikr and snacksfor the guests. A guest speakerspoke about the difficulties that thepeople in Gaza and the significanceof Muharrum. After Thur lunch wasserved at the Vigilance wall we asal-shams helped were necessary. We are planning to take the youth ofour community to visit Greenpointstadium so that they see the devel-opments and improvements, indeedit is a historical moment for all of usbecause it is history in the making.We see this as an opportunity for theyouth to be exposed to what is hap-pening within the country and forthem to realize that tomorrowbelongs to them.G.Davids, Al-Shams Thank you, SANZAF Thnx sanaa u the bst i reali enjoydmyslf 2day n snd my thnx 2 SAN-ZAF as we on bhalf of al da STEPmembas we wud lyk 2 tel u thn udng a great job n we wil try our bst2 mke da dream of da yef 2 wrk!Thn u a star! Imraan JappieYEF January MeetingSalaam i realy njoyd ystrday i learntalot . . .my fav part was da nails haha ha embarrassing. Hey but imrealy excited 4all the evnts an othathngs that are gona happen.thanx 4giving us all the opportunity 2makesumthng of our lives. YaaseenEbrahimYEF TeambuildingSlm. Shukran sanaa me had awondaful tym saturday!:-) wsawsome gettng 2no evrybdy. totalienjyd myslf(",) it ws one of my bestvalentines day eva!! Lol once agnshukran! Hehehe! Ighsaan SedickHey m0wah!shukz 4 yesterday hadafab day..!fadwah ThorneThanks sanaa n evry1 that atenddthe yef team buildn, it brightnd upmy day. Ayesha Nakidien


SMS

The Al-Azhar Institute of CapeTown is a fully registered inde-pendent school that is whollydependent on the school fees,fund raisers and a small subsidyfrom the WCED. All our expens-es, (telephone, rates, electricity,water, office equipment, station-ary, duplicating paper, toners,stencils, daily running expenses,resource books, etc) have to bepaid from these major sources ofincome. We do not receive anyfunding from the Al - AzharUniversity, Cairo or the EgyptianGovernment (as is commonlybelieved by our community out-side of the school) We carry thename because of an agreementsigned in 1993 between theMuslim Judicial Council and theAl-Azhar University Cairo thatthey will send Egyptian Al-Azhargraduates to South Africa to teachour students the Arabic language.These Egyptian teachers are paidby the Egyptian government. Thatis where Egypt's responsibility

ends. The host country must pro-vide all the infra-structures, asagreed upon in 1993.Because of the rapid growth ofthe High School, we have beenforced to find funds for the con-struction of the three laboratoriesand 5 additional classrooms. Twoclassrooms are near completion.We are therefore in need of thenecessary furniture and equip-ment to continue with our pro-gramme of providing quality edu-cation to our students. We are making a very serious andearnest appeal to you, to pleaseassist us in continuing on thispath of excellence in education.Kindly consider how you canassist this school to make learninga pleasant experience for all con-cerned.

Yours in the interest of qualityeducationM.S. ChristianPrincipal - 021 6965475,Birdwood Ave, Athlone

WORK IN PROGRESS: Worker on site at Al-Azhar High school.

Kindly share this information below with allvoters, in particular the aspect of the Voterthat needs to be taught/reminded that theyhave two ballots - one a National Ballot andthe other being a Provincial Ballot

Voting procedureWhen you arrive at the voting station in thevoting district where you have registered, theelectoral staff will:

1) Check your ID and hands to ensurethere

is no ink on your fingers;2) Verify if the photo in your green bar-

coded ID looks like you and verify that you are registered;

3) Cross your name from the segment of the voters' roll;

4) Mark your left thumb with indelibleink;5) Issue two ballot papers i.e. national and

provincial ballot papers;6) Direct you to a voting booth to cast your

votes.

Once you have marked the ballot papers youmust place your ballots in the ballot box.

Shukran and Was salaamAslam SalieW Cape Director of CommunicationsALJAMA Political Party Registered Political Party in terms of Electoral Commissions Act, 1996 (Act No 51 of 1996)http://www.aljama.co.za/

WWhhaatt hhaappppeennss aatttthhee vvoottiinngg ssttaattiioonnoonn 2222 AApprriill 22000099??


In the SPOTLIGHTThe message 'Restore unity in Palestine' resonated atthe fourth international humanitarian conferencehosted by the Muslim judicial council (MJC) inFebruary.- Umaymah Davids

A guest at the conferenceZeenat Hassan says, "atthe rate things are it isgoing to be difficult butwith dua and striving forwhat you believe in unitywill prevail."

According to Nazley Solomonthe truth has prevailed this isthe nature of life and we willhave unity. Do not loose hopebecause Allah promises unityto all. We should network andacquire woman leadership.

Another guest, Yaseen saysthat what the president saidlooks uplifting and insh-allahthe goal is to free Palestine,Masjidul Aqsa and the peo-ple of Palestine.

"wa tasie moe bie gablilahhijamie owala tafa rakoe"Hold onto the rope of Allah,because unity is strength, letus eases the fight in PalestineInshallah.

LETTERS

AAll-AAzzhhaarr hhiigghh sscchhooooll bbuuiillddss55 aaddddiittiioonnaall ccllaassssrroooommss

Networking

FIRDOWS BADROODIEN

The Gulf ResearchCenter held its firstannual forum at theCTICC on 24-25February to developstrategic partnershipswith Africa and theGulf states.Chairman of the GulfResearch Center,Abdulaziz Sager in hisaddress said that the development of a multi-leveleconomic, social and political relationship is cru-cial to creating a beneficial and sustainable part-nership with Africa. The Strategy Forum entitled"Developing a New Strategic Partnership" is "amilestone not only for the Gulf Research Centerbut also in the long history of Gulf-Africa rela-tions. In addition, this partnership has become allthe more important in the current context of theglobal financial crisis." Sager stated that the con-ference would serve as the perfect platform forboth regions to undertake the task of better under-standing each other as well as working on a strongrecovery from the global economic crisis. The Gulf-Africa Strategy Forum aimed to cementthe Gulf-Africa relationship by offering an in-depth assessment of the status of ties and a clearoutlook to where the relationship could be head-ing. The Gulf-Africa Strategy Forum will becomean annual GRC conference event which will bringtogether the key leaders and personalities frombusiness, academia, government and media to out-line the main issues and challenges facing moreconstructive relations between the key regions ofAfrica and the Gulf.

DDeevveellooppiinngg ppaarrttnneerrsshhiippss wwiitthhAAffrriiccaa aanndd tthhee GGuullff ssttaatteess

Abdulaziz Sager


SANAA PETERSEN

Fatima Gabie Hassam, a Muslimwidow, is waiting to hear if theConstitutional Court will allow herto inherit a portion of her late hus-band's estate despite the fact thatshe was in a polygamous Muslimmarriage. Hassam was the firstwife and her husband died intestate(without a will). Hassamapproached the Cape High Courtafter her husband's death becausethe executor of his estate did notbelieve the validity of her polyga-mous marriage and refused to giveher part of her dead husband'sinheritance. Hassam's attorney,Ighsaan Higgins said, 'There is awhole sector of women that's beenprejudiced by not being able toinherit from the executor's estate aswell as they are not able to benefitfrom the provisions of theMaintenance of the SurvivingSpouses Act."Four legal teams and Friends of thecourt, the Muslim Youth Movement(MYM) and Women's Legal Centreargued the matter in theConstitutional Court on Thursday,19 February 2009. In supportingHassam the MYM quoted F.Cachalia paper on ''Citizenship,Muslim family law and a futureSouth African constitution: a pre-liminary enquiry', 'The conse-quences of non-recognition are seri-ous, particularly for the wife.Although a couple may regard

themselves as married according tothe tenets of their religion, the lawtreats them as strangers. There istherefore no legal nexus betweenthem: there is no joint estate andany nuptial agreement is void; thereare no financial obligations betweenthe spouses inter se and no claim forloss of support accrues to the depen-dant spouse on the death of her'husband'; she has no claim formaintenance on divorce or againsther husband's deceased estate; sheis effectively disinherited if her hus-band dies intestate; she may becompelled to give evidence againsther spouse in criminal proceedings;and the law attaches the stigma ofillegitimacy to her children.' Higgins said none of the legal teamsobjected to the key arguments. Thejudges wanted to ascertain ifHassam had been a spouse," saidHiggins. This arose out of a disputeon whether or not a fasakh had beenissued, which would have caused aseparation between the deceasedand his first wife.

"There was some dispute onwhether it had been revoked atsome point or not. But we managedto overcome that difficulty, becausethe judges did not want to go intothe conflict between civil law andIslamic law. They did not want totamper in any way with IslamicLaw so they accepted that Hassamhad in fact being a spouse in thecontext of a polygamous marriage.

We then just had to argue the lawpertaining to it," said Higgins

According to the MYM the 'non-recognition of women in polyga-mous Muslim marriages as spousesseverely prejudices such womenwho are unable to access the systemof benefits created by the State forwidows, who have been determinedby the Constitutional Court to be avulnerable group in society'.The MYM further argues that the'non-recognition of these women asspouses fails to have regard to theirlived reality and fails to accommo-date the diversity within our hetero-gonous society by recognising thatpeople who live according to thetenets of Islam do enter into polyga-mous marriages'.

Hassam has filed a draft orderwhich she wishes the ConstitutionalCourt to make. "The draft orderdeclares section 1 of the IntestateSuccession Act to be inconsistentwith the Constitution and invalid tothe extent that it does not includethe surviving partner in a polyga-mous Muslim marriage and propos-es a new construction of theIntestate Succession Act. It furtherdeclares that the word "survivor" inthe Maintenance of SurvivingSpouses Act should be read toinclude surviving partners of polyg-amous Muslim marriages.

MMuusslliimm PPoollyyggaammyy ccaassee ggooeess ttooCCoonnssttiittuuttiioonnaall CCoouurrtt

The Darun Naim Girls - YoungChangemakers for YouthEmpowerment participated inthe YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Love forLife' Business Plan competition,convened by the YouthEngineering the Future (YEF)Project Trust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/O andCentre for Educational andSkills Development in Salt River.Participants had to develop abusiness plan inorder to create aYoung participative space withinthe masjid. They also had toidentify and develop sustainableframeworks to revitalise themasjid as an integral, functionaland vibrant fundamental in thedevelopment Muslim Youth.

The YEF would like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF 'Hubb 4Life' Business Plans competitionnamely, Rudewaan Arendse,Amina Bhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah,Mickaeel Collier, Sheikh ShahiedEsau and M. Amien Jacobs fortheir selfless support.Darun Naim Masjid Girls:Young Changemakers for YouthEmpowermentThe Darun Naim Masjid Girlsand Boys school participated inthe YEF 'Hubb 4 Life'/'Love forLife' Business Plan competition,convened by the YouthEngineering the Future (YEF)Project Trust on 30 November2008 at SANZAF H/O and Centre

for Educationaland SkillsDevelopment inSalt River.Participants hadto develop a busi-ness plan inorderto create a Youngp a r t i c i p a t i v espace within themasjid. They alsohad to identifyand develop sus-tainable frame-works to revi-talise the masjidas an integral,functional andvibrant fundamental in the devel-opment Muslim Youth.The YEF would like to thank theAdjudicators of the YEF 'Hubb 4Life' Business Plans competitionnamely, Rudewaan Arendse,Amina Bhayat, Dr Anwa Nagiah,Mickaeel Collier, Sheikh ShahiedEsau and M. Amien Jacobs fortheir selfless support.About the YoungChangemakers for YouthEmpowermentWe see the masjid as a placewhere we, the youth can learn,have fun and interact in anIslamic environment resulting inthe beneficial development of thecommunity at large. Our missionis to provide a platform wherebythe role of the masjid in the 21stCentury, has once again become

the hub of the community. And isseen as a place to engage withand empower young Muslims,allowing them to take responsi-bility for self development anddevelopment of their community. Our objectives are to make themasjid friendly to the youth, topromote Islam and bridge cultur-al differences. To help the youthrediscover the value of living lifethe Islamic way and to create aspace for young people so thatthey are able to develop lifeskills and responsibilities, whichthey need in order for them todeal with the challenges of grow-ing up. Our Team:Adhira du Toit, Aliah Goder, AmaalGoder, Zahrah Goder, AyeshaMohammed and Tauhira Mohammed

TEAM: (Team leader) Athira du Toit -16, Aliah goder,Amaal Goder, Zahrah Goder – 16, Ayesha Mohammed-15, Tauhira Mohammed -18years.

Darun Naim girls promoting IslamThe 'It's About Me' (IAM) project is aTrust with the aim of sharing and pre-serving home-grown stories and experi-ences. In addition to promoting literacyand encourage writing, its core elementis to help young girls and women recog-nise negative growth barriers includingstereotypes, prejudice, conditioning,expectations and fears (external andinternal).

Although, South Africans share a unify-ing history of struggle, hope and tri-umph, it sadly does not share the samehistory when it comes to sharing of sto-ries across racial, gender and genera-tional boundaries. Sharing of storiesthrough conversation and writing canbe magical - it can be a healing anddevelopmental experience. When youhear or read someone else's story youdemystify prejudice, stereotyping,expectations, fears and negative per-ceptions, instead you star t to developnew insights in the storyteller. Insightsthat can develop into great friendshipsbased on understanding, compassion,respect and love.

On the 15 March, 2009 we will belaunching the first compilation of grass-roots women's stories titled, 'SilenceSpeaks'. The Depar tment of Justice andConstitutional Development has gra-ciously sponsored the printing of IAMjournals.We would like to honour our courageouspar ticipants and host an afternoon insharing stories with women fromdiverse environments.

Launch Details:Date: Sunday, 15 March 2009 Time: 3 - 7pmVenue: UCT Tennis Club, Ring road,Upper campus, RondeboschCost: R100

Tel: 021 6972294, Cell: 084 774 4174,Email: [email protected]

''IItt''ss AAbboouutt MMee''PICTURES: Sanaa Petersen

PPlleeaassee ssuuppppoorrtt tthhee YYoouutthh MMeeddiiaaaanndd ““IItt''ss AAbboouutt MMee”” pprroojjeeccttss

BANKING DETAILSIslamic Media Agency cc

FNB, Sandton City, Branch Code: 254-605Account Number: 62033040007

The vision of the‘Youth Engineering theFuture’ (YEF) projectaims to support theyoung Muslim’sgrowth in a develop-ing and pluralisticenvironment.

The objectives of theYEF project are torevitalise and/ordevelop Islamic mod-els or frameworks tonurture the youngIslamic identity in adiverse and pluralisticenvironment.

These Islamic modelscan hopefully;Create a supportiveplatform for SAMuslim youth growingup in a pluralistic envi-ronment with

respects to thedebate of identity, culture, tradition andreligion. Develop andenhance proactive andpreventative initia-tives with regards topeer pressure,HIV/Aids, substanceabuse, sexuality andall forms of violenceand abuse. Enhancecivic participationwith regards to com-munity, political andeconomic develop-ment inorder to eradi-cate poverty and soci-etal ills. Enhance civicparticipation inresponsible engage-ment with the media,its technological toolsand by-products.

About YEF ‘Youth Engineering the Future’

Al-Shams Park Road, Wynberg

Darul IslamSurrey Estate

Darun-Naim GirlsWynberg

STEPS Iqra AcademyBelhar

Helping Hands, Connecting Hearts Masjidus Sunni - Kromboom

YEF Youth Executive Branches

Al-Azhar High SchoolColorado Park masjid, Mitchell’s Plain

Supporting the young Muslims’

development in a non-Muslim and pluralistic environment

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January

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February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

MUSCLE/Darun-Naim BOYSWynberg

CONTACT DETAILSThe Board of Advisors of the YEF Trustare:Rudewaan Arendse - ProjectManagement UCTAmina Bhayat – Economics MA –Nelson Mandela FellowshipMickaeel Collier - Political Science (Hon)UCT, Ma. CandSheikh Abd ‘Al Rasheed Brown – BATheology (ICOSA), BA Sociology UCTRoshaan Misbach – Bcom IS UnisaSheikh Achmat Sedick - MJCSheikh Shahied Esau – MP

Founder Trustee:Sanaa Petersen

Trustees:Lauren Bates and Nabeweya MalickYEF Partners:Muslim Judicial CouncilSA National Zakaah FundAlbaraka BankHijrah TravelImam Hashiem LamaraExposure Women’s ClubVangate MallAwqaf FoundationIslamic Media Agency ccChannel 4 Network Project DonorsIf you would like to receive a copy of theYEF Executive branches Business Plansplease contact SANAA PETERSEN on 021697 2294 /[email protected].

YEF 2009 Events Calendar

Al-ShabaabKalksteenfontein Masjid

Husami GoGettersCravenby

Documents

CNEWS_Mar09