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Abstract
Second International Congress on Islamic Civilisation in Southern Africa
March 4-‐6, 2016 – University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
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History, Contribution, and Challenges
Muslim Contribution to the Heroic Struggle for Freedom in South Africa (1668-1994)
The paper will deal with the three entry points of Islam to South Africa and the one entry point to Zimbabwe through Sofala in Mozambique. It will show how the seed of Islamic civilisation was first planted by Sheikh Matebe, who was brought by Dutch colonisers as the first political prisoner on Robben Island, on May 13, 1688.
The paper will illustrate how twenty-‐four Tamil-‐speaking Muslims, who were brought by British colonisers as slaves to work on sugar cane plantations, planted a second seed on November 16, 1860 in Durban. Another 113 Muslims from Zanzibar, who were also brought as slaves by the British to work on such plantations, planted a third seed in Durban on August 4, 1873. An unknown number of Muslim migrants from Malawi and Zimbabwe, who were compelled by the economics of the evil migrant labour system to migrate, planted the fourth seed in the Transvaal Republic in the 1870s.
The paper will also demonstrate that the earliest Muslims were People of the Book and the Hand, who through their memorization and hand skills helped to build modern South Africa, in spite of their pain and suffering. Their progeny continued this proud tradition and contributed to the struggle for freedom and continue to contribute to the development of a democratic society through universal values.
The seeds grew to 1.86% of the South African population under Apartheid. Under democracy it has grown to 3% as a consequence of migration. The main challenge for Muslims in the 21st century is to indigenise Islam for exponential growth through appropriate strategy and tactics.
Haroon Aziz
Word Count: 295