tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81415344388442744982024-03-15T18:10:09.930-07:00Desert Moon's DiaryDesert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.comBlogger470125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-10900609821894599982022-08-03T08:15:00.001-07:002022-08-03T09:21:33.390-07:00My Mom - The Covid Warrior<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJku-sZH7LBLuz8OdsKBzUjU9vi6lJUeCG63D1C9YJ3BEY2MVfZqwaUnjBFxRnyO1JgsiJo5DMcsKTWfgEWNT0e5l-W_hpPccO5HKRq7i_qUnxT4j6A99mhP4RasXoUl6dpqlCVRkcXZsVF5x7q39HkNJQ78TROA9tXSRRESV1ziyoocyrMIySw8/s605/covid19-warrior-design-everyone-who-260nw-1711109560.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="605" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJku-sZH7LBLuz8OdsKBzUjU9vi6lJUeCG63D1C9YJ3BEY2MVfZqwaUnjBFxRnyO1JgsiJo5DMcsKTWfgEWNT0e5l-W_hpPccO5HKRq7i_qUnxT4j6A99mhP4RasXoUl6dpqlCVRkcXZsVF5x7q39HkNJQ78TROA9tXSRRESV1ziyoocyrMIySw8/w400-h185/covid19-warrior-design-everyone-who-260nw-1711109560.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">It was 6am, June 18th 2021. How can I ever
forget that faithful Friday morning, a day that would have changed our lives
forever. Prior to the fajr athaan, I had a brief conversation with my brother
who had informed me that mom's medical condition was relatively stable but
there was no real improvement. We discussed oxygen saturation levels and oxygen
flow rates and agreed to touch base later on in the day to keep each other
informed about moms deteriorating health. I had just retired to bed after fajr
prayers when the phone rang. It was sister Cleo on video calling. Naturally I
was quite perturbed and answered the call in haste. Sister Cleo was quite
anxious and in a state of panic as she took me through mom's vital stats.
"Everything is dropping at a rapid rate. Her blood pressure is dropping
and her oxygen saturation level is at 40. Please come to the hospital now. Your
mom is extremely ill and is passing away." I froze and needed a few
seconds to digest everything that she conveyed to me. After gathering myself
together I jumped out of bed and quickly changed into a kaftan. Now came the
difficult part. I needed to break the news to dad. I knocked on dad's room
door. He was not yet asleep. He asked me if I called the hospital to enquire
about mom. I hate being the bearer of bad news. I took a deep breath and
finally let it all out in one go.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">" Papa, sister Cleo from the hospital
called to say that mom is on her last. She is passing away. We need to hurry to
the hospital immediately." Naturally dad too was in a state of shock.
I guess he found it difficult to digest the news I shared with him. Together we
informed my brother and his family. Our world had suddenly come to an end and
we all realised that from that day onward our lives will never ever be the same
again. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">Naturally the trip to the hospital was indeed
unforgettable. There was an atmosphere of sadness and melancholy in the car. As
my brother read Quraan whilst driving dad and I to the hospital, my mind
wandered far faraway. I had flashbacks of my childhood recalling the wonderful
memories on Sitara avenue, mom driving us to school in her powder blue Peugeot
504, the incredible yearly overseas vacations, and of course all the amazing
memories mom and I shared during my stay in Riyadh. As tears rolled down my
cheeks, I was struggling to acknowledge and accept that the end was near, that
I'd never ever see my mom again. I was hit with the realisation that I will
never be able to hear my mom's laughter or eat moms signature dishes ever
again. It felt as though my world was coming to an end. Dad was devastated but
didn't show his true emotions. I guess he needed to be our emotional support
and pillar of strength. As we neared the hospital he told my brother and I not
to be sad. We should be happy that mom was passing away on a blessed day, al
yowmul Jumu3a..He said that our lives will change. Life will never ever be the
same again, but we can not question the will of Allah. Every soul will taste
death indeed, yet no one is ready to leave the world. No one is ready to die.
No one is ready to accept death. No one is ready to let go..</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">The drive to the hospital felt like an
eternity. My mind was so faraway that I only realised we had arrived at our
destination when the car came to an abrupt halt. Dad's late brothers' children
arrived at the hospital as well. They had lost their dad a week earlier and so
they were all going through their own emotional pain and trauma.
My dad didn't really have the time to grieve or mourn for his elder
brother as mom's medical prognosis was not good either. I can clearly remember
the Tuesday afternoon when dad and I went to my uncle's home to greet him and
see him off to the hospital. In many ways I think that he knew he was not going
to return home. He kept on asking about mom. That was his biggest
concern. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;"><o:p> A</o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">s we got off the car, we headed for the Covid
ward where we were asked to suit up in PPE gear. The medical staff were waiting
outside mom's room door. As we entered mom's room, she was totally oblivious of
our unexpected visit. She had no idea that her vital stats were dropping. We
were all reading for her at her bedside with tears flowing down our cheeks.
Whilst the medical team were expecting mom to take her last breaths, God
Almighty had other plans in store for mom. Quite miraculously, all the stats
started going up slowly reaching relatively stable levels. From that point
onwards, mom started making progress. It wasn't a lightning speed progress, but
we were grateful and thankful that mom was still alive. As long as her heart
was beating and she was breathing, there was always going to be a glimmer of
hope.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Mom was rushed to hospital on Saturday, June
5th, 2021 around 6pm. I had just come out of the shower preparing for asr
salaah when suddenly I heard mom screaming in pain. She was experiencing severe
diarrhoea the day before. I then called my brother and we both agreed to rush
mom to the hospital. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Mom has always been a home executive par
excellence. Allah has gifted her with green fingers thereby allowing her to
design and create one of the most beautiful gardens in the neighbourhood. She
has always taken an immense amount of pride and joy in her cooking and her
culinary skills are definitely praiseworthy. She has always been immaculate when
it came to setting a table especially when guests were invited. Arts and
crafts, painting and needlework have always been hobbies that mom is passionate
about. Every Friday mom use to cook for Mizaan's halaal takeaway located in
Florida. Reading the social media comments about how tasty the food was
ultimately motivated mom and gave her a sense of self worth. After all, her
cooking was her joy and happiness. The Friday before moms admission to
hospital, she got up as usual to steam the mutton biryani she had prepared the
day before. She had become accustomed to her Friday routine. However when the
pot was finally steamed to completion, mom was unable to lift the pot from the
stove as she usually does. Her body was overtaken by weakness and that's when
she realised that something was wrong. During the course of the day she had
developed a cough with phlegm on her chest and asked me to bring medication for
her from the pharmacy. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">During the course of the weekend mom just
layed in bed. Despite taking antibiotics and various other medications to treat
her symptoms there wasn't really a marked improvement in her health. Hence on
Monday night our house doctor visited to assess moms ill health. He concluded that
mom had bronchitis and added an additional antibiotic to the current treatment
regimen she was already taking. He also wanted several blood tests to be done
to rule out a few other medical conditions. As the days went by, despite mom
taking all her medication as prescribed, there wasn't any significant improvement
in moms health. The weakness became worse. Eventually the weakness was coupled
with severe abdominal pain and diarrhoea leaving us with absolutely no choice
apart from getting mom admitted to the nearest hospital. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Upon arrival at the hospital, mom was rushed
into casualty. My brother and I waited in the car as the medical personnel took
various x rays of moms chest. They also conducted a number of blood tests.
After a three hour wait we were finally called into casualty where we were told
that mom had a severe bout of pneumonia and required intravenous antibiotic
treatment. Subsequently mom was admitted and the doctor on duty said that he
expected her to stay in hospital for no longer than a week. We were told that
no visitors were allowed and that if we wanted to know about moms progress we
should call the ward directly. We thereby exchanged contact numbers with the
nursing staff assigned to mom and then left for home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">There was an absolute feeling of emptiness
walking into the house without mom. Without a shadow of doubt it is a mother
who turns a house into a home. Whenever I return home at night after work, I'd
always find mom in the family room reclining on her specific chair or I'd find
mom in the kitchen either baking fresh home made bread or croissants or cooking
something special for us. Even before entering the house, an aroma of
deliciousness always pervaded the air. Our family life has always been
centered around the kitchen, a cosy space designated not only for cooking
scrumptious meals but it is also an area in our home whereby good food is
coupled with lots of fun, laughter and discussion collectively as a family.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Sunday is usually a day of leisure but in our
home a Sunday is always associated with the gathering of family and friends and
of course mom's signature rice dishes. Despite mom's absence at the lunch
table, we tried extremely hard to retain a semblance of normalcy in our
lives. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Whilst having lunch, my brother received a
call from the hospital informing us that mom tested positive for covid 19 as
well and that she will be transferred to the specialised covid unit. We
couldn't understand how did mom become covid positive as she remained in doors
all the time. No one else at home had been ill despite the fact that we are in
constant contact with patients all the time at the pharmacy. Sometimes we
forget that sickness and health remains purely in the hands of the Almighty.
All of us in life are going through different trials and tribulations. Indeed
God Almighty tests us in different ways to assess our faith and belief in Him
and of course to bring us closer to Him. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">With mom being in hospital it was only natural
for everyone at home to be having sleepless nights and so on Monday morning at
the crack of dawn I made my way to the hospital to seek permission from
management to be able to visit mom and spend some time with her. </span><span style="color: #212121;">The head nurse at the covid ward was an
extremely kind middle-aged petite woman who understood my plight perfectly
well. She gave me a set of protective gear and asked me to suit up before
making my way to mom's room. During our brief encounter she mentioned to
me that a few years ago her daughter was in hospital in the ICU and she
was prevented from visiting her. That entire experience was traumatic for her
and so she vowed to God Almighty that she will never ever do the same to any of
her patient's family members. Stepping into mom's room, the first thing I
noticed was the high flow oxygen face mask that was placed firmly on mom's face
giving her the image of someone out of space. Her face was swollen and mom
looked visibly distraught. She was unable to speak to me but her hand gestures
indicated that she was feeling extremely claustrophobic. At noon, the nursing
sister assigned to mom passed by with mom's lunchtime meal. She asked me to
feed mom and encourage her to be more accepting of the high flow oxygen mask.
As we were chatting, my phone rang. It was the treating physician. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">The gentleman on the other end of the receiver
came across as a middle-aged man who was rude and abrupt. He lacked kindness,
empathy and compassion. I was informed that mom was not doing well on the high
flow oxygen mask and that there was no option left apart from intubating her
and placing her on a ventilator. I then understood the seriousness of the
situation and was also cognizant of the fact that a vast majority of patients
who are placed on ventilators do not make it out of the hospital alive. The
doctor wanted immediate consent from me with regards to two issues, namely
intubating mom and secondly using high doses of ivermectin on her. Of course, I
fully supported the utilisation of ivermectin on mom but I was unable to make
an immediate decision to intubate mom without consulting with my dad and my
brother first. As soon as I left the hospital, I drove straight to the pharmacy
only to find dad extremely sad and distraught at moms illness. We were both two
minded about placing mom on a ventilator. As we were discussing the pros and
cons of the procedure, a family doctor called dad to enquire about mom. It was
almost as though God Almighty was lending us His helping hand. Indeed, it
turned out to be a divine guidance. Dr Bobat was following the progress of
other covid patients in the area and he was also quite well informed with
regards to numerous treatment regimens that were being applied by specialist
doctors at various hospitals in Johannesburg. His input made our decision much
easier and hence after much deliberation we took the decision as a family to
have mom intubated and placed on a ventilator. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">Initially mom was doing extremely well on the
ventilator. She appeared to be much calmer and had lesser claustrophobic
tendencies. Every day the medical personnel were weaning her off the ventilator
which was a significant step in her recovery process. We were told that within
a week or two she would be discharged. Every night my brother and I would take
a drive to the hospital to visit mom from her room window. There were times
when the nursing staff would yell at us for standing at the window and even
though there was a curfew in place, it did not deter my brother and I from
visiting our beloved Mom. We were determined to visit her and be with her
throughout her ordeal. She needed our support and words of encouragement. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Eight days after mom was intubated, I received
a call from the head nurse of the covid ward. She asked me to pass by in the
morning during her shift. She granted me permission to visit mom for 20 minutes
but at the same time she wanted me to view mom's chest x rays. Upon
perusal I was in absolute shock and disbelief. I was unable to see the lungs at
all on the x rays. All I could see was clouds of white. I knew the seriousness
of the situation and a part of me felt as though this was the beginning of the
end. I was also required to provide consent for dialysis as mom was going into
renal failure as well due to her lungs being incapacitated. </span><span style="color: #212121;">After spending time with mom, I recall
driving to the pharmacy with tears rolling down my cheeks. My dad called to
enquire about mom and I burst out in tears explaining how bad the chest x rays
were in just a matter of 2 days. Mom's health was deteriorating and
subsequently we were called in on that faithful Friday morning to bid her
farewell, but God Almighty tested our faith and showed us all who is ultimately
in control of life and death. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">My brother and I continued visiting mom at her
room window. Then one day Allah placed mercy in the heart of the night time
shift leader, the same gentleman who yelled at us a few times before for
standing at the window. He befriended my brother and said that he could see how
attached we were to mom. He could see the genuine concern we had for her and so
he told us that whenever he is on duty he will allow us to suit up in PPE gear
and spend time with mom in her room. We noticed that our physical presence had
a huge positive impact on mom's mental state of mind which in turn had a
positive impact on mom's overall health and well-being. Her oxygen saturation
levels improved and with time they were able to wean mom completely off the
ventilator 8 weeks after admission. </span><span style="color: #212121;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During our midnight rendezvous at the hospital
my brother and I witnessed a lot of disturbing incidents. Almost every night 2
undertaker vehicles were parked in front of the covid ward to collect the
remains of those who succumbed to their illness. There is one incident that
will remain etched in my mind forever. Whilst waiting to gain access to the
ward, my brother and I met a gentleman who told us that he received a call from
the ward asking him to come in immediately to meet his wife. She was a nurse in
the covid ward and she contracted the virus becoming extremely ill. The
caregiver became a patient herself intubated on a ventilator. The middle-aged
man was so excited. Whilst chatting to him, a nurse interrupted our discussion
and asked us to follow her. The gentleman remained outside. Upon reaching the
ward, we learnt that the nurse had actually passed away and hence her husband
was asked to come in immediately. I was gutted and heartbroken and even though
the man was a complete stranger I could feel his pain. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">Then there were incidents of gross negligence
on the part of the nursing staff. I personally think that whether a patient is
in a private hospital or a government hospital there is something seriously
wrong with the quality of nurses employed at our hospitals. Many need to be
commended for their kindness and compassion displayed towards their patients
but the overall vast majority are just downright inhumane in the manner in
which they treat their patients. We witnessed nursing staff sleeping on duty
whilst they were assigned to critically ill patients who were all on
ventilators. We witnessed the gross negligence ourselves when the nurse assigned
to mom forgot to suction her tracheostomy tubing causing the accumulation of
phlegm and thick mucous resulting in mom's medical condition deteriorating. She
was almost at the end of the ventilator weaning process where her blood gas
levels were improving but due to the negligence and don't care attitude of her
caregiver, she was put back onto a 100 percent ventilator support. In other
words, the weaning process had to be restarted all over again. We were told by
the presiding physician that the doctors' hands were tied in these kinds of
matters as the nursing staff are all outsourced from various agencies and are
not on the hospital payroll. I came across nursing staff who were not even
properly trained with regards to the way in which a ventilator functioned. I am
pretty certain that many patients who were admitted to hospital died not
because of ill health but rather due to gross negligence on the part of the
medical personnel. The fact that family and friends were not allowed to visit
made it much easier to hide medical malpractice. Mom lost a staggering 22kg of
weight in hospital. From extra large clothing mom now fits into extra small
making it impossible for me to steal her clothing occasionally. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Mom was discharged on Eid ul adha. After a
traumatising 8 weeks, it was undoubtedly a welcoming relief. Due to the fact
that there were no beds available at the rehab centre, we had to make
arrangements for a proper home health care facility that included the hiring of
an oxygen concentrator, a full-time nurse as well as periodic sessions with the
physiotherapist.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Mom required a full-time nurse to assist her
with her daily activities. She was unable to walk or shower on her own. She was
discharged from the hospital in an extremely bad state. Her clothes were soiled
due to diarrhoea and she was unable to speak clearly due to the hole in her
neck as a result of the tracheostomy. It was as though she was discharged from
a psychiatric institute. The admission ward had windows but then a week after
admission she was moved to a ward that had absolutely no windows. She was
unable to decipher night from day and in the process mom lost complete track of
time. Mom needed to be on 5L of oxygen continuously night and day. Her oxygen
saturation levels had to be monitored extremely closely. It took almost 2
months for mom to be weaned off the oxygen completely. Mom's physiotherapy
session's assisted her in regaining some of her strength back. A year has
passed and mom is still facing a series of long covid symptoms such as extreme
chronic fatigue, shortness of breath as well as nausea and excessive vomiting.
These symptoms have sometimes warranted hospitalisation for a few days at a
time.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">Mom's doctor's were quite baffled to discover
that post covid mom is no longer hypertensive. They found it quite intriguing
that joints and bones that were previously affected by rheumatoid arthritis
were now disease free post covid. However, mom has now developed severe bone
cavities in her right foot due to the excessively high doses of cortisone that
was administered to her during her 2 month stay in hospital. Currently mom is
experiencing severe pain on her right foot especially when she walks thereby
impeding her recovery progress. She will most probably undergo surgery in the near
future Inshallah to remove the diseased bone followed by the insertion of
titanium plates to devise an anatomical foot structure that is as close as
possible to mom's biological foot. To all the beautiful souls out there reading
this article, do make a special dua for my mom. May Allah grant mom complete
shifa e kaamila with aafiya. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">It is indeed a miracle that mom is alive and
yet on the other hand it is absolutely heart-breaking to see mom as a different
person altogether. The bright and bubbly super active, super smart mom is no
longer there. It depresses mom sometimes that she is no longer able to be that
on-the-go woman she was. Mom has always been my best friend. We use to always
visit the nursery together on a weekday or do the grocery shopping together
followed by lunch. Mom's ordeal has undoubtedly been a traumatising experience
for all of us. At the end of it all Allah never ever burdens us with more than
we can handle. I am positive and certain that with time mom will gain weight
and fully recover. There is always wisdom and goodness in everything that He
has decreed for us. Covid 19 brought out the best and the worst in people.
Parents didn't want to take care of their ill kids and vice versa. Family
members ran away and refused to attend to the ill within their families.
Funeral homes became homes of a leper where no one was willing to frequent that
home out of fear of contracting the virus. Our masaajids and other places of
worship were empty as per government decree whilst government officials
squandered an excess of a billion rand in parties and entertainment as per
official news reports. People had petty fights about masks, sanitisers and not
being able to try on garments in a clothing store. The world became mad whilst
the shayateen rejoiced and there was a complete ignorance and lack of knowledge
that prevailed. I witnessed people walking around like zombies with strange get
ups mimicking space suits. I was in stitches of laughter seeing a woman with a
bucket like apparatus covering her face. For those with eyes who can see, this
was a glimpse of qiyamah. Everyone was nafsi nafsi... worried about themselves
only. Even the holiest of people forgot that it is Allah and only Allah who
gives life and takes life. It is only through the command of Allah that we get
ill. Even in illness there is blessings for you become closer to your Allah.
Your prayers and remembrance in Allah increases. When a person is ill Allah
cleanses them of sin. Allah accepts the duas and prayers of those who are ill
and for those who passed away during the "pandemic", how fortunate
they are to be given the glad tidings of being a martyr. Mom mentioned to
us that during her stay in hospital, Allah sent a farishta to protect her and
look after her. Mom described him as a thin, tall dark-skinned gentleman with a huge smile on his face. He was stationed at moms' feet. It is pertinent to mention as well
that there were nursing staff who were waiting for mom to pass on. They would
pass remarks at mom such as ' Are you still here? Thought you'd be gone by the
time I returned to my shift?" Through the fervent belief in Allah, miracles
do happen and as a family we all witnessed this first hand through mom's
miraculous recovery. Many a times people would ask how come your mom made it.
The answer is simple, life and death are in His hands not ours. Allah still
wanted to use mom as a part of His grand master plan. I also believe that duas,
prayers and the person you are determines your destiny. Only after mom became
ill, did I realise what a significant role she played within her community.
During mom's stay in hospital, every day we received numerous calls from
concerned individuals all enquiring about mom's health. Many recalled and
reiterated with tears in their eyes the sincere acts of kindness that mom
displayed towards them. Some remembered mom's hospitality whilst others remembered
the delicious food, she sent for them when they were ill. Dad always tells mom
that the easiest way to attain jannah is to feed people with an open
heart. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">Mom's personality was undoubtedly a catalyst
that encouraged many many people throughout the world to pray for her recovery.
When our extended Saudi family heard about moms ill health they immediately
rushed to the haram to distribute sadaqah. At the house of Allah, they
beseeched Him for mom's speedy recovery. Students at the various Islamic institutes
recited Quraan for mom everyday in congregation. The late Sheikh Ayoob Patel
from Malawi who took mom as his own sister, not only fasted for mummy's
recovery but woke up everyday at tahajjud literally in tears begging Allah to
return our mom home to us. Everyday before embarking on his daily chores, Sheikh would first do an act of sadaqah for mom. I will never ever forget the
daily conversations I had with Sheikh Ayoob. He was a wonderful human being with a
soft kind heart. Sheikh Ayoob was a fatherly figure as I was acquainted to him from
childhood.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121;">His conversations were not only encouraging
but he always spoke words of wisdom. During one of our conversations, he asked
me to explain to him what is covid and what happens to the body. Little did i
know then that a few days after mom was discharged from hospital that Sheikh Ayoob himself would be admitted in a Malawi hospital for covid pneumonia. Sheikh Ayoob eventually succumbed to his illness and returned to his heavenly abode leaving
behind a nation that was shattered on hearing about his untimely demise. May
Allah grant Sheikh Ayoob the highest stages in jannah and fill his kabr with light.
Ameen.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #212121; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="color: #212121;">In my opinion, the covid fiasco is undoubtedly
a precursor of what's to come. The emergence of the antichrist, al Dajjaal is
not faraway. If you have learnt absolutely nothing out of this horror movie
like experience that affected almost every household within the community, it
is time for you to wake up and smell the coffee. Go back to the drawing board
and ask yourself, " Is my faith and firm belief in God Almighty enough to withstand what's to come? May God Almighty make it easy for one and all. May His mercy and blessings descend upon the entire
ummah. Ameen. </span></p>Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-27374584188118303062020-09-18T05:22:00.000-07:002020-09-18T05:22:15.552-07:00My tribute to a unique personality, Nafeesa foi... 17 July 2020<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmIpu9pU_qs/X2SlkMBOx1I/AAAAAAAAMqE/7Gy2MdpMOX4pTpRDHcxofPpIb8ALwiV0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1440/foi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmIpu9pU_qs/X2SlkMBOx1I/AAAAAAAAMqE/7Gy2MdpMOX4pTpRDHcxofPpIb8ALwiV0gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/foi.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Indeed, the sad reality about life is that we all know that one day we have to leave this superficial world of illusion for our heavenly abode, but alas no one wishes to or wants to leave. The demise of my foi had come to us all as a great shock. I should have written this tribute two weeks ago, but i opted to write once i cleared my mind, gathered my thoughts and of course absorb the fact that she is no more. I also needed time to choose the right words befitting for a human being who not only had a unique personality but also touched the hearts and lives of many through her radiant warm smile.</span></div></span></div><p></p><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;">For some she was known as aunty Nafeesa Chothia, to me she was Gori Foi or Nafeesa foi, the seventh child of my late Dadaji, Hafez Abdullah Mehtar (Mias Farm)and Dadi Ameena Mehtar. I must admit, as a child or even a teenager i never really knew much about her. However, as we both got older I guess we formed a bond. I am always reminded of the fact that i have a lot of her habits and personality traits inherent within me. In fact, when i called my Forgi a few days ago to check up on him, the first thing he said was, when i hear your voice, i am reminded of your foi. We both burst out in tears and thats how the conversation ended. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She was a bold, bubbly and vivacious character.She was the kind of person who always visited a funeral home to offer her condolences personally. She was always the first at a wedding home to assist. She was a people's person and hence she knew many people far and wide. She had a big heart and loved entertaining people. Everyone was welcome at her home and hence whenever jamaats from other cities or countries were in town, she would make it her duty to cook for them. She was straight forward and to the point. She never kept anything inside her heart for anyone. What needed to be told was said and then forgotten. I recall her signature trade mark clothing style coupled with pumps and her favourite red lipstick to compliment her fair complexion. She was a splitting image of her mother. Of course in winter, she had to step out of the house with her shawl. As soon as she draped it over her shoulders she was all set and ready to go. </span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a few fond memories of gori foi. I recall all the fun we had in 1998, when we went to Mauritius to attend a family friends wedding along with a few other family members. A few years later whilst i was residing in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, i had the opportunity to make umrah with her and her kids. On that same trip, we met another family friend from Dubai, and once again that trip became a memorable one for all of us. I will always cherish those moments forever. Sunday lunch will never ever be the same at our home. Almost every second week, foi and forgi would visit. Most of the time, mom would cook her favourite dishes. She was very fond of moms fruit cake. With her around, sunday lunch always involved lots of laughter and joking coupled with reminiscing about the past. Gori foi was well travelled. At a young age she had travelled the world and used different modes of transport in other countries but not here in SA due to safety reasons. Hence, when my colleague decided to Uber her and mom home one afternoon after they enjoyed a day at leisure at a shopping centre,she found the entire experience quite hilarious. She kept on asking if she will get home in one piece. " what if the driver kidnaps us".....The one quality i admired in her was the fact that no matter where she was, she never ever missed a salaah.</span></div></div><div class="o9v6fnle cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x c1et5uql ii04i59q" style="animation-name: none !important; background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; transition-property: none !important; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;">She left us too quickly, but alas this is the will of God Almighty that can not and must not be questioned. Verily, He is the best of planners. I am certain that without a shadow of doubt she is in a far better place than here. She is finally in peace united with her parents and others from the family who have left this world.Whilst we all will miss her dearly, we take solace in the fact that she passed away on a blessed day, a Friday. May Allah grant her and all other marhoomeen, the highest stages in jannah.</span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You may have left us foi, but you will always remain in our hearts and duas forever. </span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div dir="auto" style="animation-name: none !important; transition-property: none !important;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOUhqh87L7M/X2SmMLYclvI/AAAAAAAAMqU/KQNuqf3Mh1gMAZvIufgIQm1zIsHAq8LBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/foii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HOUhqh87L7M/X2SmMLYclvI/AAAAAAAAMqU/KQNuqf3Mh1gMAZvIufgIQm1zIsHAq8LBQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/foii.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div></div>Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-81324225243268833402020-06-26T07:18:00.000-07:002020-06-26T07:18:21.033-07:00Covid19 and the emergence of idiotic behaviour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="Stop African-American ignorance by OddGarfield on DeviantArt" src="https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/ef34105b-ef11-4109-b5e3-3725ca462254/d8qwe1e-6b89269f-1f79-446c-8d00-bba33b8a9fbb.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOiIsImlzcyI6InVybjphcHA6Iiwib2JqIjpbW3sicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvZWYzNDEwNWItZWYxMS00MTA5LWI1ZTMtMzcyNWNhNDYyMjU0XC9kOHF3ZTFlLTZiODkyNjlmLTFmNzktNDQ2Yy04ZDAwLWJiYTMzYjhhOWZiYi5qcGcifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6ZmlsZS5kb3dubG9hZCJdfQ.nOQ2DQONkuonVe5vUASjIebXmWAt7SaJt8ei7mmlhtc" /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I can expect uneducated illiterate people to behave in an ignorant manner, but when educated people start behaving ignorantly i am left in absolute shock and disgust. Over the last few days our medical team has had to deal with patients who were diagnosed by their physicians as covid positive. In some instances the entire household tested positive but they presented with no symptoms. In other words they are asymptomatic carriers of the virus.In other instances only one person tested positive whilst everyone else tested negative. The virus is spreading and as per our onsite physician who is also working at the various quarantine centres, its just a matter of time before everyone gets exposed to it. The majority of people will present with mild symptoms or will be asymptomatic carriers. The immunocompromised however, will have some difficulty in fighting off the virus. It has been established that good nutrition is the key to fighting off illness. Drink lots of ginger tea with honey. Increase your vitamin c, vitamin D and zinc intake. Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and get lots of sleep and rest.The media has done an excellent job at creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. Fear and worry weakens the immune system. Let go of fear totally.Stop watching the news. The amount of people we treating for stress and anxiety on a daily basis has increased phenomenally within a short space of time.If a person within your home or community tested positive for covid 19, its not the end of the world. With proper medication, nutrition and support they will recover God willing. Thousands of people have recovered already.If you have nothing good of value to add to the persons life, the least you can do is stop spreading rumours about the person and their family. Think before you ink. It takes years to build up a business and seconds to destroy its reputation thereby jeopardising the jobs of the staff members who work there. Some patients have told us that they have received nasty messages from their neighbours. There has been instances where shops have refused to serve family members of a covid positive patient. This is pure ignorance. Nobody asks to get ill. Sickness and health is all from the Almighty.Stay in your own home and worry about your own family. Stop worrying about the next person and who should be in quarantine or not in quarantine. You don't know the health status of other people within your community and quite frankly its not your business. There are people out there believe it or not who think its fine to abuse medical professionals and doctors for treating covid patients. A friend of mine who resides in a townhouse complex has been taunted by his neighbours for treating covid patients. He is now allegedly responsible for some residents contracting the virus. Medical professionals are risking their lives to save your life. If you cant support them and encourage them the least you can do is shut your big mouth rather than bringing them down with your negativity. Now is not the time to be gossiping about those who are ill over fancy dinner dos.Now is the time to alleviate the pain and suffering of other people. Provide help and support to those who have been affected by the virus. Stop being judgemental. Stop the stigmatization associated with being covid 19 positive. If you know that your neighbour is ill, do your bit to make them feel better. Prepare a meal and send it to them. Now you being proactive rather than gossiping about them to your friends and family. Remember today they could be ill, tomorrow it could be you. May God Almighty grant everyone good health and protect us from all kinds of calamities. AMEEN. The best way to ward off calamity is to engage in activities associated with charity, for example,buy a loaf of bread and make sandwiches for the beggars on the street.</span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-63999238916191484742020-06-01T09:24:00.000-07:002020-06-01T09:24:10.177-07:00WIDESPREAD COVID-19 TESTING DOES NOT MAKE SENSE FOR SOUTH AFRICA- by Dr. Nathi Mdladla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">I would like to break down the fallacy of widespread COVID-19 testing in South Africa. These are my personal deductions rooted on my training as medical doctor, a specialist in anaesthesiology and during subspeciality training as an intensivist and cardiac Anaesthesiologist. I have corroborated my assertions w</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">ith readily available data in the public domain.<br /><br />As of 27 April 2020, South Africa had done 168 643 tests for COVID-19. These tests had yielded 4 546 positive tests. Over that period we had 87deaths. The cost of a COVID-19 test was R1 200, which means by then we had spent R202 371 600 conservatively on testing for COVID-19. By May 1st (1st Day of Level 4 lockdown) this number was at 217 552 tests at a cost of R261 062 400. For the additional 48 909 tests done, we got a yield of 1 405 (2.87%) positive cases and an increase of deaths by 29. With this update, on the 8th of May 2020, 292 153 tests have been done - an additional 74 601 tests. This was at an additional cost of R89 521 000 spent with a yield of 2 372 positive cases (3.17%). So we have spent in total R353 583 600 in doing widespread testing. Keep these figures in mind as you read the rest of this article and make up your mind on the validity of testing everyone.<br /><br />Considerations when embarking on a test of any sort in the medical sphere:<br /><br />1. The indication of the test - is there any value derived from testing? You can’t test for the sake of testing. What are you going to do with the result?<br />2. The accuracy of a test - it must have a high specificity and high sensitivity (as close to 100% as possible) and very low false negatives (where you wrongly think there is no problem when there actually is), low false positives (where people who do not have medical problem but wrongly assigned as such)<br />3. It must be meaningful for wide-spread use eg. if a cure exists and where knowing the status has impact on disease/population management then the test is useful<br />4. It must be cheap, easy to perform and interpret<br />5. Requires minimal expertise in the remote population settings<br />6. Less invasive eg pregnancy test<br />7. Short processing time to allow an appropriate intervention in the shortest time<br /><br />The facts about the current available COVID-19 tests in South Africa:<br /><br />1. 30-40% false negative results with the serological quick tests - that is, you can be falsely reassured that you are safe with someone who is in fact positive.<br />2. PCR testing increases accuracy but there are still up to 15% false negatives. It is more expensive and requires highly specialized training and takes longer to perform in the state sector in South Africa (1-7days)<br />3. They are not cheap for such an inaccurate test - R1 200<br />4. They are not readily available - only specialized testing centers at the moment<br />5. Special training is required to be able to meaningfully get accurate tests - this negatively affects accuracy and increases the false positive rates<br />6. Knowing that the status is positive does not change anything for the majority of patients who are not sick as the disease is self-limiting, but is useful in those presenting with moderate to severe disease<br />7. And because even if it’s negative there is a possibility that this could be wrong, does it mean you can drop your guard because the test is negative? NO! So you are better off assuming everyone is positive and testing those who are symptomatic for directed management<br />8. If 80% of the population has mild disease that does not require admission, what is the value of knowing that people are positive when they can’t be treated and in the face of high false negatives. It would be cheaper to assume that everyone is positive and continue practices aimed at limiting spread in the general population.<br />9. In fact, if there is anything we can learn from widespread COVID-19 tests it’s the following:<br />- the disease is highly contagious but less lethal. At the moment mainly symptomatic people are being testing. So the numbers we are deriving from these results mean there is probably a higher infection rate with even less mortality than we are projecting (something like closer to 0.1-0.2% true mortality in infected people)<br />- the wider you test amongst the asymptomatic population, the less will be the yield with a test that is inaccurate even in the setting of active disease. So there will be a lot of false negatives and false reassurance<br />- because there is no cure as yet, we can not intervene specifically anyway except for making sure we can isolate and protect other people and staff from positive “known” individuals. The false negatives still mean 15-40% of the time we’ll still get exposed.<br /><br />Here is what we know about COVID-19 so far from the most severely affected countries and South Africa has shown the same profile:<br />1. 80% of infected people have mild disease - they do not need admission of any sort and the disease is self-limiting in this population<br />2. 15% of infected people have moderate to severe disease that requires admission for oxygen supplementation and maybe fluid therapy<br />3. There is NO CURE - so even if you are admitted, the hospital does not do anything specific for you at the moment anyway. All current therapies are either experimental with no proven efficacy or supportive<br />4. There is a 3-5% mortality in positive patients broken down as such:<br />- 72% of over 65years old,<br />- 23% Mortality rate in 45-64year olds (76% of these have co-morbidities),<br />- 4.5% between 18-44years old and<br />- 0.04% between 0-17years old.<br />- the true mortality of the net was even widened more is believed to be in the order of 0.1-0.2%<br /><br />I therefore doubt the value of widespread testing in South Africa for a disease with the above profile and in a population with the following characteristics:<br />1. an average age of 26.4 vs Italy with an average age of 46.6 or Germany (47.4)<br />2. We have 6% people over the age of 65 in a country of just under 60million (3.6million) vs for an example Germany with 17.9% of over 65year olds in a country of 80million (14.32million)<br />3. Yes I know you’ll say there is a 20.4% HIV rate in SA (12million people) from the 2019 Stats SA numbers, with 32% of these people (3million) not on treatment. We are worried that if these people contract HIV they will die in numbers.<br />- This is unproven, and we have the luxury of watching what has happened to the East Asian countries with an HIV burden of 4,734million during their winter where the exposure is maximum. There is no proof that HIV positive patients are dying in higher numbers there, well at least no published data. China is leading Asia with 680 000 people living with HIV.<br />4. It is widely accepted that the predictions guiding what we are doing in South Africa at the moment were based on a worst case scenario which does not exist anywhere in the world. We know that the assumed Ro for COVID-19 is 2.5 at the moment, that is the number of people a positive person can infect on average. Even with the 10% of the population used to predict infection rates in South Africa testing everyone makes no sense:<br />- This would mean 6million would have to be assumed infected<br />- They could therefore spread the disease to 15million people, meaning we need to test more than 25million people<br />- 25million tests would cost us 30billion rand<br />- This for a disease which is self-limiting in 80-85% of patients (20-21.25 million). That means we can prove a positive result at a cost of R24Billion where the disease will burn itself off.<br />- and all of this is for a disease with no cure as yet anyway<br /><br />The mounting and growing concern now is the collateral damage that is caused by delays experienced from waiting for a COVID-19 test results in conditions like sepsis, bacterial pneumonia, stroke, heart attacks and other medical emergencies, that still occur even during the pandemic. All level of staff are gripped with fear from what they see on social and mainstream media about the lethality of COVID-19. There is significant stigma associated with the disease and victimization of those who are deemed suspects or PUI’s (persons under investigation) by their colleagues and superiors is rampant. This feeds into the collateral damage from people reluctant to come early to hospital for medical interventions, to staff members being unwilling to help patients until they know the COVID-19 status. We are unfortunately not counting these numbers currently and nobody knows the amount of harm, but we should tally these against COVID-19 deaths if we are to measure our efforts against the harm caused.<br /><br />I hope I have made a reasonable case for the futility of widespread testing in South Africa, at least at this particular juncture. This will be gross wasteful expenditure with no real return on that investment as it will not aid the country in making any meaningful interventions nor will it aid us in limiting disease spread. It produces false security while causing maximum panic. There are way cheaper and sensible ways of dealing with this pandemic than knee jerk reactions borne out of fear. What we know from basic sciences and common sense still has a place even in a 2020 pandemic.<br /><br />Dr. Nathi Mdladla<br />Associate Professor and Head of ICU at Sefako Makgatho University and Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital<br />Cardiac Anaesthetist in Private Practice</span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-57864722579305809502020-01-23T10:42:00.001-08:002020-06-01T09:50:44.788-07:00When jealousy and wickedness overtakes the soul<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have received a number of inbox messages from people wanting to know how much of money did Ahmed Timol secondary school raise through their annual fundraising event that was held at Gold Reef city on the 7th of December 2019. The school played host to international artists <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samirdipalee/">Samir and Dipalee </a>who mesmerised the audience with their magical voices and on stage chemistry.It was definitely a night to remember. I am pleased to announce that after expenses, the school raised R240 000, the highest amount ever generated from a fundraising initiative.As mentioned at the concert, the money will be used to tar a road from the school gate leading up to the newly built school hall. The initial quote to tar the road was R 400 000. Hence there is a shortfall of R160 000.This figure may now be slightly less as MTN stepped in by assisting with the grading and leveling of the ground. In other words preparing the area for the tar to be poured. The management at the school will be accepting donations throughout the year especially from students and ex students who frequented the school so that this project comes to fruition in the near future thereby benefiting the school and the community who will hire the school hall for various functions.</div>
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With regards to the concert, I wanted to mention a few things that has been sitting on my chest for a while now. I was contemplating not talking about it to avoid unnecessary issues but i think the truth must be said as is. There were many families who purchased many tickets for the concert but on the day of the event they didn't pitch up. This accounted for almost 160 tickets that I am aware of. Some people needed to attend funerals, some said the weather wasn't good so they preferred staying indoors others had emergencies and well some people said "we were feeling uneasy attending a concert at Gold reef city so we didn't attend but if the concert was hosted at the school hall we would have attended". I personally don't see the difference and logic in this statement but then again i guess its different strokes for different folks. You cant win with our Indian community. Now whatever your excuse or reason was for not attending why didn't you take those tickets and give them away to people who would have loved to attend the event. Give the tickets away to school children or orphaned kids who have not attended a live show before. Why be selfish by sitting with the tickets? If you didn't want the tickets as you knew you were not going to attend the event, then you should have simply opted to give the school a donation and not taken the tickets or ask the school management to give the tickets away. The artists traveled from so far to perform for your school, to uplift your community,the least we could have done was to make sure that the hall was completely full. The fact that the school made a profit from the event heralds the event a success. But success for an artist is seeing a hall completely full. 72 percent of the tickets sold but many people didn't pitch up.</div>
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One thing that really upset me was the fact that there were people out there who were quite livid at the fact that the school was playing host to international artists. Instead of offering help, working together making sure that the school had the full support required they opted to do anything and everything possible to bring down the event from alerting SARS about the school event and then getting video clips and facebook pages related to the event blocked by getting multiple people to report the pages as going against community standards.In fact the weekend prior to the school event it was quite stupid and idiotic to see two mega Bollywood events on the same weekend at the same time. We are not residing in India where there are millions of Indians who will support different cultural events. We are a minority group in this country so why divide the community. I know for a fact that many people would have opted to attend both concerts had they been on different weekends or a different month altogether. What do you gain by trying to upstage someone else's event? What are you trying to prove? Some will say this is business deal with it. I say this kind of behaviour is not only cattish it goes against all the principles of proper business and moral ethics. I simply lose all respect for individuals who behave in this appalling manner going through great lengths to sabotage a charity event.Success is not about being the best in your field or being the wealthiest or most well known personality.True success is all about empowering, uplifting and working together for the betterment of society. What makes me even more sad is that Indians in general never stand together. We are always trying to out do each other. Can you imagine how much more we can achieve if we were united and supported each others businesses, events etc.There can be many event management companies or organisations within the community. Why not work together by communicating in a meaningful respectful manner discussing dates of events so that they do not coincide on the same day or weekend. Why be spiteful and have your event deliberately on the same weekend or same day as someone else's event thereby creating competition and of course dividing the community. Choose another day or month so that everyone's event gets the full support of the community especially a charity event.This is the premise of true business ethic. It's so much more rewarding being a part of someone else's success rather than running someone down. Think about it. For those of you who wish to pledge a monthly donation to the school I have attached the school's banking details. Remember, if you wish to leave a legacy behind when death comes knocking at your door, then do as much good as you possibly can. People will remember you for the way you made them feel, for the way you touched their hearts. Your wealth and status will be forgotten, but your good deeds and acts of kindness will be remembered forever.</div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-151799374468234712020-01-08T07:51:00.000-08:002020-01-08T07:51:15.421-08:00IF I SHOW NO INTEREST IN YOU, HERE'S THE REASON WHY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>The kind of people I choose to stay away from:</b></div>
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<b>1. Two faced individuals. Sadly there are many such people out there. Choose your friends wisely.</b></div>
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<b>2. People who are sneaky using you for their own hidden agendas and ulterior motives<br />3. People who enjoy seeing others fail in life or go down the wrong path.<br />4. People who are jealous and cant see the good and success in others<br />5. People who are always grumpy, complaining about everything. They never happy nor content with what the Almighty has bestowed upon them<br />6. People who treat their friends better than their own parents.<br />7. People who abuse others either mentally,verbally or physically<br />8. People who have no heart towards those who are poor and impoverished.<br />9. People who discriminate against others based on race, faith, skin colour, caste<br />10. People who are judgemental. People who act as thou they are holier than Thou.<br />11. People who befriend you to compete with you. My clothes are branded. Yours are not. I drive a BMW. You drive a bakkie. Not interested in such idiotic behaviour.</b></div>
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<b>The kind of people I enjoy interacting with:<br />1. People who are way smarter and more intelligent than i am. Gives me an opportunity to grow and learn<br />2. People who love to read. Conversations are more exciting as many different topics can be discussed<br />3. People who have philosophical, out of the box ideas about life<br />4. People who travel extensively<br />5. People who have good intent and pure clean hearts. People who are non judgemental and simply accept you the way you are.<br />6. People who go out of their way to help others selflessly without expecting anything in return<br />7. People who are kind and compassionate to their fellow beings<br />8. People who uplift and empower others.<br />9. People who write.<br />10. People who acknowledge your successes and are genuinely happy for you from within their heart. People who continue to motivate and encourage you to reach for the stars and beyond</b></div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-84806172013417924552019-12-29T02:57:00.000-08:002020-06-01T09:45:48.986-07:00The winds of change are blowing in the kingdom and its a breath of fresh air.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">The kingdom of Saudi Arabia has always been a second home to my family and I. Each time i visit, i reminisce on the years i resided in the kingdom and try catching up with those who are near and dear over a cup of Arabic coffee with a slice of kunafah or my favourite basboosah. During my recent visit, i had the opportunity of meeting up with two really good friends who have been my pillar of stren</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">gth and support for a decade. They both hail from two unique different backgrounds and im extremely proud of their achievements. The first person i met when I landed in Riyadh in 2008 was Fasahat. We were both new to Riyadh. I had just landed and needed to make a call home notifying my family that i arrived safely. I was told by the security personnel at the hospital that i needed to obtain a Saudi sim card etc from a specific department inside the hospital. Whilst trying to make my way to the relevant department, i bumped into fasahat who could tell that i was new and visibly lost. He was full of smiles and directed me to the relevant personnel who eventually provided me with a Saudi sim card and a home internet solution. From that day onward we became best of friends. We use to enjoy dinners together, visiting the annual janadriyya festival and of course when mom visited for 2 to 3 months yearly, Fasahat was our driver taking us shopping and spoiling mom on her birthday. When i worked night shift, he would send doughnuts and food to the pharmacy. At 7am when i was half dead after working night shift, id find him enroute home with a big smile, saying..' we going for breakfast to pancake house".Fasahat was born in Saudi Arabia into an aristocratic nawaab family originally from Hyderabad. Both his parents were specialist physicians. Whilst his dad passed away a few years ago, his mom is now semi retired. He is an engineer and an MBA graduate. He is intellectually inclined, technologically savvy and just so smart coupled with a great sense of humour, naturally we became great friends. Together, we experienced and encountered many hilarious situations with the Saudi religious police. We were mistaken for being Saudi on a few occasions. I was asked to change my tarha or head scarf to plain black as opposed to black with a pink border. I kept on questioning on what religious grounds or rulings was i not allowed to wear a tarha that had a pink border. My questioning didn't sit well with the mutawwah who assumed i was Saudi and asked for me to summons dad to the police station. As soon as I showed them my access control card and department i worked at, at one of the best hospitals in the world, I was let off the hook. My Saudi manager was also asked to intervene as they were not convinced that i was not a saudi.. Of course, with the new Saudi vision 2030 implementation by the crown prince MBS, the religious police or the mutawwah as they were referred to, are now a thing of the past. Fasahat and i both left KSA a few years ago to spread our wings and pursuit our dreams. Whilst i have returned to SA permanently, he travels extensively within the middle east and is now resettled in KSA due to his demanding job. We both resided in ksa at a time where women were invisible and unable to drive. I must admit though, i enjoyed being chauffeur driven. It was a time when there were no big cinemas like imax or vox.Hospital staff however enjoyed movie nights at the central hospital auditorium, a night we all looked forward to. There were no major concerts, stage shows or theatre productions. Sometimes however, we would get invited to the indian or pakistani embassy to attend a live private mehfil gathering. There were some parts of Riyadh where i had to adorn full abaya with niqaab or complete face covering to avoid unnecessary issues with the religious police who always assumed i was saudi. I had hilarious encounters with men who sold make up and underwearat all major retail outlets. Women at that time were not allowed to work in many sectors of the retail industry. The winds of change are blowing in KSA and its a breath of fresh air. When i landed in the kingdom 2 weeks ago i was so surprised to see women immigration officers carrying out their duties as efficiently as their male counterparts. I noticed young women driving on the busy roads of Jeddah. I noticed women in beautiful coloured abayas with matching tarhas as opposed to the monotonous black. The jeddah of the past is being revived where Saudi women wore traditional jalabiyyas heavily embellished with embroidery and beads. The concept of the black abaya is in actual fact foreign to Saudi culture. Many Saudis believe it was a dress code adopted from Shia iran and was used as a form of control. Believe it or not,there was an era where moderate islam was practised in Saudi and that era is being revived once again where Saudis are now saying, we want to show the world our culture, traditions, customs and faith. We want to show the world what Islam is all about through our hospitality as opposed to what is shown on television. Young Saudi men and women have welcomed and embraced the changes with many saying, " Finally we are now residing like the rest of the world'. However, there are many staunch hardcore fanatics within the kingdom and abroad who are quite apprehensive of the changes. Whilst standing in the queue at the immigration counter upon arrival, i overheard the ultra conservative South african couple standing in front of me say, "la howla wa la kuwwata illabilla-now we must be served by women". I asked myself why the hypocrisy. In SA muslim women in niqaab drive and there is a constant interaction here between men and women in all spheres of daily living. It does not mean that because the most important religious sites in the Islamic world are located in Saudi, that all Saudis now are saints. No. They reside in cities just like ours. They have the same dreams, wants, aspirations etc like the rest of us.A few days ago i met up with another good friend of mine, Abdullah who now resides in Jeddah. Despite the waiter at the posh Brazilian restaurant billing his card for an amount that was 10 times more the actual bill in error, we had a blast catching up, chatting about our past interactions as friends. Watch the headlines coming out of Jeddah this week, ' SAUDI MAN SLAUGHTERS WAITER AT JEDDAH RESTAURANT' as he is yet to receive his refund lol.Abdullah is half Saudi, half Egyptian with stunning emerald green eyes. He has two adorable kids Basma and omar.He hails from a very broad minded educated family. His younger brother is highly educated employed at a world class university. He married an Indian woman and they now reside in America. Abdullah was over the moon at the fact that recently when he requested for an Uber, he was picked up by a woman in full niqaab. In his opinion, this is a great victory for women residing in the kingdom. Women are now empowered to work, earn a living and support their families. Not all Saudis hail from rich homes. There are many homes where women have now become breadwinners as their partners or parents have passed away and so they have no one to support them or take care of their needs. They can now support themselves. For me the best part of being in the kingdom is undoubtedly the safety factor. It was a breath of fresh air walking at the Jeddah Corniche at 2am. The city is buzzing 24/7. There isn't this constant fear of being robbed or hijacked. I noticed construction and development in almost all major cities. Roads were being repaired and the Saudi government has invested billions in education. Whilst i do not agree with many of the Kingdoms foreign policies, credit needs to be given where due. I noticed drastic improvements in all major cities since i last visited in December 2016. The government has launched a massive clean up campaign encouraging citizens to keep the country clean. Citizens are now fined for littering and due to extremely tough driving laws implemented with jail terms enforced for minor offences, the driving culture has improved tremendously. The hop on hop off red city bus in medina is a must do activity especially for all first time visitors. The private and public sectors are all working together to make vision 2030 a reality. The state of the art train service from Medina to Makkah is fully functional at a reasonable price. Whilst our country is riddled with stories of crime, corruption, failing government parastatels, a stagnant economy, a 20 percent pass rate at school (why the helI attend school in the first place), I found the opposite within the kingdom.Of course, every country has their own fair share of issues and problems but nothing compares to whats happening in SA currently. Trust me, the world has taken note. I was told that many Saudi businessmen would not in a hurry invest in SA due to high crime rates and corruption. Mr Ramaphosa wants businesses to invest here but he has failed to create an environment conducive for investment. As much as we want our country to be a champion country or a global player on the international stage, our country is in essence a banana republic. The mass looting is now done openly and there are no consequences for those in power who steal tax payers money. Steal, rape, murder, do as you please, you will be granted bail and life goes on. Mr Ramaphosa is just as useless as his predecessor's. Our government is not for the people. Its a government that satisfies the whims and fancies of the elite few at the top. With all systems go working towards making vision 2030 a reality,the winds of change are blowing in the kingdom and its a breath of fresh air.</span><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-28013064763932561432019-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:002020-06-01T09:46:55.113-07:00INDIA'S FAVOURITE SINGING COUPLE - SAMIR AND DIPALEE LIVE IN CONCERT IN SOUTH AFRICA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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With over 200 international concerts accredited to their name since 2012, they are back once again! For the very first time on South African soil, Ahmed Timol Secondary School proudly presents India`s favourite singing couple, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/samirdipalee/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARCQiqvtkDwCHBkmBCaLadjDpEgGlYvKxAir-NZsHNFnmptZGfZzN3yJLrO1ugNYCH6BZ3BUXZQENUlo">Samir and Dipalee</a> live in concert. This dynamic duo will be performing exclusively for one night only in Johannesburg on Saturday the 7th of December 2019 at the Lyric Theatre Gold Reef city to raise funds for a noble cause. All proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Ahmed Timol Secondary school. Let us keep the legacy of the late Ahmed Timol alive by supporting this worthy initiative in the interest of 1000 school kids.<br />
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Samir Date is the son of the legendary composer Ravi Date. As a singer, he has the flair for delivering soul-stirring performances. He alongside his wife, Dipalee Somaiya Date are multiple award-winning Bollywood playback singers who are constantly on tour & regularly stunning audiences around the world with their onstage chemistry and voice. Hailing from a long line of esteemed musical talent, Samir has added to the allure of his family! The singer has won a number of awards including the honourable "Pillar of Indian Society". He was also the host of the famous Balaji Telefilms production, "Dhun Dhamaka" and sang for super stars like Salman Khan and Amir Khan in hit movies like Maine pyar kiya, Jazbaat and Parampara to name a few.<br />
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Dipalee Somaiya Date is a well known playback singer & Saregama TV star since 1994. She has sung in over 200 Hindi/ Gujarati films. She has been awarded the "Best Playback Singer" award by Gujarat Govt. 4 times in a row and twice by the Prime Minister of India. She has also won the "YUVA PRATIBHA" & "KUTCH RATNA" award. Tickets are available from<b> R200</b> and can be purchased from <a href="https://tickets.computicket.com/event/samir_dipalee_live_in_concert/7093120">Computicket</a> or any Shoprite Checkers money market counter.Buy your ticket today and stand a chance of winning a return flight to Mumbai plus 4 nights accommodation courtesy of Sure Mitha travels in association with Mantana tours and travels. The winner will be announced on the night of the event.<b>For further information contact Mr Sagren Naidoo, the principal at Ahmed Timol Secondary School at (011) 413-1323 or SGB member Mr Don Patel at 0794274209</b><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-34218491608987382572019-10-25T06:55:00.005-07:002019-10-25T06:55:55.717-07:00Kashmir -The ground reality- Part 3 <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I just got off the telephone after having a brief conversation with a very close family friend of ours residing in Kashmir.I could feel the sadness in his voice and pain in his heart. " We never had a normal childhood growing up in Kashmir. All we seen</span></span><span style="background-color: #f2f3f5; color: #1c1e21; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was hardship and suffering. But we became strong and we survived. What we facing now is the worst persecution ever. Why, just because we Kashmiri. They telling the world we are now Indian so why then are they oppressing their own. It is becoming unbearable living here, increasingly difficult. They want to kill us like a slow genocide maybe through starvation. None of us have earned a salary in 4 months. Many Kashmiris are poor, so they live hand to mouth. Now that there is no income, the little savings we had is getting used up to buy food. Neighbours and families are supporting each other with food. Someone may have some rice. Someone may have dhaal or oil. We are eating one meal a day and i must make shukr for that one plate of food. In other countries there is no food at all. In some homes, the kids are going to bed hungry. We need help. But who help us except Allah. I want to move elsewhere to get a job but then who will look after my elderly parents? Every democratic institute in Kashmir is closing in on us by the Modi government.They are ruling us like we are their colony. Make lots of dua for us that Allah's help comes to us soon because the world will not help us." I put the phone down crying inconsolably. How can any good hearted person oppress people to the point where kids are going to bed hungry. To those Indians who are laughing at the plight of the Kashmiris, i hope and pray that one day you too will endure the exact same fate. Mr Modi and his cronies love talking about surgical strikes, however when Gods surgical strike befalls them, they too will face the music one day. What really baffles me is this, how can you call yourself a devout Hindu when you are oppressing 8 million people, going against the very principles of Hinduism. Please say a little prayer for the people of Kashmir.</span></span></span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-12311999103282402942019-09-08T10:53:00.003-07:002019-12-28T10:43:13.063-08:00Kashmir - The ground reality part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The media is undoubtedly the biggest weapon of mass destruction. Whilst Indian news channels continue to fool the public by spreading false propagandist information with regards to Kashmir, the ground reality is in actual fact catastrophic. Alhamdulilla with Gods grace, we managed to speak to a very close family friend this morning who </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">is originally from Srinagar. Our relationship with this family goes back to the sixties when dads brother resided in India to complete his studies. Whilst at university he got very ill and was diagnosed with jaundice. Of course he wanted to return to South Africa but my dadaji instructed him to go to Kashmir to this family. He spent a few months in Kashmir and of course recovered from his illness there.This timid, middle aged gentleman and his family have managed to leave Srinagar for another city. They simply locked their home and left saying that Allah will protect their belongings.When i heard about the hardships and oppression meted out to the Kashmiri people i couldn't hold back my tears. There are army personnel every 100m. Many of these so called military personnel are in actual fact members of the RSS who were just given army uniforms. They have carte blanche to do as they please. Kashmiri people can not step out of their houses as a family. So if your family and friends are walking together, maybe 4 or 5 people you will be stopped and arrested. The army or should i rather say these goons are not there to protect civilians from so called terrorists attacks. They are there to harass and humiliate the locals. The locals are taunted by words like, " This is our land now. Your houses are ours." There has been protests down town Srinagar more towards the old city. Reports of the army raiding homes and kidnapping young boys during the night is all true. The exact same oppression carried out in Gaza by the Zionist jews is being carried out in Kashmir under a fascist barbaric inhumane regime. Perhaps the biggest violation of human rights in Kashmir is the fact that ordinary Kashmiris are unable to access life saving health care. Medical supplies are running critically low. The uncle told me that his sister is a diabetic and due to stress and anxiety she became very ill. She started developing blisters on her hands.There was no ambulance or transport available to take her to the hospital. The uncle risked his own life to get to another suburb where his sister resides. He then took her to the hospital himself after enduring much difficulty. He was repeatedly harassed at the checkpoints. He witnessed many other Kashmiris being harassed as well. Food supplies are running low too and most grocery stores are only open between 6pm and 9pm. This is when most people rush out of their homes scampering quickly down the road to see what they can buy. The economic situation is critical. The area relies on tourism and since all the tourists have left thousands of people are not earning any income. The "Gujurat butcher" is not interested in the people of Kashmir. He is only interested in their land. The atmosphere in Kashmir is dull and gloomy. The Kashmiris are happy at the fact that PM Imran Khan is highlighting the plight of the Kashmiri people to the international community. However the vast majority of Kashmiris do not wish to be a part of India or Pakistan. They want to be able to exercise their right of self determination as was promised decades ago. All they want is to be able to reside in peace on their land . All they want is freedom and independence. We are not living in the stone age. Its 2019, how can you keep millions of people under siege in an open jail cutting off all forms of commumication. Put yourself in these peoples shoes. These draconian laws undoubtedly highlights the pathetic mentality of those in power. They are oppressing Kashmiris simply because they are Muslim. They are oppressing Kashmiris to make true their dream of a full fledged purist Hindu India. They are oppressing Kashmiris because there is no place for minority groups in Modi's India. The ripple effect of the Kashmiri situation is spreading to other parts of India as well. My "brother" a devout Hindu who resides in Delhi has landed up in a deep financial crisis. He too works in the travel and tourism industry as a driver and tour guide. The mere fact that all the tourists left means that he is now left without a job temporarily as he has no one to drive to Kashmir or other parts of India. His boss can not afford to pay staff salaries as many tourists have cancelled their trips. No tourists means no revenue. Many poets and writers have described Kashmir as heaven on earth. In my eyes, it is such a magical place that words can not describe the beauty of the place. Kashmir is beautiful because of the warmth and hospitality of the Kashmiri people. I can not forget the tranquility and serenity i felt whilst walking through the valley of the shepherds. It is a place where strangers accept you as their own. Their culture and way of life is so simple yet so unique. And whilst you are greeted with big smiles and hugs, there is deep hurt and pain that dwells inside the hearts of all Kashmiris. Their heaven on earth, their paradise has always been a hell to reside in being the most militarized area in the entire world.To those Indians who worship Mr Modi as though he is a God, to those Indians who believe the propagandist crap they see on television day in and day out, wake up. Stop watching television and start reading books. Start educating yourself. Stop seeing the world through blinkers. Feel the plight and suffering of others. Today, they are suffering, tomorrow it could be you.</span><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-18990604247145941282019-09-08T10:45:00.001-07:002019-12-28T10:50:43.647-08:00Kashmir - The ground reality part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">30th August 2019</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abu
Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said, “Years of treachery will come over people in which liars are believed and
the truthful are denied, the deceitful are trusted and the trustworthy are
considered traitors, and the disgraceful will deliver speeches.” It was said,
“Who are the disgraceful?” The Prophet (saw) said, “Petty men with authority
over the common people.” What we seeing
now is exactly as the Prophet Muhammed (saw) prophesized. We have lunatic Trump
in the USA, we have blood thirsty MBS in Saudi (killing Yemenis) , we have Sisi
the dictator in Egypt, we have a loony Kim Jong-un North Korean leader,
psychopath Netanyahu in Israel, tyrannical Assad in Syria and now we have the
Hitler of our time, India’s Narendra Modi
who has annexed Kashmir making it his own whilst oppressing millions
under his fascist Hindutva regime. Speaking to a close Kashmiri friend of ours now in
Delhi, I am extremely hurt and saddened of their plight. As a businessman
involved in the travel and tourism industry, his company has experienced
massive losses. Tour groups from Malaysia, South Africa and Europe that should
have already arrived in India have all cancelled their travel arrangements.
Many tourists have vowed to never visit India in the future unless and until
the dignity of the Kashmiri people are restored. His company has a reasonable
staff compliment of mainly Indian nationals and due to the excessive losses the
company has incurred almost half the staff compliment will be retrenched by
month end. This is an individual who has always given back to the community and
now his own businesses are in jeopardy.
The gentleman left behind his wife and kids in Kashmir. Their landline was only connected for 2 days.
When he left home, his son had a bit of a cold and some of his close friends
were on their way to their villages outside of Srinagar. Now he has absolutely
no contact with anyone at his place of birth. He stated that over the years
they have been through curfews and they have been oppressed but they managed.
But what is unfolding now is the worst ever. In the past despite the curfews in
place there were no communication barriers. People could still get their work
done and online based businesses could still service the needs of their
clientele. However, the situation now is catastrophic. There is no food in many
homes and gas supplies used for cooking are running low as well. Kashmiri youth
located in other parts of India are being taunted and harassed on a daily
basis. These are the kind of remarks passed at them, “Kashmir is now ours. Go
to Pakistan.” It’s been almost 3 weeks since I’ve heard from my other friends
and family in Kashmir. These are people I was in contact with on a daily basis
and so I really miss them immensely. Can you imagine the agony of living life
through hundreds of check points being stopped by heavily armed military
personnel just to get your child to
school and having your entire suburb
barricaded with barbed wire. Can you imagine how traumatized the kids must be
seeing heavily armed military personnel day in and day out? It’s definitely not
a normal way of life and upbringing. These same security strategies have been put
into place in Palestine and I’m one hundred percent sure that either an American
or an Israeli company had a hand in implementing these methods of control in
Kashmir. It breaks my heart knowing that people who are close to me are going
through so much of hardship and difficulty. I wish there was more I could do to
ease their pain and suffering. Many
Kashmiris who have bonds or taken loans are in great difficulty as they are
unable to make payment to the banks. Many are unable to pay their rentals.
Despite everything that is happening in that part of the world, the middle aged
gentleman said, “This is a test from God Almighty. He is testing our faith and
one day His help will come to alleviate our people’s hardship. God willing
everything will be fine in the future. Allah tests us in many ways. He puts us
through hardship to make us pray more and bring us closer to Him.” Whenever I’m
having lunch or dinner with my family, I always think about my Kashmiri friends
and family. Do they have food? Did they eat a decent meal? I can never ever
forget the love, kindness and hospitality they showered on my family and I when
we visited that part of the world a few years ago. They went out of their way
to make us comfortable. I find it
appalling and disgusting that there are celebrities and people out there who
support war and enjoy seeing the suffering of other people. In our quest for
materialistic gain, our hearts have become so hard that we find joy and
pleasure at seeing innocent kids being blinded, butchered and murdered. We have
lost our moral conscience. I find it so strange and difficult to comprehend
that people who love their own kids and want their own families to be protected
are raving and happy at seeing families in Kashmir lose their loved ones . They
are rejoicing at seeing the family unit disintegrating. For many it’s a feeling of happiness out of
revenge or a deeply ingrained hate for Muslims. But then I wonder, how can you
take revenge on a people for atrocities committed decades ago? Why should an
innocent two year old be blinded over a decade’s long conflict?</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
revocation of article 370 & 35a has brought to the fore religious bigots,
islamaphobes and racists both locally and abroad. Take away politics and
religion, people are just people. In the same way that you want a secure, happy
and bright future for your own kids and family, people in all other countries
wish the same. The biggest issue with the kashmir situation i find is the
deeply ingrained hate that is instilled even in young kids born today.Hindus
hating Muslims, Muslims hating Hindus, indians hating pakistanis, pakistanis
hating indians. This needs to end. Both sides should advocate for peace and
peace must be brought about through love, dialogue and understanding. You can’t
achieve peace by force. You can’t achieve peace by enforcing draconian rules
and regulations on a nation. The majority of Kashmiris are timid, kind, and peace
loving people. They are warm and hospitable ( Muslims, Jains, Pandits and
Sikhs).For me, humanity is the mother of all religions. Love, live
and let live. Always put yourself in the shoes of those who are oppressed and
ask yourself, will i be happy being in this situation. Will i want my own kids
and family to be barricaded and surrounded by armed troops and barbed wire.If your
answer is no, then you cannot wish harm on others. You need to be sympathetic
and empathetic to their plight. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Today, being a Juma, I ask from all of you to please make a
special dua and prayer for the oppressed people of Kashmir and for all people
residing in war torn countries. May Allah ease their pain and suffering and may
He liberate them from tyrannical leadership. To those who oppress others, may
God Almighty guide them on the straight path, the path of those whom God has
favoured and not the path of those on whom God Almighty’s wrath will befall </span></div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-17783855693234862512019-09-08T10:27:00.003-07:002019-09-08T10:29:12.394-07:00Let us Coexist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">South Africa is a melting pot of cultural diversity. There are people from all over the world residing here and despite our past, in general most South Africans do get along well with each other. Over the past few days though, I am quite disheartened to hear that there are Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi families residing in our suburb who have stopped talking to each other in light of the current happenings in the Asian subcontinent. These are people who have been friends with each other for years, their kids play with each other, they go to school together and now suddenly they have stopped talking to each other. Please do not let the issues in that part of the world spill over here. What example are you setting for your children? How can kids born here in South Africa hate their Pakistani or Indian neighbours due to the political situation in another part of the world? Teach your kids how to respect and be good to everyone around you irrespective of caste, creed or race group. Don’t make it a religious issue either. No religion in the world teaches hate and intolerance. This is all about a fascist government trying to indoctrinate a nation with a supremacist ideology. It is the same concept that was propagated in Nazi Germany in the past and it is the same concept propagated now in Zionist Israel. Judaism does not teach hate and supremacy and hence there are Orthodox Jewish communities globally that are totally against Zionism and Zionist Jews in particular. You cannot break ties with your neighbours and friends just because you are of a different faith. However, if you have friends and acquaintances that are in favour of war, in favour of killing and oppressing people, in favour of murdering and butchering innocent kids then yes by all means you have every right to stay away from such people and you should break off ties with them. We are not residing in the Stone Age where people should be colonized and annexed. We are living in a progressive world where people have every right to live happily with dignity wherever they wish to live without any fear of being oppressed due to their faith or belief systems.</span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-84712946939241758572019-08-02T11:08:00.001-07:002019-12-28T10:24:30.890-08:00Salaamedia interviews a member of the Muslim prison board – my response. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It seems to me that not all but some of our moulanas have become masters in deception in order to deflect the truth. Allow me to set the record straight. The open letter that was sent to me was written collectively by the prisoners at Medium B. A copy of this letter was also handed over to the prison management. Feel free to contact any of the following people inside the prison who will verify this, Area Commissioner Luckyboy Mathiba (011) 933 7006, the head of the prison Samuel mahlangu at (011) 933 7113/4 or the Deputy Director Hendrik Kroukamp at (011) 933 7111. This now settles the first comment that since the letter was not signed with an official stamp, it’s possible that anyone could have written the letter in order to malign the supposed good work by the Muslim Prison board. I find it really ironic that the executive members of the prison board come on radio talking about the happenings inside the prison and yet none of the prisoners I interviewed actually met these executive members in person. Apart from visiting the prison management occasionally they do not visit the prisoners or interact with them personally. So this equates to a person running a big company but not knowing the target market or understanding the needs and wants of the clientele you providing a service to.</div>
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In an interview that was conducted on radio Islam during the month of Ramadhaan, a member of the Muslim Prison Board stated on air quite proudly and clearly that the MPB facilitates basic Islamic education within the prisons. Subsequently, the same MPB member and his counterpart in a recent interview on Salaamedia stated that the role of the MPB is merely Islaah, that is to reform by encouraging prisoners to be good. This concept of Islaah works hand in hand with acquiring Islamic education in my opinion. You can’t tell someone to be a good Muslim, if they are reverts and do not know how to be a good Muslim. The situation inside is such a sad state of affairs that as per the amir in medium A there aren’t enough prayer mats and books to learn about Islam. “We only have 1 kitabu salaah which was brought by my wife. So please tell me sister, how will over 200 Muslim inmates share one book”. Whilst listening to the radio Islam interview, I was in stitches of laughter at how the member of the MPB created a very rosy fairy tale scenario of how prisoners are treated during the month of Ramadhaan, a far cry from the actual reality. He spoke about prisoners breaking fast together in fasting cells, praying taraweeh etc, absolute hogwash. During the month of Ramadhaan prisoners are allowed hampers of tea, coffee etc that they can use for iftaar and sahoor. This year the prisoners only received a few boxes of dates on 2 occasions and their own families put money in their accounts to purchase other items from the prison shop. Those prisoners who have family that can afford to give them more money then purchase groceries from the shop and share with the other prisoners who get no visitors. In Ramadhaan inmates now get a warm meal at fatoor due to the fact that the prisoners themselves took the prison management to court for violating their rights as per the prison policy. Again the MPB was not a part of this initiative. Medium C does not have fasting cells. Prisoners still remain in their own cells with their roommates during the month of Ramadhaan. There is no taraweeh in congregation or breaking fast together. Medium B and A has a fasting cell where all prisoners gather and this is due to the fact that the prisoners at Medium B took the prison management to court and won the case. I have documented evidence of this. Again the MPB was not involved in this process. (“Slmz. Im writing regarding the prison conditions and would rather not touch on the subject of indian muslims coz thats another topic for another day. I visit the prison every month for the past 2 and a half year coz soneone very dear to me is incarcerated there. The reason for his incarceration is not important but i can comment there is no food for iftaar or sehri provided by any islamic institution during ramadaan. The lunch time food is kept by the prisoners for iftaar and the bread n tea they receive for supper is eaten at sehri. Our muslim counterparts are forgotten during these times. May Allah grant them sabr and allow us to remember all muslims in our duas. I am going again on sunday and if this brother is at sun city as it is called. I will glady pay him a visit if he wishes. Thank you for posting his letter. May Allah reward you for all your efforts. Ameen” )</div>
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On air, the prison board member stated that Muslim spiritual care workers are only allowed access to prisoners once a week. What he forgot to say is that they also allowed access for Juma prayers weekly. If indeed only one visit is allowed, why are there different rules for Muslims as opposed to other denominations who I know for a fact visit for longer than one hour and more than once a week. One now wonders whether Muslims are being discriminated against or is the MPB misrepresenting the facts. I make the claim of the latter on the basis of knowing that at some prisons, Muslim SCW enter many times per week, at times daily such as in Barberton during Ramadhaan. I need to state on record though that Currently at Medium B Brother Mahmood goes once a month (I don’t blame him as he is old) and at Leeukop Medium C Moulana Ebrahim visits roughly once every 3 months. Why the deception, why not say we have a problem with volunteers and use the publicity to ask for help?</div>
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In the first Salaam media interview conducted just before eid ul fitr, the prison board member stated that Juma is conducted in all prisons weekly by spiritual care workers. This is not the case. At Medium B Jumu3a is performed only once a month and I was quite shocked to hear on national radio how Moulanas manipulate and change fatwas and rulings to suit them. On air, the prison board member stated that they cannot dictate and tell moulanas to go to the prison and perform the Jumu3a prayers as it is supposedly a very bad and sad environment to be in. According to some scholars Juma prayers is not compulsory for those who are incarcerated. Well folks from my observation, not all but most theologians want to be stationed in posh affluent areas and be seen hanging out with the who’s who of society. The real dawah work that must be carried out in informal settlements and within prisons is being totally overlooked and ignored. How do you make a revert Muslim understand Islam if you do not show them how to make salaah, how to perform Juma etc etc etc? It’s an absolute joke. If the prison board is struggling to hire full time aalims to carry out this task due to financial reasons then we need to be asking ourselves, why is million of rand sent to other countries especially during the month of Ramadhaan when we have serious issues at our doorstep that needs to be dealt with. Mufti Ridha ul Haq visited the prison a few years ago, he issued a fatwa and stated that Juma prayers must be performed in all sections of the prison. . Is it not prudent, vital in fact, to perfom Jummuah where the policy allows for it and allows the inmates the freedom to perform Jummuah? </div>
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With regards to the consent form that the family members of Muslim inmates need to sign in order to log the prisoner as a Muslim on the system, this form was created by the MPB and not the prison management. I have seen forms filled out by men in their 30’s, 40’s that have been rejected by their family members. In other words if the family members do not sign the form the prisoner is not considered a Muslim inmate and is denied all rights pertaining to a Muslim inmate. This is definitely unconstitutional in my opinion and needs to be investigated. On air, the prison board member stated that this only applies to juveniles or people under the age of 18. This is a lie. Muslim inmates within the prison are of the opinion that this form was created to absolve the MPB from their duties and responsibilities. If the family members do not sign the form , the MPB members can then turn around and say, “ sorry, you are not our responsibility. We cannot assist you.”</div>
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At the end of the day it is evident that there are major issues that still need to be addressed. Interviews and posts create much needed awareness but debating them is not the solution. MPB should meet with the prisoners on the ground, face to face, hear their challenges on the ground and proactively address the issues. As they use various platforms to share their good work they should also use them to explain challenges and seek assistance. Their mission and goals are noble but much effort from all spheres is required to make it a reality. That ultimately is all I am trying to achieve.</div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-57544409909861473712019-08-02T10:24:00.001-07:002019-12-28T10:31:36.210-08:00The Trials and tribulations of Muslim inmates in South African prisons - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few weeks ago I posted a letter from a prisoner and the contents of that letter was undoubtedly thought provoking. There were many people who agreed with what was stated and of course for some it struck a nerve. Subsequently, Salaamedia ran a program hosted by Mr. Ashraf Garda . He was in conversation with Ml Namatumba from</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;">the Muslim prison board. As I did not agree with what was being stated on air, I called in to voice my opinion based on my observations and interactions with prisoners and their families over a 2 year period? I want to state on record that following my on air discussion on Salaamedia, my details were given to Ml Namatumba who stated that he will contact me and perhaps even meet at the prison to discuss the way forward. I am yet to hear from him. In today’s post I will prove to you, that the majority of Muslim inmates inside the Johannesburg prison are disappointed with the lack of dedication on the part of the Muslim prison board as stated in a letter that was sent to me a few days ago by the Muslim inmates residing at Medium B. This letter was forwarded to the jamiat at the following email address info@jamiatsa.org a few days ago and was resent again yesterday morning. I am yet to receive a response or an acknowledgement of receipt of the email. Ml. Namatuba stated on air, that Al Tawheed (they were doing a great job) withdrew their services from the Johannesburg prison as one of their members was attacked by a prisoner. This is absolute hogwash in my opinion. Why would an entire organization simply withdraw their services over one isolated incident? Did this incident even occur as no one inside the prison is able to confirm if this is what transpired? I find it strange that the prisoner or prisoners only attacked members of the Al Tawheed organization and spared the lives of the Christian Pastors. As a woman visiting the prison alone regularly I can state on record that I have not once felt intimidated in any way by any prisoner. I have chatted to convicted rapists, murderers and fraudsters face to face not separated by any burglar bars and I did not feel threatened at all. The responsibility of the Muslim Prison board is to rehabilitate Muslim inmates so that when they do come out of prison they are productive members of society. How are they doing this? What systems do they have in place? What syllabus do they have in place regarding Islam and Islamic studies? Sending an aalim for an hour once a week to meet some inmates, performing Juma prayers once a month or occasionally is NOT helping the rehabilitation process at all. I am also aware of the fact that there are individuals who are trying their best to support and assist the prisoners where they can in their own personal capacities and may Allah reward them in abundance for their noble actions but they need help. They need assistance. They cannot carry out this mammoth task alone. There isn’t a proper system or program that’s in place unlike Christian organizations like Kairos that have an excellent system in place with regards to rehabilitation. If the Muslim prison board is being run inefficiently due to a lack of funding, then the question we should be asking ourselves is this, why are we pledging millions of rand to other countries when we cannot attend to the rights of fellow Muslims and other human beings right at our doorstep? Charity begins at home first. A proper organization needs to be set up where aalims are employed and paid to carry out dawah wok inside the prisons. Social workers and lawyers need to be a part of this team as well. There are many inmates who want to study through online correspondence universities to improve themselves but they are unable to as they do not have access to the internet. Some are studying through Unisa but the lack of internet access to acquire information makes the entire study process quite a tedious task. This is where the lawyers would step in asking the court to grant the prisoners limited access to the internet for study purposes only. There are inmates convicted of crimes they have not committed and hence they too require the assistance of a lawyer to overturn their sentences. If the board is being run inefficiently due to poor leadership then the powers that be need to step in to bring about positive changes. Sitting on a board comes with responsibilities and if you are unable to do justice to the position you are in then you need to step down and make way for people who can implement changes. My colleague had quite an insightful discussion with a senior member of the Kairos organization and this is what we have established. “Kairos volunteers go into prisons in teams of 30 to 40 to pray, share the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ, share meals, and fellowship with the incarcerated on a one-to-one basis. The first visit is a three-day event ( like an ijtima- prisoners reside in tents), during which time the team teaches a short introductory course on Christianity. Subsequent visits are monthly half-day reunions with the prisoners over a twelve-month period in addition to weekend programs for all Christian inmates. The inmates also have access to one on one counseling sessions. Kairos Outside provides spiritual healing to families of the incarcerated, who often feel that they too are “doing time”. Spouses, parents and other relatives of prisoners meet with the teams of Kairos volunteers to share their faith and gain strength from Christian community. Families are counseled to re accept the offender after the full term of sentencing has been served. Kairos Torch provides a ministry to youthful offenders, the most rapidly growing segment of the prison system. Once an offender is released from prison, the organization assists in finding a suitable job for the person so that they can be reintegrated into society as productive human beings putting their pasts behind them. Volunteers many of whom are students assist with baking cookies and making food which is distributed during the retreat program that usually occurs a few times during the year. Some prisoners start their own ministries, pastor churches, whilst others run re-entry programs, and become mentors.” This entire system is lacking when it comes to the Muslim Prison Board. But why is it lacking? Every year we have so many aalims graduating from the various Islamic institutes across the country. These aalims should be made to do an internship or a community service for a year inside South African prisons rehabilitating and teaching prisoners not only about Islam but how to read and write. The Muslim Prison Board can implement the exact same model as Kairos, but the question is why isn’t it being done? With regards to the letter below, the one point that totally shocked me and saddened me was the fact that last week a Muslim inmate passed away. The Muslim Prison Board was contacted to assist with the burial process. They promised to send someone. No one went. According to the prisoners at Medium B, when they called again they were told that Sheikh Nasif has bronchitis and is hospitalized and so no one can come out to assist. The body was eventually taken away by the government mortuary and then handed over to the deceased’s family. They were well aware that the prisoner was a Muslim following the Islamic faith and didn’t mind him being buried as a Muslim. The dilemma they faced was not knowing how to do a Muslim burial. Eventually they managed to get assistance and the person was buried 4 days later. To be honest I had sleepless nights thinking about this situation. It is bothering me. Why is this happening? Why are we allowing it to happen? Why aren’t these issues being addressed? In closing, I humbly request the Jamiat and the Muslim Prisons Board to respond to the grievances stipulated by the prisoners at Johannesburg prison. Upholding the rights of prisoners is a very important aspect of the Islamic faith as pointed out by the Prophet Muhammed (saw) and I hope and pray that a positive stance will come out of this post in the interest of the community at large. Remember ,these prisoners will one day be a part of society once again and if we don’t rehabilitate them properly inside prison by teaching them skills and molding them into kind, caring and productive members of society, we only have ourselves to blame if they default and commit more crimes once they are out of prison. There needs to be a support structure put into place for prisoners who are out on parole. They need to be in a stable job etc etc etc and all of this forms part of the duties of the Muslim prisons board. Everything that I have stated in this post pertains to Johannesburg correctional services also known as Sun city. What is happening in other prisons, I am not aware of and cannot comment until I conclude my investigations in other prison facilities. I will leave you with a few comments that were made in my previous post that concurs with what is mentioned in the letter below. I trust and hope that a positive outcome will be reached. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />“Im a specialisee criminal law attorney . Last ramzan there was a moulana that lectured in a mosque in a certain place in north west. He told us his the head of prison board in joburg . I asked him that we there are muslims that need desperate help in some serious criminal cases where from the case dockets they are on the face of it seen to be innocent. I can as a muslim help and not charge my fee. What i need is if a council is appointed to pay them . I think it is more important to release innocent people also. He didn’t really take me serious. Disgrace even those that are sentenced we must take care of them.”</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />“Well I can say to you is in the time I sat in the prison I refused to partake of any of their food as being involved in the livestock trade and on the point of halaal meat being cut I can clearly say that the cut meat supplied as halaal at the kurgersdorp prison was undoubtedly not halaal as I personally know and knew the person who had the contract in bosasas time to supply the meat there were times we cut out cattle at a certain place and yes when I say place I mean backdoor cutting because sending the cattle to the abbitours doesn't work out profitable as you loose money instead of making money and the said person was a non Muslim and he had his own workers who used to slaughter the cattle when I came to know that he had the contact and I got the facts I made it a point to slaughter the cattle whilst I was there slaughtering my own cattle but unfortunately I couldn't be there all the time to slaughter all the cattle that was going to bosasa and thus why I say the halaal issue is yes indeed a serious problem in the prisons and needs serious attention I agree with you on this point”</span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br />“Slmz. Im writing regarding the prison conditions and would rather not touch on the subject of indian myslims coz thats another topic for another day. I visit the prison every month for the past 2 and a half year coz soneone very dear to me is incarcerated there. The reason for his incarceration is not important but i can comment there is no food for iftaar or sehri provided by any islamic institution during ramadaan. The lunch time food is kept by the prisoners for iftaar and the bread n tea they receive for supper is eaten at sehri. Our muslim counterparts are forgotten during these times. May Allah grant them sabr and allow us to remember all muslims in our duas. I am going again on sunday and if this brother is at sun city as it is called. I will glady pay him a visit if he wishes. Thank you for posting his letter. May Allah reward you for all your efforts. Ameen”</span><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-3737944467499269932019-07-06T07:42:00.000-07:002019-07-06T07:42:48.253-07:00In conversation with Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan Sahab<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The world of poetry and ghazals is undoubtedly synonymous to the musical maestro <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/IAmGhulamAbbasKhan/videos/?ref=page_internal">Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan</a> Sahab. He belongs to the Rampur-Sahaswan Gharana which owes its allegiance to Miyan Tansen's tradition. From a very young age, he was introduced to the world of music by his late grand father, Ustad Jafar Khan, a well known Sarangi player of India. Apart from singing in his trademark mellifluous voice, Abbas Sahab is also an accomplished composer and music director. He has performed in music festivals across the globe. My family and I had the opportunity to enjoy a meaningful conversation with Ustad Sahab and his lovely wife Shadma ji during our recent trip to Mumbai. Read on to find our more in his words.<br />
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<b>1. Firstly Abbas ji, thank you so much for taking time out to be interviewed by me on such short notice. Tell me a little more about your family background and life from childhood until present? What was it like for you as a child growing up in an illustrious world renowned musical family?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: First of all thank you so much for your kind words and love.<br />
I belong to an illustrious family of Hindustani Classical Musicians known as Rampur Sahaswan Gharana. It is among the most respected families of the Indian Classical Music and our roots are more than 500 year old.<br />
As a child I grew up to the riyaz of my legendary father Late Padmashri Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan Sahib. Music is still a way of life in our families. And I feel blessed to be born in such a family that has dedicated many generations in serving the great tradition of Indian classical music.<br />
Initially however, my childhood days involved more of sketching, poetry and cricket than music as those were things that interested me back then. Music of course was an innate part of me, and would come naturally to me even as a young toddler. I still remember when I was enrolled at the nursery school in Old Delhi, my teachers would ask me to sing songs from films, to keep me and the others entertained. One song I still remember singing was, Mohd. Rafi Sahab’s ‘Rukh Se Zara Naqaab Utha Do Mere Huzoor’.<br />
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<b>2. Apart from learning music from your grandfather, did you also learn music from your dad? Is the art of music passed down from generation to generation?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: Yes, I initially started learning from my grandfather Ustad Ghulam Jafar Khan Sahib who was the great Sarangi Player. My grandfather passed away when I was 15. After the demise of my grandfather I started learning under the tutelage of my father Ustad Ghulam Sadiq Khan Sahib and continued doing so until his demise in May 2016.<br />
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<b>3. How does an individual become a Classical singer? How much of practice is involved and how is this art form taught to students?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: Indian Classical Music is based on Gharana and Guru Shishya Parampara.<br />
This means that there are a few families which carry the responsibility of passing on the great tradition of music through generations for centuries, keeping it alive. This is done through the tradition of Guru Shishya (teacher and student) parampara. The knowledge and the singing style is passed on to blood relatives, however it may not be limited to just them, and is passed on to anyone who willingly seeks it, that is outside the family too. This comprises of a Gharana.<br />
Thus, in order to become a Classical vocalist, it is extremely important to be trained under an eminent Guru, and of course practice daily. I personally recommend at least 2 to 3 hours of riyaz a day.<br />
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<b>4. Is Indian classical music a dying art form or do you think that it is an art form that requires more exposure globally?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: I do not think it is a dying art form, however there is some negligence on the part of the commercial media, which only promotes what they think would bring money easily.<br />
Every Classical art form has a niche of its own. Indian Classical Music is an art form of centuries, which means that there have been, and there always will be people who would be interested in it. The art form just requires a certain level of depth and understanding, to evoke love and interest towards it.<br />
I also do believe that it’s a good time for music and culture globally, given the time that we live in, the Internet has played a significant role is giving our music and culture the exposure it deserves, and has got many young people attracted to it.<br />
Thus, more such exposure is definitely required! And I am very optimistic about the future of Indian Classical Music.<br />
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<b>5. If you could be granted one wish and have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: If I were to be granted one wish then I would abolish the term of religion from this world. Because the term has divided mankind and is the reason for most of the bloodiest killings in the world. I strongly believe that all of worship the same Almighty and the path through which we do so really shouldn’t matter, as all of them lead to him.<br />
As for the one talent, I would ask Allah to make me a musician each time I am born and make me a singer as great as my dad.<br />
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<b>6. Since you hail from a family that has won many national awards in India for music, are any of your kids embarking on a career in music?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: Yes, my older son Ghulam Hasan Khan is already professional Classical Vocalist and by the grace of Almighty he is among the finest young classical vocalist in India.<br />
My younger son Aadil too, is being trained in music to pursue it professionally.<br />
Apart from them, I have three daughters, all blessed with a talent and inclination towards music.<br />
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<b>7. There are many people out there who aspire to be budding singers. How do you identify talent? What qualities do these individuals need to have in order to become singers on a global stage?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: Firstly, You should have the soul for the music, if you are blessed with that then half of the battle is won.<br />
Secondly, if you are born with good voice quality it is again a blessing of Allah which you must nurture.<br />
And, you must get trained under a good Guru and do rigorous riyaz.<br />
Finally, you must be willing to work hard, hard work is the key to success, and it is on you to practice and become better and better, and to promote yourself.<br />
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<b>8. What has been your most memorable performance thus far?</b><br />
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A: There have been many memorable performances in my career but if I name one, it has to the performance at Griffith University Brisbane, Australia, in 1998, when I performed Raga Miyaan Ki Todi. It was a morning concert, it was houseful, and among the audience were a majority of white youngsters. I received standing ovation and continuous applause for more than a minute. I would never forget that concert, and it is amongst the memories I cherish.<br />
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<b>9. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: I wish to serve this beautiful art until my last breath. I want to teach more and more students those who seriously want to learn Indian Classical Music and I want to do more and more creative research in different forms of Indian Vocal music.<br />
I have recently created three new raagas: Raag Mohini Bhairav, Raag Moh Bihaag, and Raag Vibhashree. I do plan on working towards more such creations.<br />
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<b>10. I understand that you also have many students around the world who are learning music from you? How does an individual become a student? How are classes conducted? If a student is unable to play the harmonium for example, are they still able to learn how to sing?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
A: If you are blessed with musical talent and people around you recognize it, you should nurture it and start learning under the good Guru.<br />
Classes are either conducted in physical space, one on one, otherwise online. Nowadays technology is playing a significant role in connecting people around the world. This encouraged me to start online classes (via Skype and WhatsApp) worldwide. I have students in USA, Canada, Australia, U.K., Germany and other parts of the world.<br />
Thus the only prerequisite to become a student is the willingness to work hard.<br />
As far as the instrument is concerned, I teach my students without the harmonium, using just the tanpura, and the tabla, both being electronic for the ease of the student. Once the voice<br />
is trained enough, only then do I introduce to them the harmonium, which again is taught step by step, easing the student into it.<br />
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<b>11. What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians out there?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I always tell youngsters that Indian Culture is one the richest cultures in the world and our music is very special. Thus it is our responsibility to carry it forward. My advice has always been for them to learn under an eminent Guru and follow the Guru shishya parampara seriously. This will not only nurture your potential but also heal you spiritually.<br />
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<b>Once again Ustaad Sahab, thank you so much for agreeing to be interviewed by me . Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours. Hope to see you soon in South Africa!</b><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-14099239209812984832019-06-28T10:22:00.000-07:002019-06-28T10:22:02.283-07:00THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIM INMATES <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few days ago I posted a letter that was written by a prisoner. Judging from the many inbox messages i received coupled with hundreds of comments online, the letter definitely got the community talking. Whilst many of the comments were constructive and critical there were some comments that were just downright disrespectful and demeaning. I know exactly where all of these comments and sentiments stem from as i was probably going to react and comment in the very same way that many of you have until one day i decided to see life from a different perspective. My entire perspective about life changed the day i received a letter from a prisoner a few years ago. Of course i was shocked and surprised but at the same time i was curious. I discussed the contents of the letter with my family. Alhamdulilla Allah has blessed me with amazing parents. I have parents who are kind and caring. They are compassionate when it comes to the plight of others and so my parents took me to visit the inmates in prison and they have subsequently encouraged me to visit as often as i can to be a pillar of strength for another human being. Whilst visiting over the years and reading case transcripts of many inmates, i have come to realise that there are so many inmates who are serving sentences for crimes they didnt really commit. Many have found themselves behind bars due to bribery and corruption. Of course reopening a case or appealing a case costs hundreds of thousands of rand that most prisoners can not afford and lets not forget the lengthy judicial process. It is only through my visits at the Johannesburg prison that i started researching and learning more about the rights of prisoners in Islam. There are so many books and articles on this subject matter and yet as a student in madressa years ago, this topic was never really discussed in depth. This article is not about ulema bashing but rather it is written to simply highlight the issues that Muslim prisoners are faced with on a daily basis. I am writing this article in the hope that the powers that be realise the importance of maintaining the rights of prisoners in Islam and of course fulfill their duties and responsibilities they have undertaken towards the prisoners.<br />Muslim inmates are assisted for their Islamic needs by the Muslim prisons board. Ulema of the past have been instrumental in structuring policies to cater for the needs of muslim prisoners. There is a general policy that is instated and implemented throughout the year and then there is a policy in place that applies specifically to the holy month of Ramadhaan. All of these documents and policies are in my possession should any one out there wish to view them.In theory, these policies are brilliant and provide revert Muslims an opportunity to have an easier, more comfortable Ramadhaan. However, in reality these policies are not being adhered to by the Muslims prison board. My question is, why not? The following is a detailed account by a Muslim inmate I visited over the weekend. I have also spoken to family members of other inmates and received feedback from the head of the Kitchen in Medium C Johannesburg prison.</div>
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" At the time of my sentencing many years ago, I was admitted to Johannesburg correctional centre at Medium B. At that time, an organization by the name of At- Tawheed (founded by Sheikh Bassioni) adopted all the male prisons. There were 5 full time ulema who rotated between the prisons. Madressa was held twice a week and juma prayers were conducted in congregation by a qualified aalim at all the male prison centres. Our every need was seen to with haste and urgency. In Ramadhaan as per the internal prison policy, hampers and food items were provided to all Muslim inmates and we had daily visits. The morale of the prisoners were positive and there was a feeling of brotherhood. We didnt feel alone or abandoned. Jamaats and guest ulema use to visit frequently. Dawah work progressed on a daily basis and many wardens became Muslim by simply observing the Juma prayers.</div>
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After some time i was transferred to Leeukop maximum centre. On my first day at the facility, i realised there was a huge problem there with regards to halaal food. Phone calls to the halaal co-ordination confirmed my concerns. I chose to abstain from the food as it was too doubtful. A few weeks later i met the spiritual care worker assigned to the prison by the board. His investigations shocked him as he confirmed my reservations. I kept on wondering, why wasnt this issue taken up by the prison board a long time ago considering that there were already other muslim inmates at the Leeukop facility prior to me arriving. The spiritual care worker and I met with management and promises were made. Sadly nothing changed. I waited for a few months in the hope that the board will assist but when nothing materialised i decided to take the matter to court. A lawyer volunteered to assist but as the board member was not willing to testify, i lost the case. My health suffered drastically and i needed to get medical help as I survived for 18 months on milk and bread. Up until i left, the situation at Leeukop did not change. Perhaps it has changed now and it would be great news if someone out there can verify if changes have taken place at that prison facility. By the way Halaal food was not the only issue. In the 18 months i was there, i only saw a Muslim prison board representative a few times. Juma prayers was never performed and there were many more issues during the month of ramadhaan. What surprised me the most was the fact that at Leeukop prison, there was a Shia Jamaat who visited twice a week and did a lot in terms of providing support to the muslim inmates.</div>
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I was transferred back to Johannesburg correctional facility to the Medium C centre. At that time At Tawheed were still doing a sterling job and their hard work and dedication impacted positively on both Muslim and non Muslim prisoners. The situation however changed. For reasons unknown and unclear but possibly due to a power struggle between the muslim prison board and the At Tawheed organisation, the muslim prison board terminated the services of At Tawheed and hence the good work that their ulema were doing came to an abrupt end. For 3 years no one came to the prison. With a lack of support and guidance many reverts became born again Christians. Shortly after Ramdhaan in 2018, Sheikh Salaamah started visiting us once a week for an hour as a volunteer and we are immensely greatful that at least he does care. During the 3 years of no official support, we learnt to make means for ourselves. For example, as per the policy, during the fasting month,the policy states that all Muslim prisoners must be provided with a hot meal at the appropriate time of iftaar. In the past Muslim prison board members stated that this was impossible or impractical. There response in essence was one of disinterest. Alhamdulilla one brother took on the authorities with the assistance of the human rights commission and now shukr at the time of iftaar the prison provides us with a hot plate of food. Other prisons and ulema at those facilities need to be aware that it can be done to ensure that muslim inmates benefit from the policies that are in place.</div>
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As only appointed people by the board can bring in food and hampers for the prisoners, we obtain donations from family to help the majority of inmates who dont get visits by purchasing items such as tea and coffee from the prison shop. This year however, has been tough as the prison shop did not open at all during the month of may."</div>
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So what i gathered during my chats and conversations with family members of inmates is that the issue is not that the muslim community do not want to help prisoners. Their efforts are being blocked by disinterested lax muslim prison board members. According to the head of the kitchen at medium C (pls feel free to call her to verify this info), a muslim prison board member dropped off one box of dates at the facility this year. She literally pleaded with him for more boxes of dates as it would not be sufficient for all the prisoners residing at that facility for the entire month. Reluctantly he gave her 4 boxes in total. She then asked him about the list of other food items that the muslim inmates are allowed during the fasting month. He responded by telling that he will drop it off the next day. Till today she is still waiting. She also mentioned to me that this individual( i have his name) lied to her last year as well. A few days before eid, he promised to drop off a pot of biryani for the inmates at the Medium C facility on eid day. As it was her off day, the head of the kitchen at medium c changed her plans and went to work on eid day to receive the pot of food. She waited until 3pm the man didnt pitch. She thought to herself, maybe muslims are like this. They dont care for their people. I have been told by family members of inmates that when they asked prison board members to take in hampers for the prisoners during ramadhaan and eid, their request has been refused point blank. One gentleman made a pot of biryani on the day of eid. After making prior arrangements with a muslim prison board member to take the food in, the man did not pitch up at the prison. He then contacted another board member who told him that he must take the food and dump it as he can not assist. ( Again these are proper factual accounts and people can be contacted for verification)</div>
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On the topic of juma prayers, occasionally an aalim performs juma at the Medium B prison. In actual fact juma needs to be performed every friday at all male prison facilities within Johannesburg prison as per a ruling passed by Mufti Ridha ul haq Sahab who visited the prison facility years ago. Hence, when At Tawheed adopted the male prisons juma was performed by a qualified aalim every week at all prison facilities and this prayer had a huge impact on many wardens who eventually entered into the fold of Islam. When the muslim prison board took over, inmates were told that "For those incarcerated Jummah is not a requirement and should perform Thuhar." I have this on record as well. Juma will only be performed at some facilities if possible.</div>
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Through my constant visits at Johannesburg prison i was quite impressed in the manner in which Christian organizations work within the facility. They have pastors visiting the prison everyday and apart from doing group sessions following a proper syllabus, they also provide one on one counselling for inmates. Inmates can access the services of a psychologist or social worker. Over the weekend they have in depth sessions from 9am until 13h00. On the other hand the muslim prison board has no proper plan of action in place. You can not just have aalims on the board. You need to have educators, psychologist, social workers and lawyers on the board. I was chatting to my dad telling him that when aalim graduates here in South africa they all go for jamaat to countries like india and pakistan spreading the principles of Islam to people who are already born muslim in most cases. How ridiculous and idiotic. It should become mandatory for these aalims to do a one year internship program within a prison facility. This is real dawah on a ground level.Not flying from one country to another on a joy ride.One Christian organisation offers a 3 day retreat inside the prison. They put up tents and serve meals whilst they teach and preach. Every month they visit for follow up sessions again with food, motivational speakers and volunteers. More than 10 volunteers visit at a time. It is quite an impressive program that they have implemented and hats off to them. On the other hand our muslim prison board members do a visit in haste. Its more a case of let me just show my face, sign in and leave with the exception of Sheikh salaamah who visits for an hour or two on a weekly basis. Some board members have not visited the prison facility in years from what i was told.</div>
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Another big issue facing inmates is the reversion process. This issue shocked me and im so surprised that the Muslim prison board has not addrssed this issue as yet. So if you wish to follow judaism inside the prison all a prisoner needs to do is write an affidavit that he or she is reverting to Judaism and sign it. For Christians there is no affidavit. It is simply locked on the prison computer system that the prisoner is now Christian. If a prisoner wishes to become a Muslim, he or she must first request a form that must be completed by the inmates family members. Here's the irony. This ridiculous form was structured by the muslim prisons board. Grown up individuals need to get permission from their family members in order to become Muslim. In the majority of cases these prisoners do not get any family visits at all. There were cases where the inmate reverted but the family did not sign off the form. I am not a lawyer but im thinking that from a constitutional point of view if i want to become a muslim as a grown up adult person, why do i need permission from family members who in most instances will refuse to sign the letter of consent. Now if a prisoner practices islam inside the prison but the consent form is not signed off by the family this effectively means that the prisoner is not considered to be a muslim. Hence a muslim burial will not be allowed and all other policies that apply to muslim inmates will not apply to the prisoner.</div>
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Prisoners are sent to prison to undergo a full rehabilitation process. In order to be eligible for parole one day, prisoners need to complete mandatory courses that have been structured by the department of correctional services. Some courses are put together by the Christian organizations as the DCS can not afford to run all the courses themselves due to a shortage of resources. These courses are fully accredited and counts towards a prisoners advantage at the time of parole. The Muslim prison board does not have a single course for muslim inmates as confirmed by personnel inside the prison and hence in order for Muslim inmates to acquire credits for parole, they are forced to attend the courses put together by Christian organizations run by pastors. I personally have absolutely no issues with this. I personally am a huge advocate of cross cultural and cross religious dialogue. I love learning about other faiths and religions but i have a problem with the muslim prison board being lax in their duties and responsibilities towards the prisoners. If you as a board member can not be pro active in fulfilling the rights of prisoners then maybe you should consider stepping down and rather appoint a person who wants to be pro active. Many family members of inmates approached the muslim prison board asking them if they could join the organisation and volunteer their services but no one ever gets back to them. They are promised to be invited at the meetings but again they are never told when and where the meetings are held. Why has the situation at Johannesburg prison regressed after At Tawheed pulled out?<br />I was told by prison personnel that the department of correctional services allocates a budget for all volunteer organisations including the muslim prison board to cover some of their expenses like transport etc. They were unable to disclose the exact figure and hence im not sure if this statement is correct or not.</div>
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The halaal food saga will always be an ongoing Issue that needs to be monitored at all times. At tawheed provided the muslim inmates with their own freezer to store halaal meat. They were fully aware at that time that it is incorrect for the same oven to be used to cook pork and halaal meat. At that time they didnt have the necessary funds to put in a separate oven for muslim inmates but they were going to escalate the issue to the muslim prison board who is aware of this issue. Again fast forward 2019, still nothing has been done about this issue. According to inmates working in the kitchen, the oven is not cleaned perfectly and hence the chances of cross contamination between halaal meat and pork does exist. Prior to Bosasa pulling out from all prison facilities, all halaal meat was sent cut, packed and sealed. After Bosasa left, the meat no longer comes cut. Whole carcasses are delivered to the prison. Now heres the issue, the same machine that cuts pork is also cutting the halaal meat. According to the prison policy halaal meat must be cut first followed by the pork or non halaal meat items. The care worker who visits the Johannesburg prison has been aware of this for the last month and he has reported this to the prison board. Thus far no action has been taken and hence many inmates are abstaining from consuming the beef. An inspection was done prior to Bossasa leaving and so at that time everything was fine. Well, with the exception of the oven. Now that Bossasa has left the cutting process etc needs to be inspected. It is quite interesting to note that whilst Muslim inmates do not have their own separate oven, a tiny minority group of Buddhists have their own kitchen utensils and catering equipment. The Muslim community in this country pledge millions of rand towards relief aid for other countries yet there are people here who need help. Let us strive towards fixing our own country one step at a time. Being a Muslim is not about wearing an Islamic dress code. Being a Muslim means humanity first. Whilst it is easy to sit behind a computer in the comfort of your home bad mouthing the sentiments expressed by the prisoner in my previous post,you will never truly understand what prison life is all about until you visit and understand the dynamics of prison life yourself. The Prophet Muhammed (saw) fondly spoke about the rights of prisoners and the importance of those rights to be upheld with sincerity. I trust and hope that this post will enable those who are in power to reflect on their actions and bring about positive changes with regards to the rights of Muslim inmates in all prisons across the country. Remember that being on a board comes with responsibility and one day you will be answerable to your Creator for not carrying out your duties with love and dedication.</div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-8465988131373158642019-06-28T09:48:00.002-07:002019-06-28T09:48:56.849-07:00LETTER FROM A PRISONER - INDIAN MUSLIM RACISM<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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22 MAY 2019</div>
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As a Muslim Indian South African, I am truly proud of my religion, culture and country. These three are indispensable constituents of what makes me, me. The South African Muslim Indian diaspora is truly unique. The diaspora has some remarkable qualities and has achieved much success, amplified when viewed numerically. Sadly, there are numerous negative qualities too. I am neither a pessimist nor one to dwell on negatives but my incarceration has opened my eyes in many ways and I cannot simply remain silent when my voice has the potential to, at minimum, cause some to reflect, if not to act. </div>
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I was brought up in 2 Muslim Indian communities in Johannesburg and spent just over a year between the 2 in a coloured area. I attended multi-racial schools for most of my school days, attended a multi-cultural dojo for over a decade, attended a public university and worked in a few environments with people of multiple ethnicities and religions. As much as I was exposed to people of different backgrounds to mine, my interaction with them was primarily confined to the said schools, dojo, university and work places. My social interactions were with Muslim Indians. This is typical of most Muslim Indians in South Africa.<br />Despite this exposure and having been brought up by parents who both tried to make a positive difference to the indigenous of the country, it was only in the prison environment that I truly became a part of the rainbow nation that is South Africa. In prison, I have had to share living space with the overwhelmingly black populous as well as predominantly black authorities. At first it was, and still after a decade it continues in some ways, to be a culture shock. The way we live, the values we have and the way that we think is different in many respects. Aside from the obvious language barriers, things like; the type of food, the amount of noise made, the lack of emotion and empathy, differences in cleanliness priorities and the like took a long time to get used to. It was only once I put my prejudices aside and interacted on a personal basis with black men that I began to understand their ways and even some of their crimes.<br />Through studying Islamic studies, sociology, anthropology, psychology and comparative religious studies; I have learnt so much more about my religion, culture and country. Upon reflection, one glaring conclusion is that Muslim Indian South Africans are, in general, racist. Muslim Indians who read this, may naturally be furious at the accusation; that will be no surprise to me. Whilst Muslim Indians of this country may, for the most part, not be overtly racist; racism is deeply ingrained within through decades of stereotyping, prejudice and attitudes of superiority.<br />The notion of attitudes of superiority requires some elaboration. Simply put, Muslim Indians think that they are better than others. I have witnessed this terrible logic in various ways.<br />My first exposure to this was learning how Indian Muslims made Malay Muslims feel belittled and secondary. I witnessed this first-hand due to the fact that my 100% Kholvad nana had married a 100% malay woman. In my interactions with nani’s family, it was clear to see that there was underlying animosity between Indians and Malays due to the superiority complex of Indians. I was also privy to numerous instances when kids in school would remark about my Malay family.<br />In later years, I would come to see even worse manifestations of this. The worst to me was probably my exposure as a Hifz student. In the late nineties, I was but a boy learning to memorise the Quran. For two years, a couple of my friends along with our dads went to lead the taraweeh prayers in Soweto. Even though there are thousands of Huffaaz in South Africa, nobody wanted to lead taraweeh in a black township. I could not and still cannot fathom how the Indian Muslim community, with its plethora of organisations, could fail so disgracefully in serving an indigenous community in need of something so important, that too in the month of Mercy!</div>
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Islam and Indians came to South Africa in a similar period in history. Both have been part of the landscape for over 3 centuries. Indian Muslims constitute the majority of Muslims in the country, followed by Malay Muslims. If you did not see the problem in the preceding statements, then my point is made! Muslims in South Africa have not made an impact on the indigenous population in over 3 centuries! Despite boasting infrastructure that rivals some Muslim states, we have failed miserably. This notion raises many further questions and thoughts. Why is it that indigenous black people constitute a tiny proportion of the Muslims of this country? When the Arabs traded with East Africa, their business ethics won the hearts of the locals and within decades Islam became the majority religion in vast areas; yet we who live with the locals for decades cannot make a positive impression. With much fanfare, Islam was officially presented to the Zulu king a couple of years ago; why did it take 300 odd years for that to happen? We have world renowned dar-ul-ulooms which make a habit of publicising the nationalities of their students, it is truly remarkable and commendable, but it is more remarkable that the percentage of local black students is negligible. We have tablighi jamaats that admirably traverse the world calling to Allah, yet we have local blacks who have never been exposed to Islam. Indian Muslim areas boast magnificent masjids whereas other communities struggle to construct and then maintain simple masjids. South African Muslim organisations donate so generously to causes all over the world; why then is it that local black Muslims are overlooked?<br />The situation in prison is the same. A national Muslim Prison Board exists which is supposed to see to the needs of Muslim prisoners. In all three prisons that I have been in, their assistance has been minimal. Halaal food issues, lack of spiritual care workers, lack of education for reverts, issues with reversion, death and burial issues and the complete lack of Islamic rehabilitative courses are some of the issues faced by Muslim prisoners. Within the prisons, other faiths are involved with prisoners on an almost daily basis; whilst we go for months on end without a single visitor. I have approached many ulema over the years and they have all responded to me by coming to see me or to kindly offer assistance to me, but my cries have not been for me but for my brothers inside.<br />Most of the Muslims in prison, reverted in prison. Islam is the fastest growing religion in prison and surpasses the national growth rate. Reverts require much assistance in terms of education, guidance and motivation which is almost entirely absent. One may feel that there are so many other people to help in this world, so why help a prisoner. Aside from the humane aspects, reverts have their past indiscretions wiped clean by Allah upon reverting to Islam. In that way, they are far better off than “born” Muslims who have their entire adult lives to account for. If Allah has guided them to Islam, then they belong to the same ummah as every other Muslim out there. Why then are they overlooked? Indian Muslims also need to be aware that statistically, Indian Muslims are represented in prisons proportionate to those outside, crime does not discriminate!<br />Internationally, Muslim communities do so much for their fellow Muslims behind bars. In my experience, it has only been foreign volunteers who have displayed any dedication or willingness to be of assistance. A similar occurrence happens within the black townships of South Africa, where it is mainly foreign Muslims who assist the locals.<br />Amongst these questions and thoughts is the simple, albeit harsh, conclusion that Indian Muslims are generally racist. As Ramadhaan dawns upon us, it is high time that we do some introspection. Muslims are proud and all know that there is no racism in Islam, it is high time we act upon it and change our attitudes so that Islam flourishes in our beautiful country. Whilst there is merit and our hearts bleed for those distressed abroad, we need to practice upon charity beginning at home, some amazing efforts are being made but so much more can and needs to be done.</div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-62853747328808972222019-05-09T05:06:00.002-07:002019-09-25T10:34:49.617-07:00A tale of social cohesion and religious harmony<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This time of the year the Mehtar household is busy busy busy. We usually have guests from Malawi that visit South Africa to attend the graduation ceremonies at the various Islamic institutions. When they leave, our guest from India arrives and then of course after Eid my Saudi family make their way to sunny South Africa.It's always such a pleasure coming home to a house full of people, laughing, joking and interacting at the dinner table. In light of what transpired this week with regards to the racist remarks and comments that were made when a plea went out urging the community to donate funds towards the local government school, i would like to share a story with all you that was related to me by our guest. He is a theologian and a well respected citizen of Malawi and he runs a non governmental organisation that is recognised by the Malawian government. The main objective of this organisation is to provide education both Islamic and secular to the poorest of the poor especially a girl child.This humble friend of God is so loved by the local Malawian people that they even composed a song in his honour. The organisation is funded by local Malawians as well as by individuals and families around the globe. Every year a wealthy philanthropist from the UK visits Malawi, his country of birth. His sole intention and purpose of visiting is to empower and uplift his own community. His life story is truly remarkable. He was born into an extremely poor home. In fact he was so poor that his parents could not afford his school fees. On one occasion, his teacher made an announcement in class asking all those students who did not pay their school fees to stand up. From his entire class, he was the only one that stood up reluctantly with his head down in shame.He was mocked at and of course humiliated. His teacher took a ruler and hit him on his knuckles repeatedly. He was then asked to leave the classroom never to return until the fees were paid. With tears in his eyes he walked out but at that same moment he said a prayer, " Oh Allah, if you at any point of my life improve my living conditions and increase my sustenance then I promise you that I will never allow any child to be deprived of an education just because they are poor. God Almighty accepted his prayers and today he is a multi millionaire residing in the UK. He supports the NGO throughout the year and has made it clear that if any child irrespective of religion, race,creed or culture approaches the organisation wanting to be admitted into a school, any school in Malawi then the organisation must cover the school fees in full without pressurizing the family to pay back the money. There was a place in Malawi that was predominantly Christian and the best school in the province is located within this suburb. The school is a convent private school that only the elite can afford. The Muslim families residing in that neighbourhood are of a middle class background and so desipe the fact that there is a school close by, the kids wake up early in the morning and travel a great distance by foot to get to the nearest government school. When news spread within the community that the NGO would cover the school fees of kids hailing from poor, impoverished backgrounds, many Muslim kids were given admission into the convent school. After a few months the head Pastor at the Convent school visited the Sheikh administrating and facilitating the NGO. He asked the Sheikh, ' You have admitted these kids into my convent school, but have you not thought about their studies regarding their religion." The Sheikh was surprised by the Pastors words and actually felt guilty. The priest went on to say that he will provide a classroom in his school for the kids to learn about their religion, provided the NGO appoints a teacher and pays the salary. And so over a period of time both schools started working together in the interest of the kids and community at large. A few weeks passed by and the Pastor visited the Sheikh for the second time. He told the Sheikh, 'I did not know that Muslims wash before praying, but through my observation of these kids my perceptions about Muslims has changed. There isn't enough water at the school for these kids to wash before praying." He then suggested that both schools jointly should raise funds to dig a borehole on the school premises. This borehole is now used by the kids as well as by the people residing in the surrounding villages. May God Almighty reward the philanthropist from the UK.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Through his vision and forward thinking he has brought two communities closer together. Through his wisdom, two communities with different religious beliefs and customs are now living together and working together side by side in communal harmony to provide their kids with a better future. His life story is one of faith, perseverance and dedication but most importantly it reflects qualities of humility and simplicity. He is undoubtedly an inspiration to me and im sure to many of you out there as well. He is an unsung hero who has dedicated his life to making this world a better place for many. This is a perfect example of how we all should be striving to build bridges between communities rather than causing divisions through racism, a sadly reality in our country.</span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-5070757745632034822019-03-27T06:27:00.000-07:002019-03-27T06:33:07.891-07:00Letter from a prisoner - Lost in translation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Last semester, I chose linguistics as a filler subject towards my degree. I found the course very interesting as it made me see language in a whole new light. It also made me reflect on my language journey. It is rather ironic that in a world where communication is easier than ever, so much is misunderstood and misinterpreted. This is exacerbated by me being a prisoner as</span></span><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> I naturally have limited contact with the real world. I have not managed to keep abreast of the vocabulary that has become part and parcel of daily lingo.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">For a bit of context, keep in mind that I came to prison before the advent of smart phones and the social media boom (I assume this is how grandparents must feel when conversing with kids). The world has certainly changed dramatically during the years in which I have been isolated from it. Uber, Snapchat, filters, Samsung Pay, apps in general and the like are concepts which are difficult to comprehend. This was very apparent at a recent visit to the doctor. I felt that the doctor was being rather rude by busying herself on her phone whilst discussing my health. I felt like a complete idiot when it transpired that she was busy perusing my blood test results from her phone and not updating her status! How the world has changed!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As much as I will be lost in translation upon release, I was just as lost when I entered the prison system. Prisoners have their own lingo which is a mixture of languages, cultures and groups such as gangs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Here are some of the English or made up words that are part of the prison vocabulary (and mine too!):</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Kalkop” – a quarter loaf of unsliced bread</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“cement” – breakfast porridge</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“dish” – having to serve one’s entire sentence without being released on parole, due to some serious transgression inside prison</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“box” – the prison measure for marijuana, equivalent to little more than a pinch of tobacco</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“balloon” – condoms</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“ten” – the prison measure for loose tobacco</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“diya-diya” – makeshift curtains made from sheets or towels which are draped over the sides of ones bed to give a modicum of privacy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“quatier”- prison issued shoes, more or less like childrens school lace-ups</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“gas” – electricity</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“dye” – any condiment used to make a hot beverage</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“pipi”- the male socket at the end of a cellular phone charger</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Six. Nine.” – Urination</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Cheque” – Newspaper that is used to roll a cigarette or joint</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“waste” – toilet paper</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“scooter” – a rag for cleaning the floor</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“wind” – airtime</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 25.68px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“scoop” – any plastic container that can hold liquid</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 18pt;">As can be seen, many of the words are ordinary English words but used with very different meanings. I will need to revert to the dictionary definitions before I end up buying my niece a rag instead of a “scooter” or am shocked if she asks for “balloons” or “cheque!”</span></div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-33577814623025371042019-01-27T06:47:00.001-08:002019-01-27T07:42:55.220-08:00Days of our lives <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Heard a horrific story today of a young Indian woman who got married to the love of her life. A year after marriage she had an ectopic pregnancy and had to be hospitalized. Naturally it was a traumatic experience for her and it only got worse when her in laws told her she must go back to her mother's house as she cant give them a grand child.She is supposedly bad luck. What kind of a sick mentalit</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">y is this and what kind of a spineless husband did this poor woman marry? He needs to be given a good solid trashing in my opinion. </span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />A few weeks ago there was a patient of ours who was complaining about the shoddy slow service he received from a teller at a bank he frequents. Today the same teller coincidentally visited the pharmacy. When i heard this individuals life story i was very sad, in fact almost in tears. The teller in question had 2 strokes at the age of 17. The strokes were triggered due to the extreme stress and strain of writing matric exams. After the stroke, the person was unable to walk let alone speak.They underwent lots of therapy sessions to improve speech and regain movement. It took years before the person was able to lead a normal life again. Well,almost normal as the mobility of this individual is still a bit sluggish.Sometimes we quick to judge and mock other people without knowing the persons life story. DON'T DO THAT. A person like this needs to be encouraged all the time. Make a disabled or a physically handicapped person a part of society. Don't shun these people. Don't laugh at them. Don't mock at them. Only they know what they go through on a daily basis. People like this need to be treated with extra care, compassion and encouragement..They are a constant reminder to us at how grateful and thankful we should be if God Almighty has blessed us with good health.<br /><br />On a more lighter side... If you really wanna know how pathetic the state of education is in this country. Well allow me to shock you. A few weeks ago had a patient who works in the corporate world who came to me wanting medication for abdominal pain. As there is a stomach bug going around, i naturally took out medication related to gastric flu. The patient picks up one of the bottles of medication and then says, ' oops i don't have a tummy issue. I don't have pain in my tummy." So then i said, "Can you show me where exactly are you experiencing pain dear?" The patient pointed towards the lower back and buttock area...Yip a corporate driving a big flashy car......</span><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-52349918835127416582019-01-18T07:59:00.000-08:002019-05-09T04:49:04.171-07:00A dream I lived alone with Namrata Gupta Khan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">“A dream I lived alone” is a beautifully written book highlighting the life story of the living legend Ustaad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Sahab. The book is co –authored by his daughter in law<a href="https://www.facebook.com/namrata.gupta.75054?eid=ARC0bJq2CQqlvinLIUw5CE9mm8xT1dYF2GmnRHv3qqsMyr9yAME2onP4CC_GTvblzNM3OU-cYF-U7kul"> Namrata Gupta Khan.</a> As I read the book, I couldn’t help but marvel at the simplicity and the down to earth nature and character that Ustaad Sahab has displayed throughout his life whether it was towards his own fam</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">ily, his neighbours, his students (Hariharanji, Shaan, <a class="profileLink" data-hovercard-prefer-more-content-show="1" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=710976125&extragetparams=%7B%22eid%22%3A%22ARDBiFZVPwPdKPMJYuvSE1fioxT3W53YsJFVG14sDPNgBEV8rx3gIRU8ZaOi3NzDnyva7Up-Xm7nANdp%22%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/sonuniigaam?eid=ARDBiFZVPwPdKPMJYuvSE1fioxT3W53YsJFVG14sDPNgBEV8rx3gIRU8ZaOi3NzDnyva7Up-Xm7nANdp" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Sonu Nigam</a>ji, Manna Dey Sahab, Asha Bhosleji to list a few) or his acquaintances. From humble beginnings he has emerged as an iconic figure not only in India but internationally in the field of Indian classical music. Whilst many people in today’s fast paced world command respect through their wealth and riches, Ustaad Sahab commands respect through his humility and wise words of wisdom. Having had the opportunity of being in his esteemed company a month ago, I was totally overwhelmed by the piety of this majestic soul. Every word that emerged from his mouth was either a prayer or words providing guidance in an individual’s life. (May Allah grant you all a long life of good health. May Allah grant you all success. May Allah protect your marriage from the evil eye). When Ustaad Sahab met Papa, out of respect towards his guest, Ustaad sahab got up to embrace dad and asked him to sit next to him. As we chatted, he quietly asked his beloved daughter in law to serve us tea or something cold. He was quite insistent that we do have something to eat. We spent only an hour in his esteemed presence, yet we will never ever be able to forget the warmth and hospitality displayed towards all of us. As a wise man once said, “People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.”</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br />As a side thought, I am of the opinion that every narrow minded judgmental Muslim individual should read this book. I know for a fact that there are people out there within our community who are of the opinion that if a Muslim person is a part of the art and culture fraternity that they are going straight to hell. Who are we to judge another human being? Who are we to taunt another human being for the God given talent that they were born with? Ustaad Sahab is a very modest man, yet from what I was told, he spends the latter part of the night immersed in worship until sunrise. Whilst travelling he is consistently in the rememberance of God Almighty. His character is exemplary towards young and old. No one gives us the right to judge the affairs of another human being. The world that we reside in is indeed a beautiful place. Hence, use your eyes to see the good that exists all around you. Religion, prayer and faith should be a very personal interaction between you and God Almighty. The artist playing his harmonium or the singer engaging with his audience through his melodious voice bestowed upon him by his Creator, can in all probability be a better human being than the person tearing the prayer mat night and day but also chooses to run down his fellow human being at every given opportunity. Think about it. Live and let live!<br />My heartiest congratulations goes out to Namrata Gupta Khan for her sterling efforts in putting this book together. I am sure it was not an easy task considering Ustaad Sahab does not like talking much about himself or his achievements. At the end, it was definitely worth the effort. I would also like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank her once again for affording us the opportunity to meet her Papaji, Ustaad Ghulam Mustafa Khan Sahab. This book is definitely a must read.<br /><br />Go order your copy today at<br /><span class="_5mfr" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px 1px;"><span class="_6qdm" style="background-image: url("https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t4f/1/16/1f447.png"); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: contain; color: transparent; display: inline-block; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; height: 16px; text-shadow: none; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 16px;">👇</span></span><br />*Amazon* : <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FADreamILivedAlone%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2OwVpkjSMvDv-bUzn0WfjGKqN8dspmCVSh-Uw7h--Vogj-VdhiXj7_MC0&h=AT0Gs1BCjdFp9tsjQLE5EsvqH5a2FgaU5MoTHlffSwKkNXY_1YUkTOavzEEBt79GuLWKL-gEIS0OUb-XVK-wpK7q5gG4WQJyCoD_8Wia_akfpcZ0JdOS0t8y4oO0_OBR5pbz0Q" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/ADreamILivedAlone</a><br /><br />*Flipkart* : <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2FUstadGhulamMustafaKhan%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR20iebf1sqLwHpAmjkmYCCDmzhGonP-9xhmy6QXGgmUaqpzi6PB_cLfuDg&h=AT2pPoDooxBnOnldPOlq7NP9QwDGt2NRZzCPOzM9kh0uj-9u97f5ARjYP4gnwoz_5dAPXsLRRcjaDIzG8Dt8jiPLkXEJFiCximo-fYKuJRoWpGpCTIv2cVuhzF4dddU37UV0MA" href="https://bit.ly/UstadGhulamMustafaKhan?fbclid=IwAR20iebf1sqLwHpAmjkmYCCDmzhGonP-9xhmy6QXGgmUaqpzi6PB_cLfuDg" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/UstadGhulamMustafaKhan</a></span><br />
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-58435896424898272212018-12-31T10:14:00.001-08:002018-12-31T10:14:33.420-08:00HAPPY NEW YEAR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Those of you who know me personally will acknowledge that in general I am a very bright and bubbly human being. I love to sing, dance and laugh. Dad says he needs to change the pharmacy name to "The Heeee Heeee Haaaa Haaaa Pharmacy" Even in the most serious of situations I always see things in a positive light. Nothing in the world phases me. Why worry when in essence, we have no control over our lives. If you place your full trust and faith in God Almighty you will soon real</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">ize that He is undoubtedly the best of planners. For many, 2018 has been a tough, challenging year. To my facebook friends and family I ask all of you to usher in the new year feeling positive and up beat about life. Always remember that if you think your struggles are unbearable, there is always someone out there who is worse of than you. The key to success in life is gratitude. God Almighty says that if you show gratitude, He will grant you more. Start your year wanting to do good and be good in all aspects of life.Show love and kindness to everyone around you. Be tolerant of other peoples culture, faiths and religions. It will get you very far in life. A few days ago, I received an inbox message from a Muslim gentleman who asked the following question, " Why are you wearing Hindu clothing during your trip to India Did you suddenly become a Hindu in India?" I was contemplating naming and shaming this idiot of a human being on a public platform, But then I old myself, I do not wish to engage with an individual who was obviously born with a narrow minded pea sized brain. I prefer engaging with people of great knowledge and intellect. This is my new year resolution for 2019, surrounding myself with people who are positive and encouraging and of course staying away from people who are all dull and gloom. Don't let other peoples negativity or narrow minded views bring you down in life. You are your own person. You are the captain of your own ship. Only you can steer your ship through stormy waters with hard work, determination and perseverance. Be the best version of yourself with each passing year. Don't ever compete with anyone else except yourself. Throughout the year I meet hundreds of people who frequent the pharmacy. If I have hurt anyone, if I came across as being rude or abrupt or perhaps it was extremely hectic and you caught me at the wrong time, i do apologize for my shortcomings and humbly ask for your forgiveness. Happy 2019 to all my friends and family across the globe. Lots of love and God Bless!</span></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-7032150417672403642018-12-22T09:22:00.002-08:002018-12-22T09:27:22.669-08:00Letter from a prisoner - Tis the worst time of the year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The festive season evokes a sense of joy and achievement in all. Another year has come to an end and most enjoy a well deserved break. It is a time of family and friends, of creating memories. It is also a time of reflection and of setting goals for the year to come. Most inmates share these sentiments and the festive spirit permeates even the thick prison walls. For me though, it is the worst time of the year.</div>
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Over this period, the prison comes to a standstill; with only the essential activities taking place and the prison being locked very early every day. It is also obviously the end of the academic year. Consequently, there is a lot of free time with minimal productivity. Whilst I will pursue some personal endeavors, it is ultimately a period of stagnation. </div>
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Some may wish for times of no responsibility and being able to literally do nothing, but the reality is horrible. Without purpose and productivity, man ceases to be man. </div>
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The end of the year does signify being another year closer to freedom but that is a simplistic, one dimensional view. It is another year of my life that I can never replace. As many are, I too am proud of my achievements in 2018 but it is bitter for it is impossible to not think on what could have been. </div>
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With so much free time, I invariably delve into the treasure chest of my past. I have been blessed to have experienced some incredible festive periods in my life. From umrah with grandparents to new years eve in Cape Town and from bustling cities to natural splendour, I have priceless memories. </div>
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Reminiscing is a powerful form of escapism; I can almost feel the vibrations run up my arms as I reel in a trout, smell the freshness of the ocean, see the immaculate fairway before me, hear the laughter of loved ones and salivate at the memory of the taste of ice cream on a balmy summer day. The memories are bliss, but the return to reality is awful, not only because of my current station in life but because I will never get to make new ones with my parents. After all, memories are not about exotic locations or adventures but about the people we create them with. </div>
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The festive season means more contact and precious time with family and friends, for me it is the polar opposite. As loved ones travel to all parts of the globe, I have less telephonic contact and fewer visitors. During this period, that which I look forward to most is suspended exacerbating my feelings of loneliness. Waiting to hear of their experiences does however fill me with excitement as knowledge of their joy is my source of joy.</div>
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With the above in mind, what frustrates me most is hearing complaints and negativity from almost everyone. "The hotel we stayed in before was better," "the food was not great," "he/she was starting to annoy me " "I didn't buy much," and "I had a lovely time...BUT..." are the types of comments that irk me. </div>
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There are literally billions in the world, beginning with me, who can only dream of what you get to experience. So, be grateful for all that you are blessed with and get to experience over this festive season and in general. Start seeing the glass half-full, take time to smell the roses and treasure every second you share with loved ones. Take nothing for granted knowing that for some this is the worst time of the year! </div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-30439512233157656412018-11-16T06:41:00.001-08:002018-11-16T06:42:53.979-08:00Letter from a prisoner - Separating fact from fiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the digital age that we live in, it is almost impossible to not allow the messages that<br />
we are exposed to, to impact on our understanding of any particular subject.<br />
With regards to prison, this notion is exacerbated due to the (fortunate) fact that most people have never set foot in a prison.<br />
Most of the questions that I am asked about prison life is indicative of the naivety of<br />
society to prison happenings. The general perception of prison is derived from literature,<br />
the media, movies and television series. Having read many books (fiction and non-fiction)<br />
and watched my fair share of movies or series related to prison, I have realized that they<br />
paint a very different picture to the reality behind the high walls and contribute to many misconceptions. The following are some of the common misconceptions and the actual realities:<br />
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“Prison is dangerous”<br />
Yes; prison contains the scum of society, those who have perpetrated the heinous crimes<br />
that make you cringe when you hear about them, but within the confines of prison there is<br />
relative safety. Being intimidated on a daily basis, having to watch your back at all times,<br />
avoiding certain individuals, gangs, rape, shanks and the like are nice embellishments to any<br />
script but they are not what a prisoner must endure. In all my years in prison, I have never<br />
once been the victim of any such activity. Fights, some with improvised weapons, do occur<br />
but with no more frequency than I had experienced at a prestigious all boys school. Rape is<br />
almost unheard of. Gangsterism exists but not to the extent that it occurs in some societies<br />
in the real world, it is merely an extension of what men were already involved in before their<br />
incarceration. The scope of gang activity in prison is largely limited to drugs, with violence a<br />
rarity. In many ways, I am probably safer in here than the average South African.<br />
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“Contraband is difficult to obtain”<br />
Contraband, especially in the form of money, drugs and cellular phones, is extremely simple<br />
to obtain. Almost all wardens are corrupt and will gladly bring in items for inmates. They<br />
make very good money from smuggling contraband into the prisons and are brazen enough<br />
to approach inmates to offer their services.<br />
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“Spending the rest of one’s life in prison”<br />
In some parts of the world, life in prison literally means life in prison but in South Africa<br />
there is no such thing. Those sentenced to “life” are eligible for parole after serving 25 years<br />
of their sentences but amendments are continually made and some sentenced to life have<br />
been released after serving as little as 12 years.<br />
<br />
“Prison food is terrible”<br />
We live in a world where everyone has rights and have the right to have their rights<br />
protected. Prisoners are no exception! On the whole, prison food is decent. It is pretty much<br />
like eating at a boarding school. Most ingredients are what is sold in retail stores and the<br />
preparation is done in a rather professional manner. The menu has variety and all cultural,<br />
religious and medical needs are catered for. Prison kitchens are regularly inspected by<br />
independent bodies and inmates have many avenues to pursue if they have issues with<br />
food. Eating rats, cats, pigeons, insects or even each other does not happen in South African<br />
prisons; though it is not only a Hollywood idea as it actually happens in places such as<br />
Zimbabwe.<br />
<br />
“Prisoners have to follow strict routines”<br />
There is no routine to follow aside from being at one’s cell at the time of lock up. Whilst the<br />
cells are unlocked, an inmate has the freedom to engage in whatever activities he (or she)<br />
likes. Food is served at certain times but does not have to be consumed at that particular<br />
time or in a particular location, as commonly portrayed in mess halls in movies. The only<br />
other mandatory routine is to be ready for a cell inspection on Sunday mornings, wherein<br />
the cell and person are inspected for cleanliness.<br />
<br />
“Suicide is a common in prisons”<br />
One would think that suicide would be an easy way out for those condemned to spend many<br />
years in prison but that is a fallacy. The suicide rate for prisons is less than a quarter of the<br />
national suicide rate. Whilst there are no real obstacles to committing suicide, it simply does<br />
not occur frequently.<br />
<br />
“Most prisoners claim innocence”<br />
On the contrary, most prisoners are proud to share the details of their crimes without any<br />
remorse. The overwhelming majority acknowledge that they were wrong. They generally<br />
show now regret for committing crime, rather they only regret being caught.<br />
<br />
The portrayals of prison life that movie goers, bookworms and fans of series like<br />
Prison Break and Orange is the New Black may be thoroughly entertaining but they<br />
are by no means an accurate reflection of the reality. It is one of the rare cases in life<br />
where fact is slightly better than fiction.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8141534438844274498.post-55147143825651774012018-10-02T03:12:00.001-07:002018-10-02T03:16:14.118-07:00Letter from a prisoner - Entering the mind of a rapist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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" 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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"> Picture courtesy rediff.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;">Throughout the ages, one of the most perplexing of man’s actions is that of rape. Criminologists, sociologists, psychiatrists and the like all attempt to understand and rationalize the inherently irrational, without reaching any implicit conclusions. The fact that rape is not confined to any one race, culture, faith, socio-economic class, age or even gender only compounds the issue. Rape is baffling even though we live in an age in which promiscuity, infidelity and pornography have pervaded all spheres of society. Even within the confines of prison are rapists not understood and are consequently relegated to the lowest rungs of prison hierarchies.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Recent heinous events locally as well as high profile convictions abroad compelled me to search for answers to a question that has periodically crossed my mind over the years of my incarceration- Why do men rape?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Instead of re-visiting theories found in textbooks, I embarked on attempts to enter the minds of actual convicted rapists. Under the promise of complete anonymity, several rapists opened up to me in informal discussions. The interviews that I share provide interesting perspectives on this epidemic but should in no way be construed as anything conclusive but merely as a cursory glance into the minds of rapists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">The first offender that I interviewed is a coloured man from a middle class background. After a night of partying with his friends, he was barely sober enough to drive himself home to his wife of roughly a year. He found his wife in bed and proceeded to initiate sex. His advances were turned down vocally and physically. He would not accept her refusal and proceeded to rape her. As a man he believes that he was entitled to sex whenever he wanted it from his wife. He does not believe that she had the right to refuse her husband. His perverse understanding of marriage is that when his wife said “I do” she became his to do with whatever and whenever he wanted. When questioned as to why he did not stop when she cried and fought him, he replied that she deserved to be hurt as she had hurt him more by refusing him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Another rapist that I talked to is an uneducated black man from a township outside of Pretoria. He and two cronies felt that they had a right to rob white people. Democracy failed to give them a better life, so they felt that they would simply take what they were meant to inherit. During one robbery, they found the lady of the house at home. The leader of the trio said that they would never get to experience an upper class white lady and proceeded to rape her. He then encouraged his mates to also partake as they “shared everything.” They felt that a victim could regain their material possessions; armed robbery was not enough, so something more was needed to leave their mark on the victim.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">A young man from a remote rural area was always turned down by women. They mocked him for being “ugly,” “lazy,” and a mommies boy. The only way to prove his manliness and satisfy his desires of sex and revenge on women was to rape them. Over the course of 2 years, he raped his way from town to town before the bright lights of the city attracted him. In the proverbial candy store, he increased his exploits before eventually being apprehended. He claims to have raped over 40 women though he was convicted for “only” 6. For him, the ability to dominate and intimidate proved to be an aphrodisiac. When asked why he did not simply utilize prostitutes, he said that aside from it being a waste of money, prostitutes were “dirty” and would not have satisfied him the way rape did.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Another conversation was with a white man who is over 6 feet tall and weighs over 120 kilograms. He and his girlfriend often took care of his niece as her mother worked long hours. He did not tell anyone that he was into kiddie pornography and soon fantasized about his niece. One day he was left to babysit the child alone and his fantasy became a reality, as he raped the 8 year old girl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">Another white man raped or sodomized children under his care as a music professor, who tutored kids at the local church. In court, he claimed to have raped the children as an expression of his immense love for the children. Now, as a born-again, he rationalizes his acts by saying that he only did to those kids what his uncle had done to him as a young boy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: calibri; font-size: 12pt;">After these and other discussions a small part of me is able to comprehend the atrocities that took place but for the most part I am more perplexed than before. Rape defies logic and reason and why men rape will perhaps always remain a mystery.</span></div>
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Desert Moonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02446410246015665412noreply@blogger.com1