Salaamedia interviews a member of the Muslim prison board – my response.

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.

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 gladly pay him a visit if he wishes. Thank you for posting his letter. May Allah reward you for all your efforts. Ameen” )

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?

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? 

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.”

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.

The Trials and tribulations of Muslim inmates in South African prisons - Part 2

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 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. 

“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.”

“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”

“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”

 

In conversation with Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan Sahab

The world of poetry and ghazals is undoubtedly synonymous to the musical maestro Ustad Ghulam Abbas Khan 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 of interacting with Ustad Sahab and his lovely wife Shadma bhen over lunch during our recent trip to Mumbai . Read on to find our more in his own words.

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?

A: First of all thank you so much for your kind words and love.
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.
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.
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’.

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?

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.

3. How does an individual become a Classical singer? How much of practice is involved and how is this art form taught to students?

A: Indian Classical Music is based on Gharana and Guru Shishya Parampara.
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.
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.

 4. Is Indian classical music a dying art form or do you think that it is an art form that requires more exposure globally?

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.
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.
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.
Thus, more such exposure is definitely required! And I am very optimistic about the future of Indian Classical Music.


5. If you could be granted one wish and have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

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.
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.


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?

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.
My younger son Aadil too, is being trained in music to pursue it professionally.
Apart from them, I have three daughters, all blessed with a talent and inclination towards music.

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?

A: Firstly, You should have the soul for the music, if you are blessed with that then half of the battle is won.
Secondly, if you are born with good voice quality it is again a blessing of Allah which you must nurture.
And, you must get trained under a good Guru and do rigorous riyaz.
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.


8. What has been your most memorable performance thus far?

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.

9. Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

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.
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.

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?

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.
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.
Thus the only prerequisite to become a student is the willingness to work hard.
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
is trained enough, only then do I introduce to them the harmonium, which again is taught step by step, easing the student into it.

11. What advice would you give to young aspiring musicians out there?

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.

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!

THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIM INMATES

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.
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.

" 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.

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.

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.

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."

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)

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.

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.

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.

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?
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.

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.