FORMER MISS SOUTH AFRICA EMBRACES ISLAM

Article written by Qaanitah Hunter - CII news

She cannot articulate her emotions; she is on the verge of breaking down. This was the state of former Miss South Africa, Lynne Massyn, when she spoke of her embracing Islam.
In front of 10 000 guests and 450 students, Lynne proclaimed the Shahada or testimony of Faith during a graduation ceremony at the Islamic University of Gaza a few weeks ago.

She was part of a humanitarian group in Gaza representing the South African Relief Agency (SARA), under the leadership of Sheikh Walid as-Saadi. Lynne accompanied the organisation as a fellow humanitarian.
She says her interest in Islam and Muslim people began around a year and a half ago when she joined the group as the media liaison officer.

“During this time I found out about Palestine, courtesy of Walid as-Saadi, and I just felt the surge of Islam among these people that was so welcoming and wonderful to me,” she described.
Her proclamation of the Shahada was televised and broadcast over various Arab stations.

At the ceremony, Sheikh as-Saadi was awarded a doctorate and the team was honored as esteemed guests.
Lynne said it was an amazing evening and seemed to be ‘the right time’. “It was so emotional and just so unforgettable.”
The beauty queen said that prior to her discovery of Islam she was not inclined to any particular religion.

“It was the spirit of the people initially, the dignity and morality is what attracted me and then of course the reality,” she said describing how her interest to Islam was prompted.
She explained how her move was warmly received by the Palestinian people of Gaza: “It was really so emotional,” she said. “I could hardly get out of there, the people were showering me with so much love and warmth. I have never felt so welcomed by people in my life,” Lynne said.
“I can hardly speak about it at this moment because it hasn’t yet sunk in.”

Source:
http://www.ciibroadcasting.com/2012/07/12/former-miss-sa-embraces-islam-in-gaza/

International Cricket Match Referee- Devdas Govindjee

Devdas Govindjee is a South African born match referee for Cricket South Africa,the International Cricket Council as well as the Indian premier league.The bright and bubbly Devdas with a dynamic personality and a flare for fashion was also awarded the Sports personality of the year from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University..Read more to find out about a day in the life of a match referee with a man who has traveled across the globe pursuing his passion and interacting with cricketers, sports personalities and of course the who's who of the Bollywood movie industry.

Nationality:Devdas Govindjee . proudly South African of Indian origin- born and raised (as was my late father) in the city of Port Elizabeth South Africa where I still reside.

Education background: Hold a B.A. (Hons) degree in History and as well as a Teaching Diploma. Studied at the then University College of Durban ( Now the Univ of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN) and also at the University of Port Elizabeth (now the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University NMMU).

Drink that you would order at a coffee shop: If I went into a coffee shop – and I do that often- depending on the time of day it would either be a cup of Earl Grey Tea with Hot milk or a Cappuccino.

Pet peeve:My pet peeve would be racism of any form and intolerance.

1. Firstly, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed despite your very hectic lifestyle.So tell me who is Devdas Govindjee? Tell me a little bit about your background. Where were you born? Basically a brief synopsis of your life from a child up until university.
I was born into a very loving home in the city of Port Elizabeth. I attended the Weiss Memorial Primary School and then the South End High School. Our home cum little shop was in the centre of the city. My parents had 5 children but the first born, my elder brother passed away at the age of 7 – I have 3 loving sisters who are all married with two living in Cape town and one in P.E. (Port Elizabeth). We were born into a home that loved sport so my earliest recollections are of playing all sport in the streets of our area. I was a sports fanatic who ran around collecting autographs of any sportsman no matter what sporting code- crazy as it might sound but I have books with signatures of cyclists, rugby players, athletes, cricketers, tennis players etc I was the one who would eat drink and sleep sport!

2. How did you become involved with the cricketing world?
Interesting question- my first love was tennis and I was winning titles from a very early age and went on to obtain provincial colours in tennis as well as in cricket and table tennis- also played serious first league soccer. Naturally my father was not impressed as he feltI should have concentrated on tennis and played at the highest level- however being a black (that’s how I see myself) south African we had no incentives as there was no money in any sporting code for us playing in a racially divided society in racially divided leagues. So when a season came along i was out there playing- happiest when just playing sport. Sport was my life. At University we formed a very powerful Unicol Tennis tram that dominated the Natal tennis leagues for those few years. Also represented Southern Natal at the 1970 SA Inter provincial tournament in Durban.

Once I reached the pinnacle of my tennis career I opted to go the cricket route and played for Eastern Province from 1968 until 1984. Continued to play league cricket even well after that. I stayed with the game and got involved at different levels of administration as well as obtaining a Level 3 Coaching Qualification from Cricket SA- went on the serve as National Selector and Convenor of Selectors at the SA Universities week- served there for 10 years. At the same time i was coaching part time and managing teams of the University of PE. In 2000 I was appointed to be the liaison officer for the touring New Zealand Cricket team and spent 3 months with them around SA. In the same year I was appointed by Supersport onto their Cricket Commentary team and even commentated during the 2003 World Cup in Sa.

3. What is the difference between a match referee and a cricket umpire?
There is a clear distinction. Umpires are those officiating either on the field of play or as 3rd or 4th umpires. Match referees in most cases have never umpired! They are in charge of everything that happens at the stadium or at the gorunds- appointed by the controlling body like Cricket SA or the ICC to represent them and to report to them on everything that goes on during the match. It is a demanding position and one of great responsibility even though to the man in the street it seems like I merely “get paid to watch cricket!” The only time a Match Referee is virtually seen on the field of play is at the toss with the two captains- thereafter he sits in his own area looking out onto the stadium- the 3rd umpire sits next to him watching a TV monitor for decisions that are referred. In essence the Match Referee forms the link between the umpires, the team, the host country and the ICC.

4. How long have you been a match referee?

I was appointed in the 2005-2006 season on the Cricket SA panel and in 2009 onto the regional panel of the ICC Match Referees.

5. What made you want to be a match referee?
Having done so much at different levels of cricket I wanted to reach for new challenges and commentating was not offering that- the area of Match Refereeing was not known to me so it was with much trepidation that I actually applied- turned out to be the best decision i had made in a long while.

6. What character traits do the best match referees have?
A good match referee needs to be a people’s person and one who can create a synergy between the various role players- there are the captains, the coaches, the managers, the home union officials and then the umpires – it should never be a “Us versus Them” situation as we are all there for the betterment of the game of cricket. Naturally you will need to know the game as well as the laws and the various codes of conduct that will come up from time to time for your attention.

7. What would you say are the positives and the negatives of the job?
If you love and are passionate about the game then there are only plusses! Travelling and long periods away from home always a challenge but with the support of the wife and family this is manageable.

8. What are some of the difficulties you face in your job?
Sport is a high powered business and with that are the pressures of franchises and franchise owner looking for results – this filters through and one has to deal with captains and coaches in different circumstances as well as with players- sometimes not in the best of moods etc but dealing with all of that in a respectful way poses the greatest challenge.

9. In your experience, is it a different experience being a match referee for a test match compared to a one day international match?
I have never done a Test Match but the longer format poses it’s own challenges. The shorter the format the more frenetic the pace the quicker things happen that requires your attention- in the longer version this is less likely to happen but your challenge then is to remain focused on each ball that is bowled throughout what could be a long day.

10.What role does the match referee play in ensuring that the game is played in the right spirit?
That is one of the top items on my Agenda prepared for the pre-match or pre-series meetings held with captains, coaches and managers. Upholding the spirit of the game is very important to me as the game of cricket like all sport should avoid negative incidents that impact on the game and also influences millions of youngsters all over the world playing or following the game. Play hard but play fair and in the right spirit will always be a priority to me.

11.What do you think about the technology that is used in the game? Video replay, Hawk-eye, stump cam etc. Do you think it undermines the role of an umpire? Is the referral system a positive tool for the game?
This is a very good question. I have worked with most of the leading umpires in world cricket- at the end of the day we all agree that what we want is to reduce the number of errors in decision making during the game. This is being achieved progressively as the technology improves and umpires no longer feel intimidated or shown up- those at home see how difficult it is to judge certain calls and they also appreciate a correct decision at the end of the day.

12. Through my own personal observation, I have noticed that you do have quite a flare for fashion. Do you wear branded clothing only?
For one who does not drink nor smoke and is a vegetarian there has to be some other passion- mine just happens to be for good clothing. Well, firstly I am loyal to our clothing and shoe sponsors at various levels. Then I am not too concerned about a particular label – I will wear or buy what I think will be suitable and appropriate and which will hopefully be comfortable and give me a sense of feeling good.

13. How do you balance your personal life and your career?
As a retired academic I am fortunate to have the most amazing support from an understanding and loving wife Urmila and my sons Avinash and Vikash who are equally passionate about sport so I take much pride in my career and the success I make of it. When I am home I devote much time to the family and this compensates to a large extent for the time spent away from them.

14. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? What are your thoughts on religion and faith?
Yes I am spiritual and my late father was a respected Pundit. However I was raised lovingly and it was always emphasized never to become fanatical about anything as this leads to intolerance- those wise teaching remain with me and i am grateful for that.

15. What are your thoughts on polygamous relationships?
To each his own I say and who am I to criticise? If it works for those who practice it then so be it- not sure about the bank balance needed though!

16. What was the most memorable cricket match that you refereed and why?
I treat all matches with the equal respect and attention it deserves and naturally some turn out to be more challenging – most of the time I am too busy to actually sit back and enjoy the games! However who can ever forget 80 000 fans crammed in to Eden Gardens in Kolkata – the 70th and final match of IPL4 in 2011 which would decide who goes through to the play offs- and the two “Gods” of India Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians) and Shah Rukh Khan (Kolkata Knight Riders) present. Momentous and wonderful and electric – and i have the memories of that imprinted in my mind forever.

17. What is your opinion about interfaith marriages?
Love means different things to different people at different stages of one’s life. In most cases too much emphasis is placed on the physical whereas love should be more companionship for life! If your life partner to be is of a different faith then get together and make a life of it. The two will naturally need to each make compromises and to then make it work. It has worked and will work in the future. And of course if it does not work then the reasons should never be a generalisation but personal.

18. If you were not a cricket match referee what would you be doing?
Having served my time in the field of Education I would probably be out somewhere with my camera looking for some or other interesting thing to share – I would not mind getting back to lecturing as it was a most rewarding time of my life as well

19. What topics and subjects are you the most passionate about?
I believe in being well rounded – so discussions should never be limiting or limited – I enjoy chatting about Sport ( naturally) but will just generally chat and contribute where i am able to on most topics ranging from the music of the 60’s onwards to the books that are worth reading.

20. If someone could grant you one wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?
I believe all of this is pre-destined so lets leave it at that- am quite content with what God has in his wisdom bestowed upon me.

21. What are your favourite websites?
Not too much browsing around- I update my social Network regularly as family and friends enjoy (so they say) getting my updates and more especially the pics that I post. I google when the need arises.

22. What are the best character traits for someone aspiring to be a match referee?
Be passionate and at all times totally unprejudiced and impartial. Stay calm and focused and have a respectful approach in your dealings with all – be it the Curator at the Grounds, the Scorers, The Media people, the PCT (Playing control Team) the local organising committee and officials etc.

23. Are there any additional comments you'd like to add for the blog readers?
My good wishes to the Desert Moon- may her blog continue to be read and followed. Thanks for this pleasure of being a part of it.

Once again, thank you very much Devdas Govindjee for taking the time to answer these questions and also for sharing some of your priceless pictures with all of us.Desert Moon wishes you all the best in your career and beyond!!!

Hashim Amla, South Africa and the colours of change

Article written by Pulasta Dhar
Hashim Amla’s triple hundred against England doesn’t just stand as a hallmark of quality batting. It stands testimony to how far South Africa has come forward as a sporting nation since the end of apartheid.

Amla’s achievement has found more space in the spotlight because he is also the only Muslim to have ever played for the South African national cricket team. The way he treated himself after Dean Jones’ ‘terrorist’ comment and the manner in which the team rallied around him was heartening for a nation which found itself largely excluded from teh international sporting world sport till 1992.

And while the players of European origin may have lost their domination over football, the real difference in time and culture can be seen in South Africa’s second sport— cricket.

As conventional as it seems, whenever a non-white South African player achieves something, a big deal will be made out of it. Reuters
The turning point was certainly Omar Henry’s inclusion in the 1991 team which came to India to play their first sanctioned match since 1970. Before that, times were so bad that players needed to go through the ‘pencil test’ to determine whether they can play for their own nation or not.

As Peter Oborne wrote in his book Cricket and Conspiracy: The Untold Story, a pencil was placed in the player’s hair. If it did not fall out, you were deemed black and not allowed to play.

Therefore, as conventional as it seems, whenever a non-white South African player achieves something, a big deal will be made out of it. From Nelson Mandela wearing a Springbok Rugby jersey in a 1995 match to the selection of Makhaya Ntini in the cricket team, sport has helped South Africa break from the clutches of apartheid more than anything.

Rather than being forced to embrace another country like Basil D’Oliveira and Kepler Wessels, South Africa’s cricket team has seen the rise of stars like Ntini, Amla, Herschelle Gibbs, JP Duminy and Ashwell Prince.

The quota system for selecting the team played a huge role in this metamorphosis from highly discriminating society to an all-embracing one. It was introduced in 1998, where four players of colour had to be included in a squad. The word ‘colour’ here is used for all non-white communities in SA.

While there has been no official confirmation on whether it has been scrapped or not, grapevine says that the South African cricket authorities did away with the system in 2011.

Maybe the decision was right… maybe South Africa, at this stage, does not need the quota system anymore.

South Africa’s history with racism and sport is a long one. It gripped the nation so much that it may be hard to put in words what it meant for them.

But whenever Ntini took a wicket towards reaching his total of 656 scalps, it meant something. There may have been controversy in his selection but fact is that he was number two in the ICC Rankings at one point of time.

South Africa has come a long way. From backing athlete Castor Semenya and defending her from public humiliation during her gender verification controversy to the whole nation cheering the South African football team at the World Cup in 2010, sport takes people away from their dark past.

It is true… sport unites people like nothing else and Amla’s record triple century is likely to be seen as a milestone in the country’s sporting history.

Source:
http://www.firstpost.com/sports/hashim-amla-and-the-colours-of-change-in-south-africa-387223.html

AL RAJHI BANK, DISASTER,DISASTER,DISASTER.......

So this was my experience at Bank al Rajhi a few days go. The bank should be opening around 9am. So I decided to go at around 8:50am, ten minutes earlier thinking that I'd be the first one in the queue, so that my work will get done quickly. On arriving at the bank I realized that 20 other people thought in exactly the same way.Great minds think alike I guess. So 9am arrives, 9:05, 9:10 and eventually at 9:15 the bank opens and everyone storms into the bank towards the queue ticketing machine. As usual the machine is not working. So everyone moves towards the teller counters trying to form a straight line. But wait a minute where is the staff I ask myself... There are twenty of us in the queue but only two teller counters open.So you wait, fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, half and hour, forty five minutes....the clock keeps ticking away and I'm beginning to loose my patience. So eventually I get to the counter. The man at the counter says I can not help you please go inside to the manager. With a nod of my head and a beady eye I walk to the back of the building straight into the managers office.He greets me in a polite manner and then says have a seat how can I help you. So I explain to him that the funds I transferred did not reach my banking account in another country. He then instructs the same man at the teller counter to follow up on the funds. Naturally the man at the counter does not know what to do. One hour has passed by now and I'm beginning to become furious. Noticing that I am now irritated, he picks up the phone and calls an ex staff member from India to assist with the situation and solve the problem.Take note that he is suppose to be the manager.As I'm chatting on the phone to the Indian man, an Egyptian woman storms into the office like a hurricane banging the door behind her and lashes out at the manager regarding the poor service at the bank.In the mean time with the queue reaching the door of the bank, the branch manager who sits near the entrance of the bank seems quite unperturbed. He simply continues his chat on his mobile phone in his luxury office whilst enjoying his Arabic coffee (qahwa) and dates. There seems to be no urgency to provide efficient service. So where were the other tellers I wondered? Aha, there they are..The one was on his mobile phone chatting away to his friend. The other one was sitting at the back enjoying his coffee and the third one was deeply engrossed in the newspaper. In my head I'm thinking all these hospital staff are waiting to get their errands done quickly so that they can return to their patients but the staff at the bank can not be bothered.The hilarious part of the whole bank experience though was noticing the large walk in safe wide open for everyone to ogle at the stacks of cash. The vault where people would store their valuables was also open and all you needed to do in order to enter the vault was sign a silly piece of paper. There was no tough security check. Can you imagine if we had this kind of a banking system in South Africa. Banks will be robbed everyday.My banking woes are still not yet resolved. Let's hope that my next visit to the bank will be a pleasant one. But then again with the Ramadhaan and holiday atmosphere in the air, I guess that would be wishful thinking!!!

RAMADHAAN KAREEM...

I would like to take this opportunity in wishing all my friends and family across the globe a wonderful Ramadhaan Kareem!!!May the Almighty accept your fast and prayers during this blessed month and may it also be a time for reflecting on our inner selves.Let this month be a month where we can all achieve and attain high levels of spirituality. Let this be a month of sharing, giving and a start towards bettering ourselves in every way. Let us all try making a concerted effort towards doing good, helping others and staying away from all activities that goes against Gods will.!!!I dedicate this nasheed to all my Muslim readers. Kindly remember my family and I in your prayers!!!!

The Celebrity Event Planner- Aadil Saith

Aadil Saith may be small built tiny man, but don’t let that fool you. Dynamite sure does come in small packages.He’s got drive, ambition, (a compassionate heart) and serious systematizing skills—which we all covet. After studying graphics designing, he decided to use his skills and creativity to start his own event planning company—Unusual Functions located in Johannesburg, South Africa.Many people talk about dreams but only a few take action and he is one of them. To be an event planner, you need to get nitty-gritty with the details and need more than organizational and time management skills. What’s required: an eye for creativity, negotiation and interpersonal skills, tact, multitasking abilities, and the ability to stay calm under stress and pressure without pulling your hair out. With a few years under his belt and staff members to assist him, Aadil Saith is ready to take his company to the next level. Read on to find out more in his own words.

Nationality:SOUTH AFRICAN

Education/background:COMPLETED MATRIC

GRAPHICS DESIGNER/ 2 YRS INTERIOR DESIGNING AT WITS TECHNIKON

Drink I always order at Starbucks:ICE TEA OR TEA

1. Firstly thank you for agreeing to be interviewed despite your hectic lifestyle.You can be considered a young entrepreneur in your country after establishing quite a successful business, Unusual Functions.Can you tell Desert Pill Pusher readers how did it all start out for you?

IT STARTED AT THE AGE OF 18 WITH R500 IN MY ACCOUNT... DOING A FEW FRIENDS WEDDINGS AND BEING DRIVEN BY AMBITION TO PERSEVERE IN MY TALENT OF CREATIVENESS I CAN GLADLY SAY IT HAS BROUGHT GREAT SUCCESS TO ME AND MY FAMILY, BRANCHING OFF INTO MANY OTHER BUSINESS VENTURES.I MUST SAY I ENJOY WHAT I DO...

2. How do you find and get clients?

IN THE BEGINNING LIKE ANY GROWING BUSINESS IT WAS HARD TO FIND MY FEET, MY CREATIVITY AND TALENT SHOWED IN THE WORK I DID... SO CLIENTS CAME LOOKING FOR ME...

3. Is this your full-time job or do you have other businesses as well? Please elaborate

IT IS A FULL TIME JOB, I SPECIALISE IN SERVICING 20 OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS 5 STAR VENUES IN AND AROUND JHB, TRAVELLING TO DURBAN AND CAPE TOWN AS WELL AS NEIGHBOURING BOTSWANA AND SWAZILAND, I HAVE A TRADE BUSSINESS IN JOHANNESBURG (JHB) CALLED UNUSUAL DECO SPECIALIZING IN WEDDING DECOR PLANNING. I HAVE MY OWN VENUE IN JHB TOO SPECIALISING IN EVENTS ONLY...

4. What are the hardest challenges you face in running your own business?

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS, MAKING PEOPLE HAPPY, AND OBVIOUSLY MEETING MY COMMITMENTS

5. Do you feel like you’re balancing your work and personal life pretty well?

MY WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE HAS BEEN INCORPORATED AS ONE, TIME OUT IS REQUIRED ... THE MIND, BODY AND SOUL REQUIRES IT

6. If you were not an event planner, what would you be doing?

I THINK I WOULD BE IN A SERVICE BUSINESS HELPING COMMUNITY UPLIFTMENT...

7. What topics and subjects are you the most passionate about?

DECOR, FASHION, STYLE, TRAVEL

8. What makes you the most happy? (Work or personal)

SEEING OTHER PEOPLE HAPPY MAKES ME EXTREMELY HAPPY...

9. Where do you and your friends like to hang out or do in your spare time? Any favorite food spots in or around Johannesburg

I LIKE TO SEE NEW THINGS SO IM ALWAYS HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE

10. If someone could grant you a wish and you could choose to have any skill or talent in the world, what would it be?

SINGING

11. What are your favorite websites?

PRESTON BAILEYS SITE

WEDDING DECOR IDEAS

12. Who or what inspires you?

MY PARENTS FOR THE HARD WORK I SEE THEM DO

13. Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? YES

14. What’s your best event planning tip for Desert Moon's Diary readers, whether they’re planning a wedding or even something as small as a birthday?

YOUR FIRST CHIOCE IS THE RIGHT CHOICE

15. What was your most memorable event you and your team coordinated for?

NELSON MANDELA'S BIRTHDAY

16. What advise would you give to young entrepreneurs out there who would also like to start off their own business?

HARD HONEST WORK PAYS OFF... YOUR DREAMS CAN COME TRUE. BELIEVE IN YOUR TALENTS ...

17. Are there any additional comments you’d like to add for the blog readers?

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INTERVIEWED ON YOUR BLOG. IT WAS MY PLEASURE.

Once again,thank you Aadil Saith for taking the time to answer these questions. Desert moon wishes you all the best in your future endeavours!!!I would also like to add that the pictures below are courtesy of Unusual Functions and depicts some of Aadil's best work to date..

If you wish to have an event planned by Aadil Saith, you may contact him or any of his managers at the following telephone numbers..

Aadil Saith    -    0027 (0) 827355559

Fareed Saith -    0027 (0) 763282571

Ismail Saith   -    0027 (0) 825034600