Dev travels to Zimbabwe

International cricket match referee, Devdas Govindjee shares his travel experience to Zimbabwe with all the blog readers. Dev was recently in the African country for 4 one day international cricket matches between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan. I was joking with Dev, that he has in fact become a travel correspondent for this blog.I am so blessed to be acquainted with such a wonderful human being who loves to impart and share his knowledge and experiences with the rest of the world. Read on to find out more in his words.

Bulawayo Zimbabwe Wed 23.07.2014

Greetings on another beautiful morning in Southern Africa – it amazes me that I have been in this city for over a week already and that I only have two more days here before the flight back to PE via Johannesburg.
I had trouble getting my previous update through so this time I am not taking any chances so have opted to send this as an attachment in the hope that it shall be read with the same enthusiasm as all previous mails sent out.
Let’s dispense with the cricket part of the trip so far- after all that is the main purpose of my being here in Zimbabwe.
The 1st of 4 One Day Internationals (ODI”s) took place last Thursday with the 2nd one on Sat and yesterday the 3rd was played – all at the historic Queens Sports Club.
Zimbabwe had comfortable wins in the first two match but Afghanistan came back with a vengeance yesterday to record a pulsating win chasing down the required 267 with the 2nd last ball of the match which was hit for a 6 with only one more batsman left to bat.
It was a significant win as one has to bear in mind Zimbabwe has Test playing status whilst Afghanistan are part of what is referred to as an Associate playing nation. Both teams will play in the World Cup in Feb next year which is jointly being hosted by Australia & NZ.
Afghanistan do have ODI status in World Cricket so these matches are fully fledged Internationals.
With the series now still wide open and Afghanistan with an opportunity to level matters, the final ODI tomorrow takes on new significance.
Trust you have survived all of that!
The trip to Zimbabwe has been totally different than my normal cricketing trips- I did mention that I have close family here as well as friends – this has resulted in a flood of invitations to join families for meals or snacks etc – in between all of that and during the free days ( as matches were played on alternate days) Johan Cloete ( my friend and umpire from SA) and I have frequented every coffee shop and most of the restaurants in this city- the close proximity of most places to our hotel makes this possible and where necessary the designated transport has always been there for our convenience- they have however hardly been called into duty because of all the trips we have made with the family members.
Today we are using our transport (with the appointed liaison and security officer) and leave at 9 this morning for Matopos – this is about 30 km away and has much significance for any South African who has an interest in History like I do- it is the final resting place for Cecil John Rhodes who we all know played a significant role in
Southern Africa- his Cape to Cairo vision was a colonial expansionist dream an in the process he not only made contributions in road and rail links but left a lasting legacy in the field of education where even today the now Rhodes-Mandela scholarship is a prestigious one which only the very best of students receive.
Looking forward to visiting Matopos as the rock formations in the region have been well documented over the ages.
Naturally I am excited by the photo opportunities the trip to Matopos shall present and shall use my fb pages to display.
On Monday Johan and I played a round of golf at the Bulawayo Golf Club- the Zim Cricket Union kindly planned this for us- I have not played in a long time so it was a timely reminder that I should get back onto the golf course- not so much for the playing but more for the wonderful opportunity it affords the casual golfer of just walking along the fairways and taking in such healthy fresh air in open countryside. The body did of course take a bit of a beating and required much rest to regain normal functions!
Bulawayo is just so quiet and devoid of traffic and congestion and everything else thjat we normally associate with major African cities – this made the daily presence of our two BMW police cars and the manner in which they blared their sirens and blocked off poor startled pedestrians and the slow driving local commuters was so amusing- but protocol had to be observed and three minutes later we would in any case reach our destination either way!
Until my next update from PE – or it might be from Zambia – I remain
As always

Just Dev

Bond Nyaota & Gary Nyumbu (ZCU) were on hand to meet Johan Cloete and myself at the newly revamped airport in Bulawayo upon our arrival yesterday at noon.— in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.


      Nesbitt castle - charming and enchanting

Unusual street lamps seem to be curtsying to the impressive bronze statue of "Father Zimbabwe" Joshua Nkomo in downtown Bulawayo. — in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.


Well Cecil John Rhodes did have a vision of the CtoC - the Cape to Cairo route - at this point it shows the distance to Cairo - this was spotted on our way to the hotel. — in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

My nephew Dash Vaghmaria played for Matabeleland and Zim B - great to see this pic in the clubhouse at Queens with two legends of the game Wasim Akram & Waqar Younis of Pakistan — in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

Sikandar Raza receiving the Man of the Match award at the post match presentations. — at Bulawayo Golf Club.

Inciting hate and violence is not the way of a Muslim

So last night I got unfriended by a well known member of society for commenting on a status that I thought was absolutely ridiculous. The status said that the next time you walk past a Jewish store in Sandton and at ORTIA, you should scream out loud " Heil Hitler" How can any Muslim person on a public platform utter such nonsense and incite hate and animosity between people.Take note that whilst this person is calling out for Muslims in this country to behave like a bunch of idiots, this same person is well connected in Saudi Arabia. The question I posted was this," Why are you not gunning down the Saudi regime for they are the biggest supporters of Zionism being the strongest ally to the USA. Why haven't you called for the Arab nations to send in their troops into Gaza to defend the Palestinians." The person got offended and unfriended me. See the worry in my eyes.

Alhamdulilla here in South Africa we have religious tolerance. We allowed to practice our religions freely. What will you achieve by calling on the public to behave like hooligans. What is happening in Palestine is wrong and unacceptable, but it is equally wrong to display appalling behaviour towards another nation. The Prophet (saw) displayed exemplary behaviour in front of his enemies. You do not win a nation over by hate and slander. You win a nation over by intellect and knowledge. By displaying good character based on the sunnah. I have said this before and I will say it again Muslims will never achieve victory unless we sincerely follow the ways of the Quraan and the sunnah.

Sheikh Abu Muawiya Ismail Kamdar acknowledges this point quite correctly based on the verses of the Quraan.

Theme of Juz Eighteen – The True Believers

The 18th Juz begins with Surah Al-Muminoon, a Makkan Surah detailing the qualities of a true believer. It then shifts to a Madinan Surah, Surah An-Noor which focusing on the laws related to morality, chastity and its link to true faith, and the Juz ends in the middle of Surah Al-Furqaan, a Makkan Surah which focuses on the correct beliefs and ends with the qualities of the true servant of Allah.

In Islam, claiming that you have a pure heart and that you believe is not enough. True faith is coupled with righteous deeds and these lead to victory for the ummah. The current state of the ummah is primarily a result of our lack of morality and righteousness.

In Surah An-Noor, after listing all these important rules and qualities, Allah has promised the following:

“Allah promises those among you who truly believe and do righteous deeds that He will make them the successors (Caliphs) of the earth, like how He made those before them successors (Caliphs), and He will establish for them the religion which they are pleased with, and He will change their state, after one of fear, into one of safety. So worship Me, do not ascribe anyone as partners to Me! And whoever disbelieves after this, they are truly rebellious,” (24:55)

The promise of Allah is true, and this is the only road to victory for the ummah, a return to true faith and its practice.

Surah Al-Muminoon lists the following qualities for the true believers: (23:1-9)
1. Concentration in their Salah
2. Abstaining from things that waste their time
3. Fulfilling their Zakah and social responsibilities
4. Guarding their chastity and honour through marriage
5. Fulfilling their trusts and promises
6. Praying all five Salahs on time properly

Surah An-Noor discusses the following important laws of Islam, the fulfilment of which are necessary for the ummah to attain victory:
1. Avoiding all forms of immorality, be it fornication, adultery or anything that leads to these sins
2. Guarding the honour of others by abstaining from gossip and slander
3. Lowering the gaze and observing the Hijab
4. Observing the etiquettes of privacy in Islam, within one’s own home and when dealing with the homes and lives of others

Surah Al-Furqaan lists the following qualities of the true servants of Ar-Rahmaan: (25:63-76 – 19th Juz)
1. Avoid disputes and maintaining a peaceful demeanour
2. Making Qiyam Al-Layl a habit and a means of connecting with Allah
3. Thinking about the Afterlife and asking for protection from the Hellfire
4. Spending in the way of Allah with moderation
5. Avoid the major sins (Shirk, Zina and Murder) and repenting if already committed in the past
6. Avoiding things that waste one’s time
7. Heeding the reminders of Allah and the message of the Qur’an
8. Praying for the guidance of our families and working towards it

We complain so often about the state of the ummah, but let us introspect and be honest about how many of the above qualities describe who we really are. It is no coincidence that the ummah is in its current state of weakness and fear, at a time when the majority of Muslims have no interest in observing the laws of Allah. Change starts with us, in our own lives and our own homes and it grows from there.

The theme of this Juz is simple: victory and Caliphate will only be given to a generation of true believers and these are the qualities that a true believer needs in order to earn the Help of Allah.

Respect the Jews. Denounce Zionism

Picture taken from demotix.com

It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that there are Muslims out there who actually believe that Hitler was right in butchering six million Jews during the Holocaust. No one has the right to murder or take away someone else's life intentionally unless the person is proven to be a criminal in the court of law. What Hitler did was a a disgrace to humanity. If Muslims think in this manner what differentiates us from these Zionist Jews. The issue in Palestine is not Judaism, it is Zionism. You need to remember that not all Jews are Zionists. The Prophet Muhammed (saw) had the highest level of respect towards Jews and Christians in Medina. Here are a few examples:

Ibn Abu Laila reported: Sahl ibn Hunaif and Qais ibn Sa’d ibn Ubaidah were in Al-Qadisiyyah when a funeral passed by them, so they stood up and it was said to them, “It is one of the local people.” They both said: A funeral passed by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he stood up. It was said to him, “It is a Jew.” The Prophet said, “Was he not a soul?”
Source: Sahih Bukhari 1250, Sahih Muslim 961

"Upon learning of the sickness of his Jewish neighbor, Prophet Muhammad (p) paid him a visit. During the visit the Prophet asked the young man to accept Islam. The young man looked at his father for a permission. The father assented and the young man accepted Islam. (see Sahih Bukhari, Tradition Number 1356)."

"One of the spectacular examples of the Prophetic respect and honor of other religions, especially Christianity, is when Prophet Muhammad allowed Christians to pray in his own mosque according to the Christian way of praying. This took place when a delegation of the Christians from Najran visited Madinah. The delegation was composed of 60 individuals headed by a bishop, Abu Haritha ibn Alqamah, who was an authority on Christianity and well-respected by the Byzantine Emperor. Their discussion with the Prophet continued and their prayer time came. Some Muslims, out of ignorance, objected to them praying in the mosque. But Prophet Muhammad permitted them to pray and he even hosted them in his mosque."

"The Prophet strengthened his relations with Jews by marrying a noble Jewish woman, Safiyyah who became the mother of the believers. The Jews of Madinah were involved in all the battles against Muslims, directly or indirectly, and secretly or openly. After this marriage, the Jews desisted from fighting against Muslims. As such, the Prophet continually sought ways to maintain peace and good relations with the Jews. The Prophet also permitted Muslims to marry Christian and Jewish women. The teachings of the Prophet instilled in Muslims the notion that they should treat Christians and Jews well and to maintain good relations with them."

In conclusion, "the Muslims and Jews co-existed in harmony during the rise of Islam and beyond. Islam is a friendly religion to all "It was Muslim Spain, the only land the Jew knew in nearly a thousand years of the diaspora, which made the genius of physician Moses Maimonides possible." Acceptance and virtue are indivisible parts of the Muslim's faith. "The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one nation with the Muslims; the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs". These principles and historical events should create the foundation for better relations and more peaceful future for both Jewish and Muslim Communities."

If the Muslims of this world wish to attain victory there is only one way of doing this. We need to go back to the teachings of the Quraan and the sunnah of the Prophet Muhammed (saw). We need to revive the Sunnah in our homes. We are a bunch of hypocrites crying crocodile tears for Palestine when we follow the Zionists of this world by wearing branded clothing and trying to imitate our favourite television stars like the Kardashians. We listen to music that glorifies Satan. We do everything opposite to the teachings of God and then we expect to attain victory. Hell no. God is no fool. If you worship Him with conviction and you respects His commands He will grant you victory undoubtedly. Until then, it just ain't gonna happen.

Shattered Soul

                                                        Picture courtesy quoteko.com

She was a product of rape. She had an unstable abusive childhood and then she fell in love with a man from an internet dating site. He was 5 years older than her and every single day they would skype each other. She was always against a long distance relationship but after chatting to someone for two years almost everyday you are bound to fall in love. She wanted more. She wanted stability. She decided to catch a flight and made her way to Dubai. Naturally she was over the moon. She met the man of her dreams. But after a week her dreams were shattered and reality set in. The handsome Emirati gentleman she fell in love with was actually a married man. He wanted her to be his mistress only. Along the way she discovered that he was having affairs with a number of local women as well.Saddened with grief she returned to South Africa. She started reflecting on all the hurt and pain she experienced from childhood. For a while she was healing. She was looking forward to starting afresh. This lovely woman happens to be one of our patients and she has been through so much that she refuses to be with anyone. She warns young women out there to be careful with who they associate with over the internet. There are many men on dating sites who only want to be with a woman for sexual favours. It is a known fact that most Arab men are not faithful and sincere when it comes to relationships. Arabs in general can not be trusted. During my stay in the Kingdom I have witnessed the most horrific situations. I knew of foreign women who were abused by their Saudi husbands. Most of them didn't even have access to their passports thereby making it really difficult for the woman to leave the country. The husband on the other hand would have girlfriends in Morocco, Italy and Spain.The one thing I noticed about Arab men is this, they consider their own women as superior to women from other nationalities. They expect their own mothers and sisters to be treated with love, respect and kindness but its perfectly fine to fool around with a foreign woman.They don't realize that this woman is also someone else's sister, daughter, cousin , niece etc..If you are thinking of marrying a foreign man, please make hundred percent sure that you know the person inside out. Get information about the persons family history etc. Visit their country. Go to the police station and get a report about the family. Don't be fooled by a man's good looks.Meet the man's family and friends. Meet his employers and work colleagues. If he doesn't allow you to meet his family, be sure that the man is a liar. He is simply using you.Love is blind... but waiting for a man to love you sincerely and be faithful to you for thy kingdom come is like waiting for a train to pick you up at a petrol station. It just aint gonna happen. Instead of hurting yourself, move on in life and wait for the person that God has written out for you.

Ramadhaan Kareem 2014

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!!!!