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Weekly Comment |
Khutsong: Let the Children Learn
Tuesday saw the problem of
Khutsong taking a new dimension.
Images of burning tyres,
classrooms and children throwing
stones while textbooks and
all
that fire can destroy
smouldered, conjured up
reflections of an era in our
history we do not want to
recreate except through
literature and performing arts
to chronicle the challenges to
which we said: ‘Never again!’
Yet it was a real day — yet
another day of learning lost
while teachers stood helpless.
Is it not possible to explore
the solutions of an area like Khutsong without depriving
children of their right to
education?
It is the community’s
responsibility to make sure that
the lifetime’s
opportunity of
education is not wasted. Never
must we refer to another 2007
‘Lost Generation’ in the future.
1976 was already a price high
enough to have been paid. Let
them be children... learning.
UN-AU
Peace-keepers for
Darfur – What about Somalia?
The announcement that a joint
UN-AU peacekeeping force
comprised of 26, 000 soldiers
will soon be deployed in the
Darfur region comes as no
surprise. Pressure has been
mounting on the Sudanese
government to allow a UN force
to protect civilians in the
war-torn region for several
years. It seems as if several
international players are
jockeying for position in this
sensitive and resource-rich
region. The question to ask is
why such international pressure
is not put on the Ethiopian
government that has in blatant
contravention of international
law invaded Somalia, while
perpetrating several human
rights abuses in the Ogaden.
Does the double standards of
practiced by the international
community know no bounds?
US to Increase Defense Aid to
Israel
The US decision to increase its
package of Defense Aid to Israel
was announced yesterday. The
increase amounted to an
approximate 25%, on the already
unbelievably high amount of aid
for military advancement that
was being given to Israel.
Interestingly, reports state
that the package to Israel was
increased, so significantly, to
appease Israel and its lobby in
terms of their objection to the
US 'agreeing' to sell arms to
Saudi Arabia.
Even prior to the agreement,
Israel was the largest recipient
of this type of aid, followed by
Egypt – as many would say, as a
reward for Egypt's ‘making
peace’ with Israel. However, the
combined ‘defense aid’ the US
gives to countries across the
globe pales in comparison to the
overall package Israel alone
gets annually.
In addition, surely, the US has
legislation that limits them
from providing arms to countries
in conflict situations, where
the arms would be used to
perpetrate crimes against the
innocent and engage in various
types of oppression, aggression
and even illegal occupation.
Commentators state that the US
imposes various conditions and
provisos to countries when
selling arms to them, on the
basis of such legislation.
The US has entered into an
agreement with Saudi Arabia for
the sale of around $20 billion
worth of military equipment over
the next ten years. Many of the
conditions imposed in the sale
agreement would create such
circumstances where much of the
equipment would probably remain
stock-piled and unused, and even
expire.
What about conditions upon
Israel, who are being supplied
the military equipment free of
charge and even handed bundles
of money to develop their
military prowess even further –
when it is documented that
Israel has repeatedly broken
agreements with the US and other
bodies; and when it is clear,
for all to see, that Israel has
perpetrated the worst crimes
against humanity, the most
inhumane massacres and genocide.
Where in the world is this
happening?
Last weeks newsletter contained
a short snippet entitled, Where
in the World is this Happening?"
The article listed the following
human rights atrocities and then
asked where you thought these
were taking place.
2036 extrajudicial killings
2940 disappearance cases
1870 rape and child molestation
cases
15332 cases of unlawful private
property confiscation
The demolition of 9484 homes
owned by innocent civilians…
The unobvious answer was:
The Ogaden - A territory
colonised by Ethiopia, home to 4
million Somalis and a source of
major oil and natural gas
deposits. |
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C O N
T E N T S |
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Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
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Question and
Answer |
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Update |
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Message from the Ameer |
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I N F
O R M A T I O N |
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Min. Mahr |
R 107.13 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 5,356.61 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,142.64
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Virtuous
Acts of Charity |
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Jabir ibn Abdullah
radiyallahu `anhu reported
that Allah's Messenger
sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam said, "Every act
of kindness is "sadaqah, and
kindness includes meeting
your brother with a cheerful
face and pouring water from
bucket into your brother's
vessel."
(Ahmad and Tirmidhi)
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Quotation for the Week |
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Islam and
Progress |
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“Our deprivation from
progress and our present
decline is a result of our
neglect towards Islam.
Otherwise, Islam and
progress are inseparable.”
(Moulana Shamsul Haq
Afghani quoted from
Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani’s
Islam and Modernism)
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Point of Reflection |
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Teach by Example |
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There
is but one way to train up
a child in the way that he
should go and that is... to
travel it yourself.
(Abraham Lincoln)
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Q and A |
Question: What is
the
(Sunnah) procedure (to be
followed) when a child is
born?
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Answer:
When a child is born
then amongst the Sunnats is
that the child should be
given a bath, and then
Azhaan should be said in the
right ear and
Takbeer in the left ear.
(Behesti-Zewar vol. 6 pg.
12)
If the baby’s mouth cannot
be
fully opened, then it should
be washed in a way that will
not
cause any discomfort or harm
to the baby.
AND ALLAH TA’AALA KNOWS BEST
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U P D A T E |
Media analysis and
commentary on Islamic issues:
Challenges and opportunities –
A workshop organised by the
Jamiatul Ulama Media Desk
Organisations represented were;
Jamiatul Ulama, Muslim Judicial
Council, Media Review Network,
Radio Islam, Darul Ihsan
Research Centre and ITV.
Following on a thought provoking
presentation by Yawar Baig it
was decided to structure an
action plan with an emphasis on
various issues such as
networking and research.
Conference:
Understanding the Palestinian
Situation
The Laudium branch of the
Jamiatul Ulama have organized a
conference on Palestine.
The conference is planned to
take place on Saturday the 11
August from 3:00 pm till 10:30
pm.
Among the topics that will be
covered are: A Brief History of
Palestine and its surrounds,
through the ages; Who is who and
what do they do – A Brief
Description of the Political
Actors and the dynamics of
interaction between them;
Significance and History of
Masjid Al-Aqsa from the Quran
and Hadeeth; Slide Show – A
Pictorial on Masjid Al-Aqsa;
Atrocities, Massacres and
Genocide while the World Looks
on; The Palestinian Conflict in
the context of other events
around the world; Common
Questions and Misconceptions,
including: “Are ‘ordinary
Israelis’ innocent?”, “Suicide
Bombers or Martyrdom
Operatives”; The Responsibility
of the Muslim Ummah.
Confirmed speakers for the
conference include:
Ml. Ighsan Hendricks - Muslim
Judicial Council; Mf. Zubair
Bhayat - DIRECT –Darul Ihsan
Islamic Research Centre; Ml.
Sulaiman Ravat - Radio Islam;
Ml. Ashraf Dockrat - University
of Johannesburg; Dr. Firoze
Osman - Media Review Network;
Dr. Omar de Kock - Political
Analyst; Br. Khalid Vawda - Al-Aqsa
Foundation.
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan:
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Women's Day
The 9th of August
which falls on Thursday
next week is Women's
Day. In light of the
focus on aspects related
to women, the Jamiatul
Ulama have issued a
Women's Day Statement.
Ulama are advised to
speak about the
position, status, rights
and responsibilities of
women.
Women Demeaned…Denied
their Integrity,
Intellect and
Personality
All
praise is due to Allah
who created man and
woman from a single soul
and may His choicest
salutations continue to
descend upon our Leader
and Master Muhammad.
“Say: Shall we
tell you who are the
greatest losers in what
they do? Those whose
labour is in vain in
this world’s life and
who nonetheless think
that they are doing
good” (18: 103 -104)
The last decade
has witnessed an
unparalleled campaign
aimed at the ‘liberation
of women.”
Gender equality has
become the political
mantra against which
social, political and
economic progress is
measured. Has the ‘new
women’ of today achieved
real emancipation? Does
she enjoy greater
security from rape,
oppression, infanticide,
prostitution and
domestic violence? Has
society changed for the
better or have these
vices simply assumed a
different veneer … a
different face under the
guise of liberation?
It is true that
we no longer bury
innocent female infants
alive. We now
abort them in the womb
and discard their
mutilated corpses like
offal! Thanks to the
Children’s Act,
twelve-year-olds can now
also have pregnancies
terminated if they wish.
The ‘choice to terminate
pregnancy’ has claimed
over one billion lives
throughout the world
over the past twenty
five years. No murder in
history could be as
gruesome as the murder
of defenceless, innocent
lives!
It is true that
we no longer enslave
women. We now
simply divorce them! The
overall number of
officially recorded
marriages in South
Africa for 2002 was
177202. The number of
officially recorded
divorces for the same
year was 31 370. 17.7%
of marriages end up in
divorce! Statistics are
simply cold facts that
do not convey the
emotional, economic and
social suffering of
spouses and children.
Divorce now ranks as the
number one factor linked
with suicide in USA.
Divorced people are
three times more likely
to commit suicide than
people who are married!
It is true that we no
longer regard women as
the weaker sex. We
therefore now do battle
with them! The
Department of Justice
estimates that one
out of every four
South African women are
survivors of domestic
violence. Domestic
violence has
unfortunately also seen
an increase in the
number of women being
murdered by their
intimate male partners.
“The
‘emancipation’ of women
has ironically seen a
corresponding increase
in atrocities against
them. A report
by B P Dohrenwend in the
American Journal of
Sociology shows that
prior to 1950, for every
seven men diagnosed as
mentally ill, only two
women were similarly
diagnosed, after 1950
the ratio changed to
twenty women for every
two men. This
catastrophic reversal
accompanied the rise of
“women’s liberation” in
the West…women find
their position more
frustrating and less
rewarding than men
do…The reason for this
great sense of
frustration may be found
in the unfair burden
which is placed on the
‘liberated’ women. She
is expected to display
masculine traits in the
workplace, but is also
supposed to maintain her
femininity”
This may explain
why so many people are
turning to Islam despite
the negative profiling
of Muslims the world
over… despite
the crusade against
hijab in Europe. Indeed,
the pace of conversions
has accelerated since
9/11, and the subsequent
invasion of Iraq. It is
even more ironic that
most British converts
should be women, given
the widespread view in
the west that Islam
treats women poorly. In
the United States, women
reverts outnumber men by
four to one, and in
Britain they make up the
bulk of the estimated
10, 000 to 20, 000
reverts, forming part of
a Muslim community of 1
to 1.5 million.
The Holy Quran states:
“The believing men and
women are protectors of
one another. They enjoin
the good and forbid the
evil; they establish
prayer and give alms (to
the needy); and they
obey Allah and His
Messenger. It is they
upon whom Allah will
bestow His Lo! Allah is
Mighty, Wise.” (Quran
9:71)
Men and women are equal
members of humankind.
Their function is to
complement each other
through specific roles
assigned to them in
keeping with their
distinct human nature.
Their roles are
complimentary and not
competitive. Women do
not have to behave like
men before they are
regarded as equal.
Islam frees women from
the pressures of
fighting their own
natural bodies by
undergoing cosmetic
surgery, it frees women
from squeezing into
tight dresses and
skirts, it frees women
from crippling their
feet with stiletto
heeled shoes, and it
frees women from
starving themselves into
ill health in the name
of dieting. In Islam
women are taught that
their bodies belong to
them and not to society.
The demands made by the
beauty mirth are but an
obscene obsession with
female subservience. It
is in the interest of
business to make women
feel inferior about
their bodies. In the US
alone, 65 million
dollars worth of
advertising revenue
comes from the cosmetic
industry. Women have
been demeaned as objects
of entertainment, valued
only for their beauty,
denied their integrity,
intellect and
personality.
“I chose the rib,
which protects his heart
and lungs and supports
him, as you are meant to
do.
Around this one bone I
shaped you. I modelled
you. I created you
perfectly and
beautifully.
Your characteristics are
as the rib, strong yet
delicate and fragile.
You provide protection
for the most delicate
organ in man, his heart.
His heart is the centre
of his being; his lungs
hold the breath of life.
The rib cage will allow
itself to be broken
before it will allow
damage to the heart.
Support man as the rib
cage supports the body.
You were not taken from
his feet, to be under
him, nor were you taken
from his head, to be
above him. You were
taken from his side, to
stand beside him and be
held close to his side.”
May Allah protect our
mothers and sisters from
losing their modesty and
integrity.
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
Maulana Ahmad Hathurani (Rahmatullahi
alayhi)
One of the senior-most
scholars of our country, Ml.
Ahmad Hathurani passed away
on Sunday. His janaazah was
performed late Sunday
evening, and attended by
thousands from across the
country.
Maulana served various
communities in different
capacities over a period of
approximately 60 years in
South Africa.
He was most passionate about
education and was a most
prolific writer, having
written numerous works in
both Urdu and Gujrati. He
was recognized
internationally as a giant
in the field of Islamic
education. He recited the
Qur`an beautifully and was a
pioneer in introducing
spiritually uplifting nazms
to the community. Another
field in which he excelled
was that of calligraphy.
Maulana was a perfectionist
and would spend long hours
mastering whatever he worked
on.
Maulana had a tremendously
patient and serene character
with an ever-smiling
countenance. He was known
for the respectful and kind
manner in which he treated
all around him, without
exception.
He also led the way in
setting an example for
concern regarding good
health. A feature that he
will also be remembered for,
was his care and concern
regarding neatness and a
polished appearance.
Maulana was involved in
various activities of the
Jamiatul Ulama from the
early 50's. His
contributions in the field
of education is
well-documented and he was a
full-time executive and
member of the shurah of the
Jamiatul Ulama.
Maulana dedicated his life
for the pleasure of Allah.
We make du`aa that Allah (azza
wa jalla) grant him a high
place in jannah and reward
him abundantly for all his
efforts. Aameen.
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