This document describes the 40-year relationship between two families - one Indian and one African - that began through a Muslim youth organization's dawah workshop in South Africa in the 1970s. The workshop inspired one of the African family's members, Uncle Omar, to accept Islam. He was paired with an Indian family, and over many years, the families overcame social, cultural, racial and religious divides to build a close relationship. They supported each other through challenges like deaths in the families. The experience taught lessons of forming interracial relationships through Islam, understanding different cultures, and how dawah can influence lives over generations.

1. A CASE STUDY OF A CULTURAL
CO-EXISTENCE EXPERIENCE IN
THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT-
Presentation at INTERNATIONAL AWQAF
FOUNDATION OF SOUTH AFRICA (AWQAF SA)
2ND INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
ISLAMIC CIVILISATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA.
DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
DURBAN 4/5/6 MARCH 2016
Presenter: Haroon Mahomed.
1
Relationship between two families across the social,
cultural, racial, class and religious divides

2. Overview
1. History and background
2. Highlights of the relationship
3. Challenges
4. Lessons for the future.
2

3. The story line
Meeting of
two families
across the
racial , social
and religious
divides in the
70 through
dawah work.
Relationship
grows despite
challenges ;
cross cultural
barriers
addressed.
40 years later ; main
member and daughter
pass on tragically ;
spiral of dawah,
learning and
relationship building
continues
3
40 years

4. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND :
1.The relationship between the two families, one from an
“African township” and the other from an “Indian
township” began in the mid 1970’s.
2. The Muslim Youth Movement (MYM), organised a Dawah
(Islamic Propagation) Workshop after Malik Rashuddin, an
articulate and motivational black American Muslim, had a
lecture tour of South Africa.
4

5. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND (cont)
-The MYM members, inspired by the Quran and Sunnah,
realised the need to reach out to the oppressed and to
present the core teachings of Islam.
-This inspiration was derived from the famous Halqah
program initiated and promoted by the MYM.
- The Halqah is an effective self and group study
program and was the flagship of the MYM.
- The contribution and education of Late Sheikh Ahmed
Deedat in encouraging Dawah programmes to the
indigenous African communities is acknowledged.
5

6. • HISTORY AND BACKGROUND (cont)
-The Halqah program involves the study of the Quran,
Hadith, reading books, awareness of current affairs ,
and discussions and sharing of ideas and experiences,
followed by attending to the needs of the community
via various educational and development projects.
-The intention of the Halqah was to go beyond a “talk
shop”, and become a forum where new relationships
are made around joint common purpose.
-MYM members were encouraged to “adopt a family”,
make Dawah, pass on literature and befriend others
from the “townships” (as it was called at that time).
6

7. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
-Uncle Omar, as he came to be known, lived in Soweto
and belonged to one of the Unions as a Shop steward at
City Power.
-He attended a Dawah workshop which was organised by
the MYM.
-His attendance was out of curiosity; as he mentioned , ”
to know what this ‘Islam thing’ is all about”.
-After the program, totally inspired, he decided to accept
Islam.
7

8. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
-The reversion ceremony was short but the impact in the
hall was tremendous.
-It was a boost, motivation and inspiration for the
brothers and sisters who attended.
-They mentioned, ” it was a realisation that the program
was working and it gave more impetus to continue the
work” .
8

9. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
-The custom at MYM meetings was that members
should not to clique together with old friends only .
- After meetings, workshops and lectures, it was
important that there meetings with others, sharing
of contact details, keeping in touch and sharing of
knowledge as learnt from the Halqah and lectures.
9

10. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
-Uncle Omar was given a contact telephone number,
and asked that if he needed to know anything he
should contact the partner family.
-Without realising the impact of this principle set by
the MYM, this led to the birth of a brand new
relationship between the two families.
-A week later Uncle Omar came to the family home,
asked a lot of questions, met the family, and
Alhamdulillah the relationship with both families
spanned over 40 years.
10

11. Highlights of the relationship
• The relationship formed between the families involved
attendance in and participation in many family activities
and gatherings.
• In the context of the predominant separationist customs of
the time, this was very unusual and awkward at first.
• In order to sustain the relationship and friendship
certain measures had to be put into place.
• The families would visit each other in the respective
residential areas.
• The three sons and daughter were still young in nappies.
• The family were invited to all family functions such as Eid’s,
weddings, family get togethers, lectures and picnic trips.
11

12. Highlights of the relationship
-Uncle Omar lived his life according to the
principles of Islam and always remained steadfast
in his faith and practices.
-His wife passed away in the 80’s, leaving behind
four kids whom he brought up alone.
-Uncle Omar did not remarry for fear that the
kids may not get the same motherly love, but
uppermost of concern to him was that they may
not be brought up as Muslims.
12

13. Highlights of the relationship
-His character was inspiring; he was very
hardworking and there were days that sleep was
not in his vocabulary.
-Work and fending for his family were his
priorities. He was a workaholic and took pride in
his work.
-He worked odd times and late nights at a power
station.
13

14. Highlights of the relationship
-He once mentioned that he just loved to visit
and meet and talk to everyone.
--These discussions were about the view of Islam
regarding Apartheid, Politics, Economics, Social
justice etc,
- He used to then go back home and propagate
this to his immediate and extended family.
-These discussions helped both families to
understand Islam better.
14

15. Highlights of the relationship
He worked hard to give his children a good education
and a start in life and to remain committed to Islam with
the Quran as the guide.
One outcome of this commitment is that his daughter,
Late Fatima, studied hard to finish her Bachelor’s
Degree in Accounting, after many attempts. She never
gave up.
She continued to persevere and was studying towards
her Honours Degree at the time of her passing.
15

16. Highlights of the relationship
Being the eldest sibling, she helped manage the family while
the father was away at work.
His family were kind-hearted and gentle people and always
did things with a smile.
Goolambhai is a Podiatrist, Allybhai is a professional Artist for
a major media house and Khalid is attending to and assisting
with the general family matters.
He had a deep sense of independence and sensitivity to the
differences between African and Indian cultural attitudes,
customs and practices.
16

17. 17
Highlights of the relationship
His dedication to the Islamic principle of seeking
knowledge from the cradle to the grave is
noteworthy.
His used to leave home early in the morning with
his 4 small kids and his bicycle on his bakkie and
drop them off at the school in Lenasia.
He arranged to park his bakkie outside a kind
woman’s house so that when school comes out
they could be “at home” in the bakkie.

18. 18
Highlights of the relationship
-He refused to let them be a burden to the lady;
against her protestations that the kids should stay
in her house instead of in the bakkie.
-The kids would do their homework in the bakkie
until time for madressa.
-He would ride to work at the power station in
Pimville and ride back on his bicycle to Lenasia
where he would then drive his kids on the bakkie
back to Soweto.

19. 19
Highlights of the relationship
-What was noticeable was that 40 years ago there
was a small sprinkling of Muslims in Soweto.
At the funeral it could be seen that Islam and the
community had grown so much over the years
with their own Moulanas from the townships who
could take care of the religious matters.
This was very encouraging and gratifying.

20. Challenges:
For both families, adjustments had to be made and
perceptions had to change.
For the Indian family, there were shifts from the
theoretical “talk shop” idealism to the reality of its
application.
A relationship across race, culture, religion and class was
forming during Apartheid times when the law, customs
and attitudes were against this.
-There was the challenge of adjusting to a black family
coming into our “private” space and comfort zones.
The family had to deal with the visiting “other” family
sitting at the same eating table, using common toilets,
the children playing together in the lounge and couches;
and travelling in the same car. 20

21. CHALLENGES:
Each visit required adjustments to new challenges arising from being
Muslim but with different cultural and environmental backgrounds.
Some extended families were also surprised initially but eventually
got used to it.
As time went on and with continuous visits, things became easier. The
barriers began to drop and the families became comfortable with
each other and both families just blended in.
21

22. Challenges
Challenges from Uncle Omar and his family's side.
Initially, when visiting there would be reservation and
caution.
• Eg. the visiting family would stand outside and not
come into the house. This would then be
discussed openly which would make them more
comfortable.
• It was discovered that this was because Uncle
Omar and family were treated and received
differently at various other homes and functions.
• With so many people at functions and varying
attitudes beyond our control, a person would be
would assigned to chaperone. 22

23. CHALLENGES :
Tragically Uncle Omar and his daughter together with two
other of his non muslim family members, died in a head
on collision in 2015.
That was a few days before his son was to get married.
(May Allah grant them Jannatul Firdose).
In death too it became apparent that Uncle Omar left a
mark in his family and extended families.
At the funeral, there were challenges regarding the
Islamic, African traditional and cultural ways of burial. A
lot was learnt even during these sad moments of grief.
23

24. Challenges:
In the tradition of Uncle Omar’s family elders decide on the
type of burial, but in this case it was clear that Uncle Omar
had informed them that he wanted to be buried as a
Muslim. So there were no arguments.
Comments were that he was very passionate and firm about
his Islam. To his further credit , he kept good relations with
his non- muslim family and interacted with them amicably.
At the funeral small compromises had to be made to allow
small traditional practices, to allow the non Muslim families
to get closure.
. 24

25. 25
Challenges:
-One of the learnings was that family and friends had to
go to the scene of the accident for a cleansing ceremony,
and that when gifts were given to the kids, it had to be
done in front of all the elders.
-The hierarchy and status of the elders involved how one
brother would take over and care for the children of
another brother who had died; cousins would live together.
- The understanding of the commonly used phrase in
African communities, “my brother” and the meaning of “
ubuntu” , became clear.

26. 26
The families, ladies and men separately, were shown the way
Janaza ghusl was made, the simple cost involved and the
method of burial.
Within both families there were pockets of groups discussing
and asking questions on the processes.
The two families found themselves engrossed in answering
many questions regarding Islam. It gave the impression of a
Dawah workshop.
Challenges:

27. •
CHALLENGES
When his wife died while his kids were still young,
there was a learning experience on how to put Islam
into practice amongst an “indigenous” family.
At her funeral, the challenges faced were the
interaction between him and his wife’s family as well
as with the presence and involvement of “Indians” at
the funeral. It was strange to her family.
Uncle Omar started Islam at a Dawah workshop and
at the end of his life, his funeral was like a Dawah
workshop. 40 years if there is any spiritual meaning to
this. Again contact details were shared at his funeral.
27

28. Lessons for the Future:
1. Experience is the best teacher. The shift from talk
in the workshops to actual experience and
interaction made a huge and important difference
2. Forming a relationship with another family from a
different background is a means of learning more
from each other.
3. Studying and knowing the Quran and Islam,even if
you are born Muslim is necessary; it assists with
answering and explaining seemingly simple
questions which you take for granted
4. The lesson is true that you become stronger in
faith by practising it and sharing it with others
5. By teaching and sharing with others , one learns
tolerance, understanding and patience.
28

29. 6. It is important to be flexible and willing to understand
other cultural perspectives; given the downgrading of
African culture, it is important to understand and
acknowledge the African experience.
7. There is significance in the process: “One Workshop,
one contact number, and many lives have changed.
8.Given current realities, it is important that more work
of this nature should be undertaken.
9. The experience can be described as destiny “takdeer) ;
the families count the experience as a blessing, thanks to
the will of the Almighty .
29

30. Shukran for your time and
attention
30