A’isha Mouneimne

While the rest of the world marched against the attack of the Gaza floatilla on Monday already, in typical Cape Town style, anti- Israeli chants only really echoed through Table Mountain on Thursday.  

As the city’s scarved and cloaked community- joined by a handful of wide-eyed white faces-descended onto parliament’s well-guarded gates, demanding SA pulls its socks up in the defense of Palestine, I noticed something a little disappointing about the turnout at this years march however.

The protest lacked the colour and passion seen in previous years with roughly a thousand ‘Takbir’ shouting supporters- and an even more dismal than usual turnout from the inter-faith community. (You know, the one that analysts say are now more than ever waking up to the reality of Palestine.)

 In terms of local law enforcement and their firepower, only about four SAPS caspers glared down the street, keeping only about 6 officers from a real workday.  Adding insult to injury, at least a dozen riot police were bored stiff by lunchtime and could not find anything useful to use their batons and shields for besides a little shelter from the threatening rain.  Even the usual badly disguised Mosad agents loitering like drug peddlers on Roeland Streets’ corner failed to make an appearance this year. I wonder-Has the Muslim community lost its infamous fear factor?    

The rules of engagement were made clear in terms of flag burning, face covering, anti-Semitic chanting and vandalism, but to my surprise their seemed to be overall cooperation this year, even by the more radical fringe organizations in and around the mother city. While I am pleasantly surprised and relieved that this year’s newspapers won’t be laden with men wearing plastic grenades as necklaces and the good old red, white and blue up in smoke, I do think the rally was missing the zeal that has become synonymous with Palestinian matters.

Either we have become jaded with feelings of deja-vu, always calling on the same thing and hoping for different results, or, we are a people who despite the word ‘middle ground’ being our very definition, need to be screaming, crazy hooligans or passive, sleepwalking zombies.

Despite our rather submissive ways however, the day bore some pretty juicy fruits that one can only hope will not be as seasonal as Israel’s endless promises to halt the building of new settlements in the West Bank. The recalling of the Israeli ambassador and the refusal to offload Israeli good at Durban’s harbour were statements that certainly got the protestors salivating for the first time that day.

Now only time will tell whether South Africa has finally realized that it owes the Palestinians a little more than the lip service paid when rallying for the Muslim vote in the national elections last year.

For now, I certainly remain a cynic in terms of which side of the fence the SA government is really sitting on. But, for future marches, one can only pray we start seeing a little more diversity amongst the flag cladding crowds coupled with the drive one would expect from a country that suffered under its own apartheid- minus the juvenile delinquent behavior of course.          

“Eugene Terre’Blanche’s death is politically motivated.”

“His brutal assassination has been directly linked to Malema’s ‘kill the boer’ song.”

- These are just some of the crazy headlines that have been doing the rounds in our country since the wage dispute gone wrong on ET’s North- West Province farm over the Easter weekend.

While we South Africans are age old mellow dramatics when it comes to predicting the fate of this very new nation and very quick to play the race card, one cant help but blame (I hate to say it) often lax and eagerly sensational journalism for conjuring up this political and racial storm in a tea cup.

While I whole heartedly agree that Julias Malema’s repeated racist remarks only rubs salt into our apartheid wounds, there is no evidence or proof that the workers on ET’s farm were somehow influenced by the chants of the Youth League leader- and this really could just be another farm killing, a terrible reality that has plagued that region for many years now. In fact as journalists we are told to report on facts and facts alone and the fact that the two issues got entwined so quickly without any evidence or support is evidence to me and many others that the media in South Africa is hungry for a little drama.

Furthermore, what makes me mad is that farm killings, together with all the other disturbing and violent crimes committed daily in our country are no longer considered the stuff headlines are made of.  The media is constantly searching for a more gruesome story, or looking for angles to spice the story up with- angles which until proven, might actually not be actually there.

I can’t help but wonder what the reaction, if any, would be from the AWB should this have been just another farm killing. Would they have seen it as racist? Of course. But would it have been Malema’s fault? Probably not. Would the AWB have condemned the killing? Yes. Would they be hell- bent on avenging the death of a fellow farmer? Probably not.

Added to the heated media frenzy have been intentional reports that in the aftermath of the killing, soccer fans are afraid to travel to our country for the world cup, afraid for their safety-Well let me just say, they should be. Not because ET was murdered in his farmhouse, or because of a supposed rebirth in the neo-Nazi AWB, but because violent crime in SA is an out of control reality.

Farmers are being murdered in cold blood, farm workers are being abused and exploited, women, white and black are being raped every 17 seconds in our country and this figure excludes the number of child rapes.

Added to this is the sad but true fact that black on black crime is happening far more frequently and reported far less frequently than white on white crime, or black on white crime. If there is a story anywhere in this mess, this is it. I know of personal cases where women in our townships have accepted that they will be often repeatedly raped on a daily basis and because of a lack of security in their shacks and an acceptance that their rapists will not be convicted, they do no report it and we as media do not make a story out of it. 

Between 28 and 30 percent of adolescents reporting that their first sexual encounter was forced and of the South African men who know somebody who has been raped, 16 percent believe that the rape survivor had enjoyed the experience and had asked for it. This is the reality that we as South Africans sit with every day and this is what we and the international community should be concerned about and should be focusing our attentions to- and not the circumstances under which a racist terrorist died.

Some rather ridiculous ideas have surfaced in protest of presidential zapper, Chumani Maxwele’s arrest last week. Pro president zapping campaigns include a Facebook site ‘Zapping the presidential convoy’ where fans are encouraged to upload pictures giving Zuma the middle finger.

Another interesting one is the ‘fax your zap to Zuma’ campaign which as the name points out, calls for all disgruntled South Africans to fax the hand gesture to the president’s office. I wonder if that will get the attention of the Zuma hotline that has this week came under fire for dropping calls?

While many South Africans- myself included- stand behind the notion that the middle finger entails a basic freedom of expression (that of anger and disapproval) I cannot help but question the intention behind these mini campaigns.

Giving the president the finger was not the smartest choice for a student of academics, but it sure did get the point across, that he-an ANC member -was unhappy with the president he helped vote into power’s ability to keep promises.

What makes matters worse is that the men in blue, clearly eager for piece of the Malema pie, picked on this lonely defenseless jogger, when hundreds of angry protestors have in the past demonstrated against poor service delivery, amongst other things. These demonstrations always involve ‘disrespectful’ slogans and gestures and yet arrests for that rarely take place.- safety in numbers I guess.

Also, good old Zapiro, has had many a nasty thing to say about Zuma, yet his expression is protected under the label of art, while Maxwele is practically charged with treason.

While the Police were out of line in treating the situation like a 5th grade playground, the earlier mentioned groups have hardly retaliated with any kind maturity.

The first issue I have with the 600 strong Facebook group, is its fair toned members whose comments have not touched on the loss of freedom of expression rights, but can sadly only be labeled as moronic, racist hate speech.

We have to bear in mind why it is that we are giving Zuma the finger. Its not because he’s black or Zulu or even because we’ve had enough of money-less Malema , but rather we are zapping Zuma because he has let us down both in his very public ,misguided personal behavior, as well as in his inability to keep his word.

Last year we went to the polls and SA spoke, we chose Zuma and now we have the responsibility of being sensible and respectable to a president that was elected democratically and sending a zap-sign fax or email to the Presidency is no different than sending a zap sign to South African voters who ticked ANC at those polls. But we voted and now we have the right to have certain promises seen to and if they aren’t we have the right to say something.

So while I do believe this issue of being jailed for a hand gesture is a scary glimpse into the possible future of things to come from the police, I don’t believe wasting paper and time photocopying fingers is the route to go.

Having said that, JZ, you get respect when you have earned it. Until then do not be alarmed if South Africans, especially the ones who have been championing your cause, show you their disapproval. After all, that middle finger does transgress all language barriers.

To niqab or not to niqab- That is the question we as many South African Muslimah ask ourselves from time to time. However, this freedom to choose what and how much fabric we put over our faces is a luxury many of us seem to take for granted.  As Europe wages war on the Muslim woman, in both school as well as the workplace, the global community barely blinks an eye as another newsreader calls it an “outward prison”.

You do not need to wear niqab or agree with it-or even be a female for that matter- to know that a basic Islamic right is being violated here- and we do nothing.

In fact, it would appear that the rest of the world has already accepted the banning of the hijab in most French and German schools and certain workplaces. Not only is this rule forbidding women from practicing their deen correctly but it also denies them basic freedom of expression rights according to the constitution.

It is this term, ‘freedom of expression’ that justifies on some level offensive symbols such as the swastika to be worn, but a woman who chooses to hide her face in the hopes that it might bring her some protection and comfort during this time if fitna is labeled extreme and stripped of her security.    

There have been no calls by the great ulema ‘powers that be’ speaking out against this, no protests or marches or calls to cut trade relations…absolutely nothing! I cannot help but assume this is because those ‘powers’ happen to be male and this is a female issue. So why then are we as the female ummah not standing up for our own rights?

It would seem that the days in which women braved the battlefield alongside men, standing up for Islam died along side out beloved Prophet (saws).  I am not saying we should sharpen our spears and get ready to charge on Europe, but I am saying that its high time we stopped complaining about the way we are treated and start standing up for ourselves.

We should be deeply moved by any injustice committed against the ummah, but we should naturally have an even softer spot for women issues. While I am equally critical of the men who should have been more vocal on this issue, I cannot imagine it would paint a very good picture for a group of angry men in beards and thobes to call for their wives to be covered.

If we want the west to stop calling us oppressed, we need to stop acting oppressed, mobilize and stand up for our rights.

What is stopping us as women (who all belong to women networks) from putting pressure on the west to lift these bans? 

Perhaps if we stopped planning the most current ‘eat and treat’ or talking about this ones newly renovated kitchen, we would have a little more time for meaningful work.      

Racial profiling at airports has been on the tips of everyone’s tongues since 9/11. But after the crazy Nigerian dude failed to execute his air born execution plans on Christmas day, there is a heightened sense of awareness around this issue now. Tuesday night show focused on just that, with many listeners saying they simply choose not to fly internationally these days, or opt to fly to what has been dubbed ‘Muslim friendly countries.’

I am not convinced that this is the route (excuse the pun) to go. While a few brothers say they don’t wear a beard or choose to dress very western when travelling to avoid profiling, it seems to me that as a society we have began taking a very passive approach to de-stigmatising the notion of Islam for the selfish reason of our own convenience.

Yes being stopped and questioned about your plans in a country or for the Qur’an that you carry with you is unfair and unjust but, if dealt with correctly can be a huge factor in changing the perception of the west. After all, we as Muslims have been put into a box because of the actions of a minority who call themselves Muslims, so while we are inside the box we have a chance to change its shape.

As one sister so rightly put it, as women we are not about to travel hijab-less to avert that attention, rather we stand firm to our beliefs and wear our scarf with pride ready for what might await us at the terminal checks. The same should go for our brothers. In their defence I know they are targeted far more than the women, but the idea of comprising a sunnah to avoid a little hassle just rubs me up the wrong way personally.

The world is unfairly treating Muslims at the moment, that’s a well known fact, but instead of crying about it in our living rooms or locking ourselves up in our houses because travelling is so hard, or disguising ourselves to fit in, I say get on a plane, represent Islam in all its spheres and loudly condemn extremism and terrorism!

After all, every encounter with a non-Muslim is an opportunity for dawa.

With industries around the globe jumping on the green bandwagon, the fashion industry was the latest passenger. That is according to fashion designer Lindzi Esack.

According to Esack, Eco-fashion means using fabric that doesn’t damage the environment, but she adds that this is easier said than done in many cases. “It’s very difficult to know if something is really organic. Unfortunately just because it says it is, doesn’t always mean it’s true. It’s a nice idea, but at the end of the day fashion is a huge industry and while people might be interested in going greener, it comes at price that many are not willing to pay.”

As Muslims, looking after the environment is our responsibility too, and so these handy tips below should be noted by every active muslimah

With Eco-fashion already a big deal in the U.S and in Europe, Esack said South Africa will be following soon. “South Africa is at least one season behind on fashion and trends compared to the northern hemisphere, but in America for example the environment is a bigger concern and so eco-fashion is more of a trend.” She added that the US went very green over the Christmas period ensuring that decorations were eco-friendly-at trend missing in South Africa this festive season.

Recycle your clothes?

Besides checking ones clothing labels to ensure that the fabrics are made of natural linens and cottons, Esack said women should embark on clothing recycle campaign with their friends. “All women have so many unworn clothes in their cupboards but still have nothing to wear, instead of going out and buying unnecessarily, look to trade or swap something with a friend; you’ll save both money and the environment.”

Buy old stuff!
Added to that, she said looking out for vintage items at second hand stores are a good option too, as they are in fashion, generally cheaper that clothing from a store and almost always made from a better quality material. “Shops such as Mr Price and Edgar’s make throw-away fashion, which are clothes that are only meant to last one season.
“They suite the pocket but do not last, so as a consumer you go through more clothing than that of someone that purchases investment clothing. Try and look out for sales at those more expensive shops and spend a little more, knowing that it is sure to last a few years,” she advised.

Look for the green label

Certain labels have also embarked on green campaigns in a bid to reduce their carbon footprint. “It’s important to do your research and to make sure that a particular company is really being green. Levis for example has a programme where you can recycle your old jeans…American dollar bills also contain bits of Levi denim, as they are using their off cuts for making money.”

Accessorise with junk?

With plenty of ‘junk’ around the house that can be used to make accessories, Esack predicted a revival of things such as plastic bags, bottle tops and safety pins on the catwalk. “Everyone is going crazy about recycling at the moment. Here in South Africa you will find cans and plastic bags that have been made into curios. Here and there you will find a crosshead plastic packet handbag or a bracelet made from safety pins and bottle tops, a suspect this will be coming in very soon with the need to reuse items.

Even middle aged women still talk of their battle with hijab. But the truth is, that the hijab issue is a constant inner and outer jihad, fighting your inner nafs as well as the western glares that will haunt you pretty much for the rest of your life. With these challenges being said, how do we get our youth to embrace the scarf and the age that they should be? This is the question I asked Aqeela Bawa- a 21 year old student, who began wearing the scarf 7 months ago.

As a person who finds solace by putting pen to paper, a found the need to keep a diary in the early hours of wearing hijab…     

‘My jihad- A’siha Mouneimne’

People look. People stare,
They look at me with an ignorant glare.

Look at her - she’s out of place,
She’s only showing her hands and face!

They never intend to know the reason,
Only imagine it to be a form of extremism.

People question. People wonder,
About the influences I am under.
Why I cover-up from head-to-toe,
So that the shape of body doesn’t show!

My personality and character are worth more
than can be shown with clothes from any store.

People think. People assume,

That we are in a state of gloom.

Those Muslim women must be oppressed,
Just look at how they are dressed!

If they knew how I incredible I feel inside,
All their beauty, they too would hide.

The bottom line is prejudice. The hair can’t be a tight curl, the skin can’t be darker, Then the ego of it not being ‘of you’, lastly there is a lack of knowledge with regards to the Islamic understanding.” This was the word from a mother of two adopted children on the mindset in the Muslim community surrounding adoption.

The women, who asked to remain anonymous, said failed fertility made her “feel broody” about two years ago. “I wanted a child, I figured with adoption there was less of a gamble. Living in South Africa, there are so many unwanted babies, so it made sense - with me wanting and them needing we were hoping for a happy family.”

While the woman’s husband warmed up to the idea of adoption, she said her family had mixed feelings. “The social workers insist that your core family be ok with it as it is as much happening to them as it is to you. I guess we more announced it than sought permission from them and when our baby arrived, I think everyone was in love!”

Relating her experience on VOC’s Late Night Live this week, she described her emotions upon collecting her new baby as follows: “We were told to meet at this place, but when we arrived, it was locked. I assumed the child was inside and couldn’t understand why she’d be locked up alone. In the social workers car was a baby and I asked who that was, she smiled and said ‘your baby’. I rushed over in disbelief, she was so beautiful.”

With her oldest adopted child three years old now, the women said her daughter knows that she was adopted. “She knows she has a tummy mummy and she went through a phase asking where she was and that she misses her. It is difficult to explain that to her, but having lost my mother, we can relate on that level and I encourage her to make dua for her. I suppose as she gets older and has a deeper understanding it will be more challenging.”

At times she said a Muslim adoption can be a challenge. “I have moments where I realise they are not mine, but it’s no different to losing a child when they get married or move out of the city or country. I have to remind myself that my purpose is to educate them and instil taqwa and develop iman, provide safety, a home, family, stability and love, and not control them or possess them.

“We have decided to be open about them being adopted. We do not tell everyone we meet, and do not believe they look like us or have our particular traits. We understand their responsibility to their birth families, and insha Allah, we’ll guide them to establish ties when they are mature enough.”

While her family has gradually grown to accept the adopted children over time, she says hurtful comments still serve as a reminder of the stubborn mindset inside the Muslim community. “It surprises me when a comment is made that acknowledges they are not ‘family’. By now I thought people would realise family isn’t by blood, but by love.”

The Swiss minaret ban and a move to boycott its products:

If I was not a South African and therefore circumstantially aware of our countries history, I would have thought that Muslims invented the word boycott. Seriously, I could barely spell the word just three years ago before embracing Islam that is how little I used it and read it.

Just as those who converted me snuck documentaries such as “The Iron Wall” between various books on the basics of Islam ( in a bid to sway certain political views that might be associated with my maiden name ‘Cohen’) at the same time as swaying my religious views, so too I learned about the other ‘haraam’ consumables besides pork and alcohol.

Top on the list was the ‘shaytaan’s soda’, Coca-Cola- the cause of me being dubbed a munafiq at a Palestine march right at the beginning of my VOC career. You see my mere association with a radio station that sold advertising space to Coke made me an instant hypocrite. The name-calling I took with a pinch of salt, but what I could not was the judgment that came along with drinking a coke.

You see apparently by indulging in the ‘devils drink,’ your Islam could be publicly questioned and criticized. What baffled me even more was ironically, on every dinner table there stood a perfectly chilled bottle of the good stuff.

Personally and in principle, I am all for boycotting Israeli or any other oppressive country’s products but, also fall short at times of sticking to this practice. I also feel compelled to acknowledge that many Muslims that possess even a small passion for justice find themselves in the same boat as I do… sorely lacking in will power and discipline (lesson 101 to be taken from Ramadan)

With recent calls to boycott Swiss products due to the minaret ban and ongoing boycotts standing with Irsaeli products as well as Danish, French and the list goes on coupled with the halaal woes of some poultry farms in SA, we are just short of growing our own veggies and slaughtering our own chickens.

I suppose this comes down to the issue of ‘Go big or go home’, we as Muslims seem to be awfully week when presented with the notion of giving up on those late night Lindt binges, so maybe we do need to look at an alternative way to put collective pressure on these governments in question.   

Perhaps Ebrahim Vowda of the Media Review Network was right when he said that other options needed to be exhausted first before opting for a boycott of certain products. He recommended an education drive that worked at debunking the many lies and misconceptions continuously brewing in the west-A more passive offensive rather than the more aggressive defensive route generally preferred by the masses when preached but rarely seen in practice.      

 Progressing as a community in dealing with HIV/Aids

 In my year an a half stint working here at VOC and witnessing my fair share of crazy antics, I have been flabbergasted by only one  thing, our community’s complete silence on very important issues.

 Doing Late Night Live for a month now and previous actuality shows for other presenters, I have covered various issues. Sadly none have had less listener participation than the topics of domestic abuse and HIV/Aids.

 While one of my guests on Tuesday, Raoul Swart of Positive Muslims said progress had been made in the community in terms of Muslims accepting that firstly, we are not somehow miraculously immune to this disease and that secondly, if one of us do have it, we are not necessarily doomed to jehanam for committing some kind of shameful sin, I am however  struggling to see that ‘progress’ transpire into anything more than lip service.

 The fact that globally we can dedicate a day to the commemoration of those suffering from Aids and reaffirm our commitment to providing better health care and education, but as Muslims we fail to even make a peep- even on World Aids Day- is the hard pill to swallow that’s met with terrible indigestion.

 If I am to look for a possible excuse to bail my community out of these terrible accusations that they are currently being charged with, I can only think of one. The Islamic Relief World Aids Day Dinner that was hosted at the same time of my show.

 So just maybe everyone who cares just a little about HIV/Aids in our community was supporting this worthy cause at the time of my show and our community is in fact not as complacent on pertinent issues as I thought. Or, perhaps if I had made my show an ‘eat and treat’ there would have been some movement on the issue.

 If this Aids issue that I am venting about was an isolated one, I wouldn’t be as astounded by the crickets singing in the studio on Tuesday, but unfortunately my first insect symphony experience took place when we tackled the domestic violence issue entitled, “Is domestic violence silently accepted in the Muslim community?”  Ironically enough, the topic was met with a deafening silence- thereby proving my point.

 With JZ’s move away from Aids ‘denialism’ in his speech- no matter how hypocritical it might seem when put into context with his notorious shower comments- there is a glimmer of hope that we are moving away from beetroots and carrots as a remedy for this epidemic that had become synonymous with the Mbeki administration.

 I just hope that as a community that is meant to lead as a shining example of human behaviour ,that we can put an end to our own ‘denialism’ on the above mentioned social issues.  

I say lets remove our heads from the ostrich hole and hang up a little dirty laundry for a change, by being part of the African Aids revolution that we have been waiting for, for so long.