Munadia Karaan

Wednesday 18 January is not a day I would easily want to relive. If the temperatures soared over 30 degrees in the Peninsula on the day, the tempers of the Muslim community in the wake of the Orion halal scandal was even hotter. With absolute justification, I say, but as is always the case when people are angry, we don’t always see to clearly, looking only one way to lay blame. And it is that unfairness that offends me, though it did me no favours to say it out loud for then all those who hate my guts jumped at the chance to throttle me.

We all acknowledge that the Muslim consumers have a great deal to be upset about. To be duped twice in a row on two issues central to our faith - haj and halal - is enough to make any Muslim see red. But to be publicly exposed when you were widely duped into unwittingly purchasing products that someone had imported and deliberately relabelled as halal is just about the worse thing you can do to a Muslim.

My dad always said even the weakest Muslim will not hesitate to take drugs or drink alcohol, but beware when you give him pork to eat! Nothing will soften that blow, which is why when this story first broke on VOC in November people were upset. But when we saw the full extent of the fraud thanks to 3rd Degree on Tuesday evening that anger went even deeper and people need someone to hold accountable and they demand answers.

Orion

There were many sins committed here. Orion’s guilt was very clear, as 3rd Degree showed and I take my hat off to producer Barbara Friedman and Debra Patta for going “into the lion’s den” to check things out for themselves. They spoke to the two whistle blowers and a third source who made very damaging claims about Orion’s conduct, alleging a similar relabelling incident related to cheese that preceded the halal scandal. This was excellent journalism and really left Orion with no place to hide. Even VOC who had the widest coverage on this issue was unable to get the whistle blowers to talk to us or to uncover this much.

So what happens to Orion now? Here no one is sure. Is there further investigation into the charges of fraud? Will they remain in business with Muslims even they though Orion was clearly declared to be a non-halal importer now? Will Patrick Gaertner ever give a full account of his company’s role now that the claims of “blackmail” seem to hold little water? Whatever the case is, the one thing that is clear is that besides the bad publicity, Orion is still in business and beyond an apology that this scam had happened on its premises, they have not taken responsibility for the “original” sin in this saga. To me that is not enough.

MJC

The next sin was on the part of the halal certifying body. Despite the numerous explanations given on VOC on its role in this mess, it is clear that the monitoring controls around halal imports leave a lot to be desired. It’s fine to certify at port, but the halal consignment does not stay there. It has to be moved by the company to other areas where contamination is possible. With no Muslims on the staff at the storage, how do we know what happens there?

Also indications were that some monitors had suspicions about Orion before this story broke, but nothing appeared to have been done until the matter was taken to court. Why not? When the scam came to light, Sanha approached the MJC, but because of the notorious bad blood among the  halal bodies, it did not get very far. When the story first came to my attention, even I had to inform the MJC that Sanha wanted to meet with them over this issue. Should there not have been alarm bells going before this?

More importantly, in the subsequent explanations that were given, the focus had been on clearing the MJC and the big questions on what happens in the rest of the halal chain after Orion or how processes will be tightened up to ensure one can give a full account of the halal certification procedure is not clear yet, though one would accept that it might take a little bit of time to make such amendments.

Butchers

But there is also a third sinner in this scenario that has not been in the limelight at all and that is the role of Orion’s clients. If 60% of them were from the Muslim community, how come we still don’t know the extent of their business? We understand they purchased imported products and use it in their branded processed meat, which makes it  very difficult to know exactly what was contamined and which landed on your and my table via the local butcher.

There is no longer a butchers association in the Western Cape that can answer on these questions. We do not know how many are still buying from Orion. We do know that two days after the MJC declared Orion to be non halal, known Muslim butchers were still buying from the company. How could it plead ignorance when for weeks everyone knew there were questions about the company? Why could they not abstain while this was in doubt? And why are they only speaking out about the abuses in the industry when they were caught with their pants down?

And it is because people really don’t know whose hands are dirty that there was an overreaction when the 3rd Degree camera panned over some butchers premises in Athlone and people made assumptions of guilt. Will we ever know the full truth about the role of the butchers, some of whom I am told do direct imports while others get their stock from importers. How do we know that their importers and wholesalers are fully halal when Muslim butchers do not necessarily require halal certification?

Laying blame

So given all these questions, why in the public over reaction is the attention only on one sinner? I have been slammed - even persecuted by some listeners - in the last 24 hours for asking this question and stand accused of “siding with the MJC”. That is not it at all. Having been in the  forefront of investigating this story, I used every opportunity to call the MJC for answers and not once did they close the door in my face or refuse to answer.

My experience was completely the opposite of 3rd Degree had. Am I now suppose to say something else? All the questions that were asked of the MJC - even with the regards to the health of its president - we had covered on VOC. Am I now supposed to plead ignorance? The MJC did not dodge answering when I literally called them on a daily basis for answers. And as soon as I knew something, so did my readers and listeners. Am I now supposed to make as if this did not happen?

However, did the MJC make a mistake in refusing the etv interview? Undoubtedly and I advised them as such at the time. It is never advisable to turn your back on the media. Neither does it work to think just because your constituency is Muslim, you only have to speak to the Muslim media. We live in a world where the media has converged and people read all media. More than that, there are many who don’t bother with Muslim media or community media. So any media strategy must include all media and skills on how to deal with the media when they knock at your door. That was a major blunder for the MJC and it will take time for everyone to recover from the fallout.

Be fair

I guess I became very disheartened by the negativity of this fallout mainly because I had spent so much time on getting answers so that we could clear up the mess, learn from it and improve things. And in one fell swoop, all that good work seemed to have disappeared and people got what one onliner called “selective amnesia”. Many of the questions that 3rd Degree did not get answers to but which the MJC provided answers for on VOC were forgotten. And I have to ask myself was all the months of work I put in on this story for nothing?

But it is also the greater hippocrasy that gets to me. In the anger to blame one party, people overlook all else, including the fact that ensuring what is halal en stopping what is haram is not just the responsibility of the ulema. It is a responsibility of every Muslim. But we duck from our responsibility in this regard. It’s okay for me to cheat my employee of a fair salary or to cheat on my wife. Those are “small sins”, but when the ulema - who are just as human - fail, then we must condemn and bash them.

I repeat, there is reason to blame and hold people responsible, but let he who has no sin cast the first stone. Let us not - in this mad need to blame someone - look only one way and be irresponsible or unfair in our judgement. Let’s take a deep breath and try to take in the entire spectrum of this mess rather than just lay blame at one door…which is not to say the MJC and the halal bodies do not have serious work to do. Let us not in the need to apportion blame commit a greater sin by being unfair. There is too much work to do to fix this mess. So can we please calm down now and get to work?

Wow, what a ride, but thank goodness it is over! 31 December 2011 saw me step over a really wild horse that was part and parcel of the job as VOC’s program manager. Since becoming part of VOC’s fulltime staff in May 2000, I have had the privilege to progress from being news editor, to production manager and finally, program manager. Fresh from five years of exposure at two corporate companies, I was ready for a new challenge that brought me back to my passion - news.

I had lots of energy, enthusiasm and creativity for the job, but my people’s skills were zilch! I now cringe at some of the mistakes I made in my youthful vigour. In what can only be described as “jeugdige voortvarendheid”, I often thought I was right and would not budge or simply swept aside the things that stood in my way. Ah, the arrogance of the youth! May Allah bless my station managers who had the patience of Job with me. Thank goodness that with age comes wisdom for in the words of Maya Angelou, “when you know better, you do better”. Hopefully, I improved as the years went on.

Being program manager meant always being on your toes, keeping tabs on the industry and community developments so that you can be ahead of the pack in covering issues. It brings with it a tremendous rush. At the same time, it also means you are the doorkeeper that decides on what matters to the community, based on the feedback you get from them and how you inform yourself. It is a challenging task and in the en,d the part that got to me most was managing people… talk about problematic and stressful!

But nothing lasts forever and quite rightly too for if I had to continue in that vein, it would have cost me my life. So when I took ill in mid-2010 when the breast cancer I had developed in 2007, returned as bone cancer, I knew it was the Almighty knocking on my door and telling me that it was time for change. It was one thing to talk about empowering others to take over from me, but if it was up to me, I would never get there. So He took things out of my hands and forced the change.

Looking back now, I accept that it could not happen any differently. Mishka Daries, Goolam Fakier and Tasneem Adams had to hurriedly step up and assume new responsibilities and as with all new things, it took time to adapt. Thankfully, I did not have the opportunity to tune in while they found their feet  - the stress would have freaked me out! Control freaks, I have learnt, do best when they are not around to see others take over, otherwise, you never give others the chance to realy take over.

When I returned to work in November 2010 after three months sick leave, my station management and VOC board magnanimously allowed me to work at a pace that best suited my health. Alhamdulilah, it meant a drastic cut in my work, most of which was done from home. I now literally work from my bed daily as webmaster while producing my Open Lines show which airs nine hours a week on Mondays to Wednesdays. Who knew that this would develop into a full time job, but it became just what the doctor ordered.

I am now able to work at my own pace on stories that I am really interested in, without overtaxing myself. At the same time, Mishka, Goolam, Tasneem and their teams are attending to the more pressing, hands on tasks related to VOC’s operations. Looking back now, I have no idea how I managed to cover so many portfolios for so long. Today it is literally four people’s work and it keeps growing, but I have full confidence in the next generation at VOC.

11 years later after stepping into VOC’s management, I can honestly say I have literally worked myself out of a job where a new generation - many of whom I have trained - have been able to step in my shoes. And it reinforces so many lessons I have learnt at VOC over the last decade - no one is irreplacable and no job is yours forever. There is a Higher Power that governs these things and when you give things over into His Hands, He gets you where He needs you to be, rather than where you think you should be.

So in 2012, as VOC’s principle presenter and webmaster, there remains many new tasks to look forward to, insha Allah. Ameen.

On Air

Meanwhile in the next week, these are the issues I will be covering on Open Lines:

Mon 2 Jan

• 6pm: (Repeat) Akhlaq 10
• 7pm: Community Issues 2011
• 8pm: MJC on Nigeria religious violence

Tue 3 Jan

• 6pm: (Repeat) Legal Hour - Evictions
  
• 7pm: (Repeat) Managing VOC’s Frequencies
• 8pm: (Repeat) IDM in the townships

Wed 4 Jan

• 6pm: (Repeat) Youth Hour: New Year
• 7pm: Haj/Halal 2011 Highlights

2011 was another dramatic year during which Open Lines was privileged to remain in the forefront as we covered the issues that lie close to the heart of the Muslim community. For a show that first went live on air in 2006, the past year has seen us offer more exclusives than ever before, time and time again scooping the main stream media in covering things that impact on this community. Let’s take a trip down memory lane to check on some of the biggest issues we covered on this show in 2011.

Africa 1 Aid

While the two biggest controvercial stories of the year were no doubt the haj visa scandal and the Orion halal debacle, there were plenty of other issues covered over the course of the year, starting with the announcement by the Muslim Judicial Council and Al Quds Foundation in January of SA’s first overland humanitarian convoy to Gaza. This was followed by ongoing coverage over the next ten months on this mission as we helped to build momentum on this campaign.

There can be little doubt that this was probably the biggest national project ever tackled by the MJC and while it was a learning curve with may challenges that forced organisers to literally think on their feet with the changing circumstances, they manage to pull it off. More than that, it went a long way to win a great deal of support and respect for them from Muslims across the country.

In this regard, the national and African roadshows were a fantastic initiative. Although the competition with SARA for the first overland humanitarian convoy from South Africa left a bad taste, in the end both missions reached their target and returned home with a commitment to ensure that more, much needed aid on a more regular basis was sent to Gaza.

VOC also did its part as media partner by getting on board with the VOC Gaza Water Project. Between Easter and September, we succeeded in raising a massive R350,000, thanks to your generosity. This is the biggest fundraiser VOC has ever done for a cause outside of the station. The Hussami Mosque brought in the biggest chunk of over R56,000, followed by Paarl Muslim Jamah - so let it not be said that our rural listeners need to stand back one centimetre for those living in the city! These funds were handed over directly in Gaza in August to existing water projects.

Somali Famine

Of course there was much debate on whether or not international need superseded local need and again this was cause for some needless controversy. However, again, the success of the mission spoke for itself. Then, as the Africa 1 Aid and VOC Gaza Water Project got midway, the focus shifted to a devastating famine in Africa that affected 12 million people.

Again our people and leadership came to the party and smoothly went from supporting the one project to the other. While humanitarian organisations like Gift of the Givers, Islamic Relief and Al Imdaad did yeoman’s work in lending aid to the stricken region, our own people locally dug deep into their pockets to give what they could. Such generosity - amidst a global economic downturn - can only be applauded.

On VOC’s side, with the help of the Africa 1 Aid mission, we donated another R250,000 for Somalia. But there was much discussion when one local group opted to sidestep existing humanitarian groups’ efforts and mounted their own mission for Somalia. One can ask if it was really necessary to go it alone when so many others were already there and had done the groundwork. In the end, Allah alone can judge people’s intent.

Arab Spring

The end of January 2011 brought the start of what our onliners believe was the biggest international story of the year - the Arab Spring - which started in Tunisia and swiftly spread to neighbouring countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The ripple effect of this story was felt throughout the entire year and kept the entire world transfixed. Thanks to modern technology like the social media, a revolution got underway, led by the youth.

According to Robert Fisk, this spontanous movement of humanity seeking freedom and democracy from despotic leaders, had succeeded in doing that which Osama bin Laden had sought to do with the Al Qaeda movement, but never got close to achieving. While Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak and Tunisia’s Ben Ali had to abdicate, Yemen’s Ali Abdullah Saleh was injured and had to flee, while Moammar Khaddafi was summarily executed. The Arab world at the end of 2011 is left a very different place than a year ago.

The turmoil in north Africa also had an impact locally. Not onlydid local Egyptians and Tunisians strongly back their countrymen at home, the revolution also caused grave concern for the large number of SA Muslim students who were in Egypt. Many of them came home, while others stuck to their guns. As we stand now, the battle is far from over. Change has come for Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, but it will take more time to make a clean start. At the same time, in Yemen, Syria and Bahrain the revolution continues.

Bin Laden

On the other side of the world, May saw another dramatic international development when it was announced that in a secret mission in Ahmedabad, Pakistan, the world’s most wanted man - Bin Laden - had been killed and was buried at sea. It was touted as a great US victory, but there were far too many loopholes in this story for our listeners to take it at face value.

There was the shocking revelation that Bin Laden had lived in an upscale Pakistani neighbourhood not far from a big military base, and that his presence had supposedly gone undetected. In no times at all, there were revelations that he had been there under Pakistani protection. There were other rumours too - that he had been killed or died of illness a long time ago and this was a convenient period for the US to implement its exit strategy from Afghanistan.

Ironically, a decade after 9/11, Afghanistan was no better than before. Meanwhile, the US’ relationship with Pakistan supposedly turned sour after the Bin Laden affair. As December arrived, the US withdrew from Iraq without much fanfare. While this could be deemed as Obama’s election promise to bring the troops home, the failure to close Guantanamo and his upcoming re-election campaign in 2012, leaves one sceptical of the real political motives behind these steps. Time will tell.

MMB

On the local front, one of the most controversial issues we covered in Open Lines in the first half of the year related to the Draft Bill on Muslim Marriages where public comment was called for before a March 15 deadline. This was eventually postponed to the end of May. In this regard, Open Lines did a 10 part series over three months to provide insights on the matter, but it was not without drama or heated debate!

While this show had over the last three years kept a consistent eye on this issue, 2011 was the year when much more was done to bring the matter to the people. The anti-MMB campaign kicked things off with a bang and it was fierce and ugly. The name-calling and labelling - not to mention the use of the word “kufr” - became an ugly refrain that had little respect for anyone.

Based on the experience of our listeners in various programs where the need for some form of legal protection had repeatedly come to the fore, VOC had backed the bill and got caught in the fray on numerous occassions. It became just as important to duck the abuse and refuse a platform to those who could not abide by the Islamic etiquette of debate, as it was to provide details on the pros and cons of the bill.

With numerous legal battles, sms, email and social media campaigns, by the time the deadline arrived at the end of May, the Muslim public had become generally sick of the debate. However, hats off to Uucsa and the MJC who after a slow start, finally got their act together and along with other civil society bodies, arranged numerous workshops in the Western Cape where those who were interested could inform themselves on the bill. And now we are back to waiting for the next step in a process that began almost 15 years ago.

Politics

Another story that took a big chunk of our time on Open Lines was our coverage of the local government elections in mid-May. I specifically focused on a seven part analysis series and what was heartening, according to our analysts, was the increasing level of maturity among voters. People were better informed on their rights and demanded more from politicians, but unhappiness with the lack of service delivery, crime and corruption, caused many to stay away from the polls.

This was far different from the apathy of previous years. In this case, people stayed away as a form of protest. The ANC’s ongoing infighting in the Western Cape ensured that they did not have enough fuel in the tank to oust the DA and Julius Malema’s powerplay reached outragous levels. It was not appreciated among our listeners and certainly cost the ANC.

Fortunately, by the time the last quarter arrived, the ANC itself began to realise that it needed to get tough on Malema. The kingpin who had spearheaded the Zuma leadership race had turned against his leader and was now challenging the mother body in a manner never seen before. The ANC finally won back some respect when, after a prolonged process, it suspended him as ANCYL leader for five years.

And perhaps for the first time, Malema is having to consider that without the ANC, he is nothing. But to his credit, he is sticking around to find a way to remain a part of the political spectrum. It will be interesting to see what 2012 holds for him. The Malema story, according to our online voters, was the biggest SA national story of 2011, but 2012 will also focus on the ongoing leadership race which should bring its own political drama.

Women’s issues

One of my favourite areas in Open Lines in 2011 was related to women’s issues and there were many to cover. First there was the shocking story on female genital mutilation which is making a reappearance in South Africa, thanks to the growing migrant community. This was a story that made both men and women alike cringe as a survivor graphically related the horror of this practise and its lifelong after effects.

Then we also kept on our agenda the issue of female scholars, strongly pushing for more recognisiton of these alimas in a society where too often women in need of help were offered only a male perspective. However, so many females were qualifying in this field, but were not able to make a real impact. The positive news came when at its AGM in April, the MJC for the first time approved membership of female scholars and amended its constitution.

However, since then, the process has been slow, if not nonexistent. There are more than enough female scholars, but it is not clear yet how they will be absorbed and deployed as part of ulema bodies. This is a discourse that should be set high on the agenda for 2012 for it is crystal clear how much needed female scholars are today, especially in relation to women and the law, counselling, not to mention the development of Fiqhul Nisa - a new area that needs to be explored.

But on the lighter side, we also explored the growing hijabi fashion trends that is gaining ground as an industry in the Cape. We looked at issues such as the “granny nannies”, Muslim women turning increasingly to gyms and fitness regimes, in addition to numerous debates related to the empowerment of women and its relation to their own spiritual journeys.

Asmal

On another level, one of the big controversies of the year was the death and subsequent cremation of former minister Kader Asmal. There were many lessons to be learnt from this issue which caused a hue and a cry around the country. While the country paid homage to Asmal as a political stalwart, Muslims had a harder time understanding the man. Was he a Muslim or an atheist? And how could anyone born as a Muslim ever let his body be cremated, people asked.

Amid the turmoil, the family called in the MJC to mediate and in the end we were able to confirm in one of our scoops of the year, that a compromise was reached. While he was cremated and his ashes buried, on the evening before in a private ceremony his body had been prepared in accordance with Muslim rites with a ghusl and kaffan. Many thought the ulema were too lenient and fiercely criticised their position.

But the bigger lessons here was for us, rather than for Asmal whose life was over. Those in multi-cultural marriages where more than one religion was practised learnt that it was critical to ensure that they were clear about burial procedures during their lifetime. At the same time, it also posed huge questions about people with Muslim names who did not necessarily live us Muslims. More than that, we also learnt that it is only Allah who could judge, but that one’s death often is a reflection of one’s life.

Salt River Muslim Primary

One of the saddest stories we covered in 2011 was the closure of the Salt River Muslim Primary School by the WCED, despite a bitter battle for survival. This community school that was almost 100 years old formally closed its doors this month, but the WCED had failed dismally in convincing anyone that it had given due consideration to the opinion of the people. It soon became clear that this was about financial expedience.

It was explained that the number of new schools that would open next year would serve more learners than the nine schools that were being closed. While one undestood the budgetary constraints, one has to question the process that was followed. Sadly, there was no real political will in our community to join the campaign to save the school, but what is a bigger worry for me is that this school serves as a warning sign for other Muslim community schools who also receive state aid.

How long will it take for the WCED to decide it could save the money it gave to those schools as well and where would the remaining Muslim schools be then? These schools are part of our legacy in this country and were painstakingly established with hard earned money by our forbears. But with the changing of times, parents look towards bigger schools to secure a better future for their children and that can only be the start of a catastrophic end for such schools which only the poor can afford.

Conclusion

Looking back on the many hours I had on air this year, I know I have been blessed. 18 months ago when my health took a bad turn, I begged for more time in order to complete whatever task the Almighty had set for me on this earth and He responded. Now looking back, I can honestly say that every single story that I worked on in this “bonus year” for me, had mattered and had a very personal impact on me.

I hope that in as much as I had learnt, so too have I been able to benefit those who tuned in or read the online write ups. Here’s to 2012…May we be able to pick up where we left off in 2011 and continue working towards the advancement of the ummah, insha Allah. Ameen.

On Air

Meanwhile, in the next two weeks, you can stay tuned for coverage on the following issues on Open Lines:

Mon 26 Dec

• 6pm: Akhlaq 10
• 7pm: (Repeat) Misconceptions on Muslims
• 8pm: (Repeat) Domestic Violence

Tue 27 Dec

• 6pm: OL 2011 Highlights 1
• 7pm: OL 2011 Highlights 2
• 8pm: Haj Update & Review

Wed 28 Dec

• 6pm: Youth Hour: New Year
• 7pm: Muslim Issues of 2011
• 8pm: (Repeat) Social Media

One of the many good things about living with a terminal illness is the way it sharpens your vision to focus only on the things that matter. It allows you to so clearly see the wood for the trees, and more particularly to recognise the bull**t a mile away. It makes it immeasurably easier to remove yourself from situations that are of no benefit to you and your spiritual growth and to fundamentally connect what you do every minute of your day with your duty to your Creator. So I have lost patience with people who have hidden agendas and use their time plotting for whatever reason.

But much as you might want to get away from it, you pick it up everywhere. This week two cases comes to mind. It’s been a torrid time trying to steer clear of all the mud in the halal industry. Beyond the scandal of relabelled imports, there are longstanding differences between halal bodies, made worse by the fact that there is fierce competition for a piece of this lucrative trade. If in all the years the four parties were unable to set aside differences to unite, is it realistic to expect them to do so now over the Orion issue?

As an optimist I would like to think so, but I am too much of a realist to do so. While trying to cover the story in a manner that helps the public to regain some kind of confidence in the halal industry, you very quickly realise that despite the best of intentions, those differences and mistrust remain firmly in place. Hence, everything is questioned and viewed with suspicion and that does not help you to find common ground.

But what seriously gets to me is the pettiness of it all. It reminds me of when we were kids. “I didn’t start the fight, he did!… No, you did and you said…” Backwards and forwards we go without getting anywhere. Don’t people get tired of that kind of nonsense? All it really says is that I don’t trust you or anything you say.

And as my dad would say, that kind of mistrust is based on a fundamental belief that “I am more of a Muslim than you”. How else do we explain it when this kind of bickering goes on among even the ulema themselves? I have no time for it and will not be a party to it. Finish en klaar. There are too many other good stories to cover.

MBC AGM

The second issue relates to the AGM of the MBC - VOC’s parent body - which takes place this weekend. It is so ironic. For the first time in a long while, notices about the AGM actually went out well in advance. In previous years we only heard about the AGM after it had already taken place. This year, the notices were read out regularly on air in the week before the AGM and I personally put it on the front page of the VOC website on Tuesday where, unusually, it stayed for 5 days.

However, some people who have their knives in for VOC seem to have missed that, because an email was circulated on Friday stating that the “AGM was taking place hush hush and by invitation only”. This naturally was followed by comments of “OMG what is happening in the Muslim community” with all sort of strategies called for because “a public community broadcaster is having their AGM behind closed doors contravening their licence conditions and their own constitution”. More than that, “senior VOC staff” contacted someone to inform him of how unhappy they were with how things were run at VOC.

That’s the kind of plotting that makes me nauseous for so many reasons. Firstly, the gentleman now keen on exposing VOC is the same one who has been engaged in a campaign of his own to build his own little empire, sticking his nose into everything from haj to halal matters and now VOC issues. Hey, these are issues that need to be cleaned up so it needs critical voices. Halleluya!

But what it does not need is hypocrisy. Neither does it need a Bushism - if VOC does not side with you on your issues then it is the enemy that must be decimated. How does one expect anyone to have respect for your efforts if on the one hand you vicious attack of VOC’s integrity and credibility in public platforms - and you do so on more than one occasion - and then meekly sit in meetings with us to apologise. Then just when you think all is resolved you come back for round three to subversively rattle the MBC AGM.

The MBC is community owned entity. The reason why notices were posted were so that interested parties could be aware and attend. So why the need to plot? Does the mere fact that notices went out in advance this time not tell you that somewhere along the line people are learning and as Maya Angelou says, “when you know better, you do better”?

As for “senior VOC staff” that are unhappy… In 11 years of being at VOC full time, I have had more than my share of criticism of the station. I have even quit a few times over those differences and spoken out repeatedly about the need for change. I am the first to welcome fresh blood through an AGM into the MBC structure (and please Lord, let there be more women!)

As our station manager said a few weeks ago, the days of managing community radio by trial and error is over. We are in the big league and there is a great deal to do. More than ever, it requires skill, focus and commitment. So people who only stick around at VOC waiting for better prospects and those who only stir up trouble, moaning from the sidelines without getting their hands dirty need to stop and question their motives.

If your niyyah is sound, you won’t have to push your cause half as hard, but if you niyyah is wrong, trust me, people will see through you soon enough. If you really care about a situation - whether it is VOC or halal issues - quit whining and put your money where your mouth is. Otherwise get out of the way. Be the change you want to see, instead of moaning for the sake of being heard and expecting others to do the work for you.

There is much to improve at VOC and the MBC - I can write a book about it. But the one reason we have survived and stayed the course, I firmly believe, is because Allah has a purpose for this station, so He guides us inspite of our weaknesses. When you buy into His plan and ask that He uses you as a tool, it is incredibly easy to see that you don’t have to plot or have hidden agendas. He will get you there.

On Air

Meanwhile, you can stay tuned for the following issues on Open Lines in the next week:

Mon 12 Dec

• 6pm: Akhlaq 9
• 7pm: Halal meeting feedback
• 8pm: D6 feedback & Sukuk

Tue 13 Dec

• 6pm:  Legal Hour
  
• 7pm:  (Repeat) Muslims & the Environment
• 8pm:  (Repeat) Foreign Marriages

Wed 14 Dec

• 6pm: Youth Hour: Festive Season
• 7pm: Midweek Review
• 8pm: (Repeat) Slamse

In the last two months the Muslim community was rocked by two big scandals and in both cases, what made the haj and then halal crisis worse was that ultimately it was Muslims who weakened our own position by compromising on our standards; literally selling out our fellow Muslims for a buck. Now as both stories start to fade into the background, I have to remind myself of the many unanswered questions that remain on both scandals.

Usually when such corruption is exposed, there is massive shock and disbelief; lots of speculation and talk … But gradually that fades and people move on with their lives and for journalists it is on to the next story. I’m quite happy to do that, but when I do so, I at least want to know that after exposing a scandal, we at least did something constructive to help resolve it.

As Muslim broadcasters we are compelled to do more than just report, especially when it affects something so central to our beliefs. However, in both the halal and haj cases, I am not satisfied that we are anywhere close to resolving the issues that led to the crisis in the first place.

On haj

So here are some of the outstanding issues on the haj story: We heard lots from the haj regulator and advocacy groups opposed to the regulator; the hajis who had been affected, their families and the body that represents operators. But we have yet to hear from the operators who had bought and sold foreign visas.

The Sahuc investigation notwitstanding, I’m still leaving the door open for an operator to explain to me - on condition of anonymity if needed - how things worked; how this does not amount to corruption and how they have had the best of intentions. I will not feel I understand the full story until I have that chance, so I live in hope that somehow I will get these answers.

Now there is talk of a new Haj White Paper, a class action, complaints with the Competition Commission and NPA… all of which will take time. But I am also interested in the outcome of Sahuc’s investigation and the subsequent internal disciplinary proceeding…. though I have my issues with it.

More importantly, it remains to be seen if any local operators will be blacklisted by Saudi authorities after this debacle, or if any of the returning hajis will decide to take legal action on their own to seek restitution. While it is never good to have our dirty laundry washed in public, that might just be what is needed for our haj industry to come clean, so I keep watching the space.

On halal

On the halal scandal there are even more unanswered questions. Two minutes after my brother landed at CTN International with the dust of haj still on him, his daughter rushed to him and the first words out of her mouth was: “Papa, did you know we can no longer eat any meat because it’s not halal? So I am only eating peanut butter and bread!”

Ten days later, we still don’t know if it is safe to buy “halal” products - whether it is from your local butcher on the corner or from the supermarket down the road. So we won a court order which immediately stops Orion Cold Storage from relabelling imported products as halal. But we still don’t know who bought from them and how widely those products were distributed. It doesn’t matter if Orion says it was not distributed in the Western Cape, this story has made us all wary, so I cannot take anything at face value any more.

Secondly, the loopholes in the halal industry have not been plugged because the four halal authorities each have different standards. And as much as they speak of rallying on a common issue, they are still a long way from agreeing to uniform standards. They have learnt to be more circumspect in their public comments, but the politics and mistrust is still there, sad to say. This shows up very quickly when you start asking questions - such as why the National Halal Accord cannot be revived or why the call by one authority for a national meat traders summit cannot get the buy in from all four halal bodies.

Thirdly, we have not even begun to deal with “halal” imports and the situation is exacerbated by the fact that the Muslim butchers association in the Western Cape barely exists. So who oversees the process when our local butchers, meat traders and manufacturers sidestep halal bodies to import products on their own? This, apparantly only happens in the Cape, but one of the halal bodies says this is not quite true. Local meat traders do have a tacit halal approval from a halal authority… the question is to what extent?

So the bottom line is, I still don’t know if any of the meat I buy is halal. To compound matters even further, I’ve been privy this week to various horror tales of local butcheries where people buy meat from non-Muslim, unhalal outlets and - for their own reasons - sell it as halal in to their fellow Muslims. These are not big companies, but the small guy on the corner whom everyone thought they could trust implicitly.

Hence it leaves me asking how often have I eaten non halal without even knowing it? So while there are no answers on these questions, the idea of going vegetarian increasingly looks like the better option!

On air

Meanwhile, in the next two weeks, you can stay tuned to Open Lines when I look at the following issues:

Mon 28 Nov

• 6pm: Akhlaq 8 on Muharram
  
• 7pm: Introducing www.HappiHajji.co.za
• 8pm: International Halal standards
  

Tue 29 Nov

• 6pm:  IPSA 3 - Moderation & the Women’s Debate
• 6.30: (Repeat) Awqaf SA on Waqf
  
• 7.15pm: VOC Bursary Fund Radiothon

Wed 30 Nov

• 6pm: Youth Hour: Islamaphobia on Facebook
• 7pm: Midweek Review
• 8pm: (Repeat) Gender Abuse
  

Mon 5 Dec

• 6pm: (Repeat) Akhlaq 8
  
• 7pm: IPSA 4 - Moderation & the Islamic Tradition
• 8pm: 10 Muharram OB

Tue 6 Dec

• 6pm: Legal Hour: Muslim Marriages 3
• 7pm: Waqf Part 1
• 8pm: (Repeat) Male Anger
  

Wed 7 Dec

• 6pm: (Repeat) Youth Hour
• 7pm: IPSA 5 - Moderation and Minorities
• 8pm: (Repeat) Migrants & Unemployment

When you are the gatekeeper who determine content on air or online, you are indirectly responsible for giving a platform to people and entities. It is a fine line between providing space for fair coverage so that as many views as possible is presented, and deciding where to draw a line so that you do not present a platform for “objectionable” views.

Okay, that on its own is  a huge mouthful. So let’s unpack it. Take the example of atheism. Last week in the Youth Hour the teenage panel looked at how the youth viewed religion and determined that today’s youth were far more open to accepting diversity than our generation was. More than that, increasingly, they are less likely to define themselves as Muslims first, but see themselves more as South Africans.

What upset one caller was that when the kids were talking about accepting diversity, they also discussed atheism. That listener’s child was also listening at the time and then wanted to know what atheism was. The parent then chided the station for even discussing such an issue on air, saying that it was inappropriate content on a Muslim radio station. I respectfully disagree. The reality is that kids are confronted daily with fellow Muslims who are not religious, murtad, atheists and others of different faiths.

Instead of saying “we should not talk about it”, parents would be well advised to discuss these issues with their kids so that they know the differences and are able to find their way among others of different faiths so that they can deal with the huge challenges that face the new generation. Wrapping them up in cotton wool so that they don’t know about things like atheism does not prepare them in any way for the future. It is more likely to confuse them when they are confronted with something new and eventually lure them away.

But by the same token, when we do discuss such contentious issues on air, our responsibility is to place it in an Islamic context, which I believe the Youth Hour panel did very well. By the end of the program I felt fairly comfortable that as much as these kids were open to accepting diversity, it also clearly stood out that the youth who received strong religious guidance at home were very comfortable in their skin and had few qualms about their Islamic identity. That in my view made them stronger and as such, the show had done its job. So in this case we presented a platform to broaden debate and create awareness, if not understanding.

Controversy

But then there are more controversial issues. When something is bound to create Muslim disunity, lead to hate speech or acrimony for instance, where do you draw the line? How much of it do you allow on air on even online? In this case, we’ve stuck to the concept of wasatiyyah - the middle road. If you are going to be bashing the ulema, condemn people as being kafir, stoop to the level of personal attacks…then we say no thank you. The MMB debate of earlier this year is a case in point.

I have ad nauseum reminded people of the adabul ikhtilaf - the Islamic etiquette of debate. That does not include praising us to the point of embarassment when we provide you with airtime, only to bash VOC nine ways to Sunday in the public domain - like the social media - two days later when we don’t go along with your agenda. To me that is running between two extremes. (If you are confused about the issue of finding the middle ground, IPSA’s symposium on Charting the Middle Way in Islam Today on Sunday 20 November - which VOC will be recording to air on Open Lines - will be very useful.)

Over the last two months two stories I have had the privilege to scoop on air - the haj visa debacle and now the halal saga - has caused massive debate and in both cases I found that there were people who - no matter how hard we try - will not be satisfied with our coverage. When we do not go along with their view, we have been publicly attacked as being the mouthpiece of the Muslim Judicial Council, lacking in professional ethics and integrity, threatened with legal action and complaints to the BCCSA….blah blah blah.

Personally, I don’t like responding to such attacks and when you start making threats, my ears shut down and I focus my attention on the ball. We do not work for individual watchdogs or whoever is unhappy with us at any specific point in time. We have to juggle the interests and feedback from 350,000 listeners in the Western Cape and thousands more online. We do that by applying our professional experience and Islamic integrity to sift through all the noise in order to get to the salient issues, minus the agendas.

And I get through the job by reminding myself of a lesson taught by a wise elderly gentleman: “When my work is good enough, my mouth does not need to advertise.” You cannot be in this job and judge your work solely by what people say, because you are always just as good as your last story and the public is fickle. So I’ve learnt to take what others say - both the good and the bad - with a pinch of salt, since everyone speaks with his/her own agenda.

My only responsibility is in the words of Shakespeare “to thy own self be true” and more than that, to test everything you do on a daily basis - including how you earn your income - against your responsibility to your Creator. Not a day goes by that I am not aware that I am living in extra time. I do not have the luxury to do things I may regret or to worry about what others say; for when I stand before my Creator, no one else will have to answer for my actions except me. And that is more than enough of an incentive for me to keep doing my job to the best of my ability for as long as I am blessed to be on this earth.

On Air

Meanwhile, next week Open Lines looks at the following issues:

Mon 14 Nov

• 6pm: (Repeat) Family Life: Akhlaq 2
• 7pm:  Careers in IT
• 8pm: (Repeat) Inheritance Q&A 3

Tue 15 Nov

• 6pm: Legal Hour: Muslim Marriages
• 7pm: (Repeat) Careers in Advertising
• 8pm: Halal Update

Wed 16 Nov

• 6pm: Youth Hour: Exam stress
• 7pm: Midweek Review
• 8pm: Migrants and Unemployment

This week sees the return of our hujjaj and with them, the 11 haj operators who are alleged to have participated in a scam to sell foreign visas to South Africans. We also learnt this week that the South African Haj and Umrah Council (Sahuc) is continuing its investigation into the matter both here and in the Kingdom.

However, while the Saudi embassy has been “co-operating” with Sahuc, there was no equivalent investigation into the matter - which Sahuc admits had tarnished the reputation of the South African haj industry - from either the South African or Saudi Arabian governments. And to me that is a problem which would prevent us from a) etiher fully getting to the bottom of this debacle or b) seeing errant operators being dealt with properly.

The very first rule of Media Law I learnt 25 years ago was that “justice must be seen to be done”. Without it, John Public will have no confidence in the justice system’s ability to mete out fair and equitable punishment to those who err, while bringing justice to those who had been injured by such actions.

In covering this debacle over the last few weeks, much has been said to me “on and off the record”; I’ve been privy to lots of speculation, rumour and comment. It’s been hard to steer clear of the Sahuc and ulema bashing; the smear campaigns versus the PR campaigns to do damage control; the lobbying versus the rabble rousing; not to mention the sensationalist tabloid reporting which was all headlines and little substance.

The only thing that stands out clearly is that we don’t have all the facts and it would be virtually impossible to get credible proof for all the allegations. So we rely strongly on the outcome of an in-depth, independent investigation. And therein lies the rub for - with all due respect to Sahuc - if they are the only ones investigating this scandal and they use the same means of arbitration and mediation as they have in the past in terms of their disciplinary procedures, it will not be enough - not for me - who have often been accused of being too patient with Sahuc - and certainly not with a less patient public.

Exposing corruption

Several of my sources are completely right in pointing out that this investigation needs to look at the entire haj process and this includes the Saudi embassy. However, that is sovereign Saudi territory and they don’t owe anyone but their own government any answers. So how far will they co-operate with this investigation?

Let’s face it, no operator would be able to buy or sell haj visas from a foreign country, apply for and obtain courtesy visas directly from the embassy’s stash outside the SA quota, unless someone in the embassy was aware of it and perhaps being paid to look the other way? If there was corruption in the industry, somewhere it had to be tracked back to the embassy and who will expose that?

A case in point was a disturbing claim made to me by an anonymous source who related that operators who had passports at the embassy waiting to be processed for haj visas would receive an anonymous sms from a source in the embassy. They would be informed to deposit a certain amount in a specific bank account. Only once that was done, would their visas be processed. Will this claim ever be tested and the culprit exposed if it was found to be true?

Another critical issue is the fact that operators of long standing have their own contacts in the embassy. While this is standard in any industry, it becomes problematic when those contacts can be influenced in such a way that it almost negates the role of the regulator. What is the point of having the regulator blacklist an operator if said operator can get the blacklisting lifted by simply approaching their contact?

Where does that leave the regulator who - despite all their efforts to improve the haj industry - has seen their reputation and credibility badly tarnished of late? The last time Sahuc had the highest positive ratings among the VOC public was when the United Ulema Council of South Africa took a decision to take charge of Sahuc, which paved the way for Maulana Igsaan Hendricks to preside over the regulator. However, when his two year term came to an end, Sahuc’s ratings started slipping again, until it reached what might be an all time low at this point.

Scapegoat

The sad thing is that in this instance, Sahuc is being made the scapegoat because operators it had accredited had scuppered the haj accreditation process. How come this has been going on for years and Sahuc was not able to prevent it, people ask, unwilling to buy the fact that there has been little proof forthcoming to back such rumours. But that then raises questions of whether or not Sahuc is a toothless tiger. All this just compounds the negativiity towards Sahuc and provides more fodder for the likes of Haj Watch and now Friends of the Hujjaj who are increasing their efforts to oust the regulator.

I don’t think it is fair, especially if one considers that it was Haj Watch who last year urged people to bypass Sahuc by applying directly to the embassy for “special visas”. That is part of this year’s haj visas debacle, but had the embassy come out clearly to explain how these special visas work rather than leaving it to Sahuc to do all the talking - it would have left no room for others to interpret Saudi haj rules and run rings around it.

Sahuc’s biggest weakness has been its inability to conclude its disciplinary processes in such a way that justice was seen to be done. With the focus on arbitration and mediation and the proviso that the parties keep private the deliberations and outcome of such tribunals, John Public remains unconvinced about Sahuc’s ability to deal adequately with errant operators.

Why else would the same operators be back next year? Why else are blacklisted operators able to find ways around such blacklisting? And when you are confronted with what might arguably be the biggest haj visas scam in many a year, you need to find a way to restore the credibility of the party responsible for the investigation in order to ensure you really clean up a big mess.

So here’s my recommendation and I hope Sahuc hears it. I don’t believe the usual disciplinary procedure of an independent panel of legal experts who will adjudicate on this issue is enough. Too much damage has been done. You need a TRC of sorts, but frankly, I don’t believe the industry is ready for that. So in its absence, I strongly suggest that Sahuc brings on board high profile experts - both legal and in the Shariah - to serve on that tribunal.

Secondly, the outcome cannot be swept under the carpets, never to be heard of again as has been happening over the last few years. While one respects the rights of the operators not to have their reputations tarnished, the bigger concern I believe is the loss of confidence in the SA haj industry and for that to be regained, names will have to be mentioned in a responsible fashion so that people can see that justice has been done. And that might include a favourable outcome in the class action now underway.

I live in hope that this ugly debacle serves - if nothing else - as a means to clean up an industry that has been severely tarnished, but you cannot truly clean it up if you mean to do things as they always have been done. May Allah guide us through this process, insha Allah. Ameen.

“My gosh, do all Muslims have cancer?!” This is how one white, cancer patient from Claremont described her first impression upon walking into Grootte Schuur’s cancer unit where she was confronted with a sea of scarves and fezzes. She might very well be right. On any given day up to 60% of the patients sitting there are from our community - whether they are there for breast cancer, bone, colon, prostate or any other kind of cancer.

So when I left the hospital this morning - after receiving the first treatment in a new series that must repeat itself every eight weeks - and made my way to the VOC studio to give my support for our third Global Pink Hijab Day effort, it made complete sense that a Muslim radio station should take up the cudgels to raise awareness about breast cancer. To me it is about much more than just raising awareness about cancer.

It is about saying that hijab is part of a proud identity we carry as Muslim women. That hijab - so often derided, misunderstood and feared both inside and outside the Muslim community - says so much to me. It epitomises who I am, the commitment I make with that garb in how I will serve my Creator and conduct myself. It is something I freely choose to wear and understand. Far from being a mark of oppression, it is a symbol of my freedom…but it is a sense of comfort and acceptance that came after a journey of soul searching and spiritual maturity.

Using a scarf to make a statement on issues beyond the religious sphere is powerful. It says that I accept my Islamic identity completely and can use it to raise awareness on issues like breast cancer which affects so many more people. And in that way we are quietly making a place for ourselves.

Statistics

In this case, that hijab is used to highlight the fact that one in 29 women in this country will be affected by breast cancer. If you go back to Grootte Schuur’s LE33 unit, you may be inclined to think that the odds in our community is even higher.

It makes one ask real questions about our lifestyle - is it about what we eat, a lack of exercise, bad genes, exposure to something radioactive? Whatever it is, it is a reality that claims far too many lives. In fact, in 2008 statisticians predicted that cancer would be the leading cause of death in 2010.

Here are some more factors to chew on: The 2000-2001 NCR Report shows that women have a lifetime risk of 1 in 8 of getting cancer, as opposed to 1 in 6 in the previous report, with the following cancers predominating:

- Breast 1 in 29
- Cervix 1 in 35
- Uterus 1 in 144
- Colorectal 1 in 162
- Oesophageal 1 in 196

As for men, the 2000-2001 NCR Report shows that males have a lifetime risk of 1 in 6 of getting cancer, as opposed to 1 in 4 in the previous report, with the following cancers predominating:

- Prostate 1 in 23 (how scary is that!)
- Lung 1 in 69
- Oesophagus 1 in 82
- Colon/rectum 1 in 97
- Bladder 1 in 108

Creating awareness

So when teenager Humairah Jassat of Johannesburg four years ago imported Global Pink Hijab Day into South Africa, VOC staff took up the slack for the Cape. On Wednesday 26 October we hosted our 3rd program in conjunction with Cansa, Reach for Recovery and the Sunflower Foundation. Thanks to the sponsorship of Pick n Pay and the hard work of our VOC Women’s Network, staff and volunteers, VOC literally went pink for the occasion.

Hats off to all of them for a fantastic effort. While the numbers were not as great, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the vibe, the energy or the fun. But then everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer. At least three of our presenters have had some form of cancer while another three have a parent who is either a cancer survivor or had lost their life to it. So it is an issue that hits home for many of us.

And it is for those who died of cancer, and more so for those who have to live with it daily that we mark Global Pink Hijab Day. It is not about having sympathy for cancer patients. We don’t need sympathy - that weakens you.

All we need are your duas in order to stay strong and focused on beating this disease. At the same time, it is about embracing the challenge that comes with it to draw closer to your Creator which this disease forces you to do.

Therefore Pink Hijab Day is about celebrating the brave people who sit with me in LE33. Their stories of survival remind me daily just how lucky I am. It happened again this month when I went back for xrays and a bone scan and learnt that the bone cancer had cleared up in the areas where I had radiation last year. However, it had spread to other bones and I needed a new, expensive drug to strengthen those bones.

But as I worried about the cost, I sat next to a woman who had inoperable ovarian cancer. She cannot have any more chemo and her treatment costs three times what mine costs - a cool R10,000 a pop. Another gentleman has a cancer that is even more rare and his medication costs R30,000 a month… Compared to that, my medical costs pale in significance. So I hushed up and said “shukran Lord, for this new challenge. I got through the others…I can get through this too.”

It is these cancer survivors who start out as strangers and end up becoming like a family. Sitting next to someone in the chemo room with a needle stuck in your arm, it’s amazing how quickly you bond. Two hours later you are firm comrades in arms, waving each other goodbye on the street as if you’ve known each other for ages, or exchanging a hug to encourage each other to stay strong.

But I also want to pay tribute to the medical staff who are there in our darkest hour with a caring hand to assist, to inform, calm and guide. Bless you for your compassion and effort.

Most of all, bless every one of you who donned a pink scarf, t-shirt or dyed your hair today….especially my colleagues who have done a brilliant job with Pink Hijab Day. You guys rock!

Ok, stop the lorry, I want to get off! A week after breaking the story on the haj visa scandal, my phone still keeps ringing hourly - I kid you not! As soon as I think I have a handle on things, there is a new twist in the tale. Like any journo worth your salt, I thrive on the thrill of digging into this story, but I have to tell you, after a week of all this - the trauma of the hujjaj, the twists and turns of the story, the hidden agendas that emerge - I have a migraine second to none.

But there literally isn’t a moment to breath because there are new developments all the time. And while that is hard enough to manage, there is also added pressure from people who want more information, more names, more details….and they don’t mind laying into you if the information doesn’t come as swiftly as they would like. Which is why it’s taken me this long to even catch my breath to do a bit of a reflection in my blog.

Where to start! First, the hujjaj…Boy, the heartbreak of people who have worked hard over a lifetime to perform this journey. Having these traumatised people call you to cry on your shoulder and seek answers brings a huge responsibility. One listener summed it up when he said it was sad to see how these hujjaj-  who had expected to have been gone by now - were clinging to the radio for answers because they were not getting it fast enough.

And that is the main focus for me. Whenever there is a haj crisis - and it seems that every year there is a different one - I make it very clear that my first priority is to provide these hajis with answers. Everybody has opinions, bad experiences, lots of comments and sometimes all they want to do is “skel”. They are entitled to it, but frankly, that is not my priority. The affected hujjaj is. Others can go “skel” elsewhere until we have resolved the crisis.

Revealing names

Secondly, we have taken lots of flack because people feel we are deliberately with-holding information, specifically the names of guilty operators. I understand the need to hold someone responsible, but be honest - there is lots of talk and names being mentioned in the community - the only reason they want VOC to mention those names is because once we do, people will accept it as a confirmed fact.

And it is for that very reason that we cannot mention any names until the investigation is completed and people are charged…unless those concerned themselves come to the fore. This is our ethical responsibility. People’s reputations are at stake and if you mention a name in a negative sense, we can be held accountable for any damages if we cannot provide proof for the allegations. How difficult is that to understand? Will the same people who demand we provide names be ready to pay for any legal damages if we are sued?

Let me add, the reason people trust our coverage on this issue is because we actually try darn hard to verify and confirm things before we state in on air. I personally work even harder to cover all the angles, giving all concerned an equal opportunity to state their side. More than that, we genuinely try to do this without rancour. But then we get accused of being in cahoots with this that and the other….that’s when I quit the argument. My work must speak for itself. Khalas.

Opinions

Thirdly, lots of people have formed opinions on what they think they know. Personally,I refuse to sit in judgement. There is too much I don’t know yet. My job is to tell as many sides to the story as I can so that we undestand what motivates people. This includes understanding what drives people to buy visas when they have not been accredited. Like getting an operator to open up and explain to me how they can sell visas from neighbouring countries. The latter I am still working on.

And the more I delve into the story, the more I realise that things are not as white and black as many would like to believe. The hujjaj who bought visas are not all evil people who deliberately bribed someone to get a visa that did not belong to them. Yes, there are those who have done so and Allah will hukum them, but there are also others who genuinely erred in ignorance.

The operators are not all evil people who are out to fleece people. Some feel that they are genuinely finding ways around a problem to allow people to go for haj. (Whether we agree with such views or not, is another story.) And they tell me that even the haj bodies who now claim to know nothing about this practise of foreign visas are being “economical with the truth”. It’s an old practise and now that it has come to light, people are dashing for cover.

Way forward

There has been huge criticism of the regulator and I will be the first to acknowledge that between the principles and protocols on the one hand and the practical application on the hand, there is a huge difference. No matter how well intended, it cannot be denied that people are still very creative in finding loopholes - too many repeat hajis slipped through the cracks at the expense of others because they could pay. It cannot be denied that even within the very structures set up to protect hujjaj, visas were sold or people were told “don’t worry, I’ll sort it out for you”.

Too many questions and too few truly clean hands. But this does not mean that everyone within these structures - from Sahuc to the embassy and haj ministry - are evil, controlling individuals intent on making a buck. The sad thing is, even those who are genuinely working hard to change things are being tarred with the same brush.

What is needed is for people at all levels to come clean to expose exactly what the extent of the corruption is - from the embassy to the regulator to haj operators. Only then can we make a clean sweep. Maybe we need a TRC of sorts! Currently, there are far too many agendas at play, people are not willing to admit that some within their own ranks have been guilty.

And the hujjaj themselves are just as guilty. There are still too many who say “who is Sahuc or the Saudi’s to tell me I can’t come for haj when haj comes from Allah?” Yep, but Allah also tells you to make salah and the Sunnah gives you guidelines on how to do it. Then you are told to abide by those guidelines. So if the Saudi’s are the hosts and they implement certain rules, who are we to tell them what they can or cannot do in their country? Will you tolerate a foreigner coming to tell us what to do in our country?

Here is the crux of it - haj is about supply and demand. If there is no demand, the supply will dry up. If people go back to the belief that haj is the culmination of your spiritual life, the pinnacle of your ibadat which is to be spotless from beginning to end, then you will have the taqwa to say no to anyone wanting to offer you something that is tainted in the slightest way. And unfortunately, we drift further away in this regard. May Allah in His Infinite Mercy guide us back!

On Air

Meanwhile, this months, my Open Lines line up is and has been as follows:

Wed 19 Oct

• 6pm: Youth Hour - Peer pressure
• 7pm: Midweek Review
• 8pm: Muslims & waste

Tue 18 Oct

• 6pm: Legal Hour: Kids, contraceptives & abortion
• 7pm: Haj industry analysis
• 8pm: (Repeat) Leaving SA

Mon 17 Oct

• 6pm: Akhlaq 4
• 7pm: Itheko - encouraging Muslims to run
• 8pm: (Repeat) Janazas 3

Wed 12 Oct

• 6pm: Youth Hour & Salt River Primary closure
• 7pm: Haj update
• 8pm: (Repeat) Hajis speak

Tue 11 Oct

• 6pm: Legal Hour: Surrogacy & Haj lawsuits
• 7pm: Careers: Advertising
• 8pm: Haj update

Mon 10 Oct

• 6pm: Akhlaq 3
• 7pm: Charity in Motion & (repeat) Supporting the Boks
• 8pm: Haj visa update

Wed 5 Oct

• 6pm: Youth Hour: Youth & Radio
• 7pm: Midweek Review
• 8pm: (Repeat) Janazas 2

Tue 4 Oct

• 6pm: Legal Hour - Foreign Abductions
• 7pm: (Repeat) Festival Entertainment Analysis
• 8pm: EXCLUSIVE: Haj visa scandal

Mon 3 Oct

• 6pm: Akhlaq 2
• 7pm: Festival Entertainment Analysis
• 8pm: Backing the Boks

As we enter the month of October during which the focus will be on cancer awareness, I am reminded of a remarkable young woman whom I had the privilege to meet a year ago.  It was in October last year that I returned to Grootte Schuur Hospital for a second round of radiation after the breast cancer I was first diagnosed with in 2006 had metastised as bone cancer. Over a five day period starting on October 14 2010, I was pushed in my wheelchair down that icy cold passage on the E-Floor to join a group of about 15 people who all waited for their treatment.

On the third day of my treatment, a frail young woman who looked far too young to be there sat down next to me. She was dressed in a Punjabi suit, her scarf artfully draped in a style typical to Cape Town. She was in her mid-30’s, small built and fragile looking. Her husband was at her side and while she seemed tranquil and positive, he looked as if he would shatter into a million pieces.

He stuck close to her, hovering over her, at times leaning into her…like two lost little children trying to seek comfort from each other. Looking at them, you knew…here was a story of heartbreak and endurance. While she waited on her husband, she came to sit next to me and started chatting. She had recognised me and wanted to tell me how much she had enjoyed reading my blog explaining my illness.

Her name was Adila Arend, a mother of three little children who had been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour. In that half hour, we spoke candidly about our experiences in coping with this disease, the mental strength, fighting spirit and optimism it required…all of which had to be grounded in a rock solid faith. I listened to the amazing grace of this young mother and I bowed my head in humility and unending gratitude.

Like me, she had wonderful family support to help her through this challenge, but I could not for one moment imagine what it must be like for a mother to know that she would not outlive her three tiny children. How do you say farewell to them when they still need you so desperately? How do you prepare your beloved husband to cope without you? I went home that night and I grieved for this young family. I never saw Adila again.

Last week this brave young woman lost her battle against cancer and I felt my heart breaking all over again….Not for her, but for her family. It took me a year to understand and embrace the acceptance and tranquility I had sense in her last year. But when I read the article she wrote last year which described her state of mind, it resonates in every fibre of my being.

Adila’s words

I freely borrow from her article as she puts into words what I myself had come to realise in the last year:

“Cancer, this word that I had feared, became my gift and it became my key, unlocking a new world of opportunities I would not have had the good fortune to experience. It opened my eyes to a community needing assistance. Eyes closed to the gratitude we owe for every limb, muscle and movement we so effortlessly make without a thought that, every second, only Allah makes it possible.

“Through this gift of cancer, I had to sacrifice a job, once loved, but I know now that I am destined for greater, more meaningful work, work to help shape a path of inspiration and hope and to provide assistance to those in need. On this perfect summer’s day, I sit and reflect in complete submission and acceptance of Allah’s will and decree and I have no fear for tomorrow and what it holds as I know it has been ordained long ago. The ink is dry and the pages have been written. And I am no longer imprisoned by fear but free in enlightenment. Verily from Allah we come and to Him we must return.”

Rest easy, my sister. The battle is over for you and having won the day, I know you are now tasting the rich reward in His Company. And if you were able to give yourself over with such total faith into His Hands, than we know that He too will take care of the loved ones you left behind.

For the rest of us, the battle continues. On October 7 I return for my next bone scan to determine whether the bone cancer has receded or not. And while there is always uncertainty, I take with me those fateful words “Inna Lillahi wa inna illayhi raji-oon”. It has become the mantra that banishes the panic.

Knowing what I have already survived with His help, it silences the fear of the unknown. Accepting His will brings peace, based on the knowledge that everything He has put in my path draws me nearer to Him. And therein lies freedom. Between that and your duas, no burden is too heavy to bear. Ameen.