By Daanyaal Matthews The holy month of Ramadan offers a unique opportunity to Muslims to convene as one ummah and grow through unity by engaging in charitable acts in unison, an opportunity to foster and further bonds. One group that aims to do just that is the Muslim Youth Movement (MYM), which looks to bolster its ranks by hosting a mass iftar in the Gugulethu community with the support of […]
By Daanyaal Matthews Being a Muslim in the 21st Century is marred with challenges never before seen. One principal issue is keeping ones Iman (faith) given the vices offered on social media, as with a finger snap one could engage in haram (forbidden acts) whether willing or not. While the ills offered by social media have been well documented what should also be noted is the opportunity it provides for […]
The Vatican and Oman established diplomatic ties on Thursday, marking a further widening of the Holy See's official relations with the Arab Muslim World, Reuters reports. In a joint statement, both sides said they wanted to promote mutual understanding and cooperation and that ambassadors would be named. The Vatican, a sovereign city-state surrounded by Rome, now has diplomatic relations with every country on the Arabian Peninsula, except Saudi Arabia. Oman, a Sultanate, is predominately Muslim, like the […]
France’s draft law aimed at tackling what the government terms “Islamist radicalism” was unveiled on Wednesday. President Emmanuel Macron has promoted the bill to target what he calls “separatists” undermining the nation, but rights groups have raised concerns over the law, saying it would discriminate against French Muslims. Among notable measures is making school obligatory from age three with the ability to opt-out in favour of homeschooling for special cases […]
Alittle magazine on the fringes of the French media mainstream continues to polarise public debate not just in France, but across the Muslim world. Their pitiable cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad have provided fodder to populists on both sides of the divide - first and foremost, French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The former used the heinous terrorist killing of a French schoolteacher to double down […]
Saudi Arabia has said it “rejects any attempt to link Islam with terrorism, and condemns the offensive cartoons of the Prophet” amid an escalating row between France and some Muslim-majority nations over Paris’s support for the right to caricature the Prophet. Its government also called for “intellectual and cultural freedom to be a beacon of respect, tolerance and peace that rejects practices and acts which generate hatred, violence and extremism […]
President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled a plan to defend France’s secular values against what he termed as “Islamist radicalism”, saying the religion was “in crisis” all over the world, prompting a backlash from Muslim activists. In a long-awaited address on Friday, Macron insisted “no concessions” would be made in a new drive to push religion out of education and the public sector in France. “Islam is a religion that is […]
This is an obituary for Islamic calligrapher Dr Sulayman Nordien, who passed away on the 5 September 2020. My first personal encounter with Dr Nordien was in my early twenties when my father set up a meeting with him to introduce me to Arabic calligraphy. We met at Masjid ul Quds where this eloquent, excited, and eccentric man walked in with his writing tools, ink and paper. I could tell […]
KwaZulu-Natal based attorney Yacoob Baig has laid charges against Isipingo resident Chandra Ellaurie for crimen injuria, blasphemy and hate speech at the Isipingo police station. This after Ellaurie won a court application to have the athaan at the Madrasah Taleemuddeen Islamic Institute in Ispingo Beach silenced. In his court application, Ellaurie cited the athaan as "disturbing" his peace and the enjoyment of his property, which Baig says is a "blatant […]
VOC became the first Muslim radio station in South Africa when a special events license was granted to the station in Ramadan/January 1995. Subsequent temporary broadcast licenses were granted, permitting the station to broadcast for 24 hours.
