By Humairaa Mayet
One of my childhood dreams was to be a broadcaster. – Najma Khota
This morning’s #TributeToMuslimBroadcastersSA segment featured Najma Khota.
One of the first Muslim women on air in South Africa, Khota founded a community radio station and co-founded two others, and was a pioneer of Muslim women’s voices in the media industry. She is currently working as a therapist, wellness practitioner, and motivational speaker.
After the apartheid regime had come to an end, there was a “need for community radio stations” and post-1994, many Muslims began training as they attempted to debut on those stations.
Khota assisted Radio Islam with licensing and technical matters and then moved on to Channel Islam International where she worked alongside the late Ebrahim Gangat.
After 9/11, Muslims across the world suffered stigmatisation which was further accentuated by biased views in the mainstream media. During this time, Khota worked tirelessly on bringing alternative media to the fore with the hope that it would allow for the truth to be revealed. She remembered chairing a meeting at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., America, and other remarkable milestones in her career.
She brought her psychological background into her shows where she would confront social ills, taboos, and controversial topics which gave rise to calls from listeners who turned toward Khota in their times of need.
Acknowledging the late Shamima Shaik and her husband Naeem Jeenah, Khota expressed her appreciation for the impact their radio station had on her career.
The #TributeToMuslimBroadcastersSA segment on Salaamedia is an exclusive Ramadan broadcast on our platform, inspired by the late Ebrahim Gangat who was well known for his broadcasting talent.
Watch the full interview here:
