The second annual South African Black Muslim Conference (SABMC) wrapped up in Johannesburg on Sunday. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to coordinate empowerment efforts was signed between SABMC and NGO Awqaf SA.
The three-day conference, held at the Palm Continental Hotel in Crown Mines, Johannesburg, focused on the empowerment of Black Muslims. Discussions included mentorship, training, and access to funding.
Leader of SABMC Sheikh Zaid Langa said he was pleased with the outcome of the conference despite the “very difficult circumstances”.
“Under very difficult circumstances, economically and otherwise, all the partners have managed to pull a very good and successful conference,” he said.
Sheikh Langa said he believed that the conference had improved since the first SAMBC, which took place in 2019.
“The previous one was more of a case that we wanted to see how to shape this. The one that we had now was more based on the inputs that we received from the general public. For instance, we tried to make sure that we keep it small and very strategic and [host] influential people within the community,” he said, adding that, “I feel as we go along it should get better and better.”
Economic development
The conference resolved to appoint a task team that will research a sustainable economic development programme. Sheikh Langa explained this was a much-needed step,
“One thing that came out clearly was that the concept of economic development is not something that you can approach casually. Therefore, you need to create a group of people who will go out there and look at the modalities that really need to be implemented in order for us to achieve economic development,” he said.
“That’s a huge task on its own. It requires people who would be dedicated to the cause, people with the skills and know-how, and people who will understand the community very well. They will sit down, study, and give recommendations to ground workers so that we can implement [solutions].”
Unity amongst the Muslim community
Speaking at the SABMC, secretary general of Jamiatul-Ulama SA, Ml. Ebrahim Bham emphasised the importance of unity. “Allah says all believers are brothers and sisters unto one another. We are common, and we are a single Muslim brotherhood.”
Ml. Bham lamented the rise of hatred and disunity within the Muslim community. He said disunity was holding the Muslim community back from progress.
“To take out faults in your next Muslim brother is not taking out faults in him – it is taking out faults in yourself. What pleasure do you get in taking out faults in yourself? What pleasure can you get in taking out the faults of your Muslim brother? Yet, if you look at social media, it’s full of taking out faults of one another. That is why we can’t be constructive [and] we can’t be positive.”
Propagation
“Whenever Muslims went anywhere, they made an impression upon the people where they stayed. They went to Malaysia and Indonesia. Through the means of the honesty and integrity of the Muslim businessmen, they made that into a Muslim-majority country,” said Ml. Bham, as he went on to mention the Muslim’s contribution to the Swahili civilisation.
“They came into West Africa, mainly because of the traders, they made it into Muslim-majority places; be it Nigeria, Senegal, and other places. They came into East Africa [where] they created such a revolution that East Africa became one of the greatest civilisations. It is known as the Swahili civilisation,” he said.
“We in South Africa have not been able” to make an impression on local communities said Ml. Bham.
“The only way we are going to make an impression in South Africa [is] when the people who are here, in front of me, become Muslims and then show Islam to the people of this country,” he added.
