MUSLIM LIFESTYLE ATTRACTS CONVERTS

C/O CITY PRESS November 11, 2006

Islam is gaining ground in some townships for a variety of reasons - from the simple lifestyle of its followers to the fact that the religion does not demand money from its members, writes SHADI RAPITSO

Islam is gaining ground in some townships for a variety of reasons - from the simple lifestyle of its followers to the fact that the religion does not demand money from its members, writes SHADI RAPITSO

GADAFFI Mokoa makes frequent trips in and out of his parents’ home in Mabopane Block D. He occasionally rearranges his skullcap to prevent it from falling. It is his pride.

His parents say he is not the same as other teenagers. He seldom plays in the street and does not get up to the stuff other teenagers do, such as experimenting with girls, dagga, cigarettes and alcohol.

His parents attribute this to Islam, which they have embraced.

Gadaffi is just one of the increasing number of boys who are seen walking around in their Muslim gear, not only in Mabopane but in other townships.

You would think it is a fashion statement, especially on Fridays.

Islam seems to be fast gaining popularity in townships, providing an alternative for disgruntled Christians.

A few minutes later Gadaffi summons his playmates to go for the 5pm prayer at the mosque next to his home. His parents say he does this all the time.

His mother, Aisha Mokoa, says life has improved since her family embraced Islam in 1982.

She says her husband introduced her to the religion.

“I wrestled with my spirit. I was a Catholic. I dismissed Islam as a religion for Indians. It was only after I saw how it had changed my husband, who had been drinking a lot, that I became interested.

“My family has never been the same again. Many people in the township are converting to Islam. The problem though is that some do it without (their) parents’ approval. We then encounter problems when they die because the families do not want us to bury them the Islamic way.”

Salim Tabudi, another Muslim, says they have over 2 000 Muslims who attend mosque in Block D.

He estimates that a further 1 000 attend mosque in Block UX.

He says the numbers are growing despite them not conducting door-to-door recruitment, unlike other religious groups.

Their lifestyle speaks for itself. It is the main attraction, he says.

He says he shunned Christianity after being a Lutheran and then a Methodist.

For about 15 years after that he avoided any church affiliation because “there was no fulfilment”.

He says people are lured to Islam because of the generosity of its people.

Muslims, he says, do not take from people. They give.

Another positive is that they live a simple lifestyle, as opposed to being extravagant.

“We are concerned about poverty and we have programmes that seek to alleviate it.

“We give bursaries to the needy especially in the field of science. We issue food parcels through organisations like the South African National Zakah Fund ... There are many examples of how we make a difference and uplift society.

“We have the Gift of the Givers that intervenes in almost every catastrophe in the world,” says Tabudi.

Another Muslim, Farahana Ramatlho, says she was attracted to Islam because unlike her former Catholic church, it does not demand money from members.

“In Islam you do not have to pay all these monies that are required for your child to be baptised or confirmed. Here they would rather help you instead of further impoverishing you,” says Ramatlho.

Testimony to the simplicity of their lifestyle is the modest appearance of Imam Hammaad Modise.

Compared to many Christian pastors, Modise, dressed in grey Muslim attire, is quite uncomplicated.

He doesn’t drive a flashy car.

Although he does not reveal how much income he gets from the mosque authorities, if his lifestyle is anything to go by, it is apparent that it does not come close to what some of his Christian counterparts get.

Modise says the congregation meets only his basic needs.

He says the mosque authorities look at the area one is deployed in and their qualifications to determine how much they are paid.

Soweto is also seeing a steady growth. There is a big mosque in Dlamini.

Another can be found in Rockville and there are a few others in the township.

Nordine Moosa, who oversees the Rockville centre which opened two months ago, says the centre now has more than 50 children who come for lessons every day.

They also have close to 20 adult students, he adds.

“We give children food every day after lessons. Some children are sent by parents who have noticed changes in their neighbour’s children since they converted to Islam. Some are brought by friends,” says Moosa.

Imran Suliman, who oversees many of the Muslim projects, says their simple lifestyle attracts people.

He says they also focus on providing basic necessities to the poor, especially children.

“I cannot tell you how many Muslims we have in Soweto because there are small groups everywhere.

“I do not know if the growth of Islam in townships is as huge, but I know we do get new people now and then.

“People do not sign any membership forms so we are unable to know the numbers.”