ISLAM HERE. Hajj Eid 2015

Active, Visable, Practised among People

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Edition 05, 25 September 2015 / Eidul Adha 1436, Western Cape Edition. Contact: info@islamhere.org / 021 839 4375

To Allah is the forgiveness

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EID, RITUAL SLAUGHTER & ANIMAL RIGHTS

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6 AWQAF: A CHALLENGE TO SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIMS

EID UL ADHA & the SIGNIFICANCE of it’s CELEBRATION

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he Eid al-Adha, the day of sacrifice, the greatest day in the entire year, for the Prophet said, “The greatest of days with Allah is the Day of Sacrifice.”

And it is a day that is uniquely ours, for it is one of two days given directly by Allah to this umma and this umma alone. Anas ibn Malik narrated that when the Messenger of Allah arrived in Medina, he found that the people there had two days in which they would play and celebrate and so he asked about them. They replied that those were the days upon which they used to

play in the days of the jahiliyya before Islam, so he said, “Allah has given you two days that are better than them in exchange for them, the Day of al-Adha and the Day of Fitr.”

These two days are ‘Eids’, a word that derives from the verb aada meaning to return. Ibn al-A’raabi said, “The eid is called eid because it comes back every year bringing with it renewed joy and happiness.”

And that is essentially what it is about - it is about partaking in the blessings of Allah and taking delight in them, in whatever shape

& to Allah is the return

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#ISTANDWITHAHMED AMERICA’S FEAR OF CLOCKS

or form they take. These blessings of Allah are without number and without limit - family, friends, sweet perfumes, fine clothing, good food and drink - but of all those blessings there is one that far surpasses all the others. There is one that is, on its own, enough for us. That is Islam - the deen of Allah. “Praise be to Allah for the blessing of Islam, it is enough of a blessing.”

Of all the many creatures of Allah, of all the sons of Adam who have lived on this planet since the dawn of time, of all the billions of human beings scattered throughout the earth, Allah has chosen us, each one of us here today, for His favour.

And it is on account of that more than anything else that we should rejoice. Allah says:

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“Say: ‘It is the favour of Allah and His mercy that should be the cause of their rejoicing. That is better than anything they accumulate.’”

Allah’s favour, according to the Mufassirun is Islam, and His mercy is His Messenger or the Message that he brought, i.e. the Qur’an.

They are what lead to the Abode of Permanence where everlasting bliss and delight awaits. All else in this world is transient and ephemeral.

And it is for that very reason that Allah has connected the two days He gave to us for celebration - our two Eids - to two of the five great pillars upon which Islam is built the first coming at the conclusion of the obligatory fast in the month of Ramadan and the second - this Eid - coming at the conclusion of the Hajj.

DOULA THE BIRTHING COMPANION So the Eids are put in place to enable us to show our joy and gratitude to our Lord at having been given the strength and opportunity to take part in and complete those great acts of worship that make us Muslim and separate us from the rest of creation who remain in ignorance and misguidance.

On this Eid, we also celebrate the mercy that Allah showed us in making our deen comprehensive and complete, because it was during these days, during the farewell hajj of the Messenger of Allah, that Allah revealed the following ayat to the Prophet: : “Today I have perfected your deen for you and completed My blessing upon you and I am pleased with Islam as a deen for you.”

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AFTER 19 YEARS, KAUAI GOES FOR AN ALL NEW LOOK

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fter 19 years Kauai goes for an all-new look and feel. We chatted to one of the Franchisees Teddy Govender who happens to own Kauai Mutual Park. Asked why Kauai, Teddy explains that his life is about eating healthy and a healthy life style , when the opportunity came along to acquire the store at Mutual Park it seemed like the right thing to do, especially since it spoke to his ethos on life .

From all accounts it would seem that the brand had become a bit stayed and from this perspective needed a revamp explains Teddy.

Kauai is represented by 150 stores across SA and it is one of the only

brands that are synonymous with healthy eating and a healthy way of life. Together with the new owner and the Franchisees we have agreed that we needed to make sure that we remain true to our core business and this is to provide a healthy offering which is made with fresh fruit and veg and zero genetically modified organisms (GMO’s).

The new brand is sleek, clean cut and sparks simplicity, the new look and feel is all about the food, the aim is to let the ingredients, the colours the taste and food be the hero. We will of course continue with some of our traditional

offering like wraps and smoothies but with enhanced and improved recipes that embodies healthy eating and fast casual. There are also plenty of new innovations; in keeping with our food theatre concept you will be able to design your own salads and wraps together with this we have also now created a keen focus for those who are diabetics and vegans.

From a Kauai Mutual Park perspective we are extremely excited about the new interventions .Since taking ownership of the stores we have seen our business grow quite substantially and recognise that this would not have been possible

without the support of our many wonderful patrons, Therefore at Kauai Mutual Park we will continue to pride ourselves on integrity. While we understand that we have quite a bit of competition in the Pinelands Old Mutual Centre we are also very aware of the role we play and strong allegiance that we have, So in spite of all the many changes taking place we have taken all the necessary steps to make sure that we continue to represent our audience, to the extent that we will remain 100% halaal .To this end I must emphasise that we have placed various measures in place to ensure our compliance. The team

and I look forward to welcoming you all to Kauai Mutual Park.

Teddy Govender kauaimp@telkomsa.net 021 5048205.

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Editor’s Desk A

salaamualaykum and Eid Mubarak to all our readers. We hope that Eid ul Adha has been a blessed and merciful occasion for you. As we still wait to hear of news from our loved ones abroad, we make dua to the Almighty that they are returned to us safely and that their condition with Allah is safe. That they may be returned with renewed and strengthened Iman and blessings from The Merciful Lord.

The Eid of Adha celebration, the Eid of Qurbani, sets a prophetic scene for us all. Reconnecting us with the ancient tradition of sacrifice.

Standing before our Lord in hopes that He will accept our offering of gratitude. Having been assured of His mercy, we take that which He has provided us with and give it away in charity whilst holding a portion of the blessing for ourselves. Reflecting on my very first time sacrificing a sheep, anticipating the immensity of the act, I realised then that in order to reconcile myself with slaughtering it, I had to first bond with it.

I picked out a sheep from the pen, neither too big nor too small, that seemed to have in it a sense of sweetness and composure. In all honesty, that was the only sheep in the pen I looked at. I started to recite some Dhikr for it, petting it to make sure that it was calm as it begun to realise that it was being taken away. In an aspect, I needed

it to feel loved as a representation of the love that bound me to Allah. This was not some cheap butchery but an honourable thing I was about to do, as my father explained earlier to me. Once the animal was sufficiently calm, we laid it upon its side, where I was given the opportunity to feed it some water. Around me, men started to recite Dhikr, I knelt behind the animal covering its eyes as I was given the knife. After my intention, I recited “Bismillah, Allahu Akbar” and proceeded with 3 strikes to the slaughter.

All the while, the animal was still except for a slight tremble. In what seemed a minute of long quiet, I saw how just a moment ago, this animal was alive, and I had reached out and bonded with it. I had just begun to appreciate the value of its life, when the knife was placed in my hand and proceeded to kill it. Allahu Akbar.

After that minute of stillness its body began to kick hard and shuffle, almost lifting the body completely off the ground. I am told that the reason for this is that the Animal is running to the Jannah. I look forward to meeting it there when the time comes insha’allah. What was also happening was, the brain was still sending messages through the spine to the rest of the organs in the body to work fast and thereby pushing all the blood out of body. Making it halaal.

The rewards and blessings for sacrificing an animal on the day of

Eid are too great and numerous to mention in so short a piece. For me to a degree at that point, it was to be given the blessing of being able to sacrifice. Of being connected to the act and being present in it.

You cannot imagine mindless-ness of thinking that ‘mutton’ comes from the supermarket readily cut and wrapped in plastic. Detached, unaware that in reality, something must die in order for another to live.

What matters is the contract we have with Allah. Glory be to The Most High. What matters is how you

appreciate the value of life. Being Muslim, is a way of looking at life, a way of living life. The blood of your fellow Muslim is more holy to you then the Holy Kabaah.

May Allah increase both you and us in knowledge. Amin

Assalaamualaykum.

Nabeel Abdalhaqq Editor

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EID UL ADHA

one fetched from the pen. It was a graceful affair.

EID, RITUAL SLAUGHTER AND ANIMAL RIGHTS

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s Eid-ul-Adha approaches I feel an uneasiness growing inside of me. While Dhul-Hajj is easily my favourite lunar month after Ramadhaan, the day of Eid leaves me a little anguished, to put it mildly. When I was much younger, we performed the ritual slaughter at home.

My father and his cousins were meticulous in the construction of the day’s events. The sheep were housed in a pen downstairs,

completely removed from the slaughtering site (the back garden) or the skinning yard (the balcony).

Each animal would be brought up by itself; the children would play with it, feed it water and generally calm it down. Thereafter it would be led to the slaughtering site and would be slaughtered (quickly and without causing the animal harm) while everyone in the vicinity joined in the prayer. Only after the previous animal had been moved on to the skinning yard was the next

For the past few years however, we’ve had to slaughter our sheep (and cows) at Muslim-owned commercial farms. It seems to be the norm these days. On these farms, due to the high volumes of cattle being slaughtered, things proceed somewhat mechanically.

Sheep 377, sheep 378, sheep 379.

It is a tense situation; for the farmers, the animals and to a lesser extent, the crowds. What (sometimes) proceeds is the cause of my anguish: unnaturally excited crowds, animals being slaughtered in view of other animals, animals becoming extremely aggressive before slaughter (no doubt because of the crowds that have gathered for the show) and a general fiasco.

I hear children of 6 or 7 screaming with delight as ‘another one bites the dust’ (how is this even normal?), farmers taking out their frustrations on the crowds and arguments ensuing between the various families waiting their turn (all of whom are trying to get their sacrifices done before lunch on the first day of the 3 days of Eid!).

There is little respect for the animals and derisory understanding of the entire “zabiha” process. Last year, after a traumatic experience with the bull that we were slaughtering, I vowed never to go back.

Islam is explicit about the methods of zabiha, sacrifice and animal rights. A hadith of the messenger of Allah (pbuh) teaches, “Allah has commanded that everything (one does), they should do with excellence

ISLAM HERE DHUL HIJJAH 1436

(ihsaan). When you sacrifice, sacrifice well. Sharpen your knife and make it easy for the animal to be slaughtered.” While the example of animal slaughter is illustrative of a broader lesson and principle – that is of practicing ihsaan in all that we do, it would be imprudent to overlook its inclusion. Not only are Muslims required to pronounce the name of God on animals being sacrificed to make them permissible for consumption [Qur’an 6:118], but they are also required to slaughter in a manner that would be easy for the animal. Likewise, it is considered offensive to slaughter one animal in view of another or to keep animals waiting in a queue for the slaughter. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was known to reprimand his Companions for mistreating animals and reminded them to be kind and merciful instead. A hadith declares it reprehensible to sharpen one’s knife in the presence of the animal as this would be unmerciful towards the animal: “Do you wish to slaughter this animal twice, once by sharpening your blade in front of it and another time by cutting its throat?”

‘Ali Ibn Abi Bakr al-Marghinani, the 12th century Hanafi jurist in his compendium, the Hedaya, writes in the chapter on the lawful killing of animals for food that “everything which unnecessarily augments the pain of the animal is abominable; it is abominable to seize the animal destined for slaughter by the feet; it is abominable to break the neck of the animal whilst it is in the struggle for death; it is abominable

to first throw the animal down on its side, and then to sharpen the knife (in its presence)…” It takes little consideration to appreciate that this differs vastly from the scene described above – which, no doubt, is a depiction of most, if not all, commercial farms.

The humanity, justice and mercy of Islam prescribed in the Qur’an and sunnah extend to all who inhabit the earth: humans, animals, birds, insects and plants, with cruelty to any one of them being sufficient reason for being cast into the fire!

A hadith of the messenger likens animals to humans: “A good deed done to an animal is like a good deed done to a human being, while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as cruelty to a human being.” While Allah says in the Qur’an, “there is no creature on [or within] the earth or a bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you (6:38)”. Yet despite this rich intellectual tradition that extends more than 1400 years, Muslims are largely silent on the subject of animal rights. Why do we, as a community, not raise our voices on issues that really matter? Why are we not at the forefront of the animal rights or the environmental justice movement? Why do we not go back to the moral and ethical frameworks that our texts espouse and create institutions that promote and uphold these high standards?

Tazkiyyah Amra

Madina Institute Graduate

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MOUSSEM INVITATION:

CELEBRATION OF DHIKR

An invitation to The International Qadiriyya Dhikr at the Jumuah Mosque of Cape Town

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he annual Moussem of Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi will be taking place over the second weekend of October, hosted at the magnificent Jumu’a Mosque of Cape Town on Orange street.

International Moroccan qari’s, shuyukh, ‘alims, scholars, families, honoured guests, and Muslims from all over the world and South Africa will be streaming into the fair Cape to attend this blessed event, to see each other and remember Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi invites all Muslims of Cape Town, men and women over the age of 15 years, to attend the Jumu’a of the 9th of October at 1pm, after which a meal will be served at the Mosque, as well as be present and participate in the two nights of sublime dhikr of Allah on the 10th

and 11th respectively, commencing with the ‘Esha prayer. The nights of dhikr will take place in the presence of the leader of the world Qadiriyya Tariqa, Shaykh Mortada Elboumeshouli of Kellat M’Gouna, Morocco. Shaykh Mortada is the inheritor of the Tariqa from Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi and a shaykh of tarbiya - instruction.

The dhikr will consist of Qur’an, diwan, qasa’id, hadra, discourse and a blessed meal.

The meaning of the Moussem, as Shaykh Mortada has clarified for us, “is as the Prophet said, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ‘The heart rusts just like iron rusts.’

But immediately when it submits to and enters this Moussem, it gets polished. Someone asked, ‘What is this polishing, Messenger of Allah?’

He replied, ‘Remembrance of Allah and recitation of the Qur’an.’”

Imam Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, was once asked about sama’, and he said, “Everything that gathers upon Allah is halal.”

The moussem is a time of fulfilling sunnas of Allah’s noble Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to be a generous host and a courteous guest, to serve and be served, to feed and speak well of the Muslims, to mention Allah much and to celebrate our Muhammadan identity. Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi wrote a Mawlud message for the Muslims to illuminate and ennoble our bond with Rasulullah, Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.

“We make no connection to Allah, but we make our connection to Sayyiduna Muhammad, salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and that will take us very, very far. It will take us as far as we need to go.”

“The Muhammadan Secret is not a Divine Secret, it is your secret. It is an Adamic secret because Sayyiduna Muhammad, salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is from Sayyiduna Adam.

He is the perfection of the Adamic being. Adam was the first Prophet and from him comes Sayyiduna Muhammad, salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The genetic, total perfection of the Adamic line is Sayyiduna Muhammad, salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he is the khatam of the Prophets – the seal of the Prophets.

You are the inheritors of something very ancient, something very big and something very exalted, so you must enjoy it. Qur’an is yours. It is all for you. He brought this message for you.

We have this direct connection with Sayyiduna Muhammad, salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

We are genetically - Adamically

- connected to him, intellectually connected, and spiritually connected.

We are connected by nafs, form and adab, because we have taken on his adab, his ‘ibada, his beard, his fasting, his wudu, his Salat, his Hudud, and a Muhammadan personality.

Celebrating the Prophet’s birthday is to celebrate one’s Muhammadan Identity. “ Celebrating the Moussem is to celebrate the Deen of Allah, to awaken our hearts with truth and certainty, a time to heal and be gathered in the highest company, and to follow the Prophet Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, a mercy to all the worlds.

For more information on the moussem, contact Yasser Booley on 076 881 2638 / Reza Kasu on 083 514 0228

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ISLAM HERE DHUL HIJJAH 1436

AWQAF: A CHALLENGE TO SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIMS

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he idea of waqf /awqaf is not deeply rooted in SA to the extent that it is a public institution as in many Muslim countries (Sudan, Turkey, Pakistan, Turkish Cyprus) and minority Muslim communities (India, Kenya, Uganda). Muslims do have hundreds of masajid and madaris literally in every town across the country, and a variety of charitable organisations.

However, with a few exceptions, the majority are generally not self sustaining and depend largely on annual collections, normally during Ramadaan. Furthermore, as change has engulfed the country, the 2% Muslim minority here seem unprepared to respond in a way that will contribute to the new post-apartheid democratic order in a meaningful way according to their capacity, although recent visible contributions to flood relief have been widely acknowledged.

The Need for Awqaf Awqaf can play a significant role in contributing to the strategic objectives of the SA Muslim community. Awqaf as an institution may mobilise community capital as ’beautiful loans/ qirad hassan/ waqf ’ and which may be used for empowering both the Muslim community (inclusive of the established, emerging, and emigrant communities) as well as the multitude of poor fellow South Africans. For example, the following

projects could be established, supported, or intensified: selfreliance programmes; imarets and skills training centres; microlending; small business and bursary grants;

and madrasahs; community empowerment; poverty alleviation, and RDP related programmes; and in fact any imaginable programme that could further Muslim

“need to engage actively and should be seen to be playing a meaningful role in both the affairs of their country,” youth development and activity programmes; student exchange programmes; general education and awareness programmes e.g. aids/drugs; dedicated womens’ institutions; literacy & dawah programmes; township masajid

interests in the country could be implemented and supported.

Conclusion South African Muslims now have a window of opportunity and

cannot remain aloof and nonengaging amidst the ocean of poverty, problems, challenges, and opportunities in the country. Muslims cannot be selfmarginalising but need to engage actively and should be seen to be playing a meaningful role in both the affairs of their country, and within their own fragmented and diverse community. Muslims need to clarify their strategic goals in this country and arrange and organise institutions that will serve those goals. Awqaf, as a deeply rooted shariah institution offers a built-in developmental and empowerment tool. It is indeed a vehicle explicitly designed in the shariah to pursue noble and creative goals and to elicit goodwill and positive tendencies within the community.

The benefits of awqaf projects are also far reaching. The challenge thus is for South African Muslims to pursue the establishment of awqaf and related institutions as outlined above to serve, promote, and protect Islam and Islamic interests in this country in an era of change and transformation.

Zeinoul Abedien Cajee

EID UL ADHA & the SIGNIFICANCE of it’s CELEBRATION

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hus, there is no aspect of our lives for which Allah has not given us guidance. Unlike the kuffar, we do not have to wander in confusion and doubt, unsure of our place in existence and unsure of what we should do next.

We have a complete and perfected blueprint for living our lives which our Lord finds pleasing, so how can we not be pleased?

And how can we not also rejoice today in the fact that Allah has blessed us by making us a part of the umma of Muhammad, the pinnacle of creation, the first of the Prophets to be created and the last to be sent and the accepted intercessor by means of whose intercession the gates of the Garden will be opened for the believers to enter. We are immensely privileged to be part of the best community the world has ever seen. Allah says in surat Ali Imran: “You are the best community ever to be produced before mankind. You enjoin the right, forbid the wrong and have iman in Allah.”

Being part of the umma of Muhammad is such a great honour that Messengers of the past, including Adam and Musa, wished that they could have been brought back during his time so that they

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could have been part of it. That is the tremendous honour that has been granted to each and every one of us, so be thankful and rejoice and proclaim the greatness of your Lord. Rejoice and show your gratitude by partaking in the best of what Allah has given you. Wear your best clothes and your finest perfume, eat the best food and drink you have. Visit those whom you love and forgive those with whom you have disagreement. Spread wide the salaam and fill these days with laughter and smiles, giving generously to your families and children, and giving generously to those Muslims who are less wellto-do than yourselves, for they are your family just as surely as your own flesh and blood are, and this is a day upon which no Muslim should have to beg.

Allah says in His Mighty Book, “We have appointed the sacrificial animals for you as one of the sacred rites of Allah. There is good in them for you, so invoke Allah’s name over them, as they stand in rows. And then when they collapse on their sides, eat of them and feed both those who ask and those who are too shy to ask. In this way We have subjected them to you so that hopefully you will be thankful.”

One of the principle acts prescribed

on this day is that of sacrifice, an act that commemorates the absolute submission of Ibrahim to his Lord when commanded to sacrifice his son, and the mercy Allah showed him by substituting a ram in its place, an act that became an intrinsic part of the Sunna of the Messenger of Allah.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri narrated that the Prophet said, “Fatima, go to your sacrifice and slaughter it, for with every

drop of blood that spills from it, you will be forgiven past wrong actions.” “Messenger of Allah, is that something that only applies to us, the people of the House, or does it apply to all the Muslims?” “It applies to us and to all the rest of the Muslims,” he replied.

We ask Allah to make today a time of great rejoicing and togetherness.

And we ask Him to accept our prayer and our sacrifice, and accept the hajj of all of those who have

made the journey to His House this year.

The is an excerpt from a khutba given at the Jumuah Mosque of Cape Town on 17 November 2010 by Shaykh Habib Bewley. We have chosen to place it here because of its obvious relevance to the Eid ul Adha as well its beautiful reminder of Allah’s Mercy over us. May Allah reward the one who reminds and guides to His way. ISLAM HERE

PHOTO: AFP PHOTO/ MAHMUD HAMS

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A CLOCK WORKS PARANOIA WITH THE AMERICAN FEAR OF TECHNOLOGY AND OFCOURSE ...MUSLIMS Why would she keep a device which could kill her at any minute? Instead, this principal, who thought it was a bomb, let it remain on school property for several hours, where it could kill thousands of school students, staff members, and cute little hamsters in the science lab. Instead, this student was asked to sit in the office with his ‘bomb’. Yes, that’s a wonderful idea. Let’s give the ‘terrorist’ his bomb when he realises you are on to him.

Instead, the police carried the ‘bomb’ in their vehicle rather than let a bomb disposal unit handle it.

Also, if it truly was a bomb, did they actually expect the prime suspect to reveal his dastardly master plan like a badly written James Bond villain? Why were they asking Ahmed, instead of asking the only person qualified on school property to answer the question, like his engineering teacher?

More than 700,000 people have taken to Twitter to support Ahmed Mohamed, a 14-year-old student who was arrested after bringing a homemade clock to school that was mistaken for a bomb.

Ahmed brought the clock into MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas, to impress his engineering teacher on his homework assignment. After another teacher saw it, police were summoned and he was interrogated by five different police officers. His belongings were searched. He was threatened with expulsion. He was accused over and over and over again of wanting to build a bomb, or wanting people to think he’d built a bomb.

He repeatedly requested to contact his parents, and those requests were denied.

Instead, law enforcement agents handcuffed the frightened high school freshman wearing a NASA t-shirt, frog-marched him out of school, and remanded him to a juvenile detention center where they snapped mug shots and took his fingerprints. The school suspended Ahmed for three days, and until the story went viral, police were considering charges.

No charges were filed. The police later acknowledged that Ahmed’s work was not dangerous. The first and most obvious answer is racism and Islamophobia. Ahmed is Muslim, and Irving has something of a checkered history with the Muslim community.

As Facebook user Michael Harriot points out, instead, the school was not evacuated at first chance. Instead, no one alerted the bomb squad. Instead, this English teacher, who thought it was a bomb, kept it with her.

Let’s assume it was a bomb. If Ahmed really had invented a bomb to destroy his school, would he have not used it instead of showing it around? There are some claiming Ahmed’s intention was to manufacture a hoax bomb.

If so, why was he at every moment claiming it to be a clock? It isn’t much of a hoax then, is it? Here is an excerpt from a report by The Verge, Police spokesperson James McLellan said Ahmed “kept maintaining it was a clock” when he was brought in for interrogation, but that he offered “no broader explanation”.

For the rest of his life, his record will be tainted by an arrest because he was smart enough to engineer a clock. With the American school system producing some of the worst performers in the developed world, one would think they would be nurturing their smarter students. Ahmed suffered through a terrifying, traumatizing, and unjust ordeal.

Yet because of the mass exposure of what he endured, he’s receivedinvitations to the White House, Facebook headquarters, and the Google science fair.

President Obama @POTUS - Cool clock, Ahmed. Want to bring it to the White House? We should inspire more kids like you to like science. It’s what makes America great.

Google Science Fair @googlescifair - Hey Ahmed- we’re saving a seat for you at this weekend’s Google Science Fair...want to come? Bring your clock! #IStandwithAhmed Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) - September 16, 2015 Assumptions and fear don’t keep us safe—they hold us back.

Ahmed, stay curious and keep building.

Chanda (@IBJIYONGI) - September 16, 2015 .@anildash @IStandWithAhmed we would love to have Ahmed visit us at MIT! ISLAM HERE

ISLAM HERE DHUL HIJJAH 1436

#JESUISCHARLIE NOW?

Social media outrage at cartoon mocking death of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi

A wave of indignation has swept across social media after Charlie Hebdo mocked the drowning of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi in a perilous journey across the Mediterranean.

The poster showed Jesus walking on water with the dead Muslim boy next to him.

Europe is Christian.” It features the legs of a drowning child and a man, apparently depicting Jesus Christ walking on water.

The first page of the new cartoon, dubbed ‘Welcome, migrants’ features a gruesome picture of the drowned three-year-old lying face down on the beach. “So Close to the Goal,” the caption reads in French.

(YOU MAY FIND LINKED CONTENT OFFENSIVE, READER DISCRETION ADVISED).

And while most social media users bristled with harsh criticism over the mocking of Aylan’s death, saying that Charlie Hebdo is a “bunch of deluded racists” and shouldn’t be called ‘journalists,’ others merely ask the question: JeSuisCharlie now?

“Christians walk on water… Muslims kids sink,” says the paper.

Aylan Kurdi’s image has become a symbol for the current refugee crisis. He died alongside his five-year-old brother Galip and their mother Rehen in the Aegean Sea trying to reach the Greek island of Kos.

@Triska There’s free speech, hate speech & simply disgusting & distasteful vitriol. These #CharlieHebdo covers are the latter @FlorianNeuhof #CharlieHebdo are a bunch of smug & deluded racists masquerading as journalists. @ubeydsakin #CharlieHebdo’s newest cover: (reads) “So close to his goal.” As if these people are after anything but their lives. @clark_theory It’s cowardice, pernicious cowardice hiding behind the panacea of satire. #CharlieHebdo @Charlie_Hebdo_

The second page is dubbed “The Proof that

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E D U C A T I O N & C A R E E R S

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SO ... YOU WOULD RATHER BE DRAWING?

but is no less an important step in the creation of an animated film. Artists use specialized tools to digitally draw and refine the characters and scenes, saving them hundreds of hours of sketching, inking and painting. After the designs of each character and scene have been finalized, the production process can begin.

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HERE’S HOW TO BECOME A 2D ANIMATOR

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Production

The Industry

ixar co-founder Ed Catmull and Frank Gladstone at Dreamworks among others agreed that it’s not a 2D vs 3D issue, but one of storytelling.

Within the realms of animation films on a lesser budget, real classics are still only being achieved in 2D, from anything by Hayao Miyazaki through to Sylain Chomet’s Belleville Rendezvous. Large scale financial success in this market seems to lie in bringing traditional TV series to the big screen such as the multiple Rugrats movies, but certainly the success of any of these outweighs and out-performs any 3D medium budget movies.

In the straight to video/DVD market, the Lion King blew away the competition and it’s unlikely to have performed better had it been in 3D. In TV the vast majority of animation is 2D, essentially because it’s still quicker, cheaper, and at the moment more people know how to do it. Will this always be the case? Probably not, but the visual simplicity and the unique human eccentricity of animation will always make it far more accessible to children than some massively over rendered 3D action heromeets-robot-dinosaurs in space that simply replaces storylines with polygons. shows purely in 3D they would lose a lot of their spontaneity and snappy performance.

In technique 3D is becoming more adaptable all the time, and if necessary toon shaders can achieve something of the look and feel of drawn animation, but essentially all a toon shader can do is define outlines and fill in a completely

“

DREAMWORKS AMONG OTHERS AGREED THAT IT’S NOT A 2D VS 3D ISSUE, BUT ONE OF STORYTELLING.

logical way. 2D animation doesn’t have to be logical, it can be abstract and inspirational, and has a long history. Essentially, 3D is just a tool to help in the process of filmmaking, like any other. We certainly use it and choose to use it where it best suits the project, but essentially it should not be the medium that dictates the final result. The best starting point for a film is ideas, pencils and paper.

Animation like any other art form, works in fashions, and right now 3D is the big thing. This is because the recent hits are in 3D, which has led to the feeling that all the subsequent ones have to be. As soon as a couple of 3D features flop, the call will go out, It’s 2D that’s the answer, kids love it, didn’t I always say so?” Studios should be attempting to develop ment that the likes of Pixar have, not their software.

T

How it works

he animation industry relies on a skilled and highly specialized workforce to undertake some of the massive 2D animation projects we see

today. Through recent advances in animation software and courses like National Certificate: 2D Animation NQF L5, right here at False Bay College, it has become many times easier for a beginner to learn the fundamentals of 2D animation right in Cape Town.

False Bay College has a one year full time Animation programme, orientated towards traditional 2D Animation. The programme is offered at the Muizenberg Campus. The South African Film Industry has a dire need for quality animators. If you are passionate about drawing and design, cartoons, video games, animated movies and would like to pursue a career in the creative field, this programme is for you.

The 2D Animation Process The animation process differs slightly depending on the scale of the project, the type of animation used and the size of the team creating it. Most animators have adopted Walt Disney’s animation process namely storyboards; audio production; visual development; production and then post production.

Storyboards

“

The first step for the inspired animator is creating a storyboard.

Be it an adaptation of a script or an original idea, drawing out a storyboard is an important first step to creating your final product.

Editing at the storyboard stage is doubly important for studios on a budget.

Thanks to advances in 2D animation technology artists can draw, ink, paint and animate a scene all by themselves without ever having to leave their desk.

Massive digital drawing tablets enable animators to draw their keyframes digitally and create the tweens automatically using 2D animation software. Characters and backgrounds are drawn separately using this method, then transposed on each other and saved as a video file.

Post Production The characters have been colored, animated, and set on their backgrounds. Each scene has been painstakingly composed and optimized. Every key is colored, every tween in place, and the animation is essentially complete!

All that remains is to edit and polish the final product with special effects, sound effects and visuals Post-production is usually when the entire team sits down to review their work and make whatever tweaks to call the film complete.

Audio Production After the story has been laid out with a storyboard and pitched to a team of animators, directors, and producers, it’s time to start recording the dialog. At this point, if they haven’t already, the writers and director will adapt their storyboard into a written script, complete with an outline of what each character is doing during each scene. After the script has been finalized, it is provided to the voice talent for the film, who works closely with the director to nail down each character’s individual personality.

Visual Development Today, visual development requires much less manual labor,

So there you have it, everything a fledgling animator needs to begin their foray into the world of 2D animation. Check out False Bay College’s one year 2D animation course to further hone your animation skills and learn how to create the next classic animated film!

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DOULA I S L A M

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f you are pregnant, no matter how far along you are, no matter where you plan to birth your precious baby, consider having a Doula by your side. The word ‘doula’ has really only become familiar in South Africa in the last 10 years but what are doulas?

How do they fit into the support team for expected parents?

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What is a Doula?

Pronounced (doo-la), directly translated from Greek, means ‘Woman’s Servant’, a woman who serves other

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SUPPORT IN PREGNANCY, BIRTH & AFTER BABY IS BORN women. A Doula, also known as a Birth Companion & Supporter, is a non-medical person who is trained to assist a woman before, during and/or after childbirth, alongside her spouse; her family by providing physical and emotional support.

with pregnancy and the unknown of what it would be like to be a parent.

Ultimately this makes them suitable candidates to comfort and encourage expecting mother. A far-cry todays impersonal and alienating treatment where the babies is even referred to as a “the product” such as in some European hospitals.

What do Doulas do?

There has been extensive research done on the positive affects doulas can have. When women do have doulas supporting them, the intervention rates are reduced on all levels. Researchers have found that the support of the doulas have been able to reduce: short labours by 25%; reduction in request for epidural anaesthesia by 60%; a reduction in caesarean rate by 50%; oxytocin use by 40% & analgesia use by 30% There has also been reports of a decrease in post-partum depression and more success with breastfeeding.

In fact these statistics are so positive that Dr. John H. Kennell is known to have said: “If a doula was a drug, it would be unethical not to use it.”

M I D - W I F E R Y

Doulas “mother the mother. She is trained in understanding the physical and emotional journey of pregnancy. She provides emotional support. Uses comfort measures: breathing, relaxation, movement, positioning. Readily gives information when needed. Continuously reassures and comforts the mother in pregnancy, labour and once the baby is born.

The concept of the Doula is an ancient tradition across the globe where the matter of birthing a baby fell upon the capable hands of the women within a community. Those who already had babies would support others who were new to it. By their experiential knowledge, these women transmitted a certain confidence and ease to the woman giving birth. They understood the intensity of labour, the anxieties that can go

She is able to take the mother through various birth choices, advocates on her behalf, and is there to listen and wait on you as a lady in waiting would do. The Doula also revisits you after child birth and assists you as you transition into motherhood.

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