AFRICAAROUNDAFRICA
In a divergence to the norm, the Carnival combined several events to attract adults and the young. There were around 20 fun-filled games with one stall being allocated to each game. In addition, there were clowns, face painters, muppet shows and illusionists who held shows every half hour. A merry-go-round was also set up, much to the delight of young children as they spinned themselves out.
Business, as well as food stalls, were ‘rented’ to interested parties thereby creating a ‘shopping’ environment and surely the caterers for lunch and snacks were also there. Items like car accessories, cutlery, toys, stationery, juice concentrates and Islamic books were put up for sale at the business stalls while at the food stalls there was no shortage of culinaries. Ranging from traditional India delicacies such as "Khichro", ‘Bher" and the all too famous "Mix" there were sandwiches, burgers, chicken tikkas, ice cream and ice cold refreshments which provided relief from the heat.
In the evening, a grand auction covering over 75 items was held. The items which included three cars were kept on display throughout the day and bidding commenced as early as 10.00 am. Almost all items were auctioned off.
A roving announcer who moved about the milling crowds with a handy megaphone publicised ongoings and randomly sought opinions from some of those who attended. Many had encouraging things to say about the Carnival and seemed to be having fun.
Most of the games set up have probably never been held at community level. These included Break the Pyramid, Fishing, Ring the Prize, Mini Golf, Hit the Coconut, Light the candles, Pass the ring over the wire, Coin in the bucket, Pin the donkey’s tail, Pick the apple, Guess the time, Guess the Weight of the cake and Guess the number of sweets.
At the end of the day it required no guesses to judge the Carnival as being highly successful.
The Convention, which brought together doctors, practitioners, professionals, paramedics, community leaders, heads of schools, administrators and others, provided an opportunity for sharing experiences and wisdom in such areas as the medical, educational, religious and social administration fields.
Primarily the Convention focused on medical matters and adolescent issues including the dreaded HIV epidemic with its implication from a religious and social standpoint. It also discussed on how carriers can best cope to overcome difficult situations.
More details will insha'allah be carried in the next issue. Editor
All Constituent Jamats in Africa have been requested to obtain and submit details of doctors, dentists, opticians, pharmacists, nurses, physiotherapists and other health care professionals.
It is planned that the proposed update of the directory will categorise health care workers in the Community by their professions and by the town or city they reside in. Formats have been sent to all Jamats.
The Medical Directory serves a very useful purpose in the Community as it provides medical professionals and others a quick reference for contacts world-wide.
MAB/CHB have not set a deadline for this information however particulars were initially expected in by 31 January, 1997. However those who have not submitted details are not as yet time barred and are thus requested to send in pertinent information urgently.
During the unrest, few of our members made it to Kinshasa and few escaped to Kigali and though their properties and possessions were plundered, by the grace of God (s.w.t) all are reported to be safe and sound.
The situation in Kinshasa is however not very encouraging and as a precaution the community there has joined hands with other 'minority' communities to seek ways to safeguard their members. To this effect dialogue has also ensued with foreign embassies on security measures in case of a crisis.
On arrival, the President and his delegation which numbered over 200, of whom many were businessmen, were received by various Government dignitaries including President Museveni along with ambassadors from different countries and leaders and members of our community.
The visit to Uganda was meant to consolidate diplomatic relations between Iran and Uganda and was also intended to expand trade contacts between the two countries. Relations between Uganda and Iran grew stronger after the Uganda President paid a visit to Iran in 1992.
The Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni accentuated on the ties between the two countries and when told of misgivings expressed by the American Government on the visit by the Iranians, he said "Uganda is not America" thereby making it clear that he wanted no undue interference by any country into Uganda politics.
President Museveni requested Iran to mediate in the conflict between Uganda and Sudan to which President Rafsanjani agreed to personally look into.
A State dinner hosted by the Uganda President in honour of the visiting President was well attended by prominent Government figures and diplomatic heads and a number of our community members.
At community level, President Rafsanjani led maghribaen prayers at the Mosque on 6 September, 1996 after which he briefly addressed the congregation calling for harmony amongst Muslims and between Muslims and other Ugandans.
To commemorate his historic visit, the President was then requested to unveil a marble plaque at the community's Mosque Complex following which a grand reception was held.
The reception was well attended. In addition to the President and his entourage, other guests included local dignitaries like the Uganda deputy Prime Minister, Honourable Ministers, the Chief Kadhi, Members of Parliament, Leaders of Muslim Communities of Uganda, Ambassadors and High Commissioners, invited guests and members of the Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Jamaat of Kampala.
The President of the Kampala Jamat, Shabir Najafi in his welcome address thanked Uganda President, Yoweri Museveni for inviting the Iranian delegation to Uganda.
He praised Iran's democracy and foreign policy which, he said, vied for peaceful co-existence and economic co-operation with third world countries. He also remembered Imam Khomeini whom he refered to as the greatest revolutionary in the 20th Century. He said the late Imam Khomeini was a champion of Muslim unity and brotherhood and had shown light and guidance to Muslims world-wide.
Najafi welcomed the interest of Iran in Uganda saying that Uganda had an extremely fertile land which with Iran's experience and expertise in agriculture, could be well exploited.
He said Uganda believes in a free market economy and has thus introduced liberal policies in the field of trade and industry thereby encouraging foreign investments. He welcomed Iranian industrialists to explore feasible and suitable areas for setting up manufacturing industries in Uganda primarily in fields for which raw material are locally available. He said such ventures would be prosperous for both countries.
At Community level, he said that the Khoja Shias are essentially a trade community and would be keen to initiate trade contacts with Iranian partners.
Outlining the history of the community, he said that a Jamaat was established in 1938 for religious, cultural and social activities. He then outlined the general activities of the Jamaat accentuating on the activities of women and on how youths are taught Islamic education.
After dinner was served, a gift of appreciation was presented to the visiting President by Shabir Najafi on behalf of the KSIJ of Kampala.
The President presented his credentials to the President at the State House on 21 January, 1997. During his visit, Dr. Amouei also visited the Prime Minister, Dr. Navin Ramgoolam, Hon. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, International and Regional Co-operation, Paul Berenger and other Ministers. He also informed the Mauritian Authorities of the intention of the Islamic Republic to join the Indian Ocean Rim.
Dr. Amouei then visited the Shia Imambara where he addressed the congregation which had assembed there after maghribain prayers. The visiting delegation was also received for dinner at the residence of Shabbir Husein Rajani, the Secretary of Ahle Bait (A.S.) Propagation Organisation (ABPO). Brother Rajani then had talks with the visiting Ambassador on how the Iran Embassy could help ABPO to consolidate its activities in Mauritius.
Sajjad described his appointment as a "a pleasant surprise", saying that he was "just relaxing at home over lunch-hour when I heard the news on the KBC news bulletin". He thanked President Moi for the appointment.
Sajjad was first nominated to Parliament in 1992, after spear-heading a successful presidential campaign in Mombasa and Coast Province which saw President Moi win by a wide margin. Thereafter he was appointed to the post of non-executive Chairman of the Kenya Ports Authority, a post which he relinquished in 1994.
The Chairman of the Africa Federation, Mohamed Dhirani, on behalf of members of all constituent Jamaats, immediately sent a message of sympathy to the family of the deceased and to Nairobi Jamaat for a loss which certainly is of great magnitude.
Maulana’s family has been in Africa for over fifteen years and have nurtured Africa as their second home. It is expected that his family will be well looked after until the Iddat period is over after which they can decide on their future.
May Allah (s.w.t.) behakke Chaharda Masoomen (a.s.) rest his soul amongst His chosen ones and may He grant the family solace to sustain this loss. Amen.
The selection of the best students was by no means an easy task especially because a number of students achieved excellent grades. The Secretariat of the Education Board also announced the names of the following students who achieved outstanding results but were just pipped for the final awards:
On behalf of the Africa Federation we congratulate the above winners and pray for their success in their future academic endeavours.
The Mombasa Jaffery Sports Club was inaugurated as the Ithna-Asheri Sports Club and has been in existence on its present site since 1925. It was however formally established in 1921 on a piece of land where Mombasa's Life Insurance Corporation building stands today.
Before the establishment of the Club at its present site, cricket and football were played by members of the Jamaat at three different places. The first location was the cemetery where our forefathers started playing around 1915. The second location was the Buxton School ground behind where the Ambalal House stands today and the third place was where the Lotus House is today.
To unite the community's sportsmen, four elders namely Late Haji Habib Abdulla Janmohamed, Late Mulla Hassanali Gulamhusein Khaki, Late Haji Husein Karim Hirji and the Late Haji Abdulla Alimohamed Khalfan successfully formed the Ithna-Asheri Sports Club in 1921.
The move to the present site took place in 1925 when the then colonial Government allocated the present site to the Club. Being a very rocky area, much effort had to be put in to convert the land into a playing field. Stones removed from the playing area were used for constructing buildings, some of which exist to date in Mombasa. Two of these are the buildings owned by Haji Mohamed M. M. Jaffer on Nyeri Street and the godown which houses Moosa stores owned by the R. Valli Family.
Immediately after being allocated the new piece of land in 1925, the Club built a pavilion with a roof of aluminium sheets at a cost of KShs. 1500/-. The first solid pavilion then came up in 1930 at a cost of KShs. 10,000/- which was then a princely sum.
In 1931, the Club's first comprehensive constitution was drafted in Gujarati by Marhum Mohamedali Dhalla, then Hon. Secretary of the Club. This constitution was immediately implemented.
In 1936, the Club built its first two tennis courts at a cost of K.Shs. 3,200/=. Between 1933 and 1944, the Club remained closed as this was the period of the Second World War. During the war, the Club's ground was part of the area used as a Cantonment.
After the war, the Club bubbled with activity again and in 1952 a third tennis court was constructed. In due course the game of volleyball was introduced followed by squash which was introduced at the Club in 1985 when the Club's first and only squash court was built.
When the Club came into existence in 1921, Late Haji Kassamali Merali became the first Chairman. A perspective glance through the 'Roll of Chairmen' reflects the high calibre of people who headed the Club since then. The oldest surviving Chairman today is Ali Mohamed Jafferbhai, who was the Chairman of the Club in 1943/1944, which is over 50 years ago.
It was nice to see that Ali Mohamed Jafferbhai along with some other Past Chairmen were present at the Founders Gala Dinner held in Mombasa on 4 January, 1996 to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Club.
Ever since the Club was founded to its Silver Jubilee in 1946 and Golden Jubilee in 1971 up to its recent Diamond Jubilee, the Club has grown older but stronger.
The Diamond Jubilee Celebrations commenced on 4 November, 1996 with the Fourth Jaffery Volleyball tournament being contested. This tournament drew 15 teams and the Chief Guest at the final was Councillor Masumali Meghji who has sponsored this tournament since its inception.
In the final, Muslim Bhadala beat Memon Sports Club. The Jaffery Sports Club was eliminated in the semi-finals. All participating teams were presented with a memento commemorating the 75 years existence of the Club.
From 14 December to 21 December, 1996 the 12th Coast Open Veterans Tennis Tournament was held, being revived after a lapse of 2 years. This tournament was incepted in 1983 with the objective of honouring veteran players and also to give them a platform to compete amongst themselves
The sponsors of the tennis event were Interglobe Services Ltd. Four events were contested namely the Mens singles and doubles over 40 years and the Mens singles and doubles over 50 years.
In all, 27 players participated and the finals were played on 21 December, 1996 with the Chief Guest being Asaf Gulamhusein, the Managing Director of Interglobe Services Ltd. Also present were the Chairman of the Kenya Lawn Tennis Association, Jim Davies and the Chairman of the Jaffery Sports Club, Aunali Kanji.
A Six-A-Side Cricket tournament was also played for the first time with six Mombasa teams participating. This event was sponsored by the Molu Family and the trophy was named the "Late Nash Molu Trophy". It is planned to now make this an annual event.
In the finals, Jaffery Sports Club beat Mombasa Sports Club to clinch the trophy. Certificates were presented to all players who participated and the winners were presented with a beautiful trophy. The Chief Guest at the presentation was the sponsor, Abdulrazak M. Molu who is also a member of the Trust Board of Jaffery Sports Club.
Then came the veterans again. Veterans of the community were invited to participate in the Veterans Sports Festival, this being the second time for such a Festival to be organised. The inaugaral Veterans Festival was held in 1995.
Two teams were drawn for the week long even which ended on 29 December, 1996. The games contested were cricket, tennis, volleyball and football with winners being presented trophies and all participants were also awarded certificates.
The Children Sports Day sponsored by Ms. Bawazir Group of Companies was held on 28 December, 1996 with more than 200 boys and girls aged between 4 years and 8 years participating.
During the course of the day, 26 events were organised with a good attendance from both, parents and children. A surprise visitor to the Sports Day was the Chairman of the World Federation, Mulla Asger.
Winners, runners-up and those in third place were presented with medals. The Chief Guest was Yawer Kalyan of Ms. Bawazir Group of Companies.
Then came the E.D. Veterans Cricket Match which was held on 4 January, 1997 over 30 overs. Veterans cricket was first organised at Club level in 1983 when players from all over the country were invited to participate in what was then called the "Down Memory Lane Veterans Tournament".
This time the Club went one step ahead by personally inviting veterans from all over East Africa. The tournament was enjoyed by all those who participated and at the time of refreshments, some players were even given an opportunity to narrate their hey-day experiences.
To culminate the celebrations, the 75th Anniversary Founders Grand Dinner was held on 4 January, 1997 at the Jaffery Sports Club. The Chief Guest at the dinner, which attracted about 650 people, was Hon. Sajjad Rashid and also attending this function was the Chairman of Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Supreme Council, Mohamed Dhirani along with the Chairman of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheri Jamat of Mombasa, Husein Walji and the Chairman of the Trust Board, Mohamed Jaffer Khaki.
The Jaffery Sports Club Chairman, Aunali Kanji along with the Africa Federation Chairman, Mohamed Dhirani and the Chief Guest, Hon. Sajjad Rashid all addressed the gathering,
In his address, Aunali Kanji said that history bore witness to the fact that successive managements of the Club upheld its aims and objectives thereby successfully and wisely steering the Club through its various phases of development over 75 years.
He said that after 75 years he wished progress would continue at a similar if not faster pace so that when the Club’s membership gathers in 25 years’ time to celebrate its centenary, it will be able to express similar sentiments.
To the younger members, he said that the Club’s glorious history is a heritage that would pass on to them not only for safe custody but also for them to consolidate and then pass on to the generations that followed.
He said that over the years the Club has produced some brilliant sportsmen of whom the Club was proud of. He commended the selfless love and affection these sportsmen had for the Club and appreciated the many hours they toiled not only for seeking personal glories but also to uplift the name and image of the Club.
He said the Club's Diamond Jubilee would probably be remembered better from a philanthropic perspective and to this effect he announced that whilst the Club had earmarked a sum of K.Shs. 200,000/- for utilisation towards the Youths Welfare Fund of the Club, on the other hand it had also resolved to make contributions towards two charitable institutions, namely:-
He said that as duty-bound citizens of Kenya, the donations represented the Club's willingness to contribute towards the welfare of the less fortunate. He then called upon the Chief Guest, Hon. Sajjad Rashid to present the donations to the respective institutions.
Talking of recent achievements, Kanji said that one of the most important tasks handled in recent years was that of appertaining the Club's lease. He said that through the untiring efforts of Sultan Molu and Naushad Jiwa, the yearly lease was converted into a 50 year lease in June 1991. He reiterated the Club's appreciation to the two for a wonderful job done.
The Club Chairman also expressed gratitude to the efforts of Mohamed Jaffer Panju and Husein Merali in the early 1970’s which saved a sizeable portion of the Club's playing field from being confiscated. He said that had it not been for the ardent efforts of the two, the Club would not be having a sufficient area for its activities.
He then outlined some of the Club's short-term objectives foremost of which he said that aggresive efforts must be made to increase the life of its lease to 99 years.
He said the Club also requires a turf wicket if cricket standards are to be improved. To this effect he said that whilst a natural turf wicket is not possible to have, as an alternative, an astro-turf wicket would be possible and is highly recommended.
Furthermore he said the ground requires to be tended for bad patches. He also drew attention to the need for the Club to provide members with a facility to play Table Tennis, which formerly was available at the Club.
In view of existent space restrictions in the building premises at the Club, he cited a possibility of building a Health Centre at the Club where table tennis facilities could be accomodated.
He said the Club also needs a tarmac road from the main entrance to the parking area and hoped able members would come out in support of this.
Finally he stressed on the need for the Club to be financially self-sufficient by charting out a plan to this effect which is visionary, fair and comprehensive and which would be expected to derive the support of benevolent members. He said that with financial self-sufficiency at the Club, the planned development undertaken to date can be sustained, if not hastened.
As a long term projection, he expressed desire for the Community to have a modern and well equipped Complex which would cater for all the sporting needs of its members. He said if history was anything to go by, this objective is attainable.
The Chairman then reminded the congregation that in September 1996, when the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, His Excellency Hujjatul Islam Akber Hashemi Rafsanjani, paid a visit to the Club during his state visit to Kenya, he was offered a Honorary Patronship.
He said that the Club, after seeking the General Body's approval, conferred a Honorary Patronship posthumously on the Late Hujjatul Islam Seyyid Aqa Haider Zaidi Saheb.
He said that for want of an appropriate occasion, no formal communication was sent to the Late Maulana Saheb’s family and said that the occasion that night provided a fine opportunity to send the communication formally. He then asked Mohamed Raza Daya to receive the letter from the Chief Guest.
He then presented sentimental tokens to the Chief Guest and to the Africa Federation Chairman which he said would remind them of the occasion in the years to come.
In their address, the Chief Guest and the Africa Federation Chairman congratulated the Club for its remarkable achievements and said that the Club had niched itself a place in the Community's history.
Mohamedbhai Dhirani also under lined the importance of disciplinein all aspects of life. He said that the community's reputation and success in all spheres can only be upheld if members adopt positive but self-restrained attitudes in life.
After the speeches the presentation of awards to the winners took place during which all Founder members and Past Chairmen were also honoured.
The highlight of the evening was the launching of a Souvenir magazine to mark the 75th Anniversary. This magazine which was produced by Riyaz Fazal, Mohamed M. Jafferali Kayum and Mehid Kassamali includes much of the Club's history with also a number of historic pictures.
This was followed by fire crackers and cutting of the cake by the Chief Guest after which a sumptuous dinner was served to mark the end of the celebrations.
With good instructors and the zealous work put in by the administrators and organisers, this year's Camp was again a resounding success.
The idea of holding a Camp for youths was introduced by the Tabligh Sub Committee of the Shia Ithna Asheri Jamaat of Dar es Salaam following which the first Camp was held in 1995 at Nakuru.
Following the success and positive response received for the first Camp, the Tabligh Sub Committee decided to hold yet another Camp this year. This year, for the first time a Camp for girls was also held in Nairobi.
The Nakuru Camp drew 111 boys from Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Nairobi, Arusha, Tanga, Tananarive, Majunga, Morogoro, Moshi, Toronto and Peterborough and Nakuru all of whom were located at the Rasul Al Akram Academy in Nakuru.
The ages of the boys ranged from 13 - 21 years old. The boys were divided into seven camps with the medium of instruction being English. Special arrangements were however made for students from Madagascar who had their sessions conducted in Gujrati.
The full time administrators were Aalim Mehboob Somji, Murtaza Jessa and Salim Sheriff, all from Dar es Salaam.
The instructors were: Syed Ali Saman Naqvi (Qum), Bwana Ally Sheriff (Arusha), Sheikh Mohammed Khalfan (Dar es Salaam), Sheikh Muslim Bhanji (Dodoma), Sheikh Mulla Mohammed (Nairobi), Sheikh Mujahid Sheriff (Nairobi), Dr. Murtaza Alidina (Qum), Dr. Mahmood Datoo (London), Dr. Murtaza Rashid (Mombasa) and Maalim Mehboob Somji (Dar es Salaam).
The Nairobi Girls Camp which was held at the Rasul Al Akram Academy drew 111 girls from Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Nairobi, Arusha, Tanga, Moshi, Nakuru and Madgascar.
The ages of the girls ranged from 14 - 21 years and the girls were divided into five Camps. The Camp Administrator was Mrs. Shariffa Hameer from Dar es salaam. Other full time administrators were Mrs. Merzia Jessa (Dar es Salaam), Mrs Ismat Mukhtar (Dar es Salaam), Mrs Sukaina Asharia (Dar es Salaam), Mrs Shehnaz Alidina (Nairobi), Mrs Sabira Khimji (Nairobi) and Mrs Siddiqa Sheriff (Nairobi).
The Instructors were Sister Fatma Asaria (London), Sister Maimoona Azim (London), Sister Sajida Alidina (Qum), Sister Sakina Rashid (Mombasa), Sister Naseem Walji (Nairobi), Sister Shahida Karim (DSM), Bwana Ally Sheriff (Arusha), and Sheikh Muslim Bhanji (Dodoma).
The slogan for both the Camps was "A holiday with a difference" and this is exactly what it turned out to be. A balanced programme was time-tabled to achieve four main objectives:
To achieve these objectives, a broad spectrum of topics were covered during the Camp, ranging from Religious topics to Medical talks, Career guidance, Public speaking techniques, study skill, quizzes, dramas and debates.
The sports played included swimming, volleyball, football, table tennis, darts and other board games.
The youths were also taken for outings to Nakuru town, Nairobi town, Lavington Mosque project, Nakuru Safari park, Lake Bogoria, Lake Baringo, Hot water springs and the animal orphanage.
Prior to leaving the Camps, participants were asked to jot down candid opinions of their experiences and judging from the written and the verbal feedbacks of the campers, they sure had a nice time.
The tried and tested timetable that was introduced in Nakuru in 1995 was followed again this year for both the Camps. A typical day spanned from 5:30 am to 10:30 p.m.
Credit must be given to the student campers, both boys and girls, for their determination and unflinching support to the administrators and instructors at both, the Nakuru and Nairobi Camps.
There was a high demand this year, from both boys and girls to participate in the Camps and this is even evident from the numbers accepted by the organisers. Despite the large number accepted a good number of youths had to be refused participation in the end.
The experience of dealing with large numbers this year showed that whilst there is no problem in physically accommodating the youths in both Academies, there is the difficulty of giving individual care and attention to each Camper, which was the hallmark of the first Camp held in Nakuru in 1995.
This intended individual attention by instructors was further exasperated by the last minute cancellation of some instructors. As a result the Organisers have resolved albeit reluctantly that there will be an upper limit of participants for the 1997 Camps with exact numbers being determined by the number of instructors available.
A selection procedure is now being formulated by the organisers and applicants wishing to be considered for the 1997 Camps are thus requested to apply early and in good time.
After a tree planting ceremony, new equipment were officiated by the donors, namely Naushad Merali of Nairobi who donated the Scanning Machine, Mustafa Kassamali Nasser of Dubai who donated the Blood Testing Machine and the Chairman of Arusha Jamaat, Mehdi Rashid who donated the Blood Bank.
Thereafter a function was held at the Naaz Restaurant where all the 135 staff members of the hospital and dispensary were presented with gifts in appreciation of their service. This was followed by a function at night at the Imambara which was well attended.
The Chairman of the Jamaat, Mehdi Rashid in his welcome speech particularly praised the members' unity and participation of youths in communal affairs as being the reasons for the success of Arusha Jamaat in various fields.
Naushad Merali who was the Guest of honour at the celebrations expressed support to Arusha Jamaat and wished the hospital a progressive future.
The Federation Chairman, Mohamed Dhirani congratulated the Jamat on its achievements and appreciated the services of the Medical Committee and the staff of the hospital. He emphasised that progress in a hospital can only come through dedicated and committed service and also stressed on the need for preventive care which he said would keep our members healthier.
The Chairman praised the Arusha Jamaat for being progressive by enhancing religious and social facilities for its members. He however called upon the Jamaat to look towards building a Sports Complex which would create harmony amongst youths and make them healthier. He said such a Complex would also keeping youths away from vices.
He then outlined the activities of the Federation and briefed the gathering on the progress and purpose of the Federation Foundation Fund. He said pledges had been received from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kampala and Zanzibar and that a delegation would later visit Arusha and Moshi for collections.
The Arusha Jamaat Chairman, Mehdi Rashid then advised the Chairman that Arusha Jamaat has been allocated land to develop a Sports Complex but lacked finance to develop it. The Chief Guest, Naushad Merali spontaneously offered to contribute half the cost of the proposed Complex which was received with a thunderous nar-es-Salawat.
All those present then toured the Complex which in addition to Baitul Salat includes a Ghusl Khana, two classrooms for the Nursery School, two classrooms for Adult Ladies classes, a Multi- purpose hall and teachers quarters.
Speeches were then delivered by the Chairman of the Centre, Rashidi Mbegu, the Chairman of the Federation and Sheikh Kwazi of Bilal Muslim Mission Dar es Salaam. All emphasised that the facilities at the Complex are open to all irrespective of their individual Islamic beliefs. Other Sects were also invited to use,without charge, the good Ghusl Kafan facilities at the Centre.
It was also stated that the Complex needs donor finance to complete an additional four class rooms, a well to provide water and a staircase for the upper floor.
Finally presentations were made to the Chairman of the Centre, Rashdi Mbegu, the Contractor, Mussa Pirbhai and Mohamed Raza Suleiman for services and administration work rendered to the Centre.
For the hospital celebrations, the Chairman was accompanied by Aunali Khalfan, Chairman of the Central Health Board and Naushad Dhanji, on special assignment with the office-bearers team. For the opening of the Shia Centre, the Chairman was accompanied by the office-bearers of the Bilal Muslim Mission namely Fidahussein Hameer, Founder Member, Haider Khaki, Chairman,Pyarali Shivji, Hon Secretary and Committee members, Murtaza Jivraj and Sheikh Kwazi.
The Samachar will soon have its own Web Page on the Internet through the courtesy of Heart Beat, a company providing Internet connections in Dar es Salaam. The Samachar will be accessible in the 'newsroom' section of this Site.
When installed, the Samachar's Web Page will be accessible on http://www.raha.com (after accessing, the Federation Samachar icon can be viewed in the 'newsroom' section).
The Samachar now also has its own E-mail address. This is samachar@raha.com
On 15 December, 1996 a Prize Giving Ceremony was organised at the Yusuf Ali Hall, Port Louis, Mauritius to reward winners of the competition. The occasion was graced by the presence of Hujjatul Islam Masroor Hasa and was attended by all those who participated in the competition with their parents.
The Programme started with recitation of verses of the Holy Qura’n followed by Qaseeda and Naat by Husain Haji Ismail (Husain Makla) of the Ahle Bait (A.S) Propagation Organisation and Brother Mohjize of Madagascar. The Function was presided by Shabbir Husein Rajani, the Secretary of the Organisation who also gave a speech on the necessity of Education in Islam. He said that the foundation of Islam is principally based on Knowledge and Education, especially Islamic Knowledge Education.
Hujjatul Islam Shaikh Masroor Hasan then delivered an exposition on the life of our Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and Hazrat Ali (A.S). He particularly stressed on the simplicity in the lifestyles of our Prophet and Imams.
Prizes were awarded to the winners of the Competition by Hujjatul Islam Shaikh Masroor Hasa in the presence of Raza Hussain Kassamally Esmail, the President of the Ahle Bait (A.S) Propagation Organisation and other members of the Managing Committee.
Four students have successfully completed the first course. On Sunday 15 December 1996 at the Yusuf Ali Hall, Port Louis, the successful students were awarded their certificates by Hujjatul Islam Shaikh Masroor Hasan.
The successful students were: 1. Mr. Fareed S Sheikh Madar; 2. Miss Bibi Kawsar Baubadoor; 3. Miss Noorzabee Auckloo and 4. Miss Bibi Asman Casmally.
Fareed Kanowah and Fezal Dilhossain participated from Mauritius.