1. Extracts from the Federation Samachar  Vol 1 No 4 - December 1960

2. Photograph of 13th Cenetary of Imam Hussein (a.s.) - Zanzibar

SPEECH DELIVERED BY Mr. N. M. NASSER, THE PRESIDENT OF THE RECEPTION COMMITTEE
OF DAR ES SALAAM ITHNA-ASHERl JAMAAT

MR. PRESIDENT, COUNCILLORS AND DELEGATES,

My. Jamaat is grateful to the Supreme Council for having convened the 6^th Conference Meetings of the Federation of the Khoja Shia Ithnaasheri Jamaats of Africa, on its invitation, in Dar es Salaam, as also to the affiliated Jamaats for having represented themselves with alacrity at this Conference under the hospitality of my Jamaat.

Therefore, with a feeling of great indebtedness, I, on behalf of my Jamaat welcome you, Mr. President, Councillors and Delegates to Dar es Salaam, a Haven of Peace, and I assure you the name this town bears is far from being a misnomer.

While the cool sea-breeze here is plenty and beyond exhaustion, it is only fair that I should caution you at the mischievious trick the breeze might play in  lullabying even   an   anxious   and   forceful   prospective   speaker to a sound sleep. Complaints at gusts of cool sea-breeze in this hot climate will not be entertained.

Gentlemen, the relation of my Jamaat with the Federation is enviably of maternal nature. For, was it not Dar es Salaam that offered its venue to give birth, and, therefore, nativity, to the Federation some 14 years back? The excited feelings of my Jamaat tonight, therefore, tantamounts to that of, an indulgent mother welcoming her 14 years old sweet son to his own household. My expression, under the circumstances, should be aptly estimated and esteemed when I say to you all "Make Yourselves At Home" here.

Here is  the  place  where we can  instil,  more energy in  the machinery of the Federation,  enthuse more zeal  in the member-Jamaats and inspire in ourselves new  ideas   not  to   remain  paper-deep  but   to   materialise.    If lurking in our hearts is that same spirit of dynamic action, then looming over our heads are the same stars of success.  So let us say, "YA ALI" and have a   go.

Nobody can have the audacity to deny the fact that the establishment of the Federation was a turning   point for our   community in its path of struggle to progress and develope, and  if we look back over the span of  those  14 years, we shall  find, if we have a candid  sense of  appreciation, that our community  as  a  single  unit  fared  well  in  its efforts  lo  keep   itself,   under  a single guidance  and direction in  general,  abreast  of  changing  time and conditions, in competition with the  other  sister  communities.

Things that could not be accomplished by an individual Jamaat for its lone benifits,  could with great case be  transformed from  a dream to a blue-print  and thence to a concrete reality  through a pool of efforts and  means, of  more Jamaats for equal and mutual benifits.                                                   

This huge building, which we call Haji Mohamed Jaffer Ithnasheri Boarding, is the exhibitive example. Only 14 years back when we gathered in Dar es Salaam to establish a federal body, ours' was the unfortunate Community to have needed the use and occupation of the premises of another institute for that purpose. Tonight, the same resultant body opens its Conference in the Community's own building, palatial in structure and splendour, in consonance with the integrity the Fede­ration  has built, and enjoys.

There could be no better place to be desired for tonight's deliberations. There could be no better example of accomplishment through a pool of joint ideas, means and efforts.

Today, our Community is a well established, organised and self-maintained body, and   as   such, it commands respect and integrity in every quarters.

Gentlemen, path of progress is such that it has no signs of speed limits, and since we are steering ourselves on this path, let us muster a will to press the accelerator.   And why not?

Brethren, in addition to the fact that here is the place of birth of the Federation, I also attach a great importance to this Conference. It intends to adopt a revised draft Constitution. This reflects a healthy sign of flexibility of our outlook, according to the changing circumstances, without being conservative unduly;  this  also  reflects  an  anticipation  of  long  long  life  to the Federation.

It is needless to impress upon you all that a Constitution to a Body is as essential for its life as is a pivoting nail which enables a top to rotate to life and  maintain an equilibrium.

With    that    impression    in    mind,    therefore,  let  us  fully avail  ourselves of this    opportunity    of    expressing  our  views,   however,   humble  and   impactless  they may    seem,    on   matters   however   paltry   or  meticulous   they   may  appear,   because that  is our  right,  and  we   must exercise it.   But,  once  the constitution is adopted then let us have the fairness and decency, with the same vigour and right, to esteem it and not to jest at it; to respect it and not to flout it; to conform to it and not to contravene it, as if it were enacted for us by people other than ourselves. Because all frictions primarily stem from our maintaining an attitude of a complete   disregard to the   provisions and requirements of the Constitution.

Alhamdulillah,  we  have  in  the  person of  Al - Haj   Ebrahimbhai,  the President,   an   able, and  sincere  leader of high calibre. Gentlemen, with our full support to   this   leadership   and   respect   to   the Constitution, our   progress   will bolt   like a racing horse.   So, stake and spur.

13th Centenary of Imam Hussein (a.s.) - Zanzibar

Standing from L to R: Akber Ahmed Kermali, Ahmed Dungersi, Abdallah Bhimji, Yusuf Juma,
Raza Nasserali & Mohamedtaki Juma
Sitting from L to R: Marhum Jaffer Chandoo, Mulla Nisarhussein Chandoo and Muhamadali Jivraj