The way we were

Educators attached to the Strand Moslem Primary School have recorded the structural and academic growth of the school during the period 1966 to 2016.

The SMC was established in a bid to foster unity among the four separate jama’ahs (congregations) in the Strand, each with its own imam and administrative structure.

The council took responsibility for joint religious, financial, social and educational affairs on a trial basis in May 1966.

At the end of the trial, the community ratified the draft constitution and elected an executive committee by secret ballot. Waste and duplication were eliminated, and although there were a few teething troubles, the majority of voting members put their faith in the SMC, which has gone from strength to strength.

Rhoda is proudest of the transparency and accountability which the SMC constitution brought to the community, and the regular presentation of independently audited statements.

Financial sustainability is one of the most challenging tasks facing community organisations, and a bait-ul-maal (treasury of the community) was established to collect and distribute zakaat-ul-fitr and zakaah (compulsory alms) to enable the SMC to carry out its Qur’anic obligation to the needy.

The SMC was founded during the trauma of forced removals, when people of colour were evicted from their ancestral homes and moved to raw outlying suburbs.

This necessitated the building of new places of worship, including the Jamiah Masjid in Nolte Street, Masjidul Ummah in Gustrouw Estate and the Jamaat Ghaana in Broadlands Park, all of which were erected by the SMC at tremendous cost to the community.

The book, which is copiously illustrated with photographs of the men and women who have served the community during the past 50 years, will be launched in the Strand Town Hall on Saturday.

The SMC has not changed to the more acceptable “Muslim” spelling as this would involve changing, at considerable expense, the name on all the title deeds held by the Council.