SA women join relief convoy
MEMBERS of the Muslim Judicial Council’s (MJC) Women’s Forum have joined a convoy of 5 000 international women to deliver two shipping containers of relief aid supplies for victims of the Syrian war.
The women are forum chairperson Khadija Patel-Allie, second deputy Fatima Abrahams, forum secretary Majidah Emandien, Gafsa Wilson, Fawzia Emandien, forum treasurer Khursheed Allie, and Fayruze Tape.
They were accompanied by Ebrahim Allie, Abu Talib and Moegamat Moesfiek Wilson, the sons of three of the women.
Prior to their departure, the containers were dispatched from R&T Potato Wholesalers in Benbow Avenue, Epping, to Cape Town’s docks on Saturday.
The containers were filled with tinned foods, carpet underfelt, nappies, baby foods and female sanitary packs donated by the Cape Town community and people as far as Joburg, said, Majidah Emandien.
A third container of supplies would be sent to the Turkish/Syrian border in two weeks time.
“This will be our (MJC) first relief container that will be leaving the shores of Cape Town, which is quite a historic moment for the MJC and the community (of South Africa),” said Emandien.
She added that the “conscious bus convoy” consisted of 5 000 women from different religions, backgrounds and professions.
The convoy was significant as it coincided with International Women’s Day on March 8, said Emandien.
The objective of the convoy, she said was to draw attention to the suffering of women who were being tortured, raped, executed, imprisoned and who had been made refugees since the beginning of the war in Syria.
Their journey was also to initiate an attempt to release all girl and women prisoners held in Syria, and to invite all humanity to take effective measures to protect women during conflicts and wars.
The convoy would start from Istanbul and pass Izmit, Sakarya, Ankara, Konya and Adana before reaching the Syrian border and returning to Istanbul on March 9, said Emandien.
raphael.wolf@inl.co.za
This will be the forum’s first container to leave Cape Town’s shores