Two men of faith and unity honoured
SOUTH Africa, 1946. Two baby boys are born to two different families in Durban; one Christian and one Muslim.
Both born in poverty, each child learned from an early age just what it would take to succeed in life.
Each would become instrumental in the fight against the impacts of apartheid.
Each man took it upon himself to help anyone who needed help, irrespective of race or religion.
They both succeeded in their fields and then used their positions to help others.
From feeding schemes for disadvantaged children and aiding shack dwellers to helping the underprivileged, each man felt it was his moral, religious and social duty to promote peace and interfaith harmony.
And at age 71, both were honoured for their work and contributions, with lifetime achievement awards recently.
One of the men, Rubin Phillip, became the first East Indian-heritage South African to hold the position of Bishop of Natal.
“It’s something of an irony that I should have become a priest and later a bishop of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, considering that my father was an agnostic,” said Phillip.
“My mother, on the other hand, was baptised as a baby in the Roman Catholic Church; she later joined the Anglican Church. So growing up, religion was not big in our home.
“My father insisted on his children deciding for themselves on the matter of religious affiliation or none. Somehow, I appreciated that because it helped me to own my faith, as it were.”
The other man, Ahmed Valli Mahomed, would go on to become the head of the Grey Street Jumma Musjid and chief executive officer of the Grey Street Feeding Scheme.
“I grew up in poverty and struggled to get an education,” he said. “I had to start working from a young age to support my parents. I was a street vendor and sold combs to supplement my income, so I could support my family. I earned R33 a month. So I know what it’s like to struggle, to be hungry, to have to do whatever it takes to live. And that’s why I still work towards helping people, regardless of race or religion.”
Both men were honoured with Lifetime Achievement awards from Minhaj-ul-Quran International.
The director of Minhaj-ulQuran SA, Moulana Rafeek Shah, who is a Member of the Provincial Legislature, said: “We are an international organisation. Our headquarters are in Lahore, Pakistan.
“We have 90 offices around the world, over 700 schools and a medical outreach programme. Our intention is promote peace and not just religious tolerance but religious harmony.
“There is a perception that Islam promotes violence and we believe it is important to show the true face of Islam. That’s why we started peace conferences between leaders of different religions, to come together and find ways to help and promote each other.”
Shah said it was important to acknowledge those who had played pivotal roles in the Struggle against apartheid and promoted inter-faith unity.
“And perhaps by doing so, it would inspire and motivate others to take up the fight and continue to work toward peace.
“We are a Muslim organisation and we chose to honour a Christian man. We hope that sends out a message of hope and unity.”
Of Mahomed, he said: “He never once said, ‘I am disadvantaged, so I can’t help others. He never saw race or religion, just people who needed his help. And in a time in SA when the law separated us and deprived others of rights, he didn’t care. He found ways to help, to feed the hungry, support the destitute and help them help themselves. In the apartheid days, it was community leaders like him who were the unsung heroes. They found a way in a time of division to unite people from different faiths. They found a way to create hope.”
Said Mahomed: “I’m happy to receive the honour, but we have a long way to go. The Struggle isn’t yet over. We need to stop blaming politics and apartheid and realise we are all human beings. We are all one family.”
Phillip echoed Mahomed’s sentiments. “The Lifetime Achievement Award, for which I am enormously grateful and deeply humbled, is an affirmation of the work that I and many others are doing in the areas of reconciliation and peace-building. Religion must never become a tool to divide the human race but rather to unite it by encouraging tolerance and understanding and peace-making. We must become ‘Messengers of Peace’.
“Speaking for myself, what good is it if I strive to attain heaven but do little to build peace on earth?”
Mahomed once attended a karate tournament and was impressed with the discipline displayed by young children. He realised the sport could act as a motivational tool for underprivileged children and worked towards affording them opportunities to train and learn a new sport.
For his work with children and karate, Mahomed was also the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Shotokan Karate-do International South Africa (Skisa).
The founder of Skisa, Sonny Pillay, said Mahomed was a champion of the poor and elevated the quality of life for destitute children.
“He is a catalyst for nation building, for inter-faith unity and he epitomises the words diversity and unity. In fact, it is difficult to know what faith he belongs to because he represents them all so respectfully and sincerely.”
Mahomed said the honour was especially sweet, as he shared a lot in common with Philip. “We might be from different backgrounds and religions, but ultimately, we both believe in charity. Our religion is to help.”
Phillip added: “Although my parents were not well-off, they were kind, generous and gentle. Those qualities count.”