the word of v

floating

2009-04-02T23:12:00.002+02:00

it is an odd time to make a return to the blogosphere - instinctively i think it will be brief again - but thats part of the beauty of blogging. its yours to determine.

Recently all that i have penned have been reports, presentations and more reports. Analysis and apendices have spewed forth from my brain like never before. Despite all this induced direction, i feel like im floating...with little motivation to grip the paddles and aim for something.

and this gives rise to mediocrity. and waste. and perhaps all the more worrying is that 'floating' has an effect on spirituality.

a friend said i need an anchor - he seemed to think this means a girl. i told him, as has been my scathing responce to such comment over the last few years, that i wanted to sail, not to drop anchor.

his answer? then find a girl who is your sail! i thought the comment ridiculously bollywoodish. but later that day i thought again...

am i getting so old so quickly?

world's apart

2008-11-18T18:01:00.001+02:00

the nerves, the sweat, the aniticaption for one kid was: will it be all a's? or just 5.maybe 4, God forbid.

and for the other: will it be a pass? will it be enough to get through, will there be enough 40's to see it to the end?...is there even a future....

world's apart, yet from the same family.

life has a cruel, painful way of showing up disparities.

mini panel van tour of sa

2008-11-16T23:49:00.002+02:00

touring sa has always been fun and invariably an amazing experience - SA is a country that rocks!

car modification is always something thats fun. recently myself and a friend stumbled upon the idea of restoring a 1960 mini to 'sports car' condition - 1600 engine maybe, neat leather interior, drop top even - the sort of thing that would 'make champagne fall from the skies'

but then we visited the car show, and the idea evolved into finding a late-1960 Mini Van and converting it into a retro-limo. (anyone know of one? only half a million units were ever made unfortunately).

watching top gear and jeremy clarkson today, the idea evolved again, taking on a whole new dimension, a bed, and possibly a gas stove too. the idea now is to find, if ever possible, the old mini panel van and convert it into an all-in-one house/car/studio, in which to tour sa.

studio? well just a plug point for a laptop really. to make a movie of the trip, and maybe even run a live blog of sorts?

the idea rocks. lets see if we can ever make it happen

citizen desgin - infinite possibility?

2008-11-13T21:36:00.001+02:00

imagine the latest BMW gearbox being partly designed by a group of young independent engineers in China. Or the new Nokia interface generated by programmers from Zimbabwe in their spare time. Or the most recent Converse range dominated by designs from fashion designers in Brazil.

Odd? Weird? not any more.

The concept of Mass collaboration has brought to the world of design a whole new dimension, that will in all probability reshape the way companies and design studios run their R&D departments.

there is much to say about the idea, and the 'movement' of mass collab, but i am, as usual, short on time.

For now though, the thought i want to throw out in to the public domain, is how young south african's can use the concept of citizen design (i'm not sure, but i may be the first to use the term? or maybe im plagarising?) to create Research and Development practices that would level (some-what) the opportunity playing field. ie broader access to high level design projects by one and all. it stands to reason that well administered citizen design programs have the potential to propel (otherwise overlooked) young minds and great ideas to the top the economic food change, and contribute to better distribution of the countries resources.

An iniative i will launch, God willing, in the not too distant future aims (amongst many other things) at studying and implementing 'Citizen Design' programs, particularly with a view of harnessing what i believe to be the tremendous potential of the country's young minds. Contact me if you're interested in getting involved

real change?

2008-11-09T23:25:00.000+02:00

i have for a while now believed that the 'real change,' the kind of change that obama would have us envisage but never attain, would need to be sparked by a change in the way we do business. our age is one that is characterised by the pursuit of personal wealth accumulation and the instant satisfaction of material desire.

But this is a not a post about the deplorable state of the moral orientation of our world - its not meant to be about the problems, but rather more about solutions.

I'm under no illusions - the 'solutions' i will present here are not earth shattering. In fact they not even new. all it really is, is me joining a path already being followed by others. to me, this is the best way to Contribute. I have looked long and hard to find that ultimate solution, the answer to all problems, the instantanous once-and-for-all remedy - but without success. And so that experience brings me to this conclusion - change is not going to happen over night, and it won't solve everyones problems in one go.

however, i retain some naivity, and think that solutions are still possible :)

and so i return to my original point - real change, i think, must lie at the heart of the way we do business. the wealth generation of our societies must be more inclusive, and better distributed. pragmatically however, it means Business and its people being less greedy, less selfish.

if a People can be made to share their wealth, it would mean compassion and selflessness would have over-powered greed and opulence, and that this change would be more real than ever before.

the process of eradicating greed and shifting the objectives of Business is not a new idea, not a simple idea, not an idea that will heal all the world's wounds, and definitely not an idea that will heal them overnight - but is an idea that maybe holds most promise than most others.

abdullah ibrahim

2008-11-08T00:35:00.005+02:00

the musician, the gentleman,the maestro.

there are few things in life with that soft, soothing, elegant beauty that is so difficult to put your finger on - the music of one abdulla ibrahim is exactly that.

i count myself the lucky ones, having had the opportunity to see and hear The Trio live in jozi at the Wits Great Hall tonight. fantastic atmosphere, great company and a super performance from the master.

play the clip!

the Real Soldier

2008-10-21T21:27:00.001+02:00

I have a deep respect for Mr Robert Fisk. And Mr John Pilger. And the few other journalists in the modern world who have risked life and limb to tell the tale of truth. As obscure and hidden as it has been in the greatest age of deception.

their tales, punctuated so very often, by extreme pain and dominated by death and destruction seem to me, in an odd way, the work of the Real Soldier in the modern world. the Real Soldier - i have always held it in my mind - is an agent of Good, who risks life and limb in upholding morality. the Soldier goes to war to vanquish the forces of Evil and knowingly places his life 'in the line of fire.'

Very few wars in the modern world have been about morality. Rather, they have been driven by greed and hunger-for-power (with most, if not all parties on all sides guilty). Illegitimate wars. Terrible consequence. Where does this leave the combatants of these wars? Are they, those Real Soldiers?

they cannot be. yes they may have risked life and limb. but for good? no again. so they are not those Real Soldiers.

recent wars, however, those in the Middle East and Africa primarily, were not without Soldiers. they were those who risked life and limb and fought for Good. who were they? what part did the play? they were those journalists, few and far between, that brought to the world in small, marginalised pieces the Truth of these conflicts. Truth is central to Goodness. without it Evil must triumph. Truth is also the first, baby step towards a human, moral responce to the tragedies of war.

So to the Fisks and Pilgers of the world, i salute you. as Real Soldiers should be. the war goes on.

Ambition, what ambition?

2008-10-21T21:00:00.001+02:00

A recent reread of a small portion of Robert Fisk's great war of civilisation brought to mind many interesting ideas and thoughts, much of them long buried in the dusty crevices of my memory.

Among the more striking realisations is the sheer ambition, audacity and magnitude of the agendas of many of the people Fisk writes about. The monitoring of attempts at regional and world domination - an incredible ambition - has been the story of Fisk's life, which in itself is extra-ordinary.

The plans of the powers that be, or in some cases that were, were very rarely simple - regime change, control of resources and territorial capture are just some of them. Millions died horrific deaths in the execution of these plans, billions of dollars were spent realising the objectives of these centres of power, indescribable suffering and poverty was brought to millions more as the world fought wars to achieve some, often immoral, goal.

Yet the ambitiousness of these goals, immoral or not, will never fail to amaze me. That is - was it really the ambition of some individuals and groups to, for example, replace a leader in the middle east and seize control of that country's oil reserves? Or to stake claim to a land that never belonged to them? Of course it was. I'm reminded of Pinky and the Brain:

Pinky: What are going to do today brain?
Brain: The same thing we do everyday - try to take over the world!

That this sentiment is not just present in the cartoon world of Warner Bros (was it Warner bros?) and is rather a underlying contributor to the world's greatest tragedies is well known, yet still unnerves me.

Why is it, i sometimes wonder and then soon afterward rebuke myself for asking what sounds like a childish question, that the forces of Good do not share the ambition of those same immoral forces? Why is it that while Evil contrives, and realises, intricate plans with far reaching and painful consequences, Good is left to battle the little battles - to fight over the left overs of Evil's work? It seems almost that the the scraps for which the agents of Good fight, are those small unimportant battles, deliberately left by Evil to keep Good busy.

Too often we have made feeble excuses for the lack of a grand aim for Good - 'its the small things that count,' we say. 'We must start somewhere,' and 'do the small things and the bigger things will fall into place.'

Really? All this while millions continue - all around us- to be oppressed economically, militarily and culturally. There certainly is truth in these statements, but we must call a spade a spade - how much longer can we pacify our consciences by 'working on the little things?'

If tomorrow the world were to discover massive oil reserves beneath the ground of some African country, history tells us that greed and the desire for power - both amongst the ugliest of Evil's agents - will see to it that the land is laid waste, its people massacred, but its oil secured. For a select few. And what will Good be doing? History again assists : Good will be writing the reports, counting the dead, its agents striving to convince the world of its atrocities. But the people will die.

so....whats next?

2008-10-03T00:41:00.000+02:00

im not really sure why i chose to write this post now - given the reality of the heaps of work and the tight deadline-packaged schedule that i have. maybe its a desire to make official a 'project' thats been in my head for a while now. (its interesting that i turn to my blog to make things official, or to 'place on record'). i also want to make this a relatively simple post - hopefully stripping away my usual pompous use of language.

as i head into the final round of exams for the year, a number of other 'last stretches' are playing out in my life. in a few more months i would've ended some of my bigger commitments - activities that have taken time and energy but activities which i have loved (on the whole at least). i wont be renewing any of these commitments again - mostly because a of a deep sense of boredom. although in all fairness its not nearly true, i feel as if i've done what i could have in these spheres, played my part and need to move to something else. its almost a feeling of having out-grown these interests.

added to this, is the desire to shift challenges. through the grace of the Al-mighty this year has seen a number personal successes and achievements, and the time has come to look to other

so...whats next?

apart from knowing that new people, new places and new ideas is where i want to be, the specifics have eluded me. for some time i have bounced around ideas and possible directions in my head, without much progress. a consideration that plays an important role in shaping 'whats next' is the idea whatever it is, it needs to be 'me' - it needs to play to my strengths, and fall squarely in the category of life that i am passionate about (which in itself complicates matters!)

added to the equation, is the vitally important element of social responsibility i have towards family and friends.

'whats next?' still remains largely unanswered, and i'm pretty sure it will for a long time to come, but the options are fewer now. the focus is sharper.

anyone remember that standard bank ad where all those investors stand at the top of a building at the end, and the narrator goes 'whats next?'

watch this space...

taraweeh 08

2008-09-29T00:30:00.001+02:00

irshaad vawda, aged nine, gives his first sabak : the first THREE lines of the last juz of Quran.

irshaad vawda, aged 20, stands on the musallah at Masjid-ul-Islam and recites the very same lines, and much more.

ramadhaan is drawing to a close, and with it come to an end another year of taraweeh. Except this wasn't just another taraweeh year - it was an amazing year.

and for this, i am grateful for the support of family and friends, but most of all to the 3 exceptional hufaaz who i was fortunate enough to share the musallah with.

to Hafiz Umar Moolla, Hafiz Abdur-Rahman Laily and Qari Abdul-Khaliq Laily my sincere gratitude. it was nothing short of an honour and priveledge.

same place, same time, next year? perhaps not. perhaps never again. it was fun while it lasted :)

to all them memorisers of the Holy Book

2008-09-29T00:03:00.000+02:00

this one goes out to all the guys and girls who spent the last 29 nights on the musallah, leading taraweeh. to you all i say, may Allah SWT in His infinite wisdom accept!

To you i say also, take a bow! For to overcome the stomach-butterflies, the pressure of the rows of people standing behind you, the heat of the microphone, the daunting nature of the musallah on which u must stand, and still deliver the Word of God, is no mean feat.

I say further: that you all are amongst a privileged group of people. People who's capabilities may often seem to defy logic - people who, through the mercy of God and through the sheer power of will, juggle the challenges of work/studies, empty stomachs, irratable friends and collegues, taraweeh dhor and sleep depravation. Your reward, brothers and sisters, is with Allah.

I am infinitely grateful to be counted as one of your number, and pray to Allah that this extraordinary group of believers continues to deliver the Quran for many years to come, each time with greater conviction that ever before!

ameen

someone fill the void!

2008-09-08T23:15:00.001+02:00

the cliche goes: 'theres a gap in the market'

no where does this saying ring trueer than in the fight for minds and hearts of the world by Muslims - the widespread absence of intellectual expression and defence of islam's systems and ideologies has been by far the most crippling of hindrances in the battle to re-establish Islam in all its greatness.

the sphere of economics provides a vivid example of this inadequecy - in a world where the science of economics is taken so seriously and the thoughts and conversation dominating the discipline is of a notably high level, the corresponding discussion and thought around islam's approach to ecos is missing.

possibly the best gift that islam currently has to offer the world is its approach to doing business, and the emphasise it places on equitable distribution of the worlds resources. yet it remains largely unchampioned on an intellectual level, where the best efforts (may Allah reward the people behind them) serve simply to present the basics of islamic economics. these efforts do not, sadly, resist analysis from the foremost western economists and further do not even begin to reflect that the current rage in economic cirlces - development economics - is not a new invention but rather a construct borrowed without much credit from religious approaches to economics.

the void must be filled. the question is who is to step upto the plate? and what support will these people require?

building the turn around. some thoughts

2008-09-07T16:29:00.001+02:00

the world in general, and south africa in specific, is in need of some sort of 'turn around' - a mechanism to check the rapidly growing gap between the have and have nots. but what is to be the nature of this turn around? what is it to be build on? and what, if any thing, can be borrowed from Islam to assist in formulating this turn around?

'Turn arounds' have always interested and fascinated people - weather it be the 'come back' of a sport person from a loosing position or the restoration of an ailing business to the market dominance it once enjoyed, turn arounds have always been a source of inspiration.

that said, turn arounds are by nature very difficult to effect (and so its succesful implementation is thus strongly admired). This week, i was fortunate to have been in the audience of a lecture on leadership given by a business consultant specialising in turn arounds. Most of his work has focused on turning around big business, and putting corporates back on track, but it is his current project that is of particular interest to me. together with many others, he is currently involved in a project that aims to design a 'turn around' for the south african health and education sectors.

These sectors, he claims and as can verified by many people's personal experiences, are in serious trouble. The stats and stories that he uses to justify this and establish the framework for which to begin plotting a solution are scary. Many of these stories however demonstrate a sinlge recurring problem: the absence of a moral compass in the civil sector, coupled with the unrelenting pursuit of individual interests.

For the turn around to be truly successful then, it is imperative that along with the improvement of the infrastructural and logistical setup of the sector, the mindset of the workers need to be altered.

herein lies the problem. A paradigm shift towards a greater sense of morality is something required by not just civil society but rather by south african society at large (young graduates in particular) - this shift is extremely challenging to induce.

this brings me to a discussion on the differences between contemporary economics and Islamic economics. Islamic economics is designed to eliminate the gap between the have and have-nots but relies on the existance of a sense of morality and justice, which in turn is derived from an inherent consciousness of God and the Hereafter. Capitalism on the contrary focuses on the physical and material satisfaction of the individual.

It is safe to say then, that a more just economic system and a mindset more tolerant of sacrifice on the part of the individual for the benefit of society, is dependent on the awareness of God. and by implication the awareness of the well-being of other people.

It needs to be noted at this point that the practical challenges of creating a society with a strong sense of morality has been cited by many critics of the Islamic economic system as the cause for its 'inevitable failure.' the system they argue, cannot survive without the development of the 'islamic man', and given that this is difficult to achieve the system is doomed to fail.

The question then becomes, how is religion, or the message of God and Goodness, to compete with the allure of the satisfying of individual needs? the answer for me, lies in the mode and form of the message. the wrapping of The Word. because we know The Word, if embraced, is enough to base a turn around on.

the misfits

2008-08-10T03:01:00.000+02:00

a friend of mine posted this saying recently, and entitled it 'the misfits':

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers.
The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About
the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things.
They push the human race forward.

And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. Because the people
who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones
who do."

Jack Kerouac

Thanx to Nazjam for sharing

there is simply nothing enjoyable in the ordinary. it is the extraordinary that drives me. the exotic that intrigues me. the impossible that inspires me.

to make the impossible, possible. that is why i live. the dream will never die.

whats in a name?

2008-08-10T01:06:00.000+02:00

more than i dared to think a long time ago.

this blog has become much more of a random expression of my life, my goings and comings and my thoughts than a outpost of the weird and wonderful. the title 'beat of the soul' i felt was slightly too removed from the person of irshaad vawda.

and so i renamed the blog relative to its function - that of the mouthpiece of mr v. and of a place for me to defend, engage, express and relate my life.

this is the word of v

spread the knowledge

2008-08-03T23:00:00.001+02:00

so i attended the much talked about (and as a result well attended) Mark of a Jurist ALKhauthar course dealing with the Rules of Fiqh in the life of a Muslim. On the course itself:

very very constructive idea. find the elements of sustainability (fees for the course are meant to cover cost) and structure very promising. The structure is such that over a weekend, a crash course in important aspects of islam is made accessible to the working class
well organised and planned

thoughts resulting from the course on the topic of knowledge:

there is no monopoly on knowledge and no-one should ever try to create one. in my eyes, calling someone else an idiot, ramming a point down someones throat or just being insistent are all arrogant symptoms of a attempt at creating a monopoly on knowledgr.
the presentation of knowledge in the world we know is of paramount importance in realizing real dissemination of that knowledge - it must be made to be appealing
the true exposure to a topic at hand is to include all views well followed and respected. in as original a form as possible. and to present them without comment or criticism.
the promotion of knowledge in a era of 'mass-ignorance' is a particularly difficult thing to get right - and is of utmost importance for our survival
errr...thats all for the moment:)

break neck speed

2008-07-29T22:43:00.001+02:00

living at break neck speed is terribly dangerous..but also what i possibly live for. im not yet sure though. anyway, blogging over the next 3-4 months will be sparse. and often without any real attempt at constructing thought or argument.

I think it may become an extended form of status updates. possibly like twitter, but not so much a twitter concept. time will tell.for now thought:

a trip to soweto some days ago was great. one outstanding thing: saw kids playing a really odd game on the streets of soweto invovling tins and a tennis ball. Its called chicago. chicago, in the heart of soweto
about the same trip: there is simply nothing like a 'hood'. where neighbours exchange foods, and kids play games in the street, and the local parking lot is the soccer hot spot...soweto in that respect is alot like mayfair
currently attempting to run the largest muslim student charity drive (measured by student involved -in these trying times it would be unfair to measure it in monetary terms..or am i making an excuse?)...the stress is unbelievable...
the charity drive, known as rhp, brings me to this q: what makes a captain, a captain? ie what makes a great leader great. but much more that. what makes him/her special, and worthy of respect.
currently watching slightly surprised as some parts of rhp take on a life of their own..hope it translates!
i worry alot about a concept gaining popularity the world over, and particularly within local circles - the idea of the promotion of dialogue is, to me, just too airy fairy. its too...throwing dust into everyones eyes and make believe we acheiving something - the world aint gona talk itself better. especially when you're young. let the old people do the talking. we must do. or not talk.

to end off: an old, very charged saying from the 'hood of mayfair: "Make it happen!"

when death comes knocking...

2008-07-14T17:06:00.001+02:00

i have always found death to be the most sobering experience possible - there are few things in life like bearing witness to the hurt of those have lost. It is always somber, with a silence that reaches into the depths of human emotion.

When death came knocking on the door of my grandmother's life last thursday morning, i was engrosed in life as i usually am. Oblivious to the reality that the angel of death had come claiming the life of my fathers mother. I was deeply entangled in the life i have till now built for myself - its not a bad life - not one that is devoid of a sense of the mortality of man, but it is still one that does not do enough to ram home that same message- that death will come for us all.

So when at 12:25 my phone rang and it was my fathers name flashing of the screen, the breakneck life i sometimes lead was halted. stopped in its tracks by the Almighty. The death of my grandmother, my Allah SWT grant her Jannah, remoulded my perspective of the world. it taught me something i thought i knew, something i thought i was profoundly aware of - it taught me that the real bottom line in life is startlingly simple and maybe a little harsh - that all you take to the grave is your effort towards establishing Islam in your life and others.

When death comes knocking at your door, what will your bottom line look like?

the big M3 V8 engine, as seen from the combustion chamber

2008-06-30T12:53:00.001+02:00

really cool video

http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/203

cry my beloved continent

2008-06-24T23:48:00.001+02:00

The following is posted in response to a question asked by Riz Khan on Facebook, as part of his efforts to make the show interactive and as representative of the 150 million Al Jazeera viewership as possible. Visit this Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/6yspu2

The question of Africa and her problems is a subject on the lips of many across the world. Stopping the wars, stalling the rampant march of poverty and halting the spread of horrible disease are just some of the issues under constant discussion in the public domain.

While the efforts of some in the developed world in dealing with these challenges must certainly be applauded, one must ask an awkward question: is the intense interest in Africa more a matter of convenience than of genuine concern? After all, Africa houses the potential to solve many of the 'developed' world's rather more intricate problems. Is the commitment to Africa not driven by a more subtle motive than the desire to ease the suffering of other peoples? It is, one must admit, a curious time for such interest to be stoked - a time when the developed world craves resources. Africa has always had her problems.

China's interest in Africa, although not strictly one of the developed world, must be treated with similiar distrust. Too often the discourse around solving Africa's problems have been decorated with warm terms like 'economic growth' and 'skills development,' and in so doing have cloaked the reality behind this interest. It must be remembered that for Africa to flourish, it must help itself - it must find African solutions to African problems. this must be the yardstick by which involvement in the continent must be measured - to what extend does the Chinese interest help Africans to solve their problems?

The answer to that lies perhaps in simply stating that Chinese involvement has gone much the same way as all other operations on the continent - operations which have borne little fruit for Africans,

A little stretched

2008-06-19T10:19:00.001+02:00

"thin, sort of stretched....like butter that has been scraped over too much bread"

The words of Bilbo Baggins in that great fiction work, Lord of the Rings. I share his sentiments.

even as i sit and write this the list of things to do grows...commitments rear their heads, deadlines creep up, the phone rings incessently and the cycle goes on.

i feel like too little butter over too much bread.

A friend of mine pointed out yesterday that so often in the pursuit of something better for the collective, we forget the individual. i have always lived with the driving ambition that i be a part of something bigger and better, for everyone. But today, while the list grows and the deadlines loom large i must ask, am i really fulfilling this desire? am i really contributing to something bigger and better? Is being spread over so much bread really better?

or is it rather a case of a sense of fooling myself into thinking it is. Am i not, instead of contributing towards the greater goal, rather just shoveling energy and time into and endless pit? Perhaps having my finger in every pie has been an excuse to myself- an artificial answer to the question 'are you doing your bit?'

the resounding response is yes, i am. It pains to admit it, but admit i must if i am to keep sight of the goal.

Solution? do less, but do it better? i am still not sure. It seems that so many things would suffer, would remain incomplete...but will the completed overshadow the incomplete? I do not know.

larger than life

2008-06-14T20:36:00.002+02:00

the last post i wrote reminds me of an irshaad vawda many years ago. an irshaad whose ambitions and ideas were somewhat less diluted by reality. i could argue to myself that perhaps i have seen the bigger picture, and see things a little more for what they are, but would i be fooling myself? maybe. quite possibly.

The personalities of people are like autumn leaves. Infinitely complex, wonderfully variable in shade and crispiness. Some more striking, others less so, humans are fascinating. In recent days i have again found myself viewing life from a removed frame, almost like looking at the world from a different one, and once again i find myself in admiration of those people who bring together, who move mountains, who create, who form and shape...those people who stand out in the world, or at least their own worlds.

We all know a few of them - those people 'larger than life.' Human beings who have a gravity about them, who draw others towards them for good and bad, who are the focal point of their own worlds. I watch from afar these people, watching as they instinctively craft their environments to their liking, inspire the usefulness of the people around them while cushioning the weaknesses of the same. I watch as their nature allows them to move and talk, and in so doing expand their spheres of influence. i watch as they are loved fanactically and hated fanatically. i watch as charisma creates control, as intelligence yields influence, as wisdom develops worlds.

These are the people who shape their worlds and ours, and are the same who have the power to do good and evil... the world calls for them now to produce goodness, will they deliver? will we deliver?

where are we

2008-06-10T17:24:00.004+02:00

I knew it would come. Instinct told me it was only a matter of time. Logic told me it would come soon. And yet i dared to believe it might not.

I am angry, and so is half the world. I am upset. All this because the first black man to have a shot at the American presidency turned his acute oratory skills against a people already so isolated, so heavily punished for a crime they did not commit.

Obama's address to AIPAC was devastating: repeatedly shredding the legitimacy of Hamas, he firmly established his commitment to Israel - something all American Presidents have and continue to do. It should not have shaken me - i knew it was coming, yet it did. I wonder why.

Obama's address to AIPAC highlighted a stark reality - the absence of a Muslim voice. When potential American presidential candidates feel compelled to address a pro-Israeli group like AIPAC for the success of their campaigns, and further more feel compelled to say what Israeli supporters want to hear, we must ask ourselves, where are we? Where is the Muslim, pro Palestinian version of AIPAC?

Where is big Muslim business using their financial leverage to bend the world towards a more equitable environment? As Abu Bakr and Umar and Abdur Rahman bin Auf did (May God be pleased with them)

Where are the Muslims rallying in the streets demanding justice for the blood of their brothers and sisters?

When will it be that when some part of the world lifts its finger to commit injustice the hand of Islam responds swiftly, strongly.

When will it be when a Muslim is killed for being Muslim, the Muslims will cause the world to stop, financial markets to fall, the world to hold its breath...

how i long for that day...

AMANDLA INTIFADA

Vawda's laws

2008-06-05T20:51:00.002+02:00

vawda's engineering law of discontinuity:

no matter how much work u put in, u will get a sh*t mark out!

See fluids 2007 and 2008, QED

Coal investment, amidst the blur

2008-06-02T22:37:00.004+02:00

This post comes to you amidst the blur of exams. and thats really all it is - a blur. In engineering, there is simply no directly proportional relationship between time put in and marks achieved. Al-khawarizmi had little idea what suffering he would put his fellow Muslims through years after he invented algebra.

Apart from the blur of exams, a million other things are lined up on my list of to do. One of them is the reason behind this post - the Inzalo BEE Sasol share scheme. It opened today, closes on the 5th, and is particularly interesting in its approach to empowerment.

It offers black south africans the opportunity to invest in the coal fuel producer. two options are available to the black public. The first is the usual type BEE deal. The second is somewhat different. The second uses the concept of leverage to give ordinary south africans access to the deal. It does this by offering shares at a very reduced cost (+/- 10% of the real share price as traded on the jse) and subsidising the rest for a period of time. The shareholder then pays the remaining 90% over ten years by foregoing the dividends that they would be normally entitled to as a shareholder. After the share is payed off, the shareholder is now in possession of a Sasol share, which can be traded within the BEE fraternity at the normal share price!

What all this means is that for a R458 capital investment, a black South African will own, in about ten years, 25 Sasol shares (cost = R36,60 each). These shares are currently worth R490 each, and are expected to be worth more at the end of the ten year period(at the very least slightly more, baring any unusual occurrences)

You do the maths

Sounds like a deal that really does address 'broad based' BEE objectives, especially since it uses platforms like that of the Post Office to broaden its reach.But it needs to be investigated further. Offer closes soon people.

Xenophobia: the aftermath

2008-05-25T20:00:00.002+02:00

Calling it the 'aftermath' is an expression of the hope that the violence that has gripped the country in recent days is over. i'm also calling it the aftermath because the story i'm about to tell describes my day at the Primrose refugee camp - the current place of residence of some of the displaced people.

The piece of land between the Primrose Police Station and the Primrose Methodist Church is known affectionately as the Primrose Park. About 400m by 500m, the park serves as one of the areas 'green' spots. This past week however, saw the usually peaceful and green park turned into what disturbingly resembled a scene from a movie based on an African War Zone. A few days ago the park served as home to almost 3 000 displaced refugees, housed in tents as small as 3m by 5. The park, usually punctuated with scattered litter, was now lined with white tents, accompanied by a single line of blue portable toilets. The people that now call the park home are primarily from three nearby townships, and have all fled in fear of their lives from the violence there.

By last night about a thousand of the population had arranged transportation and had left to return to their home lands. Many of these were Mozambicans, and claimed that their home countries offered greater security than SA. Other African nationalities, like the many Zimbabweans, see little hope in returning to their countries of origin. Homeless and 'unwanted', these refugees face many more uncertain nights in the Primrose park.

Having arrived at the park almost a week ago, running from 'nowhere to nowhere' as one refugee put it, the displaced group were welcomed by members of the local church. Having seen and acknowledged the plight of a segment of their local community, the church and its congregation took the decision to help. Using the church as an operations base, it co-ordinated the call for, and collection of basic supplies. Packaging these supplies into user friendly parcels was step 2, and step 3 consisted of distributing them to the few thousand stranded people. The church also managed to harness resources enough to periodically feed the refugee camp. Basic health care facilities were setup to assist those with health problems, the most common being that of flu.

Conditions in the camp remain very difficult. With cold setting quickly in, and sickness spreading rapidly, the need for increased efforts grows by the hour. Having no place to go, some refugees are expected to stay for a few more weeks - thus putting further strain on an already under-resourced community driven aid initiative.

Having spent the day working with members of church, and interacting with the refugees, Primrose Park will forever remain in my mind both a sore point and a heart-warming one. Sore that it came to this in my home city, but heart-warming that there are still those who will open their doors and arms to those in need at any time.

Can we stop the haemorrhaging?

2008-05-20T23:37:00.003+02:00

In the last few days South African soceity has revealed yet a another horrific dimension to its nature. The xenophobic attacks are the latest in a series of vivid displays of sa's dark and twisted culture.

The romantic notion of the 'Rainbow Nation' has finally been put to rest. With the regular occurrence of horrific rape stories, shocking brutally in theft, overwhelming poverty, and now dangerous xenophobic related attacks, South Africa is officially haemorrhaging.

As to weather the attacks are orchestrated or not, i am not sure. Quite possibly - third forces are a feature of a our country's past. But perhaps the simple explanation is that levels of intolerance have reached 'tipping point,' and what we are witnessing is just an explosion of anger coupled with a thirst for violence. What ever the cause, xenophobia, like all of sa's other black marks, is a deeply rooted socio-economic issue.

The point is that the deep fissures in SA's character (like that of xenophobia) are now apparent for even the most 'blind' to acknowledge.

The question is can we stop the haemorrhaging? or will the current attacks one day be looked back on as warning bells for a chaos still to come? i hope and pray we can

Coming to a musallah near you

2008-05-20T23:27:00.004+02:00

two people are already beginning to feel the heat in my home: the usual suspects: my mom and me. Why? because ramadhaan is just 3 and a half months away.

She has to make 3 trillion dozen samoosa's, 5 and a half million pies, twelve thousand spring rolls..

And I have to read taraweeh.

My long overdue return to what i term 'the musallah' comes to a jk/mosque near you. Still undecided where to read - the masjid is slightly daunting after my absence, and maybe, just maybe, the new Wits JK will present the perfect comeback platfrom.

But before that much dhor needs to be done. Last half of juz 10 calls

mental notes!

2008-05-16T11:17:00.003+02:00

theres a saying in i often use when teasing my parents:

'You dont stop playing because you get old, you get old when you stop playing'

last night i realised that this rings true for much more than fitness and sport - the longer you out of something, the more rusty, less accurate, less brilliant you get at it. So having being out of the 'smooth talking' scene, i made some blunders last night. Blunders that some time back would have never occurred. anyway, mental notes:

- Always speak briefly about the future first! the past is not that appealing
- when speaking about the past, only speak only detail, not marketing
- use collective language : us, we,our
- eye contact paramount
- draw table list with names
- in closing, end with inspirational bit

hopefully being back in the game marks an end to these simple blunders!

the price of hunger

2008-05-11T21:33:00.003+02:00

Unrest in developing countries and particularly impoverished communities over the rapid increase in world food prices has been a regular theme in the news recently. But as with all news that should shake our very basic thoughts on how we live, it is news that has been diluted, and duly ignored by those who could help.

Those who did not ignore it however, and hats off to them, chose to make a stand against rocketing food prices in a variety of ways. Even Cosatu and Finance Minister Trevor Manuel were drawn into the resulting conversation on stemming the tide. Without disecting the details, Miister Manuel argued (on the ANC website, unusually so) that quick-fix, short term, legislative control does not present the best solution to the problem. While i'm not sure that is totally correct -perhaps regulation is needed to curb the immediate sliding of millions more into poverty- Minister makes a very valid point. This point being that as a country, it is imperative that we investigate and develop more sustainable long term strategies to deal with poverty and rising food costs.

Agreed, this does sound very rosy and promising on paper, but what about translation? i posted some time back on social business and shifting societies goals towards a poverty free world - as things stand, these ideas represent the best form of translating the rosy broader ideas of 'sustainable solutions' into practice. The instantaneous response of the detractors of this theory will be to jump up and down screaming that a paradigm shift towards selflessness is too far fetched.

It is far yes, but too far? Maybe not. I pray not. for the sake of the almost 30 000 children that die every day from poverty.

"the world converges on naan and chai"

2008-05-04T01:47:00.004+02:00

Some time back a friend of mine made what i think is a statement tantamount to prophetic. he said, "the world converges on naan and chai."

he couldve meant anything, but i think he was refering to the very real possibility that the way we live today could be radically challenged tomorrow. Check out this clip

one touch too many

2008-05-03T22:07:00.004+02:00

the last two weeks have been traumatic for me...at least as far as football goes.

Having had the displeasure of seeing both Arsenal and Barcelona make exists in the Champions League i cannot help but wonder: has the game finally, sadly changed forever?

For the record Arsenal is my club of choice in England. Also for the record, this is not support inherited from my grandfather, or support born from Arsenal's wonderful reign as undefeated log leaders in that amazing 49 game unbeaten run, but rather support born from a fascination and admiration of the brand of football the club plays.

The swift, pin point, zippy, crafty, nifty, one-touch football so beautifully showcased by Arsenal is, for me,the most attractive form of the game. Watching Arsenal pass the ball gives a new meaning to the saying, 'poetry in motion.'

This brand of football, played to a certain extend by barca too, has often been called 'the most attractive' in the modern game. Far more often however, it has been labeled inefficient and without a place in today's athletic game. And, if efficiency is measured by silverware, that sadly is true.

Both Arsenal and Barca will end this season without a trophy. the teams taking home all the silverware favour a more rigid approach to the game - long balls, wingers greatly employed to deliver crosses, long range shots etc. Without diminishing the beauty and glory of a goal from range, it doesn't compensate for passing football. The net result is that the best form of the game is being driven to extinction.

i watch, with tears in my eyes, the demise of passing football and ask, has the world finally seen one touch too many?

pain and suffering - the Kite Runner

2008-05-03T21:49:00.002+02:00

Originally published on irshaadvawda.wordpress.com, reproduced here after being requested to do so.

For hours i could not sleep, or eat, or even take pleasure in the cool breeze that swept in through my open window and across my room – i was paralysed, stunned. A profound sadness had overcome me, and the realities of the world we live in, played ferociously on my mind.

Khaled Hosseini’s, The Kite Runner, was the cause of my unsettledness. Hosseini’s book, his first, is one of few fiction pieces to have left me so unnerved. The book tells the story of the life of a young Afghan, and begins before the country was plunged into the cycle of devastating violence. It is not the story of the nature nor the details of this violence that left me so perturbed – the wars and tragedies of Afghanistan have been told and retold many a time – it was rather the explicit recount of the personal tragedy of Amir, the lead character.

Amir’s life and its tragic course is told by Husseini with simplicity, and from the simplicity emerges the melancholic undertone that leaves the reader grappling with what becomes a slap of reality. The emotional upheaval of The Kite Runner is not caused by the tale of a country ripped apart by horrific war, but rather by the tale of a human being ripped apart by himself, by his decisions, by his society and by human emotion itself. It the tale of a person, who’s ambitions and desires in life, so very much like my own and many others i know, coupled with desperation turn against him, and reduce him to a shell of a human being.

It is emotion and thought and cruel social imbalance that turns Amir’s life into a hollow existence – these are things not unique to the sad landscape of Afghanistan - they are factors found at every level of human existence, in every community of people, and in every struggle for human happiness.

Which brings me to this liberating yet painful realisation – just how many Kite Runner stories are there in the world, and how much pain do they harbour, in secret, unknown to the rest of unforgiving humanity?

marketing and new media

2008-04-20T21:46:00.004+02:00

new media and its accompanying business models is a topic which is incredibly vast. for the moment though, because of time i am forced to just present a snippet of my latest thoughts on the subject.

Consider the following:

1. 13 million people read the New York Times online
2. 1.6 million people subscribe to the New York Times paper
3. The New York Times Corporation makes some $484 million a year
4. Only $51 million of that total is generated from online operations
[informationarchitects.jp]

it makes for very interesting reading, particularly because things in the above scenario don't quite add up. The way the world manages and accesses information has forced all traditionally orientated media houses to adapt to new media models. Obviously this hasn't been a smooth transition. One of the glaring shortfalls of the way print media in particular, has struggled to deal with the challenges posed by the net is revealed by the above - advertising in new models is not quite as effective in revenue generation as in old business methodologies. which brings me to the point of this post: if established media houses are to survive, they will have to be more innovative in their approach to IA (Information architecture)

the indian premeir league

2008-04-20T20:55:00.000+02:00

The Indian Premier league of cricket is an intriguiging concept. having watched a few games partially, it was odd to see names like ganguly and ponting combine forces. the oddities were very often ironic, with arch rivals on the national stage playing for the same side.

Evidently huge sums of cash were required to lure all these big names to the league. The operation of the league is also unusual. I heard today that Bollyhood star sharukh khan owns one of the teams. How does that work? i have yet to find out.

The IPL will change the face of cricket forever. While it is the first major step towards transforming the sport into the more commercially viable, potentially more interesting form that we currently have in the case of soccer, there are problems.

One of them is the possible (or is that probable?) dilution of national rivalry. with south africans playing along side australians, will the age old rivalry between the countries loose intensity?

Another very real danger is that despite the much needed cash injection into the sport, the chances of it following unwittingly in the path of football and becoming dominated by big business are high. this is unhealthy, and just not cricket.

for the moment however, the 2008 season offers interesting viewing, and answers some of crickets burning questions. i wait with bated breath to watch sachin tendulkar and sanath jayasuriya together, at the top of the order.

social business

2008-04-19T23:23:00.003+02:00

the term, 'social business' is one of my favourites. it reflects in many ways the merging of my different interests and goals. sometime during the next few weeks i hope to blog about the following, and the relationships between them: islam and developmental economics, quantitative analysis with social objectives, young south africans and social business, poverty and entrepreneurship.

for me, many of the worlds problems(both on a macro and micro scale) could find, at the very least, partial solutions in the over-arching concept commonly termed 'social business.'

Ramadaan Collection 08

2008-04-16T21:05:00.002+02:00

so despite my intense work load i've decided to attempt to run ramadaan collection again this year. Why? cause simply, from where im sitting, it cannot afford not to be done.

MSA in particular, and islamic work on campus in general is not in the best of the health. not in intensive care, but definitely not good. From an MSA perspective, things are in need of a boost. Facing challenges of a rapidly depleting human resource base, poor operation practices, serious networking shortfalls, a diminshed reputation and the threat of negating the 'student' element in its operations, the MSA is a shadow of what it should or could be.

that in itself is justification for ramdaan collection 08. we're so far behind that the possible to leap frog is there for the taking.

As for the 'hamperisation' of islam with this project? i will respond to that soon enough.

Plan 2025

2008-04-13T21:52:00.002+02:00

Plan 2025 is exactly what you might be thinking – its a plan to take over the world:)
A few quick things:
1)this is going to be a long post
2)this is literally a first draft so its not coherent, and may not always be logical
3)at times its over simplisitic – bear with it
4)i reserve the right to change my mind about anything at any time, and probably will
5)this post drifts between first and third person- i put the ideas down as they came
6)it is meant to stimulate discussion- not to be an academic paper

--------------------
South Africa, as a country, stands at a crossroad. Fourteen years into democracy and, as is the natural progression of any democracy, we as a nation now find ourselves over the euphoria of freedom and needing to make several difficult yet huge (in every sense) decisions. Crime, poverty, resource depletion are just a few factors that must be considered when we chart a course for our country. This particular post however, is not about our country in general, nor about its problems or potential (that is another upcoming post), but rather about the problems and potential of a certain segment of its population – the Muslims.

A word needs to be said about the issues of identity at this stage. A few months back, a person by the name of Ahmed Vawda spoke at Brixton Masjid in JHB about the need for South African Muslims to begin seeing themselves as more South African - to emphasise far more than in the past, their South African Identity. Some people in the audience that day interpreted his sentiments to mean that it is more important to be South African than to be Muslim. I'm not going to comment on what it was that he meant, but i will use the talk and response as a departure point for something that profoundly affects Plan 2025.

The relationship between the identities of 'South African' and 'Muslim' is an extremely important issue in the debate about the future of Muslims in SA. It is an issue which directly informs the strategies and activities of Muslims in SA.It is also an issue which warrants its own post in this blog, but for the moment it will suffice for me to provide a synopsis of what i think the 'answer' should be.

The two identities are inseparably intertwined. Being a Muslim necessarily implies that we live and conduct ourselves in manner that positively contributes to the society as a whole. Thus, without the welfare of broader society at heart, we cannot consider ourselves to be in total adherence to teachings of Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

As a community therefore, our existence in South Africa must be defined by a drive towards the upliftment of our country as a whole. There is an element in this ideology of selflessness – an element and characteristic which was so wonderfully taught by the Prophet, pbuh. This ideology, if indeed it is that, would the require a paradigm shift in the Muslim community – a shift which is difficult to initiate and even more difficult to sustain. An important note needs to be made here – this is also an ideology which, as proven by history time and again, is unparalleled in its effectiveness in positioning the Muslim community in the minds (and hearts) of broader society.

Having said this however, it would be a mistake to think that Muslims in SA would gain, (or is it retain?) prominence in SA by exclusively embracing the ideology of Muslims striving towards upliftment of the country in general. We must then give some thought to, and focus some energy on, mechanisms whose objectives it should be strictly, to positively position the Muslim community in SA. To me this latter strategy/ideology is only able to manifest itself in the form of the strategic development and deployment of the human resources of the Muslim community. This, 'strategic development and deployment' of Muslims, is a fundamental component of the plan known as Plan 2025.

It should be clear by now that Plan 2025 refers to the 'positive positioning' of the Muslim Community of SA. Its a two tiered approach – the first of which was discussed earlier in this post under the 'issues to identity,' and referred to a paradigm shift required by Muslims in SA. The second approach, and although arguably less important than the first, accounts for the greater portion of the plan and is the concept referred to in the previous paragraph.

Various questions arise when refering to the 'strategic development and deployment of human resources.' The first is what constitutes these human resources? What is meant by development? What is meant by deployment?

Each of these questions is a complex discussion on its own. However for the purposes of this discussion, a broad and quick outline need only be given.

What are the human resources of the Muslim community? In light of the above idea, these resources would refer to young Muslims. Without engaging in a discussion of the highly theoretical issues of population dynamics in SA, young Muslims include students (at high school, university, darul-ulooms), professionals and business people. The important aspect of the manner in which this resource is defined, is that it is defined over as broad a spectrum of society as possible – the only common trait being that of a Muslim identity.

What is meant by development? Development as used here, refers very broadly to the training of Muslims. It encompasses the development of skills as well as the expansion of the knowledge base of those people referred to as the human resource of the community. In particular, development concerns Muslims gaining a comprehensive understanding of the Seerah, Quran, Islamic sciences (and the positions of different schools of thought, both classical and contemporary, on a range of issues), coupled importantly with the ability to use the Sources in formulating a response to challenges in South African society. Development also refers to the creation of the ability amongst Muslims to communicate effectively – this includes many things from the ability to handle TV interviews to the preparation of presentations. An important aspect of effective communication for Muslims in SA is the ability to speak and write using an indigenous language, perhaps Zulu. A further dimension of the training of young Muslims is that of studying, understanding and analysing South African society. This entails attaining a thorough understanding of South Africa's past, the resulting socio-economic challenges, as well as having the ability to detect and plan around political, economic and social trends. In general, the development of human resources means equipping Muslims with the correct tools and knowledge to live and prosper in South Africa while maintaining a strong Muslim identity.

What then is meant by 'deployment?' Deployment in this context, refers to the taking up of influential positions in the different avenues of society, by the pool of trained and developed young Muslims. Although deployment tends to suggest people being 'sent' to occupy certain posts within social, political and business structures, it refers rather to the occupation of these influential positions by these individuals as a direct result of the training and development imparted to them.

The concept of the 'strategic development and deployment of Muslims' is a complex one in reality. How these individuals are identified and the courses and the programmes through which they are trained pose significant challenges. This concept is not a new idea in SA, and the failures of those who have tried must be explored thoroughly to answer these questions. It is also a matter in which the roles of the MSA and various Muslim youth structures must be critically examined.

Strategy!

2008-04-13T12:31:00.002+02:00

People often ask me why am i studying industrial engineering?
Why do i enjoy the card game called thunnie so much when it is obviously so accurate an expression of a society whose ideals and thoughts i disagree with?
Why do i prefer playing in the central midfield when i'm obviously a better striker?(particularly with the game of football so athletic in recent times?)
Why do i always sit facing the entrance to a room? And with as little facing my back as possible?
Why, when studying the night before, do i spend an hour (a very precious hour) anaylising past papers and tuts when i could be studying the actual content?

There are many more odd questions i face now and then. The answer, or rather part of the answer, for most of these is simple: its strategic.

Before i expound on that, i need to include a disclaimer: being strategic does not mean being mechanical. There is no contradiction between creativity/spontaneity and strategy. I have been known to do things, sometimes ridiculous things, on a whim and a fancy. And i like doing that. But strategy is different. How so? Difficult to explain. Strategy is like a the skeleton, and creativity/spontaneity is like the meat.

In the words of that famous A-team leader (whose name eludes me at the moment), 'I love it when a plan comes together.' There are few things in life so enjoyable like seeing a plan, especially a complicated one, work out. When all the pieces of a plan. so delicately carried out over such along period of time, fall into place, it is something to be admired.

Like the building of an empire,
or the construction of a business,
or the development of a team,
or a victory in war,
or best of all - marriage between two friends:)

strategy fascinates me. Heres to being strategic!

King of your own space

2008-04-01T19:50:00.003+02:00

"I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space . . .", said shakespeare in his Hamlet.

So true. So many people count themselves kings of their own worlds (rightly so), but these worlds are so often limited. so isolated. so insignificant in the greater scheme of things.

and yet we remain kings of our own worlds. the sobering reality is that beyond our miniscule nutshells, their is a bigger nutshell. and a bigger one after that. and an even greater one after that one. Each with their own kings. Each with someone who counts themselves the dominator of that arena.

Their will always someone who does what you do, bigger, better, faster, and with more flair, more success. How then do we remain in our minds so firmly convinced as king of our own space?

the minds wanders...too far!

2008-03-30T20:52:00.003+02:00

tonight is the night before a fluid mechanics test. one of just two tests that is. so its pretty important. In an ideal world, my thoughts, wanderings and worries should be focused on this test. But not me. My mind is everywhere but on the test. I seriously have problems focusing on stuff less inspiring than my other interests in life. Its incredibly difficult to concentrate on the behaviour of fluid particles in air ducts, when the world of new business model formulation is so much more appealing. or politics. or poverty alleviation methodologies. or the many exciting social projects that are budding everywhere i glance. damn the mundane requirements of life.

anyhow, before i blurt out profanities which should rather remain unsaid, i thought i'd put down some of the topics i want to write about in the near future..lest in the rat race of jozi i forget: (in no particular order)

-Open source and new business methodologies
-South africa: optimists and pessimists, the fine line between
-Zionism in the public domain: immorality and sentiment
-Information and citizen journalism
-MSA and the future
-strategy and PLAN 2025
-Ramadaan Collection 08?

Um, i think thats all for now....hope i get around to all this

newtown...8 years later

2008-03-28T02:06:00.001+02:00

I walked out of Carr Street akhalwayas in newtown, johannesburg, with only one thing on my mind - getting back to madressa with the hot packet of masala chips in my hands.... the next time i walked into the small, legendary fast food outlet was 8 years later. with a different life.

there are few things in life like stepping into your old life as a new person. last thursday, i did just that. having been asked to take my dads car for a change of front tyres, i found myself in newtown with an hour wait ahead of me. being the restless person i am, i was soon re-tracing the footsteps of my 12 year old self, and the footsteps of so many other 12 year old indian 'lities' who passed through the hifz classes of newtown masjid.

the feeling was surreal. newtown has changed substantially, but amid the new, the old could be clearly seen. akhalwayas fast food is one of them. exactly as i left it 8 years ago - the only difference being i could now see comfortably over the counter (at this point the memories of me straining eagerly over the counter when i was 12 came flooding back). the small shop, filled with the same smells as always, even masalas their chips in the same way i remember.

in the heart of change, akhals (as its affectionately known), stands as an oasis of certainty in a climate of evolution.

alot has changed in newtown. just a mere 3 blocks from the masjid, jazz cafes have sprung up. Accompanied by art galleries and upper class apartments, they form an integral part of the 'cultural vibe' of jozi. none of this was here when i was 12, and the emergence of the new in the face of opposition of the old is fascinating to note.

my visit to the masjid and madressa was altogther special - a tale almost magical. and so, to do it justice,i will tell it another day

another blog!

2008-03-28T01:46:00.000+02:00

so this is my fourth blog in as many years - way too restless im thinking. anyway, this one brings with it two things: simplicity (i hope), and informality. two things which should, if all goes well iA, keep this blog on the road for a while to come.

the beat goes on...