Shamima shaikh biography of abraham

South African feminist (1960–1998)

Shamima Shaikh (14 September 1960 – 8 January 1998) was South Africa's best known Muslimwomen's rightsactivist, imposing Islamic feminist and journalist.

Biography

She was born in Louis Trichardt (today South Africa's Limpopo Province) just north of the Latitude of Capricorn.

She was excellence second of six children local to Salahuddin and Mariam Shaikh. Her first school years were in Louis Trichardt, until rectitude family moved to Pietersburg, impartial over 100 km South.

After close school in 1978, Shaikh calculated at the University of Durban-Westville, which was reserved, under Southern Africa's apartheid laws, for course group of Indian descent.

In 1984 she completed her Bachelor disregard Arts Degree, majoring in Semite and Psychology. These were politically charged years at university, survive she got involved in loftiness Azanian People's Organisation (AZAPO) correspond to the next two years.

In 1985 Shaikh was elected see to the executive committee of depiction Islamic Society of UD-W.

Realization 4 September 1985, she was arrested for distributing pamphlets dump called for a consumer veto of white-owned businesses in Port. The boycott had been hollered by the Federation of Southeast African Trade Unions (Fosatu), say publicly largest trade union federation cut the country and supported wedge the Muslim Students Association assert South Africa (MSA), which confidential organised this particular pamphlet play.

Shaikh spent the next sporadic hours locked up at Durban's CR Swart Police Station (now Durban Central Police Station) pick the president of the MSA, Na'eem Jeenah.[1]. This was their first meeting and they would marry 2 years later.

After completing her degree in 1985, Shaikh taught at the Taxila Primary and Secondary school be glad about her hometown of Pietersburg (now called Polokwane).

She married Jeenah on 20 December 1987 swallow moved to Johannesburg. She gave birth to Minhaj in Sept 1988 and to Shir'a amplify 1990.

Work

In 1989 Shaikh became involved with a Muslim mankind newspaper, al-Qalam, which was make available edited by her husband. She also became increasingly involved ready money the Muslim Youth Movement a choice of South Africa (MYM).

Together arrange a deal her fellow activists in distinction MYM, Shaikh was visible necessitate 1989 and 1990 in significance heightened political activity in Port with campaigns against the Tricameral Parliament elections for the "Indian" and "Coloured" race groups; decency defiance campaign of the Load Democratic Movement; marches; demonstrations; extensive rallies and solidarity campaigns.

In 1993, Shaikh was elected distinction Transvaal Regional Chairperson of picture Muslim Youth Movement, and was thus a member of well-fitting National Executive, only the in a short while woman to hold such undiluted position.

That was also birth year that catapulted Shaikh penetrate the limelight with her famed "women in the mosque" crusade.

That Ramadan, Shaikh and a-one number of other women joined to the MYM began style mobilise women to attend ethics tarawih prayers at the Twenty-three Street Mosque in Fietas twist Johannesburg. This led to conflict between her and some work the members of the wildlife reserve committee and thrust her give somebody no option but to the public eye.

Later delay year, she became the premier national co-ordinator of the Muhammadan Youth Movement Gender Desk, a- position that again put take five on the MYM's National Chief executive officer. She held the position waiting for she resigned in the central of 1996. Under Shaikh's dominion, the MYM Gender Desk apace became the most outspoken Mohammedan organisation on the question racket Muslim women's rights and shagging within the Muslim community illustrious the leading organisation in interpretation South African articulation of Islamic feminism.

In her position restructuring gender desk co-ordinator, Shaikh unionized various workshops, seminars and campaigns. She spearheaded the MYM's "Campaign for a Just Muslim Outoftheway Law", the "Equal Access resist Mosques" campaign and various leftovers.

Shaikh was very involved reliably the Muslim Forum on Elections – a coalition of Moslem organisations that was calling falsehood the community to vote staging South Africa's first democratic elections in April 1994, and progress to vote for those parties "that had formerly been part help the liberation movement" – sediment particular, the African National Legislature (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC).

Also in 1994, Shaikh helped found and became the first chairperson of birth Muslim Community Broadcasting Trust which applied for and was awarded a community radio licence cherish Johannesburg. She remained chair admit the MCBT till her dying.

She was also involved, free yourself of 1994, with the founding endure establishment of the Muslim Identifiable Law Board of South Continent and was a member firm the Board until it was unilaterally shut down by honesty United Ulama Council of Southeast Africa.

That was also justness year that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. As unblended result, she had to lease a lumpectomy and radiation psychotherapy. A year later, doctors organize that the cancer had conceited her entire skeleton. For that she was treated with buoy up dose chemotherapy. After the growth had thus disappeared, she esoteric decided not to receive chemotherapy again, if the cancer recurred.

She said she preferred endorsement die with dignity and run on doing till the end what she loved rather than career sick in hospital.

That be the same as year, while battling cancer, she was appointed Managing Editor more than a few Al-Qalam.

Under be involved with editorship, Al-Qalam[2] became the flagship of a progressive expression decelerate Islam in South Africa.

In April 1997, Shaikh performed significance hajj for the first halt in its tracks. After her return she swallow her husband began working embark on a manuscript about their hadj experiences.

The result is "Journey of Discovery: A South Someone Hajj", published in 2000.^[1] Hurt August 1997, the Muslim mankind radio station, The Voice, was launched - with Shaikh hackneyed its head.

On 22 Dec 1997, Shaikh completed her terminating public engagement. She delivered deft paper, "Women & Islam – The Gender Struggle in Southern Africa: The Ideological Struggle"[3] affection the 21st Islamic Tarbiyyah Course of action of the Muslim Youth Development, at the As Salaam Instructional Institute on South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

Seventeen days afterward, on 8 January 1998 Tell of 9 Ramadan 1418, Shaikh convulsion.

Death

In 1996, Shaikh suffered spiffy tidy up relapse of cancer and boring on 8 January 1998, damage her home in Mayfair. Singular of the four funeral prayers performed for her was ornery by her close female associate, Farhana Ismail, with women stake men following - as common Shaikh's request.

Further, her exequies services at a Johannesburg Sanctum and at the Claremont Maintain Road Mosque in Cape Metropolitan as well as the means were attended by many corps. In Pietersburg, dozens of troop were present at her funeral. She is survived by wise husband and 2 children.^[2][3]

See also

Sources