TIP’s Fourteenth Family Eid Gah now bigger than ever

This years TIP Family Eid Gah now in its fourteenth tear was even bigger than previous years. The keynote talk was given by Sister Tshegofatso Masibi, also a regular TIP congregant. She is an entrepreneur and owner of Ditiro Media and is a convenor of Beyond August Project, an initiative that focusses on critical dialogue and economic initiatives amongst women. This year’s theme for Eid ul Fitr, being on the eve of youth day, is “Soweto 76: reclaiming our history, envisioning the future”.

The program director was Sister Sakina Goodwin, second year law student. This years Eid prayer and khutbah was delivered by Sheikh Nurdeen Auiba Dawood of Mozambique an accomplished qari who has been placed successfully in Qiraat competitions in several countries. He delivered an emotional khutbah and as usual Sheikh Salim Banda concluded the prayer with a moving Dua.

Our female speaker was Sister Tshegofatso Masibi, also a regular TIP congregant. She is an entrepreneur and owner of Ditiro Media and is a convenor of Beyond August Project, an initiative that focusses on critical dialogue and economic initiatives amongst women.

The youth speaker was Zuhayr Mahomed, a TIP member since inception when he was just 5 years old. Zuhayr is a 3rd year BCom Politics, Philosophy & Economics student at UCT. He is the former Deputy Chair of the MYM UCT, he currently serves on the Executive committee of the UCT Palestine Solidarity Forum (UCT PSF), and holds membership in the Pan Africanist Student Movement of Azania (PASMA).  Zuhayr identifies himself as a Fallist and is particularly passionate about the Decolonisation movement.

Sister Asiya Essop , a teacher, at Fulton school for the deaf, offered her services to sign the talks and dua for the benefit of the deaf Muslim Community so that they to could join and experience full inclusion, possibly for the first time at an Eid prayer. Zohra Moosa who is deaf and teaches at Ethembeni school has guided TIP through the process of starting this initiative.

For the benefit of deaf musalees Sister Asiya Essop rendered the talks in sign language. Students from As-Salaam Educational Institute were on hand to direct the traffic. An additional feature of this years event saw for the first time a nikah ceremony at the Eid Gah. Br Yahya Campbell married Sister Shaheena Meer after the prayer and AK (Jingles) Mahomed, after some persuasion, rendered his famous wedding naat. The event was organized by TIP – Taking Islam to the People and they expressed their gratitude to the George Cambell School of Technology for once again making their sport field available for the Family Eid Gah. Family Eid Gah seem to be growing with one held at Essenwood Park organized by ILM-SA, at Tongaat and for the second year in Pietermaritzburg.