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MJC calls Western Cape to action – our neighbours need our help

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By Anees Teladia

Southern parts of Africa have experienced disastrous weather conditions recently. A cyclone known as Cyclone Idai has ravaged South African neighbouring countries like Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe, causing high death tolls and even higher levels of displacement. Accordingly, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) has decided to act on this humanitarian crisis by assisting and facilitating the coordination of aid groups here in the Western Cape. The MJC has urged the public to heed the call to assist our neighbours.

Shaykh Irafaan Abrahams stated that the first step is to have a meeting with the entire Athlone region at the Darul Islam Islamic High School on Thursday night at 7:15PM.

The MJC calls on all Imams, committee members and regular mussallees from every masjid in the Athlone area, to attend the meeting.

The plan for the MJC is to cover the entire Western Cape.

“We will go to the Boland, Northern Suburbs, Southern Suburbs, Mitchells Plain and the townships,” said Shaykh Irafaan Abrahams.

“All of them in different meetings, to get them on board to assist in making things possible Inshaa Allah.”

“From every meeting we have, we will have two or three from that gathering co-opting onto the coordinating committee.”

Over the past week, rescue workers were scrambling to save around 10,000 survivors of Tropical Cyclone Idai who were clinging onto rooftops in Mozambique, amid the threat of rising floods as heavy rain continues in heavily affected regions.

Interim Head of Communications at Islamic Relief South Africa (IRSA), Shanaaz Ebrahim-Gire provided insight into the situation on the ground within these countries.

“There are very hard to reach areas which aid workers are struggling to access. A lot of hard work is being done on the ground by aid workers and the different organisations,” she said.

“In Mozambique, there’s over 32 000 people who have been displaced…the numbers keep growing.”

There have also been reports of cholera outbreaks in Mozambique. As such, IRSA has noted key items needed in these disaster-stricken areas.

These include shelter materials (i.e. mattresses, blankets and so forth), food and clean water, hygiene packs and cholera kits.

“We depend on our masaajid and mussallees to give their full support and help,” said Shaykh Abrahams.

“If we all work together, we can have one collection and the entire Western Cape at one masjid. With all the masjids together, we can take the money and split it amongst all the organisations so they can do their work.”

VOC


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