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| Africa: Subsaharan |
| In South Africa, many blacks convert to Islam |
| 2004-08-03 |
| When Bilal Motsau converted to Islam in 1976, he was considered an oddity in Soweto, a sprawling black township on the outskirts of Johannesburg that was once the center of anti-apartheid activism. In the South Africa of that period, Islam was practiced primarily by the country's small South Asian and Malay populations, and blacks considered it an "Indian" religion. But these days, Mr. Motsau, who wears short, trimmed beard and a black and white prayer shawl over dark, Western-style clothes, is being joined in his faith by a growing number of South African blacks. Though still a small force in black townships, Islam is gaining a foothold in many black communities in this predominantly Christian country. The faith is attracting both poor shantytown dwellers who appreciate Islam's emphasis on charity, and young intellectuals attracted by the faith's focus on lifestyle and social reform. "In 1976 there were about 10 black Muslims in Soweto, and everyone knew each other," says Motsau, who, like many black South African converts traded his Christian first name for a Muslim one, but retained his African surname as a sign of his heritage. "There used to be one Bilal and everyone knew who I was. The growth of Islam these days has been tremendous." Many of the new converts are young men like Omar Khambule, who was attracted to Islam's belief in one God and saw it as a way out of gangsterism and drugs. "Islam teaches you how to behave," he says, sitting with a friend outside Soweto's one mosque, a traditional Muslim skullcap on his head. "I was corrupt and was heavily involved with dagga [marijuana] and a gang. But then I found Islam and felt that this offered me a different path." Mr. Khambule says he has left that life behind. Now he lives with other Muslims and says he tries to pray five times a day, going to mosque as often as possible. For Khambule, who is young and unemployed, Islam offers stability, community, and enough charity to survive. Few women in black South Africa find their way to Islam on their own. Most female converts, like Layla Zange, follow husbands, boyfriends, fathers, or brothers. But those who do convert say the religion offers a refuge from the early sex, AIDS, alcoholism, and domestic violence rampant in many poor black communities in places like Soweto. But it is only recently that Muslim women in Soweto say they have begun feeling comfortable wearing headscarves in the township. "People used to call us Indians. It was difficult, and they called us names," says Ms. Zange, who once worshipped primarily in Indian communities. But now, she and some 2,000 others attend the Dlamini mosque near home. "Now I wear a scarf. People understand what it means. But that's new." |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #13 Man, these people must be f-ing miserable. You have to be for Islam to look attractive. Shudder. |
| Posted by: peggy 2004-08-04 9:23:06 AM |
| #12 Williams (as he refers to himself) is awesome: smart, concerned without the victimhood and self-pity, preaches self-disciplne and success, and an American first |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-04 12:29:38 AM |
| #11 I don't know if any of you have read articles by Dr. Walter Williams or heard him speak - he sometimes subs for Rush. He paints a scary future scenario about S. Africa. Fyi, Dr. Williams is an articulate black economist who is a professor at a US college, whose name escapes me at this moment. Dr. Williams would agree with all your comments. The S. African president, Mr. Thabo Mbeki, is a big commie pal of Robert Mugabe. He's also the same moron who claimed for several years that AIDS did not exist in his country and that AIDS had no connection to promiscuity and that AIDS drugs were worse than the disease itself. Sheesh. S. African ANC leaders hate whites and the West, so I have no doubt that Muslim "brown" power is appealing to them. Also the political leaders in S. Africa need a scapegoat to blame their miserable handling of the economy there. S. Africa has a 30% unemployment rate, its GDP has nose dived since 1989, and its homicide rate is one of the highest in the world and it has the highest rape rate in the world. Nasty. http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_rap_cap |
| Posted by: rex 2004-08-04 12:22:11 AM |
| #10 They will rediscover apartheid in Mecca during their Hage. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-08-03 11:48:01 PM |
| #9 I wonder just how much racial bias will play into this. Mullahf*****s preaching that Christianity is the "white man's" tool of oppresion |
| Posted by: cheaderhead 2004-08-03 5:39:08 PM |
| #8 I wonder how long it takes before Iran starts pushing SA to send old experts that were involved in their old Nuke program? |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-08-03 4:12:36 PM |
| #7 How will SA be when FIFA hold World Cup there in 2010? |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-08-03 3:11:40 PM |
| #6 Well, at least it's a Politically Correct meltdown. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-03 2:28:58 PM |
| #5 I work with a bunch of South African expat's, according to them SA has already gone under. It's getting uglier by the day. They say Botha and DeKlerk did the civilized world a favor because they knew the change would come and the new ruling majority couldn't be left with nukes, - that's the real reason they gave them up. Now that the moongod death cult plague is taking root there, we should probably be even more thankful those nukes are gone. |
| Posted by: JerseyMike 2004-08-03 2:18:33 PM |
| #4 How long before South Africa goes under? I don't exactly think this is what Mandela and the ANC had in mind. |
| Posted by: Jim K 2004-08-03 1:00:14 PM |
| #3 ...young intellectuals attracted by the faith’s focus on lifestyle and social reform. Repressing women Enslaving people Killing innocent civilians Honor Killings Shall I continue? |
| Posted by: Dragon Fly 2004-08-03 12:42:09 PM |
| #2 that's nice they feel comfortable wearing the scarf. It's when they get beaten for not wearing it that they need to reflect on their religion |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-03 12:37:25 PM |
| #1 "But then I found Islam and felt that this offered me a different path." Be careful what you ask for... |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2004-08-03 12:28:08 PM |