1990 Albaraka Bank Limited South Africa 147
The Albaraka Bank Limited in South Africa was established in terms of the Banks Act No 23 of 1965 with registered offices in Durban and officially opened in March 1990. The authorised capital of the Bank is Rand 10 million. Of this capital, 50% is held by the Jeddah-based Albaraka Investment and Development Company, the rest by local investors.
Objectives and working methods of Albaraka Bank Limited are:
*establishing and developing financial and banking models conforming to Islamic Shar'iah by using the latest systems and techniques;
*developing forms of cooperation with Islamic Banks and financial institutions in every field especially information exchange, extension of information prospects and financing well-prepared and agreed upon mutual projects which are socially and economically feasible;
*helping in establishing and subsequently developing Islamic capital markets;
* carrying out all kinds of business, according to Islamic Shar'iah;
* supporting and helping small investors and craftsmen;
* encouraging individual and corporate savings and direct resources towards investment and development;
* participating in consolidating business ethics according to.the provisions of Islamic Shar'iah;
* identifying areas of cooperation with traditional banks according to the Shari `ah principles.
On June 29, 1992 Albaraka Bank Limited opened a branch in Cape Town at Albaraka House on the corner of Plein and Spin Streets with Mr Nazir Osman as director.
1990 First National Muslim Conference 148
The First National Muslim Conference opened at the Hanover Park Civic Centre and concluded at the University of the Western Cape, attracting Muslim organisations from all over South Africa and Muslims such as Professor Fatima Meer, Advocate Abdullah Omar, Shabaan `Barney' Desai, Imam Ali Gierdien, Dr Rashid Ahmed Saloojee, Maulana Ebrahim Moosa, Ahmed Kathrada, Imam Rashid Omar, Sheikh Omar Gabier, Imam Hasan Solomon, Maulana Cassim Sema and Maulana Bhorat [representing the Jami'atul `Ulama' Natal] and Professor Albie Sachs among others. The historic National Muslim Conference held on May 04-06, 1990, attracted some 600 delegates from different organisations all over the country. The Conference was convened by The Call of Islam with the theme: Muslims in a Future South Africa. The delegates to this conference addressed several critical issues on the theme Muslims in a Future South Africa in a spirit of goodwill. While some delegates held differing views, there was a general feeling that Muslims should interact with other communities in order to promote social justice. On the issue of negotiations, some delegates expressed their view that negotiations with an oppressive regime was acceptable provided circumstances permit and the ultimate outcome is justice in the land. Other delegates were opposed to negotiations, describing them as either irrelevant to Muslims or against the interest of the oppressed South African community.
With regard to the subject of constitutional proposals, delegates in the commission deliberated on the following issues in the context of the constitution of a future South Africa:
*Muslim Personal Law
*Muslim institutions
*Education
*Political rights
*Health and social welfare
*The economy
Women delegates held a special session on the issues facing women and expressed the need for representation on the decision-making forums. Muslim Views, writing on the conference, says:
"Despite the diversity of views expressed at the first National Muslim Conference in Cape Town all organisations represented had one objective in mind: they wanted to find a way for Islam to supercede in South Africa".
The South described the National Muslim Conference as a "Muslim htdaba of the Future" and a Muslim version of the "Conference for a Democratic Future". Muslims in general viewed the National Muslim Conference as a historical watershed event in the struggle of the South African Muslims.
1990 Islamic Party 149
The first national Islamic Party was launched in Athlone, Cape Town, in 1990, by Naushad Omar, principal of Cambridge High School. The Party's principles are based on the ideology of Islam and maintains that it would not participate in apartheid structures and that it would register as a political party in post-apartheid South Africa. The Islamic Party is open to all South Africans, irrespective of religious affiliations. The manifesto of the Islamic Party is based on the Universal Ideology, namely:
* A: Faith [containing 7 points];
* B: Morality and Principles [6 points];
* C: Political Policy [9 points];
* D: Economic Policy [16 points];
* E: Social Policy [9 points].
Its Political Policy:
1. "The party is totally opposed to apartheid and all other forms of discrimination.
2. The party supports the negotiation process with the existing governent. However, a reasonable time period should be agreed to until negotiations are finalised.
3. All South Africans should have a vote of equal value.
4. The party accepts that the rights of minorities should be protected in terms of religion, language and culture.
5. The party supports a system of multi-party democracy with regular elections and proportional representation.
6. The party does not accept the system of "the winner takes all"; the new constitution should ensure that laws should be passed in parliament in proportion to a party's support to ensure that each vote carries equal value.
7. The party believes in the deconcentration of political power to prevent any abuse of power. One method of achieving this is through a geographical federation.
8. A Bill of Rights determining all human rights, entrenched in the constitution and enforced by the courts, and not violating the Shariah.
9. The party recognises the independence of institutions such as the judiciary, the press, and broadcasting if they are subject to the moral policy of Islam".
Its Economic Policy:
1."The party deems it imperative that the economy should be free enterprise, free market system with private property rights. A multi-party democracy can never work without the freedoms mentioned above. The values to be promoted are efficiency, equity, growth, stability, freedom and equality of opportunity. These rights should be restricted only to the extent that they harm public interest.
2. The market should however be optimally regulated to discourage exploitation, opportunism, monopolies, gambling, leveraging, etc.
3. The state should provide the goods or services which the private sector is incapable of providing or should provide subsidisation.
4. Broad planning and management of the economy should be undertaken to encourage growth and equity and to minimise inflation and unemployment.
5. Property rights shoud be protected and entrenched. Human rights without property rights are meaningless.
6. Reparations should be paid by those who enriched themselves by means of apartheid in the form of a general wealth tax to correct past injustices perpetrated under apartheid. The rate and period of this tax could be negotiable.
7. The above tax as well as loans should then finance development of the underprivileged in the following spheres: education, training, job creation, food, health, housing, informal and small business sector, etc.
8. Nationalisation or the dismembering of large corporations will lead to inefficiency, wastefulness, bankruptcy, corruption, bureaucracy, red-tape, stagnation, technological backwardness, loafing, shirking, etc. We believe that market forces should determine the optimal size, ownership and control of corporations and not political forces. Redistribution of wealth should rather be done through taxation, investment in education and training, redistributing opportunities, growth, discouraging extravagant consumption, etc.
9. There is enough land for everyone. People who were dispossessed because of group areas, homelands, etc should have their land returned where possible, otherwise fair compensation should be paid.
10. If individuals require unused land for development which land is privately owned by other individuals, companies or authorities, then the state should expropriate this land in return for the original price paid. The land should then be sold or donated to the individual depending on financial circumstances.
11. That the state should be a welfare state which is necessary to eliminate poverty and to minimise inequality.
12. Some examples of extravagant consumption should be prohibited and others discouraged by means of a progressive sales tax.
13. All types of regulations inhibiting the informal economy and small businesses should be eliminated or minimised subject to public interest.
14. The party regards both labour and capital as necessary for the functioning of the economy. That labour and capital are symbiotic and that their returns should be determined in an open and fair market. That labour and capital should be co-operative and not adversative.
15. That anyone shoud be free to join a trade union of his/her choice. That workers should have the right to withold labour and to strike. That workers should refrain from intimidating other workers or destroying the property of businesses.
16. A department of consumer affairs should be instituted to protect consumers from shoddy workmanship, exploitation, opportunism, etc".
Its Social Policy:
1. "The family is the basic unit of society. The increasing problem of promiscuity, venereal diseases, Aids, unmarried mothers, abortions, illegitimate children and prostitution should be tackled with greater conviction. The large scale breakdown in family life can only lead to social disintegration, crime, poverty, etc.
2. Crime must be brought under control and minimised. Criminals should be punished severely as an effective deterrent. At the same time, socioeconomic conditions which breed criminals should be changed. Unemployed young people roaming the streets in gang-infested areas should therefore be sent to government work camps.
3. Intoxicants and dangerous substances such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes should not be supplied at all. Alcohol causes the largest proportion of crimes and road accidents. Drug addiction leads to crime and possible death. Smoking contributes to cancer and heart failure.
4. The rights of women shall be equal to that of men. That women should be encouraged to play a greater role in society and government.
5. Hunger, starvation and malnutrition should be eradicated. People who are able-bodied and are unemployed should be employed in government work programmes. If this is not possible, then a government-financed unemployment scheme should be instituted.
6. The protection of the environment should be balanced with development needs.
7. Affordable education of a minimum standard should be provided to all people; any discrepancies in spending should be eliminated over a reasonable period, say five years; the foundation of the wealth of this country should rest on education and work skills; education should be restructured to gear it more productively to the needs of the economy.
8. The minimum shelter in the form of "site and service" schemes should be made available to those who cannot afford formal housing; they can use these sites to erect informal structures as a starting point. In this way people would be able to urbanise in an orderly manner. The government should provide housing to people who can afford formal housing in the lower income groups.
9. A miminum level [affordable] of health facilities and services should be provided by public hospitals.
1990 Islamic College of Southern Africa 150
The Islamic College of Southern Africa was established in 1990 in Cape Town by local academics and concerned members of the Muslim community. The basic aim of the Islamic College is to promote an understanding and implementation of the Islamic value system.
The aims and objectives of the College are:
* to establish a centre of higher learning where Islamic legacy as contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah will be taught;
* to provide a community-based platform and forum to produce dynamic community-oriented thinkers, imams, teachers, writers and mujdltidin;
* to prepare students to play a meaningful and catalytic role.
The College is Islamic in character by nature of its objectives. Consequently, it is mandatory for students and personnel to strictly observe Islamic etiquette. Among the subjects taught are: Arabic, `Ulum al-Qur'an, Tafsir, Hifz, Qira'ah, Islamic law, Hadith, `Aqidah, Philosophy, Sirah, Da'wah, Akhlaq, Humanology, Islamic civilization, Research methodology and Comparative religion.
In 1992 The Islamic College had a student roll of 148 and thirteen lecturers; they are: Burhanuddin Abbas, Ebrahim Adams, Ahmad Cassim, Muhammad Adil Davids, Shahid Esau, Abubakr Gabriels, Muhammad Faaiq Gamieldien, Jamaludien Ahmed Hamdulay, Mahdi Hendricks, Sa'dullah Khan, Muhammad Azeem Khatieb, Mohammad Allie Moosagee and Ahmad Mukadam.
