When retired ICC Judge Navi Pillay was a guest of honour to mark the 40^th anniversary of the Advice Desk in Durban, little did she know that she was going to be catapulted to become a bigger icon of the Palestinian struggle – by winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Judge Pillay was on a solidarity visit to The Hague when she received a surprise call to say she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. This news sent the US President into a ranting rage because he wanted it so badly, but was overlooked by the Nobel Committee in Norway.

Navi Pillay, as the chair of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, has stated that Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the crime against humanity of extermination, amid the conflict in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Saydoon Nisa Sayed, a leader of the South African Palestine Movement in Durban (SAPM), paid tribute to her close friend and comrade.

She said: “We have met with her Navi, worked with her, engaged with her and shared spaces in the pursuit of justice.

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“Judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay is not a distant figure in the struggle for human rights and justice. We have witnessed, first-hand, her unwavering commitment to human dignity, international law and accountability. Her journey – from standing against apartheid to becoming one of the world’s most respected voices on human rights and international justice has inspired generations.

“Her work and findings concerning Palestine and Gaza have further demonstrated the importance of speaking truth to power, documenting violations and insisting that international law cannot be selective.

“For those of us who have worked with Judge Pillay, this moment carries a deeply personal meaning. We know the person behind the title: a South African woman whose life’s work has been rooted in courage, principle and an uncompromising commitment to justice.

“Her winning this recognition is therefore also a reminder of our own responsibility. It tells us that the work we do – organising, mobilising, documenting, educating, marching, picketing, standing in solidarity and demanding accountability – matters.

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“As SAPM, we are proud of the connections and shared work we have had with Judge Navi Pillay. We honour not only her achievements, but the values that have brought us together: justice, equality, human rights, dignity and freedom.

“Judge Navi Pillay, we salute you. From the streets of South Africa to the halls of international justice, your journey reminds us that courage can change history and that the pursuit of justice must never stop. From those of us who have walked alongside you: thank you for showing the world what principled leadership looks like.

The post ‘Navi you’ve inspired generations’ appeared first on Al-Qalam.

As activists worldwide mark three years of Israeli genocide in Gaza from October 7, the South African Palestine Movement (SAPM) has planned a series of events in Durban to protest Zionist terror that killed some 70 000 people, including 20 000 children.

Saydoonisa Sayed, spokesperson for the Durban-based South African Palestine Movement (SAPM) has urged people of conscience to mobilise for a series of protest actions planned for next week.

SAPM describes its work as grassroots activism centred on protest, education, cultural resistance and boycott campaigns. “The struggle for Palestine has brought together people from different religious, cultural and social backgrounds. SAPM’s public actions have included Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others who have joined the call for Palestinian freedom and an end to the destruction of Gaza.  This is not only a Palestinian issue. It is a question of humanity, international law, justice and the kind of society we want to build,” she added.

Prominent Palestine activist, Dr Lubna Nadvi said: “It is tragic that a genocide has been allowed to continue for three years and that the people of Palestine still do not have political self-determination after almost 80 years of being occupied and oppressed by the apartheid state of Israel. The world should hang its head in shame at what it has enabled – and could have stopped if there had been the political will to do so.”

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On Wednesday October 7, rolling pickets are planned at Holocaust Centres in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban.

The October 7 picket outside the Holocaust and Genocide Centre in Durban (located on the property of the Durban Jewish Club near the beachfront) will start at 12am-2pm. The Jewish Voice for Peace will also be represented at the picket.

On Friday October 9, the South African Palestine Movement will again picket outside the Durban Holocaust and Genocide Centre.

On Saturday October 10, hundreds are expected to gather near the Oliver Tambo statue on Durban’s North Beach for the start of the Global Day of Action – a protest action that will be held simultaneously across major cities across the world.

The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry released updated findings in mid-2026 which found that Israeli authorities have committed crimes against humanity and targeted children in the Gaza Strip.

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Meanwhile, the Durban leg of the tour by renowned UK Palestine activists George Galloway and Yvonne Ridley, made a huge impact on guests who attended events at various locations.

Shabnum Palesa Mohammed who co-ordinated the events said: “The Durban leg of the Galloway & Ridley People Power Tour, hosted by Wage Peace International and Palestine House SA delivered four events. It opened with a press conference on “The Politics of Division: Fascism, Racism, Zionism and Islamophobia,” launching Ubuntu and Ihsaan, a documentary series on Muslim contributions to South Africa, and Zionism in Africa, a groundbreaking research initiative. A fundraising dinner followed, where Galloway and Ridley received the inaugural People Power Awards, where they urged audiences not to vote for any party supporting Zionism. Galloway and Ridley were deeply moved by a visit to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site and Museum, and the Durban leg closed with a successful media masterclass at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.”

For more information, please contact SAPM: southafricapalestinemovement@gmail.com
You can also call them on 0732413260

The post Durban to mark October 7 Gaza genocide with rolling protests appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Influential Islamic Scholar, Imam Dr A. Rashied Omar, has urged Muslims to vote in the Local Government Elections – because by not doing so means “dishonouring the sacrifices” of those who were imprisoned or died in the struggle for a better South Africa.

“The right to vote was won through immense sacrifice. Under apartheid, the majority of South Africans were denied a meaningful voice in determining who governed them. Many people endured imprisonment, exile, torture and death so that all citizens could participate equally in shaping our country. To abstain out of apathy or cynicism risks dishonouring that sacrifice and surrendering our influence over decisions that profoundly affect our communities. Casting a ballot is therefore an act of trust, requiring knowledge, conscience, humility, courage and concern for future generations yet to come.

“In some respects, local government elections are even more consequential for our daily lives than national elections. Municipalities determine whether refuse is collected, streets are cleaned, drains are maintained, public spaces are safe, housing needs are addressed and basic services are delivered with fairness and dignity. They shape the condition of our neighbourhoods, libraries, parks, clinics, informal settlements and community facilities. When local government fails, the poor and marginalised suffer first and most severely.”

He told Al-Qalam that “our vote therefore concerns more than party preference.”

“It concerns clean water, sanitation, electricity, housing, transport, safety and the responsible use of public money. It concerns whether councillors listen to residents, remain accessible between elections and act with integrity when allocating scarce resources. Local government is the sphere of democracy closest to the people; it is where lofty promises are translated, or fail to be translated, into lived reality.

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“Islamic teachings offer enduring ethical principles by which political choices should be judged. Among the most important are justice (ʿadl and qisṭ), mutual consultation (shūrā), public welfare (maṣlaḥah) and accountability (ḥisbah). The Qur’an commands believers: “O Believers! Stand firmly for justice, bearing witness for the sake of Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents or close relatives” (Surah al-Nisaʾ 4:135). It also praises conscientious believers as those “whose public affairs are conducted through mutual consultation” (Surah al-Shura 42:38). Voting can thus be understood as one practical expression of our commitment to justice, mutual consultation and responsible public participation.

“There is no sound basis for claiming that Muslims may vote only for a so-called Muslim party. Nor does voting for a party imply approval of every aspect of its ideology or record. Electoral choice is necessarily an exercise in moral discernment among imperfect alternatives. We should assess parties and candidates carefully: their competence and integrity, their record in office, the credibility of their promises, and their commitment to non-racialism, social justice and the needs of the poor.

He said Muslims should reject appeals based on fear, racism, sectarianism, inherited loyalty or narrow communal self-interest.

“We should vote for those candidates and parties most likely to serve all residents fairly, especially those whose voices are least heard. Our concern cannot be only for Muslim neighbourhoods or Muslim interests. 

“The Qur’anic demand for justice obliges us to seek the wellbeing of the entire society, Imam Omar said.

Imam Omar drummed the point that once ballots were counted, elected representatives should be held accountable for both their political mandate and their moral mandate.”

“Their political mandate is to fulfil lawful commitments, govern competently and use public resources transparently. Their moral mandate is to serve rather than enrich themselves, to protect the vulnerable, to resist corruption and patronage, and to treat every resident with dignity.

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“This requires active citizens and strong civil society. Muslims should attend ward meetings, scrutinise municipal budgets, question councillors, report failures, support community organisations and join campaigns for honest and equitable service delivery. Masajid should help cultivate informed citizenship and offer principled, non-partisan spaces in which residents can deliberate respectfully. Religious leaders should serve as part of society’s moral conscience, not as uncritical agents of political parties.

“Let us hold those elected accountable, strengthen our neighbourhood organisations and remain engaged in the struggle for justice and human dignity.

“May Allah guide us to choose wisely and help us build municipalities that serve all people, especially the poor, forgotten and marginalized, with compassion, honesty and justice. Allahumma Amin.”

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Durban will be joining millions of people across the world to stage synchronised protest actions on October 10, calling on Governments and businesses to end their complicity with Israel – a move that is seen as an earthquake in terms of simultaneous global action.

Mandla Mandela, prominent solidarity activist for Palestine, made a heartfelt plea for all people in South Africa to participate in the Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) protest actions across our towns and cities.

The major campaign, aptly called the “Global Day of Action” was announced by the Global Alliance for Palestine (GAFP) on Monday, which is calling on thousands of grassroots organisations, trade unions, student networks, and civil society groups across Asia, the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East to be part of this mammoth campaign.

The core demands are for an immediate arms embargo against Israel; the implementation of economic and political sanctions, support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement, and an end to international complicity in the war on Gaza. 

The mobilisation is backed by an international steering committee featuring prominent figures including Jeremy Corbyn, Mustafa Barghouti, and Yanis Varoufakis.

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In Durban, Saydoon Nisa Sayed, the Coordinator for the South Africa Palestine Movement (SAPM), told Al-Qalam that the group was busy planning protest events as part of the Global Day of Action from October 7-10.

“The South Africa Palestine Movement (SAPM) will join people of conscience across the globe for the main event on 10 October 2026 in a Global Day of Action marking three years of the ongoing genocide and catastrophic suffering of the Palestinian people. Three years of death, destruction, displacement and deprivation cannot become normal.

“SAPM calls on South Africans to turn solidarity into action. We must demand an end to the killing, an end to the occupation and apartheid, unrestricted humanitarian assistance, accountability for international crimes, and the freedom and self-determination of the Palestinian people.

“South Africa has a historic responsibility to continue standing on the side of justice. Our own history reminds us that apartheid and oppression can be defeated when people unite and refuse to remain silent,” she added.

She said that, building up to the main Global Day of Action on October 10, the SAPM will host an event on October 7, marking three years of genocide.

Meanwhile, Mandla Mandela – an icon of the Palestine cause – has called on every civil society organisation, trade unions, student movements and community networks across our lands to “stand with us.”

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“On Saturday, October 10, coordinated by the Global Alliance for Palestine, we will reclaim our streets and demand tangible accountability against the Occupation state. We are taking collective action globally to force the world’s attention back to the issue of Palestine. Make no mistake, this is not limited to Israel’s devastating genocide in Gaza. The state-backed Settler violence and systematic land seizures across the West Bank reveal a single, relentless campaign to erase Palestinian lives. After more than 1400 days of destruction, empty international statements and hollow promises are unacceptable. We do not ask for gestures; we demand uncompromising political actions, an immediate arms embargo, targeted sanctions and full BDS accountability

“I urge every movement, every leader and every community to answer this call. Move from words to intervention between October 9 to 11. Mobilise your people, register your local actions, and join this Global Day of Action. Stand with us. Hit the streets and turn our collective resolve into unstoppable for justice”, Mandela pleaded.

The global event is expected to generate massive global news coverage.

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This year, as the Islamic world marks 1500 years since the birth of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – and welcomes the blessed lunar month of Rabiʿ al-Awwal – Muslims must continue to follow examples he set in defending the persecuted, sheltering the displaced and honouring justice wherever it is found, says scholar Imam Dr A. Rashied Omar.

“I renew a call we have made for many years: that each Rabiʿ al-Awwal we read a new biography of the Prophet (pbuh). Allah, the Lord of Guidance, describes the Prophet’s character in Surah al-Ahzab (33:21) as uswatun hasanah, a beautiful and excellent example to inspire and guide us. Yet to emulate that example, we must first know his life more deeply, understand his moral choices, and reflect on how they might guide us in confronting the challenges of our own time.

“This year, as the global community marks 1500 years since the Prophet’s birth, I warmly recommend a newly published volume edited by Professor Aslam Fataar, Prophet Muhammad at 1500: His Prophetic Legacy, Ethical Vision and Contemporary Resonance, produced by the Prophetic Legacy Commission and Awqaf-SA. It is a fitting local contribution to a worldwide commemoration that began, significantly, in our own city, a place shaped by colonialism, slavery and exile, and thus a living archive of how the Prophetic legacy has been sustained and reimagined under hardship”.

“What distinguishes this volume is that it does not merely recount the life of the Prophet (pbuh). Gathering chapters by some of our foremost local Muslim scholars and public intellectuals, it asks a more searching question: how can his ethical legacy inspire us to confront the inequality, violence, intolerance and fragmentation of our world today? In this, it reflects the wider spirit of the 1500 commemoration, which foregrounds mercy, social justice, environmental consciousness and interfaith dialogue, rather than nostalgia alone.

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Comprising an introduction and 20 essays by 23 contributors, the collection is deliberately interdisciplinary. Its chapters move across spirituality and personhood, race and coexistence, justice and statecraft, education and pedagogy, journalism and the arts, economics, environmental responsibility and artificial intelligence.

He added: “These diverse inquiries are held together by iḥsan: the Prophetic ethic of beauty, excellence, moral attentiveness and responsibility. The book therefore presents the Sunnah not as a static archive to be admired from a distance, but as an ethical grammar through which Muslims can discern how to live faithfully and act responsibly amid the complexities of the present.

“The volume is rich and varied. My own chapter, “Hijrah from Makkah to Ḥabasha: A Template for Interfaith Coexistence Today,” revisits an episode of the Sirah that is profoundly relevant yet little known. When persecution in Makkah grew unbearable, the Prophet (pbuh) instructed a small group of his followers to cross the Red Sea and seek refuge in Habasha, ancient Abyssinia, in present-day Ethiopia. There, he assured them, ruled a king under whom no one suffers injustice. That ruler was the Negus, a Christian king. The quality the Prophet (pbuh) recognised in him was neither religion nor ethnicity, but justice. This is the abiding lesson of the Abyssinian Hijrah: justice must be honoured and upheld wherever it is found, and through whomever Allah chooses to manifest it, as the Qur’an commands in Surah al-Nisa (4:135) and Surah al-Ma’idah (5:8).

“The precedent teaches more still. Some refugees remained in Africa for years, even for good, living in peace under a just Christian ruler rather than being summoned at once to Madinah. Muslims, then, can practise their faith and flourish in a religiously diverse society wherever justice, safety, dignity and religious freedom are secured. And Allah’s mercy protected the earliest Muslims through a Christian community, a reminder that we should never imagine we hold a monopoly on goodness.

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“These lessons speak directly to our present. We live in a world where millions have been displaced by war, persecution, poverty and ecological devastation, while xenophobia and Afrophobia continue to disfigure our own society. The Abyssinian Hijrah asks whether our homes, our masajid and our communities are truly places of refuge for the vulnerable.”

Imam Rashied pointed out that reading a biography this Rabiʿ al-Awwal is therefore not a scholarly indulgence but an act of love. Genuine love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) cannot be reduced to songs, speeches and sentimental praise; it requires that we embody his example, defending the persecuted, sheltering the displaced, honouring justice wherever it is found, and building bridges of trust across religious boundaries”.

“Professor Fataar’s volume is an excellent place to begin. I encourage every reader to acquire it, study it, and let it move us from remembrance to action,” he concluded.

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More than 60 civil society organisations, faith groups, trade unions and community movements from South Africa and across the continent are expected to unite under the banner of “Operation Ubuntu”, calling for an end to xenophobia, greater protection for vulnerable communities and justice for all Africans.

Operation Ubuntu marches will take place tomorrow (Saturday, August 8) in three cities across South Africa – Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg. In Durban, supporters are expected to assemble outside the eThekwini Mayor’s Offices at 10 am. Organisers are also encouraging communities across Africa to hold vigils at 8 pm Central African Time, with participants asked to wear red as a symbol of sacrifice, unity and solidarity.

Durban community activist Saydoonisa Sayed of the South Africa Palestine Movement, told Al-Qalam that Operation Ubuntu was a call to revive a shared humanity and stand in solidarity with vulnerable communities. “There is no place in Islam for xenophobia, racism, Afrophobia or hatred towards those seeking safety,” she said. 

Sayed noted that the early Muslim communities welcomed those fleeing persecution with generosity and compassion, urging communities to uphold those same principles today.

Shaheed Mahomed, the Cape Town organiser for the Operation Ubuntu campaign and member of the Workers International Vanguard League, told Al-Qalam that the campaign is about sending a clear message that xenophobic violence does not represent the values of ordinary South Africans. “The broader community in South Africa is not xenophobic. We live in peace with our migrant and refugee sisters and brothers. We felt there has to be a public response, not only issuing statements or providing relief, but saying to the world that the people of South Africa stand shoulder to shoulder with immigrants and refugees,” he said.

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The march comes amid growing concern over attacks on foreign nationals and is being held on the eve of Women’s Day to highlight the vulnerability of women and children, particularly those displaced by conflict, poverty and migration.

According to the organisers, their campaign extends beyond opposing xenophobia. Their demands include land and housing justice, opposition to the PIE Amendment Bill, stronger action against gender-based violence, an end to the criminalisation of poverty, and what they describe as an end to the exploitation of Africa’s wealth by multinational corporations.

Mahomed said that xenophobia is not unique to South Africa but is a global phenomenon. “When there are xenophobic attacks, it divides us and when we are divided, it makes it easier for the capitalists and imperialists controlling Africa,” he said.

He believes public anger is being directed at migrants instead of those profiting from the continent’s wealth. “The question is always that these people are taking our resources. It’s a major distraction from who is really taking our resources,” he added.

He argued that instead of blaming migrants for unemployment and poverty, attention should be directed towards the large-scale extraction of Africa’s resources and economic policies that continue to leave many communities struggling.

He said that the country’s wealth should be used to improve housing, healthcare, education and job creation rather than allowing ordinary people to be turned against one another.

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Mahomed said undocumented migrants are often blamed for problems they did not create. “The poor migrant who is coming here either as a refugee or as an economic migrant should be welcome to come here,” he said.

“We are saying, document the workers and propose a two-year moratorium on the mass expulsions taking place,” he added.

Mahomed stressed that the government should focus on addressing systemic failures instead of targeting vulnerable communities.

Mahomed said Operation Ubuntu is intended to be the start of a broader movement across the continent: “We are making a historic call. We are waiting for workers, communities and people across Africa to respond… to say, ‘Africa unites’.”

Organisers said that the initiative was intended to remind Africans that lasting solutions to poverty, inequality and violence can only be achieved through solidarity rather than division.

He highlighted that Surah An-Nisa (4:36) instructs believers to show kindness to relatives, neighbours, travellers and those in their care, adding that these teachings remind Muslims to respond to migrants and refugees with compassion rather than hostility.

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“The Malawian people and I will forever be grateful to the Muslim community of Durban and elsewhere who came to our rescue as migrants fled for their lives”, said Pastor George Mzenda, a Malawian Government official, in an interview with Al-Qalam.

Pastor Mzenda was commenting on threats by vigilante groups who gave undocumented migrants until June 30 to leave South Africa or face violence.

“I can tell you one thing, if it wasn’t for the rapid actions of the Muslims, many of my people would have died in the open grounds of Sherwood Park where they were huddled in the cold – and from terror. I would like to meet our generous benefactors some day and thank them personally for what they have done for us – God bless them,” he said.

Pastor Mzenda was referring to two Muslim humanitarian organisations that were the first responders to their plight – the Caring Sisters Network (CSN) and the Islamic Medical Association (IMA, Durban branch).

As thousands sought refuge at the park in Sherwood – including hundreds of terrified mothers with their children – the humanitarian groups swung into action, firstly providing hot meals, blankets, baby milk and other basic necessities. Then they brought out the fully-equipped IMA mobile clinic manned by volunteer doctors and nurses who immediately began treating scores of sickly people.

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This week both the IMA and CSN met to evaluate their efforts during the “Displaced Foreign Nationals Crisis” at three points in the city – the Sherwood Camp, the North Beach Drive-In site and the Che Guevara Road (Moore Road) site.

Yasiera Mahomed-Suliman, the Overall Coordinator (Humanitarian Medical Response), said: “The humanitarian response brought together Muslim and non-Muslim volunteer doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied healthcare professionals, reflecting a shared commitment to serving humanity.

“Alhamdulillah, while coordinating an emergency humanitarian response of this nature is demanding, exhausting and time-consuming – and often requires long hours and late nights – it is always a privilege to answer the call when there is a need.

“Being part of the overall humanitarian coordination team through CSN, where we were simultaneously coordinating food, water, blankets and other relief efforts, enabled us to identify medical needs rapidly and respond efficiently to emergencies as they arose. This close collaboration greatly strengthened the medical response and ensured that patient care remained a priority throughout the operation”.

But she emphasised that they could not have done it alone. Throughout the medical response, IMASA worked alongside the Department of Health, eThekwini Health, and the South African Red Cross Society. The Department of Health was present during the final two days at Sherwood Park from 8 am to 4 pm only, while the Department of Health, eThekwini Health and the Red Cross provided support at the Drive-In site, primarily during office hours only.

“IMASA volunteers largely covered the after-hours service, remaining on site until midnight and, on many occasions, until 1:00/2:00 am. Volunteers also covered full-day weekend shifts, together with selected early morning sessions, ensuring continuity of medical care throughout the operation.

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In her estimation, the medical teams attended to between 400–500 patients daily. The most common conditions managed included: Upper respiratory tract infections, colds and influenza; Pneumonia; Gastroenteritis, gastritis and abdominal cramps; Dehydration and heat exhaustion; Scabies and lice associated with overcrowding; Headaches, body aches and fever; Anxiety, stress and insomnia related to trauma and displacement, poorly controlled chronic illnesses, including hypertension and diabetes.

The teams had their hands full, including attending to many pregnant women. There were two births at Sherwood Park and three births at the Drive-In site.

“Throughout the emergency response, medication to the value of approximately R100,000 was procured and dispensed through a collaborative effort. This included: R63,000 funded through IMASA Lillah contributions. R12,000 sponsored by Caring Sisters Network (CSN) to procure urgently required medication, including chronic medication.

“The remaining balance was generously sponsored by volunteer doctors, individual donors and supporting partners, including Gift of the Givers (GOTG) and Sparkport Overport, ensuring uninterrupted access to essential medication throughout the humanitarian response.

“Alhamdulillah, we thank Allah (SWT) for granting us the opportunity and ability to be of service during this humanitarian crisis,” she concluded.

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The Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa (MYMSA) recently brought together 31 young people representing several schools for its annual Ambassadors for Change leadership workshop, a six-day programme held at the Al-Ansaar Conference Centre from 29 June to 4 July.

The workshop focused on developing leadership, critical thinking and facilitation skills to prepare participants to make a positive impact in their communities.

The programme brought together Grade 10 and 11 learners from Crescent Girls’ High School, Orient Islamic School, Al Falaah College, Insaan Boys’ College and Ihsaan Girls’ College, equipping them with the skills to become ethical leaders and positive role models in their communities.

Against a backdrop of rising racism, gender-based violence, corruption and growing social division in South Africa, the programme challenged participants to think critically about the role they can play in building a more just and compassionate society.

Throughout the week, participants explored topics including identity and self-reflection, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, prejudice, gender-based violence, human rights, communication, public speaking and facilitation skills. They also gained practical experience through a radio interview at Radio Al-Ansaar.

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Sessions were facilitated by a range of experts, including the Isibani Law and Therapy Centre on gender-based violence and Attorney Jessica Ngobese from the Department of Justice on human rights and responsibilities.

The programme aims to prepare young people to participate confidently in South Africa’s diverse society while remaining grounded in their values. It also seeks to develop critical thinking, ethical decision-making and leadership skills so that graduates can become ambassadors for positive change within their schools and communities.

Programme facilitator Arun Naicker told Al-Qalam that this year’s course was particularly encouraging because of the involvement of former participants.

“The 2026 Ambassadors for Change course brought together a vibrant group of learners from schools and a university. The highlight was the full participation of participants from 2022 to 2025, who joined the facilitation team and presented creative and exciting sessions,” she said.  

Naicker noted that participants left with a deeper understanding of the social and economic issues affecting South Africans.

“The learners went away with a deep understanding of social and economic issues and how they affect the lives of people. They debated issues of discrimination, gender-based violence and the power of making informed choices,” she added.

For many participants, the programme was far more than leadership training.

Seventeen-year-old Lubone Kona, a Grade 11 learner at Muir College in the Eastern Cape, travelled to attend the programme and described it as a life-changing experience:

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“Overall, I found the 2026 Ambassadors for Change programme highly interesting, informative and very enjoyable. It gave me the opportunity not just to make new friends, but to grow as a person and learn more about myself. Self-reflection was a huge part of this journey for me and it taught me that there’s always more to learn about myself.”

He said that the programme challenged participants to think differently about leadership and society.

“Through the programme, I gained leadership skills and the opportunity to view social issues from multiple perspectives. I think I speak for everyone who participated when I say that our critical thinking skills were truly tested and enhanced this week. It was a privilege to attend all the way from the Eastern Cape, and I’m grateful to the MYM for making it possible,” said Kona.

The final day of training focused on facilitation, lesson planning, community outreach and public speaking, equipping participants to facilitate similar discussions in their own schools and communities.

The workshop concluded with a closing ceremony, where the 31 participants received certificates of completion and reflected on what they had learnt during the week. The group left with a shared commitment to becoming ambassadors for positive change in their schools, campuses and communities.

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As South Africans hold their breath ahead of the “March and March” campaign against undocumented migrants on June 30, two of the group’s leaders have assured members of the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) and a community leader that his people would remain disciplined and peaceful.

In a meeting held with the march leaders, well-known community leader, Moulana Muhammad Vanker, told Al-Qalam that he privately met with two of the leaders of the anti-immigrant movement, Ngizwe Mchunu and Nkosikhona Ndabandaba in Durban. They assured him the marches across many parts of the country would be tightly controlled by its monitors. “Don’t worry, the march will be disciplined and peaceful.”

The purpose of the meetings was to “better understand the motivations of the protest actions and the broader movement behind them; to dispel misconceptions about the Muslim community, and to help ease tensions ahead of the planned national shutdown of 30 June.

Moulana Vanker said he engaged the leaders about misconceptions and unsavory utterances made by some of their followers against Muslims.

He said the two ‘March and March’ leaders had no idea that the Muslim community were always generous and at the forefront of alleviating poverty and hardships across all communities in the country. “They were clearly surprised when I pointed this out to them,” Moulana Vanker told Al-Qalam.

He said their gripe was mainly against undocumented foreigners – and those foreigners with forged documents. They explained to Moulana Vanker that the movement was forced into taking drastic measures because the Government has refused to listen to them, even after explaining that undocumented migrants were draining resources meant for South Africans.

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However, Moulana Vanker said he understood the group’s point of view, but informed them that the manner in which they were going about doing it was wrong.

Moulana Vanker has urged employers not to dump their foreign workers at refugee centres, but to instead purchase bus tickets so they could travel home without stress – and to give them enough money to help them settle in when they get to their home countries.

In a statement, Moulana Yusuf Patel of UUCSSA said March and March leader Ndabandaba provided assurances that every measure would be taken to avoid violence. “The demonstrations, he explained, are intended to mobilise the Government to effectively enforce the laws of the country and to address growing concerns around lawlessness.”

Thousands of members of the police together with private security companies have been roped in to manage the marchers.

Meanwhile, at the secured repatriation camp in North Beach, Pastor George Nzenda – a representative of the Malawian Embassy who is overseeing the welfare of his fellow citizens – said he was extremely grateful to Gift of the Givers and the greater Muslim Community who pulled out all stops to provide food, sanitary wear, a mobile clinic and much more. “They have never stopped helping us, and we will never forget” he added.

“Our citizens are here because they were harassed, beaten and chased from their places of work by vigilante gangs from March and March. Even when my countrymen sought refuge at a park in Sherwood, these vigilantes came to attack our people in front of the police.

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“On top of that, the Government of SA threatened bosses that if they continued to employ undocumented migrants, they would be fined up to R100 000, so understandably they had no choice but to release them. The tragedy is that when these estimated 15 000 migrants return home, they face a very bleak and uncertain future,” Mzenda said.

He pleaded through Al-Qalam for communities to sponsor buses to take his people home to Malawi. Mzenda can be contacted on 0616640819.

The Palestinian Solidarity Alliance (PSA) has issued a scathing statement against the Government: “It read: “The real crisis in South Africa is not caused by poor and working-class people crossing borders. It is caused by a system that has failed the majority of people who live here. It is caused by unemployment, corruption, inequality, collapsing public services, landlessness, exploitation, and an economy still shaped by elites and capitalists who extract obscene profits while communities are left with hunger, debt and despair.”

The post ‘Don’t worry, there will be no violence during march’, Ulama told appeared first on Al-Qalam.

Cape Town Islamic scholar, Shaykh Moegamad Amien Jardien, has made an impassioned plea to South Africans to embrace migrants and refugees rather than to gleefully watch the shameful xenophobic attacks against them across the country.

Shaykh Jardien has taken to social media and the mimbar to plead for tolerance and empathy for legitimate foreign nationals residing in South Africa. He also shared his thoughts with Al-Qalam.

“When the refugee suffers in Cape Town, in Johannesburg and Durban, we should feel that suffering as our own. When the immigrant shopkeeper is attacked, it is our own hand that is burned. When the asylum seeker is denied justice, it is our own heart that is wounded.

He said the Prophet (SAW) was himself a refugee who sought refuge in Madina during the Hijrah after facing 13 years of persecution by the Quraysh of Makkah. He said the “strangers”, the Ansar of Madinah, transformed his vulnerability into dignity, his displacement into belonging, and his poverty into prosperity.

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“Right now at this moment, South Africans whose forefathers, fathers and brethren have faced colonialism, slavery and apartheid, are about to commit a heinous crime against African migrants who came here looking for a better life. Let us reflect upon one of the most profound lessons from the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — the Hijrah, his migration from Makkah to Madinah, and the extraordinary generosity of the Ansar who received him and the Muhajirun with open hearts and open hands. This sacred history is not merely a story of the past; it is a living blueprint for how we, as Muslims in South Africa, should respond to the refugees and immigrants in our midst”.

“As Muslims of South Africa, we cannot hear these stories and then turn a blind eye to the refugees and immigrants in our own land. We cannot praise the Ansar while emulating the Quraysh who expelled the Prophet ﷺ and his companions.

“Today, xenophobic rhetoric fills our streets and our social media. Immigrants and refugees are blamed for unemployment, for crime, for housing shortages, for every social ill.”  This was mostly not true, he said.

“The Prophet ﷺ taught us that our provision is written by Allah before the creation of the heavens and the earth. So, no human being can take what Allah has decreed for you. The immigrant who opens a shop, the refugee who drives a taxi, the asylum seeker who works in a restaurant — they are NOT stealing your rizq, they are seeking theirs, just as the Muhajirun sought theirs in Madinah.

“In fact, the evidence in South Africa shows that immigrants and refugees are more likely to start businesses than native-born citizens. They create employment not only for themselves but for South Africans as well. Studies has found that immigrant-owned businesses in townships and informal settlements often employ local South Africans, contributing to job creation rather than job loss.”

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Shaykh Jardien pointed out that Research by organizations such as the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and academic studies on immigrant entrepreneurship have documented that immigrant-owned businesses in South Africa’s townships and informal settlements often sell basic foodstuffs at prices significantly lower than established retailers. This is not because they are “undercutting” unfairly; it is because they operate with lower overheads, longer hours, and a willingness to accept smaller profit margins.

“These migrants are not the cause of unemployment; they are a response to the failure of the formal economy to serve the poor. They are filling gaps that South African businesses have abandoned such as operating in rural areas, informal settlements, and open late-night hours. They are demonstrating to South Africans that with hard work, modest capital, and community trust, prosperity is possible.

Shaykh Jardien told Al-Qalam that many South Africans fear immigrants because they do not know them. He suggested they organize community dialogues, interfaith gatherings, and educational programs that humanize refugees and immigrants. “Let South Africans hear their stories, just as the Ansar heard the stories of the Muhajirun and wept with compassion”.

He added: “Today we stand at a crossroads in our nation’s history. We can choose the path of the Ansar — generosity, solidarity, and faith — or the path of the Quraysh — suspicion, exclusion, and oppression.”

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