Durban, South Africa

January 2010 Durban, South Africa “Exhibition Islam continues to tour South Africa…” Exhibition Islam Image: New Stadium being built in Durban fo...
Author: Edwin Norman
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January 2010

Durban, South Africa

“Exhibition Islam continues to tour South Africa…”

Exhibition Islam

Image: New Stadium being built in Durban for the football world cup 2010

LOCATION & VENUE

South Africa is located at the southern tip of the African continent and borders the Indian and Atlantic oceans. It has a tumultuous history and was a colonial region occupied by both the Dutch and British, both of whom were at the forefront of the slave trade. In 1948, racial segregation was formally instituted, known as apartheid. This continued until 1994, when it was finally abolished and the African National Congress led by Nelson Mandela took power. Although the Muslim population account for about 2%, the Muslim community has worked hard to become part of the essential fabric of the society. Most outlets serve Halaal food as standard and Muslims are highly respected. This respect emanates from the Muslim contribution towards the struggle against apartheid and the support given to the current ruling government. A map of South Africa, with an arrow pointing to the location of Durban.

It is estimated that Islam is the fastest growing religion of conversion in the country, with the number of indigenous people accepting Islam growing six fold, from 12,000 in 1991 to 74,700 in 2004. Below: An old signpost enforcing racial apartheid

The 35,000 sq ft Durban Exhibition Centre is situated near the beaches of Durban next to the world class International Convention Centre. It hosted Exhibition Islam from Friday 25th December 2009 to Sunday 3rd January 2010.

Exhibition Islam does not necessarily endorse all the views of any organisation mentioned in this report. The partnership agreement to hold this exhibition does not constitute an endorsement or an approval by either party of any additional products, services, policies or opinions of the other organisation or individuals involved within it.

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DESIGN & LAYOUT

The SOUK and International Trade Fair is organised by Al Ansaar Foundation every year, this being its 12th year. Traders from South Africa and beyond convene for 10 days of Islamically Orientated trade, attracting around 100,000 visitors

The layout design was designed by Exhibition Islam to be a systematic walk through with the central area consisting of rare manuscripts belonging to the Exhibition Islam collection. Each section in the walk through corresponded to an Islamic topic.

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OUR HOSTS & THE OPENING

Al Ansaar Foundation Exhibition Islam would like to thank our hosts , the Al Ansaar Foundation who orgainised the International Trade Fair in Durban, otherwise known as the SOUK. We were pleased to have met and have had full support from all the directors, in Particular, Riaz Jamal, Azeem Bux, M J Mohamed, Advocate A B Mohamed and the Chairman M A G Joosab.

The opening was hosted by Riaz Jamal, one of the Directors of the An Ansaar Foundation.

Al Ansaar Foundation is an Islamic organisation set up in 1993 which undertakes work in various areas addressing the needs of the community. Projects that they undertake are: •

Pre-school education to adult literacy



Islamic education of the mentally and physically handicapped,blind & deaf with the establishment of the Ibn Mas’ud specialist School



Preservation of Islamic Literature, arts and culture,



Mass media reinforcement of Islam through print and broadcast mediums



Funding for tertiary education, promotion and branding of Muslim business



(local and international) by hosting trade fairs,



Ongoing seminars, workshops and lectures.

Azim Bux, a Director from Al Ansaar Foundation thanked all the contributors particularly pointing out the impressive exhibition set out by Exhibition Islam.

We would also like to thank the event project managers, Habiba Shaik and Ummesaar Mohamed.

Special Thanks We would also like to thank the dedicated team of staff who helped with tours and stewarding; Hawwa, Saadiyah, Raeesa and Nafisa. Special thanks are given to Mohamed Katrada and Ahmed Chothia. Zaheer Ali from Exhibition Islam thanked the organisers and introduced Exhibition Islam with its history and significant milestones.

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DISPLAY ITEMS

On display were artefacts, rare Qur’an Manuscripts and coins from across the Islamic World. This 15th Century Qur’an Manuscript is complete and beautifully decorated.

This vellum folio is from the first Islamic century, written in a traditional Kufic script and was one of the earliest pieces on display.

This 15th Century page has been written in the Sini script, originating from China and exemplifies the incorporation of Chinese art into Arabic calligraphy

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A spherical astrolabe, invented by Muslim astronomers by combining the functionality of the armillary sphere with the astrolabe, was historically useful for marine navigation.

This rare Ummayyad coin from Jerusalem depicts the Jewish Menorah, which served to foster harmonious relations between the Muslim rulers and the citizens of all faiths including the Jewish faith.

Al Ansaar Director, Adv. AB Mohamed shows the Director of Al Baraka Bank a Qur’anic Manuscript

This brass quill holder and inkwell from the Ottoman Empire consisted of an inkpot which would contain silk wool soaked in ink and a tube which would hold and protect the reed pen. This would be used by travelling scribes who would tuck them into their belts.

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TOURS & VISITORS

Visitors marvelled at the stunning visual graphics depicting the creation of Allah, and the names and attributes of Allah.

The Exhibition Islam team gave tours to nonMuslims and anyone else who wished to be given a tour and explanation of the posters.

Some people stood for hours reading through the life of the blessed prophet, Muhammed (peace be upon him).

Translations of the meanings of the Quran were available in many languages including Afrikaans and Zulu.

The Scientific Miracles of the Qur’an and the Islamic Contribution to Civilisation posters restored pride in Muslims about their great heritage.

The exhibition presented an ideal opportunity for parents to use the posters to explain Islam to their children.

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ADVERTISING & MEDIA COVERAGE

Advertising The event was advertised locally by Al Ansaar Foundation that broadcast regularly and is the largest Muslim Radio Station in Durban. They also ran a publicity campaign with posters displayed on street-poles on the majority of the high traffic roads.

Media Partners The event benefited greatly from various media partners who in turn ran publicity campaigns for the event. Channel Islam International Broadcasting CII promoted the event and had prominence at the event. Al Ansaar Radio Al Ansaar Radio conducted numerous interviews with the Exhibition Islam team and reported very positive feedback from their callers. Al Ummah Newspaper Various articles also appeared in print, especially in Al Ummah Newspaper.

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FEEDBACK

Many visitors were astounded by the exhibition and wanted to know whether it could remain in South Africa. There were multiple enquiries from Islamic schools and organisations for posters or literature. It is understood that approximately 40,000 people visited the event, many proclaiming the exhibition to be the jewel in the crown of the entire event and requesting further exhibitions in their localities. I am a new Muslim and I have this as a learning experience; something that I will carry in my heart forever.



- Shoazia Bhuta





Makes me proud to be a Muslim…

- Taqiya



Absolutely stunning! I have spent more than “six hours here and I lament that I cannot “ spend more. ”

An innovative method of evoking awareness of the extraordinaire of the Islamic history. Thank You.



- Nabeela

- M.J Khan

Absolutely fact filled and interesting. A “gloWow! rious read for anobody interested in Islamic ” History. ”

An incredibly inspiring and uplifting experience that serves to motivate one to the pristine Islam of a bygone era of truth and glory.



- Ebi Lockhart

- J. Boyce

“ Very Informative, well researched. Very useful for doing Dawa to Muslims as well as non-Muslims. ” Imam Ashraf Patel, Imam of Grey Street Mosque, the largest Mosque in South Africa

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CONCLUSION & SUMMARY

has been extremely rewarding to have been given the opportunity to showcase our exhibition to “theIt community in Durban, a community whose dynamism and enthusiasm contributed so much to

the entire event. Taking the ‘museum style’ exhibition to communities who don’t have regular access to museums and galleries always has its own special value, and having introduced our exhibition to the Muslim community in Durban has been immensely satisfying for everyone involved. Umar Ansari, Exhibition Manager, Exhibition Islam



All feedback was extremely positive with serious discussions taking place regarding future exhibitions in the following years for the International Souk and Trade Fair. The exhibition was attended by almost 40,000 visitors, most of them having never witnessed such an elaborate collection of Islamic history in their entire lives. For visitors both young and old, the exhibition provided a wonderful opportunity to marvel at the rich heritage of the Islamic world and to learn about the magnificent achievements and contributions that the Muslim nation had made to the global community. Exhibition Islam was publicly lauded for its service to the Muslim community and has since received a number of queries to host similar exhibitions in nations such as Mozambique and Australia. Having glimpsed what Exhibition Islam can now offer, leading Muslim organisations in South Africa are now planning to host a range of exhibitions throughout South Africa during the World Cup 2010. Back Cover: Umar, Uthman and Abdullah from South Africa.

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www.exhibitionislam.com

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