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Islam has a long and fascinating history in Cape Town
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When
I was growing up in Cape Town, Ramadan was a time of aromas in the
neighbourhood as boeka, or breaking of the fast (iftar in
Arabic), approached. It was the duty of young children to take plates of
cookies and daltjies (pea-flour balls with spinach and spices) to the
neighbours. My formative experiences are the patterns of family and
community traditions during Ramadan in Cape Town.
Islam
has a long and fascinating history in Cape Town. Muslims first arrived more
than 300 years ago, and though most were slaves who were brought by the
Dutch from India, South East Asia and other parts of Africa, Islam
flourished in the Cape. In addition to the slaves and political exiles,
Islam also grew rapidly through conversion, both among indigenous people and
non-Muslim slaves. At one point during the colonial era, slaves formed the
majority of the population in Cape Town.
Many
contemporary practices in the Muslim community date from colonial and slave
eras. A significant legacy of communal activities and neighbourliness
developed in an era that was often hostile to Islam. This translated into
practices such as the communal gathering every year to sight the moon with
the naked eye and announce the start of the fast the next day. At times
during the colonial era when there were disputes and divisions in the
community, local leaders would sometimes appeal to Islamic authorities in
Turkey, India or Egypt to render a judgement.
Ramadan
is known in Cape Town as the Pwasa or the Fast, and `Eid (Arabic for an
Islamic public celebration) is called Labarang. The morning meal before soeboeg
(dawn), which is called sahur in Arabic, is known as sower,
and the Arabic iftar--the breaking of the fast--is known as boeka.
The use of these terms shows traces of the Behasa Melayu language in South
Africa, as it was the lingua franca for people from the Indian Ocean region
where most slaves originated. The legacy of the colonial era can also be
seen in food traditions among Muslims in South Africa, which shows African,
Asian and European influences; a legacy which is also seen in the Afrikaans
language. Developed initially as a slave Creole language, Afrikaans includes
elements of indigenous Khoisan languages, Dutch, Arabic, Portuguese and
Behasa Melayu.
Today
the Muslim community in South Africa, while still a minority, is well
established and integrated into the wider population. The largest percentage
of Muslims in South Africa is to be found in the Western Cape. Cape Town,
with its many different religions, has numerous mosques and Muslim
educational institutions. Halal food (permitted by Allah) is widely
available in the supermarkets. From my mother’s house, we could hear the
Adhan (call to Prayer) from three neighbourhood mosques. Since 1996, there
have also been two Muslim community radio stations in Cape Town, giving
Muslims a new form of contact with one another, and also a media forum with
which to communicate with the wider Western Cape community.
For
me, the Fast is both a time to abstain from certain aspects of life and, on
the other hand, to increase awareness of, and even celebrate other aspects.
Of course, the dominant element of Ramadan is to abstain from food and drink
after Soeboeg and until sunset. As I was growing up, my parents and madrassa
(Islamic educational institute) teachers explained the Pwasa to me as
a time to focus on the spirit. To heighten this aspect, people undertake a khatam,
or complete reading of the Qur’an.
The
Fast is also a time to empathize with those who have little food--charity
and generosity being a central part of behaviour during the Fast. On the `Eid,
food is cooked in huge pots and thousands of meals distributed to those less
privileged. My mother being a doctor regards the Fast as an ideal time to
advise her patients that bad habits such as smoking can be given up
completely, rather than just during the day.
Growing
up, the aspects of life that enjoyed great attention were neighbourliness
and family. Cooking and baking played a special role in this. The whole of
the Pwasa was marked by special foods. Every night, as the breaking
of the fast, or boeka time, approached, Muslim households in our
neighbourhood would send little plates of whatever they would be eating that
night--usually samosas, mince pies, daltjies, or biscuits-- to the
neighbours. It was the role of the children of the house to take these
plates around. As we went on our rounds, my sisters and I would see other
children in their scarves, walking down the street carrying plates of boeka
treats. I remember for a long period during my childhood, the Fast took
place during winter, so in my memory, dates, soup, daltjies and samosas are
strongly associated with Ramadan.
There
have been many changes over the years in Cape Town. With shifts in family
patterns as more people work outside the home and with the increasing
availability of halal food for sale, progressively more people are buying
ready made the biscuits, pies and special foods that characterize the
evening meal, rather than baking at home. This is good because it provides a
source of income, especially for Muslim women who have established cottage
industries as cooks and caterers. On the other hand, as fewer people learn
to cook or bake, knowledge about these special foods is no longer passed
along within families as before, and people rely these days on recipe books
rather than knowledge inherited across generations.
Labarang
Generally,
women are responsible for most of the cooking during the Pwasa. However, the
special briyanis and curries at Labarang would often be made by men, who
tended to cook for large numbers of people-500, 1000 or even more. On
Labarang day people visit family and friends, and to welcome them the tables
are laid with a festive abundance of cakes. The inventive and delicious
biscuits of Cape Town are famous throughout the country. Flavoured with
cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and nutmeg, with names like saboeratjies,
karamonk scraps and hertzoggies, each biscuit has a story attached to it,
and makes a favourite gift for non-Muslim friends the day after `Eid. Often
families bake for days in a row before the feast. Houses are thoroughly
cleaned and new curtains or paint might be evident.
When
I was young, local tailors and dressmakers would make our Labarang clothing.
We would choose our own fabric and pattern, and there would be many fittings
before the big day when a tailor-made dress or suit would be collected.
Today, sadly, that tradition is passing, as people tend to buy their
clothing at department stores.
On
Labarang day, people go to the mosque for salah (ritual Prayer) in the
morning, and, after Prayers, it is a tradition that they are served in the
mosque with freshly baked bread. Once they return from the mosque, families
go round to greet the neighbours and then go to visit family. Though this
day is not an official public holiday, it is generally accepted that Muslims
will take the day off work. As one drives to visit family in other
neighbourhoods, one can recognize other Muslims by the fezzes and scarves.
The day is characterized by great hospitality, and families gather for large
shared meals with favourite dishes like crayfish curry, kabobs and oven
frikkadel. The next day one usually takes Labarang treats to one’s
colleagues.
Ramadan
in the North
I
grew up with a very communal understanding of Ramadan, so when I moved to
the UK to study, and now in the US, I make certain that I am in regular
contact with friends and family. Telephone calls, letters and the internet
are very important ways to keep in touch. I find that especially as Ramadan
approaches, I tend to cook the familiar ‘Ramadan foods’, and regularly
exchange recipes and cookbooks with my mother and sisters.
The
emphasis on neighbourliness and charity in the Fast, especially in the form
of giving food, has always created a good point of connection with my
neighbours in the UK and US, both Muslim and non-Muslim. We regularly
exchange home-baked food and flowers during the year, and so it is easy to
continue this at Ramadan. It helps that Americans are now much more aware of
the Muslim festivals, an unexpected benefit of the extensive attention Islam
enjoys in the media these days!
Since
the Fast will occur during winter in the North, in some ways I will be
recreating my childhood memories by making soup and daltjies to go with
dates when we break our fast this year.
Gabeba
Baderoon is a South African Journalist
