The MYM marks 40 years of struggle against injustice

Over the last four decades, activists of the Muslim Youth Movement had fought a continuous and relentless war against oppression and other forms of injustices. It’s now 40 years that have passed and the time has come to chart a new course together.

“It was like a family gathering,” said an old guard of the Muslim Youth Movement, now in his sixties.

And in other ways, “Like old soldiers coming home after years of battle, and handing over “weapons of justice’ to a younger, fresh faced lot,” he mused.

The Muslim Youth Movement (MYM) marked a milestone in September 2012 when it celebrated its 40 years of struggle for justice and equality for all our people in this country.

This milestone in its history was commemorated by a conference where the contribution of the MYM and its activists were acknowledged and key personalities were honoured.

The conference worked also as a medium to inspire a new generation of Muslim capable activists who could take the mantle and make a difference in the social and political landscape of the country.

The Movement has no doubt come a long way since those heady days of government oppression when it was reputed to be a chink in the armour of South Africa’s draconian Apartheid laws.

The stalwarts of the movement reflected that, although apartheid is no more, there are other numerous struggles that “our people” are facing which must be fought head on, from the front.

The MYM has been a desperately needed organisation at the forefront of the Islamic Movement in South Africa. It has grown from strength to strength with the community and played a huge positive role in moulding it to what it is today. The MYM had been an integral part of the Islamic expression in the community. It has fought bravely on all fronts, for the oppressed and disadvantaged people especially in the anti-apartheid struggle.

The Movement to this day continues to be active and alert and ready to speak out and defend against all forms of injustices, be it social or political.

In celebrating its 40th anniversary under the theme: Celebrating 40 Years of Activism, the MYM has entered into a “conversation with itself and with the community at large” to chart a new path forward for the future of the Movement.

The conference in September had included a range of prominent personalities and organisations that shared the platform. The invited personalities were from within and outside of South Africa.

“It was like a family coming together,” said an MYM insider.

“The participants either had their origins in the MYM or could have had relations with the MYM in some way or another. They had come to share experiences with the Movement over all those years and had offered ideas and suggestions on how to take the Movement forward,” he said.

The conference was held in September 2012 at the University of KwaZulu Natal Westville Campus. Speakers included Dr Mustafa Abu Sway from Palestine, Dr Ebrahim Moosa from the USA, Prof Adam Habib, Prof Abdul Kader Tayob, Sheikh Tahir Sitoto, and Dr Rashied Omar amongst others.

Topics that were addressed ranged from Creative Imagination, Critical Thinking, Ijtihad & Struggle Politics in the history and evolution of the MYM of South Africa to The Future of Local & International Politics in shaping a way forward for the MYM

The conference itself featured robust and “no holds barred” debates and discussions, on the future trajectory of the Islamic Movement in general and the MYM in particular.