Sharing and caring for their community

By Roshan Peiris

I met five interesting Muslim women, all grandmothers who quietly and methodically serve Allah who has bidden them to share, all they have with others. Whatever talents and time they can spare they do keeping away from the limelight with no cameras (until we forced them to pose) no T.V. and other razzle dazzle but only a burning desire to serve their community.

Take Kareema Hussain. She is today the Principal of the Crescent School which has classes for both boys and girls in addition to a nursery as well.

"I studied at Methodist College and was asked by the Principal to teach Islam to the Muslim girls. I found it difficult at first but I persevered." In all humility she said, "I even learnt from the students themselves." And all of them got distinctions for Islam at the O level examination.

Later she left Methodist to start an Islamic Nursery at R.A. de Mel Mawatha which is now shifted to Temple Lane, Kollupitiya.

This useful class started in 1986 now has sixty students.

She never complains that she has no time despite a family and grandchildren as well.

The yearning to serve her community was such a motivating factor that she began Koran classes every Friday for the public in 1980.

For six years she has also been treasurer for the All Ceylon Muslim Women's Association. Funded by an American source which she refused to name. She has also built a hostel for 200 homeless and refugee children.

She also takes time to visit Muslim and other refugees in places as far away as Puttalam. She also organises classes in computer science and Arabic for them and for those in Colombo.

All this work she does quietly and always with a smile on her face. She said she is the grand- daughter of politician and doctor the late M.C.M. Kaleel. Then take quiet Badriya Bawa. "I am a defender of Women in Need" she said.

She works with the Young Muslim Women's League which recently celebrated 25 years of its existence.

Badriya works with displaced people in the East, Kurunegala, Puttalam, Vavuniya etc. "The only persons I have not visited are the displaced persons in the North," she said sadly.

She also helps in vocational training for displaced persons through the Young Women's Muslim League teaching them dressmaking, embroidery and flower- making so that they can be self employed. She gets financial help from the Italian Health Corporation.

She also does psycho-social work with displaced persons suffering from traumas, having worked with an American Psychologist Dr. Nancy Baron. Sithy Cader is an English trained teacher who taught at Lindsay Balika and retired as its Vice Principal after 35 years of service.

She is a grandmother with a family but she has undertaken to be the Principal of the Colombo Ahadiyya School which has 900 students at Bambalapitiya, She has 35 teachers to help her. In addition on Sundays she teaches Arabic and Islam to girls.

She also teaches English at the Islamic Home for boys at Ratmalana and has a home for girls at Balapokuna, Kirulapone.

As a member of the Young Muslim Women's League she helps maintain a surgical ward for women at the Kalubowila hospital. In fact she is the Chairman in charge.

Halima Cader a member of the famous Macan Markar family works for orphans at the Ceylon Moor Ladies' Union. She helps Muslim girls with clothing etc. and has been treasurer there for 25 years.

She visits both the women's and men's sections in the prison to see to their living conditions and during Ramazan visits the prison regularly to see that all ceremonies involved in Ramazan are followed by the prisoners.

Mrs. Naima Careem is a quiet person with a large family. She is well connected as a close friend of V.I.P.s but never flaunts it.

For fifteen years now she has been the treasurer at the Women's Prayer Hall which she was instrumental in getting built. She got money from the Middle East to buy land and built this prayer hall for women to pray every Friday.

Once a year there is an annual fair organised with her help and an annual feast as well.

"We try to put our Islamic teaching into practice by prayers and good works" she says.

For these five women their incentive and motivation is not to get or seek publicity for themselves but to help not only Muslim women but others also with dedication, expertise, empathy and sympathy. One salutes their devotion and dedication.

More Plus

Return to the Plus Contents