The Qibla Movement, founded by Imam Achmad Cassiem and others, is hosting a special discussion forum, at Livingstone High School’s hall on Saturday December 17, to pay homage to the life of the late Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, who also played a significant role in the eventual emancipation of the people in Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
Qibla is extending an invitation to all interested parties to attend the discussion forum, which will start at 8.15pm. Guest speakers will include Professor Brian Williams, former UWC council chairperson, Imam Achmad Cassiem, and Frank van der Horst, former president of the South African Council on Sport (SACOS), an anti-apartheid sporting body.
Castro, who seved as prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and as president from 1976 to 2008, died on November 25, this year, at the age of 90. The Cuban people declared a national nine-day mourning period as the nation woke up to the news that the man who had long been the face and father of their nation was dead. Castro had many admirers who saw him as a hero with his military fatigues and fiery speeches.
His dialogue with religion started from his early schooling in a Catholic environment and as a result of practical experience in Latin America, where a major movement in religion, Liberation Theology, supported the change from capitalism to socialism. A famous quote of his is: “They talk about the failure of socialism, but where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and Latin America?”
For more information, contact Aboubakar Shaboodien on 074 126 3425.
