Who am I?

Recently, we attended an interesting blogging workshop presented by Sheena Gates and were asked to describe who we are.

Well, let’s start with the physical me. I’m just about 1.5m tall (or short), have brown eyes and reddish brown hair (which more often than not you will not see as I wear a scarf). I wear a scarf because I am Muslim and am required to do so. Mind you this is no form of oppression and I have found the beauty in wearing my headscarf.

I can be seen to be very quiet or reserved, but make no mistake as dynamite comes in small packages. I love deep-thinking and often think I’m odd because of it, but in retrospect as the saying goes “I was born to stand out”. Whether I’m an outcast or seen as strange, I frankly don’t care. I live my life to enjoy it and not to impress. So I have my own sense of style (however plain that may be) and love being different.

Besides being different, I love being unpredictable. I have a secret need for speed and cannot wait to own a Honda CBR Fireblade; the roar of that engine has my heart racing. I also enjoy photography and seem to have a nack in taking beautiful images, if I may say so myself. I often assist my father in his wedding photography business. I am too, a slight feminist, especially for Muslim women; as I believe that the image of a Muslim woman as has unfortunately been misrepresented world-wide. I truly believe that I can be the voice to these women and share the beauty of what Islam is al about.

That, in a nutshell, is who I am.

How do you step from the top of a 100-foot pole?

Jump. I’m imagining a tall, thin wooden pole with a platform barely the size of an A4.

We can plan and strategise on how to get down. We can bend down slowly, grip each side of the pole and ease our way down until the bottom or we can tie a rope to the top of the pole and try a wall-climbing approach down. Whatever we strategise, there is one thing that remains constant, the goal to get down.

So why play it safe, you only have one chance. Jump and take a risk, an adventure where the outcome is unpredictable. You could land safely and continue on your daily life or you could break a leg and have a story to tell. Either way you walk (or limp) away knowing you tried something other than the norm. You found adventure and felt the adrenalin rush.

Life is quite like the 100-foot pole. So “Carpe Diem” - Seize the moment and grab all opportunities with both hands, make the most of it and importantly enjoy it because you only have one chance.

Is Shakespeare that difficult?

"Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
   If this be error and upon me proved,
   I never writ, nor no man ever loved."

I have a brother, currently in grade 11, who despises the mere thought of having to sit and read Macbeth. He hasn't done too well with his latest English mark and blames Shakespeare for that; and he received a good shouting at too. He switches off at the sound of me attempting to explain the beauty of the language Shakespeare uses.

So what is it that makes Shakespeare so difficult, because I clearly do not see it? Could it perhaps be the teenage tendency of a rebellious attitude? Or maybe it is this technology age we're living in, where anything in the form of a book is not cool? Could it be that it's not as exciting as Die Hard or Inception? (Which is ironic because most genre themes of action, love and comedy originated from our dear Shakespeare's plays

Please could you tell me because I just don't understand!

We are what we do

I am a photographer. That's who I am, and I am what I do.

Photographers' are known to be free-spirited, imaginative and creative. I love photography because it allows me to explore all of the above. I can explore and imagine the world, or even smaller object, through the lens, creating my perspective of the image I see. My passion for photography allows me to be a completely different person, away from the daily me.

I do however have a preference in the photos I take. I like detail, the organisational trait in me, where any simple object can be defined by a minute aspect. This intricate beadwork in lace on this stunning wedding dress for example.

Raisa Hathey for Riaz Hathey Photography

Then, I enjoy those romantic moments that tell a story, as the saying goes "a picture is worth a thousand words". These images I capture are intended to be breath-taking, allowing the viewer to be in awe or speechless whilst knowing the tale behind it.

Raisa Hathey for Riaz Hathey Photography

Lastly, I utterly love seizing those precious seconds of oblivion, where the object (usually an inanimate object) is completely unaware and soaked up in their thoughts and actions. I try to portray the beauty of natural movement. Often these are the moments that take precedence over any other picture.

Raisa Hathey for Riaz Hathey Photography



Death on Social Media

Is it appropriate to share the death of a loved one on these social networks? Well, we share birthdays, engagements, weddings and every other possible occasion in our lives so why not death?

I was recently thrown into total disbelief when I was invited to a Facebook group called “In loving memory of…” I was invited in the early hours of the morning and did not quite take note of what this group was all about. Now when invited on a FB group, any post/change to the group is emailed to you, so as you can imagine my inbox was flooded emails of confusion, disbelief and condolences.

I then decided to have a look at what was going on. The person said to have died created the group. Confusion ran wild through posts and comments and seemed to cause a lot of stress. Luckily having recognized a “mutual friend” I discovered that it was indeed the person mentioned and who’s profile it was had in actual fact passed on. It was his brother who had created the group almost immediately after his death.

But, is this morally correct, to spread such devastating and heart-breaking news on a means of social networking?  

We are afraid of the wrong things

We are we afraid of being ourselves. We follow trends and find comfort in conforming to the craziest concepts of individuals that we will never meet. We feel the need to “fit in” and behave like those around us. We are scared that if we stand up for who we believe in and express our own personal taste that society will look down and even worse shun us. We are afraid of the wrong things.

I believe that we born for a purpose; one that only we know, subconsciously. But, it can only be discovered through being true to who you are. Many of us follow a belief system that is often a way of life, however that should not be an obstacle in becoming who you truly are, as both can be accommodated. I believe our existence here is that of a deep one. Each one of us feels a pain or rather passion toward something; and it is that exact passion that drives you to explore you.

For myself, I do not know my ultimate purpose on this Earth is yet, but I know that I am getting closer. I know that I am not afraid to stand up and be different, from what I wear to what I say. I also know that my random passions are somehow linked to who I truly am and is a key to why I am here. For example, speaking for those women who cannot speak for themselves; I see myself helping them in ways that I am not yet aware of.

Be not afraid of the “wrong things”, as society might have it. Yet “Be who you are and say what you feel, because those that matter don’t mind and those that mind don’t matter!” ~ Dr Seuss.   

Muslim Marriage Bill

What does this mean for me as a young Muslim Woman? Well, I’ve tried researching articles that relate to this specific topic but have unsuccessfully only found ones that date back to 2009. It has since resurfaced as the Bill is days away from being promulgated. In order to really criticise and comment on this topic I would like to know more. I will later again, once I can find the documents, blog and perhaps give a little in-depth understanding. For now however, I would like to explore what this could potentially mean.

I was watching Morning Live this morning when they showed an insert of a woman, fully covered in Niqab (Veil), in a situation that is Un-Islamic to say the least. I do not know her name but will for the sake of this blog call her Sara. She had married a man, who later married another woman.

In Islam Polygamy is allowed, however for specific reasons only; reasons of which again I will fully research and provide insight. I can however soundly say that when in polygamist marriages the husband is required to fully respect each wife and treat them exactly the same. No preference of any kind should be given to any wife at any given time. The husband is compelled to provide equally for the financial, emotional and physical needs of his wives. If he cannot do so then polygamist marriages are not recommended, besides taking into account the initial reasoning.

Going back to Sara; her husband, being married to two women, has not provided for her like mentioned above. He comes and goes as he pleases and threatened to leave her should she stand up against what he is doing. She has attempted approaching Muslim Authorities for advice however sadly not being helped. This is where the Muslim Marriage Bill comes into play. This Bill is meant to then protect women like Sara against the situations they find themselves in, especially if Muslim Authorities fail to do so. In South Africa there are so many Schools of Thoughts within the Muslim Community and it is sad to see that certain unfortunate situations like the one above cannot be solved due to the indifference.

Similarly with this Bill, a number of Muslim Authorities share different views and the current controversy is that the Bill is being pushed without sufficient consultation from all parties, as the Bill would need to coincide with Sharia (Islamic Law).

Coming back to how this affects me, well the only solution I see is that I become more knowledgeable than I currently am on the Quran and that I know what is expected of me, my family, future husband and children because conflicts such as these will continue whilst women like Sara suffer.