2.Has your temperament as a
writer and creative mind
steered your career path
towards media or do you think
you might be influenced to
test other waters as you get
older?
Someone once told me that your
profession should pay for your
passion. Literally that translates
into doing something you hate to
pay to do something you love. That
didn't sound like the sweetest
bargain to me 2 years ago. Instead
here I am, studying what I love. So
yes, my interests most definitely
defined the path I chose, and today
I can testify that I'm ACTUALLY
earning by doing the things I
ACTUALLY love. With time it's
inevitable that change will occur in
the way I think, the things I enjoy,
the subjects I find interesting.
Change signifies growth, and I can't
wait to see which way my branches
will grow.
3.Do you think there has
been a major shift in attitude
with this generation of
Muslim youth compared to
when your parents were
your age?
Most definitely. We are a
generation fueled by the reality of
instant gratification. Technology,
transport, food, anything at all can
be accessed and attained in a
matter of moments with minimal
effort. This means we tend to take
a lot for granted. We are
bombarded with such a wealth of
knowledge that we lose the
essence of it somewhere along
the line.
Our parents and grandparents didn't get
things easily, they were required to
strive in order to get. What this did was
make them value things a lot more.
They didn't have much, but what they
did have they treasured. This is
something we as youth need to learn.
With the grace of Allah we are so much
more educated on deeni matters and
rulings, so much more aware of what's
right and wrong, and the measure of
that can never be valued. However, it's
what we do with what we know that
defines who we are. Our parents knew
little, but practiced upon it religiously. I
see growth and new frontiers being
reached every day by our Muslim youth.
We have become
more proud and confident in our religion.
We speak out against injustices and
strive for the oppressed. It's impossible
for me to right off a generation, but a
mentality that's been taught can't be
lost.
4.Is there a place for our young
Muslims in the future of South
Africa?
I’d honestly like to pray for that. There
might be an influx of western influence
but hope is not something we let go of.
We are rising, as a nation, as a
generation and as a Muslim population.
We need to take lesson from those
before us, we need to be able to do
what's right even when it's toughest. We
need to treat people with respect and be
examples of what our religion signifies.
As a budding generation we are the
future to come. Our actions and the
subsequent repercussions determine
where our place is in the years to come.
So yes, I hope that there will be a place
for Muslim youth in the future of this
country, but in order to make that
definite, we need to understand that our
dealings of today affect our position of
tomorrow.