Preserving the legacy of Muslim pioneers in Paarl
2010-09-09
Faadiel Essop
ALMOST a decade ago Qiyaam Abrahams started taking a keen interest in the forgotten Schoongezicht Muslim cemetery that is located at the top of Hout Street on the lower slopes of Paarl Mountain. The ground was originally part of a farm (Schoongezicht) that was donated to the Muslim community by the old Cape Government in the 19th century. Pioneers moved from Simondium and Franschhoek and settled near the site. The semi-detached homes in Orange Street are a legacy of early Muslims living in the area. There are approximately 300 graves within the Schoongezicht cemetery, with most not well preserved. Numerous members of well-known families are buried here, with surnames such as Domingo, Nackerdien and Bollari. However, several of these families have since moved from the Paarl region to other cities. Abrahams’s interest in preservation of the site is motivated by three factors: he wishes to preserve the heritage of the early Muslim dwellers in the Paarl valley for all; he has a personal interest since his forebears are buried here; and he hopes that different cultures/ethnicities will visit the site and thereby move closer to each other (as part of the “rainbow nation’’). About four years ago he took drastic steps when he found that the entire cemetery was overgrown with bushes almost two metres high. He arranged for complete clearing of the site, which was quite a labour intensive task, considering the size and sloping nature of the cemetery. This was followed by the erection of a wall and fencing to better secure the site and to keep out vagrants. Unfortunately, many of the graves on the site are eroded to the ground or even completely missing. This is largely due to rain water moving down the sharp incline of the mountain slopes. However, Qiyaam plans to build up some of the rock graves to better preserve the markings of the original sites. He emphasised that the lack of adequate funding is limiting overall progress of this worthy project. The majority of the tombstones are badly damaged, but some interesting ones were found with Arabic and/or English inscriptions. For example, the grave stones of Gatisa Gamieldien (born 1871) and members of the Latief family are well preserved. The graves of the Latief family are located near the top, with Atika Latief’s the best preserved site in the Schoongezicht cemetery. The top graves appear to be the resting place of the last individuals that were buried here (dated in the 1930s). Abrahams pointed out that the Schoongezicht cemetery is probably the second one in Paarl and that the first Muslim graveyard was located in Durr Street. However, this site is now built over with homes. Interestingly, his great-grandfather, Jan du Toit, is buried at the Durr Street site. Du Toit was a Frenchman who converted to Islam (he became Jakoef du Toit) and played a significant role in the establishment of the nascent Muslim community in Paarl, with the erection of mosques in Breda and Waterkant Streets. His daughter (Qiyaam’s grandmother), Gabeeba du Toit, is buried at the Schoongezicht cemetery. With time, Muslims moved closer to town where they could take part in the local economy. For example, the Domingos were well-known and successful wagon-makers who managed to export wagons to England. As a result, the third (present day) Muslim cemetery was established in the Parys area during the last century, next to Jan van Riebeeck Drive (see Eid supplement from page 25).
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