The Africa Federation officials comprising of Vice Chairman Alhaj Aunali Khalfan and the Hon. Secretary, Alhaj Hussein Karim visited Kigali on Saturday 23rd September 2017. They were warmly received by the Chairman and Managing Committee members of KSI Jamaat of Kigali, Republic of Rwanda.
The KSIR Community in Kigali is made up of about 27 male members, approximately 60 heads; the Jamaat is affiliated with locally registered Shia association known as Maj’maa-El-Itrati Organisation Twahira Au Rwanda (A.M.I.T) in Rwanda. The Jamaat has a rented Centre in the city where regular majlises on Thursdays and all Wiladats and Shahadats and other religious activities are held, the community also have Ja’afery Madrasah which is held once a week and managed by the ladies of the Jamaat.
Rwanda (popularly referred to as the Land of a Thousand Hills) is located a few degrees south of the Equator in Central and East Africa and one of the smallest countries on the African mainland. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda is in the African Great Lakes region and is highly elevated; its geography is dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east, with numerous lakes throughout the country. There are some great opportunities for manufacturing, mining and other industry for long term investments, as the Government policy is to encourage investors and industrialists.
A Joint meeting between Africa Federation delegation and the Jamaat Managing Committee was held where issues of mutual interest and the current challenges we face in our midst in Africa were discussed. The meeting also looked into the future plans of the development of our community; various scenarios and the way forward were deliberated.
The purpose of the visit was to meet members of the Community residing in Kigali and join them in the commemoration of the Aza-e-Hussein during the Ashra-e-Muharram; they attended Majlis on the 3rd night of Muharram at the Centre recited by Maulana Agha Musa Raza from Karachi, Pakistan with maximum attendance of both, gents and ladies.
The Vice Chairman of Africa Federation, Alhaj Aunali Khalfan addressed the members present and presented brief information of the activities carried out by Africa Federation and also answered questions from the floor.
The delegation also had an opportunity to visit the Local Shia Centres in the outskirts of Kigali city. According to Sheikh Mukhtar and Sheikh Jehad, total heads of the local Shia community in Rwanda is about 3,800 and there are 4 centres in Kigali itself.
The local Shia organization are doing good work of Tabligh – conducting Madrasah classes, organizes daily prayers, events like lectures on Shahadat/Wafaat days, Khushali celebrations and spreading the Madh’ab of Ahlulbayt (A.S.) to the indigenous Community in Rwanda, they are also being assisted locally by our Shia brothers.
The local Shias Centres are regularly screening various programs and lectures being broadcast by IBN from Tanzania, they also show the lectures in Kiswahili by Sheikh Idarus, Sheikh Abdallahi Nassir, Sheikh Hemed Jalala and others. This attracts huge interest amongst the followers of Ahlulbayt (A.S.) AFED has promised to send copies of the Holy Qur’an with translation in Kiswahili and other religious books in Kiswahili to Kigali for the Shia Centres.
The President of Kigali Jamaat, Alhaj Ali M. R. Manji and his Managing Committee members have established good rapport and close collaboration with the Imams and Sheikhs of these Centres and are in regular communications and visits.
The Secretariat wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the Chairman Alhaj Ali M. R. Manji, Managing Committee and members of Kigali Jamaat for the warm hospitality accorded to Africa Federation delegation for all the arrangements made for the visit. We also wish to thank the Sheikhs and Maalims for taking time and efforts to show their various activities and for fruitful meetings.
Secretariat