When I read a newspaper article in the Mail and Guardian titled “The Islamic Roots of Afrikaans” written by Charles Leonard on 27 March 2024, it resonated quite deeply within me. In my honours research paper, I performed a textual analysis on various Arabic-Afrikaans scripts from early sources. In doing so, I broke down select words from these early scripts into their sounds and letters. I tried to prove that it is because of the shared sound and letter aspects found in Arabic and Afrikaans, that Arabic script was, in fact, a salient first contributor to the written formation of Afrikaans. I can, therefore, agree with Hein Willemse that Afrikaans was not just a white language.
In fact, in the article it is stated that the first written, and later published, Afrikaans manuscript was the Bayan ud-Din — translated as “an explanation of the religion”. This was written in Arabic script by Shiekh Abubakr Effendi in 1869. Had it been written in Roman script; the Muslims at the Cape would not have understood it as they were not exposed to that form of education. Further in the article it is mentioned that “only at the turn of the 20th century under the auspices of zealous Afrikaner academics” was Dutch then consulted to give guidance on how to write the Afrikaans language. In my opinion, the Afrikaner nationalists did this as they did not approve of the original way of writing Afrikaans (using Arabic script) as it “tainted” the Afrikaans language and, therefore, a new script, the roman script was sought and adopted to “purify” the written form of the Afrikaans language. However, based on the dates, it is clear to see that Arabic-Afrikaans was the forerunner in the development of the Afrikaans language. With that being said, I can understand why the mentioned older congregants of Boorhaanol mosque were up in arms when the sermon was delivered in English. Afrikaans and Arabic is deeply rooted in the heritage of the Cape Muslims and was associated with Islam for many years. The first Islamic book of instruction and the start of Islamic education at the Cape was written and conducted in Arabic-Afrikaans. To hear the religious sermon then being delivered in English, a European language and language of the oppressor, I can only imagine would have been a shock for the older members of the mosque, especially those who know their Cape Malay history well and are proud of it.
Taahirah Adams
24 April 2024
