Life of former Claremont mosque Imam commemorated

WESLEY FORD|Published 2 years ago

The daughter of Imam Armien Mustapha, Asma Hendricks, flanked by her daughters, Jani Hendricks, left, and Mariam Gameeldien.

The 60th commemoration of the death of Imam Armien Mustapha was celebrated by family, friends and the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) at the Harvey Road Mosque in Claremont on Sunday March 20.

Imam Mustapha, from York Street, Claremont, was Imam of the Harvey Road mosque, which is called the Sunnie Mohamedan Mosque, from the age of 19, for 54 years until his death in 1962 at the age of 74.

The last surviving daughter of nine siblings of Imam Mustapha, Asma Hendricks, 84, from Rylands, says it is sad to commemorate this event, though she is glad that her extended family from Kimberly and Johannesburg could attend the occasion. “He was happy being the Imam of the mosque, he also worked as a tailor opposite where Claremont police station is,” she says.

The MJC’s head of Da’wah Department, Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels led the prayer celebrating the life of Imam Mustapha.

“Its an honour for our organisation to celebrate one of the Imams of Cape Town who has served this community for 54 years,” he said.

The event was organised by a committee member of Claremont Histories, Salegga Mustapha who is the granddaughter of Imam Mustapha. “I spoke to the family and I said we should have a prayer meeting to celebrate this occasion,” she says.

The MJC’s head of Da’wah Department, Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, with family of the late Imam Mustapha, granddaughter Salegga Mustapha and great-granddaughter Ayesha Adams.