Episode 33 Read It Up
Listen to Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548
Episode 33: Read It Up
Sunday 26th April 2026 / 8th Thul Qa'ada 1447AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)
Watch Level Up with Ziyaad, Nabihah, and Isa Plaatjes on Radio Islam International MW 1548
Episode 33: Read It Up
Sunday 26th April 2026 / 8th Thul Qa'ada 1447AH 14h00 - 15h00 (CAT)
Transcript
8 seconds
to dear listeners. It's just past 200 p.m. right here in South Africa and it's our favorite day of the week. Yul Aad.
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It's the 8th day of the 1447 ah and alhamdulillah it corresponds to Sunday the 26th of April 2026.
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I'm Zad Plachis and with me are my co-hosts Nabia and Issa Plachis. Welcome to Level Up, where we listen, learn, and
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grow, inshallah, with Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala's guidance, and we break down the week's news and talk about what really
46 seconds
matters to young Muslims today. Our WhatsApp line is open. The number is 0727861548.
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You can call in on 0185472 or DM us on.com.
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That's I L O V E Z A C O M. We're on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn,
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YouTube, Tik Tok threads as well as upscrolled.
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So today in the program, we will be breaking down the week's news as we do every Sunday afternoon. After the half
1 minute, 26 seconds
hour, we will be discussing World Book and Copyright Day, which took place this week on 28th of 23rd of April, 2026.
1 minute, 37 seconds
So, one of the new stories that made headlines around the country was a fatal road rage incident in Emiria last
1 minute, 44 seconds
Sunday. We're not going to analyze it as we are not here to judge. Only Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala can. All we can do
1 minute, 52 seconds
is make dua that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala eases the pain for all parties involved and their families and may Allah grant them janatos.
2 minutes, 4 seconds
What we will chat about is how to navigate road rage incidents. In this particular instant instance, it was uh
2 minutes, 13 seconds
also an accident. So it became a bit more complex than just a road rage incident. So I think let's look at what
2 minutes, 21 seconds
to do if you are in an accident like a bumper bash or a fender bender as they call them.
2 minutes, 28 seconds
So the first thing to do is to stay calm. Check if all occupants are fine in the vehicle.
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Then um if there are any other occupants in the vehicle, they should remain in the vehicle as to not intimidate the
2 minutes, 43 seconds
other driver but also to stay away from harm or other vehicles on the road.
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Next, the driver of the vehicle should proceed with caution and calmly exchange details like driver's license
2 minutes, 57 seconds
information, vehicle license information, and insurance details if there are any.
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Authorities like the Metro Police should also be called to the scene before any vehicles are moved or towed.
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And if both parties agree and sufficient evidence, pictures and or videos are taken of the scene, maybe some witness
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statements um if possible and the vehicles are blocking the flow of
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traffic, both vehicles can be moved and if both vehicles can be moved without the aid of a truck, tow truck, then they
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can leave the scene but report the incident immediately to the nearest South African police station. So
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obviously that last point if um the metrop police haven't arrived at the
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scene um it's not a serious accident so there's no um paramedics needed then you
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can you know make sure that you document uh what actually happened uh both parties should agree on it and then go
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and make your statement possibly together at the nearest police station South African police ation. But assuming
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a road ra incident is separate from an accident scene, Issa is going to share a few tips for children and parents.
4 minutes, 22 seconds
In a road rage incident, children should stay calm, keep seat belts fastened,
4 minutes, 31 seconds
avoid eye contact with the aggressive driver, and not react to provocations.
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They should let the driver handle the situation, stay inside the vehicle, and if safe,
4 minutes, 48 seconds
help note the car's description or call for help.
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Alhamdulillah, I have a good memory in remembering number plates, and I think it's important for other kids to
5 minutes, 1 second
especially try and remember their parents' number plates and phone numbers in case of emergencies.
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Safety guidelines for children.
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Stay calm and quiet. Do not scream, cry loudly or react as this can increase tension.
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Keep seat belts on. Remain securely buckled up as sudden maneuvers may occur.
5 minutes, 33 seconds
Avoid eye contact. Do not look at or gesture to the other driver. Stay in the
5 minutes, 42 seconds
car. Never attempt to get out of the car, even if the parent does.
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Be a witness. If safe, help note the make of the other car and license plate.
5 minutes, 58 seconds
Use distractions. If scared, listen to Girat or talk to the driver to stay calm.
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Call for assistance if old enough. Call local security company in the area or police services.
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Parental advice for kids in the car.
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Stay calm. Model calm behavior to help children feel secure rather than terrified.
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Explain simply.
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Explain that the other person is having a very bad day rather than focusing on fear.
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Do not go home. If followed, drive to a public place or police station.
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May Allah keep us all safe and levelheaded at all times. Amen.
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In other news, it's a sad end to a longunning South African success story.
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After nearly 40 years in business, Bayers Chocolates, founded by Belgian Chocolier Keith Bayers in 1987,
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officially entered liquidation in April 2026. It was announced this week. In fact, the story is largely one of a
7 minutes, 16 seconds
messy breakup with its biggest client, Woolworths, which once accounted for roughly half of the company's 300
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million rand annual turnover. Let's take a look at what happened.
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So there was the expansion dispute. The trouble began when Bayers acquired a second factory to increase production.
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This new facility was already supplying competitors like Checkers and Pick and Pay. Woolwarts reportedly took issue
7 minutes, 43 seconds
with this, fearing that their propriety chocolate expertise and trade secrets were being shared with rivals.
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Next, there was the exclusivity clash.
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At the heart of the legal battle was an exclusivity agreement. Bayers claimed the agreement had expired in 2019.
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Woolworths argued it was still in effect.
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Bayers refused to close the second facility, citing the need to protect jobs and their own investments. In response, Woolwarts began significantly
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scaling back their orders first by 100 million rand and then further.
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financial strain and the cocoa prices.
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While the retail dispute was the primary trigger, external factors made things worse. Rising cocoa prices, global cocoa
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costs have skyrocketed, squeezing margins for local manufacturers. And of course, there was the debt load.
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So, losing half their revenue while carrying the costs of two factories created a cash flow crisis that the business couldn't survive.
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The competition commission ruling.
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Bayers approached the competition commission alleging that Woolwwards was using its market power unfairly.
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However, the commission ruled that Woolwartz did not hold a dominant enough market share in the overall retail sector for their actions to be
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considered a legal violation of competition law. So, what happens to the chocolate?
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Sweetie Pie is one of the few Sana certified chocolates um which is Bayer's owned brand. Its
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future is uncertain and will likely depend on whether the liquidators can sell the brand to another manufacturer.
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Chuckles and Woolwarts confectionary. So since Woolworths owns the Chuckles brand name, they have already moved production to other suppliers.
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Woolwarts has assured customers that chuckles will remain on the shelves, though the recipe or mouth feel might change slightly depending on the new manufacturer.
9 minutes, 53 seconds
Ultimately, the company's bank pulled the plug in early 2026, determining that the risk of recovery was too high, leading to the final liquidation filing.
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It's very sad because there's a lot of jobs that will be lost. like they said, um there's two factories. There was the
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chocolate factory also that they had out in um the east rand of Johannesburg.
10 minutes, 19 seconds
And um yeah, there's like the sweetie pie like we said that's um halal. It's sana certified. That was one of the few uh bay chocolates that we could consume.
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And I know that checkers used to also give them out um on your birthday. So if you went in um I think checkers would
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send you a SMS or something and then they would say come and collect your your sweetie pie. Um but in some good
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news uh for this week if you're looking for something to do over these two long weekends this weekend and next weekend
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inshallah in South Africa a road trip along the garden route might be a good idea. So, the Garden Route has been
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ranked the number one road trip in the world by Auto Trader, achieving a score of 90.6 out of 100. Alhamdulillah.
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The global study assessed leading road trips based on factors such as road quality, scenery, weather conditions,
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visibility, temperature, and overall driving experience.
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The Garden Route emerged as a top performer.
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The Garden Routt National Park remains a key part of this internationally recognized route, offering diverse
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landscapes where forests, rivers, mountains, and coastlines meet.
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Visitors are encouraged to experience this globally recognized journey and the national park that forms part of it.
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This is um according to South African National Parks.
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At the center of this route is the Garden Route National Park, which spans key sections along the journey and offers a range of naturebased experiences.
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The wilderness section located along the N2 is known for its calm waterways, bird life, forest cabins, and outdoor
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activities such as canoeing and mountain biking. The Nisner section offers access to
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Isturin and forest environments with activities including visits to the the scene island area to see the endangered
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Nisna seahorse as well as the forest trails in Dipfalla and scenic viewpoints. The Sitsikama section
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features rugged coastal scenery at the at Storm's River Mouth with accommodation options, camping sites,
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and access to the famous suspension bridge.
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And alhamdulillah, along that garden route, there's lots of uh masids that have um recently come up. There's lots
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of halal options in terms of food and accommodation as well. Um we have a lot of it on our website.com.
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If you're looking to go down the garden route, inshallah, if you would like to join the
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conversation, our WhatsApp line is 0727861548.
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Or you can call in on 0185472 or you can even DM us on
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social media. That's ov zoom m. Let's go for a break and when we get
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back we will be chatting about world book and copyright day inshallah tutoring mentoring homeschool assistance
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concessions facilitation and more visit after grant academy the dawn of
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excellence and welcome back to level up if you've
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just tuned in we have catching up on the latest news locally and internationally.
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If you've missed it, be sure to check the Radio Islam International SoundCloud during the week for the podcast. But
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right now, we will be discussing World Book and Copyright Day inshallah. If you would like to join the conversation, a
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WhatsApp line is open. The number is 0727861548 or you can call in on 01854702
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or you can even DM us on at.com that's I l ov z a c o m.
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World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year on the 23rd
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of April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the magical power of books. A link between the past
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and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international
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organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry, publishers, book sellers, and libraries.
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This day was established by UNESCO in 1995 to honor the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures.
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The theme for 2026 is literacy through multilingualism and access to books for all,
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highlighting how important it is for stories to be available in many languages so everyone can see themselves reflected in literature.
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In honor of the day, here's a look at some influential Muslim authors making waves both in South Africa and on the global stage.
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So, we're just going to go through a few of the South African Muslim authors.
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South African literature has a rich tradition of Muslim voices who often weave together themes of identity, the
15 minutes, 59 seconds
history of the Cape Malay or Indian communities and the complexities of postapartate life.
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Radar Jacobs is a legendary figure in essay literature. Known for the slave book, she wrote historical fiction and
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contemporary drama that explored the origins of the Cape Muslim community and the intersection of religion and politics.
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Sumea Lee is known for her debut, The Story of Maha. She writes contemporary fiction that uses humor to look at the
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claustrophobic but vibrant nature of life in Muslim suburbs in Durban navigating tradition and modernity.
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Dr. Fatimir while known as an activist her biographies and socopolitical non-fiction including the first
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authorized biography of Nelson Mandela remain foundational works of South African scholarship.
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Shabnam Khan, a major contemporary voice. Her 2024 novel, The Jin Waits 100 years, is a bestseller that blends Gothic mystery with historical fiction.
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Set in a crumbling mansion in Durban, she also writes humorous and poignant personal essays. How I accidentally
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became a global stock photo.
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Dr. Croatia Darwood is a prominent South African sociologist, academic and author whose work m whose work masterfully
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bridges the gap between scholarly research and engaging fiction.
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Some of her key books and their themes, one is stirring the pot. This is her debut novel and perhaps her most
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well-known work. It was born out of her master's thesis which examined the complex dynamics between madams and
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their domestic workers within Muslim households in Durban.
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The theme was faith, friendship, class struggles and the lingering social impacts of aparate.
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Another one of her books is almost me before her debut novel Dr. Dawood released this deeply personal autobiographical
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work and then she has jewels of faith poems
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for Muslim youth and she has a few anthologies as well.
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Um she's contributed to writing the Samusa Express and Saffron.
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Next we have Dr. Zahira Gina Asat.
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Zahira is an academic with a PhD in mathematics education and an author whose work often focuses on the unspoken realities of community life.
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The genres are contemporary fiction, short stories and anthologies. Her key books are Tears of the Weaver, her debut
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collection of short stories that explores the emotional lives of characters in post-aparted South Africa, touching on themes like xenophobia and societal pressures.
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She was the editor of writing the Samusa Express, a very popular anthology that features diverse narratives from South
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African Muslim women about marriage, identity, and the search for the perfect spouse.
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She is also the editor of Saffron, another significant anthology focusing on personal narratives that unpack food,
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hardship, intimacy, and the live realities of Muslim women.
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Then we have Shafina Hassim. Shafina is a sociologist and award-winning author whose work is deeply rooted in social commentary and the domestic sphere.
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The genres that her books are in a literary fiction, young adult, and sociology.
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Her key books are Sophia, a critically acclaimed novel that deals with the harrowing reality of domestic violence
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within a community where such issues are often kept behind closed doors.
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There's Darlings of Durban, a more recent novel following four friends navigating the complexities of high society life, relationships, and cultural expectations in Durban.
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She also has the Nisa Kamar series, a you a young adult fantasy series starting with Nissa Kamar and the master
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of Ginavville that introduces elements of magic and jin within a modern South African setting. And then we have our
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very own Nabia Plachis. Nabia is a journalist and entrepreneur. She's the co-founder of iOS.com as well as a
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presenter here on Level Up. She uses her platform to focus on community building and early childhood development.
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The genres that she writes in is children's literature and collaborative non-fiction.
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Her key books are Give Me a High Five, an Insta story book designed for young children, ages 2 to 5. It was created to
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be highly accessible and to encourage a love for reading from a very early age.
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She's also a contributing author to Saffron, the anthology that I mentioned earlier that Dr. Zahira Gina Aset was
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the editor of where she shares personal narratives alongside other prominent South African voices.
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Each of these authors bring a different lens to the South African experience from socopolitical grit and poignant
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short stories to focusing on the next generation of readers.
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Let's take a look at some of the international Muslim authors.
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Internationally, Muslim authors are dominating diverse genres from high concept sci-fi to romcoms and hard-hitting literary fiction.
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Leila Lalami writes in a literary fiction and historical. Her book the Moore's account. She often explores
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migration, displacement and identity with a focus on North African history.
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Havsa Fasil is a young adult and fantasy author. Her book is called We Hunt the Flame. She writes epic fantasy inspired
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by ancient Arabian folklore and mythology. Moin Hamid.
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Um he writes in contemporary fiction.
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His book is called The Last White Man and he has a book called Exit West. He's known for magical realism that tackles global issues like refugees and race.
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Usma Julalin is uh writes romantic comedy. Her last book her book is called
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Aisha at Last. She is famous for writing Muslim Jane Austin style romcoms that celebrate family and faith.
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Cave Akbar writes poetry and literary fiction with a book called Martr. He's a poet
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who recently moved into fiction focusing on grief addiction and the Iranianame experience.
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Sadia Farooqi writes children's fiction with her book series called Yasmine. She writes early uh reader books that make
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Muslim daily life accessible and fun for kids.
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While these authors write in vastly different genres, a few common types of stories emerge. Reclaiming history,
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moving beyond western centric versions of history to tell stories from the perspective of the colonized or the traveler.
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The third space exploring the life of someone living between two cultures.
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uh for example being British and Muslim or South African and Indian or Cape Malay Muslim
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lyrical speculative fiction using gins myths and folklore to talk about very real human emotions like grief and love.
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So let us know um are there any books that you particularly like? Any authors, Muslim authors that we might not have
24 minutes, 20 seconds
mentioned um that you follow their series if there's any books that uh we should read. Um there's quite a lot of
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books on our website.com. A lot of reviews as well of different books.
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Quite a few of these books I've read myself, especially the South African books I quite enjoyed. um quite a few of
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the books on this list and uh yeah let us know if you can't send us a WhatsApp now then you're
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welcome to send us uh messages on our social media we at.com as we've mentioned before and take a
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look at our website ilabza.com for more uh books and book reviews from Muslim authors locally and internationally.
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But before we go, um, Issa wants to share one of his favorite book series.
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It's called the day and night stories for children by Zam Publishers with the translation edited by Muy Absal Hussein Ilas.
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Okay, so basically the day and night stories series is a set of five books that are super easy to read.
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You can finish one story right before bed or while you're chilling during the day.
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What they are about.
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They aren't just random stories. They are all about how to be a better person.
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Most of the stories show you how the prophet sallallah.aihi wasallam and his friends acted
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and then they show how we can do the same thing today.
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The vibe it's kind of like having a guide on how to handle life.
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Like if you're wondering why you should listen to your parents even when it's annoying or why you shouldn't be greedy,
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there's a story in there that explains it in a way that actually makes sense.
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Cool stories.
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These there are stories about talking branches, hence getting lost in a
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neighbor's house, sneezing squirrels, and even stories about a thousand gold coins.
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They use these cool examples to teach you about being honest and kind,
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about spiritual guidance and faith, and even generosity or the consequences of greed.
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Why they are good?
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The best part is that the chapter chapters are short. It doesn't feel like
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schoolwork or a textbook. It just feels like someone is telling you a really old
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important secret about how to be a hero in your own life by having good character.
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It's basically the go-to series if you want stories that actually mean something.
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Alhamdulillah. That's a very interesting show. Um, I hardly feel like I should be on that
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list that you mentioned because I'm hardly an author and most of my books are still in drafts on paper and it hasn't um been worked on for years.
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But uh you are a Muslim and you are an author, published author. So I think uh a published author of one short story in
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Saffron. alhamdulillah for that opportunity. And then of course that um Insta story book. Um and I still have
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more. It's I just haven't posted it as yet as Insta story. But Oh, so no, like I said, it's more of drafts. I
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honestly feel like I shouldn't be a part of that list, but alhamdulillah because those are all very um intellectual
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people and really amazing. Their their books are really amazing. Alhamdulillah.
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Um you actually forgot to mention Uncle Mac. I think it was um Muhammad Murim.
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He had has that book called Kouli come out and fight.
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Oh yes, we did an interview with him as well. A nice lengthy interview with him.
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That's on um our social media. I think it was YouTube. I'm not sure. And Shaaz Farad, she did Kaza forgotten and we
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went for the book launch of that many many years ago. Alhamdulillah.
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And we also did an interview with her as well.
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Yes. Alhamdulillah. So that also is on our website and social media.
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So yeah, this like I said there's a there's a lot of um I mean we we didn't even discuss Jos's books and blogs
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festival that uh Dr. Zahira Avat um heads up and there's a lot of authors as
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well Muslim authors that have attended that have spoken that have shared they shared a lot of their insights with
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as well in alhamdulillah we have um a wealth of you know Muslim authors both locally and
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internationally and we must support them because they they're doing good good work. Alhamdulillah.
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Alhamdulillah. And I like the fact that there are also more readers. I was worried about that, you know, that many
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people would find scrolling endlessly um more informative, but it's nice to know that there are quite a lot of people out
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there who read and proper hardback books.
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I think also um in the South African context, like I mentioned, it's a lot to do with, you know, sociopolitical
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um stuff. So you know postapartate or during apartheate as well uh stuff that we can relate to um the Cape Malay
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communities or the Indian communities around the country um you know it's it's really stuff that
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uh we want to read about you know we because we feel like hey we know that neighbor or we are that person or you
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know um so it's it's it's good to have those books and then obviously the fantasy as you know, South African
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setting um talking about Jin and these uh stuff is just don't read it at night or after.
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No, but alhamdulillah and may Allah um increase uh them in their knowledge so they can part all these authors
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impart their knowledge with us inshallah. Amen.
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Amen. Yes. Also, this coming week, this coming week that's now coming uh up on
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the 30th of April is adopt a shelter pet day. Now, you know, there's lots of um
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national and world and international days. They're just they're not just for fun, you know, they also serve as a reminder to either celebrate or observe.
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So in this case, this is a reminder that there are thousands of animals across South Africa who are sitting in shelters
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right now in very very full shelters right now hoping that today is their day to be adopted. So if you've got the
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space, the love, and are even a little bit curious, go and meet the pet at the the pets at the shelters. You know, you
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might just find that friend who you didn't know you needed and you've been waiting for all along.
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And every adoption frees up a kennel, a bed, a bowl, and the time and energy of a team that's already stretched thin, you know, there at the shelter.
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No, they do a lot of good work at the shelters. Alhamdulillah. And um you know, they they have there's a lot of them that are quite full.
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Yeah.
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And they and it's not even winter yet, so they're a bit worried, you know, about it getting to capacity. Yeah.
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So, if you're not sure how to adopt, you know, you would need to go down to a shelter. I know that there's a tier shelter there located in Sunnyale in
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Cape Town, whose adoption team is available to walk you through the process, introduce you to available animals and help you find
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the right match. But you can also browse pets online. Oh, okay.
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For adoption, you can see who's looking for a home right now. Um, that one I saw on online. It's tears.org. org.s and you
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can also ask questions to the shelters whether online or in person. Adopting a bet is not just like um adopting an
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inanimate object, you know. So you you you should actually ask questions, you know, it's a living being. So if you're not sure if your space or your lifestyle
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or other pets are a good fit, then ask them. I'm sure they'll help you with that. Inshallah.
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Amen.
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Then you also mentioned that uh there is a short week or a long weekend coming up. So
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we in we currently in a long weekend current in in a long weekend because if we're talking about this weekend and if
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many of you have taken off uh what's it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, you basically have this entire what is it 10
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days off because Monday tomorrow the 27th of April is um freedom day here in being
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observed here in South Africa. So that's a public holiday. And then Friday um the
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1st of May is workers day coming this coming Friday inshallah. So then that makes it if you've taken off three days
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there the Tuesday Wednesday Thursday you've you've got a whole 10 days from Friday or say from yeah from Friday to Sunday next week Sunday inshallah. A
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mean so all of our listeners who um have taken that off and you are maybe traveling travel safely inshallah. If you're driving, drive safely, please.
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Inshallah. Amen. Um, I know you also mentioned the Garden Route is one of the best routes. Um,
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it was just yesterday. It was voted the number one uh best road trip route in in the world.
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Alhamdulillah. And I've never been on that. I'd really like to still try that out, the garden route. Inshallah. Amen.
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Inshallah, you will be able to go on the garden route. Um, it's something that really is spectacular. Um, like I
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mentioned all, I'm not going to go over all the the things that you can see and the things that you can do. Like I said, there's plenty halal places and masids along the way which we love to visit.
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Um, and talking about uh masids, we actually having the annual next weekend
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inshallah in Lodium. Um so from the 1st to the 3rd of of May um make your way to
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Loium. Um and there's there's a lot of things to to do there, a lot of um speakers to listen to and a lot of ibada
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that takes place during the the mean. Yes. So enjoy this long weekend
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and if you're you haven't taken off then enjoy next weekend as well. a long weekend as inshallah. Enjoy your short
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week. And if you are traveling, please please please make sure that you are traveling safely. You are reading your
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duas when you um boarding a vehicle. You uh are aware completely aware of your surroundings, aware of other drivers on
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the road. Remember, you're not just the only driver on the road. Be considerate.
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Um, also be very considerate in terms of other people's emotions.
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You know, don't just light a spark um, figuratively.
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And once again, if you would like to join the conversation during the week, you can do so on our social media pages @ iilzar.com. That's I L O V E Z AO M.
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We are on Instagram, Facebook X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Tik Tok as well as threads as well as Upscrolled. And you
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are welcome to read the articles on our website ioveza.com.
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You're also welcome to go to radioislam international Soundcloud and check out
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all of our last all of our level up podcasts inshallah.
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and to our dear listeners for joining us on this lovely Sunday afternoon. Please
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join us every Sunday right here on Radio Islam International from 2 to 300 p.m. Inshallah. Please enjoy your week ahead.
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Inshallah, we wish you a wonderful week ahead. From myself, Nabiha, from Arisa, and from Zadalamu alaykum.
