It is that time of the year again as Spice Mecca prepares for the annual Ramadaan expo at the Castle of Good Hope.
The expo has turned a new leaf and changed its name to Ramadaan For All in an effort to break down barriers within Cape Town and promote unity.
The cultural event, which started out as a souk for Ramadaan shopping, has grown into an event that focuses on community development and religious engagement and it hopes to attract individuals from all faiths and backgrounds to the event.
The expo will take place from May 4 to May 6, at the Castle of Good Hope which has a controversial history.
It will showcase the Qur’an of Tuan Guru and will also feature one of the top scholars of Qur’an, Shaykh Dr Ahmed Naina from Egypt.
Spice Mecca chief executive, Shreef Abass said the event hopes to keep with the teachings of Tuan Guru who opened one of the first Muslim schools in the Cape, which was open to people of all backgrounds.
“There is one central facet as Muslims that is our Shahada. We believe that we need to bring all Muslims and people from other faiths together. This event is about profiling Islam and showing how we do things.
“An event of this nature and magnitude must be truly inclusive of the entire community. That’s why we have decided change the name,” said Abbas.
Castle of Good Hope chief executive, Calvyn Gilfellan said he hoped the expo would change the way people viewed the historic venue, which is still seen as a place of oppression by many.
“How do I reconcile what I fought for all these years with the tombstone of colonial oppression, which was built for the army to oppress people. It (the castle) was deliberately put there to secure the spice route and for colonial purposes.
“In that sense we can turn our backs on that history or we can invite Muslims, Jews, Christians, Khoi, all kinds of people into the castle, which is contested.
“The slaves of Mozambique, China and India built this castle,” said Gilfellan.
The main aspects of the exhibition is the recitation of the Qur’an and communal prayer of Jumuah.
But for those who want to stock up on their Ramadaan supplies, the Spice Mecca Cook Easy Lifestyle show, will be back and culinary skills will be showcased
Entrance to the event will be free to the public.
Cape Argus