Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool is one of the few Muslim global politicians that has been largely successful in balancing politics and faith. His formative years growing up in the South African apartheid system led him to become involved in student politics in the 1980s. Due to his political activism, he was imprisoned by the apartheid regime. He went on to become a close friend and colleague of Nelson Mandela. He held positions of senior political office in South Africa and became the South African ambassador to USA from 2010-2015, spearheading a response to anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia.
For those unfamiliar with the history of apartheid in South Africa, Ambassador Ebrahim describes what it was like. Key milestones include Nelson Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 after 27 years. He went on to become the President of South Africa in 1994.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Formative early life experiences growing up in an apartheid system
- Student politics
- Surviving in prison with a programme of Quran study
- Anti-Muslim hatred and Islamophobia
- Muslim leadership in the West
- Muslim politicians balancing faith issues
- Navigating politics, slavery, Islamophobia and LGBT
- Balancing responsibilities to wife, family and home life during political office
- Personal sacrifice
USEFUL LINKS
Watch this episode on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/muslimcentric
Article on Islamophobia (2010) from Arches Quarterly magazine
‘South African Muslims Over Three Centuries: From the Jaws of Islamophobia to the Joys of Equality’
Social Media
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ambassadorasool
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