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Memon people

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Memon (Gujarati: મેમણ; Urdu: میمن; Hindi: मेमन) an ethnic group originating from Pakistan and India trace their roots largely to Sindh,a province in Pakistan- and subsequently to Kutch and Kathiawar.[1] A Sunni Muslims group predominantly adheres to Hanafi Sunni Islam although some are Maliki. Historically Memons are a mercantile community (and are generally referred to as Business Community in Pakistan and India. Most of them are merchants and traders, industrialists, professionals and managers and generally hold white collar jobs. The Memons of Kathiawar speak Memoni, which is a hybrid of Sindhi and Kutchi language [citation needed]. Fundamentally it is Sindhi language metamorphosed into a new vernacular due to its centuries of intermingling with first kucthi and then Gujrati of Kathiawar.

History

Traditionally, the name Memon is corrupted version of Momin (Arabic: مومن ) meaning faithfull. This was given used when this community converted to Islam. Memons are prominent in the electronic market of Saddar. There has been an interesting contest between the Memons and Chiniotis in Pakistan's industrial and business industry with the Chiniotis having substantial hold over the textile industry.

Sindhi origins

More than one narration have been proposed about the origins of the Memon community. These narrations, although similar, differ in their details. This could be because Memons have had to rely on oral history in order to determine their origins.[1]

According to Dadani, Memon community came into existence in 824 Hijri (1422 CE) when 700 families comprising of 6,178 persons belonging to the Lohana community of Sindh accepted Islam.[2]

According to Anthovan, those Lohanas of Thhato, who had also converted to Islam and became Memons, were invited by Jarejho Roa Khanghar, ruler of Bhuj (1548-1584) to settle in Bhuj. It is from there that Katchi Memons migrated to Kathiawar and Gujarat. Surat in Gujarat was an important trading center during 1580 to 1680 and Memons made their bounty there. Later, the Memons reached Bombay.[3] Diwan Bherumal M. Advani writes that all the Memons of Bombay, Gujarat and Kutch are Lohanas from Sindh. (A volume written by Mr. Anthovan, part 2, pages 52 and 53).[3]

Another theory states that Memons originated in 1422 CE from Thatta in Sindh. The converts were first called Momins or Mumins and the term, with the march of time, changed to Memons.[4] The story related therein states that some 700 Lohana families, (inclusive, perhaps of some earlier covert and neo-Muslim converts) comprising of some 6178 individuals, accepted Islam at the hands of one Sayed Yusuffuddin Qadri (rahimathullah) and finding themselves banished by their erstwhile Hindu brothers were forced to migrate.[1] This was also stated by Hussain Kassim Dada from his Presidential Chail at the first ever All India Memon Conference in Rajkot in the year 1931.

Branch

Memon community may be divided into three main groups. Those who traced their ancestors from Kutch region are identified as Kutchi Memon and they speak Kutchi dialects. Those who traced their ancestry to Kathiawar are identified as simply Memon or Kathiawadi Memons or Halai Memons and they speak Memoni. Those Memon who remained in Sindh (their ancestor never migrated to neighboring regions such as Kutch and Kathiawar) are identified as Sindhi Memon and speak Sindhi language.

Many Memon, especially Kathiawadi Memon, further distinguished themselves into various sub-groups which generally refer to their ancestral villages or towns such as Bantva Memons, Jutpur Memons and Deeplai Memon. It is estimated that the number of Kathiawadi Memon, other than Kutchi and Sindhi Memon, worldwide are over one million.[5]

Generally‎ a Memon is a Muslim person born within a Memon family which traces its ancestry back to the descendants of the ‎community originating from Sindh whose members first embraced Islam, including Halai Memon, Okhai Memon, Sindhi ‎Memon, Katchi Memon, Kathri, Tharati, Nasarpuria and others‎ [6]

Language

Memons speak a non-written dialect called Memoni, a mixture of Sindhi and Kutchi which belongs to the Indic North-Western Zone family of languages. While the Sindhi and Kutchi languages are spoken by both Muslims and non-Muslims, Memoni refers exclusively to the vernacular of the Kathiawadi Memons who are predominately Sunni Muslims that migrated from Sindh to the neighbouring regions of Kutch and Kathiawar in Gujarat several centuries ago [7]. In stress, intonation, and everyday speech, Memoni is very similar to Sindhi, but it borrows vocabulary extensively from Gujarati, Hindustani and lately English. Like most languages of the Indian subcontinent the sentence structure of Memoni generally follows subject -> object -> verb order.

Memoni is falling into disuse due to various reasons:

  1. Non-existence of language learning tools, especially disappearance of Gujarati in Pakistan
  2. Many second generation parents do not know their mother tongue themselves.
  3. Fear of being discriminated or being ridiculed by some Urdu speaking
  4. Development of inferiority complex about their heritage by many Memons

Social structure

Role of the Jamaat

Memons generally tie to their respective locally well-organized societies called "Jamat", literally means congregation, which are generally established for the betterment and social welfare of its members which may include issuance of marriage license, matrimonial dispute resolution, adaptation and enforcement of the rules and guidelines against certain undesirable customs, establish healthcare and education centres, provide various facilities for the community need‎ and also financial support and housing‎ for the poor and needy members and sometime non-members.

The following are some common well organized societies or welfare associations called Jamaat (Gujarāti script: જમાત) of the Memons community which generally refer to their ancestral village or town.

Kathiawadi Memon Jamats

Kutchi(Cutchi) Memon Jamats

Sindhi Memon Jamats

Nasserpuria; Deeplai

Memons Worldwide

Memons migrated from Sindh to Kutch, and latter to Kathiawar (Kathiawad) and other part of Gujarat. Memons spread throughout the Indian Ocean basin in the 19th century, but most Memons lived in Kathiawar, prior to the Partition of India. Many later settled in Pakistan. Today, they are scattered throughout India and Pakistan, with significant communities in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Mauritius and Burma.

Memons are known for their involvement in business and philanthropy, with Memons having played a major part in the building of Pakistani industry, an increasing number of Memons are turning to professional occupations.[8]

Owing to their tradition of management and attention to detail, Memons are a prosperous community. They have built vast business legacies and a high percentage of Memons around the world belong to the upper-middle class. [9]

Religious beliefs and customs

Religious practices

Memons follow the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam [10]. Up till now, the Memons have not produced many Top Islamic scholars of their own, they generally rely on others for their spiritual guidance.

Marriage customs

Memons usually marry within their own social affiliation (Jamat) (endogamy), depending on circumstances a group (Jamat) may be as small as few hundred families and as large as few thousand families. For example Kutchi Memon define their jamat to be entire group having very few sub-groups whereas Kathiawadi Memons are branched into few dozens sub-groups. For Kathiawadi Memon a group, by and large, usually shares their ancestor village in Kathiawad as a reference point. Marriage between close relatives especially first cousins is discouraged but such reunion is possible where a group is too small. Marriage outside the social group (e.g. marrying a Surti Muslim) is now quite common and accepted by most Memons, although some community elders may still discourage it.

Famous Memons

Throughout the world, the Memon community, alongside other Indian cultural communities, has contributed significantly in various fields.

International reputation

  • Abdul Sattar Edhi, "Nishan-e-Imtiaz" Ambulance and Hospital Services, burial of homeless, Women Welfare orphanage, Founder of Edhi Welfare trust foundation

Industrialist

Husain Ibrahim jamal Ganatra/Latif Jamal Ganatra: Textile, Sugar Mills and Lots of Small industries to help creating Job for memon's and Pakistanis, Haji Hashim kath:Big contrebution of helping memon community and others with Tobbaco factory and SugarMill.and lots of Small industries.

Business and Entrepreneur

  • Aqeel Karim dhehdi prominent businessman
  • Faruq sodagar darvesh prominent business man from INDIA
  • Muhammad Faruq Ghani, prominent lawyer and philanthropis
  • Hussain Kassim Dada Founder of Dada Limited, a powerful multinational business concern that dominated the food and grain trading business in pre-partition South and South East Asia, and a philanthropist who founded the Hussaini Orphanage.
  • Haji Ali Mohammad- Pakolawala's
  • Ghulam Hussain Memon.MD and Chair-Person of Ahmed Son's Builders and Developers. Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.
  • Haji Iqbal Memon (Chara Africawala) R.A., Businessman, Philanthropist, Social Worker
  • Ebrahim Bawani
  • Bashir Ali Mohammad - Gul Ahmed Group
  • Iqbal Ebrahim, Managing Director, Al-Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) Ltd
  • Fawad Anwar Teli, Director, Orient Textile Mills & Al-Karam Textile Mills (Pvt) Ltd
  • Haji Abdul Karim Memon (1914-1992), KARIM'S Handicraft since 1936 introducing new textile handicraft and block printed product to all over the world
  • Dr Yunus Langha - Renowned Pediatric Dentist, Educationalist, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur and CEO of Midas-Traders Inc
  • Mohammed Hanif Janoo, President of Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) and Council General of Kenya
  • Mohammed Yayha Razzak Janoo, Official Distributor of Barbie, Hot Wheels and Disney in Pakistan, owner of Pakistan's famous tea brand JSL
  • Abdul Rahim Janoo,Former President of REAP (Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and Former President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce
  • Maqsood Ismail Chamadia, Director Ismail Industries, makers of Candyland sweets and Bisconni biscuits, and former Chairman, Export Processing Zones Authority of Pakistan

Educators

  • Hajiani Khatijabai Batwa
  • Suleman Bhoora [8]
  • Allama Abdul Aziz Al-Memony Arabic language scholar well recognize in Middle-east[12]Abdul Razzaq SteelWala SteelWala

Religious personalities

Financiers

Administration

  • Rahim JANOO chairman REAP
  • Ammar Ilyas Moten, Chairman Paf Chapter
  • Mohsin Dada, Chairman ISDLAF+, U.S.A.
  • Majed Aziz, ST President of KCCI
  • Zubair Sattar Motiwala President KCCI

Professionals

  • Usman Vanjara - Laywer - Prominent laywer in Bombay (mumbai), India.
  • Shaheed Haji Abdul Ghaffar Saudagar (Andha) - Marine & Energy Insurance Expert (Jubayl - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
  • Engineer Ayub W. Bumbia - Managing Director Al Joaib Group (Dammam - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia)
  • Engineer M.Arif Bumbia - Chief Executive - FAB COMMUNICATIONS (Pakistan)
  • Abdul Gaffar Mundia - Physician - Director of Cancer Program and former President Medical Staff Mercy Medical Center (New York)
  • Abdul Ghaffar Variend - Financial Consultant and Advisor (Canada & USA), (1968 to ) GV Pro Consulting SVC also, manages Memon Po!nt an information site for North American Memons.
  • Aftab Arif Bumbia - Director- Institute of Computer Technology(Pakistan)
  • Omar Vali Jooma- Neurosurgeon- First member of the global Memon community to train in a medical superspeciality and was Professor at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi. (1966 to 1977).
  • Rashid Jooma - Neurosurgeon - Professor at and former executive director of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (Karachi). Director General of Health in Pakistan.
  • Tayyab Essa Ganatra- Realtor - Chief Executive of Al Samad Estate, Karachi (Pakistan) Al-Samad Estates Real Estate Consultant by Profression and one of the oldest and highly experienced Realtor belongs to Okahi Memon Jamat.
  • Toff WAHAB (Mohammed Toafiq Wahab) - British Diplomat served in South Asia and Africa continents. Born in UK and grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire. Speaker of 7 to 8 languages. Has been recognised as a High Achiever by the Queen and invited to Buckingham Palace.
  • Iqbal A Memon MD- Pediatrician- He is a Board-certified Pediatrician and also Urgent Care Physician who is currently in practice in the United States. He has obatined his training from Pakistan, Ireland , United Kingdom, and from the USA.

Politics and Government

  • Abdul Fatah Memon - MLA Sindh Assembly 1952 t0 1958, Ex-Ambassador of Pakistan to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Somalia 1963 to 1967.
  • Saleem Abdullah - Brigadier from PAK Army serving in Karachi
  • G.M. Banatwalla - an Indian politician Member of the House of the People (Lok Sabha), the lower house of the Parliament of India
  • Abdul Rashid Godil MNA of Pakistan. Supreme council member of APMF and board member of WMO, law & order of K.C.C.I. and others [9]
  • Haji Hanif Tayab, Former Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Pakistan and Community Leader[13]
  • Major General Abu Bakr Osman Mitha
  • Abdul Karim Sumar
  • Yunus Ahmed Kachchhi from Karad in Maharashtra, India
  • Farooq Sattar, MNA MQM.The one and only memon in MQM. why not he favour memon to join
  • Toff WAHAB (Mohammed Toafiq Wahab) - British Diplomat served in South Asia and Africa continents. Born in UK and grew up in Blackburn, Lancashire. Speaker of 7 to 8 languages. Has been recognised as a High Achiever by the Queen and invited to Buckingham Palace.

Arts and Science

  • Salman Jangda, Investment Banker, Philanthropist, Hollywood Producer
  • Sattar Teli, a visionary among Memons.
  • Bilal Memon for his work in business, film, and dance
  • Ismail Merchant India born Hollywood Film Director and Producer
  • Shakeel Noorani Indian Film Industry, Producer, Director and writer of films such as "Joru Ka Ghulam", "Bade Dilwala", "Vishnu Dava" and others
  • Obaid Kadwani, actor and host of "Namaste America" telecast on cable in the US, and creator of a project to serve pizza to the indigent in the US under the auspices of eyeBlink, a nonprofit organziation
  • Qurrat Kadwani, actress and creator of eyeBlink, a nonprofit organization, based in New York, U.S. producing plays in the English language, organizing art and other special events such as distribution of pizzas to the indigent in shelters in the US.

Community leaders

  • Sir Iqbal Sacranie, leader of the Muslim Council of Great Britain award for social services from Queen of England
  • Sattar Dada from Botswana (WMO)
  • M.A.Rangoonwala, President, International chamber leader of Memon
  • Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob, prominent Pakistani businessman, president of ARY Group of Companies and World Memon Organization (WMO)
  • Arif G. Kadwani - prominent social worker of Mumbai, India and New York, US; founder of Cutchi Memon Jamat of North America based in New York, and pioneer for a Cutchi dialect education primer
  • Haji Qasim Mohammad Noor - General Secretary of Halari Memon General Jamat.

Local social workers

  • Dr.Jamal Nasir Memon, social worker, Islamabad
  • Yunus Ahmed Kachchhi - social worker from Karad in Maharashtra, India
  • Sattar Masota - councillor and ground level worker, Dhoraji & Karachi, Pakistan
  • Amin Chamadia - prominent social worker, Karachi, Pakistan
  • A.Rashid Ahmed Godil - prominent social worker of community, coordinator and ex-Nazim Of uc2 Gulshan Town, Karachi,Pakistan
  • Late - Haji Iqbal Memon Chara, Al-Mustafa Welfare Society, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Farha Marfani - dedicated social worker and reporter extraordinaire (Baltimore, USA)

Western Countries

  • Faisal Danka - A prominent professional of Management Consulting and Risk Advisory in Birtian, having received global acclaim (CNN, BBC, etc) for discovering and reporting most severe vulnerability in Microsoft Passport / Hotmail services. CNN: Microsoft Flaw, Faisal Danka and Windows Live ID
  • Ahmad Adaya founding partner of prominent California real estate company IDS Real Estate Group (1927-2006) Batwa
  • Abdul Ghaffar Variend, financial consultant and advisor Canada and US
  • Aziz Katiya FCA, fellow of chartered accountants, a tax partner and member of the board of directors of KPMG Canada
  • Muhammad Yunus Ayub Mussa - Involved in property investment and the retail industry in the United Kingdom. (1948-1999)
  • Abdul Sattar Oza - Created the first branch of the Abdul Sattar Edhi Foundation in the United States (???-1995)

Africa

  • Ismail Mohammed, Chief Justice of South Africa and Namibia.
  • Yusuf Ahmed Khamissa - Entrepreneur and Businessman from the Republic of South Africa
  • Majid vakil award winner from govt in Africa
  • Aboo Tayob from South Africa

Middle East

Sri Lanka

The Memon, originally from Sindh (in modern Pakistan), first arrived in Sri Lanka during the 1870's as traders. Initially the Memon traders resided in Sri Lanka temporarily for business purposes, however after partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, many settled in Sri Lanka along with their families. In the 1980s they numbered only about 3,000.

Other Countries

Social contribution from the Memon community

The Memon community can be proud of the social work it has done. Many countries across the globe have seen this through the many Memon humanitarian ground workers. Examples such as the Calcutta, Kashmir, Turkey and Quetta earthquakes. Gujrat, Karachi and Bosnia are just a few recognised achievements of Memon humanitarian work.

Memons help people in need purely on a humanitarian ground upholding the moto social work will better our society. A few examples of they're work;

  • Umar Hajee Ahmed Jhaveri was a Memon Indian-South African businessman. It was a court case concerning him that brought Mahatma Gandhi to South Africa. Hajee Ahmed assisted Gandhi in setting up the South African Indian Congress.
  • Larkana college of commerce established by Late Abdul Fatah Memon (1920-2002), former MLA Sindh Assaebly (1952), Ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia and Somalia (1963) in early fifties.
  • The Jama Masjid of Durban built by the Memons, is the largest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere.
  • Abdullah Haroon established Hajiyani Hanifabai Girls School in Karachi in 1914, which was the first girl's school in Sindh for Muslim girls.[14]
  • Hajiyani Khadija, although an illiterate widow, was the founder of Raunaq-eIslam chain of girls schools, colleges and industrial homes under the banner of the Pakistan Memon Women's Educational society.[14]

"Salik Papatia" complied Gujarati Reader Sahitay Sindhu for the Gujarati students of secondary schools in the early sixties, and got it published at his own expense.[14]

  • Kenya Mombasa, where the Memon community after emigrating just 50 years ago, built 200 mosques and madrasas (religious schools).

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Origin of Memons three versions[1] Cite error: The named reference "origin" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  2. ^ Bombay Gazzatter Story - Extracts from “The Memons” By Mahir Bose[2]
  3. ^ a b Islamic Perspective, a Biannual Journal. A special issue on Bohras, Khojas and Memons. Ed. by Asghar Ali Engineer, Bombay, Institute of Islamic Studies. vol.1, Jan 1988, pp. 41-48[3]
  4. ^ 'Abraazul Hq' by Sayed Ameeruddin Nuzat, under the guidance of one Peer Buzrug Alli, published in Bombay in 1873
  5. ^ Estimate of Memon Population by Mr. Ali Mohammad Tabba[4]
  6. ^ The world memon Organisation constitutio http://www.city-deal.co.uk/wmo/statutory/WMO_Constitution.pdf
  7. ^ Memoni Language Project[5]
  8. ^ http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0004-4687(197403)14%3A3%3C231%3ATUBFTM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R
  9. ^ The Upper Bourgeoisie from the Muslim Commercial Community of Memons in Pakistan, 1947 to 1971, Sergey Levin, Asian Survey, Vol. 14, No. 3, Soviet Scholars View South Asia (Mar., 1974), pp. 231
  10. ^ Memons
  11. ^ [6] [7]
  12. ^ a b memon.com - Personalities
  13. ^ Personality of the Week Program - Haji Mohammad Hanif Tayyab
    Former Federal Minister
  14. ^ a b c Memon.com - Jamat

External links

Web Sites

Pakistan

India

Sri Lanka

Africa

Western Countries

Others

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