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Memon people

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Memon (Template:Lang-gu; Sindhi: ميمڻ; Template:Lang-ur; Hindi: मेमन) an ethnic group tracing their roots largely to Sindh, Kutch and Kathiawar and are sometimes seen as transitional between the two regions.[1] A Sunni Muslim group, Memons predominantly adhere to Hanafi Sunni Islam although some are Maliki. Historically Memons are a mercantile community (and are generally referred to as a business community in Pakistan and India). Most of them are merchants and traders, industrialists, professionals and generally hold white collar jobs.

History

Traditionally, the name Memon is an adaptation of Momin (Arabic: مومن) meaning faithful. This was used when this community converted to Islam.

Sindhi, Gujarati, and Arab origins

More than one hypothesis has been forwarded about the origins of the Memon community. These hypotheses, 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 Anthovan, those Lohanas of Thhato who converted to Islam became Memons and were invited by Jarejho Roa Khanghar, ruler of Bhuj (1548-1584) to settle in Bhuj. It is from there that Cutchi 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.[2] 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).[2]

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.[3] 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, converted to 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.

A fourth theory according to Karimbaksh Khalid is that certain soldiers of Arab tribe Banu Tamim of Qatif, near Ta’if, numbering about a few millions, came to Sindh along with Muhammad bin Qasim, where they were known as Maymenah, right-wingers in the army; this word later evolved to become Memons. According to this theory, the Memons were originally Arabs. [4]

Branch

Memon community may be divided into three main groups. Those who traced their ancestors from Kutch region are identified as Cutchi 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 Kutyana Memons, Bantva Memons, Jutpur Memons,Dhoraji Memons(Dhoraji;Rajkot) Bombaywala Memons (whose ancestors used to live in the main city of bombay and its suburbs)[5] and Deeplai Memon. It is estimated that the number of Kathiawadi Memon, other than Cutchi and Sindhi Memon, worldwide are over one million.[6]

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, Kutchi Memon, Kathri, Tharati, Nasarpuria and others‎ [7]

Language

Memons speak an unwritten language called Memoni, a mixture of Sindhi and Kutchi [citation needed] 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 [8]. In stress, intonation, and everyday speech, Memoni is very similar to Sindhi, but it borrows vocabulary extensively from Gujarati, Hindustani and lately English [citation needed]. Like most languages of the Indian subcontinent the sentence structure of Memoni generally follows subject -> object -> verb order.

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.

Memon Jamats

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 independence of Pakistan. Many later settled in Pakistan. Today, they are scattered throughout India and the port city of Karachi in Pakistan, with significant communities in the United Kingdom, Canada, USA, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Mauritius, Singapore, Australia 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.[9]

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. [10]

Religious beliefs and customs

Religious practices

Memons mostly follow the Hanafi school of Sunni Islam although some are known to follow other Sunni schools such as the Maliki and Shafi`i schools. [11].

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 Cutchi 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

Various Memon magazine monthlies and books have been written, praising the achievements of philanthropists and businessmen that have emerged from this community. It is claimed that Memons aim to promote such notables in order to escape the stereotypical view (in Pakistan and India) of being stingy, cut throat businessmen who would not replace their own sofas for a statutory period of twenty five years. Some of these notables have been set out below, as follows:

International reputation

  • Jinnah, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad. Ali Jinnah, Founder of Pakistan
  • Abdul Sattar Edhi, "Nishan-e-Imtiaz" Ambulance and Hospital Services, burial of homeless, Women Welfare orphanage, Founder of Edhi Welfare trust foundation.
  • Mushtaq Chhapra - Entrepreneur and one of the founding members and directors for The Citizens Foundation, the Pakistani charity school chain that has set up over 500 schools in Pakistan.
  • Khurram Bashir Memon, "Famous for his contributions in guiding the community towards prosperity and brotherhood in the world at large. Living in the UK currently and affectionately known by the nickname 'Chacha' (Urdu for Uncle).

Sporting Figures

  • Iqbal Qasim, Pakistani cricketer in the 1980s - a left arm spinner most notable for turning out a quite splendid performance against India in the final test of 1987 in Bangalore.


Industrialist


Business and Entrepreneur

  • Hussain Kassim Dada Founder of Dada Limited, a powerful multinational business concern that dominated the food and grain trading business in before the independence of Pakistan, South and South East Asia, and a philanthropist who founded the Hussaini Orphanage.
  • Haji Ali Mohammad- Pakolawala's
    • Mohammed Hanif Janoo, President of Pakistan Tea Association (PTA) and Council General of Kenya
    • Abdul Rahim Janoo, Former President of REAP (Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan and former President of Karachi Chamber of Commerce
    • Farrukh Memon President of Nymemon Entertainment Inc. in New york USA
  • Muhammad Faruq Ghani, diplomat, prominent lawyer and philanthropist
  • Abdul Kader Jaffer, businessman, philanthropist, and former Pakistani High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
  • (Late) Haji Ahmed Haji Abdullah Durvesh, Board of Director of Karachi Stock Exchange, Former President of Jamnaghar Wehvaria Memon Jamat, Successful Stock Broker
  • (Late) Abdul Karim Gani, Entrepreneur and Pioneer of Business back in Malawi.
  • (Late) Haji Jan Mohammad Abdul Latif Nini, Board of Director of Karachi Stock Exchange, Successful Stock Broker
  • Irfan Razak, Founder and CEO of Prestige Construction, Bangalore India
  • Mohammed Akram Karim, founder & CEO of BMCI. Employs 500 in UK and 3000 worldwide. Born in Blackburn, Lancashire. Currently resides in London.

Educators

Administration

  • Rahim JANOO chairman REAP
  • Ammar Ilyas Moten, Chairman Paf Chapter
  • Feroz Punjani, Chairman Punjani educational group
  • Fahad Arif Moten, Chairman Jaffar Public School
  • Siraj kassim teli leader of business man group
  • Zakaria Habib Lakhani, Vice-Cahirman Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association

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.
  • 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. Member finance & rev standing committee and member of textile standing com.Supreme council member of APMF and board member of WMO, law & order of K.C.C.I. and others [7]
  • Gul Muhammed Lot ( Diplai Memon), ADVISOR To CM SINDH ANTI-CORRUPTION DEPT: 2008, part-time satirist.

Jabbar Noormohammad Dhakwala,IAS - Indian Administrative Service officer of commissioner rank currently posted in Madya Pradesh State, India.

  • 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, prominent banker.
  • Abubakar Taher Mohammed Chagla Born 21 March 1920 Expired 7 June 1970 was a Police Officer In Bombay Police from 1942 till 1955 . He had an illustrious career' during which he received the Prestigious INDIAN POLICE MEDAL as well as NUMEROUS good ENTRIES and CASH rewards. He was an honest and non corrupt officer.A Square Or Chowk has been named In Honour Of Mr. ABUBAKAR TAHERMOHAMMED CHAGLA at Viman Nagar , Pune
  • Abdul Aziz Memon - Finance Secratery Pakistan Peoples Party Sindh , Senior ADVISOR to MNA of Pakistan Mr.AMEER ALI SHAH
  • Mohammed Toafiq Wahab known as Toff. British Diplomat served in many countries. Has been recognised by HM Queen for being High Young Achiever and invited to Buckingham Palace in 1997. Many newspaper articles available about his profile. Halai Memon born in the UK
  • Late Aziz Sait: A prominent politician from Mysore,India.He was the senior most congress leader in Karnataka

Arts and Science

  • 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 organization
  • 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.
  • Aziz Anom, behavioural psychologist, for his work on behaviour therapy resulting in the ground breaking and award winning paper entitled "Reinforcing Behaviour Therapy".
  • Iqbal A Memon MD, a board certifed pediatrician , who has been serving the underserved community of North Alabama,USA since 2002 as a "physician of exceptional ability". He obtained his medical degree in the province of Sindh, Pakistan, but went to the Europe for higher training, and is now practicing in his specialty in the United States of America.

Community leaders

Western Countries

  • Faisal Danka - A prominent professional of Management Consulting and Risk Advisory in Britain, having received global acclaim (CNN, BBC, etc) for discovering and reporting most severe vulnerability in Microsoft Passport / Hotmail services.[14],[15] 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[16]
  • Aadel Ayoub Wali Bumbia, Entrepreneur & Executive Director, 4A's Car & Truck Rental (Toronto, Canada)
  • Aamer Ayoub Wali Bumbia, Operations Director, 4A's Car & Truck Rental (Toronto, Canada) 4A's Car & Truck Rental
  • Aatef Ayoub Wali Bumbia, Vice President Finance, 4A's Car & Truck Rental (Toronto, Canada)
  • Aziz Katiya FCA, fellow of chartered accountants, a tax partner and member of the board of directors of KPMG Canada
  • Muhammad Yunus Ayub Mussa - Former chairman of Muslim Youth Movement. Also 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)
  • Abdul Gaffar Mundia MD - Physician - Director of Cancer Program and former President Medical Staff Mercy Medical Center (New York)
  • Mohammed Toafiq Wahab known as Toff. British Diplomat served in many countries. Has been recognised by HM Queen for being High Young Achiever and invited to Buckingham Palace in 1997. Many newspaper articles available about his profile. Halai Memon born in the UK

Africa

  • Ismail Mahomed First Chief Justice of a democratic South Africa formerly Chief Justice of a democratic 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
  • Yasir Ismail, knowledgible student from Varsity College, Westville, Durban.

Middle East

Mohammed Ayoub Wali Bumbia. Managing Director of Al-Joaib Group of Companies(Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia)

Mohammad Yousuf Abdul Majeed. Head Administration Manager Saudi Ericsson

Sri Lanka

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

  • [[abdullha hajee adam zaveri and his brother abdul karim hajee adam zaveri owner of dada abdullha co., was a Memon Indian-South African businessman. It was a court case concerning him that brought Mahatma Gandhi to South Africa. abdullha hajee adam zaveri assisted Gandhi and both are founder of natal indian congress in 1894[abdullha hajee adam zaveri was 1st president and abdul karim hajee adam zaveri was 2nd president of natal indian congress as per mahatma gandhi's autobiography.
  • 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 MASJID 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.[17]
  • 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.[17]

"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.[17]

  • Kenya Mombasa, where the Memon community after emigrating just 50 years ago, built 200 mosques and madrasas (religious schools).
  • Hajee Sir Ismail Sait, a philanthropist of the Cutchi Memon community of Bangalore raised the mosque about 100 years ago, with his own funds. He built the mosque for dwellers of the locality, now called Frazer Town. After the mosque came up, the road was named Hajee Sir Ismail Sait Mosque Road, in short, Mosque Road.
  • Adam Noor, Founder of World Memon Organization. Recently visited North America to check the progress of community welfare program. He is also writing a book on his experience as the founder of World Memon Organization. He is also a well known social worker in Mumbai.


See also

Web Sites

Pakistan

Sri Lanka

Africa

Western Countries

Others

References

  1. ^ a b c Origin of Memons three versions[1]
  2. ^ 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[2]
  3. ^ 'Abraazul Hq' by Sayed Ameeruddin Nuzat, under the guidance of one Peer Buzrug Alli, published in Bombay in 1873
  4. ^ Arab Origin of Memons
  5. ^ http://pmjamaat.org/eng/index.htm
  6. ^ Estimate of Memon Population by Mr. Ali Mohammad Tabba[3]
  7. ^ The world memon Organisation constitutio http://www.city-deal.co.uk/wmo/statutory/WMO_Constitution.pdf
  8. ^ Memoni Language Project[4]
  9. ^ http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0004-4687(197403)14%3A3%3C231%3ATUBFTM%3E2.0.CO%3B2-R
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ Memons
  12. ^ [5] [6]
  13. ^ Personality of the Week Program - Haji Mohammad Hanif Tayyab
    Former Federal Minister
  14. ^ CNN: Microsoft Flaw
  15. ^ Faisal Danka
  16. ^ GV Pro Consulting
  17. ^ a b c Memon.com - Jamat
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