Haji Mohamed Dawjee
Cape Town
As seen in:
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Here’s the Thing: Available at all bookstores now. Columnist & Disruptor of the “peace”.
Articles by Haji Mohamed Dawjee
The need to bleed: Taking on extreme sports to control your pain
In Ethiopia, men participate in brutal stick-fighting battles and sometimes bash each other’s heads in, all to win a woman’s heart. In Morocco, runners participate in a barefoot marathon in what is known as the “toughest footrace on earth” - a six-day-long ultramarathon located in the Moroccan Sahara Desert where participants volunteer to run 251km, the distance of six regular marathons.
The Gay Imam, The Laudium Sun And The Tyranny of Hollow People.
Haji Mohamed Dawjee · Follow 5 min read · -- Fascists always fall. History tells us this, whispers it through the crumbling bones of empires, shouts it from the dust of statues torn down, sings it through the open mouths of those once silenced. And yet, here you all stand, grotesque in your smallness, giddy in the presence of death. You dance on the grave of a man who prayed with love in his heart, thinking yourselves righteous, your laughter rising like smoke from a burning book.
Silence in the city: The quest for tranquillity amidst urban chaos
There is a cacophony in the air. It is relentless and it reigns supreme, but in the background that very cacophony is being countered by the desperate hum of something far more superior, the sound and pursuit of silence. Amidst the ceaseless buzz of traffic, the shrill calls of the stressors of everyday life, and the constant earworms of machinery and man, a growing number of cities are embracing the idea of quietude as a necessity rather than a luxury.
The Truth About Kittens In Israel: On the banality of evil, moral decay and the limits of outrage
Haji Mohamed Dawjee · Follow 9 min read · -- The video begins without ceremony, the way all unspeakable things do. A shaky frame, a low-resolution rooftop view of blockish apartment buildings as identified in Jerusalem’s Pisgat Ze’ev district — common architecture in Jeruselum suburbia. The teenager holds the kitten aloft, a small, grey, helpless thing struggling in his hands. Its legs splayed in panic, paws spread open in a desperate attempt to grab onto something for help. Anything.
What Serena Williams’ Success Meant To Me Growing Up In South Africa
The first time I stepped on a tennis court, I was eight years old. It was a hot spring in September 1992. It was the kind of spring that makes you feel you’ve missed a season and gone straight into summer because you don’t remember old leaves falling and new flowers blooming; everything is already there. And I felt that same warmth inside me. As soon as I touched the hard surface of the court, I had always been there. It was love at first sight.
The rise of Coco Gauff: Empowering the tennis world
No Amplify licence installed, visit Jacker.io to order your licence. FEATURES The 19-year-old became the first American teenager to win the US Open crown since Serena Williams in 1999. Thu, Oct 12, 2023 Photo by Frey/TPN/Getty Images In the dynamic world of professional tennis, a new star has emerged, capturing the attention and admiration of fans worldwide.
6 Global disagreements that unite us
Welcome to the whimsical world of never-ending debates, where people from all corners of the globe passionately argue about things that may seem trivial but are taken very seriously. These humorous disputes often transcend borders and cultures, uniting people in laughter, friendly banter, and occasionally, a heated exchange of words. Let’s skip the pineapple on pizza fuss – we all know pineapple should never touch a pizza – and take a look at some of the more serious debates. Over or under?
Clash of narratives: Shaka Zulu (1986) vs Shaka iLembe (2023)
No Amplify licence installed, visit Jacker.io to order your licence. LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT Shaka iLembe has been renewed for another season Mon, Sep 04, 2023 Television series have long been a medium for exploring historical events and figures, often blending fact with fiction to create compelling narratives. Two such series, Shaka Zulu (1986) and Shaka iLembe (2023) offer divergent perspectives on the life and legacy of one of Africa's most iconic figures, Shaka Zulu.
The psychology of nostalgic AI: The science behind comforting conversations
No Amplify licence installed, visit Jacker.io to order your licence. FEATURES AI technology is a fear for many, but chat bots are a refuge for some, and that's what should matter. Wed, Aug 16, 2023 Photo credit: Logos world The age of AI chat is not a new dawn. In fact, the newer technology is just a polished version of what we used to know as GChat or Internet Relay Chat (IRC) or Mxit. Remember Mxit?
The Friendship Cemetery: Mourning and Growing from Failed Relationships
The burial ground of failed relationships is an eerie place, shrouded in memories and emotions. It is the Friendship Cemetery, where we revisit and mourn the gravestones of friendships lost after failed relationships that are never to be revived again. While the concept may seem morose, this final resting place for expired friendships holds a certain significance, offering solace and growth for those who dare to venture within its gates.
Lighten the Load
It used to be that not washing your jeans after every wear was considered eccentric - now it's the norm. In fact, any denim guru will tell you that washing your jeans every seven wears is the golden rule - it's better for longevity. Spare the soap, and save the jeans. But as humans do, we have pushed the boundaries of peculiar into a whole new, realm. The new trend gaining momentum is to defy conventional norms and forgo washing underwear.
AI Technology in Healthcare: Yes, it can be used for good!
AI Technology in Healthcare: Yes, it can be used for good! The conversation around Artificial intelligence (AI) in recent times, especially technology like ChatGPT has sparked many ethically grounded debates on how the invention may hamper and impede the knowledge base of humans and further contaminate information by enhancing the spread of fake news.
The "Sages" of Self Care
I remember a time in the early 90s when our moms used to stick homemade tapes into VCRs with collections of videos featuring the unaging actress Jane Fonda doing aerobics. Moms were intense about this trend. They dressed up in their shuffle socks, leotards and scrunchies to pull their hair back, pushed the coffee table out of the way and followed on religiously.
Hacks for Surviving Loadshedding
No Amplify licence installed, visit Jacker.io to order your licence. LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT When the lights go out, the living gets tough, but it doesn't have to be. Here's why Thu, Jun 08, 2023 Image Source: Getty Images A news bulletin on a random scroll through Tik Tok the other day said that South Africa has cut its carbon emissions more than any other country in the world. Why?
To Beanbag or Not to Beanbag? That is the Question
Parents of kids from the 90s will either love or hate these sacks filled with beads. Some will say they were a comfortable shortcut to buying less furniture for their teens' rooms or student digs, and others will say that they are an eyesore and a disheartening reminder of how rudderless adolescents spent their days absorbed by the beanbag while trying to save the princess in a bootleg version of Super Mario Brothers.
Black, Bold and Gifted: The Importance of the Black Superhero
We are what we see. Art shapes life and life shapes art, and everything that surrounds us is a reflection of who and what we are, but if that is so, and it is, a vast majority of the world’s population is under-represented. To be under-represented is to be unseen, and to be unseen has a massive impact on how we are shaped, what we identify as, and how we expect the world to treat us.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Doing the most with less
OPINION Early in September, I was invited to sit on a couple of panels for the Open Book Festival in Cape Town. When these sessions are over, authors are invited to sit in the main hall and wait for people to come and have their books signed. As I sat there, hoping people would purchase Here’s the Thing but very aware that many have to make the choice between buying a book or petrol or groceries, I started to consider the most important part of those post-panel sessions.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: This is how you ride the recession rollercoaster
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: This is how you ride the recession rollercoaster It’s tough times for everyone. A head of lettuce the size of an average human fist is about R26.00, which ultimately means that if you buy some and you’re one of those people who just let it lie there because you’re never going to actually eat lettuce, well, eat it. Eat it now. Eat it as though it’s a potato chip and devour every wet, tasteless bite. Recently I had to choose between rolls, tomatoes and lettuce.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Prof. Mamokgethi Phankeng’s perspective problem
In the suburb of Meadowlands, Soweto, there’s a beauty salon called Dainty Palace – a small business that offers beauty-related services like getting your nails or lashes done and a spa. It’s operated by a young, black woman entrepreneur, known on Twitter as @YummydishLebo. To advertise her services, she generally tweets about her trade on Twitter.
Vabbing: TikTok’s latest ‘how to catch a man’ trend is just unsanitary
Opinion Vabbing: TikTok’s latest ‘how to catch a man’ trend is just unsanitary Dabbing your vaginal sauce in places you'd normally put perfume will see you more likely catch a sexually transmitted disease than a man, doctors say 07 August 2022 - 00:00 There’s a new trend in town and it's viral in more ways than just being popular and perpetually preached on TikTok. That trend is vabbing...
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Have a hobby: Even grownups have room to grow Original
Do you know what the nice thing about doing something over and over again is? Joy. It brings you joy and the joy is limitless because even when the activity, whatever it is, is over for the day, or the hour or the evening, there’s more joy to be found in looking forward to the next time. This is the power of the hobby.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The thrill of twill: say yes to the chino
OPINION The other day while scrolling through Pinterest fashion boards – arguably the social media platform that gets most of my time, I came across a picture of a deliciously lush yet humble-looking chino. As someone who is a “go-to” kind of person when it comes to clothing, or to be more specific, a “personal uniform” kind girl/woman/queer/exhausted mother of a two-year-old, I have my own personal grab-and-wear gear. Most people do. Most women do. But what they do not have as an option is a chino.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: We’re miserable but let’s moderate it and make time for joy
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: We’re miserable but let’s moderate it and make time for joy OPINION If you’ve ever participated in one of those “Conversation Starter” games, or just run out of things to say to someone, this inevitable question always arises: Who would you rather be instead of you? The other day, while browsing through a philosophy website that had an article on Greek Mythology, I learned about Eros and Psyche’s daughter Hedone.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: In the battle of the mask mandate, let's keep them on
Minister of Health Joe Phaahla has withdrawn the mask mandate – one of the few safety and protection mechanisms in the fight to stop the spread of COVID-19. He also scrapped other regulations like limitations on gatherings and the easing of protocols and checks on travellers vising the country last week. Wearing masks - as a rule - while opposed by many, enforced positive governmental sentiment toward the public, which are often lacking when it comes to the care of a vast majority of citizens.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The importance of accessible research to tackle Long Covid
Today, instead of being outside, moving, I am inside, in bed, with a Long Covid relapse. And while I have the most wonderful wife, and a lot of care, what I don’t have is answers. And having an endless ream of questions without anything, or anyone to resolve them, is a very, very lonely and frightening place. THE SITUATION In 2020, nearer the onset of the global pandemic, I was sick with COVID19 for 23 weeks.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Children keep paying the price for US fanaticism over guns
OPINION In the aftermath of yet another school shooting in the US last week, I contacted a few friends in America who work in journalism and data visualisation to help supply me with data on wheat, what the hell is going on with gun control in the country and other statistics like how many innocent lives have been lost, what the numbers are on school shootings, specifically and a mapping out of states where they potentially occur most.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: For black women, silence is death [book excerpt]
It takes a long time for women, the majority of the world’s population, to be themselves. It is a process of becoming who we are rather than being born into who we are – that is a gift neatly wrapped and reserved for Caucasian people.
BOOK EXCERPT: ‘Here’s the Thing’: An extract from Haji Mohamed Dawjee’s collection of provocative essays
‘And so, I was shamed’ Honestly, this is not the book I was supposed to write. Here’s what happened. Like other freelance writers, I often find myself caught between two worlds. In one version of this universe, there is almost nothing to do. No one is accepting commissions or, if they are, they won’t pay and work has all but dried up. In the alternate universe, I’m always busy. August of 2019 fell into the latter of these categories, and I was glad for it.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Petrol prices: How to gamify driving to save fuel
It used to cost me about R600 to fill my tank and because my car has a kilometre gauge, as soon as I filled up, the mileage balance would go up on the clock and tell me that with that one full tank of petrol, I could clock 700 kilometres on my car. Not bad. Let me put that into perspective, 700km is halfway to Jo’burg from Cape Town.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: An introvert’s journey into the social world
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: An introvert’s journey into the social world In September last year, I dug out my brother’s old long board, which he has no use for in Johannesburg, and added to my exercise routine instead of just walking 6km a day. I was post-op so I couldn’t revert to my regular workout programme because it’s only suitable for pro athletes, which of course, I was pre-op. Long boarding is easy, but not that easy.
‘Tis the season for Swedish death cleaning
‘Tis the season for Swedish death cleaning We have all heard about Marie Kondo by now, or Marie Kondoing our spaces. That is, to keep the things that spark joy and thank the things that have served their purpose, do not spark joy or just take up space and let them go. But much like out with the old and in with the new things in our homes, Kondoing is out and there is a new kid in town: Swedish death cleaning.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The shrinkflation phenomenon
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The shrinkflation phenomenon Pringles chips were once described as the caviar of potato chips. Superior in quality, taste and ingredients. The rarest of potato chips, so to speak, in its production process. And while they’re readily available and still quite tasty and unique in their texture and perfect cut, they are not so much the caviar of potato chips anymore rather than the size of caviar.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Global pandemic, World War 3 and goblins
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Global pandemic, World War 3 and goblins This is not a strange story torn from a Terry Pratchett book or some knock-off folk tale pieced together from old quotes in old books. This is not a tall QAnon tale, cherry-picked off some dark forum where bored people go to play, about fantasy fiction, the stuff of paranoia and creatures or monsters big and small. This is about facts.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The callous comedy in state capture report
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The callous comedy in state capture report It doesn’t take a genius to witness the lies and tall tales revealed in a lot of the State Capture report findings and transcripts. But there are so many, in fact, that you may have missed a few and trust me, reading line after line of the reports and transcripts is no easy task, and while capturing a state is no laughing matter, sometimes we do need an eye roll or good old-fashioned giggle to get us through life in South Africa.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Adele's '30': No feeling is final, a 'post-partum' review
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Adele's '30': No feeling is final, a 'post-partum' review The reviews, crticisms and critiques of Adele’s long-awaited new, and now slighter old album have long been written and released. There is almost nothing here I can tell you about it that you haven’t heard or before – in a tweet, on Instagram or on a news site. But one thing that I failed to find is an analysis of what makes her latest release – "30" – so different and exceptional from her other successful albums.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: When I could wake up without worrying about aches & pains
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: When I could wake up without worrying about aches & pains OPINION I used to think that my favourite childhood memory was when my dad bought me my first tennis racket – only after successfully managing to bounce a tennis ball with a broomstick 100 times. Or the time I turned 10 when he told me to go fetch something on the bed in his bedroom and there stood my first 6 string, in the summer of ’94.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: An open call to cancel December
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: An open call to cancel December OPINION You know, I have been thinking about this for a couple of years now … Why have we not cancelled December yet? Every year we do the same thing in December. We slog and slave through the time we have which is marketed as a holiday or free time or that necessary break and breathing space we all need at the end of the year. But really, December is just more work than work itself is. At the end of December what we need is a holiday.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: What’s your Wordle of the day? Original
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: What’s your Wordle of the day? OPINION During the foggiest of brain fogs – the long COVID overhang, as I like to call it – when the curtains of your mind close without your control and your mind becomes a barren darkness, my wife alerted me to the new online obsession, Wordle. It’s unlikely that you have not yet heard of this internet obsession, given it a good try or become an addict yourself since at least 300,000 people globally play it per day.
OPINIONISTA: Of mice and mind: A subconscious beyond your wildest dreams
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd I once read an article on a psychology website that said everything and everyone in your dream is you. You are the incarnation of the object, the thing, the person you dream of because it is your own subconscious at work while you sleep.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The curse of the Christmas carol
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: The curse of the Christmas carol OPINION Call me the Grinch but I cannot stand your average generic Christmas carol. Jingle Bells? More like Jingle Hells! Joy to the World? It's actually "this song is draining all the joy left in me and putting it in some dark place”. There’s really nothing splendid about it. The compositional style, even after it was played with over the years, is generic and unpleasing to the ear.
DM168 Op-ED: Some wear it on the outside while others keep it under wraps — a pro-tip guide to expressing your feelings
When some people reach the end of their tether, they can cry quite easily. Without a second thought, or even what seems like the most minor attempt to hold back the tears, they cannot. They simply just weep. And weeping is very effective. It says all the things that need saying without you having to say it. You can see how someone feels when they cry. You can read the key of a cry — is it an angry one, is it a sad one, is it a disappointed and hopeless “I give up on life” one?
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Nina Simone's 'Pirate Jenny': When will our ship come in?
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Nina Simone's 'Pirate Jenny': When will our ship come in? It’s not her song. She didn’t compose it. But legendary artist Nina Simone, a black woman who settled for the fame she did because she was denied the right to be the first and only black woman classical pianist in the US, took the song and made it her own - as she did with the many songs she would cover over the discography of her lifetime. To make something your own and then to give it away is not an easy thing.
OPINIONISTA: Alternative nominations for the 2021 Persons of the Year award
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd So, in no specific categorical order, here are the alternative 2021 champions: 1. In the Person Most in Need of an Exorcism category, we have Cecilia Steyn from the 2021 Showmax documentary series Devilsdorp.
OPINIONISTA: Oh, to be cool: I’m a longboard way away from letting go of my youth… I think
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd In 2016, my brother took a gap year to live with me in Cape Town.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: 'King Richard': Queen-maker of Venus and Serena Williams
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: 'King Richard': Queen-maker of Venus and Serena Williams Will Smith’s long-awaited latest film, King Richard: Venus, Serena and a Plan for Greatness, releases on 19 November. It seems as though I have sprouted a million more grey hairs in the anticipation of this film. But my anticipation came with a lot of anxiety.
South Africa: A Tourist's Guide to the Weird and Wacky People On South Africa's Streets
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd Holiday season is upon us. And this year, unlike last, when the pandemic was rife with restrictions, the tourists will come.
OPINIONISTA: A tourist’s guide to the weird and wacky people on South Africa’s streets
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd From politicians, to picketers, to the different types of people you may find on the Sea Point promenade, to, of course, the peculiar. So, in no specific order, I bring your attention to: The white vagrant.
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Don’t do these things over the holidays. Or ever again
HAJI MOHAMED DAWJEE: Don’t do these things over the holidays. Or ever again OPINION The holidays are upon us, people, and with those free, fun and hopefully blissful days come a lot of activities. You know, things you don’t have time to do during the year because you’re too busy queuing at home affairs or begging for your invoices to be paid or fighting with Vodacom about cancelling the contract you never use.
OPINIONISTA: My kid turns two and, boy oh boy, now I face the great gift debacle
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd I don’t believe in asking people what they want for their birthdays.
South Africa: The Finish Line - the Last Few Things We Need to Get Through Before 2021 Finally Ends
Haji Mohamed Dawjee is a South African columnist, disruptor of the peace and the author of Sorry, Not Sorry: Experiences of a Brown Woman in a White South Africa. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram: @sage_of_absurd I thought I might share a few things left to do before the year ends - like only two more period pains - instead of the things we have already done. So, here is a rather incomplete, dark, yet hopeful list. I received a meme from my sister the other day on one of our WhatsApp groups.
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