Br Haydarali Jeraj, a Khoja resident in Dar-es-Salaam, had the honour of presenting the Indian High Commission of Dar-es-Salaam with a book detailing the history of Khojas in East Africa.
Who is Hayderali Jeraj?
Br Hayderali Sherali Jeraj, a resident of Dar-es-Salaam, was born in Songea to Sherali Kassamali Jeraj and Fatma Pyarali Remtulla Virani. Following the completion of his O levels, he joined his family trading business in Dar, eventually becoming a sole trader in the wholesale trade of general merchandise. In the past five years, Br Hayderali has pursued law studies as a passion and is currently a student at Dar-es-Salaam Tumaini University. He is an environment, road safety and fire safety activist. He is married to Zehra Mohamedtaqi Fidahussein Kamani and is a proud father of two children – Taha and Ibtisam.
Book Presentation to the Indian High Commission of Dar-es-Salaam
Br Haydarali participated in a seminar on the “Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Developmental Journey of Tanzania and Shaping of India-Tanzania Relations” organised jointly by the National Museum of Tanzania & Diaspora Engagement Division – Ministry of External Affairs – Government of Tanzania on March 7, 2024.
The seminar was attended by Mr Manoj B Verma, the DHC (Delhi High Court) Registrar in Tanzania, in office at the Indian High Commission, Dar-es-Salaam. Br Haydarali met Mr Manoj during the seminar and presented him with a book on “The Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries of East Africa” written by Dr. Sibtain Akberali Panjwani as a gift for the Indian High Commission Library.
In an interview on TBC Live News of Dar-es-Salaam in Kiswahili, Br Haydarali mentioned his life and his family’s contribution to the Diaspora Development of Tanzania. In an excerpt from his interview, translated into English, he says, “I am here to establish our identity because we came from India and are now based in Tanzania. I have come here with a book written by Dr Sibtain Akberali Panjwani, who is in the UK now but is originally from Tanzania. I will donate this book to the library of the Indian High Commission Offices here in Dar es Salaam, where we have all gathered. My parents and grandparents belong to India, where they came from (to Tanzania). We have lived in Songea for many years where I was born, and have engaged ourselves in a couple of businesses. My father was selling glass. He was the only person who knew how to cut glasses then. This is what continued until when he retired just before he died. Therefore, whoever came from India brought with them some sort of art or knowledge which they practised here and taught the local population. Before I end, I’d like to mention that my grandfather also brought seeds of ‘Zambarau’ (Black plum) which he planted here. Today we are remembering our ancestors when we eat such fruits.”
What is this Book about?
The book, “The Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries of East Africa – Their Quest for a New Socio-Religious Identity (1860 – 1960)”, as the name suggests, captures 100 years of history of the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries and their migration that turned into a quest for faith, identity, communal happiness, and economic stability. It traces the origin of the Khoja community as well as its twists and turns before finally emerging as the Khoja Shia Ithna-Asheries.
The Khoja News Team is delighted to learn about this momentous occasion. It’s an honour for our Khoja community that a book detailing our rich history will now be part of the official library of the Indian High Commission, providing us with exposure to a broader audience that may not have been reached before. We pray to Allah (SWT) to reward Br Haydarali Jeraj abundantly and grant him success in all his endeavours, particularly with his law studies. Ameen!
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