Muslim Judicial Council

1. **Religious guidance** — Fatawa (religious decrees), Islamic education, Da'wah (outreach) 2. **Halaal certification** — via the MJC Halaal Trust (separate entity: mjchalaaltrust.co.za / 021 684 4600) 3. **Social Welfare and Social Development** — including: - **Marriage counselling** (pre-marital and marital) - **Divorce support and guidance** — including Faskh (Islamic divorce) processing; the MJC processes applications for the dissolution of Islamic marriages in accordance with Islamic law - **Family counselling** — mediation between spouses, parents, and children; dispute resolution - **Social development programmes** — poverty alleviation, emergency relief (food parcels, Zakaat distribution), crisis assistance - **Community mediation** — inter-family and intra-community conflicts 4. **Islamic schools management** — madrasas and Islamic schools across the Western Cape 5. **Cemetery management** — established Muslim cemeteries across South African cities **GBV relevance for survivors:** The MJC's Social Welfare Department is a critical resource specifically for **Muslim women in abusive marriages** — a population with unique needs that many mainstream GBV services are not equipped to address. Muslim women in South Africa face specific barriers to accessing GBV support: - Many Muslim marriages in South Africa are not registered under the Marriage Act and therefore lack the automatic legal protections that civil marriages enjoy (e.g. protection orders under the DVA apply regardless of marriage type, but maintenance and divorce rights differ) - Many Muslim women fear that mainstream organisations will not understand their faith, their clothing, their family dynamics, or the concept of Islamic marriage and divorce - The Faskh process (Islamic divorce through a religious court) requires engaging with an Islamic authority — the MJC processes these applications - Community and family pressure to "resolve things within the community" makes MJC mediation and counselling a more accessible first step for many Muslim women than approaching SAPS or mainstream NGOs The MJC is also the correct referral for: - Understanding Mahr (dowry) rights and obligations in the context of marriage breakdown - Navigating the intersection of civil and Islamic law in divorce - Reaching the Muslim community through mosque networks — imam outreach, Friday sermon awareness, religious community education **Important note for GBV survivors:** The MJC's primary focus is religious guidance and family mediation. For immediate safety, a protection order, or shelter, survivors must also access: **Islamic Careline** (011 373 8000 — previously listed; open to all, not only Muslims; has specialist Muslim-context social workers) / **SAPS 10111** / **GBV Command Centre 0800 428 428** / **NSMSA shelter helpline 0800 001 005** / **Rape Crisis Cape Town 021 447 9762** (24hr).