Ismaili Nicknames in Africa

Past or Present customs and their evolution
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Ismaili Nicknames in Africa

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Ismaili Nicknames in Africa

One of our acquaintance in Africa just passed away this Sunday in Calgary, his name is Sadru "Sanade". May he rest in the Noor of Imam-e-Zaman. Ameen

The nickname "Sanade" prompted me to put on record a very unusual way of naming people, prevalent among Ismailis of Congo and East Africa.

The names in Africa were always in the format of first name, fathers' name, grand fathers name, great grand fathers name. So for example Sadru Nasser Dewji would become "Sanade."

Other example:

Sadru Kassam Ramji became "Sakara"

Mahomed Noormohamed Lalji became "Manoola"

His brother Kassam Noormohamed Lalji became "Kanoola"

Tajdin Nasser Kanji became "Tanaka"

All these nicknames were used even sometimes on the shops of those people (In Africa, in the 1950s' most Ismailis were small shopkeepers.)

I think it is interesting and worth recording here as when the Jamat moved to the Western World from Africa, the names started being Westernised or even shortened with Sadru becoming Sad and Badhru becoming Bad and I am not talking even of what Fakhru became. But I know Pyarali became Pierre Ali and one Zeitun became Olivia (which is the translation), Also Janmohamed became John etc... Which trigger a Farman in London or Bhirmingham in the 1960s' there there was not need to change names and be called Jimmy and Johnny, that our proper Muslim names were to be kept.
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