Strand Muslim community welcomes renaming of Ben Friedman Square
The Muslim community in Strand has welcomed progress in the proposed renaming of Ben Friedman Square to Strand Muslim Square.
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The Muslim community in Strand has welcomed progress in the proposed renaming of Ben Friedman Square to Strand Muslim Square.
The development follows comments made by Eddie Andrews, the City of Cape Town’s deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, during his Freedom Day speech to Council last month, where he confirmed that the City’s naming committee is considering the proposal.
“This is a decision grounded in both history and reconciliation. Ben Friedman Square stands in an area shaped by the long-standing presence of the Strand Muslim community - whose heritage stretches back over two centuries,” he previously said.
The proposal to rename the square was submitted to the City Council in January 2023 by Ebrahim Rhoda and Feisal Daniels on behalf of the Strand Muslim community.
Rhoda said the community first consulted the Friedman family before formally submitting the proposal.
“After consulting the Friedman family, they endorsed our proposal for the name change. We reciprocated by proposing to submit a second proposal to the City Council to name the traffic circle on the Strand beachfront to: Ben Friedman Traffic Circle,” he said.
According to Rhoda, the Strand Muslim community celebrated its 200th anniversary in 2022. He said historical proof of the community’s presence in the area since 1822 is documented in his master’s thesis, completed cum laude in 2006.
“Our homes and mosques were in this very area of the square until we were forcibly removed by the apartheid regime,” he said.
Barry Friedman, grandson of the late Ben Friedman, confirmed that the family supports the proposed renaming.
“The community approached us to change the name. We agreed that the name should be changed. They pointed out to us that the Muslim community has been in the area for over 200 years. Under the Group Areas Act, they were moved out. There is nothing at all to show that they ever lived there,” he said.
"I remember I used to walk past there. I knew a lot of the people who lived there, so we were very much in favor of changing the name."
The proposed renaming follows another recent heritage milestone for the local Muslim community after the historic Javia Mosque was declared a Provincial Heritage Site in March, granting it legal protection as a heritage resource.