Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) imams and congregants gathered at Stegman Road Cemetery on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, for a tree-planting ceremony honouring lives, legacies and the enduring spirit of hope.

Six trees were planted during the ceremony, including an olive tree dedicated to the innocent children killed in Gaza, al-Shahid Imam Abdullah Haron and his wife, Galiema Haron (née Sadan), Cape Town’s interfaith movement and Hind Rajab.

Two additional trees were planted to celebrate the marriage of Muhammad Yusuf Heylen and Sophie-Charlotte Bertrand-Van Ouytsel.

The occasion also carried a special connection to the mosque’s history, as Yusuf is the great-great-grandson of Sulaiman Shah Mohamed, the founder of Al-Jaamia Masjid.

The ceremony brought together representatives from different faith communities and included prayers led by Reverend Michael Weeder and Sheikh Igsaan Taliep.

Attendees also heard a specially composed poem by Megan Choritz of South African Jews for a Free Palestine, while Nazeem Jamie reflected on the history of Stegman Road Cemetery.

The tree-planting initiative served as a tribute to those remembered, while celebrating unity, remembrance, interfaith solidarity and new beginnings.