Nazia Peer Media Section

Students British Medical Journal
Nazia Peer is an award winning short story writer and novelist and a medical doctor reading for a master of laws degree at Cardiff University. In 2006 she was awarded the Nelson Mandela scholarship, which recognises the leadership potential of young South Africans. Tiago Villanueva finds out more How do you see yourself? As a multifaceted doctor with many interests, including medical law and writing? As a writer or humanist who is also a doctor? I have always been interested in empowering people. In South Africa, a young, growing democracy, there are many aspects of our rainbow nation that demand our attention and which present a challenge. Practising medicine provides an obvious outlet for social service. Writing has given me the platform to tell the stories of ordinary South Africans, no matter what their perceived differences. In this way I have tried to make my contribution to nation building—an imperative for all South Africans. I am unconcerned about labels and what people prefer to call me, as long as I can make a positive contribution to our burgeoning democracy.

Author’s notes Nazia Peer, speaks to ZA@Play about being a medical doctor and an author and about her debut novel, House of Peace azia Peer is a medical doctor and author. House of Peace, a book she hopes will be educational as well as entertaining, is her debut novel. She recently won the Nelson Mandela Scholarship and will soon begin a master’s in law at the University of Cardiff, Wales. Her short story, One Love, One Heart, is one of the winners in the 2006 BTA/Anglo Platinum competition. Describe yourself in a sentence. On most days I’m a doctor, on other days I think I’m a writer, but every day I’m passionate about both. Describe your book in a sentence. House of Peace is an engaging narrative about a Muslim family coping with local challenges in post-apartheid South Africa, while struggling with global anti-Muslim prejudices and their consequences. Describe your ideal reader. A culturally and socially tolerant reader who is politically alert. Although my book has different layers of meaning, any person looking for an entertaining story or searching for inner peace will thoroughly enjoy House of Peace. What was the originating idea for the book? I wrote House of Peace while South Africa was undergoing its political transformation. To date, Islam remains a belief structure riddled with misunderstanding. South Africans have an unparalleled consciousness. This inspired me to use South Africa as a backdrop to a family-oriented story amalgamating both issues. I aim to undo some of the misperceptions about Muslims. Describe the process of writing and publishing the book. How long did it take? I started writing in my second year at medical school. It took me six years to complete! I call the book my second degree. House of Peace is dialogue driven because I wanted to give the readers two sides of an issue and allow them to develop an unbiased opinion. Publishing was challenging. Mainstream publishers felt that publishing the book would be too risky. However, thanks to the vision of Professor Fatima Meer and Ashwin Desai, House of Peace was published under the Madiba label. Within six months of its launch, House of Peace sold 1 000 copies and is in second print. Name some writers who have inspired you and tell us why or how. Chinua Achebe has always been a favourite. He tells a good story, with characters one can identify with, and invokes a plethora of emotions. I enjoy reading Bill Bryson’s travel books. His caustic humour always puts a smile on my face. Nadine Gordimer, Zakes Mda, Arundhati Roy, Michael Moore and Tariq Ali are a guaranteed good read. What are you reading at the moment? I tend to read three books simultaneously. I’m alternating between Shabbir Banoobhai’s If I Could Write, Dinner With Terrorists by Phil Rees and An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina. Do you write by hand, or use a typewriter or computer? I always write by hand. Inspirational moments have even forced me to write on toilet paper. Ideas have come at the strangest of times, namely a casualty resuscitation, doing a lumbar puncture or inserting an intercostal drain. What is the purpose of fiction? Fiction allows one the opportunity to be someone else, live in another world and delve into foreign realities. Is there anything you wish to add? Stereotypes of writers need to change. The only way to get a message, idea or thought process known is to write about it. I encourage people to write because each one of us has a story. House of Peace is a family’s story and I hope you enjoy the read. Profits of the sales are going to Christopher Nxumalo School in Chesterville, so go and buy yourself a copy.

A doctor who writes Nazia Peer is a South African novelist and student of medical law You wrote a book during your time at medical school. Do you think writing is important for a doctor? It was spontaneous. I wrote it while the country was undergoing political change. There were many emotions that I needed to deal with and so I decided to put them down on paper. Once I did, I noticed my colleagues shared many of my trepidations and anxieties. I think writing can be therapeutic for doctors. The profession allows little room for self development and dealing with day to day issues. I think writing about one's experiences can, for example, provide more clarity from a therapeutic view but also provides an insight for others who have never been exposed to the medical arena.

Nazia Peer (1978 - ) lives in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal. She went to school at Westville Girls High School (WGHS) where she excelled at English and Mathematics. During her time at WGHS she served on the executive committee of Teenagers Against Drug Abuse and represented the school at Public speaking and debating competitions. Peer read for her medical degree at MEDUNSA. During her tenure, she did a presentation on Rape in South Africa (1998) and in March 2003, she co-authored a paper entitled “The Necessity of Condom usage in teenagers from the Ga-Rankuwa and Soshaguwe townships”. At the same time she authored her first novel entitled House of Peace. The book was published in November 2005 and Peer had both Professor Fatima Meer and Dr Don Mattera speaking at the launch. Chris Dunton from the Sunday Independent reviewed House of Peace, the success of which he attributed to its ability to “synthesis didactic and expository passages with the development of narrative and characterisation…As the plot reaches a multiple climax…the story becomes fully compelling. In the end, one does come to engage with the life of this family, with their concerns about their place in society, their conduct, their faith” (Sunday Independent, March 2006). More than 1000 copies of House of Peace have been sold and, given this success, Peer was invited to read from her novel at the first Cape Town International Book Fair 2006. In 2006, Nazia was awarded the prestigious Nelson Mandela scholarship, which “seeks to develop leadership of Nelson Mandela's calibre and seeks to attract scholars who have already demonstrated strong leadership capacity, be it in politics, business or community work”. She used the scholarship to read for a Masters in the Legal Aspects of Medicine. She hopes to integrate the disciplines of law and medicine with a view to increasing access to professional medical care and is currently working on a dissertation which compares the practical meaning of the right to health in South Africa and the UK. Peer is a member of the Female Black Writer’s Association and the Islamic Medical Association. She is also on the selection committee of the SERVING HUMANITY BURSARY FUND which awards bursaries to previously disadvantaged university students. In September 2006, she was named as a winner in the 2006 BTA/Anglo Platinum Short Story Competition for her short story “One love, one heart”.

Doctor explores family conflicts in new book 2005/12/09 12:31:19 By Corrinne Louw This medical doctor has delivered a baby in stiletto heels. Dr Nazia Peer, daughter of a doctor and a politician, has an identical twin sister who is a doctor and two older sisters who are also doctors plus is the author of a new book entitled House of Peace. Peer is clearly no ordinary doctor. Currently completing her community service at the Durban military base, Per. A devout Muslim, explained why she decided to write House of Peace. "I want people to discover their inner peace. My intention is to introduce people to the issues facing modern day South African Muslims. I used the medium of a family to highlight those issues. My characters are plagued by superficial external beauty, yet internally each bares ugly conflicts and misgivings. The story is light-hearted and I tried to balance controversial issues with humour. I also wanted to provide an interesting story that anyone could read." Explaining her choice of title, Peer said "The family house they live in is called Salaamat which in Arabic means peace. I wanted to work on the irony that the characters live in this palace meaning Peace, yet none of them really has it. It is a House of Peace but there is only conflict and turmoil inside." The book was launched earlier this month at the KZNSA Gallery. The 27-year-old doctor-writer said the writing process took her six years. "The story begins when Shahid Hussein summons his six sons to their family home. All of Shahid's sons appear successful yet are internally conflicted. Over this weekend at Salaamat, each son is faced with moments of truth in search of happiness and inner peace. And so the story unfolds. “But you will have to read the book to find out what happens over the weekend," said Peer, with a mischievous grin. --- kwana ---

Peer to participate in CTN book fair Posted on: 05/06/2006 15:02:04 Capetonians will have an opportunity to get to know author Nazia Peer, author of the acclaimed book, House of Peace, a bit closer later this month when she will be doing readings from her book as part of the Cape Town International Book Fair on June 17. House of Peace has been inspired by the name of the lavish Johannesburg residence ("Salaamat" - which is the Arabic name for peace) from which the plot unravels. In one weekend, various protagonists in the book find themselves faced with a number of revealing insights into their own lives – each faced with their own, unique, compelling reality that, it appears, will singularly change their worldview and help them appreciate their roles in an evolving South Africa. Professor Fatima Meer and Don Matterra, who have endorsed the book, were both present at the launch in November 2005. According to one critic, the book renders a “very penetrating look inside of a Muslim family” and provides a “sensitive rendition of debunking of stereotypes”. Whilst another has said that “the book’s relevance lies in the universal issues of family life it addresses. The use of a family as the medium makes it easier to get the message across”. Nazia Peer is a Durban-based medical doctor who until recently worked at the South African National Defence Force. She has recently won the prestigious Nelson Mandela Scholarship and will read for a Masters in Medical law at the University of Cardiff. House of Peace is her debut novel which was written whilst she was completing her medical degree. Peer is expected to do readings from her book at the Cape Town International Book Fair on Saturday, 17 June and again on 18 June 2006 where she will be introduced by acclaimed poet, Shabbir Banoobhai. VOC
Anglo-Platinum short story
"One Love, One Heart" by Nazia Peer Sarah Ebrahim combed her auburn hair neatly into a ponytail. Pouting her tiny lips she stared into the washbasin. She started a work day washing her hands first. “Preventative measures for spread of sepsis and infection starts with you - the doctor,” she rhythmically sang as she imitated her infectious diseases medical school Prof. The wash basin seemed like a breeding Petri-dish looking for new cultures of bacteria. Her Prof would have been doing a lot more than just rhythmically singing if she could see it. There were so many different types of bacteria Sarah wondered if they needed a United Nations of their own. The organisms were breeding and multiplying with lime-green deposits on any available space. A brown-stained water medium remained in the basin. Sarah scanned her hands again. The bacterial growth at her fingertips had nothing on the washbasin. She stood near the window and looked at the busy road. It was the beginning of winter and although KwaZulu-Natal rarely experienced a change in weather throughout the year, this June morning was cold. A layer of ice was dissolving on the grass and mist still cased the windows. She anticipated more sick people due to the change in weather. From the corner of her eye, she could see a figure approaching the front door. Since it was her first day at Simonsville Clinic, Sarah wanted to create a good impression with the staff. After a few minutes, a tall awkward gentleman entered the consulting room. He smelt of cigarette smoke and sunlight soap. “I am Adeyene, your multi-talented assistant,” he introduced himself with a handshake. Adeyene was odd looking. With his hoarse voice and carefully mismatched attire, he looked like a poor actor in a seedy play. His facial features were coarse but not repulsive. The left eye was distinctly larger than the right one. It was clear to Sarah that only the left eye stared at her every move. A more detailed look at her new colleague revealed a glass right eye which remained stagnant throughout the meeting. He was amusing rather than scary. There were layers of white beads around Adeyene’s neck with a gadget suspending a well-used cell phone. He had excellent posture and almost marched when he walked. It was a cross between the Nazi regime salute and the changing of the guards in front of Buckingham Palace. “Adeyene is an unusual name, is it Zulu?” Sarah asked with curiosity. “No - it's from the bible,” Adeyene scholastically responded. “So you’re a Christian, then?” she persisted. “No, Dokotela,” he answered, “God is not for everyone. But Bob Marley is,” he finished with a wink of his only working eye. Before Sarah could respond, a patient gasping for breath entered the room. He was in respiratory distress and holding onto his neck. “Asthma attack - get the nurse to organise the nebuliser,” Sarah ordered Adeyene. The gentleman expediently marched off - literally. After a few seconds, a nurse rushed in. “Doc, doc, doc,” she called out, “Adeyene says you need to be immobilized.” Sarah was trying to focus, but could not stop laughing. One look at the patient and the nurse realised that Sarah meant nebulise - meaning give oxygen and not immobilize - meaning to move. It did not take Sarah long to stabilise the young man and the good teamwork bonded the two women immediately. Lindi introduced herself and the two ladies giggled about Adeyene's confusion. “Am I gonna be ok?” the patient asked with concern. “Are you on any medication?” Sarah enquired. The man nodded and took out many yellow packets filled to the brim with tablets and a blue asthma pump. Sarah scanned the medication and decided it was more than adequate. “Yup, you’re good to go,” Sarah claimed.
Cape town book fair-2006

HOUSE OF PEACE (article first published : 2005-11-20) Recently published by Madiba Publishers is House Of Peace by Durban author Nazia Peer. A medical doctor currently doing her community service at the South African National Defence Force, she is an identical twin and one of four sisters. She enjoys travel, fashion and experimental cuisine and is interested in pursuing a career in Medical Law. While the book is fiction, Nazia Peer did take aspects of members of the community to base characters and events on. “I am Muslim Indian and growing up in a changing South Africa provided a good backdrop to my story,” she says. House Of Peace is her first book. In the period it took her to write it, South Africa was undergoing political changes and Muslims all over the world were under attack. This heightened her enthusiasm to write and, in doing so, to undo some of the misperceptions of Muslims. “I am inspired by the unique consciousness we share as South Africans and hope that we are able to bring sense to the rest of the world in these trying times for many nations,” she says. The book is a passionate story of an extraordinary Muslim family in modern day South Africa. It introduces the reader to controversial perspectives that face Muslims today. The story begins when Shahid Hussein summons his six sons to their family home, Salaamat, meaning peace in Arabic. All of his sons appear successful yet are internally conflicted. Over the weekend at Salaamat, each son is faced with moments of truth in search of happiness and inner peace. Relationships are explored, truths are revealed, personalities and lifestyles questioned as the reader experiences the love, passion and loss of the characters. With use of a contemporary style of writing, the author manages to balance serious issues with light hearted and humorous discussions, keeping the reader entertained. The weekend culminates in a deeper understanding of their purpose as young South Africans. House of Peace is in soft cover and retails between R100 and R120. The book is available at Adams Bookstores, Exclusive Books and Logan’s bookstores.

Nazia Peer LLM; Medical Practice As a community service doctor working in the South African Defence Force, Nazia Peer believes that a postgraduate course in the legal aspects of medical practice would provide her with the skills and expertise to play a valuable role in improving current policies and regulations in the medical field. "Being a Muslim and a South African, I've realised the need for equality, especially in health care practice." She says that studying through the Medical University of South Africa, working at King Edward VIII Hospital and working for the Defence Force has ignited her passion to tackle the misconduct in patient rights through the medico-legal field. The postgraduate course at the University of Cardiff in Wales will allow her the opportunity to fulfill her goal. She intends to highlight the rights of the patient, doctor and health department in the broad health care system. "We need to learn, adopt and implement ideas from our western and more experienced counterparts while remaining grounded in our South African identity." She believes that South Africa needs to introduce a more accountable health service system that will protect the patient and doctor alike. Nazia is also the author of "Salaamat", a family orientated fiction about a South African Indian Muslim family and the challenges they face because of their religious faith.
Nazia Peer in the Limpop Leader - See Page 34
Profile:Nazia Peer – THE NOVELIST FROM MEDUNSA i‘I WOULDN’T HAVE CHANGED MY MEDUNSA EXPERIENCE FOR ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORLD,’ SHE SAYS NOW. ‘I’d go back there with great pleasure and excitement. It developed me medically, of course, but it also developed me socially and as a person. It forced me to re-evaluate my own views. I’m a Muslim and would have said without hesitation that the only protection against HIV/AIDS should be abstinence. But a fellow student and I did a study in Soshanguve on condom use. It opened my eyes, forcing me to expand my horizons far beyond what I’d always known.’ What she had always known was a suburban neighbourhood, and a model C school, in Westville in greater Durban. She had grown up there with her identical twin, and she matriculated from Westville Girls’ High in 1995. The twins then went off to the University of Witwatersrand: one to study medicine at the Wits Medical School, the other (Nazia) to do a BSc in preparation for entry into the medical school. After two years in Johannesburg, she was accepted into Medunsa, and promptly made one of the most important moves in her life – out into the Ga-Rankuwa sticks to the north of Pretoria.
Nazia Peer -SA soldier - See Page 36
Athlete's foot - the soldier's enemy In my short career at one of the Durban military sickbays, I treated patients with fulminating athlete's foot. In many patients this proved to be a debilitating condition. It was a recurrent problem - particularly among those soldiers sharing accommodation facilities. The occurrence of athlete's foot transcends rank, race and economic status. Owing to the common recurrence of this condition, I surmised that maybe patients were unaware of the conditions and preventative measures regarding the fungus.