Sowing and Reaping of Destiny

Two more groups from Gujarat (India) to be converted to Islam at around the
same period as the early Khoja were however not classified as Khoja.
Those converts who originated from the Lohana tribe were known as 'Khoja'.
There are groups that are not different from the Khoja “either culturally or in
terms of religious doctrines, but nonetheless are not Khoja, i.e. Momnas,
Kunbis or Shamsis. These subgroups are converts from non Lohana casts.” 10
Among theses groups also, there are adherents of the Ismaili, Sunni and Ithna-
Asheri beliefs.
Momna converts to Shia Ithna-Asheri faith organised themselves as “Shia
Ithna-Asheri Momin Jamaat” in Gujarat (India) and in Karachi (Pakistan).
Individuals from the Momin Jamaat who settled in Africa and later moved on
to the West are fully assimilated with the Khoja community.
Another group from the same areas of Gujarat to be converted to Islam was that
of the Mustali Ismaili. They are now better known as Dawoodi Bohra. Unlike
the Nizari Ismaili in India, the Mustali Ismaili converts were not classified as
Khoja.
Common to all migrant communities, as soon as they leave their protective
environments, because of their small number and widespread dispersal, they
begin to disintegrate. Their distinct ethnic entities are put to test. They are
forced to make choices. Khoja migrants to the West fall within this category.
They have an option to retain their identity in some loose form provided they
broaden their outlook and adapt to the current realities.
The second option for them is to become part of the larger and dominant
western society where many of them now live and strive to make their
ideological impact therein as practicing Muslims and not necessarily as Khoja
Muslims.
Failure to recognize the inevitable trends amount to risk degenerating and
disappearing in time by holding on to the old ways of doing things - especially
in managing the next generation.
12