Rehana Rossouw
FAITHFUL members of People Against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) continued to flock to the organisation’s activities this week, despite an initiative by religious leaders to caution against its militancy.
On Wednesday night, more than 1 000 Pagad members marched to a house in Lansdowne, Cape Town, which they claimed was owned by an alleged former druglord. The peaceful march was accompanied by a heavy police presence and a police helicopter hovered above the marchers.
Prominent Cape Town religious leaders expressed concern last week about Pagad’s militancy which, they said, compromises the image of Islam.
A statement signed by religious leaders, including the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Rev Njongo Ndugane, and Dr Ram Salojee, president of the Islamic Council of South Africa, said the public representation of Muslims as “armed, angry and masked persons” did little credit to the Islamic values of “justice with compassion”.