Islamophobia is on the rise since the attack in the United States
Marianne Merten
Harassment of South African Muslims escalated this week with an arson attack at the offices of the Cape Town-based Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), believed to be linked to rising Islamophobia since last Tuesday’s attacks in the United States.
The arson attack has come after 10 days of receiving “very abusive phone calls”, a disturbance on the premises last Friday and a threat to nearby Gatesville mosque.
Many Muslim organisations, community radio stations and newspapers in Cape Town have received abusive telephone calls, hate mail and reports of Muslim pupils and workers being harassed. Threats have also been made against mosques.
And Arab-looking passengers had to identify themselves to cabin crew on a flight from Durban to Johannesburg, the South African Human Rights Commission revealed, while declining to specify flight details pending a meeting next week.
Dozens of domestic Islamic organisations have condemned the kamikaze plane bombings of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, but many organisations including the MJC have also expressed worry and strong cautions about “war propaganda” emanating from the US.
The chairman of the Gauteng-based Media Review Network, Iqbal Jassat, said the wave of Islamophobia was “a matter of grave concern” while the war talk in the US was “fuelling a hatred that is unprecedented in intensity”. The office continued to receive “an alarming number” of reports of harassment.
MJC secretary general Sheikh Achmat Sedick said the organisation would maintain its stance of not reacting to the abuse “to avoid the confrontation some appear to be wanting”.
Minister of Safety and Security Steve Tshwete and Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Penuell Maduna on Wednesday inspected the charred double doors, blackened concrete walls and stairs at the MJC where petrol was poured over the area and set alight. Greater damage was avoided by a quick-thinking caretaker, who doused the flames.
“In my small dictionary, this is an act of terror, not just arson,” said
Maduna, while Tshwete condemned the attack as a “very despicable act by elements who don’t have the interests of this country and people at heart”.
South Africa is under pressure to finalise its anti-terrorism law as “people are talking about a world effort against terror”, said Maduna, who recently returned from a United Nations meeting on terrorism.
The proposed legislation was widely criticised when it was released for comment last year and is still with the South African Law Commission.
Stepped-up security at airports, which has netted thousands of potentially dangerous weapons like nail clippers, scissors and butter knives, will remain in place for the time being.
However, the Airports Company, South African Civil Aviation Authority and South African Airways deny Muslims or Arabs are being targeted with detailed searches of the person and baggage.
Meanwhile, Cape Town brothers Jaco and Chris Conradie, who sent a hoax e-mail saying South Africa may be involved in last Tuesday’s attacks, have been released on R10 000 bail.