Yousuf Deedat dies of gunshot wounds

Son of prominent Islamic preacher, Yousuf Deedat, died yesterday after being shot in Durban, South Africa on Wednesday. Police said 65-year-old Yousuf Deedatson of Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, was shot in the head on Wednesday as he walked towards the Verulam family court on the outskirts of Durban with his wife.

An unknown suspect opened fire, wounding Deedat in the head. He was later rushed to a hospital for medical attention, while the suspect fled in a motor vehicle in an unknown direction, Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said.

The young Deedat’s son, Raees, said in a statement that his father died at St Anne’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg yesterday afternoon.

His family and friends were at his bedside when he passed away peacefully, the statement said.

“The family conveys their heartfelt gratitude for the support they received from family, friends and the community. May his soul rest in peace,” it added. The details of the funeral were being finalised.

Police said they were still searching for the lone gunman who opened fire on him and fled the scene.

Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, who died in 2005, was a prominent South African Muslim missionary who held several interfaith public debates with evangelical Christians. He was known across the world as a respected public speaker and writer who published several widely-distributed booklets on Islam and Christianity.

He was the founder of the Islamic Propagation Centre International, which aims for Islam to be heard and understood across the world.

The old Deedat was awarded the King Faisal International Prize in 1986 for his 50 years of missionary work. Yousuf was a famous community activist and Muslim scholar in Durban.