Blood defiles walls at Kalk Bay mosque

Imam says they don’t want to be provoked as it’s a peaceful area

JUST days after the attack on a mosque in Simon’s Town, a mosque in Kalk Bay has been targeted. The Masjidul-Jamiah in Kalk Bay was broken into in the early hours of Monday before morning prayers and blood was splattered across the walls and pulpit. Holy scriptures on the walls were torn down, Imam Achmat Sity said.

“Yesterday morning when the caretaker went for morning prayers we noticed that the walls were splattered with blood and also on the pulpit, and the holy scriptures on the pulpit were also torn down.

“It must be the work of a sick person, nothing was taken, we cannot point fingers. It is quite sad.”

Sity added they did not want to be provoked by the attack, as it had always been a peaceful area.

“For 100 years the mosque has been established, and other than a break-in a while back, we haven’t had any other incident, but this was really a spiteful act.

“We have a very good relationship with all the faiths in Kalk Bay.

“The mosque has never been closed, because we have people from all around the world who visit Kalk Bay, but now we’ve had to take these steps because we have to protect the mosque. We didn’t want this to become public but it’s the same type of incident with blood that took place in Simon’s Town. We took some photos and showed them to the police.”

Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said a case was opened over the attack.

“We can confirm that a criminal case of crimen injuria and malicious damage to property is under police investigation following an incident at a mosque in Kalk Bay. No arrest has been made and the investigation continues.”

Sity has been grateful to all those who have shown their support.

“We’ve had very good support, from the (Tuesday) morning my phone has never stopped ringing. From the mayor through to everyone, the support has been overwhelming. Someone from the Strand has also volunteered to drive through tonight and put in security cameras.”

South African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (Sactwu) spokesman Andre Kriel also voiced his support for the mosque. “The attack on the mosque in Kalk Bay indicates an orchestrated campaign to deliberately disrupt the religious tolerance which we have experienced for centuries in Cape Town.

“We appeal that these attacks do not go unpunished and that the Muslim community is kept safe and respected. We call on the Christian community to condemn these deliberate provocative actions to destabilise our communities along religious lines. Many of our members and families come from the Muslim community. We will do everything in our power to ensure that they and the broader community are respected and protected, as our country’s constitution requires.”

The South African Human Rights Commission said it was aware of the attack and would be looking into the matter.

“We are having a meeting with the Muslim Judicial Council to find the way forward,” Sity said.

IT MUST BE THE WORK OF A SICK PERSON. WE CAN’T POINT FINGERS. IT’S SAD