Muslims picket against attacks on Christians
A SMALL group of Muslims staged a picket in the CBD yesterday to show their solidarity with Christian families who lost loved ones in recent attacks by Boko Haram and al-Shabaab.
“We are here to show Christian families that we too are heartbroken about their loss,” said Qutb Hendricks, one of the picketers outside the St George’s Cathedral.
The group, who were from all over the country, took time out of their holiday.
“Islam is a peaceful religion. The likes of jihadi like Boko Haram and al-Shabaab are twisting Islam for their crimes,” said Hendricks.
The picketing follows the massacre of 148 Kenyan students over the Easter weekend by al-Shabaab. It also coincides with the one-year anniversary of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign following the kidnapping of about 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram.
Hendricks said South African imams condemned the fundamentalist attacks and urged fellow Muslims to do the same. “South African Muslims are with the people. We want to protect democracy, peace and human rights,” said Hendricks.
“We are raising awareness to show that we condemn the actions of these deviant groups who claim to be Muslim,” said 19-year-old Nabeelah Kapery.
“If you do not feel the same pain and anger for the lives lost in Kenya as you do for Charlie Hebdo, you are a racist. Black lives must matter,” said Deen TV talk-show host Faizal Sayed.
On the alleged recruitment of South Africans by the selfstyled Islamic State (IS), Hendricks said imams and fellow Muslims condemned it in the
We are here to show Christian families that we too are heartbroken
strongest possible terms. This comes after a 15-year-old girl from Kenwyn was taken off a British Airways flight heading to Johannesburg at Cape Town International Airport on Sunday, on suspicion she was on her way to join IS.
“Unfortunately, these fundamentalist groups target poor and lonely people. That is the same in every country.”
Sheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi, of the Sunni Ulama Council, said: “These fundamentalist groups don’t even make up 1 percent of the Muslim population, so it hurts when people attack Islam.
“The Muslim Judicial Council and the clergy have been condemning IS and the like for months now. We must start giving equal coverage to African lives lost. When four journalists were killed in France, the world’s politicians marched. When 147 black students are massacred, even their own president is not marching.”
Neema Kandege, originally from Tanzania, said: “This goes against what I have learnt as a Muslim. It is inhumane and it is not the way of Islam.”
Holding a sign that read “Muslims united against violence”, Kandege said Muslims should not be viewed as violent people.