Crossing the line

THE Gatesville Mosque in Cape Town addresses Mr Mmusi Maimane as follows:

You have recently met the leadership of the rulers in Israel, including Prime Minister Mr Benjamin Netanyahu, a man who has blood on his hands that you so happily shook.

In line with the position of the mosque that this is a human rights issue and not a religious issue, we have hosted many leading international figures fighting the human rights cause of the people of Palestine.

Names like Leila Khaled (remember Nelson Mandela was also labelled a terrorist in the West?) George Galloway, Uii Davis and a number of Rabbis, including one who – we were indeed honoured – delivered the talk during Friday prayers.

Over the past 30 years, we have taken a principled position to fly the four Palestinian flags on the roof of the mosque at half-mast until the people of Palestine are free from the yolk of oppression. Needless to say, as a so-called black South African, you know and witnessed first-hand what that oppression was – the absolute violation of your dignity and humanity at the hands of power-hungry fanatics and zealots.

Yet, you felt it fit to meet with this leadership on a so-called fact-finding mission. Mr Maimane, we fail to understand what fact-finding mission (this entailed) because these facts have been crystal-clear to all freedom-loving people all over the world – for over 60 years, the violation of the very basic human rights of these people. Their homes, their lives, property, honour and dignity as fellow members of humanity have not only been denied, but destroyed.

All international human rights organisations, including the UN, as recently as a few weeks ago, bear testimony to this. This leadership that continues to steal land from the oppressed Palestinians, and builds state-of-the-art homes for “their” people in flagrant violation of all international law and opinion.

And then we still want to ask why the Middle East is up in flames. We should rather ask who is the root cause of all this. In conclusion, Mr Maimane, please explain to all freedom-loving South Africans and tell us at the Gatesville Mosque what indication this leadership gave you on your “fact-finding mission” when the Palestinians will be granted their freedom from the bondage of oppression so that we can raise the four flags to full mast when that day comes.

As the father of our nation, our revered Nelson Mandela said: “We know too well that our freedom is incomplete without the freedom of the Palestinians.” He had the guts to echo those profound words against the objections from many formidable forces; words by a man that you profess to admire so much.

Mr Maimane, we are of the opinion that you have indeed crossed the red line with this visit. We urgently seek your response particularly on the matter of the theft of Palestinian land and the building of settlements. Sataar Parker Chairperson Gatesville Mosque