Challenging words of hate with goodwill
HE communities of Eersterust and the former Indian township of Laudium in Tshwane have been living in harmony for years, which is why locals were dismayed when vile graffiti – an “act of hate and vandalism” – appeared on the walls outside homes and businesses in the two close-by townships last week.
On Monday evening, while Muslims were celebrating Eid al-Adha, a person or group of people went on a scribbling spree, writing comments such as “No Muslim” and “F*** Muslim”.
The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa (Council of Muslim Theologans) has condemned the incidents, and so has the South African Jewish Board of Deputies.
The Ulama’s secretary general, Moulana Ebrahim Bham, said peaceful coexistence was vital when living in a multicultural and multireligious society and that the situation would be monitored.
The Jewish board issued a statement saying slogans such as those painted in Eersterust had no place in South Africa and should be condemned in the strongest terms.
Said Bham: “We do not view these acts of intolerance in isolation from the continuing Islamophobic tendencies, fuelled by misinformation via media, especially the internet and social networks. There are leaders, especially abroad, who are getting emboldened by the support they seem to garner on the back of their hate messages against Islam and Muslims.
“These hate messages filter through and occasionally find expression in this kind of vandalism by misguided individuals. Our campaigns are ongoing to reach out to communities in order to foster mutual respect and understanding.”
He said Eersterust was one place where a significant number of Muslims peacefully co-existed alongside people of
Above and right: other faiths.
“Anti-racism campaigns are effective in dispelling myths and bringing an awareness that isolates undesirable elements. When an occurrence like this takes place, it is simply a reminder that we should not tire in sending out messages of goodwill in order to nurture harmony. This act of hate and vandalism has been unreservedly condemned by the entire community of Eersterust and beyond.”
He added that the reaction by the three families in Eersterust was one of shock.
“However, they are also aware that by and large these acts of vandalism do not represent the general sentiment of the people of Eersterust. The community in Eersterust is closely-knit, with members of families living together while adhering to different faiths.
“We have confidence that the ties within the community will endure, and indeed, push back these anti-social elements trying to sow discord where people live together.”
According to a Muslim resident in Eersterust, 99.9% of the community is Christian. He said they had not experienced an incident like this before.
“I’m staying here for about 40 years and there have been no problems like this. We even have a good relationship with the priests in the area,” said the man, who declined to be named.
He said one of the three affected homes belonged to a Muslim family. The remaining two were owned by Christians.
The man added that the three homes were not located next to each other but in the same area, and he believed this was a random act.
“It could have been an individual trying to create a problem. The person could have been offended by something a Muslim person had said to him but this was not the way to retaliate.”
The resident said similar graffiti had also appeared elsewhere.
DA ward councillor Benjamin Lawrence said when he heard about the incident last Tuesday morning, he immediately went to investigate.
He and a few community members had taken it upon themselves to paint over the offending graffiti.
“We cannot allow people to do this. It was a whole lot of rubbish. We painted over it, because we did not want to give them a platform,” he said.
“If I had known that it had happened a day before (Eid al-Adha), I would have gone out then and removed it. We don’t play with religion.”
Lawrence, who was raised in Eersterust, said there had never been a Muslim-Christian incident before.
“We all grew up together. It has never happened here in my lifetime.”
The police in Eersterust said none of those affected had opened cases at the station.
A Laudium businessman who owns a supermarket and also declined to be named, said someone had written “No Muslim” on an advertising board at the entrance of his premises.
“When I saw it on Tuesday morning I was upset. I thought it was a kid playing around. It was only later that day that I found out this happened elsewhere. We have been living among Christian people for many years and there have been no problems.”
His message to those who wrote the graffiti: “Why be a coward to hide behind a paintbrush rather than to speak out on what is troubling you?”
Father Huelerd Raman, of the Catholic Church in Eersterust, said: “As far as I know, we live as a close-knit community with different denominations. It doesn’t sound as if the people who did this are from Eersterust and I don’t know if someone wants to disturb the peace here.
“As a community, we must try to overcome this challenge. We must stand together and pray together.”
He said Muslims had made significant contributions to the community.
“When a house was burnt down, all religious groups came together, including Muslims, to contribute… We must try and get rid of this evil (religious intolerance).” THE South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has confirmed receipt of a formal complaint lodged against a Durban woman who allegedly described Indians as being “the worst breed of human beings”.
It said the complaint would be assessed to ascertain whether there were grounds for investigation
Last week Gauteng advocate Neeraj Beharie lodged the complaint against a white woman after he had randomly come across the comment. It was not known when the comment was posted, nor the circumstances that led to it being made.
Beharie said he was “disgusted” by the comment, which seemed as if the woman had been chatting to a person from India, but he did not know the context of the conversation.
The woman allegedly wrote: “You must be joking, indians are the worst breed of human beings. Why don’t you come to Durban South Africa which is the capital of India (if you didn’t know that). The Indians steal, lie, are the biggest drug dealers, fraud, you name is and do it. Everything that is illegal period.”
A POST Facebook message to the woman went unanswered.
Another reported racist comment was allegedly made by a former SAPS detective.
Similarly, it is not known when the comment was posted, nor the circumstances that led to it being made.
A screen grab of his social media page was made before the account was seemingly deactivated.
The offensive post read: “Durban is n (stet) slum hole fail to understand the comparison made above just koelie, bunny chow & corruption hate the place would leave permanently any day.”