Calm, subdued response to alleged right-wing Christian terrorist plot speaks volumes
THE SOUTH African Muslim Network notes with interest the calm and subdued manner, free of sensationalist headlines, in which the media has covered the exposure of the terrorist plots of the right-wing Christian group, the National Christian Resistance Movement, and the arrests of some of its members.
We also note the deafening silence of the many security experts and think tanks who usually don’t let facts get in the way of their grandiose speculation when security matters involve a Muslim or anything related to Islam.
We recall their wild speculation before the 2010 World Cup about the presence of al-Qaeda camps and plots to bomb stadia during the World Cup.
Dramatic and sensationalist headlines and sound bytes speculating that al-Qaeda and Isis have become well established in South Africa since the arrests of the Tulsi twins on what appears to be more and more, at best, very poor evidence of intended terrorist activity.
Surprisingly, there has been no call for Christians, Christian groups and theologians or Christian political parties to dissociate themselves from the racist diatribe and terror plots of the Crusaders in way that Muslims are hounded to do after any violent act committed by anyone with a Muslim name in the world.
There has been no wild speculation on what the presence of these Crusaders would do to the image of South Africa.
There is no mention of any negative impact on the rand and tourism or the presence of other right-wing fundamentalists in South Africa with links to other white terrorist Christian groups all over the world, as would have been done if a Muslim was found in possession of arms and accompanying hate rhetoric.
The glaring double standards in the media are pointedly made in the coverage of this story as is the silence and/or ignorance or deliberate attempts by the security intelligentsia to diminish the presence of extremism from non-Muslim quarters.
Racism and extremism and any intent to violent expression of these ideas are an affront to All Mighty God.
It must be condemned no matter where they originate from.
We hope that our security apparatus will spare no effort in doing their jobs without fear or favour within the ambit of our laws, and not be distracted and influenced to see extremism from one quarter only.
SOUTH AFRICAN MUSLIM NETWORK