No place for religious discrimination in SA

RUSHDA Desai’s gun licence was rejected by the Central Firearms Registry because of her religious attire.

The rejection is a hurtful act of religious intolerance that should not be entertained in our democratic nation, whose supreme world-class Constitution guarantees freedom of religion in every aspect.

The South African Constitution of 1996 includes a Bill Of Rights. For the first time, all religions in our Rainbow Nation were recognised. Religions, cultures and languages are entrenched under sections 9(3), 15(1) to (3), 30, 31, 185 and 234. Section 7(3) obliges the state to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the rights in the Bill Of Rights.

We fought a virtual civil war to eradicate intolerance. We will not allow anyone to codify us because of our religious convictions and practices.

Religious intolerance is a global constant. In an era of turbulence and uncertainty, interfaith action and tolerance may serve as an important antidote to religious clashes of prejudice. Any form of emerging religious fascism that rears its ugly head using stealth and deception must be eradicated before it consumes humanity.

We must not let a clash of symbols of worship become a clash of civilisations. Tread warily when we cross religious fault lines.

In the eyes of history, religious tolerance is the highest evidence of culture in a people. Religious intolerance has led, and continues to lead, to some of the most degrading violations of human rights. The violations aggravate historic mistrust and threaten regional and international security. Recognising the divisive effect of religious intolerance, the UN has sought to protect and promote freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief. The right to wear any attire, and to modes of worship, must not be used to divide the great religions of the world.

If tolerance is rooted in love, intolerance is often rooted in the cultural and historical antagonisms associated with religious traditions. Antagonisms are often born of ignorance and limited understanding, thus education can reveal the common spiritual values underlying various beliefs and practices, and can thereby foster religious tolerance.

Prejudice becomes dangerous when people try to get others to share it. Prejudice conjures up imaginary wrongs, strangling truth, overpowering reason, making strong people weak, and weak people weaker. Too many of our prejudices are upside down pyramids. They rest on malignant incidents but spread upward and outward until they fill our minds. Prejudice, like fear, is acquired. It is a seeping dark stain, more difficult to fight than hatred.

Let sanity prevail. We must desist from mocking and ridiculing any person’s religion or belief.

Through co-operative efforts people of different religious and spiritual traditions can work together for peace and justice in the world.

The issue of Islamic symbols, attire, and mode and methods of worship must not become a simmering topic of cross-religious division. Religious discrimination has no role to play in our democratic rainbow nation. FAROUK ARAIE | Johannesburg