Ellaurie loses case lodged against two media houses

CHANDRA Ellaurie, who took a madrassa to the Durban High Court, lost his case against two media houses this month.

In August, Ellaurie submitted an application asking that the call to prayer at the Madrasah Taleemuddeen Islamic Institute in Isipingo not be heard beyond the boundaries of its property.

Judge J Mngadi ordered that the institute ensure that the Azaan was not audible within the building on Ellaurie’s property.

In a subsequent complaint to the Press Council, Ellaurie said the Sunday Times and a webpage that introduced an eNCA report described him as a “self-confessed Islamophobe” and “self-proclaimed Islamophobe”, respectively.

Ellaurie’s complaints first went to the acting public advocate for the Press Council.

In his report, the acting public advocate said he could not find any “prima facie breach of the Press Code”.

According to the process of laying complaints at the Press Council, a public advocate will first look at the complaint and it will thereafter go to the press ombudsman.

Pippa Green, the press ombudsman, found that “Islamophobia” was the dislike of, or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force.

“This seems to sum up Mr Ellaurie’s attitude towards Islam and its institutions in his neighbourhood, as expressed before the court, as summarised by the judge in his judgment, and in his own arguments to the Press Council.”

She said she agreed with the acting public advocate: “the description of Mr Ellaurie’s views is a fair one by both the Sunday Times and eNCA.

“Moreover, the Sunday Times used the term ‘Islamophobe’ in inverted commas in its headline. I can find no breach of the Press Code in this and decline to adjudicate.”