Statement by Muslims of South Africa
27 February 2007, JISS Centre, Johannesburg

We, South African organisations representing the Muslims of this country, declare that:

• We believe that no single country has the unilateral right to define terrorism or to coerce other countries to support their viewpoint;

• We condemn the Bush Administration for listing some South Africans as “terrorists” and for threatening to list more South Africans without due process and without any consideration for the need to provide substantial
and credible evidence;

• We support the stance of the South African government in its insistence
on securing credible evidence for such listings and for subscribing to the principle of administrative justice before acting against any of its citizens;

• We further reject with contempt the decision by the Bush Administration and some of its allies for imposing travel restrictions on South African
religious and community leaders, academics, activists and their families;

• We condemn the Bush Administration for detaining prisoners of war indefinitely and without fair trial in violation of the Geneva Conventions, such as those in Guantanamo Bay, and call for their immediate and unconditional release;

• We are strongly opposed to unlawful acts of rendition of so-called
suspected “terrorists”;

• We proclaim that, as believing Muslims, we are opposed to all acts of injustice and acts of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians perpetrated either by individuals, organisations or states;

• We advocate that any effort aimed at curbing unconstitutional or criminal activities by individuals or organisations should not undermine our hard-won fundamental human rights and infringe on our civil liberties;

• We reserve the right to express solidarity with all peoples living under the yoke of colonialism, national oppression and foreign occupation and to
support such peoples in their struggles for national liberation and freedom.

• We urge all countries, including our own, to uphold the rule of law when dealing with the rights of their citizens and others.
Muslims, as South African patriots, have contributed actively to the struggle for national liberation and against apartheid. We commit ourselves to continue with this tradition and to work with our fellow compatriots in order to:

 struggle for the socio-economic development of our nation;
 fight poverty, crime and HIV/AIDS ;
 intensify the campaign for the moral regeneration of all our people; and
 to promote respect, tolerance and peace among all South Africans.

This statement is supported by:
1. Association of Muslim Schools
2. Call of Islam
3. Council of Ulama Eastern Cape
4. Eastern Cape Islamic Congress
5. Islamic Council of South Africa
6. Islamic Forum – KZN
7. Islamic Medical Association
8. Jamiatul Ulama [Council of Muslim Theologians] formerly Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal
9. Murabitun South Africa
10. Muslim Judicial Council
11. Muslim Youth Movement
12. Muslim Vision 2020
13. Sunni Jamiyat-e-Ulama
14. Sunni Ulama Council
15. Union of Muslim Students’ Association

Something to think about
We’re always told that world markets jump when the America sneezes.
Judging from yesterday’s developments, the American market jumps when China sniffs. Is it any wonder that current playmakers in world politics fear
that they could be upstaged from their position of dominance, through different avenues?

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