A Press Statement

 Muslims of South Africa, as is the case with other faith groups, enjoy wide-ranging expressions of religious freedoms which the republican constitution of South Africa guarantees. This dispensation has allowed Muslims to practise their faith without any restrictions within the legal framework of the land. Privileged to such liberties and to be disgruntled, a contradiction.

As a body entrusted by a substantially large section of the country’s Muslim community to look after their religious affairs, we do not take for granted these liberties, which though divinely ordained, have been denied to many peoples of the world including in predominantly Muslim countries.

We however are very much disturbed with reports carried today in the media suggesting that there have been plans against South African tourist sites. While we cannot claim to speak on behalf of elements considered to be ‘terrorists’, we see this kind of unconfirmed reports as spurious and contrary to conventional wisdom.

The logic-defying nature of the statements in the reports lies in the fact that South African foreign policy has stood out in advocating multilateralism and use of non-violent means to achieve world peace. Furthermore, the significance of some of the alleged South African targets mentioned in the media reports in the eyes of the ‘terror planners’ is questionable.

Of even greater concern to us are the longer term consequences such reports have on the Muslim community in South Africa and the world at large. As benign as it might seem as a once-off news item involving few individuals held up in another country as suspects, unconfirmed reports such as these, as has often happened elsewhere in the world, result in uncalled for maligning of Muslims as a collective.

Whilst many an analyst have described the intentions of the ‘plotters’ as ‘stupid’ and ‘startling’, are they getting the same prominence as the accusations and the allegations have? Is the media playing into the hands of bigots? If anything, the role of the media in this saga reinforces this view.

The question which has to be answered is therefore: ‘Who stands to benefit from such reports?’ A majority of Muslims are law-abiding and have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with movements for the liberation of our country. They want to continue playing a significant role in the development of their homeland in the new dispensation while living in harmony with all. Like everyone else, they do not want to be placed under virtual siege by the ramifications of sensational media reporting such as what we have seen.

We therefore once more appeal to members of the press to be more responsible and fair in reporting. Unverified facts which have been continuously propagated in recent days create permanent damage which is never completely undone and indeed can be seed for unnecessary discord.

Moulana Ebrahim I Bham, Secretary General
Jamiatul Ulama [Council of Muslim Theologians], Johannesburg
Tel: 011 373 8000 / E-Mail: jamiat@islamsa.org.za
4 August 2004