Vol. 31 No. 1
RABI-UL-AKHIR 1438 l JANUARY 2017
Three Western Cape mosques targets of suspected hate crimes MAHMOOD SANGLAY
N January 1, 7 and 9 the mosques in Langebaan, Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay, in the Western Cape, were, respectively, the targets of hate crimes. In Langebaan, Liam Christian Ferreira posted Islamophobic comments on Facebook relating to the adhaan (Muslim call to prayer). He called for the mosque to be burnt down. His comments elicited strong censure on Facebook but also an equally Islamophobic response. One John Roodt agreed with Ferreira and called Muslims ‘aliens’ amongst other derogatory terms. This was followed by acts of desecration at the mosque in Simon’s Town, where a pig’s snout and blood were used to defile its premises. In Kalk Bay, the walls of the mosque were sprayed with blood and there was some malicious damage to property. William Lewis, 44, a life-long resident of Seaview Park, Langebaan, lives two doors away from the mosque. According to him, the community of Seaview Park unanimously condemns Ferreira’s comments. He adds that it is likely that Ferreira is a white resident who settled in Leentjiesklip, Langebaan, in recent years. Leentjiesklip is 1,3 kilometres from Seaview Park, and Lewis believes that Ferreira is not likely to have heard any call to prayer from the mosque. He is of the view that Ferreira should be called to account for his comments. He says Muslims and Christians in the area have always enjoyed good relations. Shawaal Nakidien, chairman of the Langebaan mosque committee, confirms this. He adds that, some time back, there had been a complaint about the early morning call to prayer disturbing the peace in the area around the mosque. This concern of the residents was quickly addressed and, since then, the morning call to prayer is not amplified.
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Although the Muslims in Seaview Park are a minority, there are about 35 Muslim families in the area. The Muslim presence in Langebaan dates to the mid-1970s and the mosque was built just over two years ago. Masjid Nurul Islam, in Simon’s Town, was built in 1911 and accommodates 200 worshippers for Jumuah. Although only one Muslim family lives in the immediate vicinity of the mosque, about three rows are filled for prayers during the week by Muslims who work in the area. Masjid Al Jamia, in Kalk Bay, was founded in 1898 and currently serves 25 Muslim families in the area, of which three live in the immediate vicinity of the mosque. About 350 people attend Jumuah, and three rows are filled by residents in the week. Both Imam Abdul Gakiem Raban, who leads the congregation in Simon’s Town, and Sharief Ariefdien, chairperson of Masjid Al Jamia, in Kalk Bay, say there is no amplified adhaan at their mosques. Although congestion due to parking on Fridays does occur, problems in this respect are isolated. Local residents appear to have become accustomed to a predictable and manageable phenomenon. They are all also of the view that there is no history of racial, class or religious tensions in the area. The incidents came as a shock in the two communities that have been living in interfaith respect and harmony for decades. These views are echoed by the Reverend Bob Commin, of the Parish Council of St Francis Anglican Church, in Simon’s Town, as well as Bishop Geoff Davies, of the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, in Kalk Bay. The latter is next to the Kalk Bay mosque. Both Christian leaders condemn the acts of desecration and express support for the Muslim community.
The two church leaders say that the tradition of interfaith solidarity between Muslims and Christians predates the advent of democracy in 1994 when white and black people were separated by apartheid laws. They say Muslims have attended Anglican and Catholic schools and sang in church choirs for decades. Bishop Davies adds that the white people in Kalk Bay supported the resistance against the forced removal of the local fishing community. He also relates how, at a public meeting, a white resident was seething with anger towards those who had desecrated the mosques. However, when she observed the dignity and calm of the Muslim leaders in their responses, her anger dissipated. The bishop says that some members of his congregation expressed the view that Islam should not be defined by what is currently happening in the Middle East but rather by the conduct of the local Muslims in the face of such desecration. The Muslim and Christian leaders and community members in Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay are also unanimous that the offenders are from outside the local community. They are certain that no one from within their midst harbours any anti-Muslim sentiments to drive such behaviour. The desecration betrays an intolerance, ignorance and prejudice, they say, that is alien to their respective communities. The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) was alerted about all three incidents and, with their support, formal complaints were filed with the police and the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC). The Muslim leadership in all three instances was particularly careful to take prudent action reflecting a sober and rational approach as opposed to an emotionally charged and impulsive one. They grasped what Bishop Davies calls an opportunity for a ‘wonderful affirmation’ of inter-
The Reverend Bob Commin, of the Parish Council of St Francis Anglican Church, right, and Imam Abdul Gakiem Raban joined hands in condemning the violation of the sanctity of Masjid Nurul Islam, in Simon’s Town. Photo SALAAM CADER
faith solidarity. Muslim Views succeeded in contacting both Ferreira and Roodt. The latter was unresponsive to our request for an inter-
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view and Ferreira was uncooperative in answering our questions. The tone of his responses was inconsistent with that of a repentant offender.