Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 25-04-2017
The CRL Rights Commission has found that social media comments posted in response to a proposed mosque in Valhalla in Pretoria was indeed “Islamophobic and unacceptable.”
The commission ruled that the comments did not only offend the Muslim community but were an affront to efforts as a nation, to national co-existence and social cohesion.
The Thaba Tshwane Islamic Centre Trust laid a complaint to the CRL Commission in August last year about the challenges they were facing to build a masjid in Valhalla in Tshwane as well as social media statements allegedly made by Richard Botha which they claim bordered on Islamophobia.
Botha allegedly compared the masjid to a brothel on a radio show and also never declared he was a member of the CRL Commission which was only discovered ahead of a community meeting.
Social cohesion advocate Yusuf Abramjee has welcomed the decision and says he wants Botha expelled from the commission.
“The commission has given me an undertaking that the matter of Commissioner Richard Botha is not close, it’s been referred to parliament. We are going to pursue the argument that we want him expelled with immediate effect.”
The CRL Commission says it will be meeting with the representatives of Facebook South Africa to take “decisive steps against accounts accused of Islamophobic comments.
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