KWP Law
Faizel Patel – 10/03/2021
Girls on Fire says the South African Police must come forward and explain why a Johannesburg woman was refused a firearm licence because she wore a headscarf.
Maleeka Sayed said she wanted the licence for self-defence as she is mostly at home looking after her children and elderly parents during the day, while her husband is away at work.
Sayed, who lives in Benoni first applied for her gun licence in July 2020.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Girls on Fire’s Montenique Booley says the refusal of Sayed’s licence borders on discrimination.
“Muslim women have their ID photos, their passport pictures wearing their headscarf and its a religious belief. So if it is discrimination we condemn it, it’s not something that we stand for.”
Booley says there was also inconsistency when Sayed’s application was processed.
“The facts are saying that she was granted her her competency wearing a headscarf. Now it gets to the licensing stage and she’s denied her licence because of the headscarf. So it’s the inconsistency that we actually need to question.”
The chairperson of the portfolio committee on police, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, has sought urgent answers as to why Sayed’s gun licence application was denied.
Listen to the interview with Montenique Booley
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