Faizel Patel, 2016-04-21
Community activist Yusuf Abramjee says the Muslim community will not be intimidated by racial taunts on social media regarding the bid to halt construction of a masjid.
A racial and religious row has erupted over the donations of a vacant piece of land to the Valhalla Muslim community by the Tshwane Municipality earmarked for a masjid.
Reports indicate that Afrikaner leaders are going to court in a bid to try to halt construction of the project.
Muslim groups in support of the masjid and the opposition – mostly Afrikaner Christians and Hindus – have threatened to open criminal charges against each other and drag the matter to the Constitutional Court.
Community activist Yusuf Abramjee says the incitement on social media and apparent Islamophobia is very worrying.
“I’ve taken screen grabs of the postings threatening to throw pigs heads on to the land and I’ve written a letter to the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC), an official letter of complaint to investigate and to take appropriate action against these culprits.”
He says the complaints about procedure and noise are fronts to object against the erection of the masjid.
“Many of the objectors have made it very clear that they don’t want a mosque.They say go to your mosque in areas like Laudium and Erasmia. If that is not racial, I don’t want to know what is racial.”
Abramjee says the Tshwane mayor Sputla Kgosientso Ramokgopa made it clear the erection of the Masjid will continue while the community has planned to start clearing the land for the beginning of the project.
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