The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa says it’s appalled by the behavior of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in a video that has gone viral.
In the video, officers appear to be storming a Muslim prayer place, where congregants are shouted at, placed under arrest for violating regulations for the containment of the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus, and made to lie down.
Secretary General Ml Ebrahim Bhma says while Jamiat accepts the right of the officers to enforce the law which still does not allow religious gathering, the abusive and the heavy-handed nature of the SAPS officers are unacceptable.
“Apart from the verbal abuse which is demeaning of the name of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the SAPS officers are also seen entering the prayer room in their heavy boots. Such images are distressing to Muslims who consider prayer places as sacred and entered upon only without shoes.”
Ml Bham says while the Jamiat urges Muslims to respect the regulations of the national lockdown it calls upon the South Africa Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) as well as the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to immediately investigate the conduct of the SAPS officers in this matter.
Faizel Patel
0 Comments