Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 30-11-2017
A Bokaap school vice-principal has been charged with misconduct and facing a disciplinary hearing by the Western Cape Education Department after visiting Jewish teachers and pupils from another institution took offence to Palestinian posters in his classroom at the Vista High School in Cape Town.
Ismail Esau told Radio Islam he protested the Israeli/Palestinian issue by displaying anti-Zionism posters, which included “no to Zionism, yes to Judaism”, “Israel is a terrorist state and guilty of ethic cleansing” and the famous Madiba quote, “South Africa isn’t free until Palestine is free”.
Essau who is also a history teacher says the Middle East crisis including the Israeli/Palestinian issue is part of the school curriculum.
He says the Jewish delegation took offense to the posters and he was asked to remove them, but did not concede.
“We teach facts, we don’t teach opinion and the Palestinian issue is a human rights issue. It is not debatable that human rights abuses are not taking place. The posters were there before the group came to the school. The group that came is pro-Zionist.”
Esau says he has been teaching at the school for 27 years and has received the full support from the community including the residents of Bokaap.
“I have received a number non-Muslims support who are also teachers from other schools. I think it’s because they too are teachers, they know the content of what they are teaching and the human rights focus on that area.”
Esau says because the matter is sub-judice, he could not respond to whether the school constitution allows for political posters to be displayed including allegations that he was allegedly insubordinate and calling the principal a ‘coward’.
Listen to the interview with Ismail Esau
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