Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News – 16-08-2017
A renowned Islamic scholar says the statements made by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema in which he accused Indians of exploiting African workers was politically motivated and uttered for political purposes.
Mufti Siraj Desai was answering a question from a listener during Radio Islam’s weekly Q & A programme on Tuesday night.
During the EFF’s fourth-year birthday celebrations at Curries Fountain Stadium in Durban last month, Malema said Indian people are “worse than Afrikaners”.
Mufti Desai says while people can speculate the motive or what was in the mind of Malema when he made the comments, Muslims should always be guided by the Qur’an, hadeeth and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
“And of course part of that is that you will learn to treat individuals with respect. You learn that the creation of Allah irrespective and regardless of color and race, they are the creation of Allah and they deserve respect and you will learn not to oppress others.”
Mufti Desai says while there might be exploitation and oppressive behavior in all communities including among non-Muslims, its unfortunate that oppressive behavior is also currently rife among Muslims themselves.
“It’s not only a question of racial issues there. You might find the rich against the poor or even among fellow Muslims when people are in dire straits then you find other taking advantage of them.”
Mufti Desai says Muslims should learn to introspect not because of Malema’s utterances, but rather the vision each person has of himself as a Muslim and of Islam in South Africa or across the world.
Listen to the response of Mufti Siraj Desai views about Julius Malema’s controversial statements about Indians here:
THE BIGGEST MYTH FROM THE TIME INDIANS FIRST SET FOOT IN SOUTH AFRICA [ IN THE 1850’S] IS THE INDIANS [ ALLEGED ] ILL-TREATMENT OF AFRICANS. IT IS INDIANS’ STRUGGLE TO JUST SURVIVE
WITH NO ASSISTANCE OF ANY KIND FROM THE ‘IMPORTERS’ OF INDIAN LABOUR AND LOCAL POWERS THAT BE / IN THE FACE OF OFFICIAL DISCRIMINATORY LAWS AND PRACTICES THAT INDIANS HAD TO LOOK AFTER THEIR OWN SELVES AND KIND FIRST [ JUST LIKE AFRICANS HAD TO ] THEREBY BEING UNABLE TO GIVE AFRICANS THE EXTRA AND SPECIAL FAVOURED TREATMENT / ATTENTION WHICH IS THE CAUSE OF THE AFRICANS’S HATRED FOR INDIANS. ALL THE LACK OF FAVOURED / EXTRA / SPE CIAL TREATMENT OF AFRICANS DISSIPATED WHEN INDIANS SECURED PIECE MEAL AND TEMPORARY PARTIAL RELIEF FROM DEPRIVATION / POVERTY / PENURY / SUFFERING AND BECAME ABLE TO PASS ON PART OF THEIR GAINS TO THE SUFFERING AFRICANS AS HAS BEEN AND IS CONTINUING. IF THE IN DIANS HAVE BEEN OR ARE SO CRUEL / RUDE / EXPLOITATIVE / ABUSIVE / BAD TOWARDS AFRICANS THEN WHY IS IT THAT MOST AFRICANS PATRONISE INDIAN BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONALS ? THE
ANSWER : BECAUSE INDIANS TREAT THEIR FELLOW AFRICANS EQUALLY AS THE NON AFRICANS WHE THEIR COLOURED INDIAN OR WHITE. LIKE ALL OTHER RACE GROUPS AND PARTS OF THE CREATION
EACH GROUP PREFERS TO BE WITH ITS OWN KIND – DON’T BIRDS OF A FEATHER [ PREFER TO ] FLOCK TOGETHER?