Faizel Patel, Radio Islam News, 2015-08-13
Boycott Divestment Sanction South Africa (BDS SA) co-ordinator Muhammed Desai says he will be laying a complaint with the South African Human Rights Commission after he was kicked out of a gym in Johannesburg.
Desai was removed the Virgin Active Old Edwardian’s Gym in Houghton for allegedly wearing a pro-Palestine t-shirt.
The incident which was caught on camera has sparked outrage on social media with many questioning the gyms stance on freedom of speech.
Desai says the branch manager told him that he should not wear the BDS in the interests of his own safety.
“I then got a call from the regional manager saying that if I try and enter anyone of the Virgin Active Clubs wearing a BDS t-shirt than I will be removed and that my membership would be suspended.”
Desai says as he hadn’t received a formal notice not to attend the gym in writing he went back in the evening to engage the manager on the issue.
“What was very concerning is that some of the gym goers were obviously Israeli supporters who started saying they had been assured by the highest levels of the company that these t-shirts won’t be allowed in their gyms anymore.”
Desai says he became suspicious and insisted on a request for his removal in writing, failing which he would continue to be at the gym.
“That’s when the gym decided to bring the police to remove me physically from the gym because of the t-shirt that I was wearing.”
“Police got to the scene, they insisted that they couldn’t possibly arrest me for wearing the wrong t-shirt and there was nothing wrong with my behaviour. If anybody were to try to assault me, they would arrest that person for assault.”
“This was when the gym management in conversation with the regional management and apparently with the MD of the company told me in no unclear terms that the company has policies against these sort of t-shirts.”
Desai claims the Israeli supporters including a certain Howard Page was behaving like he was the gym manager may have instigated his removal from the gym for wearing the t-shirt.
“It seems Howard Page has been given a commitment by somebody senior in the company regarding these t shirt. His Twitter timeline is shocking – the posters that he puts up, the racist images that he puts up, the Islamophobic content, as well anti-Palestinian messaging.
Desai says BDS was also asked to investigate if there was a link between Virgin Active and Woolworths.
“We are investigating to see if Simon Sussman or the Woolworths Company was trying to use the Virgin Active space to try to score points against the “Boycott Woolworths” campaign. Attention is gathering as Pharrell Williams has come into the country.”
He says he gets angry when he sees a person wearing an Israeli Defence Force t-shirt, but that’s the right of the person wearing it because we live in a constitutional democracy.
“Virgin Active doesn’t have any policy. That’s why they couldn’t provide me anything in writing. They will have to develop policy to ban t-shirts and it will interesting to see what sort of t-shirts they begin to ban.”
Desai indicated the incident has already become a public relations nightmare for Virgin Active which was trending on Twitter for all the wrong reasons.
“For racism, for suppression of expression, for Howard Page being one of their brand managers unofficially of course.”
Desai says people are upset and offended over the incident.
“They have undertaken to wear their Palestinian Solidarity Support openly and unapologetically and this should be welcomed and should be encouraged.”
Desai says he will exploring legal avenues via the equality court to try and get further clarity on the matter.
To date Virgin Active’s only response has been the following tweet:
“We hear you. We’re aware of the serious situation at Old Eds, are investigating and will you keep you updated.”
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