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A PLACE usually associated with sanctity has become the scene of a gruesome crime: a 43-year-old man was stabbed to death on the premises of a mosque in Lotus River last week.

Badroezamaan Ismail Hassen's body was discovered on the prem?ises of the Un-Najaa-I Islamic Centre on the corner of Klip and Buck Roads on Thursday, 3 April.

According to Senior Superintendent Billy Jones, communications officer of the provincial police, Hassen's body was found by the Grassy Park Police with stab wounds to the chest.

The police are not able to provide a motive for the murder. Inspector Stephen Knapp, communications officer at the Grassy Park Police Station, says that a 41-year-old man has been arrested and charged with the murder.

A possible murder weapon was also found on the scene.

A very shocked Derek Smith, ward councillor for the area, expressed his disbelief at the crime.

"I did not know that this happened. "Only after I spoke to two people on the corner did I get more information."

Smith is disgusted that people would enter a holy place and commit a crime such as this.

He says it shows the lack of respect people have.

"One would not expect something like this to happen on the premises of the mosque.

"There is so much going on in this community, so much anti-social behaviour.

"People just do not respect anything any more," says Smith.

Moulana Igsaan Hendricks, pre?sident of the Muslim Judicial Council, who was mee?ting with the rest of his board members when People's Post contacted him yesterday, said it was the first time he had heard of the incident.

However, he says the murder at the mosque or any other holy place is unacceptable.

"These acts are condemned by South African society," he says, adding that the law must take its course.

People's Post tried to contact the mosque and other mosques in the area, but was unable to gain further comment at the time of going to print.

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