Held SA Muslims 'victimised'
2005-10-17 08:51
Pietermaritzburg - A South African Muslim cleric and his son remain in detention in The Gambia for what media reports have said are allegations of South African connections to al-Qaeda activities in various regions of the world.
Moulana Farhaad Dockrat, a principal of the Darus Salaam Islamic College in Pretoria and his son, Muaaz, a lecturer at the college, were on a brief exchange visit to Islamic institutions in Senegal and The Gambia when they disappeared.
South African-based Khulumani Support group has expressed concern in the "initial enforced disappearance and on-going detention of the two clerics in the name of assumed Islamic fundamentalism and allegations of links to Islamic fundamentalist groups".
"The criminalisation of Muslims across the world is a growing phenomenon and one that does not serve the purpose of the promotion of mutual respect and understanding between people and communities," said the support group in a statement.
'War of terror'
The group said the so-called "war on terror" has now become a "war of terror" as "innocent and faithful Muslim people are being suspected of terrorist activities".
The group said although they respect the right of a state to advance state security, "we wish to assert that human security is not advanced by undermining basic human rights, as has happened in this situation".
"In the case of the detained South African Muslim clerics, we fear that an unhelpful and hegemonic discourse is being used to justify their detention in line with the harassment to which Muslims are being subjected across the world," said the statement.
It expressed its vigorous disapproval of Gambia, which has taken on an alleged basis of protecting public security.
"We believe such victimisation doesn't serve the deepening of democracy in South Africa."