Muslim man dies after fight over beard
2012-08-08 11:08
Johannesburg - A Muslim man has reportedly died after a fight broke out when he was mocked over his sunnah beard.
Channel Islam International (Cii) reported that Ventersdorp resident Muhammad Fayaaz Kazi, 27, and his uncle, Anser Mahmood, 33, were on their way home when they stopped to buy food for their iftar (evening meal to break the fast) at a fast food outlet in Magaliesburg on Monday night.
An argument allegedly broke out between Kazi and a group of men.
"I asked him what happened. He said they are making fun of my beard," Mahmood said.
"I shouted at them. I said why are you troubling my nephew? From there, problems started. They wanted to hit me. We were one on one. At that time they weren’t hitting Fayaaz. So the guy from the Chicken Licken, he kicked us out. When I was out, I was holding a brick. So he didn't want to come out. Then suddenly, I don’t know where the third person he came out. He hit me on my side face. So I fall down. When I fall down then they went to Muhammad Fayaaz, then I don’t remember [sic]," Mahmood told Cii News.
Police arrived at the scene and directed the two men to the Magaliesburg police station, where they planned to lay charges. The police apparently told them that the suspects were known to them.
Kazi then said he wanted to go home. His condition deteriorated along the way, and he was treated in Ventersdorp and Potchefstroom before being transferred to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, where he was classified as brain dead on arrival. He was transferred back to Potchefstroom, where he died at 05:00 on Tuesday. He apparently suffered a subdural haematoma, or traumatic brain injury.
A funeral was held on Tuesday.
Magaliesburg police would not comment.
Yusuf Abramjee, Primedia Broadcasting head of news and current affairs, tweeted on Wednesday that no police case has been opened yet, but the family plan to open a case.
