MAYOR Patricia de Lille has called for unity in the Western Cape in the wake of an incident deemed as bigotry, after a pig’s snout was placed at the Simon’s Town mosque door.
Blood, presumably from the pig’s snout, was also smeared on the mosque’s windows at the weekend.
Speaking to the Cape Times yesterday, De Lille called on “all the people” of Cape Town to stand together and reject those who disrespect the religious choices and freedoms of others. “The duty falls on all of us to protect this right,” the mayor said. She encouraged people to make use of the city’s “Inclusive City” campaign, which is running concurrently to Independent Media’s “Racism Stops With Me” project.
“Our campaign started as far back as March 2014 to take the lead and stand to promote inclusion and reconciliation within our city. Our belief remains that the majority of its people are tolerant and embrace diversity,” she said.
The goal of the campaign aims to amplify the voices ordinary people against racism, xenophobia, sexism and other forms of intolerance, De Lille said.
“This also includes educating people about their rights and what they should do when it is infringed upon.
“The Muslim Judicial Council is following the correct process in approaching the SAHRC (SA Human Rights Commission), in accordance to our constitution,” she said.
Since April 2015, the city’s campaign assisted 40 complainants with alleged acts of racism, sending them onto the relevant authorities, including the SA Human Rights Commission, the SAPS, the Equality Court and the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration.
As the DA’s provincial leader, De Lille has also demanded that the Langebaan Municipality investigate an incident in which a resident took to Facebook last week, calling on people to burn a local mosque.
De Lille has requested a report at a provincial executive meeting later this month after Liam Christian Ferreira posted an update which read: “I think it’s a crime that no one is sanding up to those muslim bastards blaring their call to pray 5 times a day over massive speakers (sic).” “Why do i need to put up with an Arabic tradition created in the dessert thousands of years ago (sic),” he wrote.
Ferreira ended the post with: “Stand up for yourselves!!! Burn it down!!!”
The Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) has deemed both incidents as “unacceptable mindless religious bigotry”.
The board’s director, Joshua Hovsa, said they were appalled. “As the representative voice of the South African Jewish community, a religious and ethnic minority who have been forced to bear the weight of religious intolerance throughout our history, we know first-hand the dangers of such acts of religious hatred,” he said.
“The Muslim community in Simon’s Town has a proud history dating back to the 18th century. Under the Group Areas Act, the Simon’s Town Muslim community was forcibly removed from their homes and place of worship. Yet, this mosque was maintained from afar by a dedicated community,” said Hovsa.
He said the Jewish board was passionate about divisions the constitution seeks to heal to help establish a society based on “democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights”.
Archbishop Stephen Brislin, speaking on behalf of the Catholic Church in Cape Town and the country, expressed outrage and sadness at news of the attack.
“Such acts of intolerance, as well as hate speech seems to be increasing in our country, further damage the fabric of our already polarised society,” he said.
“This is a time in our country when we should be seeking and striving for the things that make for peace, unity and healing,” the cleric said.
Christian Leadership Academy and Bible College chief executive officer, the Reverend Randall Petersen, wrote on Facebook: “What transpired is a person that displays no respect nor value our Muslim brothers and sisters as love is the greatest gift to display to all religious sectors. May the person or persons responsible be dealt with by the Almighty.”
MJC general secretary Shaykh Isgak Taliep welcomed support from the wider religious community after the “heinous” act.
“The words of the mayor has provided reassurance that these perpetrators will be found and face the law. We also thank the Simon’s Town community, who has joined us in condemning this shameful act,” said Taliep.
While there remains no new developments in the investigation, Taliep called on the Muslim community to remain calm and to allow the law to run its course.