Cape town - A South African man, Shaykh Abdel Salam Bassiouni, who heads the Al-Tawheed Islamic Centre in Johannesburg, arrived in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday and has not been seen or heard of since.
Al Tawheed Islamic Centre was founded in 1992 and has opened Islamic centres all over the country.
Centre spokesman Qari Basheer Patel, who worked closely with Bassiouni, told the Cape Times on Sunday he believed Salam Bassiouni was arrested in Cairo.
“I don’t have much information. All I heard is that he has been arrested. Right now the details are sketchy.
“Their government officials are not co-operating with us and have refused to give us any details. Right now a lot is being said and there are many different stories.”
Patel also said Bassiouni had citizenship in Egypt.
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa president Abbas Ali Jeena said: “I have worked with Shaykh Bassiouni and he has done much to uplift many communities in and around Johannesburg. I don’t understand how he could be arrested.”
Department of International Affairs and Co-operation spokesman Clayson Monyela said: “Legally Egypt has an obligation to inform the South African embassy if one of our citizens has been arrested. We will investigate this.”
Cape Times