Deedat sets cats among pigeons

Yousuf Ahmed Deedat and Simon the cat.

Yousuf Ahmed Deedat and Simon the cat.

Published Aug 31, 2016

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Durban - The claws are out for a Verulam magistrate after a controversial Muslim scholar’s eight cats “disappeared from the face of the earth”, following her issuing a final restraining order against him.

In a likely unprecedented case of a litigant suing a magistrate regarding a matter he or she has presided over, Yousuf Ahmed Deedat is claiming R200 000 for alleged negligence, alternatively intentional injury to his reputation, dignity and good name.

Magistrate Visha Naidoo issued a final restraining order against Deedat in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on July 4. In terms of the order, Deedat - who has also been charged criminally for pointing a gun and harassing a Verulam woman - was ordered to stay away from his Verulam home, and the area in general.

He has denied the allegations and claimed a man known to the woman was behind the “orchestrated” charges because he (Deedat) had declined to sell his late parents’ property, which is considered a heritage site to Muslims, to him.

Deedat said that when he was granted permission by Naidoo to go to his home on July 26 under police escort, his worst fears were realised. “When I shouted for my cats, called Small One, Fluffy, Scarface (his face was repaired after he was hit by a car), Simon, Sitira, Tortoise (who walked slowly), Fighter and Notoro and there was no response, I was gutted,” said Deedat.

“I loved them to bits and it pains me that they just disappeared from the face of the earth. Because of the order, my wife and I relocated to Durban North. I asked my neighbours in Verulam if they saw my cats. They said they did not see them.”

He said he was traumatised, and had left the property with his clothes and other possessions under police guard.

Deedat said in papers filed in the Durban Magistrate’s Court that the Lotusville property was regarded as a Muslim heritage site. It used to be owned by his late father, Ahmed - a Muslim missionary known for his inter-religious public debates with evangelical Christians, and video lectures on Islam, Christianity and the Bible. Ahmed Deedat established the IPCI, an international Islamic missionary organisation, and wrote several widely distributed booklets on Islam and Christianity.

Because of the court order, Yousuf Deedat said he was unable to facilitate visits of local and international guests to the site.

He said he had tried without success to have the ban lifted.

“The order infringed on my constitutional rights embracing human dignity, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of vocation and just administrative action.”

He said he was a long-standing resident of Verulam and practised the propagation of Islam there.

“Owing to the order, I was forced to move to Durban North. I was unable to care for and to feed my eight cats, which are now (presumed) dead. I am also unable to visit my family in Verulam.”

He said Naidoo had reached her decision unfairly.

“She acted negligently and failed to exercise proper care and duty in the administration of justice. Because of the order I cannot visit my parents’ graves in Verulam, which I do every second day. I am not allowed to repair the damage to my parents’ home, which was caused by the recent heavy rains.

“I had to spend the whole day at court because the matter was heard shortly before court closed,” he said. “This was emotionally and physically demoralising.

“The community in Verulam regards me as a criminal.”

Naidoo had not filed her papers by time of publication. She could not be reached for comment.

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