Extremism needs to be fought - Rasool

Ebrahim Rasool speaking to a group of people during a breakfast meeting. Albie Sachs, Rasool and Dominee Braam Hanekom took part in an Interfaith Harmony Week event in Gardens. Picture: Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

Ebrahim Rasool speaking to a group of people during a breakfast meeting. Albie Sachs, Rasool and Dominee Braam Hanekom took part in an Interfaith Harmony Week event in Gardens. Picture: Henk Kruger/Cape Argus

Published Feb 3, 2017

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Cape Town – Prejudice, pig heads and why interfaith harmony matters were amongst the topics discussed on Thursday when the Cape SA Jewish Board of Deputies celebrated World Interfaith Harmony Week.

The guest speakers were former Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool, former Constitutional Court judge Albie Sachs and Dominee Braam Hanekom of the Dutch Reformed Church in the province.

The harmony week comes after mosques in Simon’s Town and Kalk Bay were desecrated last month – apparently by people who disliked the religion.

Last month, a pig’s snout and blood were placed outside the door of the Simon’s Town Mosque and later, in another incident, the Masjidul-Jamiah in Kalk Bay was splattered with blood and frames containing holy scriptures broken.

Earlier, a Facebook user from Langebaan apologised after he posted derogatory remarks against the Muslim community on social media.

Rasool said he thinks the pig’s snout incident was a degree of extremism.

He said the incidents are all phenomenon of the same kind needed to be fought.

“I’m very encouraged by the response from the Jewish and Christian communities and , (which will ensure) by what they did made sure that the Muslim youth does not respond militantly,” he said.

The new US President Donald Trump has recently signed a law that does not allow foreign nationals from certain Islamic countries to enter the country, instilling fear in those that live in the states.

Rasool said discrimination against Muslims in the US is going to accelerate especially with an extremist president, and all the extremists that were in hiding are going to come out.

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Cape Argus

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