Cape Town - Religious leaders have remembered Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu as a unifier, and a leader when it came to using the leaders of various denominations and faiths to stand up and challenge the apartheid regime.
In a statement, the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) said farewell to the “international icon, anti-apartheid and human rights activist and freedom fighter”.
“Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a friend of the Muslim Judicial Council (SA), who has shared many platforms with the late president of the MJC, Shaykh Nazeem Mohamed, during the apartheid struggle,” read the statement by MJC secretary-general Shaykh Zaid Dante.
The MJC said the archbishop would be remembered for his vocal activism around Palestine and its criticism of Israel for its treatment of the Palestinians.
“Bishop Tutu was a critical and moral voice during the struggle and post-apartheid democracy. He was a voice for the oppressed of this world and today we pay homage to this servant of humanity, a mighty warrior and an inspiration to those who fight the cause of humanity.”
Meanwhile, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies national chair professor Karen Milner said Tutu was an internationally recognised symbol of South Africa's successful transition from apartheid to democracy and the process of reconciliation that followed it.
“During the years of the anti-apartheid struggle, he was an inspirational figure for those committed to a just society free from the evils of racial prejudice and discrimination. The SAJBD extends its sincerest condolences to the Tutu family and to the Anglican community in South Africa.”