Muslims Pray in Solidarity with Christian Victims of Terror

A small group of muslims staged a picket in the Cape Town CBD on Wednesday to show their solidarity with christian families who lost loved ones in recent attacks by muslim extremists.

“We are here to show Christian families we too are heartbroken about their loss,” said Qutb Hendricks, one of the picketers gathered outside the St Georges Cathedral. The picketers who were from all over the country were taking time out of their holiday. “Islam is a peaceful religion. The likes of jihadi like Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab are twisting Islam for their crimes,” said Hendricks.

The picketing followed the massacre of 148 Kenyan students over the Easter weekend by al-Shabaab militants. It also coincided with the one year anniversary of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign following the kidnapping of some 200 Nigerian schoolgirls by Boko Haram.

Hendricks said South African imams condemned the fundamentalist attacks and urged fellow Muslims to do the same. “South African muslims are with the people. We want to protect democracy, peace, and human rights,” added Hendricks. “We are raising awareness to show that we condemn the actions of these deviant groups who claim to be Muslim,” said 19-year-old Nabeelah Kapery. “If you do not feel the same pain and anger for the lives lost in Kenya as you do for Charlie Hebdo, you are a racist. Black lives must matter,” said Deen TV talk show host Faizal Sayed.

On the alleged recruitment of South Africans by IS (Islamic State), Hendricks said imams and fellow Muslims condemned it in the strongest possible terms. “Unfortunately, these fundamentalist groups target poor and lonely people. That is the same in every country”. Sheikh Fakhruddin Owaisi of the Sunni Uluma Council said: “These fundamentalist groups don’t even make up one percent of the Muslim population so it hurts when people attack Islam. Just because they look like us and dress the same as us, does not mean they are us.”

“The Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the clergy have condemned the attacks in Kenya and the alleged recruitment of a young Muslim South African in the strongest sense. In fact, we have been condemning ISIS and the like for months now. “We must start giving equal coverage to African lives lost. When four journalists were killed in France, the world’s politicians marched. When 147 black students are massacred, even their own president is not marching.”