An Anonymous Sister’s Letter

Re: Effort to open Masjids the legal way during lockdown

A sister sent anonymously.
(in regards to the social media storm and those members of the public that are getting ugly towards those who support the legal application to open the musjids.)

FROM WHERE I’M STANDING…..

I am a proud Muslim woman who grew up in the Rainbow Nation, a free and confident woman who was proud of the FREEDOM that came with a democratic post Apartheid South Africa…
A South Africa that was planted in the soil that was nourished by the blood and sweat of our grandparents….

Today, as these words bleed from my broken heart, a heart filled with trepidation, I grapple with the decision to send this out anonymously after years of freely and openly sharing my views through the articles I have written.

It is ridiculous that I am afraid of the hate and abuse I stand to bear the brunt of in a country that boasts Freedom of Speech .

What’s even more ridiculous is that Those who have hurled these insults have previously prided themselves in their fight for human rights and see themselves as social justice warriors. People who have risen up in solidarity for freedom and justice for the Palestinian struggle yet today their hate seeks to silence me because of my point of view!

These very same individuals who celebrated the illegal activities of a group of women who, in an attempt to “Reclaim the Masjid” organized an Iftaar event without permission in Ramadan a few years ago. At that time these very same individuals were saying that the masjid is the house of Allah, that the law of the Land should be left out of it…

Yet today, because of their gripes with ONE of the applicants, they are vehemently opposing *A LEGAL APPLICATION * to have the very same masjid opened during our most Holy Month of Ramadan!

Simply asking for the reinstatement of our CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT.
Not only does this expose their hypocrisy, but their blatant disregard for the law that forbids unfair discrimination!

To devout Muslims

Salaah isn’t “just a prayer” it’s part of our way of life.

We don’t just live our lives slotting in the 5 daily prayers when we find time…

In fact, it’s the other way around… We have our five daily prayers and our lives revolve around that. We don’t even use the time when making plans.

We say “after zuhur” or “after asr” our weddings and funerals are also planned accordingly.

This is why we can’t dismissively gaslight the Muslim community and ask them to “just pray at home.”

The 5 daily prayers provide spiritual nourishment for us and our communities. Nourishment that we are being starved of due to the restrictions of this lockdown.

Our entire way of life has come to a screeching halt.

Now that the mosques are closed, there is a different azan (call to prayer) that has to be called.

Instead of Hayya alas salaah, hayya alal falaah…..
We now hear As salaatu fi buyootikum…
This is the azan given during times of disaster and war.
Hearing this every day, 5 times a day, is a stab in the heart of those who consider the azan a source of comfort and solace. This further adds to the anxiety and stress experienced by the Muslim community.

Hearing the usual azan again would signal a return to normalcy and be a signal of hope to a community that is already psychologically affected by the halting of their way of life!

All the application seeks to do, is humbly appeal to the government to assess fairly whether the Medical risk involved justifies the trauma suffered by the thousands of muslims who have had their way of live completely disrupted by the laws of the Lockdown, and the subsequent mental and emotional toll this law has taken on an entire community.

The Application is NOT, NOR DID IT EVER claim to be on behalf of ALL Muslims, simply those individuals who do wish to attend. Considering the actual number of people who pray in the masjid and then factor in those who did but are now afraid, these numbers are not large!

So stop behaving as if you are being forced to attend or that masses will flock to the masjid even IF it’s open.

The applicants trust that the government does act fairly and for the benefit of all its Citizens. They know that the government is completely able to assess the risk in an unbiased manner and make a fair decision based on their assessment.

They do believe that we have a Department of Health who is most qualified to do the necessary risk assessment with the most qualified candidates in the world.

It is therefore most appalling that the Muslim communities would oppose such an  application.

DO they have no faith in the ability of our government to make a fair decision??

Is it fair to hold the entire Muslim Community hostage because of their personal Vendettas against an 84yr old man?

I really hope sanity and fairness prevails. South Africa remains one of the few countries where Muslims are treated fairly and equally and enjoy FREEDOM of Religious practice which in enshrined in our Constitution….
It would be a absolute shame if we lose this because of petty personal vendettas!
Corona has attacked the Free world. It would be a shame to allow it to win over us by giving up without a fight!

WRITTEN BY A CONCERNED SISTER WITH SOUTH AFRICAN ROOTS AND ISLAM IN HER HEART.