The “VIVA” Scholar

Re: A scholar’s recent utterances to this effect: “Takbeer! Viva Palestine, viva South Africa, viva EFF, viva ANC!”

QUESTION: Is it permissible for a scholar of the muslim community and an imaam of a musjd in Fordsburg to do the following:

1. Address a mixed gathering consisting of kuffar women also.
2. Videoed in this entire political rally.
3. Shouting out ‘Takbeer’ and also ‘viva eff, viva anc, viva south Africa, viva palestine’.
4. Saying, ‘We congratulate our South African government…”, though acknowledging we have differences in other things.
5. Quoting Mr Madiba Mandela and saying, “I am fortunate that I spoke at the Madiba memorial in FNB stadium…”
6. Quoting Archbishop Desmond Tutu in his speech.

Your answer will be appreciated. Shukran.

ANSWER: Each of the above questions asked are simply HARAAM. It is not appropriate for Ulama to utter such words (viva), or boast about their trampling upon the Shari’ah at the FNB stadium during a Haraam memorial for a non-Muslim service of Mr Mandela, or quoting bishops such as Mr Tutu. Non-Muslims, Bishops, sportsmen, Kuffaar presidents, etc. are never the role models of the true Ulama-e-Haq who take their guidance from the Shari’at and not from politics, sports, and bishops. One will not find our Ulama-e-Haq degrading and disgracing themselves to such a low ebb.