Last week the Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Rabbi Warren Goldstein, wrote an open letter to the Muslim Judicial Council (Council) and the Jamiatul Ulama SA.
The Council is ‘a Muslim Judiciary whose main functions relate to religious guidance, education, Fatawa, Da’wah, Halaal certification and Social Development’. It describes itself as the most representative and influential Muslim religious organisation in the Western Cape.
Jamiatul Ulama South Africa is the Council of Muslim Theologians in South Africa.
The Chief Rabbi’s call to Muslim leaders read:
‘I call on the Muslim Judicial Council and the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa to join me in imploring our communities to be tolerant of each other’s vastly differing political and religious views regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
‘Freedom of opinion and conscience is protected by our Constitution especially for the times when we disagree vehemently – times like this.
Let us jointly call on our communities not to intimidate or threaten one another because we disagree about the rights and wrongs of the ‘bitter conflict in the Middle East. We can vigorously and publicly debate the issues with each other. We can make our voices heard. We can protest. But we cannot intimidate or harm one another. We can agree to disagree. That is the South African dream – unity in diversity.
‘Let us, as the Muslim and Jewish religious leadership, issue a joint unified call to our communities not to verbally or physically threaten or harm each other. Let us call for mutual respect and tolerance.
‘Let us make the unified call for our congregants to behave in such a way that every citizen of this country feels safe to attend mosque or synagogue and to practise our faiths and hold our beliefs and opinions as our conscience demands.’
On Sunday 30 May the Council refused the request, but it didn’t respond to the Chief Rabbi. Council Deputy President Moulana Abdul Khaliq Allie addressed the Council’s response to the Archbishop of the Anglican Church, Thabo Makgoba.
‘Diametrically opposed’
Allie said:
‘Your Excellency the stance by members of the Jewish Board of Deputies, headed by Chief Rabbi Goldstein is diametrically opposed to our moral position that most freedom-loving people have adopted in so far as it relates to condemning the violence and apartheid policies meted out against Muslim and Christian Palestinians on a daily basis by the `apartheid regime in Israel.
‘Therefore, a joint statement at this stage will be incorrect and a betrayal of the Palestinian cause. Furthermore, such a joint statement will only serve to further heighten unnecessary tensions within the solidarity movement and the community at large.’
He added that many members of the clergy were historically ‘either silent or supported the actions of the apartheid regime’ in South Africa.
‘Had they stood firm to the principles espoused in our respective doctrines of preserving life and the rights of the oppressed, the apartheid regime in South Africa may have fallen much sooner and many innocent lives may have been saved.’
Allie said that the MJC and other organisations had remained peaceful in protests against the Israeli government throughout the year.
‘The Palestinian cause is a dignified struggle that requires demonstrating the highest integrity and discipline.
‘We do not support or condone intimidation, threats or violence at any level and fully respect the rights of peaceful worship of others.
‘We, have therefore, reaffirmed our call on all peace-loving pro-Palestinian protesters to maintain the necessary discipline at all times irrespective of the amount of provocation and intimidation that may be encountered.
‘We do not support or condone intimidation, threats or violence at any level and fully respect the rights of peaceful worship of others.’
Surely intended as an insult
By not responding to the Chief Rabbi himself, but to the Anglican Archbishop – who wasn’t a recipient of the request – the response was surely intended as an insult to the Chief Rabbi.
Goldstein wasn’t asking for any agreement on the conflict itself; all he was asking for was a joint statement which, coming from both communities’ leaders, would show tolerance despite their disagreements.
Allie did make the call to Muslims to be disciplined and respectful of others, but he made sure that no such call was going to be made jointly with the Chief Rabbi.
[Image: Yousef Salhamoud on Unsplash]
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