Complaints against the athaan: What’s at stake?

--:--
The athaan – the call to prayer – has become a topic of conversation again this week, following complaints about the athaan at the Leewen Street masjid in Bo Kaap. The imam at the masjid said law enforcement officers investigated the complaint on Friday – said to be the third such complaint in Bo-Kaap over the past two months, a first in the history of Bo-Kaap.

Last year, this became a contentious issue after a complaint was levelled to the City of Cape Town over the athaan at Zeenatul Islam masjid in District Six.

Just recently, a resident from Isipingo Beach launched an application in the Durban High Court in which he scathingly criticised Islam and asked the court to stop the Adhan nationally and to shut down a local madressa which he says has infringed upon his right to dignity.

Why are these complaints emerging and what is at stake?

Our guests this evening are Osman Shabodien, chairperson of the Bo Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association and Sandy Schuter, chairperson of the Strandfontein CPF. Later on in the show, we chat to the City of Cape Town, a Bo Kaap heritage activist, and the SA Human Rights Commission.
25 Aug 2020 English South Africa News

Other recent episodes

Combatting Cape Town's housing crisis

Twenty-six years after apartheid, Cape Town remains deeply divided along race and class lines. It’s clear that state-subsidised housing has done little to redress spatial apartheid, with housing delivery failing to keep pace with the considerable backlog. This has led to a housing crisis, in terms of which hundreds of…
7 Dec 2020 1 hr 04 min

Are good, critical teachers under threat?

The year 2020 has certainly been a challenging year for the education system, but most importantly for educators and learners as they grappled with the onset of the covid19 pandemic and its disruptions to learning. At the peak of the pandemic, several principals took a bold stand against the opening…
1 Dec 2020 1 hr 14 min

Gatesville traders object to relocation

So a few weeks ago, a meeting was held with informal traders and formal business operators in Gatesville in Athlone, to discuss the City’s plan to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infections as the festive season nears. The meeting came after a letter had been sent, notifying them that the…
24 Nov 2020 1 hr 12 min

Global umrah: adjusting to the new normal

Earlier last month, Saudi Arabia launched a plan for gradual resumption of the Umrah after suspension of around seven months due to the coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Press Agency is reporting that nearly 2 million pilgrims have now registered to perform Umrah in Saudi Arabia via a smartphone app in one…
11 Nov 2020 1 hr 05 min

Unpacking the D6 local spatial development framework

Public consultation on a Local Spatial Development Framework for District Six has been underway with claimants and the City of Cape Town. The purpose of this plan is to formulate a vision and related policy guidelines and intervention projects for the area. However, questions have been raised by the D6…
3 Nov 2020 1 hr 04 min