South Africa and its Muslim Political Parties

Imran Khan

Dhu al-Qa'dah 28, 1445 2024-06-05

Daily News Analysis

by Imran Khan

This is Part 2 of a multi-part series reflecting on elections in South Africa and the role of Muslim Political Parties.

There are currently three so-called Muslim political parties in South Africa.

They cannot, however, get their act together.

One signed an agreement of cooperation between the three parties but broke it.

The other refused to sign it.

The largest of the three serves the ruling party thinking it operates a just government with a few issues that need rectifying.

Are the pre-conditions/building blocs, such as Islamic political and ideological education, relationships of trust, unity, cohesion, consensus upon a directional course, etc. in place for these Muslim political parties?

They will fall apart when the financial interests of the money-class that is controlling these political parties is threatened.

Hence, they are sowing confusion and division among them.

The largest of the three now has two seats in the 400-seat Parliament.

It also holds the mayoral seat of Johannesburg, a city with piles of garbage on every street corner, potholes and craters everywhere and grass and weeds grow out of what was once (or what is left of) city roads.

Even pigs roam the outskirts of the city.

In the meantime, the clergy-class is obsessed with issues of taharah and najasah from Jumu‘ah to Jumu‘ah and generation to generation.

They say “cleanliness is a branch of Imaan” and “cleanliness is next to Godliness.”

Can they put these sermons in the context of the public responsibilities of these political parties? Or, these sermons are meant only for the personal lives of Muslims who are doomed to forever remain in kindergarten where all they are fed is a personalized and privatized Islam that revolves around the bathroom!

Looking at the filthy state of the country generally and reflecting on “Cleanliness is next to Godliness” and “Cleanliness is part of a Divine commitment”, it is evident that the political parties are far from Godliness and their commitment to the Divine is deficient.

This party petitioned for a motion to change a street name when Johannesburg had a pro-zionist mayor.

Yet it failed to change that street name while holding the mayoral position!

Sadly, some Muslims shamefully advocate for this secular liberal government to manage the Hajj claiming that a ‘Muslimah’ heads the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

Perish the thought about her secular liberalism or that she will not be minister forever?

Hitting rock bottom, a leading politician from a Muslim political party asks Allah for the secular liberal ANC to win the elections.

Could he not make du‘a for the Muslims to win?!

Then we come to the face of Muslim humanitarian efforts.

The leader of Gift of the Givers (GOTG) says Israel has compassion and a month into the genocide he added, there are only a handful of bad Israelis.

After huge public outcry, he back-tracked.

Recently, Muslims got involved in a spat between the ANC and the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) over the venue for an election debate.

Yet the SAJBD has partnered with GOTG to assist it over many years to transport aid into Africa.

Pre-genocide in Palestine, Muslims peddled the narrative that “not all Jews are zionists”.

While true, does it apply to the SAJBD?

The Muslims based their relationship with SAJBD on this argument.

What has happened since?

Has SAJBD suddenly become zionist?

Did election opportunism dictate that the venue become an issue?

Celebrity Muslims have never had the integrity to say “SAJBD is a zionist front for 99.9% of Jews in SA who are zionist” even though this conflict is not new!

Neither is SAJBD new!

Nor is the relationship between the ANC, GOTG and the SAJBD new!

If SAJBD is not a zionist front and if 99.9% of Jews in SA are not zionist, then why make an issue of the venue?

And if there’s a problem with SAJBD, why is GOTG’s relationship with it not up for criticism?

Add to this mess are other Muslim liberal, secular pro-LGBTQIA Palestinian groups that are involved in fundraising activities with GOTG as well.

If it’s not acceptable for the ANC to go to a venue associated with SAJBD (and definitely it is not) then why is it acceptable for GOTG to have a relationship with SAJBD?

How is it acceptable for Muslim liberal, secular pro-LGBTQIA Palestinian groups to be in bed with GOTG who is in bed with SAJBD?

(Next: The clergy-class and ‘Shari‘ah-compliant’ political parties!)