The letter “Adams’s rants are un-Islamic” 30 March 2016 requires a response.
What is vital to identify is that the Cape Muslim Congress (CMC) political agenda is built on many principles but three in particular. The first is pursuit of truth; the second is justice and third is realism.
Unlike other political parties that promise one thing and then do something else, the CMC will not sacrifice values to trick voters. Deceit inevitably leads to duplicity and disgrace as is the case with the ANC and the DA leaders who accepted monies from the Gupta family.
CMC leaders know that those who enter hell first are religious, political and business leaders who knowingly dupe people into supporting them. We will not practice deceit to attract votes.
The truth and reality is that Apartheid was a perverse form of racial and economic socialism where people profited because of skin colour. Since benefits cannot be reversely extracted as benefits have been used, what is unjust is for the people who profited to demand continued benefits on their terms.
Equally, those with a different skin colour were actively punished for a historical, genetic reality that was utterly beyond their control. Furthermore those who benefitted from Apartheid invited foreigners to reside in South Africa and also benefit from the racial and economic socialism. Ironically the originally people of South African had little option but to observe this injustice or suffer violence.
How can it be un-Islamic to request justice for those that suffered and to end Apartheid’s beneficiaries from profiting extra? Already the current authorities are prepared to house the non-payers with new alternate accommodation, yet they refuse after having benefitted for decades.
Questions that remain include, what has those who benefitted from decades of Apartheid and beyond done to help themselves. While it was Jesus the messiah that said that “the poor will always be amongst us” this does not imply that poverty must become a badge of honour.
The writer must also note that the provincial and local municipality cannot print money and can only extract it from the tax and ratepayers. It is also the middle class which pays the majority of the taxes and therefore must have an opinion on how the money is spent. For indigent people to demand housing in locations of their choice is a recipe for disaster especially if we consider that millions of South Africans are in reality homeless. Already those who pay a minimal below the market rate rental receive free water, electricity and free maintenance, what in reality do they do for themselves?
In which holy text is it written that some people must work very hard and pay extra taxes to subside others who do little to improve their own condition.
Islam, like Christianity and Judaism stands for tolerance and champions issues of poverty, this does not imply our faiths allows the recycling of self-induced poverty through self-pity etc. Abrahamic faiths consistently dictate that it is better to give than to receive.
That is why issues of integrity are so vital for the CMC. Only with truth and justice can we can expose and eradicate corrupt actions which hamper economic growth and stifle genuine social improvements.
Cllr Yagyah Adams
Cape Muslim Congress