http://iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20050526064119804C8
77675
Muslims ask Mbeki to sever ties with Israel
By Babalo Ndenze and Joyce Tse
Thousands of protesters have marched on parliament in defence of Islam's
third-holiest site, the Al-Aqsa mosque in occupied Jerusalem, which they
fear is under threat from Zionist extremists.
They handed over a memorandum demanding that South Africa break off
diplomatic, trade and other ties with Israel because the Jewish state had
failed to end its brutal occupation of Palestinian territories.
They had also planned to march on the offices of the South African Jewish
Board of Deputies, but were told that the memorandum would not be accepted.
The march was in response to the May 16 arrest in Israel of two Jewish
extremists suspected of being part of a Zionist conspiracy to attack the
mosque.
Five years ago a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, contrary to
the wishes of the Palestinians, to the mosque in the Holy Sanctuary
contributed to the start of the intifada, the uprising that has claimed the
lives of thousands of people, most of them Palestinian.
"There are fanatics everywhere, be they the supporters of George Bush,
Sharon or Bin Laden," Shaheed Mahomed of the Anti-War Coalition told the
crowd of men, women and children holding placards that read "Al-Aqsa in
danger", "Hands off Iraq" and "Free Palestine".
"They should be isolated through a united front of workers of all religious
groups.
"The defence of the Al-Aqsa Mosque is a duty of everyone."
The march was organised by the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) and the Islamic
Unity Convention, which estimated there were 45 000 marchers. Police said
there were 10 000.
There were no incidents.
A memorandum was handed to deputy foreign affairs minister Aziz Pahad at the
gates of parliament.
Pahad undertook to submit it to Foreign Affairs Minister Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma and said: "I have just got back from Palestine, where 55
countries committed to building an international movement to support (peace)
in Palestine.
"I want to assure you that the government is committed to the just cause of
Palestine."
Earlier the Jewish Board of Deputies refused to accept the memorandum.
"We consider it most unfortunate that you seek to inflame division at the
very time that the Israeli and Palestinian leadership is seeking a peaceful
breakthrough in the historical impasse," the board's regional chairman,
Justice Dennis Davis, said in a letter to the MJC.
He said the board also wanted peace in the Middle East.
"This cannot be achieved by the propagation of falsehood. For all these
reasons, the board is not prepared to accept your memorandum."
Judge Davis referred the marchers to the Israeli embassy.
Sheikh Ebrahim Gabriels, president of the MJC and chairman of the United
Ulema Council of South Africa, said: "With our souls and with our blood we
will sacrifice ourselves for Al-Aqsa. Al-Aqsa belongs to all Muslims in the
world."
The march also featured anti-American and anti-British sentiment. US
President George Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon were denounced as "real terrorists".
"They are the real terrorists," said Gabriels. "We are people of peace, they
are the killers of the world. We don't fear to say these things, because we
don't fear to die."
Imam Shaniel Panday of Port Elizabeth scolded President Thabo Mbeki, saying
he had failed to stand up and fight for the Palestinian people who had stood
by him in the past.
"Our message is directed at the greater public of South Africa and to
President Thabo Mbeki particularly," Panday said.
"The Arabs stood with you (Mbeki) during the dark days of apartheid. You owe
the Arabs a debt. You owe it to us to cut ties with Israel."
* This article was originally published on page 3 of The Cape Times on
May 26, 2005
Cape Times
Published on the Web by IOL on 2005-05-26 06:41:00
C Independent Online 2005. All rights reserved. IOL publishes this article
in good faith but is not liable for any loss or damage caused by reliance on
the information it contains.
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