Muslim Council offices in S. Africa set on fire

By M. S. Prabhakara

CAPE TOWN, SEPT. 20. The offices of the Muslim Judicial Council in Athlone, a predominantly ``Indian'' area of Cape Town, were set on fire by unidentified persons on Wednesday morning, damaging part of the building. According to an official of the MJC, petrol was poured on the wooden doors of the building which were then set alight. However, the caretaker who slept at the back of the building was awoken by the smoke and was able to stop the spreading of fire.

MJC officials link the incident to the ripple effects of the spreading anti-Muslim sentiments generated in the U.S. in the wake of last week's terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The attacks and the issues surrounding them have roused strong partisan passions in this country. The secretary general of the MJC, Mr. Achmat Seddick, attributed the attack to ``negative publicity'' about Islam and Muslims, stereotyping all Muslims as ``terrorists'', and the larger phenomenon of ``Islamophobia''. In a radio interview, Mr. Ebrahim Gabriel, president of the MJC, said the organisation had received several threats as well as hate mail.

Among others who visited the MJC office in the wake of the incident were the provincial Minister for Safety and Security, Mr. Hennie Bester, and an official from the U.S. consulate in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, the two brothers, Mr. Jaco and Mr. Christiaan Conradie, who allegedly circulated a hoax e-mail attributing its contents to a ``CNN news flash'' stating that the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, had implicated the South African Government in the terrorist attacks, are likely to be charged with sabotage under the Internal Security Act. One of the brothers is a computer programmer with Sanlam, the giant insurance firm.

This piece of mischief, described by the chief Government spokesperson as an act of ``financial terrorism'', brought the beleaguered rand under further pressure for a while. The two are out on bail for rands 10,000 each.

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Section  : International
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