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Muslim minds to engage Cape Accord

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Some of Cape Town’s leading Muslim thinkers and scholars will on Sunday engage in a dialogue on the much anticipated Cape Accord– a public statement calling for tolerance and unity in South Africa and the Muslim world. The Cape Accord embraces the spirit of the Amman Message signed in 2005 by more than 500 leading Muslim scholars worldwide, which aimed to capture Islam’s core values of compassion, mutual respect, tolerance, acceptance and freedom of religion. The Cape Accord calls on communities to unite against hate speech and discord and to promote intra-Muslim tolerance and cooperation.

The Cape Accord was conceptualized last year following a ground-breaking conference at the Masjidul Quds ‘An Ummah in Disarray’ in which speakers from a wide array of scholarship debated the current challenges facing the ummah.

Following that meeting, a group of scholars and organisations came together and formulated the Cape Accord – a document that aims to find common ground despite ideological differences. The Cape Accord is endorsed by the following organisations, among others: Madina Institute South Africa, International Peace College South Africa, Masjidul Quds in Gatesville, Claremont Main Road Mosque, Islamia College Cape Town and Jam Eyyatul Qurraa (JEQ).

Speaking to VOC on Friday, Masjidul Quds chairperson Sataar Parker urged the public to support the initiative.

“Let us embrace the values of the Cape Accord which means we can ‘agree to disagree’. But above all, we need to support steps towards unity, tolerance and reconciliation in the Muslim community.”
Parker said this was part and parcel of the Prophetic example. The tolerance that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had depicted in his time towards minorities is reflected in the following verse of Quran: “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” (Quran 109: 6)

The urgency to promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence in the Muslim community has been sparked by the concern that anti-Shi’a sectarianism is growing in South Africa. The follows a gruesome attack on the Imam Hussain Mosque in Verulam, outside Durban, a Shia mosque, which claimed the life of one person and injured two others. While authorities have not confirmed whether the crime was motivated by anti-Shiasm, the concern nevertheless prevails.

“The Muslim community of the Cape is a shining example of tolerance and understanding. Let us not import extremist problems from abroad. Let us show a sign of unity in the ummah of the Rasool (SAW).”

The Cape Accord will be presented to the public on Sunday 3rd June at Masjidul Quds after Thuhr. The event is open to the public. VOC


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4 comments

  1. We have the Quran and the Sunnah and the last sermon of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that speaks about equality and tolerance. Why exactly do we need this Cape Accord?

    Seems more like a sinister initiative so that the Deviant sects can practice and spread their devience without facing any public scrutiny from Sunni ulemaa. It is dangerous to tolerate the intolerable, that is how people with ISIS mentality will be allowed to fester if they are not called out by the rightly guided ulemaa.

  2. Its a great initiative. No one says give up what you believe in or stop following the madh-hab that you are comfortable with. BUT a call is being made to recognise that there are most certainly differences BUT more importantly, COMMONALITIES which should be the main focus. We should realise that there are Musilms who do things a bit differently. It is a fact. Also, ulama of different groups should be free to speak their minds, without leaving the listener with a feeling of hatred towards the other, branding them “kaafir”. They can be different but they are still MUSLIM. May Allah protect the ummah

  3. We have many different religions in our country and all practice it in peace.the really problem her is not shiasm itselt ,it’s the fact that they say what they do and how they practice, that that is islaam,so now it is not about excepting a religion in our community it’s about protecting the lifestyle of our prophet (sws) and his companions and that in itself is the most sensitive and most precious to every Muslim. so when you ask us to to lay down and to do nothing, it kills us more than can be expressed no matter how weak the Muslim.I can safely say that the is a way out ( but you not going to like it).

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