Submitted by Julie Posetti
“Our Muslims are well behaved and respected … they aren’t like yours.” This was the patronising response I received from one South African when I outlined my research into media coverage of Muslim women in Australia. And, it’s a theme that’s been echoed in conversations with more informed South Africans, with the role of the Muslim middle-class in the South African economy and the anti-apartheid struggle highlighted as underpinnings for the comparatively high status of Muslims in this country.
In Australia, Muslims and Middle Eastern immigrants are the focus of intense religious bigotry, xenophobia and racism. Driven by the politics of fear, fanned by the conservative Bush-aligned Howard government in the aftermath of 9/11, mainstream Australia has ostracised and vilified Muslims. Female adherents — many of whom are recognisable by their religious head covering — have become the brunt of much negative exposure and Muslims generally are treated by the media and the public with suspicion. There is a constant association between Islam, crime and terrorism in my country, which makes being a Muslim shorthand for being threatening, non-conforming and untrustworthy.
So, it was with great interest that I attended Professor Abdulkader Tayob’s (NRF chair in Islam, African publics and religious values at the University of Cape Town) Winter School address in Grahamstown. Titled Islamic Politics: Between Identity and Utopia, Tayob took a fresh look at Muslim and Islamic politics.
He was careful to distinguish between Muslim politics, which he defined as the role of Muslims in mainstream politics — often associated with the left — and the concept of Islamic politics, which he described as religiously derived and generally conservative.
Rooted in post-Iranian Revolution (1979) radical Islamic ideology, Islamic politics in South Africa, he said, is largely conservative. Tayob highlighted the impact of global Islamic struggles on South African Muslim causes and pointed to pre-9/11 mobilisation on issues such as Palestine as evidence of conservative and militant characteristics of Islamic politics in South Africa. And, he said, 9/11 set the tone for perceptions of closer associations between radical global Islamic movements such as al-Qaeda and South African groups such as Qiblah and Pagad.
But Tayob argued that such narrow characterisations of Islamic politics, seen through a global filter, “do a great injustice to South African Islam”. He believes a different analytical approach is required — to delve behind the headlines, “not to deny the threat of Islam or show Islamic politics as identical to liberal politics but to appreciate real concerns and prospects”.
In a case study of a key debate among progressives and conservatives within Islamic politics in South Africa, Tayob pointed to an unexpected openness to liberal rights and a willingness, even by conservative Islamic scholars and religious leaders, to engage with the South African Constitution.
Julie Posetti teaches journalism at the University of Canberra. She is a visiting teacher at Rhodes University during the National Arts Festival
I grew up and lived in the Western Cape. I worked with South African Muslims. They have NOTHING in common with the patriarchial conservatives of some Muslim countries – where women can’t even vote or drive a car, and Paghad (which was an anti-crime and anti-drug movement) has NOTHING in common with al-Qaeda!
One of my Muslim friends explained many years ago the differnce between patriarchial Muslim societies and ours.
Just one example. According to her very few South African Muslims had more than one wife because their modern Imams interpreted the Q’ran differently. Apparently the prophet Mohammed said that Muslims could have up to 4 wives PROVIDED THAT they treated them all the same. Modern South African Imams were interpreting that as meaning only one wife – because it was impossible for a man to treat two or more women the seame.
people so say “south african muslims are nicer/better” should be shown the little history lesson that leads to it — namely, muslims have been here nearly since the beginning of the “cape province” and while it may not have had an equal legal stand while the VOC was running the show, they weren’t subject to things like pogroms like european jews were.
now, many of the muslims here were slaves, indentured servants and political prisoners [remember, the first copy of the koran in afrikaans was written on robben island by the tuan guru], but it was more racial and/or personal and not religious.
equal [often better] access to the right to make a living/economy than the “native” population very nicely corroborates to a desire not to blow shit up. it’s not that difficult to put together.
what is known worldwide as “islamic fundamentalism” is people using anger to take out their economic frustrations, that is, lack of access by their own governments, outside governments, or both to the world economy and the pent-up rage needs something to do to.
it makes the almohad and the almoravid eras seem pretty nice in comparison.
where would “western” society be if much of the “roman” and “african” knowledge weren’t locked up in toledo and baghdad for a couple of hundred years, transcribed into hebrew, arabic and spanish [using latin, hebrew and arabic script to write in all three lanugages]?
something i think cape town could pull off another convivencia — even jaded me gets a doubletake running into muslims called goldberg in cape town — but the political wankery from above is very likely to keep it from happening.
actually, lyndall, the patriarchy is similar; it’s the access to the economy which is different.
the prophet mohammed[swh] said that a man can indeed have up to 4 wives not provided he can treat them the same, but provided he can afford them. there’s a major semantic difference there. however, the reality is that very few men can afford more than one either way.
it really is about the politics. honest.
[but here's another way that the "muslims" both domestic and imported are feeding into the xenophobia: for some odd reason, they tend to want to hire people who don't drink alcohol. you can see where this is going already, right? all over my neighborhood employers called "moegamat", "rashida", and "moegsien" are putting up flyers looking for staff with "sober habits". matric isn't necessary, but sober habits are. oops. ]
Mundundu
Can you give me the actual wording of the text from the Q’ran and the verse number.
I have always wanted to know it.
I wonder what the comparison is between discrimination against Yolgnu (aborigines) and Muslims, in Australia?
Let alone that they walk about without lots of clothes on, which is offensive in Muslim culture.
Or has it apparently not occured to the writer, as another example of absolutely everybody ignoring the Natives in Australia.
And then claiming that they are being discriminated against, since they have no idea of what that actually is in comparison to the Natives.
I wonder which the Yolgnu, dressed traditionally in almost nothing, find most offensive, a Whiteman telling him to cover up because its indecent according to the Bible, or a Muslim telling him to put a shirt on because is immoral acording to the Koran?
PAGAD was a horrible org. They were a violent bunch that went about with their uncivillised mob courts.
They also were into burning people..good thing they gone. They made me sick to my stomach..bunch of cowards!!
Lyndall, Mundundu
it is verse 3, chapter 4- i’ve included an excerpt of the verse “….marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that you cannot do justice (to so many)then one (only)…”
Obviously this has to be read in context with both the preceding and subsequent verses as well as the theme of the Koran. the requirement for additional wives would therefore go beyond treating them the same or even merely being able to afford it. It would go to the concept of justice as elucidated in the Koran.
Khathutshelo
I don’t remember Pagad burning anyone. I don’t say you are wrong. I was not keeping up much with the news in those days – I had major problems I was coping with.
But can you give a reference please?
As I remember it Pagad made it’s media “debut” by shooting and then setting alight the gangster/drug dealer Staggie. It was their most famous incident.
Sissors
Interesting. With all these journalists on Thoughtleader surely SOMEONE can give us the facts?
Mundundu
Back in the 1970s a pal at work explains to me why South African Muslims usually only have one wife. You say she is wrong. Now you don’t spit out the verse from the Q’ran? How can we believe you?
Give us the reference please?
“it is verse 3, chapter 4- i’ve included an excerpt of the verse “….marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four; and if ye fear that you cannot do justice (to so many)then one (only)…”
This is a complete wrong translation. The arabic does not say this. This is an interpretation by 8th century bigoted males who interpreted that verse with a male testerone filled head.
If one studied Quraish which is the dialect of arabic in which the Prophet was born, then you will agree with this understanding of this verse that there is no allowance for more than one wife unless it is a situation of emergency. This applies only when there is over abundance of widows and orphans. The injunction starts in verse 4:2 and continues on in 4:3.
4:2 Orphans in the community are like your family members (33:5). Be vigilant in guarding their rights (4:127). Protect their property honestly, and give it to them when they have come of age. Exchange not their valuables with your
worthless items, nor consume their property by combining it with yours; doing such would be a grave offense.
4:3 If you fear that the society shall not be able to do justice with orphans, (as may happen in times of war and political turbulence, the government shall announce a state of Emergency). In order to accommodate widows and orphans, men of sound finances and character shall be encouraged to marry these widows; two, three, and four (4:127). If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly, then you must not take additional wives, and may continue with what you already have (4:129). This will prevent injustice and financial hardship.
(Second marriage during peace time is a FRANK violation of the Qur’an).