We refer to the Resolution on Myanmar at the Third Committee of the 72nd United Nations General Assembly held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 16th November 2017 in which South Africa abstained from voting.

The undersigned organisations as well as our community express our absolute disappointment and shock that our government, given our history and how world outrage was instrumental in bringing down the Apartheid regime, chose to remain silent by abstaining when what was needed was a loud shout, a loud scream in the name of human rights, compassion and mercy.

No rationalisation by the Government can explain or even attempt to justify South Africa’s abstention and if this was done to pacify the BRICs partners then what else will be done to satisfy them against the interest of South Africa and South Africans.

Words cannot express the anger our community feels at the Government over this dereliction of human rights duty.

When South Africa voted with the United States for the Resolution, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973which authorised the de facto invasion and occupation of Libya we had hoped that a lesson had been learnt about voting for block interests and yet it seems our government, our cabinet and our international affairs department has learnt nothing.

The scale and pervasiveness of the genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya people is common cause and undisputed. This is occurring without any provocation or any justification, “not even the usual political ones created to rationalise or justify an extermination of a people.”

ENDORSED BY:

  1. HUDA SA
  2. IMAM DEVELOPMENT SA
  3. AL KAUTHAR INSTITUTE
  4. MERCY MISSION SA
  5. DEEN CLASS
  6. CHATSWORTH ISLAMIC FEDERATION
  7. CLAREMONT ROAD MASJID
  8. WOMEN’S CULTURAL GROUP
  9. @PROTECTTHEROHINGYA
  10. MUSLIM VISION 2020
  11. DARUL IHSAN
  12. ISLAMIC FORUM
  13. MSA UNION
  14. ASLAM VALLEE
  15. SALIM GOGA
  16. IMAM DR. RASHIED OMAR
  17. HAFEZ M.S. SAEED
  18. MRS. ZULEIKA MAYET
  19. DR. I MOOSA
  20. ADV. SHABNAM MAYET
  21. KHATIJA LOCKHAT