Muslims reject anti-Hindu DVD

[Guest guest]

South African Muslims reject anti-Hindu DVD

By Fakir Hassen, Indo-Asian News Service

 

Durban, March 12 (IANS) South African Muslim leaders have dissociated

themselves from an anti-Hindu DVD being circulated by the son of a

well known Islamic evangelist.

 

The DVD is being circulated by Yusuf Deedat, son of firebrand Islamic

preacher Ahmed Deedat, who died last year after a long illness.

 

 

Muslims here said Yusuf Deedat was just seeking to gain publicity

from the DVD, taken from his father's earlier videotape denouncing

South African Hindus.

 

 

The elder Deedat caused a stir in the early 80's when he released a

video in which he criticised South African Hindus for praying to

their various deities and being easily moved to convert to

Christianity.

 

 

Deedat senior also said in the video that Indian Muslims

were 'fortunate' that their Hindu forefathers 'saw the light' and

converted to Islam when Muslim rulers dominated some areas of India.

 

 

At the time, Deedat senior, as the head of the Islamic Propagation

Centre International (IPCI), largely funded by Arab donors, was an

internationally respected figure who had debated religious issues

with such figures as Pope John Paul and Christian evangelist Jimmy

Swaggart.

 

 

Bu while even South African Hindus and Christians had respected his

oratory skills and arguments until then, they rejected Deedat and

united with other South African Muslim organisations in denouncing

his attacks on other religions in this way.

 

 

After Deedat senior fell ill ater, Yusuf Deedat took over the reigns

of the IPCI, but left after a bitter power struggle within the

organisation.

 

 

Using new technology, Deedat has now made available free of charge

copies of his father's original video on DVD rather than video tapes.

 

 

While Hindu community leaders have largely ignored the DVD release to

avoid giving it further credibility, Deedat has come under serious

fire from local Muslims, including the organisation he once headed.

 

 

The IPCI said in a statement that Yusuf Deedat did not represent the

organisation in any way.

 

 

IPCI attorney Suleman Lockat said the organisation was confident that

Hindus would reject Deedat's 'tactics because they know where he

comes from.

 

 

'He does not have a constituency and he does not have the support of

the community on this DVD issue.'

 

 

Vision 20/20, a mainly Muslim community-based organisation as well as

the Sunni Ulema Council of South Africa (Council of Theologians),

have also rejected Deedat's actions.

 

 

But Deedat was undeterred by the opposition from within his own

community, claiming that they were 'feeling emotional because of the

cartoon issue'.

 

 

Deedat was referring to the publication of cartoons of the Prophet by

a Danish newspaper that has caused worldwide reaction.

 

 

Deedat said that while the Muslim community was engaging in media

efforts to shun him, they would be 'kissing me in the mosques'.

 

 

Despite the calls for him to refrain from distributing the DVD's,

Deedat has placed advertisements in newspapers inviting anyone to

collect a free copy from his residence to see for themselves what the

controversy is about.

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