Blood spattered on walls, pulpit of Cape Town mosque in second attack

10 January 2017

Cape Town – The desecration of another Cape Town mosque was on Tuesday described by its imam as a spiteful act meant to provoke.

Blood was found spattered on the walls and pulpit of Masjidul Jamiah in Kalk Bay on Monday morning and items inside the mosque lay scattered after vandals struck overnight.

Imam Achmat Sity told News24 the damage was discovered by the mosque's caretaker at 03:45 when he opened for first prayers.

"This mosque has been here for over 100 years and this is the first time such a spiteful act has happened. Nothing was stolen," he said.

Vandalism complaints have been lodged with the police.

The mosque is a heritage site which was founded in 1898. It was renovated last year.

Sity suspects the desecration could be related to an incident in Simon’s Town on Saturday, in which a pig snout and blood were left on the doorstep of a mosque.

The act came days after Liam Ferreira of Langebaan was lambasted on social media after he called for a mosque to be burnt down in a Facebook post complaining about the Muslim call to prayer, which is made five times a day over speakers.

"I think it's a crime that no one is standing up to those Muslim bastards blaring their call to pray 5 times a day over massive speakers," he posted.

"Why do i need to put up with an Arabic tradition created in the dessert [sic] thousands of years ago."

He ended his post by declaring: "Stand up for yourselves!!! Burn it down!!!"

Ferreira later apologised for his rant, and condemned the desecration of the Simon's Town mosque on Facebook.

Sity said the Muslim community in Kalk Bay has good relationships with other religious groups in the area.

"I don't know who would do such a thing or what they are trying to prove. But I do hope that [the vandals] are revealed," he said.

Sity called on the Muslim community to "keep calm" because the culprits "are trying to provoke us".

This article first appeared on News24, see here.