The Muslim Judicial Council has slammed a US terrorist warning as “baseless” and only serving to paint targets on the backs of South African Muslims.
MJC spokeswoman Nabeweya Malick says “random warnings” like these could end up causing more harm than good.
This comes after the American embassy at the weekend issued a warning to US citizens in South Africa about imminent terror attacks at malls and tourist hotspots.
The US said in its alert that it had received information that radical Islamic terrorist groups were planning to attack “places where US citizens congregate in South Africa, such as upscale shopping areas and malls in Johannesburg and Cape Town” during Ramadaan, which started yesterday.
But Malick says the claims were baseless. She said the MJC regarded the lives of all people, including tourists, as important.
“Likewise, the well-being, dignity and safety of Muslims should also be taken into consideration prior to the issuing of terror alerts.
“Random warnings by the United States could result in Muslims being subjected to profiling, prejudice and Islamophobia.”
She added that the MJC had confidence in the South African State Security, which has said there was no need to panic.
Meanwhile, News24 reports that the US terror alert is the doing of a East African businessman living in South Africa.
A source said the businessman was believed to be a “discredited” informer who was only after the money he’d be paid for the information.