If this police officer had been making arrests at a church and said something that Christians regarded as blasphemous, would it have become a much-covered news item, and would the Police Minister have apologized? What do you think?
“SAPS orders probe into officer who made demeaning remarks about Muhammad,” by Charles Cilliers, The Citizen, April 25, 2020 (thanks to Damian):
The suspects were in a building in Pretoria West on Friday where they had been found praying, allegedly in breach of lockdown regulations. The men were released on bail on Saturday.
The SA Police Service (SAPS) has ordered an investigation into finding out who insulted the Islamic Prophet Muhammad on Friday in Pretoria.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo has reportedly said that the utterances were both unfortunate and unacceptable and police management had ordered for the male officer responsible to be held to account.
In a statement on Saturday evening, the Council of Muslim Theologians Jamiatul Ulama also said they had been left “appalled” at what they had seen in a video being widely circulated since Friday after the SAPS stormed a prayer gathering and arrested 17 men.
In the video, the group of Muslims can be seen at Friday prayers ahead of Ramadan with no one observing any social distancing measures….
Controversially, one of the officers can then be heard challenging the worshippers with a comment asking: “Are you bigger than the president? Heh? Or Muhammad is bigger than the president?”
Jamiatul Ulama secretary-general EI Bham said in a statement that they accepted the officers had had a right to enforce the law, but they found the “abusive and heavy-handed nature of the SAPS officers … unacceptable”.
“Apart from the verbal abuse which is demeaning of the name of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the SAPS officers are also seen entering the prayer room in their heavy boots. Such images are distressing to Muslims who consider prayer places sacred and entered upon only without shoes.”…
They called on the SA Human Rights Commission and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate the officers’ conduct.
“Cele apologises for police’s blasphemous comment about Prophet Mohammed during mosque bust,” by Riaan Grobler, News24, April 26, 2020 (thanks to Damian):
Police Minister Bheki Cele has issued an apology to the Muslim community for blasphemous remarks made during the arrest of congregants in Mpumalanga.
He said the incident was “a matter that is currently under an urgent investigation by the SAPS to establish the identity of the person behind such sacrilege”.
Cele said he wished to emphasise that police have a constitutional obligation to enforce the laws of the country, a duty to be executed within the confines of the same laws, applied with no prejudice against any gender, race or creed.
He was reacting to a video which circulated on social media at the weekend in which police are seen entering what appears to be a mosque, seemingly hurling abuse at congregants who are ordered to lie on the floor.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has vowed to crack down on illegal alcohol sales – and booze shop raiders, who have struck since lockdown began. Cele visited Paarl and Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs on Saturday on a tour to inspect shopping precincts.
In the video, a man asks congregants: “Are you bigger than the president? Is Mohammed bigger than the president?”
The Council of Muslim Theologians, Jamiatul Ulama South Africa, has condemned the police’s “abusive tactics”, saying that the verbal abuse of the Prophet Mohammed, as well as police entering the prayer room with their boots on, were “distressing to Muslims”.
It urged the South African Human Rights Commission and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate the incident, while calling on Muslims to observe the regulations of the national Covid-19 lockdown….
The video in question was not taken in Pretoria West as earlier believed, but in Mpumalanga. In an updated statement issued on Sunday, national police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo said that there were indeed two separate incidents where Muslim congregants were found by police to be contravening lockdown regulations….
Naidoo said the comments about the Prophet Mohammed are “unfortunate and unacceptable”….
Martin says
video -Pretoria – police storming into the mosque
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ_yHsQrPTQ
CogitoErgoSum says
We are from the government and are here to help you.
gravenimage says
I’m actually glad they are arresting Muslims for crimes.
CogitoErgoSum says
But they are acting like bullies. Bullies rile me.
gravenimage says
I take your point, CogitoErgoSum–South African police have seldom been know for friendly behavior. But Muslims are the biggest bullies of all.
AnnChristine says
Absolutely ridiculous—— As if Islam is the most important thing in the World——The Moslem would like to think so—–But it will never be so——-They are only good for trying to destroy the Opposition—– Meaning other Religions…..
FYI says
“blasphemed against muhammed”?
Wait a minute:how can blasphemy be against a..man?
Is muhammed ABOVE God then?It seems so
Shuhada ver 2:
There is no god allah;That’s just muhammed’s sock puppet
muhammed is the god of islam.
Some remarks about muhammed {…all from islamic sources..}
1]He even admitted he was a false prophet:al tabari 6:111
2]He doesn’t actually qualify as an authentic prophet according to.. the koran{k45:16}
The right of prophethood was bestowed upon the “children of Israel”:muhammed,laughably, wasn’t from the children of Israel..
3]”the perfect man”?Well he certainly did not have the physique of a Hercules{Abu Dawud 40:4731}did he?
4]”The prophet can neither read nor write” koran 7:157
This fact does not stop allah{or muhammed’s sock puppet} from telling muhammed
“We shall make thee READ o muhammed so that thou shalt not forget” koran 87:6
5]Aisha said to muhammed “you have made us equal to the dogs and asses” Sahih Muslim 4:1039.Given islam hates dogs we can be sure that,contrary to what islamic apologists and their Arab-funded western academics teach,muhammed was NOT a feminist .
6]muslims fly into a rage at what they perceive as any attempt to ridicule muhammed.
Question:How did muhammed travel from mecca to Jerusalem{to visit that mosque.. you know the one which didn’t exist in muhammed’s time}?
Answer:on buraq,his winged magical FLYING DONKEY with a woman’s face and peacock tail.I mean that wouldn’t ridicule muhammed would it?A Unicorn is more of a possibility than mo’s flying donkey isn’t it?
Templer says
I will blasphemagains Mohamed a pedo santic son off satin hrs is burning in covered in pigs blood peon santic cullt
Battle says
The usual Islam Moslem bull.
Robert Spencer is correct: If a church and the question was “Is Jesus bigger than the president?” would not make the news.
Robert Spencer hits nail on head again.
gravenimage says
South Africa: Police Minister apologizes for cop who blasphemed against Muhammad during arrest at mosque
………………
More cringing dhimmitude.
infidel says
Playing victims once again after breaking the law and doing the crime…
somehistory says
Only God and His Holy Spirit can be blasphemed. When non-moslims “apologize” for themselves, or another person, for saying something that moslims consider “blasphemy,” they are elevating the fake “prophet” and the fake ‘god’ of islam above the role that these entities ‘play.’
These ones apologizing are elevating the fake ‘prophet’ and the fake ‘god’ of islam to the Supreme Level of God…and that is a true blasphemy.
The fact that people regularly “apologize” when the Truth has been spoken, means that no one can tell the Truth any longer without being condemned by those apologizing, forcing others to apologize or lose their jobs…or both.
It sounds as though the officer who asked the questions will lose his job, and maybe his freedom. He certainly has lost his freedom to speak.