In response to our Critique regarding the false claims of Mr.Ganief Hendricks, his secretary wrote:
The article under the headline: “AL JAMA-AH’s DECEPTION…” published in The Majlis, 5 Jamaad Ul Thaani 1444 invites a response to which we have a pleasure in doing so for your readers to get our perspective on the matter you raised in your newsletter.
We will not deal with the derogatory remarks raised by you against our Member of Parliament Hon Ganief Hendricks. As you are aware that it is a criminal offence to harm the dignity of and to impair a Member of Parliament from carrying out his responsibilities.
We wish to remind you that there was a Constitutional Court order that a Shari’ah Marriage is a valid South African Marriage.
Your newsletter has a responsibility for ethical, balanced reporting and to impart the proper propagation and understanding of matters.
I trust that you will out of all fairness consider publishing our response in The Majlis, InshaAllah.
(End of Al Jama-ah’s letter)
OUR RESPONSE
Besides saying that our article contained ‘derogatory remarks’, it is absolutely silent regarding our claims which are:
(1) Mr.Hendrick’s allegation that the government has recognized Shariah Law is false.
2) The claim that the government has recognized the Shariah consequences of Nikah is likewise false.
3) By making above claims, Mr.Hendricks is peddling deception.
It devolves on Al Jama-ah to provide the evidence for its false claims. The Constitutional Court’s ruling in no way whatsoever means that the government has recognized Shariah Law and that the Shariah’s consequences of Nikah and Talaaq have become law or are being recognized.
The claims made by Mr.Hendricks, to say the very least, are preposterous. It clearly shows that Mr.Hendricks does not know what he is speaking.
Your letter has not responded to any of the charges of The Majlis against Mr.Hendricks/Al-Jama ah.
Now all that is required from you is to present evidence for your claim that the government has recognized Shariah Law. Don’t present the drivel of the Constitutional Court’s ruling. Such ruling is not the recognition of Shariah Law by the government. We trust that you will apply your mind and respond intelligently. The court’s ruling issue is a silly red herring to convey a deceptive idea. Your letter is NOT a response to what we have said.
Shariah Law applies to every aspect of the Muslim’s life, from the cradle to the grave. The government has not recognized even an iota of Shariah Law. If Mr.Hendricks , due to lack of Shariah Knowledge, labours under the colossal misconception that Shariah Law is confined to Nikah, then even in this stupid, baseless misconception, the government has not recognized the Shariah’s Law pertaining to the consequences of Nikah and Talaaq.
Mr.Hendricks must consult lawyers to understand that the Constitutional Court’s ruling cannot be equated to the government having recognized Shariah Law. Even the court’s ruling around which Mr.Hendricks is gyrating does not conform to the Shariah.
Since Mr.Hendricks is incapable of providing the evidence for his claim, Al Jama-ah has to incumbently withdraw its false claim, viz., “The government has recognized Shariah Law.” Al Jama-ah must acknowledge that it has erred in having made this preposterous claim.
7 Jamaadith Thaani 1444 – 31 December 2022