AV Mahomed resigns from council over alleged silence on Palestine crisis

DR AV Mahomed, the chairperson of the Juma Musjid, announced his immediate resignation from the KwaZulu-Natal Inter-Religious Council over its alleged silence on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine.

- NADIA KHAN

The council, of which Mahomed was a founding member, was launched in October 2007. The provincial body brings together various faith groups to address social issues and to promote interfaith dialogue. The council includes representatives from the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Bahai, African Traditional, and Nazareth Baptist faiths.

Mahomed, who resigned on Sunday, said the alleged dormant state of the council during the past four to six years had been laid bare by its inaction and indifference, particularly regarding the atrocities in Gaza.

“Tt is shameful that an institution claiming to represent religious leadership can remain silent in the face of such blatant inhumanity. How can we purport to uphold divine values, while ignoring the suffering of our fellow human beings? This is not just a failure of leadership, but a betrayal of faith itself.