By Iqbal Jassat
What game is Shamila Batohi playing with the farcical arrest of a 35 year old Muslim male on so called “terror financing” charges?
Media reports – some predictably bordering on sensational – have triggered alarmists who thrive on Islamophobia, to smugly say “I told you so”, implying that South Africa is a hot bed of “Islamists terrorists”.
What is usually obscured despite being extremely relevant is the fact that fuelling Islamophobia is part of Israel’s dirty political agenda.
The plot is simple:
*Identify and list opponents to apartheid Israel as terrorists.
*Obtain approval from the USA followed by having the relevant US State Agencies officially designate individuals and groups listed by Israel as terrorists.
This is hardly surprising nor shocking especially if one has regard for the genocide in Gaza.
Perpetrated by Israel with full American support – military, financial and political. And in contempt of UN Security Council resolutions.
The massacres committed in Gaza via US bombs have an ugly precedent: The War on Terror!
Dehumanise victims of mindless airstrikes by leaning on hateful Islamophobic rhetoric, and the rest is easy.
Not too long ago in a study conducted by Sarah Marusek of the University of Leeds, it was established that of the 60 known leading US charities or foundations that fund the Islamophobia industry, the data indicated that 45 of these also finance organizations that directly support Israel’s colonization of Palestine, particularly by funding Zionist colonies.
If indeed Batohi is seriously committed to prosecuting South African funders of terrorism, she’ll find no difficulty in locating pro-genocidaires within the apartheid Israel camp.
It may be appropriate to remind her in the event she’s unaware, that Israel’s leaders have arrest warrants issued against them by the International Criminal Court.
Wanted for war crimes yet those who support these criminals by funding a wide array of the regime’s illegal terrorist acts, including recruiting mercenaries in direct violation of the Foreign Military Assistance Act (FMAA), are immune from prosecution.
On the other hand in the matter of Ziyadh Hoorzook who is facing terrorism-related charges for allegedly donating a measly R11500 as charity to some group way back in 2017, one is entitled to ask whether the accused is being made an Islamophobic scapegoat?
“Cryptocurrency in the form of bitcoin worth R11 500 was allegedly purchased through Luno, a virtual asset service provider, via transfer of money from the accused’s bank account to Luno’s custody account on 30 November 2017.”
The charge is that on the same day (2017), bitcoin was reportedly transferred from Hoorzook’s Luno wallet to a wallet associated with an organisation that describes itself as “an independent charity”.
Sounds ridiculous?
Wait for more:
“During the search, it was also found two of his licenced firearms were not locked in a safe as prescribed by law.”
Eight years later all Batohi could find is that Hoorzook’s licensed firearms were not kept in an appropriate safe?
While I am hopeful that based on the flimsy charges made public via media reports, Hoorzook’s legal team will have no difficulty to have the case against him thrown out, I hope too that the US/Israeli hand will be exposed and discredited.
As a sovereign independent state, South Africa must resist America’s unilateral designation of groups and individuals as terrorists.
Our history is replete with examples of the manipulation by the apartheid regime to prescribe the freedom struggle as terrorist.
To ignore it will result in an abuse of law enforcement given that America’s decrees lack due process.
On the contrary, to turn a blind eye to those aiding and abetting the slaughter of Palestinians, is tantamount to a dereliction of duty on the part of Batohi.
Iqbal Jassat
Executive Member
Media Review Network
Johannesburg
South Africa
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- The American Government Should be in the Dock – Not Ziyadh Hoorzook - January 13, 2025