The imamat at Masjidul Thani in Rocklands say they are shocked at the callous nature in which the masjid was burgled and vandalised yesterday. Burglars broke into the masjid in the early hours of Saturday morning, and left with the masjid’s computers, a video camera, sound equipment, two-way radios and some cash. The masjid’s imam Maulana Sabri Davids said the window frames, doors and the gates were damaged and the suspects bypassed the alarm system.
“They walked with their shoes on the carpet and threw my tafsir and hadith khitaabs on the floor. This is indeed a sad day,” he said.
The masjid is still busy assessing the damages, but estimates the loss to be around R20 000. While some community members have come forward to fix the structural damage, Davids said the masjid will have to consider more security.
“We don’t have any cameras inside the masjid, so we will look at installing some. If there is anyone willing to contribute towards this, we would be grateful.”
Davids believes the suspects may have been gradually building up towards a burglary as they had noticed attempts to gain access to the masjid.
Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) first deputy president Maulana Abdul Khaliq Allie said he was shocked by the incident, adding that it is the community’s responsibility to safeguard the masjid.
“It is a shame that our masaajid or places of worship are places of sanctity. Such violations are a serious concern.”
On Sunday morning, the Imamat Council of Mitchell’s Plain had a sitting with the chairpersons of the various mosques in Mitchell’s Plain and it was proposed that collective security be implemented at the masajid.
A case has been opened at the local police station for investigation, but there are no leads at this stage.
Anyone willing to assist the masjid can call Maulana Sabrie Davids on 084 844 0481 or the chairperson of the masjid, Haji Riefaat Harris on 078 133 9557. VOC
