Pupils abducted by state officials in Wasbank

Sir,
Abduction of children is not the speciality of Boko Haram in Nigeria. It has happened here in South Africa just a week ago. The drastic, draconian and over-zealous action taken by the Department of Social Development in Wasbank smacks of religious intolerance, and is an apparent move to curtail the spread of our culture among those who have freely accepted to embrace it. Hundreds of schools throughout our country have sub-standard facilities, yet they are not compelled to close; the law in this case is not followed to the letter simply because, practically, it is better to have some education rather than none. Furthermore, in the school scenario, the sheer number of children in classes (in some case forty, fifty or more) is hugely problematic, yet the schools can run! The law is not applied in these cases!
Now, when people who have willingly embraced a culture who dwell in poor townships, shacks and squatter camps send their children to an institution which houses, clothes, feeds and teaches them what they have chosen to learn, the law is thrown at them to the letter. This is a clear sign of double standards and a hidden agenda against the chosen culture, which is Islam. Surely a better approach to remedy the apparent breaches of law could have been taken. But the children have been abducted and sent apparently to a Christian missionary home: why a Christian missionary home for children who are Muslim?! Since the ‘kidnapping’ the parents have been denied access to their children, yet maximum security prisoners are allowed visitors! These are scare tactics to frighten rural parents into giving up their chosen way of life. One parent, after being interviewed by the Department of Social Department, said Islam was likened to Boko Haram, and asked to revert to Christianity.
Religious intolerance will lead to greater social turmoil… Live and let live! Scholars of Truth – Lenasia