Promoting Inclusivity and Multiculturalism: The Role of Muslim Scholars in Cape Town's Community Peacebuilding
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37680/almanhaj.v6i2.6051Keywords:
Community Peacebuilding; Muslim Scholars; Maqāṣid Al-Sharīʿah; Political Crisis; Multiculturalism; South AfricaAbstract
Religion plays a significant role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding, as demonstrated during the July 2021 riots in South Africa, when religious leaders actively contributed to reducing violence, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. This study investigates the responses of Cape Town Muslim clerics and imams to the crisis through their sermons, focusing on their contributions to South Africa’s peacebuilding initiatives and the promotion of multiculturalism. Specifically, this study examines the Friday Nasiha (advice sermon) titled “Prayer Reflections on the Political Crisis of Our Country”, delivered by Imam Rashied Omer on Friday, 30 July 2021 (19 Dhul-Hijjah 1442) at the Claremont Main Road Mosque in Cape Town. Nasiha is analyzed within the framework of maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah (objectives of Islamic law) to evaluate its role in advancing peacebuilding efforts during the July 2021 unrest. Qualitative thematic analysis is used to explain how Islamic principles such as zakat (almsgiving) and ṣadaqah (charitable giving) address immediate socio-economic challenges and long-term structural justice. The findings underscore the role of religious leaders in times of conflict. The study concludes that Islamic teachings, when effectively applied in crisis situations, can significantly enhance peacebuilding efforts and support structural reforms in diverse societies.
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References
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Suprapto, S. 2015. ‘Religious Leaders and Peace Building: The Role of Tuan Guru and Pedanda in Conflict Resolution in Lombok–Indonesia’. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies 53(1):225–50.
Syarif, S., and S. Herlambang. 2023. ‘Building Peace through Qur’anic Interpretation in Muslim Communities in the Post-Conflict West Kalimantan’. Ulumuna 27(1):141–71.
Tohirin, Slamet. 2022. ‘Multiculturalism in the Perspective of the Quran and Sunnah’. Pp. 669–75 in International Conference on Islamic Studies (ICIS).
Umubyeyi, Beatrice, Oliver Mtapuri, and Maheshvari Naidu. 2020. ‘The Role of Religion and Religious Leaders in Marital Conflict Resolution: A Perspective of Congolese Migrants’ Families Living in Durban, South Africa’. The Family Journal 28(4):413–19. doi: 10.1177/1066480720904023.
Van Gorder, A. Christian. 2014. Islam, Peace and Social Justice: A Christian Perspective. James Clarke & Company.
Akbarzadeh, Shahram, and Joshua M. Roose. 2011. ‘Muslims, Multiculturalism and the Question of the Silent Majority’. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs 31(3):309–25. doi: 10.1080/13602004.2011.599540.
Al-Qazwini, Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Yazid. 1436. Sunan Ibn Majah Kitab Al-Fitan. Vol. 1.
Al-Shatibi, Ibrahim bin Musa. 2004. Al-Muwafaqat Fi Usul al-Shari’ah. Al-Ilmiyyah. Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah.
Al-Zarqa, Mustafa Ahmad. 1995. Al-Fiqh al-Islami Wa Madarisuh. Vol. 1. Dar al-Qalam / Damascus, Al-Dar al-Shamiyyah / Beirut.
Auda, Jasser. 2008. Maqasid Al-Shariah: A Beginner’s Guide. Vol. 14. International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT).
Burton, J. 1990. Human Needs Theory. London: Macmillan.
Chepkorir, B. C. 2019. ‘Approaches to Peacebuilding and Reconciliation in Areas Affected by Ethnic Conflicts within Kuresoi North-Nakuru Country Kenya (1992-2008)’. PhD Thesis, Kenyatta University.
Clark, J. N. 2011. ‘Religious Peace-Building in South Africa: From Potential to Practice’. Ethnopolitics 10(3–4):345–65.
Clarke, Ian. 2006. ‘Essentialising Islam: Multiculturalism and Islamic Politics in New Zealand’. New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies 8(2):69.
Esack, Farid. 2002. ‘An Islamic View of Conflict and Reconciliation in the South African Situation’. Pp. 290–97 in Religion, Conflict and Reconciliation. Brill.
Ghafari, Ali Akbar. 1992. Al-Usul Min al-Kafi [The Fundamentals of Al-Kafi]. Tehran: Dar Al-Kutub Al-Islamiya.
Griffith, Sidney H. 2007. The Church in the Shadow of the Mosque: Christians and Muslims in the World of Islam. Princeton University Press.
Hinkel, Thomas, and Bakary Fouraba Traore. 2020. ‘Mali’s Peace Networks: The Role of Islamic Religious Leaders in Conflict Resolution’. Conflict, Security & Development 20(3):401–18. doi: 10.1080/14678802.2020.1775999.
James, L. 2021. ‘Q&A Sessions: Establishing Gift of the Givers ‘was a Spiritual Calling’. Retrieved (https://mg.co.za/news/2021-04-29-qa-sessions-establishing-gift-of-the-givers-was-a-spiritual-calling/).
Kamali, MH. 2017. ‘Actualisation (Taf’il) of the Higher Purposes (Maqasid) of Shari’ah’. ICR Journal (Query date: 2023-07-04 14:56:27).
Kamali, Mohammad Hāshim. 1989. ‘Source, Nature and Objectives of Shari’ah’. The Islamic Quarterly 33:215–35.
Kamali, Mohammad Hashim. 2008. Maqasid Al-Shariah Made Simple. Vol. 13. International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT).
Kloster, Sven Thore. 2022. Religious Actors as Peacebuilders in Contexts of Violent Conflict: Jewish, Christian and Muslim Self-Understandings in Relation to Peacebuilding. Norwegian Church Aid.
Lederach, J., and K. Mansfield. 2016. ‘Strategic Peacebuilding Pathways’. Retrieved (https://kroc.nd.edu/alumni/strategic-peacebuilding-pathways/).
Modood, Tariq, and Fauzia Ahmad. 2007. ‘British Muslim Perspectives on Multiculturalism’. Theory, Culture & Society 24(2):187–213. doi: 10.1177/0263276407075005.
Mondal, Anshuman. 2008. ‘Multiculturalism and Islam: Some Thoughts on a Difficult Relationship’. Moving Worlds 8(1):77–94.
Montville, O. 1998. Conflict and Peacemaking in Multiethnic Societies. Lexington.
Murithi, Tim. 2006. ‘African Approaches to Building Peace and Social Solidarity’. African Journal on Conflict Resolution 6(2):9–33.
Onsati, C. K. 2014. ‘Religion, Gender and Peace Building in Africa; A Case Study of Kenya 2007/8’. PhD Thesis, University of Nairobi.
Onsati, Catherine K. 2014. ‘Religion, Gender and Peace Building in Africa; a Case Study of Kenya 2007/8’. PhD Thesis, University of Nairobi.
Phungula, Noluthando. 2024. ‘Understanding the Dynamics of South Africa’s July 2021 Social Unrest’. Journal of Nation-Building & Policy Studies 8(1):71–87.
Prieto Pérez, Fausto. 2023. ‘Religious Actors in Conflict Management: Where and How Can They Be Most Effective?’
Punt, J., and Conflict Peace. 1999. ‘Religion in South Africa: Biblical Problems, Possibilities and Prospects’’. Missionalia 27(3):263–98.
Robinson, Chase F. 2016. Islamic Civilization in Thirty Lives: The First 1,000 Years. Thames & Hudson.
Rosengren, K. E. 1981. Advances in Content Analysis. Vol. 9. SAGE Publications, Incorporated.
Sachedina, Abdulaziz. 2009. Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights. Oxford University Press.
SaferSpaces. 2006. ‘Peacebuilding in South Africa: A Brief Historical Overview’.
Samodien, I., and B. Al-Sowaidi. 2022. ‘Investigating the Experience of Muslim Widows in Cape Town: A Maqāṣid al-Sharīʿah Approach’. AL-WASAṬYYAH: IPSA Journal of Islamic Studies (1):101–26.
Shihan, Mohammad, Abdulhamid Mohamed Ali Zaroum, and Muhammad Amanullah. 2021. ‘Universal Maqāṣid Al-Sharīʿah and Their Modern Application: Towards Ensuring a Peaceful and Secured Environment’. AL-HIKMAH: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ISLAMIC STUDIES AND HUMAN SCIENCES 4(4):466–95.
Steen-Johnsen, T. 2020. ‘The Rhetoric of Love in Religious Peacebuilding’. Journal of Contemporary Religion 35(3):433–48.
Suprapto, S. 2015. ‘Religious Leaders and Peace Building: The Role of Tuan Guru and Pedanda in Conflict Resolution in Lombok–Indonesia’. Al-Jami’ah: Journal of Islamic Studies 53(1):225–50.
Syarif, S., and S. Herlambang. 2023. ‘Building Peace through Qur’anic Interpretation in Muslim Communities in the Post-Conflict West Kalimantan’. Ulumuna 27(1):141–71.
Tohirin, Slamet. 2022. ‘Multiculturalism in the Perspective of the Quran and Sunnah’. Pp. 669–75 in International Conference on Islamic Studies (ICIS).
Umubyeyi, Beatrice, Oliver Mtapuri, and Maheshvari Naidu. 2020. ‘The Role of Religion and Religious Leaders in Marital Conflict Resolution: A Perspective of Congolese Migrants’ Families Living in Durban, South Africa’. The Family Journal 28(4):413–19. doi: 10.1177/1066480720904023.
Van Gorder, A. Christian. 2014. Islam, Peace and Social Justice: A Christian Perspective. James Clarke & Company.
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Published
2024-12-14
How to Cite
Mohammed, T., Al-Sowaidi, B., & Muhammed, L. (2024). Promoting Inclusivity and Multiculturalism: The Role of Muslim Scholars in Cape Town’s Community Peacebuilding. AL-MANHAJ: Jurnal Hukum Dan Pranata Sosial Islam, 6(2), 415–434. https://doi.org/10.37680/almanhaj.v6i2.6051
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