A video posted on social media shows police entering a room where around 20 Muslims were praying
Police minister Bheki Cele on Sunday apologised for a “blasphemous” remark made to praying Muslims by a policeman enforcing coronavirus rules, which was also condemned by a leading Muslim organisation after being caught on video.
One of the police is heard saying “Are you bigger than the president? Is Muhammad bigger than the president?” Cele said in a statement he had “issued an apology to the Muslim community for the blasphemous remarks during the arrest”. The police, in a separate statement, said the say was “rather unfortunate and it is unacceptable that someone could make such an utterance”.The Jamiatul Ulama SA Council of Muslim Theologians said not only were the remarks “demeaning in the name of the prophet Muhammad”, but police entering a prayer room with “their heavy boots”, as seen in the video, was “distressing to Muslims who consider prayer places as sacred”.The incident, on Saturday in Mpumalanga, led to the arrest of 24 people.
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