A PRESS STATEMENT

(For Immediate Release)

 

The United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) stands in full solidarity with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and the five accused activists in a legal action brought against them by Cape Union Mart and its CEO, Mr. Philip Krawitz.

 

We are deeply concerned by what clearly constitutes a SLAPP suit— a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation— aimed at suppressing constitutionally protected rights to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and public advocacy. This legal action appears to be a deliberate attempt to intimidate individuals and civil society organisations who have taken a principled stand against injustice, occupation, and what many human rights groups have described as acts of genocide in Gaza.

 

The ongoing boycott campaign is a legitimate and moral response to the catastrophic human rights violations taking place in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in general, and Gaza, in particular. The right to protest peacefully and to hold public and corporate entities accountable for their positions and affiliations is not only a democratic right but a moral imperative during times of global crisis.

 

The fact that Cape Union Mart and Mr. Krawitz acknowledge reputational and financial consequences is not an indictment of the protesters— rather, it is a testament to the power and effectiveness of principled, peaceful activism. The growing public demand for ethical accountability from corporations must not be stifled through legal intimidation.

 

UUCSA strongly affirms the legitimacy to call for the boycott of those who lend moral or material support to systems of oppression, colonial violence, and human rights violations.

 

We call upon all sectors of South African society — including civil society organisations, religious leaders, and legal advocates— to stand united against this attempt to weaponise the judiciary against the cause of human rights.

 

As South Africans who understand the bitter cost of apartheid, we declare: We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated. We stand with Palestine.

Released by:

Yusuf Patel (Moulana)
Secretary General

 

27 Dhu al Hijjah 1446 / 24 June 2025