A PRESS STATEMENT

In accordance with the tenets of Islamic Law, the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa takes the values of modesty, chastity and decency in very serious light.

 

It is our belief that the erosion of sexual morality and the rise of a culture of permissiveness, have contributed immensely, with disastrous consequences, to the basic institution of the family and gender relations, among other avenues. This has flowed to the detriment of general societal stability.

 

As a faith community, moral instruction, delivered traditionally through the home and religious schools, has proved sufficient for the purposes of sex education. To this extent, we are always apprehensive about, and concerned with the manner in which the liberal education establishment pervasively attempts to tamper with this sensitive subject in the classroom.

 

We have been following the recent developments and public debates around the changes that are said to be in the pipeline with respect to sex education within Life Orientation curriculum delivery. As a council of Muslim theologians, we will engage the relevant authorities in order to express our concerns and where necessary, put forward an alternative framework that would serve the perceived need prompting the current disquiet on this concern.

 

Issued by:

 

E.I. Bham (Moulana)
Secretary General

 

1 November 2019

 

The Jamiatul Ulama South Africa is a constituted body of Muslim theologians established in 1923 as Jamiatul Ulama Transvaal. It has since its inception served the socio-religious needs of the Muslim community residing in Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, Freestate and some areas of the Northern Cape. It has seven regional offices and six branch representatives. Its members serve as Imams in 90% of mosques in these areas.
Apart from running an institute of Islamic higher learning, it also has one hundred and forty (140) affiliate madaaris [junior religious schools] under its supervision. The fatwa [religious decrees] issued by the Jamiatul Ulama South Africa are considered to be authoritative and binding upon the Muslim Community.
It is also the founder member of the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA), which is a national umbrella body representing all major Muslim theological formations in the country.