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Former South African president Nelson Mandela smiles as he leaves after casting his vote at a polling station in Houghton, Apr.22,2009 (Reuters photos) |
Fifteen years into democracy, South Africa experienced its fourth democratic elections.
While once again the African National Congress (ANC) is expected to win the majority of votes, numerous smaller parties have been trying to gain a foothold in respective communities.
One such a party is the Al-Jamaah party, a Muslim political party that was formed in 2007.
Previous Muslim political parties, namely the Islamic Party and the Africa Muslim Party failed to make inroads, and never won a single seat in South Africa's parliament in previous elections.
According to its manifesto, the Al-Jamaah party seems to have basic components to address pertinent issues.
Al-Jamaah pledges to address unemployment, education, and healthcare, which are some of the main concerns of all South Africans.
Some other issues that are outlined in Al-Jamaah's manifesto are:
• Muslim Personal Law.
• Better working conditions for Imams, Mu'adhins( callers to prayer), and janitors of mosques.
• Establishment of a pension fund for Imams, Mu'adhins and janitors of mosques.
• To ensure that South Africa complies more stringently with the United Nations Convention on Refugees.
• To ensure that South Africa prioritizes the plight of people living with disabilities.
According to Rafeek Hassan, a Muslim scholar and candidate from the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN), Al-Jamaah "is not marketing [itself] as a Muslim Party. It is a political party with Islamic values open to all."
He continued, "we want to show people that Islamic principles provide an alternative, and this has actually become clear with the economic crisis, and the subsequent paid attention to Islamic finance. We want people to know that Islam has a solution for the economy, health and education."
Al-Jamaah hopes to gain two seats in South Africa's national assembly and two seats in the Western Cape's province.
Hassan explained that due to Al-Jamaah having limited resources, and entering the campaign late, they have not had an opportunity to make an impact.
However, he is confident that the party will gain momentum in the coming years.
Is a Muslim Party Necessary?
| It would be a challenge for religious parties to appeal to voters outside their respective faith. |
South Africa is a secular democracy, which recognizes every religion, and guarantees the freedom of practicing any religion.
In spite of existing challenges, South Africa has a strong constitution that protects South Africans from any form of discrimination.
South Africa is a home to more than a million Muslims. Official numbers are hard to gauge, considering a steady increase in the number of Muslims among indigenous groups.
Although this may seem like a small number in a country of 47 million people, Muslims in South Africa are by no means an unobservable entity.
However, it is questioned whether it is necessary to have a Muslim party.
Lubna Nadvi, a lecturer in the Politics Department at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal (UKZN), said: "It is not necessary, but our democracy allows for various faith communities to express themselves through political parties."
"We [as voters, should] give our vote to the party that has the most potential of meeting its election promises, and not just because it represents our religion. What is most important is that a party must have impeccable morals, regardless of its religious or secular status," she continued.
Dr. Shuaib Manjra, a medical practitioner, echoed Nadvi's statements. "South Africa is a secular democracy and Muslims are part of its broad mosaic. Our national priorities have more in common with the general population than with minor special interests," Manjra reiterates.
"We should, therefore, be part of the existing social and political system — both in political society and civil society — rather than forming parochial parties/organizations with no history of struggle, democracy, popular momentum, or a constituency," said Manjra.
Dr. Sultan Khan, associate professor of sociology at UKZN said that a Muslim party "puts Muslims into a religious enclave".
It would be a challenge for religious parties to appeal to voters outside their respective faith.
Professor Suleman Dangor, from the School of Religion and Culture at UKZN, said that a Muslim party would be "inundated with Muslim issues, which will prevent it from making a substantial contribution to common causes, such as poverty eradication."
Similarly, Professor Adam Habib, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Johannesburg (UJ) said that it was "unlikely for [a Muslim] party to have broader [popular] appeal, and that religious parties have largely been unsuccessful."
Voting Behavior
| "The majority of Muslims voted for ANC in the first elections, but many might vote Congress Of The People (COPE) or Democratic Alliance (DA), as they are disillusioned with the inability of the ANC-led government to root out corruption and crime." |
South African Muslims are part of a diverse social structure, and are not a homogenous community.
"South African Muslims are fragmented, and can never be perceived to be homogenous. A Muslim party itself is problematic, [because] one may question who defines Islam," asserted Khan.
"There are many various ideological trends and groups that make this community very diverse," Nadvi believes. She continued that while some Muslims will vote for a Muslim party, many would vote for an "issues-based" party.
With such a diverse community, how would this define the voting pattern of South African Muslims?
Manjra stated, "Muslim voters vote just as others do — on class, racial, and other sociopolitical bases.
It is only religious sentiments that Muslim parties can only employ. Dangor expressed similar views adding: "This time around, it is a bit more difficult. The majority of Muslims voted for the ANC in the first elections, but many might vote for the Congress Of The People (COPE) or Democratic Alliance (DA), as they are disillusioned with the inability of the ANC-led government to root out corruption and crime."
In a paper written by Nadvi titled South African Muslims and Political Engagement in a Globalizing Context, it was noted:
[…] a political party that articulated itself along secular lines brought into power more Muslims than a Muslim political party.
[…] appealing to religious sentiments would not necessarily secure political support. It was precisely the ANC’s guarantee of [the] freedom of religious expression that made it arguably more popular among Muslim voters, albeit largely the Muslim middle class. (This is in reference to previous elections and not that of 2009.)
This guarantee of the freedom of religious expression has allowed Muslims to feel secure and assured of their rights.
Professor Habib said that the attitude of the South African government towards Muslims is "fundamentally different from that in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. South African Muslims have nothing to complain about."
On the same issue, Manjra said: "There is a lack of antagonism [against Muslims] seen in other countries. [Muslims are free to] practice their faith."
Integration
| "The lack of grass-roots activism within existing political and civil populations is demonstrated in a decrease of the numbers of elected officials." |
The shape of the Muslim community has been evolving since the end of the apartheid regime in 1994.
In some aspects, the community has not changed much, while in other aspects, Muslims have made positive changes.
Manjra says: "I do not believe we are more integrated, and this is a legacy of apartheid. While we have lived [in South Africa before other] immigrant populations […], our failure to integrate has been largely a function of the apartheid mindset, and [we] need to change this."
Dangor opines that Muslims have integrated well, and they are fairly prominent in the commercial, educational, and health-care sectors.
A similar view was expressed by Nadvi: "Within the conservative sector, there is a preference to remain largely within a Muslim enclave, and not to mingle/integrate with the broader society."
"But, there are many Muslims who have broken out of this pattern of thinking, and have successfully integrated into the broader society, largely because of work and professional networks, but also because of the changing social context of South African society," She continued.
A more critical Khan said that Muslims "live on an island", and that they share "superficial relationships" with other communities.
Regarding the future of Muslim participation, Khan sees that Participation without action is [quite similar to] no participation.
Manjra believes that "The lack of grass-roots activism within existing political and civil populations is demonstrated in a decrease of the numbers of elected officials. This needs to change with greater grass-roots activism."
South African Muslims generally have the same concerns like any other South Africans.
But, there is consensus that two aspects are of particular concern for South African Muslims: Recognition of Muslims' personal law, and the "impact of the Anti-Terrorism Bill on individual freedom," Dangor said.
In 2004, the South African government passed the Anti-Terrorism Bill. The South African Muslim community is recognized for its philanthropic work, and there was a concern that charitable work outside South Africa would be construed as aiding "terrorist" activities. While the government is aware of Muslims' charitable work, the Bill remains a matter of concern.
References:
- South African Muslims and Political Engagement in a Globalizing Context, Lubna Nadvi, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
- Al-Jamaah Manifesto, 2009.
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