Media Release: Muslim delegation meets leadership of State Security Agency

4 February 2010 

A group comprising of 12 members of the Muslim community today met with three leadership figures within South Africa’s intelligence community, representing both the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the South African Secret Service (SASS). 

The 12 were drawn from a number of organisations within the Muslim community, including the ‘ulama, legal, academic and media fraternities. Organisations represented at the meeting included the United Ulama Council of South Africa, Muslim Judicial Council, Jamiatul Ulama, Sunni Jamiyat-e-Ulama, the Muslim Lawyers’ Association and the Somali Association of South Africa. The meeting was initiated by Ebrahim Patel, who requested the State Security Agency (SSA) – which encompasses NIA and SASS – to meet with a delegation from the South African Muslim community to discuss what he called a “campaign to spread fear in South Africa through rumours of a terror threat to the Soccer World Cup”. 

The two-hour-long meeting discussed security matters in general and, especially, recent media reports about a “Muslim terror threat” to the Soccer World Cup.

The meeting focussed on where these allegations were emanating from and the sources informing this narrative which aims to alienate and demonise Muslims. Of particular concern was the work of agent provacateurs who are involved in an apartheid style campaign of disinformation.  

 The difficulties experienced by members of the Somali community were also discussed in the wake of rumours and news reports about such alleged threats and allegations of ‘Al-Qaeda’ cells in South Africa. 

The discussions were amicable and both parties agreed that it was essential that the holding of the World Cup not be marred by any terrorist activity. The Muslim delegation made it clear that, as far as it was concerned, there was no terror threat to the World Cup and that both the rugby and cricket world cup events went off peacefully in South Africa. They emphasised the need to be alert to the agenda of the US led “war on terror” and how certain allies in this coalition would like to see destabilisation in Southern Africa.

Both parties agreed on the importance of channels of communication to be kept open between SSA and the Muslim community, and the Muslim delegation said it could serve as a liaison between the intelligence services and the community. Muslim delegates also expressed the concern that the spurious “terror threat” campaign was itself spreading fear within South Africa and that it was promoting the objectives of another agenda.

Ebrahim Patel said that he hoped this initiative would become inclusive of the spectrum of role players within the Muslim community and would be able to proactively engage with the state on matters of security for 2010 and beyond.