Priyanka
Share
South African Teacher Trims Religious Thread from a Hindu Student’s Wrist; The Community Seeks Justice
This hate crime happened in South Africa where a teacher is reported to have cut a Hindu student’s religious thread. Legal scholars point to precedent decision that has to do with rights of religious practices in school.
There is a sad story of a South African teacher who recently accused of cutting a Hindu student’s religious thread. Advocacy has been made based on precedents of case laws vouching for the religious freedom in school environment.
Johannesburg: A teacher of a school in South Africa removed strip of head from the wrist of a Hindu student of the school earning rebuke from the part of the community over the action described as insensitive and irresponsible. The Case occurred last week in Drakensburg Secondary School in KwaZulu Natal region.
The South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) has demanded an action from the authorities of the education institution after a teacher severed the strap of the religious round the wrist of a Hindu student arguing that the learning institution does not permit any jewelry bearing cultural or religious affiliation.
In a statement Health, the organisation Sa HIndu Muslim Sangam (SAHMS) condemned an educator with waving the cut off hair of a Hindu learner on social media without any caution and sensitivity.
Fairfax accused the organisation of practising religious intolerance in a school and said the organisation has further questioned the incident because the victim has not come forward to testify due to fear of victimisation.
This was echoed by the SAHSM president Ashwin Trikamjee who stated that the principal and the chairman of the school’s governing body informed him over the telephone that they both were Hindus.
“They were very defensive of not wanting any religious discrimination of their school alumni ever even saying that they too wore rings and strings on their hands but so far, we have not heard anything written on the matter,” He told Lotus FM Indian National Radio.
Trikamjee cited a previous case in South Africa where the highest court of the land, the Constitutional Court, allowed a Hindu lady student to be deprived from wearing a ring in her nose by her school. The court of law had acknowledged the fact that no person should be bar from practicing his or her cultural or religious beliefs.
From the sources, it was learnt that the event led to ethnic clash of the two religious denominations in the region.
Section 9 of the South African Constitution that is the Charter of Religious Rights and Freedoms outlaws discrimination in certain situations and one of those situations is discrimination based on religion. Through executive establishment, the government has developed the statutory Human Rights Commission and the Cultural, Religious and Language (CRL) Rights Commission to take appropriate measures whenever such discriminations are alleged.
Trikamjee also accused the education ministry of inadequately guiding the schools as to what is permissible and what is prohibited and that, therefore, the latter had no clear concept of promoting religious and cultural tolerance.
However, Muzi Mahlambi, the spokesman of the provincial DoE in KwaZulu-Natal where over two-thirds of Indians living in South Africa are domiciled is of a different opinion altogether.
The Department of Education’s policy states that the Constitution is the supreme law of the country, and any policy of the school that is contrary to the Constitution is prohibited, as cited in the radio station.
Mahlambi said that the department has directed the schools to reconsider and recodify the acceptable student behavior and other related policies to conform to the constitutional requirements. The rights of the student in relation to freedom of religious beliefs must not be infringed by any person, or punished for their religion.
Indian-origin South African CRL Commissioner Raj Govender said if anybody’s religious rights have been violated, he or she could contact the organisation.
This particular statement was made by one of the respondents provided that the ‘Cultural Recognition and Linguistic Commission’ of the school requires change of social policy that concerns cultural and/or religious provisions of the minority group.
Speaking of the racially sensitive issues that were occasioned by the incident at Drakensburg Secondary School, Govender noted that teachers should not display any bias. The article, she (the teacher), has done to the students and staff members if she is responsible for the above-said statements has grossly transgressed her mandate. He said that she has gone astray from being a teacher as expected.
