A call for moral leadership in confronting the scourge of gang violence

We call for the establishment of a National Commission of Inquiry into Gang Violence and Crime, tasked with crafting a comprehensive, sustained, and justice-centred strategy, one that places at its core the dignity, safety, and flourishing of the people of the Cape Flats.

By IMAM DR ABDUL RASHIED OMAR

This is a text of the khutbah (sermon) delivered on Friday, July 4, 2025, at Claremont Main Road Masjid, Cape Town.

On Thursday, July 3, 2025, our Cape Flats community was once again devastated by a surge of senseless violence. In a single day, five lives were brutally lost, and seven others injured in gang-related shootings across Mitchells Plain.

These tragedies are not random; they are symptomatic of what some of us have described as a low-intensity war being waged across the Cape Flats

These were not isolated incidents, they are part of a deepening crisis that continues to plague our communities with alarming regularity and disturbing impunity.

The violence is neither new nor confined to Mitchells Plain. Just this morning, a young man was shot and killed in Salt River, marking the sixth shooting in Salt River over the past month, three of which have resulted in fatalities. And less than a week ago, on Saturday, June 28, 2025, eight people were gunned down in a mass shooting in the Kanana informal settlement in Gugulethu.

These tragedies are not random; they are symptomatic of what some of us have described as a low-intensity war being waged across the Cape Flats. It is a war that has spanned decades, and yet it continues to be met with inadequate and often indifferent responses from both provincial and national governments.

We condemn these heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. These acts of wanton violence are not merely criminal; they constitute a violation of the sanctity and sacredness of human life (hifz al-hayat), which our Creator has so profoundly honoured. Allah, the Lord of Compassion and Mercy proclaims in the Glorious Qur’an in surah al-Ma’idah, chapter 5, verse 32:

مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ

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فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا

‘Whoever kills a single human being without it being in retribution for a soul,

or for spreading corruption in the land,

it will be as if he has killed the entire of humankind’

And in surah al-Isra’, chapter 17 verse 70:

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آَدَمَ

‘Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam.’

These are not merely crimes against individuals; they are an assault on our collective dignity, our communal well-being, and our shared sense of security.

We, therefore, call upon civil society organisations, religious leaders, and all people of conscience to rise up and confront this scourge of gangsterism that is stealing the futures of our youth and tearing apart the social fabric of our neighbourhoods. Let us rise, not in fear or vengeance, but in moral courage and spiritual solidarity, to resist the scourge of gangsterism that is robbing our youth of their God-given potential and endangering the safety of our entire community. Gangsterism is not merely a law enforcement issue; it is a moral crisis, one that demands a unified, principled response from every sector of society.

In this regard the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s everlasting peace and blessings be upon him) has taught us in a prophetic tradition (hadith):

مَن رَأَىٰ مِنكُم مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ

فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَٰلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ

‘Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then with his tongue. And if he is unable, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.’

[The above hadith was narrated by the companion Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, and can be found in the collection, Sahih Muslim, hadīth no. 49]

This noble ḥadith reminds us that inaction is not a morally neutral stance. Each of us bears a responsibility, within our capacity, to challenge injustice and promote the common good.

We lament, too, the silence and inaction of those in power. Their failure to prioritise the human security of our people has enabled the normalisation of violence in our communities.

We lament, too, the silence and inaction of those in power. Their failure to prioritise the human security of our people has enabled the normalisation of violence in our communities. We refuse to accept that children must grow up with trauma, that mothers must bury sons and daughters shot dead on the streets, or that gang territories should define the geography of our lives. Despite recurring bloodshed and cries for help, the communities of the Cape Flats remain marginalised and under-resourced. Decades of spatial apartheid have been followed by democratic neglect. Investment in community safety, youth development, mental health services, education, and housing remains woefully inadequate. Instead of addressing the root causes of violence, poverty, inequality, broken homes, unemployment, and a lack of opportunity, our government often responds with militarised policing and short-term task forces. These reactive measures fail to grasp or redress the systemic crisis at hand.

We must demand more action from our local and national authorities. It behoves all of us, especially those of us who live comfortable lives, seemingly far away from the violence other communities experience, to stand up for justice and support the call for action to make all our communities safe sanctuaries where families and youth can thrive.

We, therefore, call for the establishment of a National Commission of Inquiry into Gang Violence and Crime, tasked with crafting a comprehensive, sustained, and justice-centred strategy, one that places at its core the dignity, safety, and flourishing of the people of the Cape Flats.

We demand that our communities no longer be treated as peripheral zones, but as fully entitled citizens, deserving of the same justice, security, and peace promised to all under our constitutional democracy.

May Allah, the Lord of Compassionate Justice, grant patience (sabr) and healing to the families of the victims and guide our community towards peace, safety and justice. Allahumma Amin

Mitchells Plain Imams and CPF add their voices

This post was updated to include statements from the Imamat Council of Mitchells Plain (download here) and the Mitchells Plain Community Policing Forum (download here).