SAMNET responds to KZN school suspending student with beard

The South African Muslim Network responded to news of Greytown High School suspending a student for growing his beard for religious purposes.

Sep 6, 2022 - 12:00
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SAMNET responds to KZN school suspending student with beard

The South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) has responded to an incident where a Grade 11 student was suspended from school for growing a beard for religious purposes.

Muslim organisation SAMNET to take Greytown High School to court

SAMNET says that people should not have to resort to courts for their religious practices to be respected. SABC News reported that the organisation would be taking Greytown High School to court over the incident.

The KZN-based high school reportedly suspended the pupil over his beard. Alislam.org reports that Muslim men seek to follow the example of the Prophet of Islam who had a beard and wore a turban. Growing a beard is a symbol of devotion for many Muslim men.

The Chairperson of the organisation says legislation is on the side of the boy

The chairperson of SAMNET Dr Faisal Suliman says that the practice of growing a beard is not a new one. He added that there have been schools that allow students to grow their beards.

“It’s a pity that the school has chosen to go this route. This is a well-established Islamic principle that some Muslim males of a certain age do need to grow a beard and there is enough precedent with other schools. Legislation is on the side of the boy but we shouldn’t be having to go that route to take the school to court. The fact is some of these schools have been mono-religious, mono-racial, and mono-cultural, things have changed,” Dr Suliman said.

Greytown High School reportedly suspended a Grade 11 student over the beard that he grows for religious purposes. Photo: @greytown_high / Twitter

ANC ‘reprimands’ MP for comments about Prophet Muhammad

In other news, it was previously reported that the African National Congress (ANC) condemned the blasphemous remarks made by MP Muhammad Khalid Sayed. 

Sayed is a member of the ANC’s Wynberg Branch and a member of the Provincial Legislature. He recently made comments about Muslim Prophet Muhammad. Sayed allegedly accused the companions of Prophet Muhammed of being hypocrites by hiding their disbelief.

The comments were made during a lecture conducted at the Ahlul Bayt Mosque in Cape Town on 7 August. Sayed released an apology where he stated that he understands the anger from the Muslim community. Read the full story here.