Sarah Oliver Statements

CTII Response to Religious Atrocity, Burkina Faso

Cape Town Interfaith Initiative (CTII) is appalled by an incident of religious extremism in Burkina Faso on 11 January which resulted in the execution of nine senior members of the Ahmadiyya Jama’at in Mahdiabad, Burkina Faso.

Imam Bidiga Boureima and eight elders were amongst their community preparing for Isha prayers when their mosque was invaded by extremists declaring the Ahmadis to be infidels. Imam Boureima was taken to another venue where he was questioned about other Ahmadiyya communities in Burkina Faso. He was then taken back to his mosque where he and the elders were threatened with death unless they renounced Ahmadiyyat. The Imam refused, and was executed. One by one, the elders also refused to renounce their religion and were executed. We understand that following further threats, more than 600 community members fled the village.

Our hearts share the grief of the Ahmadii community worldwide, and we denounce religious persecution in all forms. None of our religions call us to hate, and all of our religions promote peace, tolerance and compassion.

We further declare our abhorrence of violent extremism in any form.

Cape Town Interfaith Initiative stands with our colleagues at the Ahmadiyya Jama’at of South Africa at this tragic time. We redouble our efforts to bring about religious understanding through dialogue, through our Interfaith/Intercultural Schools Programme and through continually bringing together people of diverse religions to pray and take action together for the greater good.

This horrific atrocity highlights the need for communities of diverse religions to protect one another by building community and personal relationships that unite us all as a human race, no matter which religion we choose to follow. Religious freedom is a constitutionally protected right which we are committed to upholding.

All crises and tragedies have a hidden potential for us to learn. May we as humanity, and as Africans, explore the timeless ethos of Ubuntu, in which all our divisions are shown to be ultimately illusory.

We call on all religious communities to redouble their efforts at seeking larger circles of inclusion and peace, both within their own traditions as well as beyond them.

CTII adheres to the principles of the Charter for Compassion which states: “The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves”.

When we lose the right to be different, we lose the right to be free. – Nelson Mandela

Sarah Oliver Statements

Stop the proposed River Club Development

CTII stands in solidarity with the Observatory Civic Association, the Philippi Horticultural Association, Claremont Main Road Mosque, and others who have objected to the proposed Amazon development at the site of the Two Rivers in Cape Town.

Our objection is based on environmental, historical, and moral considerations. At a time when reconciliation and common purpose are paramount, we see the creation of yet more division, anger, and hatred by separating sibling from sibling, a nation from its land.

Our history is a shared history. This land is the site of two of the world’s oldest civilizations: the Khoi and the San. It is a site of resistance to invasion, dispossession, and slavery – a resistance that began almost 4 centuries ago. This is sacred land that carries the memories of the earliest ancestors of humankind itself. National and world heritage cannot be for sale. Neither can the environment.

This is the convergence of two rivers that have run since the dawn of time. It is a flood plain that plays an important role in the balance of Nature and the changes of seasons. It is home to endangered indigenous species. The survival of humankind and our planet depends on the mitigation of climate change by protecting, not destroying our natural resources.

CTII cannot reconcile with any form of epistemic violence that ignores the voices of the unseen, the unheard, the marginalized, and the forgotten; nor that which desecrates or tramples sensitive ecologies or sacred histories. Instead, we seek respect for the preciousness of history, the dignity of our ancestors, and the sanctity of Mother Earth. We urge this in the knowledge that Nature requires humanity to work with, not against her; and the threat of rising sea levels and predicted climate change-related extreme weather events may well exact an act of tragic revenge when we seek to colonise the natural order that God has ordained.

International best practice for climate resilience and building a future that will be sustainable for all, says we should protect our waterways, our biodiversity, and our ecologically sensitive areas which are our natural filtration systems, our lungs, and our temples.

While we welcome investment and job creation, there are other places within our city where such endeavours can be effectively maximised. New construction is not always necessary. In our pandemic-gripped world, there are many existing buildings reaching out for new life and a rejuvenated purpose.

Riches lie not just in capitalism but also in history and in spiritual wellbeing. Through various structures including CoCT’s own Environmental Management Department and Environment and Heritage Resources Information Centre, the City of Cape Town aspire to ethical custodianship of our land and our unique heritage. We call on our City fathers and mothers to uphold the standards they have set themselves to ensure legacies that our children and future generations may be proud of.

Let us never forget who we are as a people and where we have come from.

Sarah Oliver News Article, Statements

Calling our country to prayer

Cape Town faith organisations are calling for a daily two-minute period of silence at 12 noon from Monday 12 July until South Africa is cleared to return to Level 1 in the Covid19 response.

The call echoes a practice which originated in Cape Town during World War 1 when the entire city came to a standstill for two minutes every day at the sound of the noon day gun. The first minute was to pray for those whose lives had been lost in the war, and the second was to give thanks for those still living. The practice was the brainchild of Cape Town City Councillor Robert Brydone in 1918, and it became a worldwide observation of respect for the victims of war and compassion for those left behind.

Now, Cape Town faith organisations are calling for a return of the daily practice of communal silence as it represents a moment of solidarity when everyone is focused on the same desired outcome, namely acknowledgement of shared grief, comfort for the bereaved, and a prayer for healing and peace in our troubled land.

The organisations, which include international award-winning organisations Cape Town Interfaith Initiative, Religions for Peace and Faith Hope Love Communities as well as the Western Cape Chaplaincy, represent a broad cross-section of faiths that live side by side in Cape Town. 

The groups are inviting all South Africans to participate in the daily two-minute silence.

Rev Dorothea Gopie, Chairperson of the Western Cape Chaplaincy, said the call would go out across their membership to begin the practice from Monday 12 July.  She said: “This is a call to realign ourselves with God and to bring our communities together in united prayer for something that we all want, which is the good health and wellbeing of all the people of South Africa.”

James Ellman, Director of Elsie’s River based NGO Faith Hope Love Communities, said the situation for many people was worsening daily as the Covid19 lockdowns impact job security, food security and push people out of their homes. He said 12 noon was already the set prayer time in the Catholic guide. He urged people of all faiths to participate, saying: “There is power in prayer, especially communal prayer.”

Cape Town Interfaith Initiative‘s Chairperson, Reverend Berry Behr,  said the call from the Interfaith communities is based on the understanding that although people of different religions pray differently, all prayer is powerful and represents the solidarity of a common intention and plea to the Divine. She urges everyone to participate:

“Even if you are not affiliated or do not identify with any specific religion, just observing a moment of silence is powerful not only to align with the flow of life but also to bring peace into your own heart and mind. Covid19 does not recognise race, religion, nationality, economic status, or gender. It affects all of us and all of our loved ones, colleagues, and communities. Standing together at this time will give citizens a sense of purpose, and a feeling of contributing to the greater good. It will also send a clear message to Divine Creation that we are seeking healing now.”

Action points to participate:

  • Set an alarm for 11.59 every day, and again at 12.01.
  • When your alarm sounds, stop whatever you are doing. Hold silent stillness for two minutes. If you do not pray, simply focus on your breath.
  • Think about those who have passed away during this pandemic, and about the continued safety of the rest of us.
  • Pray that we all take steps to stop the spread of this pandemic, like wearing our masks and maintaining social distancing.
  • Invite others to join you. 

Together we are stronger.

Sarah Oliver Statements

CTII Statement on the Middle East and the threat of extremism

On Saturday 8 May 2021, a car bomb was detonated outside Sayed Ul-Shuhada high school in Kabul, Afghanistan, just as the mostly Shiite girls were emerging to return home. At the time of writing, the initial death toll of 50 had risen to 85, with 147 reported injured.

Meanwhile, two countries away, brutal violence has erupted between Palestinians and Israelis in the latest flare-up of a centuries-old conflict.

And closer to home, militants claiming religious motivation make their incursions into our neighbour, Mozambique.

Cape Town Interfaith Initiative is appalled by the lack of respect for life in these tragic, deliberate acts of destruction. We also note with deep sadness the targeting of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as the timing of the escalation which takes place towards the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan. Sacred places should remain sacred and undefiled by violence. History has not been respectful of Holy Days, but our future can be different.
The threat of toxic pseudo-religion that foments fear, division, and hatred, is present. Influences and ideologies which steal the hard-won freedoms of individuals and populations amount to an abuse of religion and should be resisted in the same way that we reject colonial and neo-colonial influences.

All of this violence represents a betrayal of the deepest teachings of most of the world’s religions, expressed as the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done unto you. It is a betrayal of the Great Masters of all religions, who have taught peace.
As the Cape Town and South African interfaith community, we attest to the best elements of the great Islamic and Jewish traditions – compassion, mercy, and justice, which we see in our everyday dealings with one another. True religion is wholehearted surrender to these qualities. Any type of compulsion via fear or violence has no place in this din (Arabic for “law” or “religion”. Hebrew for “law” or “Judgement”. English: a loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise).

CTII seeks to promote harmony between people of diverse religions, based on spiritual understanding and respect. We know that much of the violence is politically motivated, and that religious affiliation may often be used as a tool for fostering division, suspicion, and fear.

For those of us who have loved ones of all religions, these situations are devastating. CTII acknowledges the losses, the trauma, and the pain of people. We pray for the softening of the hearts of leaders, that they may find the compassion and the wisdom to seek peace.

We pray for healing and calm, and most of all, we pray that the children of all our children will recognise the light of God in each other’s eyes and will not know the trauma of the bloodshed of our times.

We pray together an ancient prayer without boundaries: “Source of Life, please heal us all.”

https://truecolorsunited.org/day-draft/safe-space/
Sarah Oliver Statements

Interfaith Solidarity with LGBTIQ+ community

https://truecolorsunited.org/day-draft/safe-space/
#TrueColorsDay | Create a Safe Space

As we reflect on the meaning of as powerful and somewhat evasive a concept as ‘freedom’ to our nation, we are made aware of how the most vulnerable amongst us are often left furthest from it: The LGBTIQ+ community is once again crying out for the painful blows they must sustain by a renewed spate of hate crimes the past months.

We are also hearing South African LGBTIQ+ organisations directly addressing religious and spiritual organisations and leaders. We hear their plea to us to directly speak out and condemn the violence perpetrated against the LGBTIQ+ community as unacceptable and immoral. This leads us to deep introspection during a time when some people of faith are fasting, as we grapple with the realization that as people of faith, we are deeply implicated in what is happening.

We hear LGBTIQ organisations speaking to the fact that religious values often get abused as excuses to exclude or discriminate against members of the LGBTIQ+ community and we must acknowledge that we often become places of exclusion rather than embrace, last mentioned which the best of our values attest to.

In these times we want to commit to the implication the values of our Constitution invite us into and want to see how this could mean us actively working to promote the inclusion and acceptance of LGBTIQ+ people in congregations and communities across the country.

We urge our members to accept what may feel like a challenge to their traditional stance and understanding, what may feel uncomfortable and may lead them on new journeys and renewed engagement with the texts they hold as dear and holy. We are excited about a new journey opening before us which we believe embodies more of the fulness freedom offers us all.