10 April 2019| 04 Shabaan 1440
This is to confirm that the Lydenberg Islamic Centre management reacts with shock and condemnatory disgust at the recent criminal allegations levelled against two educators employed by the Centre. It is the height of tragedy when in 2019, more than two decades after democracy, such appalling conduct and abuse towards children is still enacted in our schools. The management and trustees of the Lydenberg Islamic Centre condemns such conduct in the harshest manner possible as being a total violation of Islamic ethics and morality which prescribes kindness and mercy as well as being incongruent with our constitution.
Both the accused have been immediately suspended without any form of compensation or remuneration and we at the Lydenberg Islamic Centre will honour and accept the verdicts given by the court in relation of the accused. At no stage was management aware of the existence of such severe punishment meted out to the children by these two recalcitrant employees and it is clear that such abuse occurred behind closed doors when other adults including management was not present. We will ensure that no stone will be left unturned by us in getting to the bottom of this tragic incident and ensure that it never occurs again.
The Lydenberg Islamic Centre has for years been serving the broader community and children from poverty stricken backgrounds are given free education and free meals at our centre totally funded and sponsored by ourselves with no outside assistance. Our aim has always been liberation of children from their plight of degradation more often than not, caused by the state and ensure that they receive the best quality education and nutrition in their development through to adulthood.
We also request that irresponsible memes and videos circulating around of incidents of abuse in other parts of the world (which are not related to our Centre) and attempts to link them to our Centre should be stopped as this does not serve in the interests of the victims or other educators at our Centre who have had no part to play in the shocking abuse that has been uncovered and are indeed innocent. We as management will continue in taking drastic steps against employees who are discovered engaging in such appalling abuse, which is a major sin in our religion. We urge the community members to bring any further violations to our attention and we will deal with the culprits drastically and with the full force of the law. The Lydenberg Islamic Centre tolerates no abuse towards children!
-Original press statement as issued by the Lydenberg Islamic Center
