By Annisa Essack
04:03:2022

The Imam and musalees at the Kensington Masjid in Gauteng became the latest robbery victims.

A trustee at the masjid, Yacob Chohan, spoke to Radio Islam International, providing details of the early morning crime spree.

The Imam was accosted by a man who knocked at the masjid door at approximately 05:05 am (GMT+2) and made some demands, but the Imam, fortunately, did not have any valuables on his person.

The pair then returned to the masjid, where a musalee was in the midst of prayer when he was made to lie down. About ten other musalees who entered the mosque were also made to lie down.

The Mawlana, who entered from the back door, witnessed the scene and the perpetrator shouted at him to enter and lie down, but Mawlana began shouting the takbeer before closing the door and running back to his home on the premises.

Mr Chohan says that the thief only managed to rob a musalee, Brother Waseem Ismail, of his watch. He added that the Mawlana calling the takbeer scared the thief, who ran off.

According to Mr Chohan, this is the first such incident at the masjid, although cars have been stolen outside the mosque.

The mosque’s trustees are planning a meeting with other masajid in the area to put security at the masajid, especially for the dawn prayers.

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