Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
7 June 2024 | 09:00 CAT
3 min read

Halima Hoosen-Preston was fatally stabbed in her Durban home, with her husband and son critically injured. Grayson Beare, allegedly responsible, appeared in court facing murder and attempted murder charges. The attack reportedly stemmed from the family’s support for Palestine. Beare’s estranged father, Julian Beare, condemned the violence. The incident sparked widespread condemnation and calls for justice. The case was adjourned for a bail investigation and mental assessment.

Family spokesperson Fatima Asmal provided an update in an interview with Radio Islam on the condition of Sean and his 18-year-old son, stating that while they are physically recovering well in the hospital, the emotional trauma they have endured is beyond description. “There’s no telling how long it will take for them to heal emotionally if they ever will,” Asmal remarked.

She also clarified a factual error reported by the media: the little girl involved is 13 years old, not 10. Fortunately, she was not physically harmed and is currently safe, being cared for by her paternal grandparents, with support from her extended family.

Asmal highlighted that the accused, in a now-viral video, claimed his actions were provoked by Halima’s affinity with Palestine, specifically alleging that she laughed when he mentioned family members of his who were killed in Israel. “He cited these as reasons for being provoked, which is absolutely ridiculous,” Asmal stated. “You cannot be provoked to commit such a heinous, senseless crime by any kind of statement.”

According to the family, the accused, Grayson Beare, was known to both Halima and Sean.

Asmal noted that according to the police report, the young girl told officers at the start of the investigation that the accused stated he was committing the act because of their affinity with Palestine. However, Sean and his son have not provided their perspectives, as no official statements have been taken from them yet. Despite this, Asmal believes it does point in that direction, as the accused made Islamophobic comments during the attack.

Halima’s uncle mentioned that he was completely overwhelmed by the level of support the family received. “There were people he didn’t even know from diverse backgrounds in his home: family and friends, people from the neighbourhood, community leaders, and school staff. This news has also travelled overseas and was covered by reputable media agencies like Middle East Eye and other Palestine solidarity groups,” said Asmal.

The family expressed hope that the widespread attention the case has received will pressure the legal system to deliver the justice this individual deserves.

“They want the accused to be dealt with appropriately within the correct legal mechanisms, and they hope this huge outpour of outrage will put some pressure on the legal system to the extent they will feel embarrassed not to meet this justice for this individual for what he did to Halima and her family,” she said.

Asmal stated that some family members who were at the court on Tuesday were very grateful to see the level of support, not just from supporters of the Palestinian cause but also from representatives of various political parties.

“However, some people were upset with the terminology used by a member of a particular political party, as he referred to Beare as a “Jewish murderer”, and it is important for us as a community; we don’t want to be generalised nor do we want hate crimes to be perpetrated against us. When we use the terms Zionism and Judaism interchangeably, we are propagating hatred so we need to be careful with the terminology we use,” advised Asmal.

The family is disturbed by the revelation that they knew the accused man and calls for tolerance of diverse viewpoints within the community. They request prayers for their healing, particularly for the traumatised young girl. Privacy is requested from the media, while their faith in Islam sustains them.

They emphasise the importance of continuing the justice for Halima movement to prevent such incidents in the future. “The justice for Halima hashtag and movement must keep going,” said Asmal.

The family hopes the momentum will carry on.

“The family has expressed that something like this should never happen again; an example made of this man in this case could prevent a repeat of such actions,” she added.

The case was adjourned to 11 June for a bail investigation and for Beare to undergo a mental assessment. “Apparently, he is going to plead insanity,” said Asmal.

The murder has elicited widespread condemnation, with calls for justice and support for the grieving family.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Junaid Kharsany and Fatima Asmal, Founder of Ilm-SA, here.