Cape Town - Continuing a long-standing tradition of interfaith solidarity, Friday congregational prayers (Jumu’ah prayers) at the Claremont Main Road Mosque (CMRM) will see Christian cleric and activist Reverend Dr Allan Boesak deliver a special Christmas message.
The mosque’s Imam Rashied Omar said the mosque has a long-standing tradition of wishing Christian compatriots well over Christmas and has for several years invited a Christian colleague to share a message with the congregation. The mosque has also annually issued a Christmas message and the Imam and some congregants have, for decades now, attended a Christmas Carol service at the St George’s Cathedral to personally convey their Christmas greetings.
“Dr Allan Boesak has had a special and long-standing relationship with the CMRM since the early eighties. The former Imam of CMRM the late Imam Gassan Solomon and Dr Boesak were leaders in the United Democratic Front. Dr Boesak and Imam Solomon were briefly imprisoned together during the Gugulethu March in 1984.
“Dr Boesak has addressed the CMRM congregation on several occasions. He last spoke at the CMRM in 2021 during the Covid-19 lockdown period when he also delivered an online Christmas message.”
Boesak said: “Delivering a Christmas sermon in a mosque is something special for a Christian minister, and because of my history with that mosque through the late Imam Gassan Solomon, it is even more so.”
A Palestinian flag solidarity vigil will be held outside the mosque at the Main Road immediately after the congregational prayers.
Imam Omar said one of the missions of the CMRM was interfaith solidarity.
On November 8, the mosque with South African Jews for a Free Palestine hosted a Shabbat Against Genocide (in Palestine) at the mosque, with the interfaith solidarity gathering calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
The Jewish Hannukkiah was lit, and Muslim Maghreb (sunset) prayers were performed.