Mohamed Ousman
The weapons-laden ship en route from India to Israel that was scheduled to dock in Durban at 2130 GMT on July 29, 2025 was cleared, although questions remain.
To the best of this writer’s knowledge, at the time the ship was inspected and subsequently cleared, it was anchored at sea and had not yet docked.
How the inspections were carried out remains a mystery.
Astonishingly, the so-called South African pro-Palestine activists did not demand to see the Bill of Lading!
Under usual desktop inspections, the Bill of Lading would be the starting point.
Even the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) would require this basic document in assessing whether or not sanctions have been or are being busted.
As of now, this document has not been produced/sighted to clear South Africa of having enabled Israeli genocide, yet again!
Another question mark pertains to the cargo containers inspected.
Unless, there were no containers on board, a ship the size of the Ultramarine—128 meters long and 21.5 meters wide—would carry between 2,000 to 3,000 Twenty-foot cargo containers or between 1,000 to 1,500 Forty-foot cargo containers.
This would take a considerable amount of time to inspect!
Numerous South African Unions had declared on previous occasions (2021 and 2009) that they would not off-load cargo from Israeli ships only to violate their own declaration.
This writer had personally visited zionist stores to ascertain whether this was the case.
Israeli goods were found on the shelves shortly after the declaration.
The manufacturing dates coincided with the declaration by the Unions not to off-load cargo from Israeli ships.
When the evidence was sent to the supposedly pro-Palestinian solidarity formation, one prominent alliance replied, “they do not have enforcement and monitoring capabilities. They rely on the goodwill of the workers on the dock to do the right thing.”
However, the issue of the cargo is not the focus of this follow-up article.
While the words of Hamas spokesperson Abu Obeida caused some Muslims to reflect on the earlier self-critical article, it has ruffled some feathers and bruised some egos!
Rather than reflect, it has raised the ire of several South African Muslims.
Some indicated that what was pointed out is un-necessarily harsh.
Others said that what was described is not exclusive to South African Muslims.
Similar situations, if not worse, exist among British Muslims, Canadian Muslims, American Muslims, etc, they argue.
This may be true but the internal affairs of Muslims in those societies are beyond the full knowledge of this writer.
Thus, judgement about them is reserved.
With that “disclaimer” we return to the words of Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Izz al-Din al-Qassam Martyr Brigades, “We say to history, with bitterness and pain, and before all the children of our Ummah: O leaders of this Islamic and Arab Ummah, O its elites, its great parties, and its scholars: you are our adversaries before God, the Almighty.”
Abu Obeida, continued, “you are our adversaries before God, the Almighty.”
Simply because, “our enemy is supplied without interruption by the most powerful oppressive forces in the world, who send shipments of arms and ammunition, while the regimes and powers of our Ummah look on passively as their brothers on the front line [defending Islam] are massacred by the tens of thousands, subjected to starvation, deprived of water and medicine.”
While South African Muslims are exceptionally good at marketing themselves and their pre-occupations with providing humanitarian aid, forming political parties, building Masajid, etc. it is essential to take stock of the strategic impact of these types of activities.
One instance relates to when the zionists in South Africa commemorated the 65th year of the existence of Israel, (read colonization of Palestine by Israel).
Committed Muslims mobilized to oppose the event.
At this event the zionist security included private security, Alsatian dogs, military caspers, water canon tankers, etc. supplemented by the South African Police Services.
To date, in the one place on earth where Muslims are supposedly the most free to live their Islamic responsibilities, the status quo clergy-class and the controlled opposition at the fore-front of virtually all pro-Palestine solidarity events in South Africa have not been able to mobilize private security to protect peaceful protestors in South Africa!
Rather, they scoff at any suggestion of this nature, notwithstanding countless occasions where peaceful protestors in South Africa have been intimidated, assaulted and even killed.
Usually, the South African Muslims are quick to copy-cat the zionists.
If the zionists have lobbyists, they too must have their own lobbyists.
If the zionists have empowerment public relations schemes, they too must have empowerment public relations schemes.
Yet when it comes to the issue of safety and security, they are found wanting!
Now, once again South African Muslims are being baited by the African National Congress (ANC) Muslims (not Muslims in the ANC) as senior ANC leaders could face sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes.
Contrary to such ignorance accompanied by political propaganda and ANC Muslim propaganda, these are not sanctions on South Africa as a country.
While it is likely that eventually only the travel bans may materialize, it is unlikely that anything else will.
Aside from embarrassment that will accrue to these senior ANC leading “champions of the poor and champions of the Palestinians”, should they be found with significant wealth in the bastions of imperialism and colonialism, especially in off-shore locations and tax havens; that South Africa is increasingly in the grip of the zionists is the deciding factor.
The US is a major source of investment in South Africa where over 600 US companies, many with a long-established presence, continue to expand their investments.
Should these companies begin to disinvest, that would be an indication that South Africa, as a country, is on the cusp of serious sanctions.
At this stage, the sanctions are merely a scarecrow tactic to whip people into line.
While the United States dreams about extra-territorial reach and uses soft power and hard power to convince other states to tow its line; for the sanctions to be “legal” these measures must be endorsed through UN Security Council resolutions.
This is unlikely to happen despite expected US attempts to pressure its client regimes and vassal states to support it.
Should the Muslims and the oppressed people opt to rally in support of these senior leaders of the ANC, they should pre-condition it on 1. SA severing relations with Israel and, 2. prosecuting the zionists for participating in war crimes.
Short of this, should Muslims and the oppressed people rally to their support, which will probably be presented as “an injury to one is an injury to all”, they will be abused.
No one should forget that when these self-serving politicians need support they appeal to the oppressed people, yet when they award tenders they turn to their close friends and relatives!
Notwithstanding the above reality, unfortunately it is unlikely that Muslims and the oppressed people will do the right thing.
And as an expression of mercy, Allah’s Prophet said “a committed Muslim is not stung from the same source twice.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
