The Moral Bankruptcy of Support for Hamas

What we are witnessing in South Africa is not only pathetic but deeply concerning. The recent public declarations of support for Hamas from figures within the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC) Al Jama-ah Party and the ANC Western Cape demonstrate, once again, that South Africa has become a willing participant in the broader global moral collapse. It is one thing to sympathize with the plight of Palestinians and express solidarity with their desire for statehood; it is quite another to openly support a terrorist organization whose raison d’être is the destruction of the only Jewish state in the world.

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The craven rhetoric we now see emanating from South Africa’s political and religious leaders should not surprise us. After all, this is a country where victimhood and ideological posturing have long replaced any serious discussion of human rights or governance. To embrace Hamas—an organization that kills indiscriminately, indoctrinates children into violence, and celebrates martyrdom—is to align oneself with terror, not justice. Yet, here we are, with the ANC Western Cape issuing a public statement of “solidarity” with Riad Fataar after he declared, “I am Hamas,” while Al Jama-ah, a no-name party with little influence, also cheers him on. Both parties seem more interested in grandstanding and shallow virtue signalling than addressing the harsh realities of terrorism.

In South Africa, as in many parts of the world, there is an unrelenting and dangerous impulse to embrace victimhood above all else. The narrative is simple: If a group can be construed as oppressed, then their actions, no matter how violent or immoral, are automatically justified. In the case of Hamas, the ANC Western Cape and Al Jama-ah have cynically twisted this logic to its extreme. Their support for Hamas reflects a grotesque form of moral relativism, where terrorism and violence against civilians are justified under the banner of “resistance.”

By ignoring Hamas’ campaign of terror, these South African leaders indulge in a distorted moral compass. They fail to acknowledge that Hamas is not interested in peace or coexistence. Instead, they offer tacit approval for an organization that seeks genocide, whether through human shields, the indiscriminate killing of civilians, or the annihilation of Israel. Al Jama-ah, with little political clout, has amplified its rhetoric with its defence of Hamas in the press, but this merely shows the extent of the ethical decay in South African politics.

South Africa’s history with Apartheid has given many of its leaders a warped sense of morality, one that draws false equivalences between the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and their own historical struggle. But let’s be clear: Israel, unlike Apartheid South Africa, is a functioning democracy, the only one in a region otherwise dominated by autocracies and theocracies. Hamas, unlike the African National Congress of old, does not seek equality or peaceful coexistence. It seeks genocide.

Watch full Interview: “I am Hamas! Cape Town is Hamas! Viva Hamas, viva!” – President of the MJC, Sheikh Riad Fataar

The ANC, once the party of Nelson Mandela and the global symbol for reconciliation and moral clarity, has now devolved into a shell of its former self. Its latest statements supporting Hamas serve only to underscore the party’s complete lack of moral seriousness. They are not interested in dialogue, in finding a just solution, or in supporting peace in the Middle East. Rather, they are interested in grandstanding, in picking ideological fights that have no bearing on the real world. They engage in the politics of spectacle, where posturing against Israel is more important than confronting the actual problems facing South Africa—such as rampant crime, corruption, unemployment, and a faltering economy.

It is worth noting that while the ANC professes to care about Palestinian rights, it remains silent about human rights abuses across the globe—so long as the perpetrators of those abuses are seen as “victims” in their ideological framework. Where is the ANC’s solidarity with the Uighur Muslims in China, who are being systematically imprisoned and “re-educated” by the Chinese Communist Party? Where is their outrage over the millions of women living under oppressive regimes in? No, The Former Minister of DIRCO, Naledi Pandor was a frequent visitor of the “Murderous mullahs” of Iran and her successor Ronald Lamola attended the funeral of its late president. There is no solidarity with others, because such causes do not serve their agenda. Supporting Hamas, however, fits perfectly into their worldview: the enemy of their enemy (Israel) must be their friend.

South Africa’s grifting politicians and religious leaders’ willingness to throw in their lot with a terrorist organization like Hamas is not only pathetic; it is dangerous. By supporting Hamas, South African leaders are playing with fire. They are lending legitimacy to an organization that uses civilians as human shields, that targets innocent lives, and that preaches hatred of Jews. This is not a movement that seeks a peaceful two-state solution. Hamas does not want coexistence; it wants annihilation.

“The Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say, O Muslims, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.”

This is a direct reference to a hadith used to justify the idea of an inevitable conflict with Jews, used by Hamas. If the MJC, ANC and Al Jama-ah Party say they are Hamas, this is what they believe.

By standing with and declaring that they are Hamas, South African leaders are encouraging the same kind of ideological radicalism within their own borders. Already, we see the normalization of extremism in South Africa’s political discourse. The rhetoric of violence, of retribution, and of victimhood has seeped into every facet of public life. How long before this radicalism spills over into actual violence? How long before the very communities these leaders claim to represent are caught in the crossfire of their reckless rhetoric?

This pathetic embrace of Hamas is more than just a mistake; it is a symptom of a broader malaise, a deep moral confusion that has infected much of the Western world. In its desperate attempt to appear virtuous, South Africa’s leaders have aligned themselves with the very forces of destruction they once opposed. The ANC’s support for Hamas is a betrayal—not just of Israel or the Jewish people, but of the very values they claim to uphold: human rights, equality, and justice.

I am appalled by this descent into barbarism. Hamas is not a victim. It is a terrorist organization. And anyone who stands with Hamas stands against the values of civilization itself.

It is time for South Africa to grow up and stop playing this game of ideological brinksmanship. If the country’s leaders truly care about justice, they would do well to remember that the real path to peace does not run through the ruins of Gaza but through the difficult, necessary work of building bridges, not burning them.