Al-Qalam 
By Al Qalam Reporter
The South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) this week appealed to members of the community to complete its Political and Elections Survey before its closure on January 30.
Dr Feisal Suleman, head of SAMNET told Al Qalam that Muslims make up roughly 1.5% of the South African population, and being a minority group, “our voice must be louder to effect change where necessary.”
“In recent months, there has been increased focus on Muslims in mainstream media culminating in growing islamophobia as well as potential internal and external threats to the stability of Islam and the way Muslims live and practice the Deen.
“In response to this, the South African Muslim Network is concluding a survey to gauge the views of Muslims and Muslim participation in various political parties. We hope that this will act as a catalyst for dialogue amongst Ulama, Muslim media and all Muslims in South Africa”, he added.
He said in a volatile political climate, it has become necessary to equip ourselves with the relevant information about politics and voting.
“According to preliminary results, 62.5% of the South African Muslim population may be influenced to vote for the ANC with President Cyril Ramaphosa as president versus when Jacob Zuma was in power. The results also show 65.2% of the SA Muslim populationhave not yet decided which political party to vote for.
“Are current political parties worth your vote? Should there be more dialogue for you to make an informed decision, he asked.
The survey results will be made public soon.
To fill out the survey, visit the SAMNET website: www.samnet.co.za and click on Political Survey, or call them on 031-2074223 for further info.
