Al-Qalam 
After a meeting with the Muslim Judicial Council, Woolworths has decided to retain, but will curtail, the visibility of its campaign, writes Nabeelah Shaikh.
Retail giant Woolworths have taken a decision to curtail its Pride Month campaign in support of the LGBTQ+ community after intervention by the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa (MJC-SA).
The MJC-SA held a recent meeting with the Group CEO of Woolworths SA, Roy Bagattini, after receiving backlash from Muslim shoppers who expressed outrage, mainly through social media, about the brand’s decision to promote Pride Month and Pride merchandise at its stores.
Pride Month is a month, typically held in June, dedicated to the commemoration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.
The MJC-SA said it requested the meeting to express its objection with the campaign and to make a call on Woolworths to desist from continuing the campaign. In a statement issued by the MJC-SA, the organisation said Bagattini stated to the MJC-SA that Woolworths was a 90-year-old company with a sense of purpose that embraces diversity and inclusivity and in so doing the Pride campaign was seen in the light of inclusive justice and that Woolworths did not see the campaign as promoting LQBTQIA+.
Bagattini said the campaign forms part of the Woolworths Inclusive Justice Initiative which sets out to acknowledge that certain groups in society are marginalised, and to help shape a world in which everyone feels they belong.
However, the MJC-SA said Bagattini acknowledged that Woolworths got things wrong and needed to engage more, and that more research was needed.
Feedback
The staff of Woolworths has also been experiencing backlash from the public.
The MJC-SA says it advised Woolworths on its position regarding the matter and Woolworths has since provided public feedback.
Bagattini said following extensive engagement, and deliberation, Woolworths took the decision to retain, but will curtail, the visibility of its campaign so that it is less intrusive on religious beliefs.
“We will launch a series of public discourse platforms to progress the understanding of these social justice issues among all stakeholder groups. We invite the MJC-SA to be part of this discourse, together with other important stakeholders, helping us build bridges between all the communities we serve and value. We thank you for your ongoing efforts in encouraging peaceful co-existence and tolerance in our country.
“We take very seriously the opportunity to work with the MJC to help us restore the longstanding trust, built over many decades between Woolies and the Muslim community,” Bagattini told the MJC-SA in a written statement.
Bagattini pointed out that the campaign was never meant to cause division.
“To the contrary, the overarching objective of our campaign, and our broader Inclusive Justice Initiative, is to contribute to a world where everyone feels they belong. We are deeply saddened that what has transpired has, in instances, been the exact opposite of what was intended. The unfortunate outcome is that by showing support for one marginalised group, some other groups have felt marginalised or excluded in turn. We uphold the principles embodied in the Constitution of our country which protects the rights of all South Africans, irrespective of their beliefs and walks of life. That said, we heard you clearly; the execution of our campaign was disproportionately louder than our other social justice campaigns to date. This is a time of pause and reflection for all of us,” Bagattini said.
The MJC further said it advised Woolworths that its position is uncompromising and it took the opportunity to advise the community on its position in terms of the promotion of LGBTQIA+.
“More than ever, the prevalence of the LGBTQIA+ agenda has been more active in furthering the ends of the campaign to cement its ideas, philosophies, and subsequent belief systems and lifestyle on the rest of society. Such prevalence is evident in the surge of its campaign visibility through activism, the flagrant display of the associated flag colours on key buildings, and an increase in electronic media presence. These efforts are in an attempt to establish itself within the material moral fiber of society,” the statement read.
The body said from an Islamic perspective, the directive to the community is unambiguous, as on 22 July 2022, it provided a Fatwa (ruling), in terms of the view held by Islam pertaining to LGBTQIA+.
“The MJC-SA reminds the Muslim community that the Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is indeed the guide to all of humanity and that it is these teachings that we as a people consume within our life to ensure righteous guidance,” the MJC-SA said.
