Founder of Islamic State of Africa wants IEC registration
A Durban businessman once at the centre of a now-withdrawn terrorism case says he is pushing for Sharia Law in South Africa.
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Farhad Hoomer is in the process of registering the Islamic State of Africa (ISA) political party.
Hoomer made headlines in 2018 when he and other suspects were arrested in connection with a fatal knife attack at a mosque in Verulam and several attempted bombing incidents around Durban.
The charges against Hoomer have since been dropped.
In 2022, he was thrust back into the spotlight when the US accused him of leading an ISIS cell in South Africa.
Hoomer says he has no affiliation with the group.
" We have no association with the Islamic State. We are not part of ISIS. We don't know anyone from there. We don't deal with anyone from there. We have no contact with anyone from there. And as far as I'm concerned, the Islamic State has been destroyed in Iraq and Syria. The courts have proved me innocent. I'm not found guilty on any of my charges.
"I was charged for 27 different crimes. The FBI and the CIA sanctioned me. It was internationally reported that I funded the Islamic State for R6.2 billion. I challenged the Americans. I said, 'Prove to me that I funded the Islamic State for R1,000. You pick the jail you want me to sit in’."
He says he's turned to politics to contribute positively to the country, and hopes to contest in next year’s local government elections, pushing the agenda of Sharia Law.
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" A lot of people look at the negative. They look at cutting off the hand of the thief. It doesn't work that way. You have to implement the full Sharia law where the government is going to firstly benefit all of mankind, take away the crime, take away the drugs. So if you do all that, and then if everyone is employed, and then if people steal and harm people and rape people, then obviously the only right thing to do is to implement the law of God."
The Electoral Commission of South Africa confirmed that it has received Hoomers’ application.
However, it says it will not comment on the matter until a final decision is made.
There are some concerns about the similarity between the name of Hoomers’ party and ISIS, which has been designated a terrorist group by the UN.
Elections expert, Terry Tselane, says the Electoral Commission Act does not stop a political party from registering based on a name.
" I really don't think it'll be an issue. The question is going to be the objective of his party. If the objective of the party is basically offensive in terms of exclusion of people on the basis of religion, if it's contrary to the spirit and the principle of the Constitution, that party will not be registered."
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