South Africa's Jewish and Muslim communities have condemned the murder of Halima Husen-Preston and the knife attack on her family in their Durban home, in what appears to be an Islamophobic attack. (Cornel van Helden/Gallo)
vinegarSouth Africa's Jewish and Muslim communities have condemned the murder of Halima Husen Preston and the knife attack on her family at their Durban home on Sunday in what they believe to be an Islamophobic attack.
Ambilo police have arrested a man in connection with the murder of Husen Preston and the attempted murder of her husband and son at their home in Glenmore, KwaZulu-Natal, spokesman Robert Netsinda said. The man, believed to be the son of a prominent South African businessman, is also accused of threatening to rape her 10-year-old daughter.
“Police responded to a report of a stabbing and arrived at the scene to find a man with a bloody knife. A woman was found on the floor bleeding and two men also suffered stab wounds. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene and the two injured were rushed to a nearby hospital,” Netsiunda said.
“The motive for the violence is unclear, but a 10-year-old survivor told police that the suspects stabbed her because they support Palestine. The suspects also allegedly threatened to rape the girl. Police investigations are continuing.”
The source said: Mail & Guardian The suspect was transported to a local hospital's psychiatric facility.
ALS Paramedics spokesman Garris Jamieson said crews found a “horrific scene” at the home when they arrived.
“A family was attacked inside their home by the suspect. Paramedics found three patients suffering from multiple stab wounds. More ambulances and advanced life support personnel were quickly dispatched to assist,” Jamieson said.
“Paramedics carried out triage and found a woman believed to be in her 40s with multiple life-threatening stab wounds to her body. There was nothing paramedics could do and she was pronounced dead at the scene.”
He said Ms Husen-Preston's husband and son were found with multiple stab wounds to their bodies, adding: “Both were in a critical condition and required multiple advanced life support techniques to stabilise them at the scene before being transported to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.”
Investigators said the suspect is in his late 30s and is known to police. M&Gbroke into Hoosen Preston's home at about 2am.
“Reports had been circulated among local groups that there had been a domestic disturbance in the area – there was a lot of yelling and screaming,” he said, adding that the suspect had previously had an argument over a relative who had been killed in Israel and appeared to be “having issues with his family.”
In a video circulating on social media that appears to have been taken at a local hospital, the suspect can be heard speaking to an unidentified man, asking him about his motive for the attack – whether it was because Husen-Preston laughed after hearing that her cousin had been killed in Israel.
The man questioning him said: “You attacked a 19-year-old kid… you attacked him first, then his father came to his aid… and you stabbed him 15 times.”
In the video, the suspect is heard asking the man if the boy and his father are still alive. The suspect goes on to say that Husen-Preston “hates my family,” adding, “She and her family thought it was funny that my cousins were killed in Israel… She thought it was funny.”
The man said he is not Jewish but has family in Israel and was a Zionist “once upon a time.”
“I totally rejected the religion,” he says.
Karen Milner, president of the Council of Deputies of Jews in South Africa, said the council was “outraged” by the murder of Husen Preston and the attack on his family.
“This is a tragic incident and our hearts go out to the victim's family. We urge the justice system to thoroughly investigate this matter and for the investigation and legal process to proceed smoothly,” Milner said.
“In this tense situation, we call for calm from all communities so that justice can prevail.”
Faisal Suleiman, president of the South African Muslim Network, said his organisation “condemns with contempt and disgust” the attack on the family.
“This heinous and despicable attack was carried out by known Zionists against a family that clearly holds pro-Palestinian views,” Suleiman said in a statement on Monday.
“Unless strongly condemned by supporters and friends of Israel in South Africa, this attack is likely to provoke a retaliatory response which the Zionists will no doubt use to complain about injustice and deploy the usual tropes about anti-Semitism to further justify the genocide of Palestinians and their support for Israel.”
Suleiman called for calm and collected judgment.
“Our anger must be directed towards supporting the family, peacefully supporting the perpetrators to appear in court and ensuring this case receives the full attention and resources of the South African Police Service. [South African Police Service] and N.P.A. [National Prosecuting Authority] “We want to strengthen our activities in support of the freedom of the Palestinian people.”
“We demand that the state treat this as a hate crime. [police] A unit should be established to investigate and prosecute cases of Islamophobia with the seriousness they deserve.”
He also called on the South African Human Rights Commission and the Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Rights Commission to intervene in the matter.