The Islamic Forum has called on the French government to charge or release Muslim scholar, Tariq Ramadan who is being held in detention without trial in Paris. No charges have been put to him and he is being held in solitary confinement while the French judiciary investigates allegations of rape against him.
Tariq Ramadan has been a guest of various organizations in South Africa over the past years. The Islamic Forum is concerned that the law enforcement authorities in Paris have denied Mr Ramadan adequate medical treatment as well. “He is not guilty of any charges and is being held in detention without trial, which is reminiscent of the apartheid regime in South Africa. The image of France has been severely compromised where the rule of law, the judiciary and society is blatantly disregarded for some ulterior motive.”
Tariq Ramadan has been denied medical treatment for a debilitating chronic illness. He is now confined to a wheelchair. Furthermore, his wife and children have been denied visitation rights with neither explanation nor justification, a radical measure that falls well outside of French judicial norms, as even confirmed murderers are routinely granted visitation rights. For these reasons, the handling of Tariq Ramadan’s case involves not only the denial of basic legal rights (how could anyone properly prepare a legal defense in such conditions?); it also represents a case of human rights abuse. This is in the context of a highly Islamophobic French political establishment and intense prejudice against Tariq Ramadan.
Tariq Ramadan is held in solitary confinement, has been denied medical treatment, and visitation by family, yet no formal charges have been laid against him. The Islamic Forum calls on fellow South Africans to campaign for the release of Tariq Ramadan.