DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA, October 28, 2007: A Durban High School was in the limelight again after a teacher who was having a religious discussion with a group of girls was reported as saying, “Those who did not believe in Jesus will go to hell and those who prayed to Jesus would go to heaven.” Durban High School has been the center of controversy for over three years already because the school refused to let a Hindu pupil wear a nose ring to school. This dispute was settled in October in Constitutional Court when the court ordered the school to review its code of conduct to incorporate all religious and cultural practices.
When a Hindu girl who was part of this informal religious discussion reiterated what was said to her Hindu parents, they approached Kamal Maharaj, editor of the Hindu Vishwa Shakti newspaper, and Ram Maharaj, head of the SA Dharma Sabha, who is a member of the parliamentary education portfolio committee. The parents reported, “When my child said she was Hindu, she was told because she’s Hindu, she will go to hell. The teacher told her she would pray for her.”
Anne Martin, the school’s principal, conducted an initial investigation into the complaint and responded, “The educators clarified to the Hindu learners the Christian point of view when the learners had queried this with the teachers. At no time would this school support any derogatory statement about any learner’s religion or beliefs.”
Ram Maharaj has submitted a complaint to the Human Rights Commission. He says, “These allegations are a flagrant violation of our Constitution. After due process is followed, effective measures must be implemented so that never again will a child be persecuted or insulted for his or her religious and cultural beliefs and traditions.” Jody Kollapen, head of the Human Rights Commission, said, “The commission would view such conduct in a strong light. But we will have to investigate this complaint thoroughly before drawing any conclusions.”