The son of the famous South African Muslim theologian Ahmed Deedat is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot outside a court in the coastal city of Durban on Wednesday.
Police colonel Thembeka Mbele said 65-year-old Yousuf Deedat was shot in the head as he walked towards the Verulam family court on the outskirts of Durban with his wife.
Mbele said an unknown suspect opened fire, wounding Deedat in the head. He was later rushed to a hospital for medical attention, while the suspect fled in a motor vehicle in an unknown direction.
“He is in critical condition in a local hospital. While his injuries remain severe, we remain hopeful for Deedat’s recovery,” Deedat’s family said in a statement.
They also requested the family’s privacy be respected during the traumatic experience. Police said they were still investigating the reason behind his shooting.
Yousuf Deedat is a famous community activist and Muslim scholar in Durban.
His father, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, who died in 2005, was a prominent Muslim theologian who held several interfaith public debates with evangelical Christians.
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He was known across the world as a respected public speaker and writer who published several widely-distributed booklets on Islam and Christianity.
He was the founder of the Islamic Propagation Centre International, which aims for Islam to be heard and understood across the world.
