Photo: ConCourt / Twitter
Photo: ConCourt / Twitter
This is hectic: An attorney who was present on a Zoom call during a session of the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) on Thursday was heard using Islamaphobic language, after saying that a Muslim participant was ‘dressed like a ninja’.
At the beginning of the Constitutional Court hearing, someone was accidentally unmuted and made an extremely Islamophobic comment about Muslim counsel Nazreen Bawa SC. I am absolutely shocked and disgusted.
— تنوير (@TanveerJeewa) August 5, 2021
The attorney, who is not visible in the video clip circulating on Twitter, has been identified as Yasmin Omar. She was quickly muted following the outburst, which took the full bench of judges by surprise. The lawmakers quickly shut the conversation down, without actually calling out the statement.
The session of ConCourt was held to discuss whether the Marriage Act and Divorce Act is unconstitutional, insofar as it may ‘fail to recognise and regulate Muslim marriages’. However, the order of business was derailed in reckless fashion.
Here is the video. pic.twitter.com/mBdSIUaC1S
— تنوير (@TanveerJeewa) August 5, 2021
Omar has responded to the comments she made, insisting that they weren’t directed towards Nasreen Bawa. She insists that the comment she made was about something else playing on her screen. What’s even more bizarre is that the under-fire attorney herself is a follower of Islam. Nonetheless, this problematic language has caused a stir.
Zehir Omar attorneys in the shit again. Yasmin Omar works for that firm. She herself is a Muslim making those remarks against another Muslim woman is absolutely disgusting.
— occasionaltweeter (@Rizwana_786) August 5, 2021