DER SPIEGEL 27/1990 of 02.07.1990, page 142
South Africa
Completely pollute
Muslims at the Cape want to Romanian orphans provide a better future. But the apartheid stands in your way.
The benefactor of the poor, "says the bearded man behind the counter sales of the apparel business," came 500 years into the sky rather than selfish rich. "Mahomed Yusuf Hassim, 52, a strictly devout Muslim who cares so more needy than the future of the small shop on the outskirts of Pretoria, to be from India übergesiedelter grandfather opened 1910.
The pious merchant advocates clemency for death row, or donate money for burial, when in the neighboring township of a black family no decent funeral for a deceased relatives can afford. His love so far as he felt "somewhat apolitical."
Hassims latest project, however, has for Eddy ensured throughout the country and the government of South Africa fallen into a deep embarrassment. On television, he had pictures of the catastrophic conditions in the orphanages of Romania saw and immediately decided to provide legal redress. "My heart was bleeding," says the Muslim, "because I had no choice."
Together with some friends he organized flights initially for 500 children, with adoptive parents in South Africa a better life should be. But the project has doubled in the pitfalls of South African racial laws verheddert. Because Hassim, have become willing to 2000 adoption parents reported that, like the couple and Kulsum Ismail Latief from Cape Town, for the small Ceausescu want to make victims, including many South Africans of Indian descent, but also black and white citizens.
Under the current adoption law, the Child Care Act of 1983, however, parents can only children absorb the same race - white on white, black to black, Indian to Indian. Also belonging to the same religion and culture is an important prerequisite for an adoption. The question of whether Hassim Romanian children in color or black families can bring this divided country and became a test case for reforming the current mood of the government.
A lady Scottish / British ancestry 'disgusted about that in a letter to the Cape Town Argus, that many adoption candidates "are colored or Indian." Of course, those addicted parents, because: "It is a universal truth that we are better with our own kind of things."
As a "ludicrous" and "irresponsible" attack even child carers Hassims plan. "The Orphans", fearing adoption expert in Johannesburg, but AIDS can be infected. " Romania, which everyone knows, is "completely contaminated." Like hardly any other law, the adoption of rules, the absurdity of the apartheid state: children of mixed couples, which made up for adoption, often racially must be reclassified before they can find suitable parents. If a child is even a white parent, is his first appearance by the officials of the social authorities.
Consequently, in South Africa are almost exclusively white children adopted by white families. The large number of black orphans under the law shall no parents, even though white couples would be perfectly willing to accept them.
Even the maintenance rates for orphans are graded according to skin color. Foster parents of white children receive 153 rand (about 100 marks), for Indian children or colored edge 123, for only 70 black rim. The risk of black infants in the first six months of birth to die is six times as high as among white babies.
"Mischievous" cites Noel Zaal, Professor of Private Law, in Durban, the adoption of rules of apartheid - if only because the interests of the child contrary to international practice hintanstehen need. "Unfortunately," says the lawyer, "this law is forcing the parents, also abroad after adoptive babies around."
After some hesitation - in order to avoid conflicts, officials had considered the Romanian children from the beginning of a particular racial assigned - the government now, they measure than whites. All adoption applicants are not white, therefore, have only one chance, if they succeed, the young Romanians later for color or black declare it.
Theoretically this is possible. Every year in South Africa officially, several hundred people and Chinese mestizos, Indians, Blacks or Whites reclassified. The state, however, it did not like, if fair-skinned people "down" can. Most ask for color and black color white to be explained what the authorities sometimes mercifully grant.
In the coming year should also be reformed adoption law, promises trouble in the government. Until then she wants to delay the arrival of the children. A spokesman said that officially had no Hassim of adoption applications received.
The turn is waiting by the authorities of the exact conditions to know for the adoption to families wanting to be able to demand information. "This barbaric act," urged Hassim, "must be lifted immediately." f
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