Case of the Thulsie twins deonstrates why we must put national needs before US Islamophobia, writes Karen Jayes

The 23-year-old twins Sallahuddin and Yakeen Thulsie, formerly Brandon-Lee and Tony-Lee, who are appearing in the Johannesburg regional court tomorrow for a bail application on three counts related to terrorism, must be given a fair trial.They have been accused of planning to detonate explosions at a US mission and Jewish institutions in South Africa, charged with conspiracy and incitement to commit the crime of terrorism, as well as conspiring and attempting to commit acts associated with terrorist activities.story_article_left1As an organisation dedicated to advocating for the rule of law and conflict resolution as a means of ending the war on terror, it is fitting that CAGE Africa keeps advocating for fairness and the preservation of the foundational constitutional value of due process.South Africa must not buckle to US pressure in the war on terror, pressure that has led to the violation of the rights of Muslims the world over, which in turn fuels the ongoing political violence we are witnessing on a more frequent basis.This first publicised case of South Africa's Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act, enacted in 2004, is against Muslims, and fuels suspicions that this counter-terrorism legislation has been enacted predominantly to target the Muslim community.It is unnecessary to politicise crimes of this nature, as they can be dealt with under conventional criminal law.It is also imperative that South Africa adopts a calm and measured approach and resists the fear and Islamophobia that is being fanned from various quarters.To understand what bias is at play here, it's worth noting that two AWB members were arrested in the same week as the Thulsies. Between them they had 11 rifles, two shotguns, two pistols and around 2400 rounds of ammunition.The story hardly made it to the news, and the men have certainly not been labelled terrorists.By contrast, no arms, bomb materiel or ammunition was found at either of the Thulsie houses (Yakeen lived with his wife of four months in Florida, and Sallahuddin lived with his mother in Newclare, both suburbs west of Johannesburg).But in the toxic global climate that has cast the lens of suspicion on Muslims, the Thulsies have already been labelled terrorists. This is a violation of their rights under law.The case must be viewed in the greater context of how the war on terror works. Since 9/11, the independent international organisation Physicians for Social Responsibility has compiled the most reliable statistics on the death count of Muslims. They have established that around 1.4million Muslims have been killed by US-Nato policy in the Middle East since 9/11. Instead of capitulating to US pressure, South Africa must use this opportunity to really scrutinise the machinations of the war on terror and call for a more just world This, they have said, is a conservative estimate. Other organisations have put the death count as high as four million Muslims.Let's hold that thought for just a moment.In 90% of terror arrests in the US involving alleged "IS plots", the accused has been actively sought out by a government informant, who works for the FBI.Court documents have shown time and again that these informants lure vulnerable, naive individuals into conversations and activities that are incriminating, and then the state moves in for the "sting".Despite being highly predatory and deceptive, this entrapment is made legal within the frameworks of existing US counter-terrorism legislation. Naturally, this type of state-sanctioned entrapment has been the cause of greater anger."The FBI used his love for those being oppressed against him by inciting him in all manners they deemed fit," said the brother of a US "IS plotter" recently sentenced to 20 years in prison.story_article_right2The combination of brutal US-Nato foreign policy, the entrapment procedure and the tendency for young Muslims to "talk tough" has led to terrorism convictions in the US based on perceived intentions, behaviours and thoughts in a fear-charged environment. This environment is fanned by a media fed on information from security services and various right-wing think-tanks and "terror experts".Many young Muslims and indeed non-Muslims in South Africa feel compassion for the oppressed in lands such as Palestine, Syria and Iraq. This is all the more reason for us to ensure that the US-led war on terror dynamic does not develop in South Africa.If it does, it poses a dire threat to our constitutional democracy and the cohesiveness of our society.Instead of capitulating to US pressure, South Africa must use this opportunity to really scrutinise the machinations of the war on terror and call for a more just world.Jayes is co-ordinator for CAGE Africa, which is a branch of the UK advocacy organisation..