Son of late Islamic preacher Ahmed Deedat shot in head in South Africa

CAIRO - 16 January 2020: Youssef Ahmed Deedat, the son of the Islamic Preacher Ahmed Deedat, was shot in the head outside Verulam Family Court in Durban city in South Africa.

The community activist, 65 years old, was airlifted to hospital and is suffering a serious injury, according to Independent Online (IOL) South African news website.

The website said that Youssef Deedat and his wife were walking towards the court in the morning, when an unknown suspect opened fire, injuring Deedat in his head. The suspect drove away from the incident site.

Social media users launched a hashtag “Assassination of Youssef Deedat” that attracted thousands of angry comments and reactions against the accident, wishing him a speed recovery.

The police said that the motive for the shooting is still unknown, and the suspect was still on the run, according to IOL.

Died in 2005, Sheikh Ahmed Deedat was a prominent South African Muslim preacher, who is known for his interfaith public debates.

Deedat's son, Youssef, is a prominent community activist in the city of Durban.