RELIGIOUS leaders of the Christian community residing in Zanzibar will continue facing harassments and other malpractices and even deaths if Tanzania government will not make clear the issue of union in the current constitutional review process, a human right activist has observed. Sylvester Omoche said in an exclusive interview early this week in Dar es Salaam that, the government should allow public discussion of the union matters which seemingly has a hidden agenda that makes some people within the Revolutionary government of Zanzibar not to be happy with certain aspects. However, he said that, the hidden agendas about the union is the reason behind which makes the people of Zanzibar to be furious and resort to react against fellow Christians negatively as a pretext to find the way how to start in order to get their voices heard for they are afraid of proclaiming their demands in public. In view of this, he has however suggested that, both governments should sit in a table of discussion to find out a solution that would restore peace and harmony in order to avert any further possible threats in the Isles. Omoche has linked the last week’s killing of a Roman Catholic priest in Zanzibar Father Evarist Mushi and a subsequent torching of a church that followed two days later in Zanzibar as behind the political agenda and an indication which shows that, there is a heated controversy on the issue of union between the two countries. Omoche who is also a lawyer in a private company based in Arusha has predicted that, if the government will not be open with the issue of the union, there are so many acts of malpractices and even violence which will continue to happen against Christians that would lead into more bloodshed. The call by an activist has come when peace loving Tanzanians are shocked by the Zanzibar killing while the police has sent a team of expert to investigate and search for the people suspected to have involved in last week’s tragic incident and that of another Padre Ambrose Mkenda who was shot and narrowly escaped death on Christmas day last year in Zanzibar. With the two incidences the police have failed to arrest the culprits. He said that, the secret behind the series of religious skirmishes which have been taking place in the Isles is entirely connected with the issue of the union which is being perpetrated by some few individuals within the Revolutionary government who wants it to be separated and each state should have its own autonomy.
Former Zanzibar President Aman Abeid Karume greets the first Vice-President of Zanzibar Maalim Seif Sharif.
Coupled by the activist’s call, before the killing of a priest in Zanzibar last week, the head of Catholic Church in Tanzania Cardinal Polycarp Pengo received a letter from unknown people which he believed might have been sent by a renowned Zanzibar Islamic revival group which had a message in it that read as follows. “Through our efforts we have managed to torch their churches and our great efforts was seen when we managed to stop catholic during their overnight prayers although we narrowly missed Padre Ambrose Mkenda of Mpendae Church”. The message further continued, “This is not the end of our struggle we shall make sure that, every church leader here in Zanzibar fails to conduct their religious mission in the Island”. It said and added that, “Our beloved Muslims are behind the bars (in prisons) although are doing well one day they will be out and join us through the power of Allah. The message which seemed to be long further stated that, “Our most loving thing is that our friends in government and outside have assured us that, this is the end to attend the union calibrations and our youths who are in Somalia undergoing training have assured us that before the celebrations to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), there will emerge another celebration” said part of the message. With this message, Cardinal Pengo was quoted by the media early this week as saying that, the government does not take any seriousness with the matter even after when he reported it to the security organs. He said that, due to lack of seriousness emanating from the security department in Zanzibar, that is why such a letter had been distributed smoothly and passed through and wondered how a copy of it had reached him as a top leader of the catholic church in the country, he said if quick actions could be taken on time, there would have not been any bloodshed. The slain catholic priest was laid to rest on Wednesday this week with religious leaders dismissing a statement by the government that the priest’s death was as a result of the God’s will. Speaking on behalf of the government, shortly after the priest was buried at Matope area on the outskirts of Zanzibar municipality, the Minister for State in the Second Vice-President’s Office, Mohammed Aboud said, what happened was God’s will which no one can ever question. At this point, hundreds of distraught mourners booed, an indication that they disagreed with the Minister’s sentiments. Religious leaders who attended the burial ceremony had to calm down the multitude of mourners who shouted, “ Is it God’s will that assigned the killer to gun down the priest? Bishop Augustino Mushi of the Catholic diocese Zanzibar who was seated beside Zanzibar’s President Mohammed Shein stood up in anger and grabbed the microphone and said, “let me say this, the statement that the death of the priest is God’s will can’t to true” he added that it was an outright murder and we cannot entertain such criminality. The burial of a slain Priest Evarist Mushi was attended by a number of religious government and political leaders including Home Affairs Minister Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi, others were Chadema Secretary General Dr. Wilbroad Slaa and NCCR-Mageuzi Chairman James Mbatia both of whom asked the government to take serious measures to forestall sectarian violence.
No comments:
Post a Comment