‘Let’s fight religious intolerance’
One thing local believers need to be commended for is that they live in relative peace and harmony despite holding diverse religious views. This is not the case with some African countries such as Central African Republic (CAR) and Nigeria where spiritual cleansing is the order of the day.
However, this religious coexistence was put to the test when some Muslims declared Mangochi an Islamic state. This was after they confiscated pork from a businessperson and buried it. Could Malawians be thirsting for what is happening in CAR and Nigeria? I engaged chairperson of the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad on what the Association is doing to entrench interfaith tolerance in the district.
How did you feel when you heard about the tensions in Mangochi arising from the sale of pork?
I felt very disgusted. In fact, I made my position known about that. As a religious leader, I have the mandate to advocate for peace and harmony irrespective of religious considerations. It is my mandate to preach against the propagation of interfaith violence. Religious intolerance is very bad. We are all seeing or hearing what is happening in other countries that are divided based on ethno-religious lines such as CAR and Nigeria. As peace-loving Malawians, we should never allow that to happen in this country. Every person must enjoy the freedom to belong to a faith of his or her choice.
Since the incident happened, is there something MAM is doing to cultivate tolerance among Christians and Muslims in the district and the whole country?
We conduct sensitisation meetings with both Christians and Muslims on the need to coexist. MAM has been engaging religious leaders of different faiths in discussions in how we can cultivate peace and love amidst religious differences. I strongly believe that Malawians can still live together even if they belong to different faiths. But the problem is that we have some overzealous politicians who are using faith to achieve their [political] aspirations. This is very unfortunate and let me take this opportunity to condemn such politicians.
Even God would not support them because they are dividing His people just to win an election. The other thing I have noted is that most Malawians do not appreciate the importance of peace and harmony we’re enjoying in this country. Had we experienced what is going on in Nigeria and CAR, they would appreciate why we need this brotherliness.
Some Muslims still believe that since Manghochi is dominated by Islam it is proper to designate it an Islamic state. How do you convince them to think otherwise?
Possibly, we need to know what the word ‘State’ refers to. State, in its literal meaning, refers to a civil government. Were they trying to say Mangochi is a civil government? If the answer is no, one has no basis for declaring it a no-go zone for people of other faiths because that would mean Mzimba, which is a Christian dominated district, is equally no-go zone to Muslims. Is that what Muslims want?
Certainly, not! That’s why we all need to be sober when approaching religious issues.
What advice do you give to radical Christians and Muslims who are ready to engage in battles in the name of defending their faiths?
Islam means peace. Therefore, I expect that a Muslim worth his name is not supposed to engage in violence on the pretext of defending faith. I also know that Jesus never tolerated hatred. That’s why Jesus rebuked Peter for cutting an ear of an adversary. Peace is very important and is never cheap. We should not take the peace we are enjoying in Malawi for granted. Our friends are maiming and killing one another in Nigeria and CAR because of religious difference. This is not what we want in Malawi. Let us maintain our peace and tranquillity.
We should never be blinded by politics. Our God is one as long as we all believe that He exists.
