Religion News

Muslims should walk the talk—MAM chair

Muslims in the country have been urged to walk the talk on the commitments they make to their religion and other spheres of their lives instead of paying lip service to issues.

Chairperson of the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Idrissah Muhammad made the remarks last week during the opening of the three-day 2012 national Ijtima conference held at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre.

“At every Ijtima, there is talk of unity and the need to have a university, among other issues, but the fruits are not forthcoming.

“We should speak what we are able to accomplish. It’s high time we walked the talk, not trying to appease people by saying what we cannot do or give them,” said Muhammad.

Muhammad was reacting to statements made by former MAM general secretary Sheikh Imran Shareef Muhammad, who said Muslims, who he said number 4.5 million in the country, do not own a university or a hospital.

“Muslims today lack competent leadership. We have been crying for a university and a hospital, but our leadership was not doing something about this,” said Shareef.

He also blamed the Bingu wa Mutharika administration for replacing former Inspector General of police Joseph Airon and former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Fahard Assani, saying this denied Muslims an opportunity to hold key government positions.

“We believe our president, who is a God-fearing leader, should consider employing qualified Muslims in senior government positions so that we all enjoy our freedom equally,” said Shareef.

Guest of honour for the meeting, former president of Tanzania, Sheikh Ali Hassan Mwinyi, urged Malawian Muslims not to spend time pointing fingers at one another, saying this derails the growth of the religion.

“We have to unite and take politics out of religion. Let’s learn to respect one another because there is one leader at a time. Don’t waste time on petty issues,” said Mwinyi.

This year’s Ijtima was attended by 250 Muslims from Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Malawi.

 

 

 

‘Church should fight economic slavery’

JAMES CHIMPWEYA

Chairperson of the Anglican Council of Malawi, Bishop Brighton Malasa, who is also bishop of the Diocese of the Upper Shire, last Sunday said the church has the responsibility to fight for the economic liberation of Malawians.

Malasa said this during the Bishop Mackenzie memorial service of worship held at Magomero Shrine in Chiradzulu, where Mackenzie died.

“We should thank the first missionaries for coming here to abolish slavery. Now, it is our time to fight to be liberated from the economic slavery we are going through from the West.

“It was the church that came first before government. We should help government where it is going wrong because we are partners in development,” said Malawi.

Reverend Canon Meke Banda from the Diocese of Northern Malawi encouraged people at the meeting to humble themselves before God for the country to be liberated economically.

“There is need for people to be humble before God and move forward with the church. We need to unite regardless of our religious backgrounds for the betterment and prosperity of our country,” said Banda.

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