Muslim Against Muslim Hatred in Tanzania…

Zanzibar ‘Mufti’ Instigating Religious Intolerance in Zanzibar? 

 

Medical workers attend a Zanzibar mosque bomb victim in mid-June, 2014

Medical workers attend a Zanzibar mosque bomb victim in mid-June, 2014, at Darajani Area

By TZ Business News Staff.

Unbelievable as it may sound, evidence has been obtained to prove elements inside the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government (Serikali ya Mapinduzi ya Zanzibar – SMZ) condone the on-going religious intolerance in the Islands.

Two Muslim leaders recently confessed in a public address at Kiwapwa Mosque at Ziwani area in central Pemba, the Mufti of Zanzibar has encouraged Suni Muslims in Pemba to unite against Shia Muslims as a way of building Islam.
In Tanzania’s semi-autonomous Zanzibar islands, the Mufti is a government official in-charge of religious affairs.

The strategy leading to sectarian religious intolerance in Zananzibar has involved a plan to boycott shops owned by the Shia, to boycott transport vehicles owned by the Shia, and a bid to take over a Shia building used for worship services at the Ziwani market area in central Pemba.

A Suni committee visited the Mufti to raise concerns Shia Muslims had settled in central Pemba , and were allegedly threatening the well being of the Islam faith in Pemba. The committee left the Mufti’s office with counsel Sunis should unite against Shia Muslims to protect “the faith”, Muslim preachers Sheikh Maalim Saheh and Musa Juma Omar told worshipers at the mosque.

The exercise of social ostracism against Shia Muslims conducted by the Suni in central Pemba is in full swing at the time of publication of this story. Effort to contact the Mufti of Zanzibar for clarification is in progress. Here is the public address:

Religious intolerance is in the meantime on the rise in Zanzibar. A bomb explosion killed one person and wounded at least seven other people in front of a mosque at Darajani area near Zanzibar’s Stone Town in mid-June, 2014.

Unknown assailants threw an explosive device thought to be a hand grenade from a passing car as worshipers emerged from a mosque at the Darajani area on a Friday evening, the Zanzibar police spokesman Mohammed Mhina told Reuters by phone. The Zanzibar Police spokesman said the attackers targeted worshipers who had just heard a sermon by preachers from mainland Tanzania calling for peace.

The mosque bombing compounds a problem started a couple of months ago when unknown people started attacking Christian churches and preachers. Read our earlier report here: <http://www.tzbusinessnews.com/zanzibar-wahhabism-and-churches-on-fire/html>