Religious Freedom in Tanzania: Government bans religious crusades

BY EMMANUEL ONYANGO

The Government yesterday banned all public religious crusades for the next 30 days, the Minister for Home Affairs Dr. Emmanuel Nchimbi has announced.

The minister announced the government position at a news conference where he also announced the arrest of Zanzibar-based Islamic religious revival group leader Sheik Farid Ahmed. The cleric, leaders of a group known as ‘Uamusho’ was reported to have disappeared in Zanzibar four days ago.

Dr. Nchimbi said yesterday that the government had since banned all public religious crusades to pave way for investigations on religious skirmishes which erupted across Zanzibar and parts of Dar es Salaam last week – during which demonstrators believed to Muslims set fire to some churches in Dar es Salaam and in Zanzibar.

Earlier, Mr Nchimbi described the circumstances which led to the arrest of Sheikh Farid, saying that police had mounted an elaborate  manhunt since he was reported to have to have disappeared in the Isles.

However, he noted that the police managed to spot him in his private hideout in Zanzibar, and that the police is holding him for interrogation to establish the reasons of his disappearance which ultimately led to religious clashes in the Isles.

Dr. Nchimbi noted that the Islamic leader had earlier proclaimed to have got lost under mysterious circumstances, a claim he disputed saying it was circulated mainly among Muslims believers in Zanzibar who speculated that the government was behind his abduction. 

He also noted that the police would soon give a full report after its investigations, saying that people would be duly informed of the facts that led to his disappearance. 

Dr. Nchimbi also took time to clarify the circumstances that led to failed demonstration in Dar es Salaam on Friday afternoon during which the police suppressed a planned march to State house in Dar es Salaam, ostensibly protesting against the detention of Muslim cleric Sheikh Issa Ponda who is currently in remand prison pending at the Kisutu  Resident Magistrate’s  court in Dar es Salaam on Thursday. 

“The government will not tolerate some few individuals out to threaten other people, or use religion to disrupt peace and harmony which the country has enjoyed over the past 50 years.” he said.

Dr Nchimbi said the crusades in Tanzania were not isolated, saying similar historical events going back over 800 years ago had taken place In Europe, during which some four million people died during religious crusades. 

“But the Europeans saw the futility of it all … they resolved to stop the habit and are now doing their things without associating religious conflicts,” he added.

Citing Sudan as an example nearer home, Dr Nchimbi said people in the Sudan had just come of civil unrest, during which about 2 million people were killed -- just because people differed on religious grounds.

“Now Tanzanians face the same dilemma … do we have a reason to wait until numerous deaths occur before we get the time to solve the problem?” He queried?.

Quoting the Constitution, the minister reiterated freedom of worship – under which every citizens in the country is free to have  faith of choice. “Everyone in the country has a right to their basic rights,” he stressed, adding that none has a right to interfere with another person’s beliefs.

In another development, police in Zanzibar are holding six people in connection with the killing of an anti-riot police, Said Abdulrahman mid this week.

 According to a statement issued yesterday by Zanzibar Information Department, the six suspects were arrested in various places within Zanzibar.

The statement stressed that Zanzibar Commissioner of Police Mussa Ali Mussa held a press conference yesterday, during which he told reporters that  suspects were arrested at Tumbatu, Unguja and at the Immigration department offices where some were processing document in readiness to flee the country.

Others were arrested in Tanga region where they sought refugee after committing the crimes. 

In the meantime, Police in the Isles have vowed to take stern measures against followers of the Islamic Revival Forum following reports that they are planning to ambush police and military barracks and CCM offices.  

 “I warn all Zanzibar residents that nobody is above the law …. police and other security forces are well positioned to deal with any individual or group which will organize any form of violence.” noted Commissioner Mussa.

  “Police and other forces have tightened up security … the public should be free from fear and adhere to laws of the land … they should cooperate with us by providing useful information from their respective localities,” he said.

For the past four days running, Unguja township has been a centre of violence -- halting all activities as the Field Force Unit (FFU) fought to contain the riots. 

Members of the Muslim Revival Forum are believed to be behind the unrest, accusing the government of abducting its top leader, Sheikh Farid Hadi Ahmed. 

State organs including Police force have denied such claims.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY (21/10/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=47144