Monday, October 22, 2012

What I learnt from the Muslim riots in Zanzibar and the mainland ...


 NB: For any grammatical errors blame my nursery school English teacher...


First allow me to declare interest in Islam. For I am a Muslim and clean one. So in this article, if I slipped and defending Islam in a way that will build the questions please forgive me readers, it is not my fault.

Two weeks ago there was a two events concerned Muslims as if they were planned, one took place in Dar es Salaam Mbagala areas for 14 years young profaning the Quran. The second incident occurred in Zanzibar after the Revival leader Sheikh Farid allegedly lost under controversial circumstances.

These two events when tested seriously were not supposed to happen if our government treat them seriously by using wisdom and experience, something that even the Muslim community had failed to do.

Limitations of wisdom defect are the cause of all violence in Zanzibar and the mainland. Also foreign countries, especially the Arabic financing the incidents occurs in a large percentage that is another source. And this is according to my thinking and not anyone I've heard. But it is how the events happened.

Let's start with Shaikh Issa Ponda, he is secretary of the Muslim communities and institutions in Tanzania. He was arrested on charges of fueling violence and breach of the peace in the country.

The main reason for violence Mbagala off a deadly three churches burned and badly damaged after the young man's urinary book Quran as a controversy of a child and another who claimed he was a Muslim. He told Christian young man that anyone urinary holy book will turn mouse or other information says he will turn the snake.

Another reason for the arrest of Sheikh Ponda is the invasion of compound numbers 311/3/4 Chang'ombe located near the national stadium assets of the Agritanza Company.

The young boy was already in police custody. Legal the boy were a criminal, because according to our constitution one should not ignore the other religions because everyone has the freedom and the boundaries of worship, although the government has no religion. Group of people to give up a criminal in a police station is a legal offense even in Mecca and Medina, where Islam started this action would not be accepted.

Point of correction I don’t mean the act of abusing Quran, but the act of invading the police station and demanded the criminal so that you can panish them on your way it is not tolerated. And every Muslim in Tanzania knows that.

The second mistake is that in every demonstrations or violence, Muslims and non-Muslims, thieves and civilized, sane and mad are getting involved by default or deliberately. So it is quite possible that the one who destroys the churches not only Muslims but criminals who have used the back of a demonstration greenhouse fulfill their mission.

The teachings of Islam does not accept theft (something that happened in that rally).  Do not accept doctrine of environmental damage in the war (something that happened), here I will explain.

Islam teaches (accept) war against non-Muslims if they assaulted them out of their homes. But in war God and His Messenger have said the Muslim should not cut down trees, burning houses of worship. (And this even Basaleh Sheikh of the mosque's imam, who have not heard Fugitive those involved violence, served They spoke that Islam respects houses of worship and should not be damaged, especially if they have not been destroyed to you). Now this knowledge to burn churches where you get from?

The second mistake in the desecration of God's Book of Truth (the Quran), I heard no single leader of the church to provide a declaration of contempt or hypocritical act against that. Now burning the churches is the respond to young man who was influenced by the other young Muslim or Christian as a whole?

Another thing the boy was influenced by another boy who took the holly Quran from home and ordered his friend to do what he did and there is information that they bet he will turn animal, but where is this muslim boy if I may ask?

Here I beg to be understood, not even a little hypocritical act that, even that thing could be done by an infant who know nothing about faith and religion, I could stand on the side of Islam and not otherwise. But the kind of respond and actions taken due to the act is what put me into dilemma.

On the second occasion to attack the compound the fault is on BAKWATA, Muslim Council of Tanzania who are legally recognized by the government. They sold the plot what is legal was Waqfu (Waqfu, is any property that is an inheritance for Muslims of the area or country. Were some rich Muslims who do not have relatives died, they decided to give their property to Muslims, it is waqfu).

If  BAKWATA are the one who sold the plot that is legal agreements, not be a scholar and an understanding of things like Sheikh Ponda doing things.

Such violence was supposed to happen at BAKWATA area for the property has already been of the buyer; attack is the interference with freedom of man. He can call you a thief and a robber and the court find you guilt no any lawyer could win that case.

Because the buyer already had all the documents and contracts to possess property laws and regulations that the plot is already his. Attack is aggression and lack of insight.

The third mistake is when Sheikh Ponda was arrested and then the Muslims began pressuring the government to let him free. It is nonsense to interfere with the independence of the judiciary. And this is the new maneuvers of the Government of Tanzania. Whenever they find that thay have slipped a place quickly ran to the court, so basically Muslims were too late to ask the government release him. For even the government has no power because courts are independent.

The fourth mistake made by Muslims is when they fail to use the only chance they had to surprise the government and its agencies including the police force.

Commander Suleiman Kova, head of the special police in Dar es Salaam region, declared last Wednesday that anyone who thinks to Sheikh Ponda then should surrender as quickly as possible to the police. All mosques in Dar es Salaam announced after Friday prayers that they are going to surrender to Kova.

But out of nothing the very friday morning things turned upside down and the move were to the State house to meet the president, while many were absent in the president knew he was on tour in Oman.

Here is where the controversial starts, why did they change their minds because they felt if they were going to surrender the government will just lead their way without tear gas or nothing. And here is where I believe Muslims in Tanzania are being used by people who are outside the country for their own interests. Their expectation is to see people killed by police or hurt them is the way to portray the community that they are often oppressed.

If I were the Muslim adviser I would asked them to stand their ground to go for Kova by using non violence tactic. Tanzania has many Muslims, if we all decide we're going to  Commander Kova peacefully and without violence. Do you think what the impact we could make? Both wear their white coats while they mention the name of Allah and His Messenger stable without violence. What about that?

When they (Polise) ask them what they want, the role we are followers of Sheikh Ponda we've come to surrender we would be sent to court. Only a small number of Muslims in Tanzania who will support this idea for instance ten million Muslims, I do not think the government will serve ten million inmates while they continue to listen to their case. Sheikh Ponda must have been released even by twisting the law.

Leave that alone, lets shift to Zanzibar, revival sheikh has his thing. For I do not agree with the fact that he was abducted for this episode is too miraculously wise people have begun to identify some strategic mistakes made by the group's members who were appointed by false revival.

It is impossible for a person to be interrogated by security officer under the suspect of destroying the country then return back as fresh as from his mothers’ womb. I do not mean security guys are cruel but it is just that the kind of person is too radical to them.

Sheikh said that the day of the event he pulled up the phone and someone introduced as his disciple, was not known nor ever met him. For the Sheikh's at this situation to go and meet someone he don’t even know then without any security, leave me with a lot of questions and generate suspicious that it is planed.

And even the details of his abduction is not clear and coherently to understand. For he says he arrived in the area around the mosque at Mbweni area, saying his sent his driver to buy electronics, with him went to the mosque for a short call.

That is very unusual allows your nearest person to leave the area in which you are going to meet someone who you don’t know, again buying electricity is not an emergency you can even buy it on your way home.

Then the second scenario is that just few hours when the information about the disappearance of Sheikh  spread violence started immediately burn and destroy the dwelling of CCM. Why CCM?

CCM is a party like the other parties in Zanzibar, CCM is not the government, as their anger against the government were, why they did not set fire to and destroyed the homes of members of the CUF? For Zanzibar now dominated by two parties where CCM and CUF called government of national unity.

Why wouldn’t they make the patient even though after two or three days and then they began to show their anger? The answer is simple, they had already Revival of abduction fear their leader any day, so why do their Sheikh precaution was not taken early?

Here is what was requested to be done, and even violent abduction meant to also warrant by the sheikh's why he returned home without any dent. Do not play with the government, they would not agree to hold a person for four days and then let him go just like that with all secrets of the questions he posed to.

If they want to put it that way, they don’t have to blame the government of Zanzibar they should read the history of the cruelty of the first president of that land whoever had been arrested his relative what they find is his dead body or you have a permanent defect.
Allow me to end up here today, but my head has so many things that I have learned from talking to these two weeks of violence.

For example, there are Muslims who wanted to blame Mr president by marching to the palace because he had sent condolence to Christians and go to visit churches damaged in Mbagala.

I do not know if the Muslims knew what they were demanding, the police force is under the president, who is also a Muslim. Ispector General of Police (IGP) Said Mwema is also a Muslim, Regional Police Commander (RPC) Suleiman Kova is also Muslim, dint they see all that and bend the law to fever you?

Already the boy were in Police hands, why did not give them time to make decisions but decided to demonstrate to the police station?

What kind of president will Kikwete be if he stand in public that he is the leader's blessing upon crime and violated the laws of the land? I do not want to believe if any Muslims were expected after they disturb the peace and destroy wealth, President Kikwete would stand up and say 'okay okay you did a very good job these Muslims destroy Christian churches are very savages'. I do not know maybe my mind does not know the figure, but if Kikwete was speaking these words .....

HAFIDH KIDO
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA
0713 593894/0752 593894
kidojembe@yahoo.com
22/10/2012

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