by Steven Nhlane, Afr. Press Bureau, South Africa, January 1998
THEME = RELIGION
A time bomb, if not carefully handled and
defused, is about to explode
between Malawi's Christian majority and Muslim minority
For some time now, Christians have expressed fears that the country is slowly becoming an Islamic state, after Malawi's first ever multi-party elections in 1994, brought into power the United Democratic Front (UDF) party led by a Muslim, President Bakili Muluzi.
Muluzi's administration wasted no time to establish diplomatic ties with a number of Islamic countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Iran.
But on many occasions, Muluzi has emotionally condemned those people spreading allegations, that his government has been setting up diplomatic ties with Islamic countries, with the ultimate aim of turning Malawi into an Islamic state. "The fact that I am a Muslim does not mean that I want to make Malawi an Islamic state," Muluzi recently told a rally in the country's former capital, Zomba.
But there are several visible signs that Islamic influence is spreading in Malawi.
A large number of Muslim students have won scholarships and are now studying in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic states. Mosques were once only found along the lakeshore areas of Lake Malawi where most Yaos live, and in smaller towns where Asians live. Now they are a common sight in the most unlikely parts of the country.
During the first week of January 1998, the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MMD)-owned Daily Times newspaper, carried a story alleging that Muluzi had ordered the treasury to release money to be used for the building of a mosque.
That Muluzi has not refuted this story as he is usually is in the habit of doing, is an indication that the story is true.
However, the situation has been aggravated by the fact that all meat and meat products in the country's supermarkets, slaughter houses, hotels and other meat suppliers are "Halaal", as demanded by the Islamic religion before it can be consumed.
The sale of only Halaal meat products throughout Malawi's main meat suppliers, is viewed by Christians as a slow but sure penetration of Islamic practices.
In the wake of this development, Christians have threatened to boycott meat products slaughtered by Muslims. They say that they do not see why they should buy meat products prepared by Muslims, when Muslims boycott meat products prepared by non- Muslims.
A group of concerned Christians, said in a statement they had noted that although Muslims enforce the supply and sale of Halaal meat products in the country's butcheries and other food stores, they, themselves, prefer to buy live animals such as chickens and goats which they then slaughter themselves.
The Christian group in question said that eating Halaal meat, signifies submission to the Islamic faith, that is, believing and supporting Islamic practices which they feel is denying them freedom of choice and religion.
Sheik Muhammed Osman of the Muslim Association of Malawi said: "The situation is become explosive," adding that he would react to it later, after consulting his colleagues in the Association. However, he described the Christians' views and allegations as "serious and unfortunate". An official at the Association's secretariat who refused to identify himself, dismissed the Christians' claims that enforcing the sale of Halaal meat is intended to Islamise the country.
END
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1998 - Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgement