William andrew kopwe the open university of tanzania

4.5.4 Christian-Muslim Contend for Political Powers

Christians and Muslims have been silently and in few cases openly contending for political powers of the Country. Mwilapwa (2002) comments that:

The introduction of plurality politics in Tanzania in 1990s, though it brought a social and political climate which was favourable to the development of greater democracy in the Country, catalysed tension between Muslims and Christians, as some politicians began using religious propaganda in their struggle for power. In recent years religion has become an attractive instrument for some politicians. Some Muslim politicians have actively been trying to use it as a source of identity and a critical factor in the shaping and securing of power. To them religion has functioned as their social base in their maneuvering for political power.¹⁸⁹

This comment shows that though in Tanzania the state and politicians assert that people should not mix religion and politics, there are some politicians who manipulate religion for political purposes. This is done openly or silently. Some scholars like Nestor Luanda (1996) comment that religion is now invading Tanzanian politics. Religion is now becoming a major factor in the political discourses in Tanzania. For him there is a “resurgence of religious politics in the Country.”Talking about religions in Tanzania is talking about Islam and Christianity which are the dominant religions. Hence it is the Muslims and Christians who always contest for dominance in the national key positions which may finally guarantee a control of the state and national affairs.
Currently there is sign of discontentment on the side of Muslims whose attitude is that the church especially Roman Catholic has had an upper hand in the government which has allowed them to reap much from the state. Consequently, many Muslims have come to realize that the secularity of the unitary nation-state is a huge lie. Hence this intensifies Muslim-Christian contestation for the throne in the Country. He further shows that there are some few Muslims in the Country who feel that now Muslims have to make Tanzania a Muslim nation.
However, Luanda states that it is important in discussing the religious challenges to the secular nation-state project to make a distinction between mainstream Muslims and those that espouse extremist positions. The generality of Tanzanian Muslims have not advanced any demands for the creation of a Muslim nation-state. Rather, it is those Muslims who can be characterized as fundamentalist who have demanded the creation of an Islamic nation-state in Tanzania.
The hijack of religion for the purpose of political achievements among some politicians in the Country was made clear during 2010 general election campaign. Three major political parties were involved, the ruling party-Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) which was said to be religiously neutral,¹⁹⁰ the Civic United Party (CUF) which was alleged to have great following of Muslims in the Country stated elsewhere in this study, and finally the Chama cha Maendeleo na Democracies (CHADEMA), which in that campaign was said to be having following from Christians, especially the Catholics.¹⁹¹ This state of affairs has left a lot of mistrust among citizens after the general election a situation which was declared by the President during his inauguration of the Parliament on Wednesday, 17^th November 2010.
Competition for political power is due to the notion that when one has the political upper hand; one has the control over everything, including easy imposition of religious values. Generally two views were apparent from the respondents. First Muslims put more emphasis on politics and business in the Country. Even before the Country’s independence, Muslims were at the front line of the Country’s political arena. They did so in order to fight against colonialism on one hand and Christian hegemony on the other.¹⁹²

Muslims are currently very active in the Country’s politics. Their political enthusiasm is currently gaining magnitude following the activist Muslims in the world who have some connection with Tanzania Muslims through the Ansār Sunna Muslims that have great following from the Muslim Youths. These people insist on seizure of political power because of the ‘Dīn wa Dawla’ (religion and state) philosophy. The revivalist Muslim conviction that they must make sure that they control central Governments, which to them is the only way they can introduce Sharī’a as the Constitution of the Country.” That is why they say “Non-political Islam is like a bird without wings” (Joinet, 1998:19). This conception is proved by a sheikh who said that Muslims in the Country could implement their |§∙ī Courts apart from the Government control and management. But Sharī’a application needs political power and Government’s authority to reinforce its application. That is why Muslims need the Government to institute the law.

Muslims in the Country have always complained of the imbalance in Government portfolios and leadership positions in the Country. They say that they do not reap what they fought for, the leadership of this Country.¹⁹³ According to Muslim intellectuals interviewed, TANU had a strong Islamic influence. But Nyerere cleverly replaced it with Christian dominance in the party. Mustafa Njozi (2000) supports this view in his book saying that Nyerere declared that he implements the Gospel teachings in Tanzania. He says Nyerere was quoted saying that: His effort to build African socialism in Tanzania represented his determination to translate in practical terms the teachings contained in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Nyerere said there was nothing wrong with implementing the political and economic teaching of Jesus Christ at the national level, so long as those teachings are in consonant with aspiration of the nation. Njozi sees him as a person who was out of his way to undermine Islam and uphold Roman Catholic influence in the Country. His major thesis is that Tanzania’s politics is under the control of Christian clerics.¹⁹⁴
Because of this perception of Christian cleric control, Muslims decided to turn their patronage to the Civic United Front party (CUF). Though the party has not been declared Islamic it has a lot of following from Muslims in the Country and during its meetings, Muslim Sharī’a customs of women not mixing with men in meetings is followed. Some influential Muslims interviewed acknowledged that Muslims had great hope that CUF would be their saviour from Christian hegemony under CCM ruling party. However their hopes were shattered by the overwhelming victory of the CCM in the past two general elections.
On the other hand, this research found that Christians put more emphasis on education and social services in the Country as compared to their Muslim counter parts. For some of Pious Christians, politics is ‘a dirty game.’ Born again Christians abstain from politics, lest them defile their spirituality. Christian are more influenced by the Western worldview that education is power.

The idea of Christian dominance over the ruling CCM was repudiated by the general secretary of Christian Council of Tanzania. For him the ruling party has nothing religious in it. It bases it Constitution and operation in a secularist manner. But if we wish to scrutinize the religious influence of the party, the party appears to have more of an Islamic influence rather than Christian. Three arguments are given for this: first, the Council of Elders of the party is over 70% Muslims; secondly, the Executive Committee which is the supreme decision making board also has a Muslim majority because of the members from the Zanzibar block, who are mostly Muslims, and lastly, the Christians in the Country are putting less emphasis of politics and stress on education¹⁹⁵.