William andrew kopwe the open university of tanzania

4.5.2 Mistrust and Accusations

Suspicions, accusations and counter accusations between Christians and Muslims in the Country following the issue of Sharī’a implementation are a reciprocal reality among Christians and Muslims. It is interesting to note here that sometimes the same case or instance is analyzed differently by the two communities in the Country. The Muslims may use the same instance to blame Christians of undermining and disempowering Islam and Muslims in the Country meanwhile the Christians also use the same instance to accuse Muslims of the same conspiracy.
For the Christians, Muslims’ demand for Sharī’a implementation in the Country is just a covert agenda by Muslims to transform Tanzania into Islamic state. The learned Christians go back to the history of Islam from the time of their prophet Muhammad, to the present time particularly in Tanzania. Muslims have been using camouflage tactic. It usually appears polite, friendly and tolerating other religious groups when Muslims are the minority. And in other areas where it is not the strongest or dominating religion it usually compromise with the prevalent social situation. But the case has not been the same when it becomes powerful and dominating religion in an area. When Islam and Muslims are the dominating group they tend to subjugate, oppress and even try to eradicate other religious groups.

I think Muslims in the Country want Sharī’a implementation to reach to the chopping hand extent. I have my reasons for that. If you read the introduction of Islam during Muhammad’s time you can see that Islam did not enter [the society] directly with all its laws [Sharī’a]. It went step by step until it was totally established. That is why when Muhammad entered Mecca [Madina] a Qur’ān came to him saying today I have perfected your Islam. It is the same to Muslims today; they follow steps of Muhammad [in spreading Islam]. Muslims follow ‘silata rasul Allāh’ (the way of the prophet). And the way of prophet is to go step by step. I will give an example of an Arab and a camel in the desert. A camel asked an Arab to hide its nose on the tent. But when it inserted its nose it entered its legs slowly until it expelled the Arab out of the tent. Therefore the aim here is to make Tanzania an islamic Country though Muslims start with the demand of |§∙ī Court. Therefore I believe that at the end of the day Sharī’a implementation in Tanzania will reach the extent of chopping hands. That is the real way of Islam.¹⁷¹

The above comment is among many of such sentiments from Christians in the Country. It is because of such sentiments that Christians become so cautious of every move taken by Muslims locally and internationally. The learned Christians and activist cite international movements of Muslim activists and extremism to back their arguments. The motto first coined by Yusuf Al-Bana that “Islam is our religion and Sharī’a our Constitution”, tends to make Christians uncomfortable with the talk of the Sharī’a in the Country. Al-bana and his followers say that “Islam is Creed and state, book and sword, and a way of life” They insist that “Allah is our objective. The messenger [Muhammad] is our leader. Qur’ān is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope”¹⁷². Though this creed does not represent all Muslims in the world, Christians are suspicious that there are some Muslims in the Country who have similar belief and who also are out of their ways to force Tanzania to become an Islamic Country. For Christians this was the motive behind the Muslims’ move to force the Government to join ‘Islam in Africa Organization’ (IAO) in 1989 and the Country’s attempt to join the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in 1993 during Ali Hassan Mwinyi’s regime.¹⁷³
The main concern here is on the motives behind the two organizations. The motives of the organizations are well documented in the Abuja Communiqué, which was offered in 28 November 1989. Two objectives are cardinal for this study, especially for the case of Christian suspicions and accusations. Firstly, the organizations should have as their motives “…to eradicate in all its forms and ramifications all non-Muslim religions in member nations (such religions shall include Christianity, Ahamadiyya and other tribal modes of worship unacceptable to Muslims)”. Secondly the organizations have “To ensure the ultimate replacement of all Western forms of legal and judicial systems with the Sharī’a in all member nations.”¹⁷⁴ The two above mentioned objectives clearly show that the aim of the organization is to turn the world to follow Islamic civilization.

The bottom line of Christians’ suspicions following the above issue is that Muslims are out of their way to make Tanzania an Islamic Country. Muslims are using different methods to fulfill this goal. Because of this Christians are scrutinizing every Muslim’s move and activity both local and international. The islamphobia which was mentioned in the introduction is clearly seen here. The phobia is mainly two things. First the Christian fear to be under Islamic rule because the history of Islamic state shows that non-Muslims who lived under Sharī’a were treated as Dhimmī. Dhimmī were non-Muslims who lived in dar al-islam (the land of Islam). Precisely, Dhimmī were ahl al-kitaab (people of the book) who denied converting to Islam. They were not killed like what was done to the Kafir (non-believers), but allowed to live by special ahd (agreements) with the rulers. The agreement was to be under dhimma which meant to surrender to Islamic rule and be protected by the state. In actual fact the dhimmī were considered as second class citizens. Dhimmī were exempted from duties such as military activities and paying Zakat. Instead they were supposed to pay poll tax known as Jizya.

Abu Mawdudi (1982:26-28) puts the status quo of non-Muslims in dar al-Islam saying that “Islamic law guarantees to non –Muslims, certain specifically stated rights beyond which they are not permitted to the affairs of the state because they do not subscribe to its ideology, once they embrace the Islamic faith, they become equal participants in all matters concerning the state or the Government”. Therefore, when the Muslims in the world today say that Sharī’a directs them on how to live with non-Muslims in dar al-Islam they usually refer to this state of affairs. This has generated a lot of suspicions among non-Muslims whenever Muslims talk about their Sharī’a implementation. Chesworth (2004:10) shows this fear saying that “With the introduction or re-introduction, of Sharī’a the non-Muslim have began to feel that they are second class citizens with reduced rights compared to the Muslims”. This is also the fear surrounding non-Muslims in the Country about Sharī’a implementation.
Secondly the unstable social-political situations in the so called Islamic states will come to Tanzania and violate the peace and tranquility which is in the Country. This is why most of learned Christians in the Country vehemently oppose the reintroduction of |§∙ī Courts and Tanzania joining OIC and IAO. Christian intellectuals have publicly spoken against the nations’ joining the organizations. They say that “There is information that Tanzania is among the founding members of IAO and it is the member of the committee which implements the resolutions of the organization”.¹⁷⁵ Apart from speaking out against it, some have taken a step of educating ordinary citizens about activities of OIC and IAO. They have decided to translate Constitutions of the two organizations so that people may understand the rationale of the organizations. They comment that:

We have translated in Kiswahili language the Constitutions of the two organizations, which are OIC and IAO; and by using our Constitutional right of the right of receiving and giving information without being impeded by anybody, without breaking the law for the benefit of the whole Tanzania society, we have printed those two Constitutions, which we present to all people …so that they will read and ponder on them so as to offer their views if Tanzania should or should not joining OIC, and if Tanzania should continue to be a member of IAO or not (Gospel for all Ministries 2008:vi).

Translation of the Constitutions is, but just an example of the Christian intellectuals’ efforts toward educating people about local and international movements of Muslims toward Islamization of Africa including Tanzania. This will mean making non-Muslims second class citizens (dhimination) in their Country.
Muslims Intellectuals have not been quiet in this case. They accuse Christian intellectuals and the church at large to have been an obstacle for Sharī’a implementation and Muslims’ developments in the Country. For them the Christian church enjoys the Country’s resources while Muslims do not. For instance, Mohammed Saidi comments that:

You see I will tell you one thing. We have evidence that the church has controlled the Government through dubious means since independence. They have conspired. Mwalimu Nyerere has got record. He used to meet with Christians from the catholic [church] in state house to plot against Muslims. In my writings I said the church has been pushing this Country for so long. The church tries to get hold of whole power to the detriment of Islam.¹⁷⁶

Saidi shows that the church has influence over the state through its members who hold Government positions and most of civil servant positions. Those people are the one who plot against Muslims in the Country. The church charts the course of life for the Country.
It is not only individual Muslim intellectual who have had such sentiments. There are several organizations which espouse similar accusations to the church through the Government. For instance, The Dar-Es-salaam University Muslims Trusteeship (DUMT)¹⁷⁷ offered a document which is written at the back cover of the Book by Hamza Mustapha Njozi titled Muslims and State in Tanzania (2003.). The document can be summarized as follows: In 1994, the Government ordered its soldiers to use tear gas on the Muslims at Mwembechai mosque in order to stop the Muslims from proclaiming their religion, in 1996; two Muslims in a small town of Lushoto were prosecuted because they preached in the mosque that Jesus is not God.
DUMT continues to say that two years later in 1998, the Government ordered its soldiers to kill two Muslims in the Mosque. This is popularly called ‘the Mwembechai Killing’.¹⁷⁸ For the sake of understanding accusations and Mistrusts among Muslims and Christians in the country it is worthwhile to present in a nutshell the Mwembechai killing is an incidence. The incidence happened on 13^th February 1998 in Dar es Salaam at Mwembechai Street. Tambila and Rubanza (2000) succinctly elucidate the incidence saying that, Mwembechai Street is situated along the Main road from Dar-Es-Salaam to the upcountry Tanzania-the Morogoro Road. At this place there is a mosque which has been used by Muslims for political and revolutionary propaganda. On the 13^th February 1998 polices shot dead two people and wounded many others and arrested scores more. The incidence was a culmination of several events about Muslims against Christians, Muslims against other Muslim and Muslim against the State.
The Mwembechai incidence has connection with the 1980’s religious trend of the Country. The trend of the Country shows that from 1980’s Tanzania experienced big campaigns of Christians preaching popularly known as ‘crusades’. This happened at different open grounds in Dar-Es-Salaam such as Mnazi mmoja, Jangwan, Temeke and Kinondoni. The ‘crusades’ were given different names like “Big November Crusades, Easter Crusade, Dar-es-Salaam Back to God crusades. In those crusades many preachers from within the Country and overseas took part. The rallies usually ended with a call for people to make a decision to follow Christ; to become evangelical Christians. Muslims in the Country complained of such campaigns of converting Muslims to Christianity. They accused young Churches converting young and immature Muslims by force through spreading of Bibles in primary and secondary schools.

Therefore in 1984, the Muslim preachers also began a similar campaign using the same methodology which was famously known as Mihadhara. Muslim groups prepared themselves before engaging into the exercise. Muslims founded groups of reading and discussing the Bible critically. Muslims youth were equipped t to reply to Christian preaching and to defend the faith. The Qur’ān was taught alongside the Bible. This state of affairs resulted to slanderous preaching toward each religious group. Therefore the government intervened and many people were arrested because of causing incitements. Then the government banned such preaching. After the government had given order to religious groups to stop conducting outdoor, open air public preaching, the minister for Home affairs had a meeting with all religious groups. All groups agreed to do so and requested the government to withdraw all cases connected with public preaching. The government accepted that. Nine cases were reported to be withdrawn. But after the withdrawal of the cases the groups started preaching again.

In February 1998 the police arrested leaders and believers of various denominations who conducted preaching of slandering other religions. In that operation many Christians and Muslims were arrested. Because of this a group of people went out of the mosque after prayer and started stoning government cars, putting roadblocks using large stones and later burning tires and metals. From Mwembechai, the rioters spread through the Morogoro Road from kwa Macheni near to Jangwani to the Friendship Textile mill. Others went to other nearby streets. A total of 35 vehicles were damaged and one was burnt while parked at the CCM office, at Manzese. Police and national flags were torn and other properties were stolen. In the discord, twenty people were injured including four policemen. As a result police deployed the field forces unit (FFU) that went there to disperse the rioters. The rioters attacked the policemen back by stones which caused the FFU to open fire at the civilians. During the incidence two people were killed, six were injured by live ammunition and many other wounded.
DUMT goes on saying that in 1999, Muslim students were obligated to demonstrate to oppose the Government’s decision to stop the wearing of hijab to the girl students in schools and colleges. They also said that in 2002 the Government passed a law that it is not allowed for any person to utter publicly that Jesus is not God. They concluded that in 2003 the Government, in collaboration with FBI, started a campaign of arresting different heads of Muslim institutions in the name of war against terrorism.¹⁷⁹
Muslims feel that there are some people who are in the system who led a conspiracy to discriminate them from holding key Government positions. Therefore the Muslims are trying to find out who is bewitching them (enemy). Most of their research shows that they have several enemies. The Most important ones are the Government, BAKWATA and some Christian circles.
According to the DUMT official interviewed, apart from the other two enemies of Muslims, namely the Government and BAKWATA, DUMT see the Church, especially the Roman Catholic in Tanzania to have its hand on what is happening to the Muslims today in the Country. DUMT says that even when you take a careful look at the Mwembechai killing scenario, the Government acted after a statement given by the Roman Catholic priest. It is because of this, according to DUMT, that most of the writings by the Muslim intellectuals and academicians are kinds of indictments toward the Roman Catholic Church in the Country.

Muslims in the Country have been agitating to the Government following this state of affairs but it is in vain. Instead, the Government has been labeling the Muslim activist as fundamentalist; some have even been threatened by the Government and some even being persecuted by being remanded by the Government.

Unfortunately the Government does not call the Muslims and ask them why they have been writing strong statement against the Government and the church and BAKWATA. Instead they just offer statements to negate what have been written by the intellectuals. A good example of this is when the Government banished Njozi’s book, Mwembechai Killing and the Political future of Tanzania which exposed the reality of the Mwembechai killings. DUMT says that this alone proves that the Country is not democratic though it claims to be so. Therefore, Mwembechai Killing and the Political future of Tanzania has been written so as to tell the truth to the Government, whether the Government likes it or not. And here within the university is like a heaven whereby people can freely air their views because it is safe to speak academically. DUMT has decided to air the Muslim views with those who have the goodwill to hear the cries of Muslims and those who love truth believing they will sympathize with the Muslims in the Country.
A lecturer at the University who is also a member of the CCT church chaplaincy gave an interesting comment about Mwembechai Killing and the Political future of Tanzania. To him this document and any other by DUMT should be scrutinized carefully because DUMT as an organization does not produce documents of its own. It forwards documents from the research of other people. Hence the current document presents views of individuals who are of heterogeneous historical backgrounds and opinions. It is for this reason that Njozi and DUMT’s views cannot be taken as views of the whole Muslim community in the Country. The lecturer gave an example of some Muslim lecturers at the University who a do not concur with Njozi in some of his writings like his book Mwembechai Killings and the political future of Tanzania. He further analyzes Njozi’s writing saying that one should expect such views from him because these views express his gratitude to the Muslims who funded his high studies.¹⁸⁰
Suffice it to say that Muslim intellectuals in the Country try to use their pens to speak out about the Muslim status quo in the Country. Unfortunately, in most cases, they fall into the same traps of suspicions, prejudices and accusations as intellectuals from their Christian counterpart. It is because of this that almost all four consecutive Presidents have consistently insisted that the current Muslim social status quo is a result of historical events.
The incumbent President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete told the Muslims that their backwardness in education is partly caused by themselves. He did this when he addressed the Mawlid national congregation which was held in Arusha on 1^st April 2007. He said that in the education sector, Muslims have not been successful because of historical reasons. He went further saying that the Muslims in the Country were not aware of the Western education earlier. Therefore now when they are aware of the importance of education, they blame everybody for their backwardness in the earthly education.¹⁸¹ The Muslims should ponder on this comment as a stepping stone toward gearing improvement of their status quo.