Five Jehovah’s Witnesses arrested in Malawi for refusing give blood to terminally ill child
Five people who under the guise of religious belief refused to donate blood to an anaemic family member are under police custody in Mangochi after hospital officials sought for their intervention in order to save the life of a seven-year old child.
Failure to provide a child with necessities contravenes Section 242 of the Malawi Penal Code, and the police have said that the accused will appear before the court to answer to a charge of failing to provide necessities to a child under their care soon.
The five, who all belong to Jehova’s Witness faith include his father Simon Kamwendo. The others are grandfather Bernard Kamwendo, brothers Solomon and Divason Mwabwino,and an uncle Byson , from Mapata Village in Traditional Authority Mponda in the district.
Mangochi Police Station Public Relations Officer Rodrick Maida confirmed the arrest, saying they acted after Medical Doctors at Koche Health Centre in Maldeco reported the case to Makolola Police Unit.
“We arrested the five following a report from Koche Clinic which asked for our intervention in the matter whereby these people were refusing to donate blood to a patient who needed to be saved from dying,” Mangochi PRO said.
It is said that the child was diagnosed of Malaria and that he was anaemic hence the need to have blood transfusion and the resistance by his relations forced the hospital officials to seek the intervention of the law enforcers.
During the one party rule the Jehova Witness believers were forced to go into exile because of their questionable beliefs that included denial to pay for the mandatory party card that the then ruling Malawi Congress Party agents, the youth enforced.
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All those who call upon Jehovah’s name will be saved.Apolisi nanu pali chomangila anthu pamanepa mwasowa chochita ku Mangochiko eti! You Doctors, please use alternatives right now
Is Malawi returning to the policies of former president H.Kamuzu Banda? I certainly hope not!
Well the logical next step is to strap them down and remove the blood by force. Is that what the authorities are proposing? Are those in favor of this action prepared to take this to the logical consequence?
People have been told in the past by medical “experts” that they will die without a blood transfusion. Some, even after the transfusion still die from their malady. So the whole premise that without blood this child will die is not necessarily fact. Obeying God’s very distinct laws about not eating blood or taking it into ones body is all this family has done! Genesis 9:3,4; Leviticus 17:13-16; Acts 15:28,29.
Ignorance is bliss…it’s written: in judgement day the flies will enter your opened mouths saying ‘but what happened”…but it will be too late…
I pray god that the arrested family members release very soon
Iwe @ RESEACHER, The greatest command is to Love Jehovah God with all your haert!! Yes, love. Do you know that there is a scripture in the Bible which says. ……” a person who has greater affection for his son than me is not worthy of me”.Mathews 10v37. please read this verse It was one of Jesus’ teaching which gives us a lesson on what it means to love God first. However Jesus did not mean that we must not love our parents or children, but rather he is helping us to also appreciates that sometimes we may fail to… Read more »
Iwe @jfmbIII, The lesson we get from the story of a good Samaritan is about neighbourl Love, not killing orcsaving somenes life. Please kumamvetsetsaziphunzitso za baibulo, osamalitembenuza kuti ligwilizane ndimmene ukuganizira. Read Acts 15v 28,29 its amongst the verses that Jehovah said we must abstain from Blood. So the choice is yours. Imagine your God is telling you to stop eating a certain food that you love the most, eventually after some days you feel ill and the Doctor tells you that the treatment to yur sickness is that same food that your God stoped you from eating, and that… Read more »
@ ayu: go and read the story about the good samaritan. is it better to kill or to save life if i may ask?
Jehovah’s Witnesses love includes “shunning” your own family members if they leave your religion.
Did you know that while you would not buy a “party card” in Malawai, they did so in other countries, while your wives and daughters were raped and killed for not doing so.
How’s that for “new Light”.
wow!these guys are heartless!failing to help a person of there own blood due to religion?THAT IS NOT LOVE.