Machinga Catholic parish given 21 days to vacate ‘Muslim territory’
A disagreement has ensued between Catholics and Muslims around Mosiya Village in the eastern lakeshore district of Machinga, as the latter has demanded that the former vacate their territory within 21 days.
Nyasa Times has learnt that the misunderstanding is as a result of the Catholic church’s barring the wearing of hijabs in their primary schools.
Yusuf Bwanali, 32, said it was “irritating” that their children, especially girls, were not being accorded a chance to respect what the holy teachings of Islam prescribe for them.
“And yet this is a Muslim territory. Islam is like a culture here. If they [Catholic church] don’t want to respect that then they should leave our community,” said Bwanali.
The Muslim community has since asked the local Mpiri Catholic Parish to cease their operations, according to a letter Nyasa Times has seen.
In their letter addressed to the parish priest, and copied to various stakeholders including including government, the community decribed the restriction on hijabs in Christian schools—including Catholic—as “discriminatory and a disgrace” to them considering that they are a mainly Muslim community.
“We will use whatever means to force the Church to move its Parish in the area, especially if it fails to bow down to our demand,” reads the letter in part.
Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) secretary general, Henry Saindi, while confirming the development, asked members of Catholic church in Machinga to remain calm.
He said the Church in Malawi had since referred the matter to the multi-faith religious body the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) while Ministry of Education spokesperson, Chikondi Chimala, said his ministry was waiting for PAC to come up with a resolution on the matter.
Issues of dressing and make up have been an issue in Malawi schools for sometime. Not long ago, members of the Rastafarian community also wanted their wards to keep their dreadlocks in public primary and secondary schools.
The issue has not been resolved up-to-date.
According to a National Statistics Office (NSO) 2018 census, there are two-majority-Muslim districts, Mangochi (72.6 percent) and Machinga (66.9 percent) which account for more than half of all Muslims in Malawi.
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Mangani ma school achisilamu basi if not muzikhalila choncho inu achina Chabulika
These Islamic threats are total nonsense, munthu sungapange malamulo munyumba yamwini, if you really know that the school is run by catholics, do what they want, and if a Christian enrols with a moslem school he/she must abide by Muslim rules, osalanda zaweni ayi, mangani zanu basi. Chomwe mumadziwa kumanga ndi mizikiti basi, mumati anawo akaphunzira my sukulu zolanda? Usandinyanse iwe, Malawi ndi wa a Malawi, not Moslems or Christians, ukuyuzidwa eti? Fokof
Idiots they let FOREIGN RELIGIONS DIVIDE THEM.
Shame on us africans with our gullible following. Islaam is for those Arabs and Catholism is for the Hebrews
Who made those demarcations for either Christians or Moslems territories in this country?
Akukamba zoona asilamu asiyeni Ana awo azivala ma hijab coz ma school amenewo mudakawamangira dala ku dera la asilamu
For all these years we lived side by side with no issues there is no such thing as a muslim or christian territory in Malawi we have lived as one as Malawians so let’s not cause or create a division with stupid thinking like that
Just build your own islamic school problem solved need to nip it in the bud before it creates issues in our peaceful country
Resolve this amicably and don’t let other entities instigate any side we might have different religions but we humans first and Malawians
Ndi anthu abodza awa, kungoti ana awo alephera mayeso a term yathayi chifukwa amawaletsa asapite ku sukulu yokaniza hijab. Kikikikiki, sukulu ndiyovutatu siyimafuna zibwana. Enafe timachokera komweko koma ndife achikhirisitu. Ndiye Islamic territory yayambira pati? Ndipo kulekeza pati? Komanso bodza lawo likuonekera pamene akazi awo savala hijab koma akuti mwana azikavala ku sukulu za eni. Mumayidziwa MANEB zimene imachita inu? Zilimbikirani za hijab zanuzo amzanu uku akuphunzira. Kikikiki, mukuwafunira nyekhwe ana amenewo ndikukuwuzani ndithu.
Mangani ma school anu asilamu…malawi ali ndi ufulu wa zipembezo..even rastafarian can have a church there..
Mwamanga Mizikiti yanu mmadera a christus but we dont complain…pena pake asilamu amazolowela….
This is embarassing which God are you serving omwe sali tolerant choncho? It is a simple matter go to government schools. Otherwise timba sachepa ndi mazira ake alekeleni sukulu zawozo
Just remember kuti nanunso mizikiti yanuyo in other districts munachita kupatsidwa malo. Yelekezani kuwathamangitsa nafenso tigwetsa timizikiti tanuto kuno chifukwa nanu ndi obwela. Anzanu akumanga ma school inu chifukwa cha dyera mumamanga mizikiti mudzi uliwonse ndiye zisakuwaweni lero. Your friends new the needs of their flock, hospitals, schools etc. Just try it and see what happens next, period