Malawi Muslim clerks differ on dancing women in Hijab: Matumula accuses Muluzi
Muslim clerics in Malawi are divided over whether Muslim women should be allowed to dance on political platforms.
This comes after former president Bakili Muluzi, a moslem himself, faulted Muslim women who were seen dancing at a recent political rally held by President of the ruling People’s party Joyce Banda at Naotcha township in Blantyre.
Muluzi, who faulted the politicians for using Muslims as campaign tools, said what the Muslim women did was contrary to the teachings of Islam that command women to remain silent in the presence of men.
But another muslim cleric Yusful Matumula, who is a parliamentarian for the ruling party, told a local radio on Tuesday that there is nothing wrong for Muslim women to dance during political meetings.
“We have examples of countries like Egypt and Tunisia where Muslim women ululated and danced because of changes of government in their respective countries,” he said.
But a prominent Muslim scholar, sheikh Muhammad Uthman trashed Matumula’s remarks saying since he (Othman)was born he has never heard a master of ceremony for the political party saying that “pomwe gulewankulu ali m’bwalo ma sistere a Katolika akozeke” (as the Nyau dancers takes the floor the catholic sisters should be ready)
He says this proves that religious women are not supposed to dance during political meetings.
But Matumula said those who are against the dancing of Muslim women are the enemies of the ruling party.
Matumula accused former president Muluzi of double standards, saying Muslim women were singing and dancing for him when he was UDF president.
