Malawi Muslims condemn DPP regional governor for Islamaphobia
April 26, 2018
Zawadi Chilunga - Nyasa Times 20 Comments
Concerned Muslims have asked the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to discipline Julius Paipi, the regional governor for the eastern region for what he said at a political rally in Mangochi urging people not to vote for Muslim candidates.
The Muslim remark angered Mangochi district campaign director for the party Wellington Mangulenje who has since resigned from his position in protest and withdrawn membership from the DPP.
Addressing a news conference on Wednesday , Sheikh Yahaya Hanif described Paipi’s remarks as offensive and provocative. And Malawi Muslim Community in the United Kingdom have also condemned the remarks.
“As Muslims, we have very good working relationship with the current President and his party. President Peter Mutharika has supported our various activities such as Ijtima which took place last year. So, for somebody to bring divisions between us and our President is very unfortunate and unacceptable,” Hanif told reporters.
The Sheik said DPP should distance itself from Paipi’s anti-Muslim remarks.
And Sheikh Yunus Makunganya said Paipi should apologise and the DPP leadership should also say sorry.
“Our religion teaches us to forgive if somebody apologises,” said Makunganya.
Sheikh Nordin Yasin rejected claims by Paipi that Islam is a religion of violence, saying it teaches peace and asked Muslims to remain calm.
In a statement made available to Nyasa Times, Rhodrick Junaid Kalumpha, Secretary General, Malawi Muslim Community UK, condemned the “ egregious and callous remarks” by Paipi.
Kalumpha said what the DPP Regional governor alleged against Muslims in Malawi is “ disgusting annotations” which have no place in modern day society, let alone modern day Malawi.
“As bonafide citizens of Malawi, Malawian Muslims have the right to seek any political office through any party of their choice under the democratic processes instituted by the Malawi Constitution. Conversely, every Malawian has got the freedom and right to choose any anyone to represent them regardless of their religious inclination. These freedoms of choice are enshrined in the supreme constitution of the land,” said Kalumpha n the statement.
“Perhaps Mr Paipi needs to be reminded that Malawi is a secular state, as such, politics of religion has no place in such a state. Mr Paipi also needs to be schooled on the fact that many families in Malawi, especially in his region which he claims to govern under the ruling DPP, are of mixed religious heritage. Indeed it is not uncommon to find that numerous families have both Muslim and Christian members. Throughout the Eastern region, we find churches and mosques built side by side, a testament to the fact that members of both of these great religions live in peaceful harmony. And indeed many of us have been both to the mosque and to the church at one point in time, and we have friends from both religious denominations,” the statement added.
The Muslims are calling on political leaders in the run up to the General Election next year to desist from such dangerous remarks and to focus on issue-based politics that will lift the living standards of many of our people.
Kalumpha said the DPP leadership should not only discipline Paipi from but also to apologise for the careless remarks.
“Malawi belongs to all of us, Christians, Muslims, animists and other religious denominations. It is in this vein that we applaud the action of Mr Wellington Mangulenje, the Mangochi DPP Campaign Director, who upon hearing Mr Paipi’s despicable remarks, resigned from his position immediately. We hope the DPP top leadership will address this matter with the seriousness it deserves. The Eastern Region will be watching,” concluded the statement.
DPP spokesperson Francis Katsaira said a team of party officials would be investigating the matter and an appropriate action would be taken .
Malangizo kwa asilamu anzanga. Dziwani kuti ngati pali region ya mu Africa yomwe anthu ake anapangidwa brainwashed mma mphunziro ndi khani ya za chuma ndi azungu ndi southern africa. Ngakhale ndi munthu amene amati ndi graduate ya university ma comment amakhala omvetsa chisoni. Mwachitsanzo amene amati asilamu ndi akhanza khondo ya ku Mozambique amamenya ndi asilamu? Nanga ku Zimbabwe the so called kugullahundi operations komwe over 20000 were killed in matebeland anali asilamu? Ku south africa 1000 people die everyday through violence related deaths ngati kubayani ndi kuomberana amenewo ndi asilamu? Tikanena za utsogoleri one of the brutal regime in… Read more »
Tchana
6 years ago
Jones watch your speech! This kind of remarks will cause havoc, Islam is about peace not violence.Do u think America where there are a lot of Christians has good people? They r the ones who starts war in Islamic countries yet the blame comes back to Muslims. In Malawi Christians and Muslims leave peacefully but your opinion and that of Paipi of yours can cause a damage!!woke up jones
jones
6 years ago
Muslims are a danger to any society, in fact what the regional governor said is the opinion of his party. . Goodall said almost the same remarks in Mzuzu about amwenye, jappie Mhango said the same thing. What have you do with them. No sensible Malawian should vote for a Muslim, azivoterana okhaoka.
Trump Dolnad
6 years ago
NGAKHALE PAIPI SAKUNAMA KUTI MINYOMBAYI NDIYA MIHAWU MWACHITSANZO ANAYAMBANA NDI ANTHU CHIFUKWA CHOGULITSA NKHUMBA PAMENE IWOWO AMAGULITSA MOWA KOMANSO KUMWA MPAKANA MUNTHU ANAFAKO KUMENEKO AKUTI ISLAMIC STAKE.NETHER THE LESS PAIPI SAMAYENELA KULANKHULA CHILUNGAMO PAMANSO PA MINYOMBA
santana
6 years ago
Despite the bad remarks by Paipi, Mangulenje would not have resigned before hearing what the top brass of the party would handle the issue. Mangulenje as a politician should know that politicians sometimes become overzealous in their speech to out-do their opponents not knowing that in the process they can easily make blunders. Paipi might have only have a picture of Mia forgetting that he have people of the same faith in his own party. Despite the pain, Mangulenje would have known that this Paipi was not speaking on behalf of the party. Now that he has resigned what would… Read more »
You are very very right Santana, resigning is not and should not have been an option at this stage. It might have been obvious that Paipi was completely engulfed by the Mia mania to an extent that he wrongly assumed that the name Mia and Muslim or Islam can be used interchangeably. On the other hand I feel that DPP would have come out quickly to condem and distance itself from such remarks.
The guy is principled, cannot take shit like the rest of you do.
10months to go. DPP out
6 years ago
Zimandidabwisa moslems supporting DPP and making an alliance with DPP through Atupele. Inu Kodi zimene anapanga Bingu dishing the party sizinakukwaneni? DPP want to use u and damp u after mavote.
Ndi MCP yokha inakhala ndi asilamu mosayambana nawo.
Izi akufuna akuyikireni ma TA achilomwe ku Machinga and Mangochi.
Akangowinanso a DPP u will see how u will dance.
Who is mbuli here? Politics wayamba kuyichita follow liti? Don’t you know the bond between UDF and Midyomba? Don’t be childish or pretend as if you stay abroad. UDF =YAO=MUSLIMS.
what type of investigation this was said at a raly
Tchana
6 years ago
Dpp shud indeed apologise including Mr Paipi himself!!Malawi is a secular state,as such those remarks are totally unacceptable. Bravo Mangulenje!
bibu
6 years ago
This called paipi thinks like a child, if DPP can not FIRE HIM, then it means dont like muslims in this country, SO, ine ngat msilamu okhuzidwa ndikukupemphan inu adpp kut ameneyo achoke pa mpando wa u governor ap ayi TIMATCHA!!!
Nalingula
6 years ago
Yaya look at Malawi ,violence is perpetrated by DPP cadets.Compare the recent Mangochi and Mulanje bye elections. Did you hear of any Violence in Mangochi which dominated by Muslims? Maganizo anu ndi a chikalamba you must between 70 and 80 yrs old.
Well, go to the Middle East in fact everywhere around the world – Nigeria, Libya etc. Why are we searched so much when we fly these days? Who is involved in terrorist attacks in the world – killing innocent people who have nothing to do with their causes? Think about religion.
Malangizo kwa asilamu anzanga. Dziwani kuti ngati pali region ya mu Africa yomwe anthu ake anapangidwa brainwashed mma mphunziro ndi khani ya za chuma ndi azungu ndi southern africa. Ngakhale ndi munthu amene amati ndi graduate ya university ma comment amakhala omvetsa chisoni. Mwachitsanzo amene amati asilamu ndi akhanza khondo ya ku Mozambique amamenya ndi asilamu? Nanga ku Zimbabwe the so called kugullahundi operations komwe over 20000 were killed in matebeland anali asilamu? Ku south africa 1000 people die everyday through violence related deaths ngati kubayani ndi kuomberana amenewo ndi asilamu? Tikanena za utsogoleri one of the brutal regime in… Read more »
Jones watch your speech! This kind of remarks will cause havoc, Islam is about peace not violence.Do u think America where there are a lot of Christians has good people? They r the ones who starts war in Islamic countries yet the blame comes back to Muslims. In Malawi Christians and Muslims leave peacefully but your opinion and that of Paipi of yours can cause a damage!!woke up jones
Muslims are a danger to any society, in fact what the regional governor said is the opinion of his party. . Goodall said almost the same remarks in Mzuzu about amwenye, jappie Mhango said the same thing. What have you do with them. No sensible Malawian should vote for a Muslim, azivoterana okhaoka.
NGAKHALE PAIPI SAKUNAMA KUTI MINYOMBAYI NDIYA MIHAWU MWACHITSANZO ANAYAMBANA NDI ANTHU CHIFUKWA CHOGULITSA NKHUMBA PAMENE IWOWO AMAGULITSA MOWA KOMANSO KUMWA MPAKANA MUNTHU ANAFAKO KUMENEKO AKUTI ISLAMIC STAKE.NETHER THE LESS PAIPI SAMAYENELA KULANKHULA CHILUNGAMO PAMANSO PA MINYOMBA
Despite the bad remarks by Paipi, Mangulenje would not have resigned before hearing what the top brass of the party would handle the issue. Mangulenje as a politician should know that politicians sometimes become overzealous in their speech to out-do their opponents not knowing that in the process they can easily make blunders. Paipi might have only have a picture of Mia forgetting that he have people of the same faith in his own party. Despite the pain, Mangulenje would have known that this Paipi was not speaking on behalf of the party. Now that he has resigned what would… Read more »
You are very very right Santana, resigning is not and should not have been an option at this stage. It might have been obvious that Paipi was completely engulfed by the Mia mania to an extent that he wrongly assumed that the name Mia and Muslim or Islam can be used interchangeably. On the other hand I feel that DPP would have come out quickly to condem and distance itself from such remarks.
The guy is principled, cannot take shit like the rest of you do.
Zimandidabwisa moslems supporting DPP and making an alliance with DPP through Atupele. Inu Kodi zimene anapanga Bingu dishing the party sizinakukwaneni? DPP want to use u and damp u after mavote.
Ndi MCP yokha inakhala ndi asilamu mosayambana nawo.
Izi akufuna akuyikireni ma TA achilomwe ku Machinga and Mangochi.
Akangowinanso a DPP u will see how u will dance.
Mbuli ina iyi pano. Muslims aint UDF
Who is mbuli here? Politics wayamba kuyichita follow liti? Don’t you know the bond between UDF and Midyomba? Don’t be childish or pretend as if you stay abroad. UDF =YAO=MUSLIMS.
what type of investigation this was said at a raly
Dpp shud indeed apologise including Mr Paipi himself!!Malawi is a secular state,as such those remarks are totally unacceptable. Bravo Mangulenje!
This called paipi thinks like a child, if DPP can not FIRE HIM, then it means dont like muslims in this country, SO, ine ngat msilamu okhuzidwa ndikukupemphan inu adpp kut ameneyo achoke pa mpando wa u governor ap ayi TIMATCHA!!!
Yaya look at Malawi ,violence is perpetrated by DPP cadets.Compare the recent Mangochi and Mulanje bye elections. Did you hear of any Violence in Mangochi which dominated by Muslims? Maganizo anu ndi a chikalamba you must between 70 and 80 yrs old.
Well, go to the Middle East in fact everywhere around the world – Nigeria, Libya etc. Why are we searched so much when we fly these days? Who is involved in terrorist attacks in the world – killing innocent people who have nothing to do with their causes? Think about religion.