Malawi Muslims query Catholic bishops silence on albino killing in pastoral letter after Priest arrest
The Muslim Council of Malawi has questioned Catholic bishops in the country, under the umbrella of the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM), for not talking about increased violence against albinos in the country in contents of its recent Pastoral Letter.
The 16-page Pastoral Letter titled: ‘A Call For A New Era In Malawi’, read out in all Catholic churches Sunday—the fifth Sunday of Easter in the Catholic calendar— has catalogued ills bedevilling the nation and echoes the issues raised in the Ccivil society groups’ 10-point demand petition like the dwindling public service delivery, nepotism, lack of transformational leadership and others.
The Pastoral letter advises the citizens to look for honesty, transformational leadership, selflessness, servant leadership, decisive leadership, respects of the law, willingness to step down, above tribal/regional/ political interests; and God fearing as the qualities the citizens should consider.
But the Muslim community has accused Catholic Church for being mum albino attacks, apparently after a church’s priest was arrested on suspicion of being involved in the abduction and brutal murder of Macdonald Masambuka, a young Moslem with albinism from Machinga.
Father Thomas Muhosha of Mulombozi Parish in Zomba was arrested and is being investigated by Police after he was mentioned as one of the people who took part in the brutal killing of Masambuka.
The body of 22 year-old Masambuka, who hailed from Nakawa village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nkoola in Machinga was found on April 1 buried within the district after he was reported missing in March this year.
Police traced the body following confessions from initial suspects who had been arrested in connection to the crime.
“We feel that the Catholic Church could have included the missing and brutal murders of people with albinism. Just recently our Muslim brother late Masambuka was murdered and one of suspect is a Reverend Catholic Priest. The nation may wish to know that Machinga district has registered the highest number of killings of people with albinism. We are aware that if it was a politician of any political party, the Catholic Church would have advocated for impeachment even though not proven guilty in the court of law” reads the statement signed by National Chairman Sheikh Yasin Katungwe and Publicist Mulli Bwanali.
It adds: ” We feel the Catholic Church could have assured Malawians through this Pastoral letter measures they have put in place to protect people with albinism “.
But the Episcopal Conference of Malawi suspedned the priest immediately after his arrest and also emphasized that the church condemns in its strongest terms any attacks on any human being.
Bishop George Tambala of the Zomba diocese distanced the church from Muhosha’s alleged conduct saying the church defends the sanctity of human life and the killings of persons with albinism is a violation to that sanctity.
“The Catholic Church has always strongly condemned the killings of persons with albinism,” said Bishop Tambala.
The bishops’ justice and peace commission has also condemned their killing, which is linked to the practice of witch doctors.
It said the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has commented several times on the matter.
Across Africa – from Malawi, Tanzania, and Burundi in the east, to Cameroon in the west – albinos are targeted because it is believed they have magical powers or bring good luck. They are killed, and their body parts sold to be used in potions made by witch doctors.
CCJP commented that Malawi needs a multi-faceted approach to the problem, involving police, government, religious, and traditional leaders.
The pastoral letter was not read in some parishes due to various reasons. At Matawale Parish in Zomba for instance, the priest said the letter would be read next week. At Neno Parish it was not read as the priest was not available.
At Nanthomba Parish in Dowa, the parish priest, Fr. Sebastian Unsner stopped the catechist after reading the first two chapters of the letter saying it would be continued the following week as there was more time to elections next year.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
The Catholic Church condemned and keeps condemning albino killings. The case of Muhosha is in the hands of the police and the courts. Hence, it is unwise to condemn Muhosha who is by now A SUSPECT and must be presumed innocent until proven guilty by an independent, impartial and competent court of law. Read Section 42 (2)(f)(iii) of Constitution of Malawi. The bishops’ comment on a case in police hands can JEOPARDIZE investigations. Let the police and the courts do their job without interference from any institutions. So the best Malawians an do is to reseve for a moment those condemning comments and employ a “WAIT AND SEE” approach and follow proceedings on how the court will CONCLUDE the case.
Shame on you Catholics, who were killing people in Rwanda just 20 years ago. Was it not the priests and nun’s. Zitsiru za wanthu inu. Worshipers of mafano. Demet.
It’s very pathetic that the Muslim body would like to dragged into politics. I agree with what Mr. Winston Msowoya has said. If you can thoroughly look into the barbaric acts that Moslems have committed in form of suicide bombers and others via the doctrine of jihad; they have terrorised the world over. This is utter ignorance and evil of the highest degree orchestrated by the father of all lies “the Devil.” Our Lord Jesus Christ already prophesied about this and I quote from the Epistle of John.
John 16 vs 2-4 (NIV) “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I told you about them.”
We hear of the acts of ISIL/ISIS, Al quaelda, Boko Haram, the involvement of Syrian and Iranian govt in killing fellow Muslims in Syria and many more acts perpetuated by monsters in the radical Islamic faith. So when you are pointing one finger on your nemesis, know that the other four are pointing right back at yourself.
BE OBJECTIVE WHEN CRITICISING ISSUES AND LEARN TO ACCEPT APOLOGIES AS WAS DONE BY THE ZOMBA DIOCESE COMMUNIQUE.
Killers in Syria are Americans who are supporting Jihadists.
Very important observation by the Muslim body. The Catholics should be ashamed of this oversight. Albino killings are one of the issues rocking malawi right now and the pastoral letter should have addressed the issue. But why didn’t it though?
1. Obviously because one of their own bishops is caught up in the allegations
2 because the recent killing and most of the killings occur in Muslim majority areas and this might never have registered as an issue for the Catholics
The Catholic body if it claims to be tolerant, inclusive, and a voice for all should publicly acknowledge this oversight, reach out to the Muslim faithful and condemn albino killings.
Building a tolerant and inclusive Malawi
Not Malawi Muslims, this reverend is a human being just as any other, so his involvement in the killing of Albino has nothing to do with Catholic. I am a Muslim but will not blame catholics for this. These are just individuals not church or religion.
You Moslems the sons of ismael have killed alot of innocent people thru slave trade but never apologised. Ask jumbe and mlozi. What stops you from writing sound letters? You know you don’t have the hype like the Catholic have because you are evil yourselves. Terrorists, who always think of vengeance. Anthu opanda mizimu. You don’t even read. The church condemned this long ago. Shatapu don’t ever make any noise. It pains you alot coz you are in minority.
One cannot rule out a Moslem-DPP political underhand and blackmail in the whole saga. Remember, there are well- known thugs and cunning individuals in both DPP and Moslem community.
This could be a set-up, well- calculated ploy by some dpp-moslem thugs to retaliate, undermine and redicule the Pastoral Letter in order to dilute its political impact?
A number issues raise eye blows in the Muhosha scandal: it occurred in a Moslem hot-spot district? a Moslem albino murdered? suspects allege it’s a Catholic priest behind the killings? Moslem clerks initially silent wait till pastoral letter is read out to issue their condemnation? One can smell a rat here
Remember politics in Malawi can really be dirty?
SHAME!!!
Ine si msilamu koma ndikudabwa kuti ena mukuona ngati ma shehe alakwitsa kufunsa kuti bwanji kalata yonse ija 16 pages osatchulako za ma Albion amene iwowa a Katolika akupha? Shame on you. Tonse tadziwa kuti akupha ma Albion ndi inuyo a Katolika? After all Munthu adaphedwa uja ndi msilamu nde asafunse? Bwanji mukuona zitsotso mmaso mwa ena koma mukukanika kuona dzimitengo mmaso mwanu inu ma bishop ndi a nsembe? Kodi ku Rwanda mmesa mudali inuyo a Katolika amene mmapha anthu ndipo mumachitira zonyansazi mmachalitchi anuwa? Adapha William Tyndale ndi ndani? Nanga Galileo Galilei adamumanga anali ndani? Mmesa ndinuyo? Chitani Google muone. Zitsiru a Katolika, afalisi inu. Pano takudziwani kuti you are useless and wicked. I hope ndi ambiri a nsembe amene akuchita zimenezi kungoti uyu ndamene wagwidwa. Zonse mwalemba zija zikuoneka kuti mukunena awo ndi awo koma osanena zanu kuti mukumapha ma Albion ndinu and rebuke yourself for this shameful acts. Zitsiru inu DEMET.
Are these moslems living in Malawi? Have you not heard or read the condemnations by the church. ? Come on! You are just looking for excuses to incite your well known religious violence
Pepani Christians will not fall into your trap.
Tell me a moslem cleric who ever did or said anything intelligent in Malawi and/or globally. Until then , palibe chodabwitsa apa chochokera kwa msilamu!
This is poor and illogical thinking by the Muslim body, how can the involvement of one catholic priest generalised to all catholics? are they saying muslims dont commit crimes? are they saying Sheikhs dont commit crimes? if they do should we generalise that all muslims are like that? How sure are they that Muslims are not involved in this barbaric behaviour? What this muslim group is doing is inciting violence and religious intolerance. I feel this is more political than religious issue…. MIXING RELIGION AND POLITICS is a DANGEROUS act
The real truth has now become a venom to us, very shame just because our fellow Malawians Moslems has positively pointed a true facts that are lacking from the so called pastol letter but some have chosen ugly to accuse to the true facts. The so called pastol letter orchestrated and drafted by the Albino killers lucks credibility to the malawians. The Catholics is their likes of covering up their evil problems but they are good running on top of the roof for others problems. Very shame indeed. These so called priests amangodutsa m’maboda ndi mma road blocks without being thouraghly checked pretending they are saints while they are beyond the crooked ness….
I think you Muslims are just like your friends in the middle East.If you see someone going ku chimbuzi with a bucket of water to wipe his or her ass with hands,know that there is something wrong with this religion.You must thank the Catholic Church for removing Banda from power and your brother Muluzi opened the gates for you barbarians to enter into our country.Islamic leaders all over the world especially in the heart-land of Islam,are just unconcerned about the barbaric slaughter of Arab Muslims including children and women.You have see more recently your people from the middle east trekking to European nations for safety and yet,you still condemn Christians.To me I think you muslims are living in different world,how would you say to the people are receiving you; DEATH TO CHRISTIANS!!!!!! Where on earth would you find such people?It is therefore unfair and foolish to criticise the Catholic Bishops for remaining silence to the killings of the Albino people.These people are human beings like you and Christians,why did you remain silent over this brutal killings of our brothers? Be informed that the Catholic Church are doing good and helpful things to Malawians as a whole regaedless of your affiliations.Please if you want to live in our country,do not try to devide us as you have been devided in your broken countries.
Musathawe Aroma. Mwatithera ma albino athu mu Machingamu. The extent of damage caused by this catholic priest and his friends is un imaginable. Wakhala akupha ma alubino kwanthawi yaitali galu ameneyi. The Bishop of Zomba must indeed resign to pave way for investigation of his priests. Tinkadabwatu ife kuwona ma priest ali balala balala pakati pa usiku mu Utalemu, mu Balakamu, mu Liwondemu. Merciless killers these priests are.
Our dear friends in the Muslim community, The Catholic Church has issued so many statements condemning the killing of our brother Masambuka and i believe its enough for now up until justice is is concluded in the court of law. It is equally worrisome that some Muslims such as Qana does not appreciate that as Catholics we command Education sector, we have the best schools in this land, most of the students in the public universities are from catholic institutions. How many muslim schools are producing results in malawi? As a matter of fact Catholic church is even helping Muslim countries to end their wars which has killed so many women and children.
I don’t like arguing in forum like this. But I wish to give my view on what our Moslem community have pointed out as something lacking in the pastoral letter, Call for New Era in Malawi. The Malawi Muslims query Catholic bishops silence on albino killing in pastoral letter after priest arrest, is out of ignorance. And ignorance is not an excuse. The pastoral letter was not just framed or written or published just a week before 29th April,2018. It was something which was planned and executed Long time ago that the case of albino killing the Muslims brothers are arguing. On the other hand the pastoral letter was waiting it’s appointed day and relevant of the theme of the day, Why are we not bearing fruits and 29th April, 2018 was relevant because it is the Sunday that the entire Catholic Church was celebrating Jesus as the vine and people as branches and a branch bears fruits if it is connected to the Vine. The Muslims brothers miss the background of the pastoral letter. Ignorance is not an accuse.
Did you read the statement which was issued by the church when this happened. Police are still investigation the issue. and how many albinos have been murdered. Did these Muslims say anything. now they have chosen to say something because this one was a muslism.
KODI NDIYE KUTI ASILAMU SATHA KULEMBA ?????????? NANGA IWO OSALEMBA KALATA YAWO BWANJI???
CHILICHONSE AZINGODALILA MA BISHOP BASI ??????????
A person is both divine and human . The divine nature of a person makes him/her obey God always. The human nature makes him/her continuously sin, hence the need for continued converting and repentance. The divine and human persons are found in all religious groupings and faiths. The Moslem brothers can as well tell Malawians who the slave traders were and who abolished it.
Let us all be realistic with what we write for the benefit of the nation. Whilst I commend the pastoral letter to be useful to the whole nation of Malawi, I would also urge the Bishops to include in the same pastoral letter condemnation of Catholic Fathers who are mentioned to have been involved in the killings of Albinos. Further, CCJP and all advocates in the Catholic Church should allow suspension of the Bishops in the region where this murder has taken place to pave way for rigorous investigation on this malpractice. God has guided the nation and showed us the people who are evil. We were blind in the past, thinking they are local uneducated people who are killing the albinos but God Himself has revealed to us the real people who are doing this brutal killing. So it is very important to include this in the pastoral letter
What this Islamic body is saying is absolutely ridiculous. Catholics condemned this long ago. Why should Moslems always want to act as rivals even opposing where there is nothing worth opposing?
A Call for Newer in Malawi is meant to be a cry for each one of us (civil society, political leaders, the clergy, labour organisations, private sector, civil servants; to deeply introspect and understand our role in taking Malawi to where it is today (and is not a good space) and how we can take it forward. Its certainly not a blame game or taking us backwards otherwise we will never get to the promised land. we all should understand that shit happened and is still is happening……we need to come up with smart ideas to make us forward. we are all malawians first. Let’s work together as one.
This is a fake letter. Firstly it is dated 29th May 2018. A letter cannot be postdated as though its a cheque
Secondly all moslems start by the words ‘asalam alaikum’ or ‘bismillah ir rahman ir raheem’. This one doesnt
Thirdly, why do us moslems wait for the catholics to address the irregular situation in Malawi? We could have just written our own letter without finding fault in the Catholic one.
kkkkkkkkkkkk AMANGWETU , What else is missing the Letter?
Moslems/Muslims shouldn’t lead us Catholics into temptations but deliver us from evil
After all they are the brutal homicides in the world
Book haram
ISIS
All shabab
etc
Go and condemn ur fellow savages
I think this letter issued by muslims has bad timing. The issue of allubino was already discussed and that the church is waiting for justice to prevail. The pastoral letter issued is for transformational leadership, is it necessary to include the issue of allubino in this letter? i don think so? although the muslim letter remains important but to my opinion they have critised against different subject matter. i wish they could have read the pastoral letter thoroughly.
Totally agree with the Muslim Council of Malawi. The Catholic Church should have talked about priests killing albinos, priests having relationships and children who they don’t care for. By the way, there is no democratic governance, transparency and accountability in institutions that the Catholic Church owns or ones affiliated to it. A good example is the Catholic University which is a nasty institution that is torturing students. These institutions are oppressive and the Catholic church does not have any democratic mechanisms to rectify such malpractices. I would rather the Catholic Church stop issuing these letters unless it is ready to take the log out of its eyes.
The first person to issue a statement condemning acts of violence against people living with albinism pigmentation was bishop George Tambala, seconded by all Catholic Commissions of Justice and Peace in the whole country . Then came a statement from the Episcopal Conference of Malawi. These letters were read in churches and published in the news papers for the past three weeks. The same information was on social media outlets.
What is wrong with these Muslim Brotherhood? What are they up to? Moreover their statement is dated 29th May, 2018. Kikikikikikikikikik are you living on earth or elsewhere?
I strongly agree with the Moslems though Iam a Christian. Why waste your time on politics when your own priests are killing alabinos
Mind you some of the past killings you never know more priests were involved
Catholic priests who authored the letter are total hypocrites
Its a pity that these issues have been politicised. These issues are socio-economic and affects all of us irrespective of tribal, cultural and religious backgrounds. Lets work together for once and demonstrate some leadership for our own sanity. We need to define our collective destiny and certainly won’t help if we keep blaming each other on tribal and religious lines. corrupt and immoral politicians currently governing must be laughing all the way to bank knowing that Malawians will endorse them back in. They’re comfortable that nothing will change. So bwana Bwana lets speak with one sane voice for the good of all Malawians and the generation ahead.
God forgive you
Achawawo osangolemba ngaliba letter yawo bwanji?
Amwene, this umbuli you showing here is the reason why we are the poorest country on earth
Vuto la anthu ena samawelenga nkhani koma kunyoza basi kodi zinthu zomwe Malawi Muslim akunena ndi zabodza akunena kuti 10 points ya pastoral letter akanapanga includ albino issue palibe nkhani ya umbuli inu xool yomwe munapita enanso anapita yomweyo read carefully and come with apoint
The comment is clearly in a bad state. The elders are quietly working to solve big Malawi problems and you are busy making noise Ndendeuli.