Muslim group lashes out at Malawi Police for linking it to terrorist groups

Defending their land, a group of Muslims clashed with villagers on Friday as a way of forcing them to vacate the land.
Defending their land, a group of Muslims clashed with villagers on Friday as a way of forcing them to vacate the land.
Mtuwa at the hospital receiving treatment after being hacked
Mtuwa at the hospital receiving treatment after being hacked
Sheik Idruss Mahomed:: Its persecution against Muslims
Sheik Idruss Mahomed:: Its persecution against Muslims

The Muslim mother body in Malawi the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) has distanced itself from accusations it says are made by the Malawi police officers linking the religious body and its members to a terrorist organization.

General Secretary for MAM Sheikh Dr. Salmin Omar Idruss  said in a statement issued Sunday that the association has heard that  some police officers are linking Muslims in Malawi to terrorist groups and that the Muslims are not supposed to own land in Blantyre

“We found these sentiments to be segregatory.  MAM has no connection to any terrorist group or any of its members,” says Idruss, “We are therefore dismayed the some elements in the society are discriminating MAM and its general membership based on their religious beliefs,” he adds.

The Sheikh was reacting to the arrest of Muslims on Friday for allegedly hacking and terrorizing the villagers who have encroached piece of land which is believed to belong to an Islamic Institution known as Blantyre Islamic Mission.

Idruss says in the statement the truth of the matter is that Muslim legally acquired the piece of land in 1986 which is known as Gada Farm situated at Chadzunda area in Blantyre.  He said the ownership of the land was confirmed by the High Court in its judgment on June 11, 2013.

“From 1986 to 2012 MAM has been using the land peacefully without anyone claiming ownership of any right to the land. From early 1990s MAM entered in tenancy agreement with Speedys which lasted until 2011.

“In 2012 MAM noticed that some people were encroaching on its land a period during which it was about t to enter into another tenancy agreement with Petroda Company. However, the new tenant pulled out of the agreement due to the disputes”.

Idruss says in a bid to resolve the matter peacefully MAM has on several occasion held discussion with traditional authority Somba , the police at Milare as well as Blantyre and also the district commissioner for Blantyre.

“But the encroachment activities on the land continued.”

He says to ensure that the dispute is in accordance with the law, MAM instituted proceedings against the villagers where it turned out that the MAM was the legal owner of the land.

“While we expected that the matter will settle down following the court judgment, the Villagers have continued the terrorist activities against MAM officials assaulting them and tenants on the farm. The victims are Sheikh Muhamad Silika, Mr Sherif Kananji, and Mr Hassan Twibu. Some have been seriously injured and other have lost their possessions,” says Idruss.

“These acts are criminal and the police needed to take action by arresting the culprits and protecting Malawian citizen but nothing of the sort has happened. MAM believes that the passiveness of the police in failing to enforce the court judgment is encouraging the villagers to continue with their criminal activities against Muslims.

” Given these facts, MAM is compelled to believe that the some of the personalities in police are conniving with villagers to deprive Muslims of their rights in this country.

“We have heard the some villagers and police officers are saying the Muslims are not supposed to own land in Blantyre. Police officers have also linked Muslims in Malawi to terrorist groups..”

General Secretary for the Islamic Commission for Justice and Freedom, Hassan Chimwala has also condemned the Malawi Police for linking Malawi Muslims to Boko Haram.

“What type of police officers are we having in this country. Do they teach them racism when conducting their trainings? Do they know who Boko Haram are? Where is justice going? Is the law only applying to Muslims?” queries Chimwala.

Boko Haram, a Hausa term meaning “Western education is sinful”, is loosely modeled on Afghanistan’s Taliban.

The militant group says it is fighting enemies who have wronged its members through violence, arrests or economic neglect and corruption.

Chimwala said Malawi Muslims are not connected in any way to Boko Haram, reminding Malawians that “unprofessionalism of police officers has contributed to causes of civil war in some countries.”

He has also criticized media outlets that branded Muslims who went to protect their land as “terrorists”.

“This is bringing confusion in the country which would eventually lead to riots.”

Malawi is officially a secular nation. Islam is the second largest religion in the country after Christianity. Muslims account for 36% of the country’s 16 million population.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
77 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Stout
Stout
9 years ago

Nicely written piece. It is wrong to use violence against the encroachers but let us not forget that this problem would never have arrisen if there had been respect for Land rights by both the traditional authorities and the police. Such ‘Land invasions’ cannot have taken place without the tacit approval of the chief or is the traditional authority no longer relevant in modern Malawi?

True man
True man
9 years ago

My free advice to MAM & entire muslim community ‘If you judge yourself correctly no one will judge you but self justification will take you no where’. somebody said koran 9 verses 27, 28 & 29 encourages its followers to kill christians so You wanted to kill those villagers in the presence of police & should smile at you. Boko haram is an islamic group so as you are, boko haram believes in killing christians just as you believe too by your words you arent boko haram but by your actions you are.

ibrahim makwati
ibrahim makwati
9 years ago

APOLICE bwanjipankhani yamalo mukubwelesa ankhani ya chipembezo nkhani yamalo amakangana anthu osiyanasiyana nanga zomwd mukambazi ndiziti kodi ndinu zisilu ndinu anthu ofunakuyambisa chisokonezo malawimuno zisokonezo zimayamba mziko chifukwa cha anthu opusa ngati inu sikuti chifukwa kutindinu apolice ndiyemuthakumalamkhula mau osakhalabwino ayi samalani pofunakulankhula

Ex Muslim
Ex Muslim
9 years ago

Christianity originated from, Jesus came to Africa when Herod sought to kill. The coptic christians in Egypt and Ethiopia have been there since the time of apostles. Judaism started in Africa with Musa or Moses. Islam started in Saudi Arabia.

Uhudi
Uhudi
9 years ago
Reply to  Ex Muslim

Christianity started when Jesus already taken to heaven my dear, zinayambina kwa Antiokea Yesu atapita kale kumwamba. Christ means Messiah or Anointed one. this name was for Jesus. Jesus was not A christian. Jesus never mentioned in his mouth the birth of christianity as a religion, only Saulo the one you Paul today. Islam is there will there and will die for it. I myself I will fight this if any country or person try to destroy the image or castigating my religion. The only true religion in the earth.

Abudhlahman Waheeb Al Azziz
Abudhlahman Waheeb Al Azziz
9 years ago

Shariah says has a husband can beat his wife. Shariah says that in a court of law the evidence of a woman is worthy half that of a man. Koran 9 verse 27,28 and 29 says that we must fight Christians until they submit to Allah.

Hamu
Hamu
9 years ago

Zikuoneka kuti anthu ambiri muli nawo zifukwa Asilamu fe, Dziko lapansi anthu ambiri omwe sali asilamu achita zinthu zoipa zambiri, tikambe za Adolf Hilter, gulu la KKK kwa america, Mosilin ku Italy, ma crusade omwe anachitika ku Jerusalem zaka zapitazi. Nkhondo za ziko lonse la pasi. Tinene kuti zonsezi tinayambisa ndi Asilamu fe? Chipembezo cha chisilamu chilipo ndipo chizakhalapo mpaka kale olo mutaipisa bwanji mbiri yathu. Inu sioyamba kutero lero america ngati ukuononga ndalama zochuluka zikuthela kupha asilamu acholuka kwa luya. Lero Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Lybia anthu akuvutika. Akumusiya mugabe pa zimbabwe apa. Lero south sudan… Read more »

Akungolonje
Akungolonje
9 years ago

Christianity vs christians, and Islam vs moslems: Very few christians know or understand these things let alone those so called Pastors, Clergymen,Wisemen, Abusa, Aphedule, akulu ampingo ndi amayi amvano ndiye sorry verry worse! Christianity and christians are two different things so too is Islam and Moslems. I dont like commenting on religious issues only very quick to speak out and defend where Islam is being attacked. Malawian christians, very foolish, seem to understand religious issues but they are empty buckets on these matters, always claim Malawi to be theirs yet they know or even dont know that Malawi is a… Read more »

M'Mbale wa Asilamu
M'Mbale wa Asilamu
9 years ago

Abale anga a Islam, dzana dzanali, akuluakulu a mpingo wanu anapita pa tvm kunyoza mapeto abale aku mpoto, ati chifukwa chofuna boma la chitaganya. Izitu analalata a shehe aja ngakhale pansi pa mtima akudziwa bwino kuti chitaganya sikuti ndi kugawa dziko.

Kwa ine, kugawa dziko ndikumene kwachitika kwa Chadzunda ku Blantyre. Amene mukuti ndi abale anu mpaka kukunenani kuti simuyuza toilet tissue??? Inu nkumakakamilabe kuti anthu a kumpoto ndi oyipa, chifukwa akufuna federalism.

Ndangodutsamo
Ndangodutsamo
9 years ago

Hatred comments will never take us anywhere.I like comment NO 58.How I wished the country had many of his sober thinking.If the issue was commited by a christian but from a certain tribe we could be getting hate comments based on the tribe though you are all christians.Atumbuka kunena alomwe and alomwe kutukwana ayawo,asena kutukwana achewa koma onsewa Sunday ma Bible mmanja wa Church, usiku wake wa ku Bwandilo ndi ma hule.The following day okaba mma office and you are busy judging others.LAPANI and start practising your religion muona uhule ,kuba ndi kutukwanizana zitha!!!!!

Key
Key
9 years ago

It is not strange to see or hear that those who follow the trueth are being killed even on their land,all the messangers Of God including Jesus the son of Mary faced the same fate,he was said alot of things,beaten,chased out, etc by the same people who call themselve christians to day, and are the same people who leave their countries going to muslim countries for killing and steeling their resources.Have you ever heard that muslims have gone to christian’s countries to kill christians?but we have been seeing christians going to muslim lands.Between the one who moves from his own… Read more »

Read previous post:
Albino woman ritual murder in Mulanje

Unknown thugs reportedly killed a 25-year-old woman living with albinism in Mulanje district for ritual purposes. Police confirmed that the...

Close