PAC meets over Muslim billboard vandalism: Agree to pacify the religious clash

Quasi-religious body, the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has met in Lilongwe on Thursday where members discussed how to ease religious tension between Christians and Muslims following the vandalism of a Muslim billboard.

PAC spokesperson Gilford Matonga has confirmed the meeting, saying they were moved by the Minister of Civic Education and Unity  Timothy Mtambo, who wrote them requesting for the PAC intervention.

“We were meeting to discuss how best to mediate on the matter. We will take up the task,” said Matonga.

PAC membership is inclusive of both Christians and Muslims.

However, Matonga could not be drawn to comment on when the mediation would start and details of the mediation process.

In a strongly worded letter, Muslim Association of Malawi described the action to vandalise the billboard as provocative.

In a letter signed by Dinala Chabula, the association says the Muslim Information Bureau sought all legal processes before the Blantyre city council granted permission to erect the billboard.

The Evangelical Association of Malawi, Blantyre chapter asked the council to pull down the billboard, describing it as provocative and an insult to Christianity.

The billboard has a message which says since people have read the Biblical Old and New Testaments, they should now read the latest Testament which the billboard say is the Quran, the holy book of Muslims.