BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR
Muslims at Namwera in Mangochi last Sunday protested the distribution of bibles to their school-going children by the Gideon International fearing it was a deliberate ploy Christians want to use in converting Islamic children to Christianity.
They also tore countless copies of the Christian book.
But the action has attracted heavy criticism from National Coordinator for Islamic Information Bureau (IIB) Sheikh Dinala Chabulika and Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairperson Rev. MacDonald Kadawati.
The two have vehemently criticized the action and called for a stop to disrespect of holy materials.
Mangochi Police could not pick their phone when The Sunday Times wanted to find out more about the incident this week. But our sources confided that the distribution of Bibles to Islamic children by the Gideon International angered Muslims who thought the exercise was meant to convert their children to Christianity.
“Muslims thought this was a deliberate ploy Christians are employing to convert Islamic children to Christianity,” said our source based at Mangochi.
In an interview on Wednesday, IIB coordinator Dinala Chabulika said what happened in Mangochi was deplorable and should be condemned in strongest terms.
“That’s not the stand of all Muslims in the country. Actually, the Muslim family is very disturbed with this development. If it’s true, that’s disrespect to the Bible. And disrespecting of the Bible is not allowed in Islam,” Chabulika said. He said his office has sent a representative to the scene to investigate the incident.
But Chabulika reserved his comment on what they would do with perpetrators, saying the office will determine at a later stage.
“Although we are not supporting what happened in Mangochi, I need to advise the Gideon International to exercise some caution when distributing Bibles in Muslim territories to avoid such incidents. They should learn to use the right approach,” he said.
PAC acting Chairperson, Reverend MacDonald Kadawati, expressed concern and asked the Muslims and Christians to give room to co-existence. Kadawati wondered why the incident happened when people of the two faiths have co-existed without frictions in the past.
“Just imagine we are having our people getting married to people of other religions so I think the issues of tearing bibles, tearing the Koran is an issue of the past,” he told the media on Sunday.
He equally noted that this was not the stand of the Muslims at large, a few misguided individuals.
END
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