The Nikka and other Islamic Functions Association (NIFA) has asked people in the country to treat one another fairly regardless of their religions.
NIFA Board Member of Trustee Sheikh Muhammad Uthman was speaking this during the Eid Prayers which took place at Kamuzu Upper Stadium in Blantyre.
“Islam always teaches to love one another and live in peace and harmony at all time and it’s very sad that other people treat Muslims unfairl,” he said.
He also asked Malawians to respect those who make their decisions to convert to Islam saying there is no need to harm them.
“We are Muslims and at the same time we are also Malawians so we want to ask unity among other Malawians, let’s treat us as Malawians and am saying this just because there are other people who are deceitful and treat Muslims as foreigners and please stop this because we are not second class citizens of this country,” Malawi Muslims Website quoted
Sheikh Uthman: We are also Malawians
In his speech, he also asked for professionalism among media houses when they are reporting issues to do with Islam in the country to avoid misleading people.
“Let me also ask the reporters to write and comment fairly when there is an issue to do with Muslims and non-Muslims, we have been observing that if a non-Muslim has done something wrong against a Muslim, the article is just written at once and leave it like that but if the Muslims has done the same thing to non-Muslim, they write it for several months with more exaggerations and this is very bad,” Uthman lamented.
Sheikh Uthman said people should not fear to join the religion of their choice because of others, and churches or Mosques should be constructed everywhere since it’s the development of the country.
“Muslims are peace making people because you can agree with me that even here in the southern region many churches are being constructed in areas which are dominated by Muslims but you can’t see them causing conflicts or beating others who join these religion,” he said this referring to Group Village Headman Mbondo of Rumphi who was beaten for joining Islam last month.
