Concerned Muslims on Thursday afternoon closed Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM)’s Blantyre offices after the National Chairman Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad allegedly refused to meet them to discuss the issue of Muslim women dancing in political rallies, this website can reveal.
One of the concerned Muslims Yusuf Sambo confirmed the development in an interview with Malawi Muslims Official Website.
“It is true that we have really closed the offices at MAM headquarters. What happened is that we sought an audience with the National Chairman who agreed to see us today (Thursday) after Dhuhr Salaah (afternoon prayers). However the chairman opted to be represented by the SG. This development saddened us because he made the confirmation of his availability and to make matters worse his representative was there only to hear the concerns and present them to the national chairman.
Sambo said that the irate concerned Muslims forced the SG to call the chairman and tell him that the grouping wanted to meet him directly.
“Unfortunately, the chairman said had no time to see us saying he has no business to do with us,” added Sambo.
Efforts to talk to the MAM’s national chairman proved futile as his phone went unanswered despite several attempts.
The development comes a day after MAM’s Secretary General Dr Salmin Omar refuted a Press Release which was sent to the media outlets in the country claiming that it was signed by him.
Dr Salmin Omar told Malawi Muslims Official Website that the Press statement which has been published in newspapers and aired in almost all radio stations including Radio Islam it was not endorsed or signed by him.
The Press statement which condemns the parading of Muslim women in all political rallies had a Per procurationem (P.P) signature with the name of Dr Salmin Omar who is Secretary General for the Muslims’ mother body.
Dr Salmin Omar has since distanced his organisation from authoring the statement and said he didn’t even know who signed it on his behalf.
“I have not been in the office for the past two weeks for me to write that statement and of that content for that matter. I don’t even know who has authored and signed it. Whoever signed never told me. I have just heard it from the media. It was not endorsed by me. So, I disown it, “said the Secretary General.
The issue of Muslim women dancing in political rallies especially in People’s Party rallies has sparked controversy in the Muslim community for the past weeks.
Last week Concerned Muslims told Muslim Association of Malawi to issue a press statement stopping the women from dancing in political rallies or else the Association’s National Chairman should step down.
However, the move of calling the chairman to resign did not go well with other sympathisers of MAM’s Chair who also issued a press statement saying there are no enough reasons for the chairman to resign because the issue of Sharia is handled by Majilis Ulama (Muslim Council of Theologians and not MAM).
“So, if it is bout resigning then it should be the Masjilis Ulama Chair not MAM,” Hussein Mwarab Chairman for the Forum for Muslim Defense told reporters in Blantyre.
better than keeping it open for no use
I feel so xorry for mam always. lack of gud leadership its w@ it cost our blvd org. w@ we hv in ths org is roler nt a leader wch is badthng
Muslim Association of Malawi is not a political party. It is not owned by anyone BUT all Muslims. The Chairman should not think he owns this organization and therefore should listen to what the owners (All Muslims) are saying. The chairman is behaving in a super childish manner, he is drunk on his efforts to enrich himself from CashaGate money. Brazo concerned Muslims, take these people on. High time they realized what it means to run an association. shame on them, they think they formed MAM and that they own it? Concerned Muslims, next effort should be to change voting mechanisms. We should all vote, not the few people, I don’t know why they are entitled.
Muslim Association of Malawi “MAM” has the ultimate mandate to address this issue!
Until such time that; those privileged enough to occupy national offices, fully understands and humbly appreciates their mandate/responsibilities, such saddening and embarrassing events will always confront us.
A leader is always ready to face and address a challenge or a misunderstanding within his/her constituency. The shrugging off of a responsibility (or be it cynicism) can essentially highlight the existence of incompetences at the top leadership level.
Albeit falling under the direct responsibility of Majlis Ulama council – as it has reportedly been claimed by MAM, the umbrella/mother body itself MAM and the chairman in particular; must lead efforts towards addressing this issue, an is sue of national importance.
The issue of (or the disagreement with) Muslim sisters/mothers dancing at political gatherings has headlined the local media for some weeks now, yet none of the Islamic leaderships/bodies (with national mandate) has so far shown interest at addressing it.
My understanding is that; leadership vacuum on the matter has forced concerned Muslims to ‘correctly’ seek official audience and relevant guidance from the mother body.
Therefore, rather than running away from such a responsibility, MAM must immediately intervene with a religious guidance on the matter.
Until such time that; our national bodies -on Islamic affairs- provides authentic and timely guidance on such important religious matters, embarrassing stunts by some of our emotionally charged members (e.g. the closure ‘by force’ of MAM head offices) will keep haunting us.
OK, Malawians, and Muslims for that matter, have you asked the Chairman as to whether he (and/or MAM) are in support of the Muslim women’s behaviors of dancing at political rallies? If not ask him, if he says he is in support, nail him to resign because supporting such in Islamic circles brings more evil than any campaigning benefit that a Muslim political leader may be interested in. And if he says he does not support it, then ask the Council of Ulama to issue a statement against the vice so that the verdict protocol (Fatwa issuing) of Ulama is respected. MAM is simply a Malawi Muslims administrative authority, within it should be a Judicial council capable of dealing with such cases.
On this auspicious day of Jum’ah, I ask Allah ‘azzawajalla to resolve the differences between the Muslims of Malawi and their Leadership.
Elyas A. Mwewa (Zambia)
http://www.youtube.com/mwewaelyas
Well don!Atleast the youths are becoming more active nowadays.its time these corrupt papas varnished!go go go concerned muslim youths!we are behind you!
Nanunso a Newa Elyas musatiuze zochita ku Malawi kuno mkwathu. Everybody knows that MAM is the mother of Majlis ulamaa! As such Majlis Ulama cannot act alone without instructions from MAM, and that instruction must come from MAM chair