Member of Parliament for Mangochi South Yusuf Matumula has accused some Muslims in the country for playing double standards on the issue of Muslim women who patronize and dance at the ruling People’s Party (PP) political rallies.
Matumula told Malawi Muslims Official Website in an exclusive interview on Friday after Eid Prayers held at Upper Stadium in Blantyre that it is unacceptable for sheikhs and other Muslim leaders to politicize the issue.
Muslim women who recently attended a PP political function at Nancholi township in Blantyre publicly danced to political songs, a practice that reportedly stunned former president of the republic of Malawi Dr Bakili Muluzi.
Reacting to the behavior of the women, one of the sheikhs who sit in the Iftah Committee of the Ulema Council of Malawi Sheikh Muhammad Uthman advised Muslims not to trade their religion with politics, arguing that dancing in political rallies is not in line with Islamic teachings.
However, Matumula who is himself a Muslim wondered as to why the reaction of the Sheikhs came only after Nyasa Times reported Muluzi’s outbursts.
“Look! This issue comes after it is reported that former President Dr Bakili Muluzi spoke on the same point at his BCA Hill residence which just shows that these people don’t want Muslims to support the government. And it is obvious to suspect that some of these sheikhs have been tasked to do so in order to achieve their political agenda,” he said.
Matumula who is also the ruling party’s Second Deputy Treasurer Deputy General therefore called on the Muslim community not to blame the government on the Muslim women who dance in PP rallies saying they do it at their own will.
“Some of these women are married and their husbands allow them to go and dance. When they arrive there, they register their grouping that they want to sing – there is nobody who forces them (to dance). So, blaming government on that would be very wrong,” said Matumula.
Matumula further wondered why it is the practice of the women now that is being condemned yet they had been singing in all the previous regimes, most notably during the United Democratic Front era, the party of the former president.
“Even in Islamic countries people do sing and dance in Hijab during their celebrations. Why should it be an issue now?” he wondered.
