The council for Muslim theologians, an organ of Muslim Association of Malawi also referred to as Majlis Ulama yesterday ushered into office a new executive committee whose mandate will be for three years.
The elections were held at Iqra Islamic propagation center in Blantyre.
After a tough competition, top six positions of Chairmanship, Secretary and Treasure with their deputies including that of spokesperson were contested.
The Balaka based Sheikh Mussa Matola is now the chairman while Sheikh Cassim Chongolo was elected as Secretary General. The publicity secretary position went to Sheikh Dinala Chabulika while Sheikh Yusuf Chibwana grabbed the treasurer general position.
In his acceptance speech, the newly elected Chairman of the Majilis Sheikh Mussa Matola said that he is overwhelmed with the support and trust people have shown on him and the rest of the team that he has been elected with.
“We will make sure that we take this noble work towards a new direction without neglecting to continue the good work left by our predecessors.
“The good thing is that we are not just religious sheikhs who can only help in the spiritual guidance. Some of us have also done other disciplines as have also extended by participating into economic and political development of this country without losing out the identity of being a sheikh [referring to the Minister of Energy Honorable Sheikh Ibrahim Matola who was among the participants],” said Matola.
Before the elections, Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad the Chairman of the Muslim Association of Malawi which organized the event warned the new team that would be elected not to create parallel structures that will cause divisions among sheikhs in the country.
“Your mandate will be to advise the Muslim Association of Malawi on the Spiritual aspects and other matters of national concern,” the Muslims’ leader.
Majlis Ulama is a grouping of Sheikhs around the country. It works under the Muslim Association of Malawi with the objective of providing spiritual advise, research and other related religious matters like resolving disputes within the Muslim community and the nation at large.
The elections attracted delegates from all parts of three regions of Malawi and other sheikhs living abroad like South Africa and United Kingdom.
The entire committee is as follows:
Chairman: Sheikh Mussa Matola
Vice Charman: Sheikh Abdul-Rahman Kalako
Secretary: Sheikh Cassim Chongolo
Vice Secretary: Sheikh Allie Kennedy
Treasurer: Sheikh Yusuf Chibwana
Vice Treasurer: Sheikh Bakr Danken
Publicity Secretary: Sheikh Dinala Chabulika
Reporting by Abdullah Umar
