Malawi Government has pledged to sponsor needy Muslims who want to go to Saudi Arabia for Hajj prayers.
Vice President Khumbo Kachali said this when he was presiding over the closing ceremony of this year’s Ijtma held at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on Sunday.
Kachali said the Mrs Joyce Banda administration is committed towards ensuring that all Malawians are getting equal share of development and any other benefits irrespective of their religious or political ideologies.
“This administration pledges to help Muslims who want to go to perform hajj this year so that they can also get blessings that their colleagues get from the Holy City of Makkah.
Hajj prayer is one of the five pillars of Islam which Muslims across the globe perform in Saudi Arabia once a year.
Kachali also said the government will meet all the expenses for those Muslims who will attend Ijtma in neighbouring Tanzania.
“I have also heard that there will be another Ijtma in Tanzania. So, I am also pleased to inform that the government will also sponsor Muslims who want to go attend the event. We will send two buses, one for men and another one for women,” said the VP.
The VP said this is so because of the enormous respect that the President has to the religion of Islam. He said President Mrs Joyce Banda respects the religion of Islam as it also plays a major role towards the development of this country.
“We are doing this because your prayers are that helps to make this country progress. All blessings that we get from God are because of your prayers,” he said.
Kachali has since promised Muslims to present all grievances stated in the communique to the President Joyce Banda.
He then thanked Muslims for inviting former President of Republic of Tanzania Al-hajj Hassan Ali Mwinyi to come and grace this year’s Ijtma. He said the move showed that Muslims in the country are also taking a bigger role in helping the government to strengthen relationship that exists between the neighbouring countries.
Speaking earlier, Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad hailed President Joyce Banda for including Muslims in her cabinet.
He said that this is an indication that the government is an all-inclusive regardless of religious affiliation.
“There is no any regime that did like what this government has done to include about 6 Muslims in key government positions. So, we thank President Mrs Joyce Banda for what she has done and we are promising her that Muslims in the country will continue supporting her administration for the betterment of the nation,” said the Muslim leader.
Reporting by Marshall Dyton at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre
