As the day for the general election is just a few hours away, many a people are still lingering in their minds – whether to vote or not to vote. There are various reasons which bring confusion in the minds of the people when it comes to voting in Africa, let alone Malawi. With a neighborhood which had a winner becoming the second to the loser and with such a neighbor, helping in the electoral process, the people are at a quagmire, still groping whether to vote or not to vote.
With a neighbourhood which had a winner becoming the second to the loser and with such a neighbour, helping in the electoral process, the people are at a quagmire, still groping whether to vote or not to vote. Furthermore, many Muslims are still at a lose without any clear direction which way to go when it comes to voting, especially when many candidates are mostly Non- Muslims and only one candidate to be from an Islamic background and a Muslim.
Furthermore, many Muslims are still at a loss, without any clear sense of direction; which way to go when it comes to voting, especially when the majority of the candidates are Non- Muslims with only one Atupele Muluzi who is a Muslim. What if you do not like the policies of this Muslim, but he is the only Muslim in the race, what do you do? Do you vote for a Non –Muslim, vote for the Muslim whose party’s policies you dislike, or you just shun the vote altogether?
So the question still lingers on, TO VOTE OR NOT TO VOTE? The fact is that we are all Malawian citizens and any decision made for the people of Malawi will affect us directly or indirectly. Your relatives and friends go to school, hospital, or pay for various services in Malawi whether you like it or not. As a citizen of Malawi you are affected by the circumstances that take place in this country on a daily basis.
How will it be if you stay away from voting and then people elects an Islamophobic leader who will order the demolishment of all the Masjids in Malawi, declare this nation a Christian state or allow the prosecution of Muslims as is happening elsewhere in Africa? What can you do if such decision is to be made?
An election is a platform for you to make a decision for the nation and say on the day of Qiyamah: ‘O Allah, I made my choice and selected candidate ‘A’ or ‘B’ only for Islam or for such and such a reason. This will be much better than to leave some other people to make the decision for us or against our will and then cry foul the next day and say, as we commonly do: ‘Muslims are oppressed, in this country’.
If you really feel that Muslims are oppressed or that they are not recognized then the problem is mainly you, especially if you do not go and vote in tomorrow’s election because you will be giving the right to decide youdestinity in the hands of other people.
