OPINION: Don’t Take Muslims For A Ride

We Muslims as bonafide citizens of the country, would like to caution the People’s Party led government not to take Muslims for a ride as UDF did when it was in government.

Muslims are being taken for a ride because they have no representation in government’s key making positions such that those who are closer to the President feed him or her lies about Muslims.

Unfortunately, the Preseidents believe those lies and makes decisions that disadvantages the Muslims at large.

This observation comes after noting that among the 24 elite men and women who comprises the membership of the High Level Development Council, which has been announced by Her Excellency Dr Joyce Banda on Thursday the 9^th January 2014 there are 2 Muslims against 24.

According my source, the Muslim Association of Malawi which is the mouth piece of Muslims in this country was not contacted to send its representative but was recognized through the Public Affairs Committee (PAC), where when the body sent its nominee, Muslims were not considered, as has always been the case.

Starting from the high office of the president, there is no indigenous Malawian Muslim who is around the president on any capacity whether as an advisor, special assistant as well as at the governmental administrative level like the Principle Secretaries,  Directors of government offices, commissioners of different bodies and many more to give as if there is not enough educated and qualified Muslims in the country who can occupy such positions.

The lack of Muslims in the above mentioned positions makes it difficult for Muslims to enjoy their rights as bonafide citizens and contribute at the highest level to the socio-economic development of this country.

This disadvantage has extended even to the sharing of goverment resources. An example at hand would be drawn from the selection of full time government scholarships which have for the past years benefited everybody except Muslims. Reference here is made to the recent Botswana Scholarship where no single Muslim has benefitted
out of the 25 students that have gone to Botswana because they have relatives in different government departments.

All in all, the Muslims who officially constitute about 12 percent of the population surely they also contribute to the development of this country through paying taxes which their children do not benefit in return.

Just to make it as a point, this argument should not be categorized under those people who always think what government can do for them, rather it is just to inform the authorities especially those who want the vote of the Muslims that they should know that as Muslims we are studying the political developments as they unfold in the country. It is also the same thinking which commentators have argued in reference to the Mangochi Pork story  that Malawi is for all , hence that argument should not only stop at Mangochi issue but across the spectrum. That is justice.

This is just one example out of many examples of how Muslims feel that every leadership that comes into power does not have the welfare of Muslims as heart and feel that we are in few in number such that we cannot influence on how the country can be run politically.

It is therefore high time that the leadership should realise that Muslims are a sleeping giant such that nobody or any political party can ascend to power in Malawi without the majority support of Muslims in the country.

The views expressed in this article are solely for the author and do not necessary represent the views of this website nor its editorial staff.