Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Idrissa Muhammad has asked Muslims in the country to go en masse to register and vote come 2014 and that nobody should force them to join any political party.
Speaking during the official opening of Muslim Women Ijtmah in Lunzu Blantyre, the Muslims’ leader said Muslims have a right to join any party without being intimidated.
“Everyone is free to elect candidates of their choice come 2014 without fearing anything. Nobody should come and cheat you that you have to vote such party because it is Islamic. No, there is no Islamic or Halaal political party in Malawi,” he said.
The Chairman also thanked Dr Joyce Banda for considering Muslims in high positions saying it is first time Muslims have been appointed in higher government positions.
On another note, the chairman asked the President to do everything possible to make sure that marriages for indigenous Malawians are recognised in the country’s Penal Code.
“In Islam, we don’t look whether this is an Arab, a Black or an Asian Muslim – we are all equal. So we wonder why only marriages for our Asian brothers are recognised in the constitution except us. You have to help us because this has been our worry since the country attained independence. Dr Kamuzu Bandas’ regime ended without any change. There came Dr Bakili Muluzi, again no change and during the Professor Bingu wa Mutharika’s regime it was all the same. So, we don’t know what is the problem that’s why we are urging you to help us and I am sure you will do,” he said.
In her remarks, the President assured the chairman that her government will do something on the issue.
Indèed we need our marriages recognised on laws of the land.However i need a better clarification on the wisdom of Letting non muslims to take part durìng such events, could someone give me hadith on same. Finally let me agree with MAM Chair that indèed in Malawi there is no Islamic party.
That is not Swallat,Swaum(Ramadhan),Zakkat,And Hajj where a non muslim can not do.THAT IS ISLAMIC POLITICAL ASSEMBLY.Where muslims share different issues ,be it ilslamic ,political,Development etc.So where non muslim is required involve them.But Kalima,Swallat,Zakkat,Ramadhan,and Hajj .You can not do with them.Thus typical ISLAM.Musford
I think it is a high time that our proposals, policies, and ideologies be presented in a pro active way rather than reactive. I think we can do better. Lets be organized. When we are developing presentation is it difficult to give organizations views as compared to personal views? A leader is only good when he/she is able to say this is personal and this is organizational view, able to be relevant, be able to make consultations, and logic otherwise we are only exposing how incapable we are in dealing out with issues. I hope that gathering was not a political
Where ware you Sheikh in the time of Dr. Bakili Muluzi (Atcheya)..???? Din’nt You see Muslims Holding High Posittions..??? Don’t Be Too much Political …You are The Religious Leader not a Politician. You have talked of No Halal Political Party.. How about The 1ns Not good for us to vote 4.?? Are we encouraged to vote for a Lady..????
What is uninspiring with MAM is its lack of purity in terms of its association with reigning politicians. I did not expect the learned Sheikh to stoop so low as to say that the only time Muslims have been accorded high positions in the land is under the reign of JB. It smacks of the mentality of saying ‘I am the first Malawian President to be invited to the White House’. I don’t think MAM will ever impress me. I feel it is a club of people that have grand ambitions like having the Umma that owns a University, Hospital,….but which that lacks direction and strategy all because it does not want work with the many muslim technocrats.