Zanzibar Membership to Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO)

Zanzibar Membership to Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO)

Sheikh Abubakar Mwilima, Sheikh Salum Khamis and Sheikh Abbbas Kilima

Nowhere in the history of Tanzania did the power of the Church displayed openly in the instruments of power in its entirety than in the OIC saga. Before this probably Zanzibari MPs were not aware of the existence of the under currents against Islam. Since cabinet ministers as a matter of principle could not oppose the government in the House, ministers colluded with back-benchers to oppose their own government with the aim of embarrassing President Mwinyi. Sensitive government documents were exchanged on such paltry favours from the MPs. The Christian Lobby (Mfumo Kristo) in the Parliament was more than willing to do the dirty work. Reports that Zanzibar had joined the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO) came at a time when there was religious tension in the country. The story goes that the Zanzibar government first requested the government of the United Republic to apply for observer status of the OIC in 1989. The then Prime Minister, Joseph Warioba referred the application to Deputy Prime Minister Salim Ahmed Salim. Salim a Zanzibari Muslim himself blocked the application on the grounds that the OIC would meddle in Tanzania’s political affairs. [1]

The government of the United Republic refused to apply for observer status. Zanzibar then decided to go it alone. Soon it was in the press that Zanzibar had joined the OIC. The controversy caused the Christian Lobby to organise itself into a group of 55 MPs who were later to be known as G55, to demand restoration of the government of Tanganyika within the union. This threatened the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Unique with the G55 was that all of them were from a distinct group in the Parliament which had excelled and was known throughout the country and inside and outside the Parliament for its subtle anti-Muslim stand. But as tension between Muslims and Christians increased and came out into the open, the Christian Lobby’s hatred of Islam manifested itself on Prof. Malima - a moving spirit of Muslim’s struggle for justice and equality. This was the first time that it became clear that Church was indeed in control of all instruments of power in Tanzania.

Kulia Ahmed Hassan Diria na John Malecela

When the Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Ahmed Hassan Diria was quizzed by the press he denied that Zanzibar had joined the OIC. Diria issued a statement denying those reports.  The ink on Diria’s statement was barely dry when copies of official documents proving Zanzibar’s application and acceptance by the OIC were published in the press. It is believed that the letters which were published by the press which for the first time brought the OIC into public notice were stolen from a confidential file of the Chief Minister’s Office in Zanzibar.[2] What caused concern was the connection between OIC and Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO). It was reported that the OIC had a secret agenda to annihilate Christianity in Tanzania through the Islam in Africa Organisation (IAO).  Further the problem of Zanzibar membership to the OIC was connected with the so called conspiracy of the OIC to undermine the Church. The Christian Lobby approached the issue of OIC not as a serious breach of the constitution but also as an hostile act of one part of the union forming a conspiratorial alliance with an organisation which its main objective was to annihilate Christianity in Africa. In response to this the Church, the press and the ordinary Christian in the street was up in arms against a Muslim president who allowed his government to conspire against the “peaceful Church.” The Christian Lobby in the Parliament had evidence to prove the allegations. Among the objectives of the IAO which caused the concern of the Church were purported to be taken from a “secret document,” which carried the following IAO objectives:

1.                   To ensure the appointment of only muslims into strategic national and international posts of member nations. To eradicate in all its forms and ramifications all non-muslims religions in member nations (such religions shall include Christianity, Ahmadiyya and other tribal modes of worship unacceptable to Muslims).

2.                  To ensure that only Muslims are elected to all political posts of member nations.

3.                  To ensure the declaration of Nigeria (the 24th African and 46th World member of the OIC) a Federal Islamic Sultanate at a convenient date any time from 28th March, 1990, with the Sultan of Sokoto enthroned the Sultan Supreme Sovereign of Nigeria.

4.                To ensure the ultimate replacement of all member nation before the next Islam in Africa Conference. Towards the attainment of these ends, therefore, a Steering Committee, with membership drawn from the following countries as well as the Islamic Council, London and the Organisation of Islamic Conference, OIC, has began set up, viz: Nigeria, Mauritania, Tanzania, Niger, Senegal, Sudan, The Gambia, Libya, Tunisia...the Steering Committee should also work out detailed plans for transforming a national political party in each member nation into a National Islamic Party... These political parties so approved shall be the only ones to produce leading government (executive and legislative) functionaries... [3]

When this “evidence” was presented to the government by the press the President did not know what to do. The OIC issue was not even taken as a government crisis which concerned the cabinet. In a predominantly Christian government the Christians in the cabinet considered themselves an aggrieved party. They folded their hands and sent on the fence to see the ship sink. It was left to the G 55, the fiery Christian back-benchers in the Parliament to take President Mwinyi to task. The Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) issued a strong worded statement condemning the government. The Christian Lobby joined by few Muslims in the Parliament demanded immediate withdrawal of Zanzibar from OIC. The Christian Lobby wrote to the Deputy Speaker, Pius Msekwa demanding an inquiry into the matter. This request was granted and the Parliamentary Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee headed by Philip Marmo. Among the committee members were Joseph Warioba, a former Vice-President and Prime Minister dropped from the cabinet by Mwinyi. Apart from two Muslims, the rest in the twelve-man committee were Christians. Muslims dismissed the committee as “church committee” which could never conduct its affairs with impartiality.

           

As the conflict escalated in the press it became clear that there was more than what the Minister for Foreign Affairs was willing to reveal.  When it was admitted that Zanzibar had indeed joined the OIC and IAO despite of all the denials and had in fact even attended one of OIC meeting, the Parliament threatened to impeach the President for contravening the constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania. When President Mwinyi thought all was lost, hope and solution to the quagmire came from unexpected quarters - the Baraza Kuu. How did Baraza Kuu come to be involved in the crisis? Muslim ministers in the government sent an emissary to make contact with the Muslim underground movement where a formal request was put forward asking for assistance against the Christian Lobby. My informant reported that the representative of the underground demanded access to confidential documents from the government to enable it prepare a solid defense and to create a solid front line to attack the Christian Lobby. The government representative refused to provide documents saying it was too risky for him and his colleagues. This was a turnaround in the relation between the privileged Muslims in the government and the overall Muslims. Apart from Prof. Malima no Muslim wanted to be associated with the Muslim movement let alone admitting that it existed.

 Somehow Baraza Kuu was able to come out with a well prepared line of defense. Baraza Kuu wrote to the Deputy Speaker and the letter copied to all Members of the House. Baraza Kuu was not defensive it went into attack and queried why the government refused to apply for membership when the Zanzibar requested it to do so. Baraza Kuu widened the theatre of conflict. Baraza Kuu accused the Parliament of being turned into venue for anti-Islam propaganda. Before 1985 when Mwinyi came to power there were no contradictions in the Parliament. Government business in the Parliament was plain sailing. Baraza Kuu went into gymnastics, introducing issues completely unconnected with the matter in the House. It pointed out at the Memorandum of Understanding which was an agreement signed clandestinely between the government and the Church in which government schools and hospitals were to be run by missionaries on grounds that the government no longer had the ability to support them. [4]

Baraza Kuu quizzed the Parliament why that did not raise government concern. [5] Baraza Kuu pointed out that minority Muslim countries like Uganda and Mozambique were members and there have been no complains of the OIC meddling in the affairs of those countries. The government of Tanzania does not want to join the OIC because it is its desire to weaken Muslims. Baraza Kuu impressed upon the House that if it were impartial it would have investigated the appeals on discrimination of Muslim on education but chose to ignore. [6] While the government was under this tremendous pressure from the Christian Lobby a Zanzibar Member of Parliament and Secretary of the CCM Youth Sukwa Said Sukwa, was quoted to have said that the only person who could solve the problem was Julius Nyerere. Nyerere’s response to Sukwa’s statement was that he was not going to involve himself in the problem unless first Zanzibar withdraws from the OIC. For the first time Julius Nyerere came out in the open to show his true feelings against Islam and Muslims of Tanzania. Zanzibar withdrew from the OIC and Hassan Diria was relieved of his post as Minister for Foreign Affairs. But what is significant in this episode is that for the first time the government came to realise that it was now dealing with a different crop of Muslims. It is reported that one of the ministers in the Christian Lobby having read a letter from Baraza Kuu remarked that, “These are not the Muslims we know.”

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[1] Salum Khamis Supreme Council of Islamic Organisations and Institutions (Baraza Kuu) to the Speaker of the National Assembly letter BK/1.5/ 1 June,1993. Also see Mfanyakazi, 27 January, 1993.

[2] During Mwinyi’s government many confidential documents were stolen and exposed to general public through the press.President Mwinyi confided to close associates that he lived under perpetual fear of being bugged by his own security personnel. Indeed a conversation between Principal Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Ibrahim Msabaha and the Tanzania Embassy in Washington was bugged and transcript of the conversation published in the private press. Dr Msabaha went to court to contest the publishing of confidential government information and lost the case with costs.

[3] Quoted from a letter from Baraza Kuu to the Deputy Speaker, The National Assembly, BK/J/1.5/93 of 3 February, 1993.

[4] This agreement was prepared by Dr. Costa Mahalu, Dar es Salaam University Faculty of Law and was signed by Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office and First Vice-President, Edward Lowassa. The main purpose of the agreement was to turn over education, health and social services to Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) and Tanzania Episcopal Conference (TEC). These social services were to be run jointly between the government and the Church. This agreement, that is, the Memorandum of Understanding was prepared and signed without even consulting or informing Muslims. In order for the memorandum to take effect the government had to amend article 30 of the Education Act No. 25 of 1978. In 2011 the government provided 91 billion shillings to the Church for its development activities.

[5] See Mfanyakazi, 27 Januari, 1993, “Barua ya Wazi kwa Naibu wa Spika: Bunge la Muungano.” Also Salum Khamis, Mwenyekiti  Baraza Kuu to Naibu Spika, BK/J1.5/93 of 19 January, 1993.

[6] Warsha ya Waandishi wa Kiislam, “Hoja ya Kuchunguza Dhulma Dhidi ya Waislam wa Tanzania Katika Elimu ya Juu,” 18 Julai, 1991.