KISA CHA SERIKALI KUUNDA TAYMA MIAKA YA 1980

Utangulizi

Baadhi ya Vijana wa Kiislam wa Tanzania Bara na Visiwani 1980s

Serikali imeifuta  Tanzania Youth Muslim Association (TAYMA) pamoja na taasisi nyingine kwa kile ilichosema taasisi hizo hazikidhi yale yaliyopelekewa kupewa tasjila. TAYMA ina historia yake makhsusi ambayo ningependa Waislam waijue. Serikali ilipozidiwa nguvu na ujuzi wa Warsha katika kuwafikia Waislam na kuwapa ukweli wa matatizo yao, serikali iliingia hofu na ikadhani njia nzuri ya kupambana na Warsha ni kuanzisha umoja kibaraka wa vijana wa Kiislam. Serikali ilipata hofu kubwa pale Warsha ilipowaeleza Waislam kuwa kuna njama ya miaka mingi ya kuwanyima elimu vijana wa Kiislam na njama hizi zinatekelezwa ndani ya Wizara ya Elimu. Taarifa hii ya Warsha ilienezwa nchi nzima na hatua ya kwanza serikali iliyochukua ilikuwa ni kumfukuza nchini Sheikh Malik. Haya hapo chini ni kutoka kitabu ambacho bado hakijachapwa:

Kushoto Faiz Iddi Faiz Mafongo na marehemu Sheikh Mussa Mdidi
Baba yake Faiz, Mzee Iddi Faizi ndiye aliyeratibu safari ya Nyerere UNO 1955
na ndiye alikuwa mwekahazina wa TANU na Al Jamiatul Islamiya fi Tanganyika

''...Warsha's mentor, Dr. Malik was declared a prohibited immigrant by the government and was required to leave the country within twenty-four hours. His students advised him to go to Zanzibar to wait and plan his next move. Dr. Malik was received on Aboud Jumbe's orders while his students sorted out certain issues for him, and packed his belongings. Arrangements were made and Dr. Malik went to Nairobi where he was employed by Islamic Foundation. But before he left Dr. Malik told his students that BAKWATA were late in asking the government to deport him, he had already accomplished his work. Muslim occasions like Maulid celebrations were used by the government and BAKWATA to try to diffuse the situation by issuing statements condemning Warsha and white washing the government. During Maulid celebrations of 1982 in Tabora, Adam Nasib in the presence of the Vice-President, Rashid Kawawa and in live broadcast in the state owned radio warned the government of enemies who had invaded the country, meaning Dr. Malik, Sheikh Mohamed Ali and Warsha. Warsha had overtime managed to establish centres in certain areas of the country.

Warsha responded to these accusations by distributing leaflets explaining position on the future of Islam in Tanzania and made Muslims be aware of their activities in trying to liberate Muslims. The government and BAKWATA could not match Warsha’s truth with their propaganda.  Muslims were sympathetic to Warsha and took Warsha's struggle as their own struggle. Muslims helped Warsha to establish a school Masjid Quba and Islamic Centre which was owned and managed by them. In retaliation to these efforts the government refused to register the school. The school was perceived by the government as a centre of "Muslim fundamentalism." The government went further to subvert the school by warning Muslim parents that students completing their education at Masjid Quba would not be recognised by it and would not be considered for further education or for employment. Warsha was not to be deterred they decided to run the school and educate Muslim children even without government registration. Members of Warsha used to say that they have their consent from Allah; they don’t need any permission from anyone. This was Warsha's motto. The school remained blacklisted by the government until 1988 when Prof. Malima as the first Muslim Minister of Education registered it. Indeed Dr. Malik had accomplished his work. The Muslims were aware of machinations against them and the struggle against Christian hegemony in Tanzania had passed to a different flock of Muslims. In the coming years students of Prof. Malik and later students of those who were students of Dr. Malik in 1970s formed other powerful organisations and provided leadership in various Muslim organisations- Islamic Propagation Centre (IPC), [1] Jamaatu Answar Sunna, MSAUD and DUMT, Baraza Kuu and other unregistered organisations like Al Markaz Suleiman Takadir, Zawiyya Sheikh Hassan bin Amir.

The period between 1980 and 1990 was a period of intensive Muslim agitation against the government and increased activity. Muslim initiated several organisations to further their development. After the Warsha-government crisis of 1982, the crisis left BAKWATA severely bruised and even more dependent on the government. BAKWATA was totally isolated from Musims.  There were many correspondences from BAKWATA to the government requesting the government to ban Warsha and Masjid Quba and Islamic Centre and also requesting it to prevent independent leadership in mosques. Muslims were electing anti BAKWATA leadership in their mosques. BAKWATA reminded the government of its importance to control all mosques for the sake of peace and tranquillity. [2] Whenever these confidential letters were intercepted Warsha circulated them to Muslims throughout the country.[3] This exposed BAKWATA even more as a puppet of the government which was fully under the control and influence of the Church.

Muslims increasingly turned more militant and defiant. The government was advised by the Intelligence to allow several youth organisations to be registered and be allowed to play limited role in Muslim politics with the hope to create polarisation among youths and diffuse the tension. This, the government believed would give BAKWATA as well as the government some breathing space. A youth organisation Tanzania Muslim Youth Association (TAYMA) was registered but when Warsha sent its application for registration it was refused. TAYMA's leadership was nothing out of ordinary and pursued a policy of conformity to the wishes of the government. TAYMA was able to build a school and carry out several activities in the interests of Islam and Muslims of Tanzania. However few youths were attracted to it perceiving it as conformists organisation allowed to exist in order to appease and hoodwink Muslims. TAYMA’s leadership was untested, had no experience on how to deal with the Christian Lobby. It was overly co-operative to the Christian dominated government and BAKWATA. TAYMA soon died a natural death.  Muslim youths believed the only Muslim organisation fit to lead them was Warsha because it had the intellect, the will and the experience to confront the enemy.''  

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[1] IPC are running two secondary schools, a dispensary, and a newspaper An-nuur and have several development projects to their credit.

[2] BAKWATA Ref. No. MK/D.10/29/7 OF 16 September, 1983. Also see  Baraza Kuu la Waislam Tanzania MK/U.50/2/38 10 October, 1989

[3] Warsha ya Waandishi wa Kiislam, “Barua ya Wazi,” 19 March, 1986. Also see Warsha, ‘’Hali ya Usoni ya Waislam Tanzania Kufuatia Mgogoro wa Viongozi wa Bakwata ,’’ 23 November, 1990, 5 Jamal Al Awal 1411.