KUTOKA JF: TAKWIMU ZA CIA KIPENGELE CHA DINI NA SENSA YA TANZANIA

Sooth said: ↑

Nimekisoma kitabu cha Njozi ambaye amewanukuu hao waandishi wengine na 'bahati nzuri' nilikisoma kwa moyo mkunjufu. Hakuna kitu kibaya kama tetesi, mtu mzima na msomi kama wewe sio vizuri ukaamua mambo kwa kutumia tetesi. Mfano mdogo tu, hizi takwimu za waislamu wengi unazitoa wapi wakati NBS haijawahi kuwa na dodoso linalouliza dini kwa takribani miaka 40? Tumuamini nani kati yako wewe na CIA wanaosema wakristo ndio wengi Tanzania? Mimi binafsi sikuamini wewe wala CIA, nitaamini kazi itakayofanywa na NBS.

Lakini pia kama tunataka kupata picha ya wapi wengi twaweza kutumia uzoefu wa mikoa yetu. Mikoa ya 'Pwani' ndiko kuna waislamu wengi. Mikoa hiyo ni DSM, Pwani, Tanga, Lindi, Mtwara, Kigoma, Tabora, Singida, na mikoa ya Zanzibar. Napata wasiwasi kuamini kuwa kwa mikoa hii tu waislamu ni wengi zaidi. Kuna hoja ambazo hazijaenda shule kama waislamu kuwa na wake wengi kuna nako kumechangia kuongeza idadi ya waislamu. Hoja hii haina msingi maana kuwa na wake wengi sio kuwa na watoto wengi. Msingi wa kuwa na wake wengi ni tamaa ya ngono, sio tamaa ya watoto. Pia, ninafahamu watu wengi ambao wana mke mmoja lakini wanazaa watoto 8 au zaidi. Hivyo hakuna uhusiano kati ya kuwa na wake wengi na kuwa na watoto wengi ukichukulia kuna 'single mothers' wengi mtaani.

Sooth,
Swali la, ''religious distribution,'' ni swali nyeti sana Tanzania.

Huwa sipendi kulijadili ila panapo budi na nia khasa ni kuonyesha hali halisi ya
siassa nchini petu.

Katika kitabu cha Sykes (1998) niliandika maneno hayo hapo chini:
About two-thirds of East African Muslims reside in Tanzania[1] which is the most populous of the East African countries, i.e. Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. This includes Zanzibar-a predominantly Muslim country with a 99% Muslim population and once the centre of Islamic learning in East and Central Africa. According to the 1957 population census, Muslims outnumbered Christians at a ratio of three to two. This, at that time, meant that Tanzania was a leading Muslim nation South of the Sahara. But in the first post-independence census of 1967 the total figures for Tanzania Mainland were 32% Christian, 30% Muslim and 37% local belief. These figures show Pagans as a leading majority in Tanzania. The 1967 census has not been able to show the reasons for the sudden decrease of Muslim population nor the growth of animists amidst believers in the span of the last ten years.

This was the last population census showing religious distribution. It is widely believed that the figures for the 1967 census were doctored for political reasons to show that Muslims were trailing behind Christians in numerical strength. There is evidence that the government in 1970, having realised that Muslims were a majority in Tanzania, directed the Statistical Department to destroy all the 1967 census results. [2]

Unfortunately power sharing in the political system in Tanzania is very much skewed against Muslims, although it is known that the stability of any nation depends on proper balancing of these facts. Different sources provide different Muslim-Christian religious distribution figures. These conflicting figures are as a result of sensitivity of the issue. Among African countries with sizable population of Muslims and Christians, like Tanzania and Nigeria,[3] the inquiry as to which faith commands a leading majority, is a source of potential conflict and controversy. Tanzania is of no exception. D.B. Barret[4]gives figures which show Muslims as a minority in Tanzania. The Muslim population is purported to be 26%, Christian 45%, local belief 28%. Tanzania National Demographic Survey figures for 1973 put Muslims in Tanzania slightly above Christians at 40%, Christians 38.9% and local belief 21.1%. But according to Africa South of The Sahara, [5] Muslims in Tanzania are a leading majority at 60%. This figure has remained constant in all its publications since 1982. Since research by Tanzanian Muslims on Islam is scant or almost non-existent, the issue of Muslim population has yet to be tackled from an Islamic point of view. [6]

[1] August H. Nimtz Jr, Islam and Politics in East Africa, University of Miannapolis, 1980, p.11.
[2] See Family Mirror, Second Issue, November, 1994, p. 6.
[3] Ali A. Mazrui, ‘African Islam and Competititive Religion: Between Revivalism and Expansion’, in Third World Quarterly Vol. 10. No. 2 April, 1988, pp. 499-518.
[4] D.B.Barret, Frontier Situations for Evangelisation in Africa ,Nairobi, 1976.
[5] Africa South of The Sahara, Europa Publication, London, No. 20, 1991, p. 1027.
[6]The only conclusive Muslim research is by Dar es Salaam University Muslim Trustee (DUMT), see 'The Position of Muslims and Islam in Tanzania', in Al Haq International (Karachi) September/October1992.

Sooth,
Sasa tuje kwenye takwimu za CIA.
Niko Chuo Kikuu Cha Iowa, Iowa City US nimemaliza kufanya mhadhara wangu na sasa ni zamu ya mimi kuulizwa maswali.

Hawa jamaa ni hodari na maswali yao yote nimeyajibu kadri nilivyoweza lakini kuna kitu kimoja nahisi hawakipendi sana katika, ''presentation,'' yangu ambayo kwao juu ya ujanja wao Wamarekani hawakuwa wanakijua.

Nacho ni, ''the Islamic movement in the struggle for peoples emancipation in Tanganyika,'' hii inawapa shida lakini vipi watamtoa Abdul Sykes na baba yake katika African Association (1929) na Al Jamiatul Islamiyya (1933) na TANU (1950)? 

Vyama hivi viwili ndivyo msingi wa kuasisiwa kwa TANU 1954 na takriban viongozi wake
walikuwa Waislam.

Historia wanayoijua wao ni ile rasmi ya Nyerere kuasisi TANU 1954.

Zimebaki kama dakika tano tunamaliza ndipo wakaja na hizi tawimu za CIA kuwa Wakristo ni wengi Tanzania.

Nilisimama kwa sekunde chache swali limenishtua.

Nilijua takwimu zangu hazitafua dafu mbele ya takwimu za CIA.
Niliomba dua Allah anisitiri nisiadhirike mbele ya hawa Wazungu.

Naam jibu lilikuja hapo hapo.
Jibu ambalo hata siku moja halikupata kunipitikia katika fikra zangu.

Nilianza kwa mimi kuwauliza wao swali kuwa katika historia ya dunia kuna nchi yoyote ambayo raia ''minority,'' walishika silaha kupambana na ukoloni?

Nikaendelea kuwaeleza kuwa kuhusu Vita Vya Maji Maji na mashujaa wake akina Sultani Abdul Rauf Songea Mbano na vipi historia hii inavyo hujumiwa ili kuufuta Uislam katika ukombozi wa Tanganyika na katika Vita Vya Maji Maji dhidi ya ukoloni wa Wajerumani.

Nikaendelea nikawaambia waisome historia ya African Association na TANU na waangalie nani walikuwa mstari wa mbele katika siasa za utaifa na siasa za kupigania uhuru.

Nikawaambia Waislam ndiyo waasisi wa harakati zote hizo kwa kuwa wao ndiyo walikuwa, ''majority,''katika Tanganyika.

Nikamaliza kwa kuwauliza inawezekana vipi, ''minority,'' wawaongoze, ''majority,'' katika haya yote?

Je ingewezekana kwa India harakati za uhuru zitawaliwe na Waislam ambao ni, ''minority'' ukiwalinganisha na Wahindu?

Nikahitimisha kwa kusema kuwa siku zote Waislam hawajapata kuwa pungufu si katika Tanganyika wala Tanzania.

Ukumbi ulikuwa kimyaaa.
Ungeangusha sindano ungesikia mlio wake.

Nilishuka ulingoni kichwa nimekiweka chini si kwa aibu ya kushindwa ila kwa shukrani kwa muumba wangu.

Katika ukumbi ule kulikuwa na vijana sasa maprofesa ambao walipata kuja Tanga kunihoji kuhusu historia ya Tanzania wakati wanafanya Ph D lakini sasa nikiwaangalia wamekuwa watu wazima.

Wakati ule walikuwa bado watoto vijana wadogo.

Hapo hapo nikaombwa kwenda kufanya mhadhara kama ule Northwestern University, Evanston Chicago.

Hawa Northwestern University ndiyo mabingwa wa African History ulimwengu mzima.
Nilkwenda na nikafanya mhadhara katika ukumbi wa Eduardo Mondlane.

Hivi ndivyo nilivyoumaliza ubishi wa takwimu za CIA na wingi wa Waislam Tanzania.