Rebuttal to Mr. Mobhare Matinyi's article on peace and the Union

By Hassan Saudin

I read with dismay and shock an article by Mr. Mobhare Matinyi published on the Citizen on May 31 2012 titled ‘We must protect our peace and union’.

It was disappointing to see how Tanzanian journalism has crumbled and deteriorated to such as extent that a journalist of Mr. Matinyi’s caliber would resort to deliberate fabrications against a religious organization and for indoctrinating malicious accusations to satisfy one’s own ego and personal agenda.

His article was written around dehumanizing a legally registered organization in Zanzibar called ‘Uamsho’, the organization was duly registered in Zanzibar in 2001 with registration number 149has served its members diligently for over 11 years. This is not an underground movement and its leaders are known by the Government. This

organization is primarily involved in awareness of Islamic issues. They are also actively engaged on issues of social justice. Being part

of the Zanzibar community they also contemplate, explore and articulate non spiritual issues, something common among religious organizations in Tanzania and across the world. Even in the United States religious organizations do take positions on social issues, it is all part and parcel of democracy. In previous elections in Tanzania it was a common practice for Christian and Islamic organizations in Tanzania to articulate their views and input in the democratic process. There is nothing wrong with such organizations to participate as long as they avoid inflammatory remarks.

Mr. Matinyi must realize that he cannot sit in the United States and dictate what Zanzibaris can and cannot do. Zanzibaris have a constitutional right to discuss all issues that touch their lives including matters of the union. If he considers himself to be a staunch supporter of the union he should engage in this dialogue by convincing his readers the rationale behind his position instead of bad mouthing Uamsho as a separatist Islamist group that is cultivating hatred under the pretext of union issues. I find it peculiar that he would make such profound claims without citing any specific examples to substantiate the accusations.

‘Uamsho’ has categorically rejected any association with the thugs who committed those acts of sabotaging infrastructure and acts of arson on churches and issued a condemnation. The Government has assured the

public that they will get even with the culprits and that they will have their day in court. There are also reports that those who committed those horrendous acts also raided bars drank liquor they found during the raids and stole money. Do such acts sound like having the mandate of Uamsho? Uamsho has also urged the Government to pursue those involved in jeopardizing the inter-faith harmony that Zanzibaris have enjoyed.

Tanzanian journalists who have personal agendas and political must come to the realization that they cannot promote their personal aspirations and desires by undermining religious organizations, whether they are Islamic, Christian or any other faith.

Mr Matinyi’s makes further accusations that if one looks at other Muslim-dominated countries around the world; they will not fail to accept the fact that, in the end all Islamist groups end up becoming mayhem to their own populace. My question to Mr. Matinyi is how can Islamist groups be avoided in Zanzibar where approximately 97% of the population is Muslims? Can Mr. Matinyi elaborate how the JDP party in Turkey became mayhem and how he ties that to being Islamist?

Mr. Matinyi’s rejection of a referendum because people have been fed with lies for a long time clearly demonstrates that he knows very well that majority of people will disappoint his wishes if democracy took

its course. Why did he not use his pen to tell people the truth when they were being filled with lies? Don’t we all know that where there is the truth and lies the truth always prevails among those who are seeking the truth?

Here is an excerpt from the said article I would like to comment on ‘Moreover, as a united republic, we should not tolerate treasonous sentiments against the union.’  Mr. Matinyi must realize he cannot use threats and intimidation to subdue and suppress opinions of Zanzibaris and Tanzanians as a whole on discussing matters of the Union. Voices of the faithful cannot be suppressed by accusing them of all sorts of rhetoric that carry negative connotations like separatists, extremists etc. I would also like to remind Mr. Matinyi that Islamists or even 

Christians have a constitutional right to always have agendas as long as those agendas are pursued within the constructs of the law.

I would like to commend the Zanzibar Government for the approach it has taken in this chaos, an approach of professionalism in which a thorough investigation is being carried out to establish the facts before jumping to obnoxious conclusions of these self-proclaimed online ‘experts’ purporting to be more competent to investigate crimes than the Scotland Yard. The Government stance of viewing religious organizations as part of the solution and as partners will go a long way in rooting out any possible bad apples in the barrel. Mr. Matinyi’s approach of using the same broad brush to paint religious groups as trouble makers  lacks reason, balance and maturity and could not be further from the principles of natural justice and conflict resolution.

Hassan Saudin

hsaudin@gmail.com

Said article: 

http://www.thecitizen.co.tz/editorial-analysis/47-columnists/22788-we-must-protect-our-peace-and-union