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| National |
| Muslims boo Uladi |
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by
George Ntonya, 13 April 2006
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07:55:06
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Some disgruntled Muslims on Tuesday nearly spoilt a well organised function to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad in Lilongwe when they booed guest of honour Uladi Mussa who is also Minister of Agriculture and Food Security.
“We didn’t want him to speak at the function because although he is a fellow Muslim, he is bringing confusion among Muslims,” said one of the disgruntled members who sought anonymity.
“We booed him because our efforts to stop him from speaking were being blocked,” said the man about three hours after the main function at the Muslim Sports Club.
He said some of the disgruntled Muslims left the venue before the end of activities for fear of getting arrested by the police.
Mussa, who some Muslims accused a few months ago of interfering with negotiations between some local Muslims and their counterparts in South Africa for a donation of relief maize at the height of a food shortage, could not be reached for a comment after the function.
But Yusuf Aufi from the Association of Sunni Madrassahs (Asum), organisers of the celebrations, which is also known as Ziyarah, said that despite the disruption attempts by the disgruntled members, the function ended well.
“When he [Mussa] was speaking there were just few individuals who were making noise. But he made his speech to the end,” Aufi said in an interview Wednesday.
He said that Asum invited Mussa to be guest of honour by virtue of his being Muslim.
“He was invited as a Muslim brother, not as a minister or MP,” Aufi said, adding that Asumi did not bother to find out the concerns of the disgruntled individuals because “that was not important to us.”
The behaviour of the disgruntled Muslims was contrary to the teachings of the Koran, added Aufi.
The celebrations started with a procession from a mosque (Madrassah Nour-ul-Islam) in Area 2 to the Muslim Sports Club where students in religious studies received certificates while others received assorted prizes.
There was also distribution of free food to all people including non-Muslims.
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