Tanzanian Riots Urinating On The Koran - Wat say u?

[AmalJaber]

Angry Muslims vandalised and torched five churches after a Christian boy reportedly urinated on a Koran.

President Jakaya Kikwete said the violence was unacceptable, even if the incident angered Muslims.

Tanzania's long history of religious tolerance should not be threatened, he said.

The BBC's Aboubakar Famau in Dar es Salaam says a discussion between the 14-year-old Christian boy and his Muslim friend apparently got out of hand, leading to the attacks on Friday.
'Justice will prevail'

The Christian boy was reportedly told by his Muslim friend that he would turn into a snake if he urinated on a Koran, our correspondent says.

The Christian boy then asked for a Koran and, according to reports, urinated on it to test his friend's claim, our correspondent adds.

A Dar es Salaam police commander, Suleiman Kova, told the BBC that 126 people had been arrested over the subsequent attacks.

Youth are said to have been largely involved in the violence”

Sheikh Alhadi Musa Muslim cleric

"We are making every effort to arrest everyone responsible... We want justice to prevail," he said.

Muslim cleric Sheikh Alhadi Musa, who is the chairman of the local Interfaith Committee, condemned the attack on the churches.

He said the Koran had been defiled by one person and it was wrong to assume that it was the stand of all Christians.

Plans were under way to promote dialogue between followers of the two faiths, he said.

"Youth are said to have been largely involved in the violence, so I have sent some youth to talk to their colleagues," Sheikh Musa added.

Mr Kikwete, who visited the churches on Saturday, appealed for calm, Tanzania's Guardian newspaper reports.

He said Christians should not launch retaliatory attacks as this would lead to more conflict.

[Talo alle udaa]

I think the question we should all ask ourselves is, what is driving the Muslim Youth to behave in such uncontrollable manner wrecking havoc at the slightest provocation.

I think a multitude of things are simmering under, all waiting for an ignition to set them off. Whether it be Kenya, Tanzania, or Nigeria--we see a common pattern; Muslim comunities that hold deep reservations against their governments that rule over them. By not seeing themselves as part of the country- second class citizens (for myriad of reasons) they are willing to burn it down as oppose to the christian who is willing to preserve it (for myrad of reasons). Offcourse, this is not all muslims. I am sure there are dedicated Tanzanian muslims who deeply love their country, but a great majority of them who live in the coast and in Zanzibar see Tanzania as a chirstian led country imposed on them by the Europeans who brought christianity to their lands.
The same is true with Kenya, Nigeria, etc.

So these minor incidents will continue to set off un-expectaed and what seems irrational responses due to deep reservations and old wounds held by the muslim communities.







p.s. This in no way is an attempt to justify the deaths or destruction such action may have caused, but to an analysis to understand the underlying motivations.

[ZubeirAwal]

The christians should wake up and smell the coffee that Islam is the complete, final and last revelation from god, you find more then 10 bibles edited and written by men who didn't even know, or don't even come from where Isa ibnu Maryam (PBUTB) came from. Whilst the Quran being revealed in the desert of Medina and Makkah has all accurate information of the future , past prophets and incidents, and the present, it is free from error unlike the bible.

Convert to Islam ,

[IRONm@N]

I think this is God's plan, because God is planning to separate Muslims from Non-Muslims for things to come. Everywhere Muslims and Non-Muslims who were living side by side for centuries are splitting or separating. look at Sudan, and where there is an all Muslim country there are separating into Sunni orthodox vs other non-orthodox sects.
If Tanzania which had the most tolerant Muslim Non-muslim societies is going like this, no place is exempt.

[PrinceDaadi]

Muslims in Tanzania has been marginalized and they r 2nd class citizens in their own country so this was a timebomb which was waiting a trigger.

[AmalJaber]

Muslims in Tanzania has been marginalized and they r 2nd class citizens in their own country so this was a timebomb which was waiting a trigger.

I do not understand how "second class citizens" Jakaya Kikwete and Mohammed Shein, - both Muslims can occupy the office of the presidency and vice-presidency

[AmalJaber]

The christians should wake up and smell the coffee that Islam is the complete, final and last revelation from god, you find more then 10 bibles edited and written by men who didn't even know, or don't even come from where Isa ibnu Maryam (PBUTB) came from. Whilst the Quran being revealed in the desert of Medina and Makkah has all accurate information of the future , past prophets and incidents, and the present, it is free from error unlike the bible.

Convert to Islam ,

If it is complete as you say, why was the prophet told to ask those who have read the scriptures? And why should christians convert to Islam? So that they can threaten to kill 14 year olds in the name of protecting Islam?

[AmalJaber]

I think the question we should all ask ourselves is, what is driving the Muslim Youth to behave in such uncontrollable manner wrecking havoc at the slightest provocation.

I think a multitude of things are simmering under, all waiting for an ignition to set them off. Whether it be Kenya, Tanzania, or Nigeria--we see a common pattern; Muslim comunities that hold deep reservations against their governments that rule over them. By not seeing themselves as part of the country- second class citizens (for myriad of reasons) they are willing to burn it down as oppose to the christian who is willing to preserve it (for myrad of reasons). Offcourse, this is not all muslims. I am sure there are dedicated Tanzanian muslims who deeply love their country, but a great majority of them who live in the coast and in Zanzibar see Tanzania as a chirstian led country imposed on them by the Europeans who brought christianity to their lands.
The same is true with Kenya, Nigeria, etc.

So these minor incidents will continue to set off un-expectaed and what seems irrational responses due to deep reservations and old wounds held by the muslim communities.

p.s. This in no way is an attempt to justify the deaths or destruction such action may have caused, but to an analysis to understand the underlying motivations.

Muslims should take responsibility; the reason why this is happening is simply as a result of the spread of Wahabi's doctrine of hatred. So what about the muslims in muslim dominated countries? and what about Muslims who brought islam to the lands of the Mijikenda and the only alternative was to be a slave or be a muslim?

[AmalJaber]

So what is my take about this thing?

Well, the rioters were stupid.

If my 14 year old kid gave his muslim friend a Bible so that the friend can urinate on it (after my boy told him that he would turn into a snake,) i'll do the following:

1. I'll weep my son till his ass turns red hot
2. I'll report the boy to his parents or whip him myself depending on how well i knew the parents

This does not mean that i don't respect the Bible; it only means that i know that my God can protect his word. How dumb can you be to think of God as being big enough to be worshiped, but too weak to defend himself. Seriously, if your god can't defend himself against a 14 year old boy, why do you worship him?



This is why i liked former Prez Benjamin Mukapa; they tried this in 2001. They were beaten so badly they ran for shelter in Mombasa. We had 6,000 refugees from Zanzibar