Elections 2010 Beware, slow poison of religious bigotry is entering into Tanzania’s body politic!

[Kaa la Moto]

kakobe

Tupe ushahidi!

 

[GodfreyTajiri]

By JENERALI ULIMWENGU
October 10, 2010

Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong....


Too many Tanzanian politicians, especially in the ruling party, CCM (which has openly declared its aversion to debate), are simply incapable of engaging in dialogue on ideas and issues, and this renders them incapable of executing any campaign outside character assassination and identity politics.

Tanzanians are wont to turn up their noses at their Kenyan neighbours whom they perceive as hopelessly divided by identities.

Move over, Kenya, you have company. (I intend to discuss this soon).

Jenerali Ulimwengu, chairman of the board of Raia Mwema newspaper, is a political commentator and civil society activist based in Dar es Salaam. E-mail: jenerali@gmail.com

kama ni shabaha hii inaitwa "bull".
thanks jenerali

 

[GodfreyTajiri]

Dear Jenerali,

I agree with your assertion that politicians should be engaging the issues which affect the Tanzanian people - corruption in government, poverty, poor economic infrastructure (roads, telecoms, educational institutions, and so on).

The days of voting on religious grounds should be consigned to the dark ages. Tanzanians are now more educated and able to discern politicians who are simply leeches, feeding shamelessly on public funds without any sense of duty.

The problem we always have is this - why do so many educated Tanzanians living in the diaspora keep quiet at Election time, and watch corrupt leaders get elected again and again? If we love our country, we need to engage with whatever areas we come from, and ensure that politicians do not get advantage of unlearned villagers, who are easily bribed to vote for these guys, who then simply disappear for another five years!

Wake up Tanzanians abroad, and see how you can influence your country for good.

I personally believe CCM has been around for too long, but I am yet to be persuaded of a viable alternative.

Mwakisunga Mwakibete

binafsi sidhaani suala ni muda ambao ccm imekaa madarakani.
suala ni uwezo wa ccm kuliongoza taifa na kulitoa katika lindi la umaskini.
pamoja na hilo lipo pia suala la uwezo wa ccm kama chama tawala kupambana
kwa mafanikio na changamoto zinazolikabili taifa letu.

 

[Kaa la Moto]

Hongera viongozi wetu wa kislaam kwa kukemia udini. Tuchague kiongozi kwa uwezo wake wakuongoza na kuleta maendeleo kwa wananchi, si dini wala kabila!

Wanakemea wapi bana! soma hiyo habari vizuri uone walivyojaa udini wao kwanza. Wanafiki wakubwa tulishawajua.

Ni hivi karibuni nilipita karibu na msikiti na kwa sababu kuna kipaza sauti (nadhani walisahau kuzima) nikasikia mwenyewe yule maalimu akiwasihi wasisahau kumchagua mwislamu. Baadaye kidogo nikakutana na rafiki yangu ambaye hakubaliani na mafundisho manyonge hayo na akaniambia ukweli kuwa ni kweli hayo wamekuwa wakiambiwa kila mara lakini yanawaudhi sana maana uchaguzi huu sio wa kiongozi wa msikiti).

Hawa ni wanafiki sana ndugu zangu. Na MS ni mnafiki mwenzi wao.

 

[Kaa la Moto]

kwani uslam sawa na ukiristo vile? Nyinyi si mnasali j2 tu, hamfungi. Hamwendi hija,

Hili lipeleke jukwaa la dini tulijadili hapa sio mahali pake. Utapata ban sasa hivi

 

[Bulesi]

kwani ashawahi kutumia askari kuuwa waumini wa dini nyengine? kama vile mwembechai? au humpendi kwa sabu muislam tu.

Wewe mgonjwa wa Malaria, ili kuua sio lazima utumie askari wenye AK47 la hasha; unaweza kuwaangamiza raia wa nchi yako kwa sera mbaya kama vile kulinda magenge ya wahalifu wanaohujumu uchumi wa nchi kiasi kwamba dawa za kuwatibu wagonjwa hazipatikani mahospitalini, hakuna madawa ya kuyafanya maji yawe salama kwa matumizi ya binadamu kiasi kwamba watu wengi wanakufa kwa magonjwa ya mlipuko!! Hivyo basi sera mbaya za nchi zinaweza kuwaangamiza mamilioni ya watu!! Mfadhili wako kawaua watanzania wengi sana kwa kuwakumbatiana kuwalinda hawa mafisadi!!

 

[Gurudumu]

Hivi ni vigezo gani alitumia JK kumteua rwakatare wa kanisa la mikocheni b kuwa mbunge?

 

[GodfreyTajiri]

Hayo ni matusi kwa waislamu ina maana kina prof haroub othan wao hakusoma dini yako (madrasa) shivji, jumanne maghembe, prof mtulia, dr gharib bilal, dr salim ahmed salim, prof lipumba, dr msabah, dr hussein mwinyi, prof kapuya na wengi wengineo.

Hao niliowataja kwa uchache hakupitia masomo ya dini yao? au mnapenda kutusi uislamu na waislamu? tutafika kweli namna hii?

Kuna waziri wa serikali ya mwanzo ya zanzibar marhum ali muhsin barwan yeye alisoma madrasa na kuhitimu akiwa na umri wa miaka kumi na mbili alikuwa hadhidhul quraan ( yaani alihifadhi quraan yote) ndipo alipo enda darasa la kwanza na kufika mpaka makerere. Ali Muhsin barwan ukimsearch kwenye google utaona data zake ni mmoja wa maulamaa na mtafsiri wa quraan kwa kiswahili.

Ipo siku kitaeleweka na matusi kama hayo mnayotutukana yataisha.

nakubaliana na uliyoyasema lakini hapo kwenye rangi nyekundu mimi mmh.

naamini ni vyema kuelimishana kuhusu umuhimu wa wafuasi wa dini
zote kuheshimiana, kupendana na kushirikiana.

 

[omarilyas]

Hawa ni wanafiki sana ndugu zangu. Na MS ni mnafiki mwenzi wao.

Unaposema hawa ni wanafiki una maana gani??? Hawa = Waislamu? Ama?

Ni kweli ipo miskiti ambayo watu watu na mashehe wanafanya kampeni za aina hiyo. Lakini kaka unataka kuniambia makanisani hakuna wanaofanya kampeni hizo? Mbona mimi wapo wakristo ambao naoa wananilalamikia kampeni kama hizo kufanyika makanisani?

Ukweli naamini tofauti iliyokuwepo ni kuwa waislamu wanatumia maspika wakati wenzao wananong'enezana. Wapo wanaosema waziwazi lakini pia wapo wanaotumia CODED Words and messages....

Jenerali amesema ukweli lakini naamini hakuwa balanced kwa kunyoshea kidole upande mmoja tu.....

 

[omarilyas]

Hivi ni vigezo gani alitumia JK kumteua rwakatare wa kanisa la mikocheni b kuwa mbunge?

Please kama issue ni serving religious leaders kutokuwa viongozi wa umma hilo ni suala lingine lakini Lwakatare hakuteuliwa na Kikwete isipokuwa alipitishwa na kamati kuu baada ya kushinda kura za chaguzi za ndani za CCM na kumfanya ashike nafasi ile ya chini ambayo ilitegemea wabuge wa viti maalumu mmoja ama wawili kuacha ama kufariki basi nafasi ikamuanguki yeye.

Mama Lwakatare aliaibika sana mara baada ya uchaguzi baada ya kuanza maandalizi ya kuapishwa huku kabla ya NEC kutoa idadi na majina ya waliopata mafasi hizo kwa upande wa CCM kutokana na majumlisho ya kura za uchaguzi mkuu. List ilpotoka ikaonekana idadi ambayo CCM walipata haikumtosheleza yeye kuwa Mbunge wakati huo...

 

[Anyisile Obheli]

Siamini kama kuna sehemu nimezungumzia mapadri hapo! Nadhani kuna haja ya wewe kuisoma tena post yangu!!

huyo hawezi kwa sababu ya kukurupuka, kwanza ni mropokaji sana hana tathimini ya nini azungumze kwa wakati aliona

 

[Kaa la Moto]

Unaposema hawa ni wanafiki una maana gani??? Hawa = Waislamu? Ama?

Ni kweli ipo miskiti ambayo watu watu na mashehe wanafanya kampeni za aina hiyo. Lakini kaka unataka kuniambia makanisani hakuna wanaofanya kampeni hizo? Mbona mimi wapo wakristo ambao naoa wananilalamikia kampeni kama hizo kufanyika makanisani?

Ukweli naamini tofauti iliyokuwepo ni kuwa waislamu wanatumia maspika wakati wenzao wananong'enezana. Wapo wanaosema waziwazi lakini pia wapo wanaotumia CODED Words and messages....

Jenerali amesema ukweli lakini naamini hakuwa balanced kwa kunyoshea kidole upande mmoja tu.....

Nimekuelewa mkuu. Una hoja. Huyu MS ndio alinifanya nitumie collective statement. sorry najua wachache hamhusiki. Ndio sababu nimekwambia kuna marafiki zangu waislamu kila leo wanakuja wakilalamika kuwa wanalishwa utumbo wa dini lakini wanawakatalia masheik kuwa, kwa kuwa si uchaguzi wa maimamu wasiwalazimishe. Hata hivyo ni wangapi wanatoka wakiwa wameonjeshwa ladha ya dini na kukubaliana nayo?

 

[JanaMwakisunga]

On the point of Mwakisunga Mwakibete, the Tanzanian Diasporas can hardly do something to change the current old fashioned constitutions. If the constitution is changed even those in diaspora would be allowed to vote while abroad. Besides, there is no one body which unites them all. I think the time has come for all of us Tanzanias, home and abroad, to think higher and bring about political, economical and social changes. The time is now or never.

"Time4change" I thank you for your comments. I think you have also highlighted a common problem with the mindset of the Tanzanian diaspora. They are incapacitated by a false belief that it is difficult to change 'old fashioned' constitutions. Let me ask you a question - do you stop being Tanzanian just because you have chosen to ply your trade outside the country? If our fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, cousins and other relatives in Tanzanian villages are subjected to extremely difficult living conditions, don't we feel their pain? When we visit our homeland, don't we go through the same suffering of enduring poor public services, non-existent government support, jumbo potholes in roads which look like war zones? Should we then keep silence just because we live outside Tanzania?

I don't think we should stay silent, but rather make sufficient noise through the local Tanzanian embassies until our voice is heard! I believe we can make a difference by engaging in hope, rather than despairing. Yes, we can even force a change in the constitution to enfranchise the diaspora.

 

[JanaMwakisunga]

Interesting....from my experiance this problem of reliogious bigotry is more entranched within "educated establishment" than lay people....

Meaning??? That Tanzanians abroad are more educated, more intelligent, more informed or less prone to religious bigotry?? Don't think so....

This issue is more than the issue of education or exposure.........It is deep into or society psych....these opportunistic politicians are just exploiting our post ethical political environment and somehow leadership vacuum we are facing with the consolidation of everyones' kigogo syndrome in our political establishment..

My friend Omarilyas, forgive me if the phrases you have quoted above implied what you have deduced from them. I did not mean to say Tanzanians in the diaspora are more educated, or that they are more tolerant religiously. Far from it! The point I was trying to make was that the majority of Tanzanians are still politically naive (whether academically educated or not), willingly to play along with politicians at election time, at huge cost to the nation as a whole. We appear to be blinded by the sweet talk of politicians, which is usually flavoured with religious or tribal biases. So we tend to turn a blind eye to the corrupt practices of unfit politicians and are willing to vote for them just because their names suggest that they belong to our tribe, or religion.

 

[PhD]

malaria sugu ni kiumbe hatari sana , mara nyingi hajadili hoja na badala yake amekuwa akisukumwa zaidi na matakwa ya dini bila kujiuliza vema

 

[Nyaturu]

Beware, slow poison of religious bigotry is entering into Tanzania’s body politic!
​

By Jenerali Ulimwengu, The East African


Monday, October 11 2010
​

Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

All of a sudden, it seems there are now just too many things that can go wrong in Tanzanian politics and, what is worse, that they are very likely to do so.

It may be that the electoral heat is on and that the temperature is rising exponentially, so much so that people who would normally pass for rational individuals have mothballed their brains and are running on intellectual autopilot.

It could be a bad case of political hooliganism promoted by the most backward elements among us.

It could also be simple, old-fashioned panic, the unthinking funk that sends people shivering when they are faced with a situation they did not anticipate.

Anyway, someone somewhere seems determined to go to extremes to get their way, by fair means or foul.

Let’s take the bogey of religion and the accusations that have been hurled at some of the political organisations, giving them this or that religious or denominational label.

Political formations around the world have been known to have confessional leanings, and some have been forthright with it.

There can be no argument as to the identity of anybody who calls themselves Christian Democrat or Hezbollah, or India’s Hindu “nationalist” Bharatiya Janata Party.

There is obviously nothing wrong with them being what they are, although the ugliness of what happened in Ayodhya in India (the destruction of an ancient mosque by Hindu zealots) would tend to suggest that all is not well when whole populations are shanghaied into religious fanaticism to serve shameless political agendas.

Religion has never been based on rationality — ask Copernicus or Galileo — and that is why it is always accompanied by cocksure intolerance wherein whoever does not agree with your particular brand of opiate is, of course, destined to be consumed by Giga-centigrade hellfire. It is a matter best left to the believer.

When religious bigotry worms its way into the bosom of the body politic, it develops an unbelievable capacity to engender emotions that will destroy whole communities and sunder whole societies, as we have witnessed in Nigeria only recently.

So why are elements in Tanzanian politics bent on sneaking this thing into the centre of political discourse every time there is an election?

Time was when it was about Ibrahim Lipumba and CUF being a Muslim plot.

Well, seeing as CUF originates from Zanzibar, it surely can have no shortage of Muslim supporters.

Now it is about Willbrod Slaa and Chadema being a Catholic conspiracy.

Well, the only time I’ve heard a Catholic cleric say something politically incorrect — and pretty daft as well — he was saying that Kikwete, a Muslim, was God’s own choice.

Slaa has never hidden the fact that he is a Catholic, a defrocked priest into the bargain.

In the past, we have had presidents who have worn their religiosity on their sleeve — Julius Nyerere and Ali Hassan Mwinyi — and both went on to assume confessional careers after retirement, the former inching toward canonisation, and the latter serving as part-time Imam. So where is the problem?

The problem lies in our lack of a political culture in which issues take centrestage and politicians slug it out on the basis of who has the greatest comprehension of our socio-economic problems and has the best roadmap to haul us out of this mire.

Too many Tanzanian politicians, especially in the ruling party, CCM (which has openly declared its aversion to debate), are simply incapable of engaging in dialogue on ideas and issues, and this renders them incapable of executing any campaign outside character assassination and identity politics.

Tanzanians are wont to turn up their noses at their Kenyan neighbours whom they perceive as hopelessly divided by identities.

Move over, Kenya, you have company. (I intend to discuss this soon).

Jenerali Ulimwengu, chairman of the board of Raia Mwema newspaper, is a political commentator and civil society activist based in Dar es Salaam. E-mail: jenerali@gmail.com