Zanzibar Evicts Congregation from Government Building

[MaxShimba]

NAIROBI, Kenya, (CDN) — A pastor in Zanzibar City said his church is without a worship place after government officials, at the instigation of radical Islamists, evicted the congregation from their rented building on Tanzania’s Zanzibar Island off the coast of East Africa.

With just two days’ notice, government officials ordered Christians of the Church of God Zanzibar from their rented government building effective April 19, ostensibly to pave the way for renovations. But two months later, said pastor Lucian Mgayway, no renovation work has begun and none appears to be forthcoming.

The government has not only failed to renovate the building but has since turned it into a business site, Pastor Mgaywa said. The church had been worshipping in the building since October 2000.

In evicting the church from its building in the Kariakoo area of Zanzibar City, Pastor Mgaywa said, the government gave in to partisan demands.
“Our being told to vacate the premise by the government was a calculated move to disintegrate the church and to please the Muslims who do not want us to be in this particular area,” he said.

Forced to rent different worship venues each week, the congregation can no longer bear the financial burden that comes with it, said Pastor Mgaywa.
“Hire venues are available, but we can no longer afford it due to limited finances,” he said. “Reasons for our being kicked out are purely religious.”

The church’s 50 members had seen signs that the eviction was coming. With increasing frequency Muslim youths had passed by the church hurling insults because they felt Christians had intruded on their territory, Pastor Mgaywa said.

“The church had been experiencing stone-throwing on the roof of the building by the Muslims during worship service,” he said. He added that since the eviction notice, members of the congregation have been increasingly harassed by area Muslims.

Pastor Mgaywa said that after receiving the order on April 17 to vacate by April 19, the congregation sought an audience with the acting director of the Zanzibar Social Security Fund, identified only by his surname of Hassan. Officials, however, rejected the church’s request to continue using the premises.

Otherwise, when the government gave two days’ notice to vacate the premises for “renovations” to be carried out, the congregation obliged; they did not seek legal redress, he said, as they had trusted that officials’ stated intentions were genuine.

Now that the congregation is left without site options, the pastor said, he has been visiting members in their homes to worship together.

Shut-downs and attacks are not unknown on the predominantly Muslim, semi-autonomous island as a resurgent Christian movement makes inroads. On May 9 Muslim extremists expelled Zanzibar Pentecostal Church worshippers from their rented property at Ungunja Ukuu, on the outskirts of Zanzibar City (see “Radical Muslims Drive Church from Worship Place in Zanzibar”).

The attackers had been angered by a recent upsurge in Christian evangelism in the area. Radical Muslims had sent ominous threats to the Christians warning them to stop their activities.

The church had undertaken a two-day evangelism campaign culminating in an Easter celebration. On the morning of the assault, more than 20 church members had gathered for Saturday fellowship when word reached them that Muslim extremists were about to attack. As the radical group approached, the Christians fled in fear of their lives.

In predominately Sunni Muslim Zanzibar, churches face other hurdles. There are restrictions on getting land to build churches, open preaching is outlawed and there is limited time on national television to air Christian programs. In government schools, only Islamic Religious knowledge is taught, not Christian Religious Education.

Zanzibar is the informal designation for the island of Unguja in the Indian Ocean. The Zanzibar archipelago united with Tanganyika to form the present day Tanzania in 1964.

Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf had settled in the region early in the 10th century after monsoon winds propelled them through the Gulf of Aden and Somalia. The 1964 merger left island Muslims uneasy about Christianity, seeing it as a means by which mainland Tanzania might dominate them, and tensions have persisted.

 

[MaxShimba]

Another sad story from Zanzibar, .....

 

[Herbalist Dr MziziMkavu]

NAIROBI, Kenya, (CDN) — A pastor in Zanzibar City said his church is without a worship place after government officials, at the instigation of radical Islamists, evicted the congregation from their rented building on Tanzania’s Zanzibar Island off the coast of East Africa.

With just two days’ notice, government officials ordered Christians of the Church of God Zanzibar from their rented government building effective April 19, ostensibly to pave the way for renovations. But two months later, said pastor Lucian Mgayway, no renovation work has begun and none appears to be forthcoming.

The government has not only failed to renovate the building but has since turned it into a business site, Pastor Mgaywa said. The church had been worshipping in the building since October 2000.

In evicting the church from its building in the Kariakoo area of Zanzibar City, Pastor Mgaywa said, the government gave in to partisan demands.
“Our being told to vacate the premise by the government was a calculated move to disintegrate the church and to please the Muslims who do not want us to be in this particular area,” he said.

Forced to rent different worship venues each week, the congregation can no longer bear the financial burden that comes with it, said Pastor Mgaywa.
“Hire venues are available, but we can no longer afford it due to limited finances,” he said. “Reasons for our being kicked out are purely religious.”

The church’s 50 members had seen signs that the eviction was coming. With increasing frequency Muslim youths had passed by the church hurling insults because they felt Christians had intruded on their territory, Pastor Mgaywa said.

“The church had been experiencing stone-throwing on the roof of the building by the Muslims during worship service,” he said. He added that since the eviction notice, members of the congregation have been increasingly harassed by area Muslims.

Pastor Mgaywa said that after receiving the order on April 17 to vacate by April 19, the congregation sought an audience with the acting director of the Zanzibar Social Security Fund, identified only by his surname of Hassan. Officials, however, rejected the church’s request to continue using the premises.

Otherwise, when the government gave two days’ notice to vacate the premises for “renovations” to be carried out, the congregation obliged; they did not seek legal redress, he said, as they had trusted that officials’ stated intentions were genuine.

Now that the congregation is left without site options, the pastor said, he has been visiting members in their homes to worship together.

Shut-downs and attacks are not unknown on the predominantly Muslim, semi-autonomous island as a resurgent Christian movement makes inroads. On May 9 Muslim extremists expelled Zanzibar Pentecostal Church worshippers from their rented property at Ungunja Ukuu, on the outskirts of Zanzibar City (see “Radical Muslims Drive Church from Worship Place in Zanzibar”).

The attackers had been angered by a recent upsurge in Christian evangelism in the area. Radical Muslims had sent ominous threats to the Christians warning them to stop their activities.

The church had undertaken a two-day evangelism campaign culminating in an Easter celebration. On the morning of the assault, more than 20 church members had gathered for Saturday fellowship when word reached them that Muslim extremists were about to attack. As the radical group approached, the Christians fled in fear of their lives.

In predominately Sunni Muslim Zanzibar, churches face other hurdles. There are restrictions on getting land to build churches, open preaching is outlawed and there is limited time on national television to air Christian programs. In government schools, only Islamic Religious knowledge is taught, not Christian Religious Education.

Zanzibar is the informal designation for the island of Unguja in the Indian Ocean. The Zanzibar archipelago united with Tanganyika to form the present day Tanzania in 1964.

Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf had settled in the region early in the 10th century after monsoon winds propelled them through the Gulf of Aden and Somalia. The 1964 merger left island Muslims uneasy about Christianity, seeing it as a means by which mainland Tanzania might dominate them, and tensions have persisted.

Translation: English » Swahili

NAIROBI, Kenya, (CDN) - A mchungaji Zanzibar City alisema kanisa lake bila ya ibada ni mahali baada ya maafisa wa serikali, katika radical instigation ya Kiislam, kufukuzwa mkutano wao kukodi jengo juu ya Tanzania Zanzibar Island off pwani ya Afrika Mashariki.

Kwa siku mbili tu 'ilani, maafisa wa serikali kuamuru Wakristo wa Kanisa la Mungu Zanzibar, kutoka serikali kukodi jengo yao ufanisi Aprili 19, ostensibly na kusafisha njia kwa ajili ya ugunduzi. Lakini miezi miwili baadaye, alisema mchungaji Lucia Mgayway, hakuna ukarabati kazi imeanza na hakuna inaonekana kuwa kommande.

Serikali imekuwa si tu alishindwa renovate jengo lakini tangu akageuka ndani biashara tovuti, Mchungaji Mgaywa alisema. Kanisa amekuwa kuabudu katika jengo tangu Oktoba 2000.

Katika kanisa kutoka evicting ujenzi wake katika eneo la Kariakoo Zanzibar City, Mchungaji Mgaywa alisema, serikali alitoa ndani kwa madai partisan.
"Kuambiwa wetu kwa vacate ya Nguzo na serikali ilikuwa imekadiriwa kuhama disintegrate kanisa na tafadhali Waislamu ambao hawataki tuwe katika eneo fulani," alisema.

Kulazimishwa kodi ibada kumbi mbalimbali kila wiki, mkutano hawawezi tena kubeba mzigo kifedha kuja na hilo, alisema Mchungaji Mgaywa.
"Hire kumbi zinapatikana, lakini sisi hawawezi kuwa kutokana na upungufu wa fedha," alisema. “Reasons for our being kicked out are purely religious.”

Kanisa la wabunge 50 walikuwa na dalili kuonekana kwamba alikuwa anakuja kufukuzwa. Pamoja na kuongeza frequency Muslim vijana walikuwa kupitishwa na kanisa hurling wamejisikia matusi kwa sababu Wakristo walikuwa intruded wilaya yao, Mchungaji Mgaywa alisema.

"Kanisa amekuwa jiwe-kutupa uzoefu juu ya paa la jengo kwa Waislamu wakati wa ibada," alisema. Aliongeza kuwa tangu kufukuzwa ilani, wajumbe wa mkutano wamekuwa wanasumbuliwa na eneo allt Waislamu.

Mchungaji Mgaywa alisema kuwa baada ya kupokea ili Aprili 17 hadi vacate na Aprili 19, kusanyiko walitaka ni watazamaji na kaimu mkurugenzi wa Zanzibar Social Security Fund, kutambuliwa tu kwa jina lake la Hassan. Maafisa, hata hivyo, alikataa ombi la kanisa kuendelea kutumia premises.

Otherwise, when the government gave two days’ notice to vacate the premises for “renovations” to be carried out, the congregation obliged; they did not seek legal redress, he said, as they had trusted that officials’ stated intentions were genuine.

Sasa kuwa mkutano ni kushoto bila tovuti chaguzi, mchungaji alisema, amekuwa kuwatembelea wanachama katika nyumba zao na kuabudu pamoja.

Imefungwa-Downs na mashambulizi si haijulikani juu ya imejaa Waislam, nusu-autonoma kisiwa kama Mkristo resurgent hufanya harakati inroads. Tarehe May 9 Muslim kali kufukuzwa Zanzibar sali Kanisa la Pentekoste kukodi mali zao saa Ungunja Ukuu, juu ya nje ya Zanzibar City (tazama "Radical Waislamu Drive Kanisa kutoka Worship Mahali Zanzibar").

Washambuliaji amekuwa angered by upsurge hivi karibuni katika uinjilisti wa kikristo katika eneo hilo. Radical Waislamu alituma ominous vitisho kwa Wakristo onyo kwao kuacha shughuli zao.

Kanisa walikuwa na kuratibiwa siku mbili ya kampeni uinjilisti ikifikia upeo katika maadhimisho ya Pasaka. Asubuhi ya kushambuliwa, zaidi ya wanachama 20 wa kanisa walikuwa wamekusanyika kwa wakati Jumamosi ushirika neno kufikiwa wao walikuwa Waislamu kali kuhusu kushambulia. Kama kundi radical akawaelekea, wakristo walikimbia kwa hofu ya maisha yao.

Katika huvudsakligen Sunni Muslim Zanzibar, makanisa uso vikwazo vingine. Kuna vikwazo nchi kupata kujenga makanisa, kuhubiri ni wazi zimeshafuta na kuna muda mdogo televisheni ya kitaifa na mipango hewa ya Kikristo. Katika shule za serikali, Islamic Religious tu maarifa ni kufundisha, siyo Mkristo Religious Education.

Zanzibar ni utse rasmi kwa ajili ya kisiwa ya Unguja katika Bahari ya Hindi. Zanzibar archipelago umoja na Tanganyika na kuunda Tanzania ya leo mwaka 1964.

Muslim wafanyabiashara kutoka Ghuba Kiajemi alikuwa makazi katika mkoa mapema katika karne ya 10 baada ya upepo Monsoon drivs yao kupitia Ghuba ya Aden na Somalia. 1964 koncentrationen kushoto ya kisiwa Waislamu uneasy kuhusu Ukristo, ukiangalia hiyo kama njia ambayo Tanzania Bara wapate dominerar yao, na mvutano na wakawa.