wfn.org | All Africa News Agency BULLETIN No. 40/02 October 14, 2002 (c)

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

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AANA Bulletin
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Bulletin APTA
Acting Editor - Silvie Alemba
FEATURES  SECTION

Religious Groups Reject Bid For Extended Rule

A major rift created between the government and its critics over a proposal 
to amend the Constitution to allow the President of Malawi to stand for a 
third term in office has spilled to the religious fraternity. Even then, 
the government is still unrelenting despite widespread criticism from 
political parties, NGOs, civic and religious leaders and the diplomatic 
community including Britain, the United States and the European community.

By Hamilton Vokhiwa

A
  secret circular letter purported to originate from a Muslim group calling 
itself the Al-Islamiyya Ul-Jihaadin, has used contemptuous language against 
the Christian community in Malawi, warning of severe consequences for what 
it describes as disregard for Muslims in the country.

Copies of the three paged document back-dated to May,20 this year are being 
discovered within the premises of a number of Christian churches in 
Blantyre townships of Ndirande and Chimwankhunda .

At least one independent newspaper, the Chronicle, copied the document in 
its entirety in one of its issues last month without making comments on it.

One of the Christian churches convened a special Sunday service to condemn 
the letter found within their precincts through prayer to cast what the 
charismatic congregation termed "the devil" at work.

The document printed on an A4 format, castigates Christians in strong 
terms, referring to them as kaffirs, (unbelievers) who allow women to 
attend prayers in churches "while naked".

It condemns the Christians in what it says is their involvement in politics 
and also threatens an attack similar to the September 11, 2001 in New York 
and Washington in which thousands of people lost their lives.

The authors say boastfully they would achieve their goal through assistance 
from organisations never heard of before in the country. The strange names 
include Ahli-Sunna-Wal-Jamaat (Turkey), Al Khaidah (United Arab Emirates), 
Mujiahid-Islamiyya (Iran), Ijithad Muhammadiyya, (Sudan) Ajihadiyya (Libya) 
and Adilla-Il-Shariyya (Kenya).

The document also challenges Christians to what it describes as a Jihad 
(holy war) supported by what it terms well wishers from Islamic countries.

"If America was challenged and confounded, what about you in Malawi," the 
document warns. It ends with an attribute to Sayeed, Ahmed, Thabif bin 
Muhammad as chairman of the group.

Malawi's President Bakili Muluzi, addressing recent public rallies, spoke 
of unnamed people whom he accused of trying to create religious strife in 
Malawi. It is not clear whether the president's remarks referred to this 
document.

The first of its kind in Malawi, the document comes against a backdrop of 
tension created by the Muluzi government's bid to re-table in parliament a 
Bill that seeks to secure an amendment to the Constitution to give Muluzi , 
himself a Muslim, an extended five-year term in office after his mandatory 
two five-year term expires in 2004.

An earlier open-ended Bill which sought to remove limits on the number of 
terms an incumbent president can contest in an election, was defeated by 
three votes in parliament last July 4.

The Muluzi administration has expressed its determination to table the 
second constitutional amendment Bill in the middle of this month despite 
widespread criticism from political parties, non-governmental 
organisations, civic and religious leaders and the diplomatic community 
including Britain, the United States and the European community.

Muluzi went ahead to announce a ban on demonstrations for or against the 
third term Bill which is expected to be moved by the country's Justice 
Minister and Attorney general, Henry Phoya.

Muluzi, who earlier accepted the failure of the first Bill that would have 
given him a virtual life presidency, surprised Malawians when he announced 
that he had been receiving "many" letters from his supporters calling on 
him to stand again.

Until then he had never made comment on calls by his party zealots for him 
to continue ruling Malawi come what may.

At his rallies Muluzi is greeted by loud cries and chanting of Aimanso! 
Aimanso! ( He will stand again!he will stand again!) from members of his 
party's militant young democrats and women supporters clad in yellow attire 
which is the symbol of the ruling United Democratic Front UDF.

He warned those wishing to demonstrate against the proposed Bill for a 
third term of unspecified consequences, saying he does not want anyone to 
cause war in Malawi.

Among the civic and political organisations which vowed to demonstrate 
against the Bill are the Public Affairs Committee PAC and Mafunde, a newly 
formed Opposition party drawing its top leadership from lawyers, company 
executives and civic leaders.

PAC has come up strongly against tabling the Bill which it says is not 
different from the first one which failed in parliament, except that the 
second one talks of a third term only as a bonus for Muluzi's "good 
leadership".

The PAC was originally formed in 1963 to join forces against the former 
President Kamuzu Banda's regime. The Muslim Association of Malawi was part 
and parcel of that organisation which ushered in multi-party democracy.

But lately it seems the Muslims have taken a low profile in condemning 
widespread political violence and corruption in government and positions of 
influence..

PAC has issued several statements calling on its members and civil society 
to demonstrate, as it put it, in solidarity and patriotism for the nation 
of Malawi in fighting against injustice over the proposed controversial Bill.

PAC Chairman , Constantine Kaswaya, affirms the organisation's strong 
criticism of the government and pledges to continue to speak for the 
voiceless in the country.

Muluzi has accused the PAC, which he claims to be the founder, of calling 
for the withdrawal of donor support and encouraging public demonstrations 
against the Bill.

The president said he would not allow anyone to demonstrate in connection 
with the Bill because this could cause violence between people who held 
opposing views. But Kaswaya accused the government of behaving 
undemocratically. The PAC, he said, wanted the Constitution to be respected 
and not to be amended.

PAC has been joined by MAFUNDE, a newly established Opposition party and 
the National Democratic Alliance NDA, a pressure group, as well as the 
Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee in accusing the government of 
acting without legal or constitutional powers to ban demonstrations.

  New Study Cites Traumatic Cases Of Female Rite

While the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) could be assumed to 
be making some headway in Africa, a unique case of the practice in 
Mauritania is of great concern. A study carried out recently on this female 
rite in that country reveals stunning facts about the communities' 
interpretation of the practice. Even more alarming is that the majority 
population, composed of four ethnic groups, undergo this practise.

By Joyce Mulama

M
auritania, a desert country to the north west of the continent, may pose 
some trouble to anti-FGM activists. A deep-rooted culture in support of FGM 
among communities in this country may prove to be a difficult hurdle to 
ensure an FGM-free society.

"The clitoris of the girl is chopped off, cut into pieces and eaten by the 
victim, her relatives and practitioners, as an oath to carry out the 
practise from generation to generation," is how some anti-FGM activists 
describe the practice.

A study carried out recently on this female rite in that country reveals 
stunning facts about the communities' interpretation of the practice.  The 
most common form of FGM is excision of the clitoris, which the 
practitioners here argue, is cut because it is seen as the work of Satan, 
and that a woman must be relieved of it.

"The sooner, the better - it is a venomous sting that kills a husband," 
says part of the study in reference to responses from communities.

The research, which was conducted by the Lutheran World Federation LWF in 
January this year revealed that almost the entire female population in the 
country undergo the cruel female rite.

FGM practitioners say they cut the clitoris because "it is improper, bad 
smelling and cumbersome for the woman. But the report argues that dirtiness 
and foul odours are dependent on personal cleanliness and hygiene".

Communities here tend to believe that excision automatically creates a firm 
chastity in a woman. However, the study argues that there are chaste women 
of good morality, even in societies who ignore the practise, and that there 
are excised women who are very far from being chaste, from respect and from 
good morals.

"This argument can easily be dismantled, chastity is a moral code of 
dignity and of respect for oneself," says the study, which pinpoints better 
ways of creating and facilitating chastity.

It says increasing the economic power of women, and sensitising communities 
could change attitudes towards FGM.

The majority of cases of this female rite in Mauritania take place between 
the second week and second year of a girl's life.

The most religious communities recommend with discretion that excision be 
performed during the first few weeks following birth.  This implies that a 
child grows up without understanding what had transpired.

The report noted that all of the practitioners are women, who are in most 
cases illiterate. Reports say 64 percent of them are married, 34 percent 
are elders or divorcees, with economic difficulties.

A great percentage of the country's population, composed of four ethnic 
groups undergo this practise; 92 percent among the Soninke, 72 percent 
among the Pulaar, 71 percent among the Arab and 28 percent among the Wolof 
communities.

The reports says that the consequences of excision include haemorrhage, 
tetanus, difficult childbirth, trauma, sterility and binding of the labium, 
which narrows the opening of the vagina, thus making it difficult for a 
woman to have sexual relations.

Anti-FGM activists describe excision as violence encountered involuntarily 
by women, a violation of human rights and a serious public health problem. 
It further says excision is widespread particularly in the numerous rural 
areas of the country, where this practice thrives due to the heaviness of 
tradition.

LWF in their report appeals to the Mauritanian government to formulate 
proper means for an efficient and long-term fight against FGM.

  "They must hurry the process, because to change human behaviour, it is 
necessary to measure the process in advance, step-by-step, to be sure that 
it will not go backwards, or in the wrong direction".

Organisations working to fight against FGM in Mauritania include the State 
Secretariat on Women's Affairs SECF.

It stresses that excision puts women's health and psychological equilibrium 
in danger and calls upon government and religious leaders to put a large 
emphasis on the social characteristic of the practice, since it is closely 
linked to socio-cultural and geographical norms.

The International Association of Francophone Women AIFF is also working to 
stamp out FGM by organising seminars, workshops and conferences to address 
this issue.

It describes FGM as "a violation of bodily integrity", ill-treatment 
towards women and an attack on their health especially during delivery.

The Mauritania Association in the Fight Against Practises Harmful to the 
Health of Women collaborates intensely with exterior institutions dealing 
with the issue of FGM. It recommends using different behavioural approaches 
and different ethnic contexts in changing attitudes towards women.

Another organisation involved in the fight against the practice is the 
Working Alliance for the Promotion of Women's Rights in Favour of 
Abandoning FGM in Mauritania.

The alliance lobbies for support of other partner institutions in the fight 
against FGM. It also advocates for education of family life and dangers of 
FGM to be incorporated into school curricula.

LWF says health supersedes all values and that any advice on this issue by 
medical experts should be given the attention it deserves.

The study advocates for strict laws to be put in place. "The ban of 
excision must be tackled with prudence since this practice is deeply rooted 
in the culture".

The study recommends that all participants who are strongly against FGM 
should network, consult one another periodically, unify their information, 
harmonise their arguments and adopt, despite criticism, a firm intention to 
put to an end this practise.

FGM has existed in Mauritania since ancient times. The survival of this 
practice is favoured by the predominance of rural life and the attachment 
of the population to traditional values.

It was not until the 1970s that FGM was spoken against in Mauritania for 
the first time. Before that women were silently submissive to the practice 
as well as to other practices such as premature or forced marriages.