Politics should not interfere with religious matters

By Kijoli Chikopa

The Deputy Minister of the Office of the Vice President Union and Environment, Khamis Hamza Khamis has issued an opinion to leaders, religious institutions and citizens in general to ensure that they do not  interfere with religious matters and politics.

He has said that doing so will help maintain the existing peace in the country.

He said these when he represented Vice President Dr. Philip Mpango  at the annual meeting of Ahmadiyya Muslims (Jalsa Salana) held at the weekend  30th September 2023, in Dar es Salaam.

Religion should remain in houses of worship and politics should remain in political platforms,multi-party system, were allowed in the country in 1992, according to the Deputy Minister  should not interfere with religion.

"What I intend here, Tanzanians, let's go and do politics during the period of politics and preach religion during the period of preaching religion". Said the Deputy Minister

On other hand , the deputy minister has called on the community to participate properly as well as encourage environmental concervation to avoid  environmental hazardous .

He has said that religious leaders have the opportunity to motivate citizens about the importance of environmental concervation where he has claimed that the method they can use is to set aside a special section for motivation and providing education.

"I want to tell the religious leaders to make sure you provide environmental education, as you will be getting your money, put a special section to encourage care and prevent pollution of the environment so that we do not lead to the big effects of changing the behavior of the country," said the Deputy Minister.

He strongly advised that "First, let's provide education and get a chance to talk about the environment, because even if we talk about the Prophets who passed by, they were taking care of the environment in their own way and at that time, but most of all, let's plant trees in abundance every time we do our events (events), let's plant trees."

from the side of the Ahmadiyya Community, Deputy Amir Abdulrahman Mohamed Ame has said that they support the efforts of the Government in the care of the environment and that they are ready to cooperate together in motivating the community to take care of the environment.

However, Deputy Amir, Abdulrahman Mohamed has explained the objectives of the meeting which has been held every year saying:

"This meeting is being held to increase the fear of Allah in the hearts of the participants, and we remind each other to know Allah well, to show love and a heart of compassion and to increase love between us by building a brotherhood between us of generosity and tolerance that all these may be in us. "

Some of the leaders of the Community from outside Tanzania who are participating in the meeting include the The head Amir of  Ahmadiyya Muslim of Ghana, Mohamed bin Salih ,Ghana is said to have the most believers of the Community compared to other nations.