Police, angry Muslims clash as `children`s play` turns violent
13th October 2012
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The crack anti-riot police popularly known as Field Force unit were immediately deployed to tame the skirmishes, where scores were injured and others arrested during a five-hour scuffle between the police and Muslim demonstrators. Motorists in Mbagala weren't spared either --as the rowdy demonstrators smashed and stoned their cars during the religious skirmishes. Mbagala was literally under siege, this time not from the unguided missiles, but from the angry Muslims who felt offended following the alleged incident of a boy urinating over the Quran on Wednesday, this week. According to eyewitnesses, police fired dozens of teargas canisters to disperse the unruly demonstrators. No deaths were reported. Dar es Salaam Special Police Zone Commander Commissioner Suleiman Kova spoke over the incident yesterday, saying the matter was triggered by what could be described as a childish joke played between two children, one aged 12 years and the other aged 14. Narrating the incident, Commissioner Kova said on October 10 this year (Wednesday), a Muslim child aged 12 went to an Islamic School (Madrassat) for religious instruction at Mbagala Chamazi area, after which he returned to a playing field where he used to play with other children. Upon returning to the playing field, he met a friend (name withheld on ethical grounds) with whom he engaged in playful jokes, but soon degenerated into an argument over the spiritual powers of the Quaran which the first boy still held in his hand. In the ensuing verbal exchange, the Muslim child is said to have told his colleague that something bad could befall him if he did anything to defile the Holy Quran. His friend, a Christian, responded by telling his Muslim colleague that he would urinate over the holy book to see if what he told him would really happen upon which the Muslim boy warned his friend that he would surely turn into a rat or snake if he indeed did so. It was at this stage of jokes between child and child that prompted the Christian child to urinate over Holy Quran. Immediately after, the Muslim colleague rushed home to inform his father about what had happened. The father of the Muslim child later resolved the matter amicably with the parents of the Christian child. However, as news over the incident spread around the Chamazi locality the father of the Muslim decided to report the matter to the Chamazi police post before transferring the case to Mbagala District Police Office where the Christian child was also detained for questioning as well as for his safety. Things turned awry yesterday during the morning after groups of people believed to be Muslims thronged the Mbagala District Police Office in pursuit of the Christian child. According to Kova, despite efforts by police to use diplomatic means to beg the enraged people to leave the area more groups of people arrived at the scene, asking police to hand over the child to them, a move that prompted police to use force to disperse them. The furious people went on a looting rampage, including breaking car windscreens, even as others ran into the nearby church buildings where they vandalized the buildings, including taking away church property such as music equipment. Dar es Salaam regional Commissioner Said Meck Sadick yesterday urged Dar es Slaam residents, Christians and Muslims alike, to maintain the peace and tranquillity, arguing that the act that triggered chaos involved children -- who virtually knew nothing about the repercussion of their deeds. This incident was unprecedented and to be frank there is no need for it to be a source of animosity between Christians and Muslims living in Dar es Salaam or the rest of the country, he said. The regional commissioner also warned against individuals with hidden interests to stop using the incident as a warrant to breach the peace. Though the regional commissioner did not explicitly mention any individuals who may capitalize on the incident, he was probably targeting some groups of Muslim fundamentalists who, in recent days, have been calling for the resignation of Tanzania Muslim Council Head Mufti Sheikh Issan Shabban Bin Simba. He called on religious leaders to ask their followers to maintain calm while police were handling the matter in proper legal procedures. He hailed police for the smooth handling of the matter. Dar es Salaam regional Sheikh Alhad Musa Salum also pleaded for calm, saying the matter was being handled by relevant authorities. He also said there was no reason for Christians and Muslims to sow seeds of hatred over the matter triggered by children. Sheikh Salum said it was illogical for Christianity as a religion to be condemned for an act or offense committed by a single Christian person and versa versa. The Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) expressed concern over the chaos, saying there was need to preach tolerance among Tanzanians because it is only through tolerance and respect that peace and harmony would be maintained. The centres Head of Human rights monitoring unit Leaticia Petro who was at the scene said that Article 26 of the constitution requires every citizen regardless of creed to obey and respect the laws and the constitution. She said that since the police had arrested the child, there was no need for demonstrations; rather, the matter should have been left in the hands of the police for further legal measures. Chaos reigned at the scene as police fired teargas canisters at the demonstrators who wanted to storm the police post, prompting people to run for cover -- randomly. However, commuter bus passengers to and from Mbagala via Kilwa Road were caught in the middle, prompting them to brave several hours on a big jam against an overhang of teargas. Shops and all businesses came to a complete standstill as well. Looking at the profile of the demonstrators, most of them were children, youth and women. However, according to some Muslim leaders who did not want to be mentioned, those who were inciting violence were the extremists, requesting government authorities to deal with them accordingly. Christians leaders including those whose churches were vandalised and property stolen expressed deep concern, calling the demonstration an act of hooliganism. Alikwini Mbani, Assistant Pastor for TAG Mbagala said that a group of Muslims stormed into his church -- stealing several equipment before running away amid threats that they would burn it all down. He named some of the stolen church equipment as speakers, guitars, broke vehicles, and several others. More than ten vehicles were destroyed, including two police land drovers. One of them was burnt.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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