Minister heckled as slain priest is buried

Zanzibar. The slain Catholic priest, Fr Evarist Mushi, was laid to rest here yesterday with religious leaders dismissing a statement by the government that the priest’s death was the will of God. Speaking on behalf of the Zanzibar government shortly after the priest was buried at Kitope on the outskirts of the municipality, Minister of State in the Second Vice-President’s Office, Mr Mohammed Aboud, said: “What happened was God’s will which we cannot question.”

At this point, mourners in their hundreds booed, an indication that they disagreed with the minister’s sentiments. A requiem mass for Fr Mushi, who was gunned down on Sunday morning as he drove to church, was led by the Archbishop of Dar es Salaam Polycarp Cardinal Pengo at St Joseph’s Church in Minara Miwili.

A few minutes before the mass, Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein signed a book of condolence for the 55-year-old cleric.

Following the minister’s statement, religious leaders had to calm down the multitude of mourners who shouted: “Is it God’s will that assigned the killer to gun down the priest?”

Bishop Augustino Mushi of the Catholic Diocese of Zanzibar who was seated beside President Shein stood up, grabbed the microphone and said:
“Let me say this: the statement that the death of the priest is God’s will can’t be true. It was an outright murder and we cannot entertain such criminality.”

The burial of Fr Mushi was attended by a number of religious, government and political leaders, including President Shein, Zanzibar First Vice-President Seif Sharif Hamad, minister for Home Affairs Emmanuel Nchimbi and Mr Aboud.
Others were Chadema secretary general Willibrod Slaa and the NCCR-Mageuzi chairman Mr James Mbatia.

Dr Slaa asked the government to take serious measures to forestall sectarian violence. He said the pledge by President Kikwete that the killers would be hunted down and arrested were not enough to solve religious violence.
On Tuesday, the European Union (EU) Delegation in Tanzania urged the authorities to undertake full investigation into the killing of Fr Mushi. The EU also urged investigations into past attacks on Muslim and Christian clerics to be continued until those responsible are brought to book.

The EU Delegation also asked the governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar and other stakeholders to support open dialogue between the Muslim and Christian communities — and take measures to prevent recurrence of religious animosities.

On Monday, the US offered to support Tanzania in pursuing and bringing to justice those who killed the Catholic priest. The US offer came only a day after the minister for Home Affairs, Dr Nchimbi, toured the scene of the crime and declared it a “terrorist attack”.

Meanwhile, two Cabinet ministers warned yesterday that the recent killing of priests and religious tensions could mess up the robust tourism industry, one of the pillars of the country’s economy.
They also said Tanzanians can’t keep quiet over the killings and have the right to push for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the crime.

“Nobody will come to Tanzania when we senselessly kill one another,” warned the minister for Lands, Housing and Human Settlements Development, Prof Anna Tibaijuka when she officiated at the opening of the Sh16 billion Palace Hotel.

She admitted she could not understand the motive behind the killing of the two priests: one in Geita and another in Zanzibar, noting that Tanzanians have since the independence refused to be divided along religious and tribal lines.
The minister added that the situation was worrisome as the country has in recent years witnessed increase of killings targeting the albinos and old women.

“It is saddening at this era of the digital, Tanzanians are still killing old women on witchcraft suspicions,” she said.
Reported by Elias Msuya in Zanzibar and Zephania Ubwani in ArushaReported by Elias Msuya in Zanzibar and Zephania Ubwani in Arusha

source:the guardian