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September 29, 2006

Tanzania: Zanzibar Islamists Seek To End Tourism

Zanzibar, a grouping of two islands (Zanzibar island and Pemba island) in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa, is part of Tanzania though it is regarded as semi-autonomous. It has a population of nearly 1 million people, the majority of whom are Muslim. It relies upon tourism for its economy, but a report from Associated Press via International Herald Tribune and Independent Online states the group Hizb ut-Tahrir has become active on the island, and it has been trying to turn the population against tourists.

Abbas Hussein, a leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir, said: "Tourism is the source of moral and religious decay in Zanzibar. Visitors are just coming here to pollute the culture and religion of Zanzibar."

Hizb ut-Tahrir was formed in 1953 by an Islamic jurist in Jerusalem. It seeks to establish an Islamic Caliphate. Although it claims to be against violence, this is a lie. It supports suicide bombings in Israel, and in Russia, where it has been illegal since February 2003, some of its followers have been found with weaponry. In Kyrgyzstan the group has turned to violence, linking with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in more than 20 countries, and is banned in most countries of the Middle East as it is seen as a threat to political stability.

In recent months, Hizb ut-Tahrir has been engaging in a massive recruitment drive on Zanzibar, and already has an estimated 3,000 members.

Fadhil Soraga, a spokesman for Zanzibar's official Muslim leader, said; "Hizb ut-Tahrir preaches inflammatory views against Islam, other religions, and societies. Their ideology is different from us. It spread radical views in the name of Islam. It's wrong."

Currently the Tanzanian government security unit is keeping a close watch on Hizb ut-Tahrir's activities. An official within the unit said: "They pose a threat to national unity, peace and stability if they start putting out inflammatory statements. The government will keep eyes on them."

Last year, 500,000 tourists came to Zanzibar. A popular destination is Stone Town in Zanzibar island, which is listed as a World Heritage site.

There had been plans to celebrate Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen on Zanzibar, as he had been born there sixty years ago, as "Faroukh Bulsara". The 60th birthday party, which would have happened this month was cancelled after protests from the The Association for Islamic Mobilisation and Propagation (UAMSHO). The group objected to the celebration of Mercury, on account of his open homosexuality. Abdallah Said Ali, the leader of UAMSHO, said: "We have a religious obligation to protect morals in society and anyone who corrupts Islamic morals should be stopped".

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at September 29, 2006 10:07 PM

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