A Catholic Christian Masanja Hamis, 27 yrs of Kahama Parish, Kahama Disrict, Shinyanga region in Tanzania, on 31st Oct, 2011, was imprisoned for 4 monthsbeing accused of slaughtering animals for commercial purpose.
Masanja Hamis was an employee at one of the restaurant at Kahama.
The judgement was entered before Hon. Hassan; the Magistrate of the District Court at Kahama. The case no is CC.430/2011.
The judgement opted the accused to either pay a fine of tsh.700,000/= (U$ 409), or a 4 months imprisonment.
The accused failed to pay the fine, therefore he was sent to the prison at Kahama District Prison.
There is a handful cases similar to this one, face Christians in Tanzania, despite the fact that neither Constitutional nor any by-laws, have set a provision which forbids Non-Muslims to slaughter animals for both domestic and commercial purposes.
Although not all cases were brought before the Court of Law, but as long as animals slaughtering concerns, Non-Muslims, especially Christians, become the victim of the circumstance.
Animals slaughtering crisis has, in recent days, reached its climax as Muslims in Tanzania are struggling to monopolize it,claiming that such exercise preserve their religious rituals, thus would like all meat, must pass through their knives to make it legal (halal)regardless the diversity of beliefs exist in Tanzania.
In the contrary, the standing point of the United Republic of Tanzania regarding animal slaughtering, was clearly, made by the then Minister for Livestock, Hon.Anthony Diallo (MP) as recorded in the HANSARD (the daily official report book of the Parliament)of 6th Nov,2006.
Honorable Diallo said that the Secular Government of Tanzania, by any means,should not involve in the religious style of slaughtering animal at both private and public Abattoirs,instead shall be involved in examining whether the slaughtered animal is suitable for human consumption..
Muslims in Tanzania ,indirectly,oppose this principle,as they claim that nothing is above Islam, by so doing they can do anything in their disposal and can use any body, to make sure that a Non-Muslim who slaughter an animal must at any cost suffer the consequence.
The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in one way or another is always silence to take immediate action against the victims, perhaps because ofISLAM PHOBIA
Vivid example of the same crisis can be found at Kagunga and Mnanila in Kigoma region, Kakola in Shinyanga region, and Kagera just to mention a few.
May I invite all people with good will to pray for Masanja and those who are being persecuted because of their faith, but more let's join hands together to make sure Masanja is released by consulting a lawyer who can file the appeal, otherwise this judgement will become the thorn to other Christians, since it has been recorded in the Court of Law
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