The Muslim community has demanded an apology and a retraction of public remarks made by Bishop Montfort Stima of the Roman Catholic Church at the Independence Celebrations on Wednesday.
The Islamic Commission for Justice and Peace is accusing Bishop Stima of putting Muslim clerics in bad light when he said that Sheikhs were working towards bringing down the government.
Bishop Stima has not been available to comment on the backlash of his remarks but some quarters have argued that he was quoted out of context.
However, chief commissioner for the commission, Shaibu Abdul Rahaman Ajassie has told MIJ Online that the Muslim community needed an apology from Bishop Stima failing which he faces a vigil at his office in Mangochi.
“We feel it was wrong for the Bishop to put Sheikhs in the light he did because we [Muslims] don’t work for politicians neither those in government nor those in opposition as he made the gathering to believe.
“We are therefore giving him five days to bring out evidence of what he said or else let him apologize to Sheikhs in the country and the entire Muslim community,” he said.
On the other hand, Annie Maluwa, secretary general for the commission has said the “remarks were deliberate and targeted to dent the image of Muslim clerics as being partisan … hence the apology, which we are demanding”.
