| Religious leaders decry Mara revenge killings | Send to a friend |
| Wednesday, 10 March 2010 10:12 |
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Religious leaders in Mara, have separately condemned the ongoing spate of vendetta-motivated murders amongst their followers. Christian and Muslim leaders have vowed to join forces with the government in finding a lasting solution to end senseless bloodshed in the region. Killing of innocent people is the result of endless land conflicts and cattle rustling, Anglican Bishop of Mara diocese Elekiah Omindo, and Mara regional Sheikh Athuman Magehe, separately observed recently. Clerics in the crime marred region, said they plan to meet in the near future to devise ways to stop grisly killings of innocent followers. They have realised that both perpetrators and victims of the sporadic murders in the area were their followers as their names suggest. “All arrested suspected murderers either have Christian or Islamic names. Jesus had already directed christians to let God punish their enemies on their behalf,” said Bishop Omindo. Sheikh Magehe, wondered that although mosques preach peace, murder incidents continued to happen to the detriment of the image of Mara Region and the nation at large. The government is has resources required for religious institutions and other stakeholders to effectively take part in turning around the situation in the region, he explained. The government alone could not tame the vice, he said, stressing that it was time the local authorities met regularly with religious leaders to deliberate on strategies to end murders. Member of Parliament for Tarime constituency Mr Charles Mwera, Nyamwaga ward councillor Mr Abel Mohere, and Tarime-Rorya police special zone commander Mr Cosntatine Massawe, separately agreed with the religious leaders. The perpetrators of the horrendous killings were either Christian or Muslims followers, they observed, urging the religious leaders to effectively play their role to stop the killings amongst their followers. “Criminality is not an ethnic group, but is a network,” Mr Mwera explained, adding that the porous Tanzania border with Kenya also greatly contributed to high crime wave in the region. The councillor of the ethnic clashes torn Myamwaga ward, said although the ward was calm at the moment, hostility amongst members of Iregi and Nyabasi ethnic groups still exists. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites           |
