Ecumenism in a Multi-Religious Context - Africa

Ecumenical Review, The, July, 2001 by Method Kilaini

   Christians have no rights, religious pluralism does not exist,
   intermarriage is prohibited unless a Muslim man marries a Christian woman.
   No government patronage is given to Christians, and there is no public
   proclamation of the gospel; we witness to our faith but leave the job of
   conversion to the Holy Spirit.

The bishop continues to lament:

   In southern Nigeria where Christians number 80 percent of the population
   there is serious enmity and hatred between Christians and Muslims, though
   Muslims are afforded civil rights denied Christians in the north.(2)

Nigeria is an example of a situation where religious dialogue between Christians and Muslims is very difficult, especially in the Muslim north. Will the Muslims adhere to the following appeal of President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria at the meeting of UNESCO in September 2000?

   In looking at the disturbances my country experienced earlier this year, I
   noted in a speech to the Nigerian nation that Islam and Christianity are
   based on peace. Both religions make love cardinal in their creeds. An
   adherent of either religion would thus be failing in his or her faith if he
   or she were to resort to violence, or destruction of life and property. It
   is irrational, to say the least, to assert our faith in a manner that
   engenders conflict and violence. Instead, we must enthrone tolerance,
   constitutionality, decency and good-neighbourliness. Extremism in religion,
   nationalism or in any other belief is self-destructive, in addition to
   possibly destroying its victim.(3)

Unfortunately no quick solution is in sight. Facing this situation we find a divided Christianity. In Nigeria there are more than 800 churches and sects, including about 700 independent churches of which more than 650 have less than 1000 members each. It must, however, be noted that some of the ecumenical efforts in the country are devoted to finding a way to live in peace with Islam. The Christian Association of Nigeria has been working for peace with Islam since 1986.(4) There is also the Nigeria Association of Christian-Muslim Mutual Relations.

In the case of Tanzania (with the exception of the small Island of Zanzibar, which is 98 percent Muslim) the 34 percent Muslims and the 48 percent Christians are fairly mixed and have to live together. On the Tanzanian coast, and along the trade routes, Islam was well entrenched before the coming of Christian missionaries. The Christians caught up, especially under the British rule, by concentrating on education. Thus education and health services have remained the common uniting factor among Christians. In the 1990s the Catholic church and the mainstream Protestant churches united their efforts in strengthening their medical and education service delivery. They formed the Christian Social Services Commission, an organ which unites them when dealing with the state and seeking help from donors.

What is interesting is that they are using the same instrument to win over the Muslims. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, some Muslim fundamentalist youth trained in Muslim radical nations started preaching against Christianity, smashing shops selling pork and endangering the peace. This brought moderate Christians closer to moderate Muslims, who are the majority. As the moderate Muslims did not receive financial help from other Muslim countries, Christians contributed to help them strengthen their organization and together they started common programmes. The two bodies under the Tanzania Muslim Council, together with the Protestant Christian Council of Tanzania and the Catholic Tanzania Episcopal Conference, formed a joint committee for planning and action. They took a common stand on political and social issues. Since 1997 they have worked to bring consensus on the Zanzibar conflict, meeting the president and other government and party leaders several times on the issue. In April 2001, in the post-election political fight between the ruling party and the opposition, they called a conference of all the political leaders of the ruling and opposition parties to talk about unity, peace and forgiveness within the framework of democratic competition. This aimed at blocking moves to divide people politically on religious lines. This was after a demonstration by the main Zanzibar opposition party which had led to death of more than twenty people, many shot by the police. The conference was attended by the top leaders representing all the thirteen political parties -- parties which otherwise do not meet. It was gratifying that the Zanzibar Muslim leadership joined these efforts. An organization called TUWAMUTA is being formed to find ways for Christians share their educational resources with Muslim institutions.