On Aug 17 fighting broke out in the small town of Nguruka in the diocese of Western Tanganyika near Lake Victoria after Muslim evangelists accused an Anglican evangelist of blaspheming Islam.

According to press accounts, the fighting erupted after Muslims took offence to the preaching of an Anglican evangelist. The Citizen newspaper in Dar es Salaam denounced the violence saying it deserved the “condemnation of all people who aspire for religious harmony in Tanzania.”

“If the Muslims were offended by the preaching of the Anglican evangelist, as the reports say, the proper procedure was to report their grievances to the police, who, in our view, would have dealt with the issue in accordance with the law,” The Citizen argued, adding that freedom of religion should not be construed to mean carte blanche to attack other faiths.

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Filed under: * International News & Commentary • Africa • * Religion News & Commentary • Inter-Faith Relations • Other Faiths • Islam • Muslim-Christian relations

1. DonGander wrote: “....the fighting erupted after Muslims took offence….. “ That is the sum of it. Some people are always offended. Actually, I am consistantly offended - but fighting seldom erupts. Don August 31, 2:56 pm | [comment link]

2. Branford wrote: I hope this doesn’t escalate in Tanzania. They have actually had good relations between Muslims and Christians there. Any problems, according to Archbishop Valentine, usually occur when outsiders come in, either radical Muslims sponsored by other Arab states or Christians from outside Tanzania who emphasize differences. August 31, 3:48 pm | [comment link]

3. physician without health wrote: Conger should find a better term than “Muslim evangelist.”  In any event, we should keep this in our prayers. August 31, 7:24 pm | [comment link]

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