We, the undersigned, being cognisant of our fundamental rights to freedom of worship, assembly and expression as guaranteed by the Constitution of Malawi to the people of Malawi, do hereby express our unbridled outrage at the unwarranted and derogatory demolition of the compound fence and praying shelter at our Masjid, situated at the corner of Mahatma Gandhi Rd and Mandala Rd, Blantyre, by Blantyre City Assembly (BCA) Officials on Sunday 9th December 2007.
Our umbrage emanates from the following reasons:
Ø Our fence was constructed out of wire mesh, with grass thatch inserted to ensure privacy during prayer sessions. It thus did not qualify for demolition as an 'unplanned' or 'temporary' structure as stipulated in a circular issued by the BCA.
Ø Further to the above, we have had no response to an application, lodged over a month before, to construct a brick wall, which would enhance our security and ensure better privacy during times of prayer. We were under the impression that our application was in process and there would not be any untoward incident until the approval was issued. We therefore, were not unduly alarmed by the receipt of the above-mentioned circular .
Ø It was disconcerting to note that, though the properties adjoining and opposite our premises also boast similar 'temporary' structures such as thatched fences and rondavels, they remained unscathed whilst our humble house of prayer was being desecrated with callous disdain. It therefore appears to us, as if there has been a 'selective' and discriminatory application of the law , much to our detrimental chagrin.
This place of worship provides an extremely convenient venue for people from all walks of life, who wish to spend a few precious moments in communion with the Almighty and cannot otherwise do so, due to the distance from their places of work in Ginnery Corner to the Mosque in Blantyre or Kanjedza. In addition, its proximity to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) also provides Doctors, Nurses, Technicians,Patients and their caretakers with a convenient place of solace and prayer. The usefulness of this location is further illustrated by the fact that many patients/caretakers come to the Masjid to draw water at times when there is none to be had at QECH.
We therefore appeal to the City Authorities to provide valid explanations for this seemingly arbitrary and discriminative action and issue the necessary permissions for the construction of replacement structure without further ado or delay, failing which, we will have no choice but to take any corrective legitimate action deemed necessary for the immediate restoration of our place of prayer.
We pray that the situation will not deteriorate into a nasty, counter-productive confrontation and that sanity will, in the final analysis, prevail.
We hereby submit this desperate appeal with a fervent prayer to God to guide our City Assembly Authorities and fellow worshippers in this , our darkest hour.
