KAYANZA January 18th (ABP) – The Secretary-General of the World Islamic League (LIM), Mohammad Bin Abdul Karim Al Issa, together with Burundian Ombudsman Edouard Nduwimana, held, at the Musumba Hill Hotel on Wednesday January 16, 2019, a meeting for Muslim leaders and executives from Kayanza, Muyinga and Ngozi Provinces, during which he urged Muslims to be characterized by charity and good coexistence instead of engaging in acts resulting in hatred, a check on the site by ABP has revealed.
In his welcoming speech, Governor’s senior adviser Vianney Ndikumana, reported that the coexistence between Muslims and followers of other religious denominations is good, adding that Kayanza Muslims are engaged in development works, which according to him is a step to be commended.
Sheikh Kajandi thanked the LIM Secretary General for the aid made of food distributed to vulnerable families. He commended that initiative of distributing food to the most vulnerable households. He thanked the institution of the Burundian Ombudsman that invited those visitors from Asian countries to Kayanza, his province of origin. He also said that the ombudsman contributes to the construction of houses and water supplies to the vulnerable.Speaking in turn, the representative of the Islamic community in Burundi (COMIBU) Cheick Sadiki Kajandi commended the initiative of the Burundian Head of State who spares no effort to ensure peace. He expressed his thanks to the King of Saudi Arabia for sending various leaders to Burundi to strengthen diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Burundi.
The COMIBU legal representative asked the LIM General Secretary to be always on the side of Burundians, adding that he needs a vehicle as the legal representative of that community. Shortly before his arrival, a member of the Muslim delegations of Kayanza, Ngozi and Muyinga provinces asked the LIM Secretary General to support the Muslim community in some projects they wish to undertake, including the construction of a hospital, the setting up of Koranic teaching rooms and taking care of those teaching the koranic lessons. He also requested scholarships for those who would like to go to learn the Qur’anic teachings and support for those who wish to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, complaints that will be analyzed by the World Islamic League according to the LIM Secretary General.
In his speech, Burundian Ombudsman Edouard Nduwimana said that it is a great pleasure for the country in general and Kayanza province in particular to welcome the LIM Secretary General, Mr. Mohammad Bin Abdul Karim Al Issa. He expressed his thanks to the LIM SG for coming to Burundi to support the country’s development.
He later stated that the reason for holding that meeting in Kayanza was that Muslims in that province were in internal leadership conflicts, which resulted in bringing their complaints to the institution of the Burundian ombudsman a few months ago. He urged them to take seriously all the pieces of advice based on good coexistence and social cohesion as provided by the LIM Secretary General.
For the Burundian ombudsman, sustainable development is possible only if there is serenity; hence he called on all those who took part in the meeting to keep peace, security and good coexistence between different religious denominations.
LIM General Secretary Mohammad Bin Abdul Karim Al Issa expressed his deep gratitude to the ombudsman. He said that it is a visit that is done in a good understanding and in consultation, stressing that the Burundian people in its diversity both religious and social is characterized by good coexistence, which for him, is a concern of the world Islamic League that he represents.
Mr. Issa further stated that Islam does not support misunderstanding in any country. In this Islamic community, he continued, good coexistence must necessarily originate from dialogue between neighbors. “When people have both ideological and religious differences, it is the dialogue that unites them,” he concluded.
In addition, the LIM General Secretary indicated that the quarrels open the door to the satanic spirits thus generating the disorder. For him, God always supports humans of good character; hence he invites every Muslim to behave well to show charity. He also called on the participants in the meeting to ensure peacebuilding and security because, in his view, their disruption does not benefit anyone. He ended his speech by asking all Burundians to work together by putting forward the love of neighbor as recommended by Prophet Muhammad. At the end of the meeting, the LIM Secretary General, along with the Burundian ombudsman and other Muslim executives, went to the Gatwaro stadium in downtown Kayanza to distribute aid to 500 families deemed more vulnerable than others of the different religious denominations of Kayanza. Each of the beneficiary families received a package of three kilograms of sugar, 10 kilos of rice, five kilograms of beans, 10 kilograms of cassava flour and three liters of cottonseed oil. Another distribution was made in Ngozi province and 500 poor households received the same quantity and products as in Kayanza.