Muslim businesses unfairly targeted during unrest
µµ Muslim leaders continued to report negative and/or suspicious views of Islam in society. They stated that they believed their businesses were targeted unfairly during the civil unrest, but sources stated it was unclear if this was due to religious or racial/ ethnic bias.”
MBABANE – Muslim leaders and business owners in the country have complained about the unfair targeting of their businesses during last year¶s civil unrest.
Their complaint was captured in a report released by the Office of International Religious )reedom under the US State Department.
It is stated in the 2021 Report on International Religious )reedom that it wasn¶t clear if the unfair targeting of the businesses for Muslims was due to religious or racial/ethnic bias.
It has been learnt that the report was published and distributed to the world by the US State Department in 2022.
According to the report, other observers attributed the motivation for attacNs on Muslim-owned shops during the protests to racism and a widely held perception that the Asian community had close ties to the King.
“%ecause religion and ethnicity are often closely linNed, with Muslims in the country being primarily of South Asian descent, it was difficult to categorise such incidents as being solely based on religious identity,´ reads the report.
It is said in the report: “Muslim leaders continued to report negative and/or suspicious views of Islam in society.
“Muslim leaders and business owners stated that they believed their businesses were targeted unfairly during the civil unrest in June and July, but sources stated it was unclear if this was due to religious or racial/ ethnic bias.´
Due to complications from COVID-19 restrictions and the ongoing civil unrest, the report states that the %aha¶i community did not hold the planned interfaith devotional fellowship dialogues during the year.
It is understood that they and Muslim faith groups sometimes collaborated on community service or development initiatives.
The Muslims are said to have told the team representing the US *overnment that formal interfaith dialogues did not taNe place because of travel and public gathering restrictions from COVID-19 and ongoing civil unrest.
FREEDOM AND TOLERANCE
It is said that the US Embassy officials engaged with government officials on religious freedom and tolerance issues.
The report further states that the US Ambassador to Eswatini and embassy officials also engaged with civil society, the academic community and religious leaders of different faiths on religious issues.
They also engaged with them on the King¶s directive to display µHallelujah¶ signs, the importance of involving religious leaders in political discussions and in COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, and the importance of developing and maintaining interfaith dialogue in the country.
The current US Ambassador to Eswatini is Jeanne M. Maloney.
The US *overnment estimates the total population at 1.1 million (midyear 2021).
In a statement sent to the Times SUNDAY, the Swaziland Islamic Centre in Ezulwini said the year 2021 was really an unfortunate and trying time for the country as a whole.
The centre said many businesses were affected across the board, both Muslim and non-Muslim.
It stated that the Muslim businesses were unfairly targeted in the same way non-Muslim ones were also chosen for attention.
The Swaziland Islamic Centre said it was important that all the people of Eswatini should stand together and looN out for each other and not further any attempts to polarise the otherwise peaceful and respectful coexistence that prevailed between the diverse religious and cultural groupings.
It stated that there were several cases of Muslim businesses which were specifically protected by the communities within which they operated.
The centre mentioned that the communities did so simply because of their ethics and treatment of the people who they served. It believed that these were the incidents which should be highlighted, studied and emulated because it brought people together.
“After all, we are either brothers in faith or eTuals in humanity,´ the Swaziland Islamic Centre stated.
Meanwhile, according to the 2021 Report on International Religious )reedom, religious leaders estimate that 90 per cent of the population is Christian approximately two per cent is Muslim (of whom many are not ethnic emaSwati, the dominant ethnic group in the country).
BELIEFS
The remainder belongs to other religious groups, including those with indigenous African beliefs.
According to anecdotal reports, approximately 40 per cent of the population practices =ionism, a blend of Christianity and indigenous ancestral worship (some adherents of which self-identify as evangelical Christians).
=ionism is widely practised in rural areas, according to the report. Another 20 per cent is Roman Catholic.
Other religious groups represented include Anglicans, Methodists, The Church of Jesus Christ of /atter-day Saints, Seventh-day Adventists, Jehovah¶s :itnesses and Jewish and %aha¶i communities.
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Swaziland (Eswatini) prohibits religious discrimination and provides for freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the right to worship, alone or in community with others and to change religion or belief.
These rights may be limited by laws that are µreasonably reTuired¶in the interest of defence, public safety, order, morality, health or protecting the rights of others. The Constitution provides religious groups the right to establish and operate private schools and to provide religious instruction for their students without interference from the government.
Although the law reTuires new religious groups to register, members of unregistered groups said they were generally able to operate freely, although one group complained of having a disadvantaged taxation status.
The policy of excluding the teaching of other religions other than Christianity in public schools remained in effect. The Muslim community said this reTuirement increased misperceptions of their faith.
All of the above information was sourced from the report.
Observers are said to have told the US *overnment representatives that the civil unrest, along with COVID-19 restrictions, preoccupied the government and pre-empted reconsideration of the Christian education reTuirement.
Non-Christian groups said the government continued to provide favourable treatment to Christian beliefs and organisations, such as free access to radio and television time.
In September, the King said he had received a message from *od and ordered the public to display signs proclaiming µHallelujah¶ throughout the country for a period of one month.
REGISTRATION
The law reTuires religious groups to register with the government. The Ministry of Home Affairs is the government agency responsible for monitoring religious affairs in the country.
To register as a religious group, Christian groups must apply through one of the country¶s three umbrella religious bodies ± the /eague of Churches, Swaziland Conference of Churches, or Council of Swaziland Churches ± for a recommendation, which is routinely granted and does not impede registration, according to church leaders.
The application process reTuires a group to provide its Constitution, membership and physical location, along with the relevant umbrella body¶s recommendation, to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, which then registers the organisation.
)or indigenous religious groups and non-Christian religious organisations, authorities consider proof of a religious leader, a congregation and a place of worship as sufficient grounds to grant registration.
Registered religious groups are exempt from taxation, but contributions are not tax deductible.
It is mentioned in the report that Christian religious instruction is mandatory in public primary schools as per a 2017 directive from the late former 3rime Minister, Sibusiso %arnabas Dlamini, and is incorporated into the daily morning assembly.
Christian education is also compulsory in public secondary schools. There are no opt-out procedures. It is said that religious education is neither prohibited nor mandated in private schools.
Eswatini is said to be a party to the International Covenant on Civil and 3olitical Rights.
Representatives of various religious groups, including some Christians, said that the government policy declaring Christianity the only religion permitted to be taught in public schools and maNing Christian education compulsory was harmful to society because it fostered ignorance of other religions. This is according to the report.
These groups included the Muslim community, Seventh-day Adventists, the Catholic Church and representatives from the Jewish Community. In particular, the Muslim community said the directive increased misperceptions of their faith because children learned about Islam from often erroneous information on social media instead of from materials taught in school.
PREOCCUPIED
Efforts launched in 2020 to consider revising the Christian education reTuirement did not advance during the year since sources stated that the country was preoccupied by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also preoccupied by the widespread civil unrest that began in June 2021 after the government limited some political freedoms, precipitating widespread protests, violence, looting, arson and large-scale destruction of property.
Security forces are said to have used deadly force to restore order, resulting in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries. Reports stated that security forces used excessive force when responding to the unrest, the US *overnment states.
According to religious leaders and civil society organisations, school administrations continued to permit only Christian religious youth clubs to operate in public schools.
Seventh-day Adventists complained that many official functions, such as elections and school testing, tooN place on Saturdays and that they were often unable to receive religious exceptions.
They also chose not to register under one of the three main religious umbrella bodies as reTuired by law, and instead registered as a private entity.
Seventh-day Adventists stated that as a result, they were unable to have tax-exempt status liNe other registered religious groups.
Non-Christian groups reported the government continued to provide some preferential benefits to Christians, such as free time on State television and radio.
*overnment-owned television and radio stations broadcast daily morning and evening Christian programming.
The government continued to provide each of the three Christian umbrella religious bodies and their affiliates with free airtime to broadcast daily religious services on the Staterun radio stations.
/ocal newspapers provided free space in their announcement sections to Christian groups but not to non-Christian groups.
MONARCHY, CHRISTIANITY ALIGN
The monarchy, and by extension the government, continued to align itself with Christian faith-based groups and supported Christian activities such as commemorating Christian holidays.
Official government programmes often opened with a Christian prayer. It is said that several government ministers held Christian prayer vigils that civil servants were expected to attend.
In August, following the widespread civil unrest in late June and early July 2021, the King ordered the country to pray and fast for three days.
In September, at a government function, the King said he had received a message from *od and issued a directive that government and municipality offices, private homes and businesses throughout the country display signs proclaiming µHallelujah¶ for a period of one month.
According to the report, authorities did not enforce the directive. It must be said that municipalities, royal Nraals and other establishments heeded the King¶s advice.
In some entities, the Hallelujah banners were destroyed by unNnown people.