by Marvin Shilmer 28 Replies latest jw friends
Under Watchtower doctrine, during the 1960s and 1970s Witnesses in the African nation of Malawi suffered terrible crimes against them for refusing to purchase Malawi Congress Party cards.
How many participants here have ever viewed a Malawi Congress Party card both inside and outside?
Marvin Shilmer
I was in the JW when this happened, along with the "JW letter writing campaign". I think I saw a reproduction of one somewhere back then; probably only one side. IIRC it was about like a cardboard social security card.
Why were you asking? Do you suspect something interesting is printed on it?
I never understood why having the card was such an issue. But as I remember it, the Dubs seemed proud to tell us how horrible it all was, and how the Malawian brothers were standing firm. I was just asking about this the other day, I was very young at the time, so don't really know all the details. What did it matter if they got the card??
What did it matter if they got the card??
For some strange reason, somebody at HQ in Brooklyn (this was long before there was a Governing Body) had the notion that having this card was supporting the Malawi government, and hence was false worship by making a political statement. It was not really - it was required for all people in Malawi as a sort of state tax and as an ID.
They did not bother to think out the fact that NOT having the card was actually making MUCH MORE of a political statement than just having it.
The whole incident is of course well described in Ray Franz Crises of Conscience.
Did you get the impression that the Bros here in the US almost enjoyed the whole thing? Like it was some kind of badge of honor for all of us?
JWoods,
I have several copies of the MCP card as it was issued over the years. It sounds like you saw the image printed in a 1975 issue of Awake. That is image is of the cover of an MCP card.
To this day Watchtower has never shown Witnesses around the world the content of those cards so Witnesses could better understand what Watchtower led Witnesses in Malawi to suffer rape and murder over.
Watchtower widely publicized the suffering of Witnesses under the Banda regime, especially at the hands of the Young Pioneer members of the MCP. But to this day Watchtower has not one time publicized the content of those MCP cards. My opinion is that folks would be roundly unhappy to actually see what Watchtower had Witnesses dying over. This is particularly the case given the published reason why Malawian Witnesses felt obliged to refuse these cards and the fact that Watchtower leadership was at the same time pledging allegiance to the United States government.
I am just curious how scant is the knowledge of the content of these cards.
Marvin Shilmer
Very interesting. Think it would be worth scanning one and putting it up here, Marvin?
Maybe the 1975 magazine is what I saw, but I remember the letter writing being in the 1960s - maybe about 1966. Of course, writing all those letters did absolutely no good and probably made things worse for those in Malawi.
Yes, Beks, the JW command here in the U.S. had practically an orgy of persecution complex over this (after they caused it themselves).
Second post to ask - Marvin (or anybody) - do we have any idea how many people were actually killed in Malawi over this? I would have guessed maybe a couple dozen or so. But many many more beaten, robbed, and raped.
Seems like I remember a lot of the witnesses there seeking refuge in a neighboring country until the regime changed - is that right?
Seems like I remember a lot of the witnesses there seeking refuge in a neighboring country until the regime changed - is that right?
I was just a wee lad, but as I recall, Mozambique took in a lot of JW refugees.
On the topic of the post, no, I've never actually seen any image of the card.
I do recall hearing the horror stories at congregation meetings, and being terrified of how I would react when such persecution inevitably (per the WTS) came to the USA prior to the "imminent" Armageddon.
JWoods,
One day I do intend to show images of these cards, along with documented history of how they were distributed and used. Basically the inside is full of blanks left for an individual to either fill-in or leave blank as they decide. There was no registration involved. There were no records kept of who bought cards or who did not. Whether the cards were ever filled-out was left to each person. If someone did fill-in the blanks there was no record of it.
It is a stark dose of reality to see these extremely, extremely informal documents in comparison to very formal documents dated, signed, witnessed and duly recorded of individuals at Watchtower's top leadership pledging allegiance to the United States government. I don't think the average Witness has a clue of the depth of hypocrisy Watchtower leadership is capable of.
Marvin Shilmer
