Zambia - President Wants to Ban JWs

OrphanCrow

Zambia has one of the highest concentrations of JWs in the world. Their influence has impacted the political climate in that country to such an extent that the president attributes low voter turnout to the JWs.

http://www.lusakatimes.com/2015/06/04/deregister-jehovah-witnesses-for-promoting-voter-apathy-cosmo-mumba/

"National Revolution Party leader Cosmo Mumba has appealed to the Register of Societies to force Jehovah Witnesses to start singing the national anthem and participate in national elections or be banned.
Dr Mumba told Prime TV in Lusaka that Jehovah Witnesses are the ones responsible for the prevailing low voter turnout in recent elections.He said theRegistrar of Societies should immediately force Jehovah Witnesses to start voting or ban them from practising in Zambia.
Dr Mumba said singing of the national anthem is a sign of patriotism and wondered why Jehovah Witnesses have been allowed to disregard symbols of national pride and patriotism like the singing of the national anthem.
He claimed that Zambia’s democracy may not grow if institutions such as the Jehovah Witnesses are allowed to continue operating in Zambia."

millie210

Could this be another Malawi situation if its mishandled by the Org.?

DesirousOfChange

Of course, JW HQ will say voting is a matter of conscience (but we know that's a lie).

Politicians should realize that when you have to pass laws to force citizens to vote or sing the National Anthem or salute the flag, then there might be something wrong with your Government. A citizen should want to show pride in their country. I think many JWs would do so, if they were not told it was a "sin" to do so.

Personally, I decided that my conscience would allow me to stand for the National Anthem years before I started my fade. I see it meaning nothing but a matter of respect.

Doc

OrphanCrow

Doc: Politicians should realize that when you have to pass laws to force citizens to vote or sing the National Anthem or salute the flag, then there might be something wrong with your Government.

That may be true for most countries, but I think that the situation is somewhat different in Zambia. For one thing, the JWs have a strong presence in that country - one of the highest concentrations of JWs in the world. And the history of the Watchtower movement in Africa is such that the lines between the WT being a 'religious movement' or a 'political movement' were sometimes blurred.

The WT has had a significant impact on African political history. They have shaped the political history is some areas, and some countries don't forget that - a religion that claims to be politically neutral yet still impacts the political landscape stands to lose popularity.

smiddy

I think millie210 is on the ball here with the possibility of this becoming another Malawi tragedy .

And sad to say , I think the G.B. would relish it .I don`t think they would do anything to defuse the situation.

Why not ? Because if Zambia does over react and takes some action against the witnesses , they will use the persecution/Armageddon so close at hand card to stir up the slacko`s in their midst to greater activity.

We have seen it all before , minority groups that stand out different from the rest of society are the first to be targeted when problems arise , history may well be about to be repeated here.

smiddy

zeb

..and should this become a serious matter with street persecution then the wts will say the jw there made there own decisions as individuals as the wts has done over the jw in Malawi.

For the sake of the well meaning jw there I hope the situation does not come to that.

Earnest

This statement comes from a man who got less than 1% (0.87) of the vote in the presidential election in January 2015, who is a televangelist Pastor when he is not playing politics, and who, on losing the presidential election "sold the part of [his political party] he is holding to president Edgar Lungu" in exchange for an appointment as ambassador to some country in South America.

Jehovah's Witnesses are too well known in Zambia for anyone to pay attention to this ploy.

Vidiot

OrphanCrow - "...a religion that claims to be politically neutral yet still impacts the political landscape..."

I'd never realized that before, but that's very perceptive.

OrphanCrow

vidiot: OrphanCrow - "...a religion that claims to be politically neutral yet still impacts the political landscape..."
I'd never realized that before, but that's very perceptive.

In Africa, the history of the WT is quite different that what you find in other parts of the world. There has been much written in outside literature about the Watchtower movement in Africa and how it impacted their political history. If you do a google search for "Watchtower Movement in Africa", you will find an abundance of material on this subject.

Up until 1940 (?) the WT in Africa operated somewhat removed from the headquarters in New York. The NY WTS had no authority over the African Watchtower movement prior to the 30s or so.There were many struggles in Africa to try to bring the Watchtower movement under control and the governments of several African countries worked extensively with the WT so that the NY headquarters could contain those unruly agitators that were disrupting local politics on significant levels.

What happened in Malawi in the 70s, the neighbor to Zambia, was greatly influenced by the WTS' promise to be 'politically neutral' and to show that they were not a political movement but rather, a religion.

Analyzing what is happening in Africa with the JWs with a North American or European perspective about the WTS ignores the history of that country and how the JWs evolved in significantly different ways than they did in other parts of the world.

Zoos

millie210 Could this be another Malawi situation WHEN its mishandled by the Org.?
fixed

Zambia - President Wants to Ban JWs

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