Dada yangu Bi Zubeda.
Umeniuliza maswali mengi na yote Alhamdulilah nayajua.
Ili tusichanganye mambo hebu Insha Allah tuanze na Sheikh Kassim
na nitakupa kwa uchache ( excerpts) kutoka kwenye mada niliyowasilisha
Chuo Kikuu Cha Kenyatta, Nairobu 2006 ''Al Maruhum Sheikh
Kassim bin Juma (1940 - 1994).''
At this juncture Sheikh Kassims
khutbas were melancholy and sad at times mentioning the names of Muslim patriots who had supported Nyerere during the struggle for independence but their roles have not been requited.
He also mentioned Muslims who have betrayed fellow Muslims selling themselves to the government. In one of his memorable and most popular
Jumaa khutba which his supporters have labelled as
Leo Nitataja Majina (
Today I Will Mention Names) Sheikh Kassim bin Juma talked about the patriotism of the late Abdulwahid Sykes and his support to Nyerere and TANU.
He told his audience how upon the death of Abdulwahid he was asked by the family to prepare his body for burial which he did together with Maalim Matar.
Maalim Matar was a victim of the Detention Act detained.
Maalim Matar was in no way involved in politics.
He was known in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar for his piety and love of the Prophet SAW and for teaching Quran. In any
Maulid he attended Maalim Matar would be given the honour recite the
fatha signalling the beginning of Maulid.
Maalim Matar was a
sufi and a very likeable character. He always carried a
tasbih for
dhikr.
He never indulged himself in politics but was nevertheless detained by Nyerere seemingly for no apparent reason.
The mention of Maalim Matar was therefore not without meaning.
Sheikh Kassim was in the game for too long not to have known that his
khutbas were being monitored and Nyerere was listening in. Sheikh Kassim wanted purposely to embarrass Nyerere.
Nyerere after being in full control of the country he severed his tie with Abdulwahid Sykes and other patriots who founded TANU.
Nyerere did not want to recognise nor honour the contribution of Sykes in the founding of TANU although the party can be traced from his father who was the founding secretary of the African Association the predecessor of TANU.
Sheikh Kassim was in other words defying Nyerere. Sheikh Kassim knew Nyereres psychology. The mention of Abdulwahid associating his name with Nyereres rise to power was like a sword piercing through Nyereres heart.
Nyerere never mentioned the patriots who were in politics before him because he wanted the people to adore him and him alone as the founding father.
It was clear that Sheikh Kassim was exposing him to Muslims as a swindler and an ungrateful guest who after enjoying the hospitality of his host spit on his face.
In the last days of his life Sheikh Kassim was a person tormented and in deep anguish. His mind was reflecting of where he had come from and needed to undo certain memories.
Sheikh Kassim knew he had dented the government and Nyerere's reputation and confidence before the eyes of Muslims. Sheikh Kassim bin Juma had built a very strong case against Nyerere, Church and government.
After his arrests Sheikh Kassim was detained at a military camp in Monduli, a few miles from Arusha town and was later flown back to Dar es Salaam under heavy escort.
Sheikh Kassim was to reveal to his close confidants that his captors were under instructions to torture him.
At the military camp in Monduli he was to witness many horrifying scenes.
While in remand he was put under solitary confinement and denied medical attention.
When he was brought back to Dar es Salaam from Monduli Sheikh Kassim was received by the Field Force Unit like a dangerous criminal and escorted to his house in Upanga where his house was searched.
While the police were conducting the search and going through his library they took that opportunity to ridicule him by uttering degrading words.
The police found nothing but took away his
Jumaa Khutbas which they claimed were subversive.
[1] Sheikh Kassim was brought before the court and charged for 'inciting religious animosity between Muslims and Christians.
[2]
[1] Bahari, 11 Februari, 1993.
[2] Criminal Case No. 994 of 1993 Republic v/s 1. Sheikh Kassim bin Jumaa bin Khamis 2. Khalifa Khamisi 3. Alhaj Abubakar Mwaipopo.