“The process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice,” Rosa Cruz e Silva, the Angolan Minister of Culture, was quoted by Agence Ecofin on Friday, November 22. Silva comments were given during her visit last Tuesday to the 6th Commission of the National Assembly.
According to the minister, the action was essential to fight against the emergence of worshippers whose worshipping opposes the customs of the Angolan culture. Same as Islam, other faiths which were not legalized will face closure of their houses of worship.
The anti-Islam comments were not the first by Angolan officials. “This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country,” President José Eduardo dos Santos was quoted by Osun Defender newspaper on Sunday, November 24.
Last October, Muslims from the urban municipality of Viana, Luanda, attended the destruction of the minaret of their mosque Zengo.
According to CIA Factbook, 47% of Angolans practice indigenous beliefs, 38% Roman Catholic and 15% Protestant.
Islam’s opinion about freedom of religion is obvious from the Quran, here are the meanings:
God says: *{The truth is from your Lord, let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject [it]}* (An-Nisaa 4:29)
Again, God says: *{Let there be no compulsion in religion, truth stands out clear from error…}* (Al-Baqarah 2:256)
Source: On Islam
MNA
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