“There are Muslim extremists who want to eliminate Christians from society because they think that the only religion in Tanzania should be Islam.” This is according to H.E. Msgr. Tarcisius Ngalalekumwta, Bishop of Iringa and President of the Episcopal Conference of Tanzania, who was in Rome recently for his Ad limina Apostolorum Visit. The Bishops there have spoken against anti Christian violence and intimidation many times. "The situation on the island is calm at the moment, because everyone's attention is focused on constitutional reforms…", said His Exc. Mgr. Augustine Shao, Bishop of Zanzibar. As to if the debate on constitutional reforms may be related to the tensions on the island, Mgr. Shao said, "It is difficult to know because the assaults against Christians derive from a mix of political, religious reasons, and more simply criminals. As Christians and Muslims, we have lived together peacefully for hundreds of years, so much so that mixed marriages are not uncommon…This wave of attacks therefore must have recent motivations, which may be economic, political and even religious, arising from the spread of extremist preaching from abroad. So I think that these three aspects contribute to cause the waves of anti-Christian violence that occasionally occur in Zanzibar".

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