"The MSHRJ will join hands now with other Islamic organizations working for the common good of humanity," said Matiya.

By Charles Mkoka, IOL Correspondent

LILONGWE, Malawi, October 12, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Justice, equality and the common good are the preoccupation now of Malawian Muslim leaders, who have launched recently the first human rights council in the southern African country to join forces with Christian  bodies and NGOs championing the nobility of purpose.  

"The organization will ensure that issues affecting the rights of Malawians in general will be the priority areas of concern and make sure that various basic rights of individuals as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHRC) are being adhered to," Sufyan Rashid, one founder of the Muslim Society for Human Rights and Justice (MSHRJ) which saw the light late in September, told IslamOnline.net Wednesday, October 12.

"We, for instance, talk about the right to education in Malawi but how many people are accessing basic education in the country. The organization intends to dig deep and find out what are the causes of lowering levels of literacy in the country. Similarly we will do the same with the other basic freedoms," he added enthusiastically.

The rights organization was launched to contribute to "the social, economic and political well being of humanity," according to its mission statement.

"The MSHRJ will join hands now with other Islamic organizations working for the common good of humanity," MSHRJ chairman Sheikh Aman Matiya told IOL.

"Muslims have all the chances of championing justice and can prove to the world that they inherit a civilized religion."

The society has further launched the Straight Path program on state television to spread its massage of peace nationwide.

The program interviewed notable Muslim figures in the country, chiefly head of the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) Sheikh Yusuf Kanyamula.

Welcome Addition

The Muslim human rights efforts have been applauded by both rights activists and lay people.

"The launch of MSHRJ is indeed a welcome development on the part of religion. The other denominations in the country have their own rights groups and it is high time that Islam as a religion has it own rights organization in order to level the playing field," Amadu Chikwenga, an engineer, told IOL.

Malawi Watch Executive Billy Banda, who leads one of the most active human rights organizations in the country, said that the MSHRJ will now help bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims in the country.

"This signifies the unity of purpose and that the institution should not work in isolation but rather it should extend the hand of brotherhood and this clearly explains the fundamentals of co-existence in the country," he said.

He added that Muslims in the country have participated in other society and rights groups like the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) the Church and Society organization, stressing that non-Muslims should be enlisted in the nascent Muslim society.

In August, Muslims in Malawi launched a multi-faceted social program that covers every aspect in life and is focused on how to make the country a better place for all.

Muslims make up 12 percent of the country's 12 million people, mostly Christians.