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News & Comment
ARROGANCE IS A PART OF DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM
News
On May 9, 2019, the Head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT), Dr. Bishop Fredrick Shoo, made strong remarks blaming arrogance of the political leaders in their day to day serving of public. (The citizen)
Comment
Dr. Bishop Shoo made that statement at the funeral ceremony of the tycoon and former IPP Group executive chairman, Reginald Mengi, in Moshi, Northern of Tanzania, in which he said: “...I’m warning people who have been entrusted with authority, and especially young leaders, against being arrogant. You should humble yourself and treat everyone with respect.... stop being big-headed. Stop acting like you will live forever. Mengi was rich, but he remained humble.”
Bishop’s remarks raised a national debate especially in the social media reflecting current political reality of Tanzania's governance. The remarks have been applauded by many as a brave and courage move to address a culture of arrogance that believed to be predominant in a country’s governance.
However, it has to be understood that the capitalist democratic ideology is built and sprouted from arrogance, and this necessitates to widen public awareness not to confine the issue of arrogance to certain individuals since it is a system as a whole.
Capitalism ideology is weak and cannot defend itself whether by religious or rational arguments; in other words, it is suffering from intellectual bankruptcy, and the only tool used for its near end survival is arrogance, force and threat.
Secularism, which is a premises or foundation by which capitalism is built upon, is unconvincing and nonsensical idea, since it marginalizes the Creator from political aspects and confines religion in a narrow area of house of worship. How can that be possible; that the Creator of all creation being deprived of His authority by His creatures. Also it is the arrogance of capitalism that made it from the beginning to avoid a constructive discussion on the existence of the Creator, and instead, it jumps to a compromise solution, leaving aside a vital question of existence of Creator. As a result, imposing upon mankind weak ideas of secularism, privatization economy, democratic politics and notion of ‘freedoms’ all brought unprecedented catastrophes to mankind.
In another side, Evangelist Dr. Shoo has to bear in mind that Christianity has no dignified solution for mankind problems since it is the only spiritual religion devoid of any political, economic and social solution to mankind. All moves, being taken by Christian leaders seemed as to account democratic leaders, are nothing but to strengthen the ideology.
In contrary to that, Islam is the complete and comprehensive ideology which offers solutions to every aspect of humanity, being a belief (Creed), social, economic, and political. Furthermore, leadership in Islam is part of worship and so is linked to hereafter as well as a trust that obliged a leader to be humble to public, avoiding all sentiments of arrogance. Not everyone can just be a leader; it’s about a piety, knowledge, skills and abilities.
Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Said Bitomwa
Member of the Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir in Tanzania