Following the Christmas day celebrations, almost all the Christian leaders of different cults and denominations in Tanzania in their congregations have largely been highlighting and featuring on the issue of the scandal famously known as Tegeta Escrow Account (TEA) that involve the siphoning of over Tsh. 300 billion.

This move of the Christian clergy is a clear indication of their feelings while seething with bitter resentment against the deep-rooted acts of bribery, embezzlement and all assortments of corruption inundated in the democratic systems as it appears daily the eruption of new endless chains of scandals. Typical examples being the Richmond and EPA (External Payment Arrears) scandals in 2005/2006 when individuals with ‘briefcase companies' siphoned over Sh133 billion from the Central Bank's External Payment Arrears (EPA) account. Only later, the culprits were kindly asked to voluntarily bring back the money with no legal action taken against those who heeded the call. Also the Radar Purchase scandal in 1999 that involved an over-priced deal. It came to be known than a third of the total purchasing price was paid to a middleman of British citizenship to secure the contract.

Their voices of lamentation against the indecorous deportments of the democratic politicians who tend to indulge in corruption like the Escrow scandal, explicitly shows that man is born with political traits. Meaning that naturally man has incentives that push him to cater for his wellbeing and that of the rest. This being a result of the survival instinct that pushes him to secure his life and live in peace and tranquility. Contrary to the erroneous teachings of the church that preach the secular slogans that go: ‘Render unto God what belongs to Him and Caesar that belongs to him.' Despite those secular teachings that are supposed to be the indelible compass of the church, we have quite often seen the clergy contradicting themselves just to indulge and meddle with politics by lamenting and speaking against the rampant vices and corruption of the democratic politicians.

Under that basis, we in the Islamic Political Party, Hizb ut Tahrir, would like to remind the Christian clergy and those who don't want to involve in politics that politics is part and parcel of the man's nature with no room for avoidance.

The true and tangible change, can only be realized through a change from the existent corrupt capitalist ideology, which unfortunately, the Church always gets entrapped into it, to another one which is no other than Islam and its ruling system Khilafah "Caliphate" (caliphate). Certain churches tend to connive at the current political vices of the democratic politicians; and if they speak out, then they tend to call for changes within the same heinous system instead of toiling to obliterate it in totality!

It's now high time for the Christian clergy and the intellectuals at large, to resort to another better ideology which is no other than Islam, if they are truly committed and devoted to helping innocent people and save them from the blood stained claws of the capitalist ideology and its ruling system democracy which has failed on the day broad light for everyone to witness.

((قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلاَّ نَعْبُدَ إِلاَّ اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ))

"Say: O people of the Scripture (Jews & Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allah and, we associate no partners with Him and that none of us shall others as lords besides Him. Then if they turn away, say: bear witness that we are Muslims." [Aal Imran - 64]

Masoud Msellem
Deputy Media Representative of Hizb ut Tahrir
in East Africa