PAC yet to meet religious bodies over billboard wrangle

Public Affairs Committee (PAC) is yet to meet religious groups involved in a wrangle over a billboard which was erected in Blantyre City by the Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM).

PAC branded the billboard’s message as unacceptable and a recipe for religious conflict before it was pulled down by Blantyre City Council (BCC).

The message on the billboard said: “If you have read the Old Testament and the New Testament now read the last testament which is the Quran.”

However, Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) reacted angrily to the billboard saying the message was unacceptable and a recipe for religious conflict in the country and asked BCC to remove the billboard.

Following the wrangle, government through its spokesperson, Gospel Kazako, asked PAC to intervene and end the wrangle.

PAC spokesperson, Bishop Gilford Emanuel Matonga, said on Monday that PAC is yet to meet and map the way forward.

Bishop Matonga said: “PAC is yet to meet to map the way forward and our secretariat is trying hard to ensure that a meeting is convened as soon as possible.”

However, he said the groups involved in the wrangle have already engaged to discuss on the matter.

“The positive thing is that the mother bodies within PAC are already engaging amongst themselves because the General Secretary for EAM has reached out to MAM and the Qadria Muslim Association of Malawi on the matter and we believe when the time to meet them comes the three organisations should be able to give us as PAC on what has been achieved so far,” he said.

Bishop Matonga has also faulted the way BCC handled the matter, saying their action was unprofessional and has fueled tension.

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