My Tanzania, Will You Let Me Down?

I am a citizen of a country, a beautiful country in the East coast of Africa. I don't call it beautiful because I have been grown up to call it that way. No!, I am calling it beautiful because in the 23 years of my life, i have travel, seen, and lived in many parts of it, witnessed first hand the diversity of it, and more than anything fall in love with it.

I have embraced the diversity that cuts across religions, tribes, and a lot of other things that make Tanzania one of the most beautiful country in Africa.The differences I have mentioned earlier have been a cause of conflicts that escalates to total chaos, violence and death of thousands of people in our neighbor states, through out other states across Africa the story has been the same. But it is the existence of these differences, tolerating them, and stay united through one identification among us, is what has made us sustain peace and unity through it all.

Our late Father of the Nation, the first president of United Republic of Tanzania did and preached through it all the importance of identifying ourselves as Tanzanians first before any other identity, being tribal or religious. But looking down now to all that has been happening in my beautiful country, Tanzania, it seems the beauty and uniqueness that we have been deeply proud of has been tarnished and deeply endangered.

Its a new story to have such rise in religion influenced conflicts in Tanzania, but as a student of International Relations and Diplomacy I strongly believe ignoring that we have a problem will be fatal to this beautiful country in the long run. We should not tolerate the few people who will stand and promote violence as the way to air their views or meeting objectives, but we should encourage dialogue to keep grievances on plain view and see best way to not only address them but find better solutions for them.

Its time the government should keep a strong stance on the line between it and religion, find best ways to show its non-biased relationship with religious institutions. I don't say that we should have a government that does not acknowledge the role religion plays in our society but we should have a situation whereby religious institutions and the people understand clear the non-biased relationship the government has with them.

My beautiful Tanzania may still on hold on to its beauty, one characterized by a society of one identity, Tanzanians, a society that respects religion differences and not tolerate any sort of violence. But for that to happen we, Tanzanians, have to accept that we have all the responsibilities to held firm the foundations of peace and unity that has made Tanzania one of the most unique, beautiful and peaceful place to live in Africa.

God Bless Africa,

God Bless Tanzania!