ISLAMIC BODY IN CRISIS

The government in the southern African country Zambia may deregister the umbrella Islamic Council of Zambia (ICZ) on continuous leadership struggles and violating its constitution. ICZ was established in 1988 as an outcome of a National Islamic Convention to promote and support the Islamic community in the country. It is a loose Islamic organisation whose establishment was supported by the government as a way of uniting various Islamic individual associations within the country. It is most dominated by native Muslims and that is why some other Islamic societies with diverse race do not feel the need to affiliate to it. Various Islamic associations like the Lusaka Muslim Society, a main representative body of Muslims in Lusaka, and other Islamic professional associations like the Muslim Lawyers Association of Zambia, refused to join the council. The decision to deregister the ICZ was based on complaints from within its members, such as the Matero Islamic Society, Muslim Youth Forum –Zambia, Koomboka Mosque and B. Diawara Islamic Centre..