ZANZIBAR, Tanzania — Influential Muslims on the East African island of Tanzania have begun building what appears to be a hotel on a 100-year-old burial site owned by an Anglican church, Christian leaders said.
Church leaders with ownership papers for the land said they are disturbed that authorities have taken no action since they filed a police complaint in December about the seizure of the burial site nearly two miles from Zanzibar city’s airport.
Pastor Canon Emmanuel John Masoud said he led church members from nearby Mbueni to the site to offer prayers Dec. 29, 2010, two days after the daughter of former Zanzibar President Amani Abeid Karume placed boundary markers and a metal storage container full of belongings on the land, indicating the takeover.
Wete’s Anglican church purchased a burial site worth 1 million Tanzanian shillings ($630) in 2007 in Finya village, nearly three miles from Wete, but in November 2010, Pastor Stephen Aaron Kamwendo received word that an unnamed Muslim forestry worker had begun planting trees on the site as a boundary marker and claim of ownership.
The forestry worker had unofficial backing from the island government, which supports opposition to Christian activity, Kamwendo said.
He said rumors were flying that the church — which had lost its property in Wete after local officials decided to build on it — was planning to relocate to the two-acre property in Finya, prompting the Muslims to plan the takeover.
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