The announcement was made Sunday by PAM-Rwanda’s chair Protais Musoni, at the organization’s second national congress at the Parliamentary Buildings.
Musoni said that in the ongoing discussions, most religions agreed to a book containing teachings that do not compromise Rwandan values.
“We have partnership with religions, most of which have now agreed to publish a book with teachings that do not compromise Rwandan and African values but teaches them to like their good things and develop them. This book will be strong when it is published,” he said.
Religions have been accused of abolishing many practices things that were a foundation of Rwandan unity and development in pre-colonial times. Some religions prohibit cross-religious marriages or attending ceremonies of families with different creed.
Other religions, in their teachings, tend to show that the good comes from Asia and elsewhere they have origins.
In an exclusive interview with IGIHE, Gahini Anglican Diocese Bishop Alexis Birindabagabo who is also the chairman of Peace Plan said that what is necessary is taking time and examine carefully if there are teachings that still compromise or belittle Rwandan culture through religions.
He cited an example of Gahini Anglican Diocese which is undeniably regarded as a holy place because of the prayers that changed people spiritually in 1936.
“I may say that, for instance, Gahini is a holy place because of the holy spirit that came down here. Catholic church congregants will tell you that Kibeho is a holy place because it is where the virgin Mary appeared. There are other indubitable physical proofs. We have not yet replaced the idea that Jesus was born in Israel. For Muslims, Mohamed was born in Mecca.” He said.
However, Birindabagabo says that after holding the discussions and illustrating the practices or beliefs that still undermine African identity, some corrections will be made.
“We changed a lot of things before they could even request us to. We will even so look at other things, and if we find that there are things we must change, we will change them. ” He said.
President of the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission Bishop John Rucyahana in May said that some religious teachings hamper the development of Africa.
“What is wrong with Africa is the way we interpret the teachings and how we think of ourselves […] Those who are lazy and think that they will go on the mountaintop instead of working to feed their families That is delusion. We have to teach people that those who do not work will not earn anything.” He said.
Pan-Africanism is a worldwide intellectual movement that aims to encourage and strengthen bonds of solidarity between all people of African descent. Based on a common fate going back to the Atlantic slave trade, the movement extends beyond continental Africans, with a substantial support base among the African diaspora in the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States. It is based on the belief that unity is vital to economic, social, and political progress and aims to “unify and uplift” people of African descent.
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