Malawi: Muslim mob destroys church in Mangochi

Malawi 24 reported on 3 November 2021 that a Muslim mob set a church on fire in Mpilipili, Makanjira in Mangochi and looted valuable property. The action was a reaction to a blasphemous picture supposedly drawn by the pastor of the church to mock the Muslim faith. Yonas Dembele, World Watch Research analyst comments: "Malawi is predominantly Christian, but has a significant Muslim population in the area along Lake Malawi - including Mangochi -and there have been violent clashes there between Muslims and Christians in the past, for instance in November 2019 (Nyasa Times, 4 November 2019). Local Christians have reported for some time that there is evidence that the Muslim community is radicalizing. This incident has raised fears of further religious tension in the area."