By George Thomas
CBN News Sr. Reporter
CBN.com – STONETOWN, Zanzibar - At first glance, Zanzibar is a picture of paradise: the tropical weather, palm-fringed, white sand beaches, and spectacular views leave visitors feeling they have journeyed to the very edge of the Earth.
But this vision of an island paradise is only half the story. In recent years, another side to Zanzibar, often hidden to outsiders, has emerged: the face of radical Islam.
Islam's roots along Africa's east coast go back more than 1,000 years. Intelligence officials believe that the stretch of land from Sudan to this island off the coast of Tanzania is now fertile ground for fundamentalist militants.
Zanzibar's shift towards radical Islam is led, in part, by Sheikh Azzani Khalid Hamdan.
He heads up a group that wants to turn Zanzibar into an Afghanistan-like island -- the kind of island where Sharia law, which includes punishments like amputation, stoning and beheading, would be the law of the land.
"Sharia law is the basis of all law,” Hamdan stated. “It allows us to render judgment based on the Koran against those who don't follow the laws of Allah."
The rest of the article here:
No comments:
Post a Comment