Rwanda President, Paul Kagame Shuts Down Thousands Of Churches And Mosques

Rwanda’s government has closed thousands of churches and dozens of mosques as it seeks to assert more control over a vibrant religious community whose sometimes makeshift operations, authorities say, have threatened the lives of followers.

President Paul Kagame has said he was shocked by the high number of churches in the country. “700 churches in Kigali?” he said of houses of worship in the nation’s capital in March. “Are these boreholes (deep wells) that give people water? I don’t think we have as many boreholes. Do we even have as many factories? This has been a mess!”

Kagame said Rwanda doesn’t need so many houses of worship, claiming that such a high number is only fit for bigger, more developed economies that have the means to sustain them. The closings are bringing mixed reactions in Rwanda, where human rights groups have long accused Kagame’s government of clamping down on freedom of expression, which the president has denied.

Six Pentecostal pastors who protested the church closures were arrested and accused of “illegal meetings with bad intentions,” and since then other critics have refused to discuss the issue with The Associated Press.

While Rwanda’s government describes the closures as tackling churches that have failed to comply with building safety standards, it is taking other steps to oversee the religious community in the largely Christian nation of 12 million people.

Proposed legislation aims to regulate faith-based organizations separately from civil society organizations, said Alexis Nkurunziza, president of the private Rwanda Religious Leaders Forum.

Suggestions from religious leaders soon will be forwarded to the Rwanda Law Reform Commission for scrutiny and later to parliament, he said. The legislation is expected to be passed as the ruling party holds a majority of parliamentary seats.

The new legislation would require pastors to have a theology degree before they start their own churches so that they teach correct doctrine, said those familiar with the discussions.

The aim is to regulate the Pentecostal churches that often spring up under leaders who claim to have received a call to preach. Not everyone, however, has the money for such a degree, some observers have said.

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Posted: at 5-04-2018 07:57 AM (6 years ago) | Addicted Hero

THIS IS NEEDED THE MOST IN NAIJA.....

Posted: at 5-04-2018 08:39 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac

bon monsieur le président

GOOD 1 PRESIDO.

Posted: at 5-04-2018 09:01 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Most commentators here don't know the consequences, probably you don't believe in God, you see every pastor as fraudsters and every church as business centers...there should be freedom of worship, no matter your religion...believe me if we have devil himself as Nigerian president, he can't close down churches and mosques because of there vast number....     

Posted: at 5-04-2018 09:44 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac

We need more factories, more work, opportunities to learn and master every kind of technology and Art. We have to become industrialized, we need electric power, meditate on this things Mr president. That is your meditation Mr Governor, we don't need drama and suspense.

Posted: at 5-04-2018 10:35 AM (6 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Very good

Posted: at 5-04-2018 09:05 PM (6 years ago) | Hero