Pemba Island was also one of the first settlement area for the Khoja settlers from India as well as those who had already settled in other places like Bagamoyo and Zanzibar. The two main settlements were Wete and Chake-Chake, but other families were scattered around. Most of those in Wete and Chake-Chake were traders while other ventured into cloves farming in smaller villages like Mtambile, Kipapo, Chonga, Mkoani etc.
Our Khoja community built two big mosques and Imambargha in Pemba. One in Wete and the other in Chake-Chake. Both these mosques were big and well built by those days standard and are currently used by the local Muslims for prayers.
Bilal Muslim Mission delegation consisting of the Bilal Tanzania Chairman Alhaj Hussein Karim, Vice Chairman Alhaj Abdulwahid Abdallah and Head of Tabligh Sheikh Msabah Shaban visited the Pemba Island to see various tabligh activities currently taking place. This was the first ever Bilal delegation to visit Pemba.
Current tabligh work is concentrated in two centres, Mtambile and Ziwani. There is a sizeable African Shia community at Mtambile with a Mosque, Madrasa building and Hussainiyas, while in Ziwani the community is smaller with a Hussainiya hall only. There are other African Shias in places like Wete but scattered and not organized.
One of the projects Bilal is planning to undertake is microfinance
assistance to the community to enable them to come out of poverty, assist in
enhancing delivery of education in Madressa and general education.
Pemba Island is currently accessible by several daily flights from Zanzibar and
Dar es Salaam landing at the Chake-Chake Airport. Good hotels are available in
Chake, Wete and several beach hotels have been built.
Kindly remember our elders who build these centres in various parts of Africa
and have left behind a legacy with Sura Al-Fatiha.
Community members who wish to donate for Thawab-e-Jariya towards the repairs
and renovations of these Mosques and Hussainiyas in Pemba are requested to
contact the Secretariat of Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania at Head Office in
Dar es Salaam at bilaltz@africafederation.org
or Secretariat office of Africa Federation in Dar es Salaam at secretariat@africafederation.org
Hon. Secretary
Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
15th February 2021