Evangelists cleared of 'illegal preaching' in Tanzania

A Tanzanian court has acquitted two evangelists of "illegal preaching", reports Compass Direct News.

After 10 months of hearings, a Kariakoo area court in Dar es Salaam closed the case against Anglican Christians Eleutery Kobelo and Cecil Simbaulanga on 12 August.

The two were arrested in October 2009 after Muslims invited them to participate in a religious debate at which the opponents did not appear, but authorities did.

They maintain that Islamists arrived with government security agents who charged them with 'using religious sermons to incite Muslims and Christians into viewing each other with suspicion', according to CDN. The accusers were reportedly angry about the Christians declaring Jesus to be God.

Kobelo told Compass that the Muslims had failed to show up in court to support their allegation of illegal preaching. After the verdict, Christians shouting for joy greeted the evangelists as they left the courtroom, he said.

"We are grateful that that the court has done justice and made its ruling based on Tanzania's constitution that allows for freedom of religion and assembly," Kobelo told CDN.

"We thank the Christians worldwide for praying for us and Compass for highlighting our plight."

Simbaulanga said the message of Christ's atoning death and resurrection cannot be stopped.

"The court decision will make us preach the gospel more vigorously, and many Muslims will turn to Christ," he told Compass. "Muslims tried to stop the movement, but nobody can stop the gospel."

Simbaulanga said that he was imprisoned for 62 days between December 2006 and February 2007 in Kigoma. Denied bail, he was accused of trying to convert Muslims to Christ and "abusing Islam" by saying Muhammad had married a young girl. Several cases are pending against him in different courts, he said, and Muslims are constantly searching for him.

Around two-thirds of Tanzania's population is Christian, while the rest are mainly Muslims.