But David Ja, a spokesman for local Muslims, challenged the government's account and said that a number of mosques had already been closed. “There is no war in Angola against Islam or any other religion,” said Manuel Fernando, director of the National Institute for Religious Affairs, part of the Ministry of Culture. “There is no official position that targets the destruction or closure of places of worship, whichever they are,” Fernando told AFP.
Reports that Angola would crack down on Muslims had drawn condemnation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and others. In Egypt, Mufti Shawqi Allam said such a move would be “a provocation not only to Angolan Muslims but to more than 1.5 billion Muslims all over the world.”
Ja condemned what he described as “political persecution” and “religious intolerance.”
“A mosque was closed last week in Huambo (in the south) and we have been subjected to pressure this week regarding a mosque in Luanda,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Culture, these closures were related to a lack of necessary land titles, building licenses or other official documents.
Analyst Alex Vines said the rumors followed Culture Minister Rosa Cruz e Silva's announcement last week that the government would crack down on “sects.”
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