Sources in Europe revealed that rumors concerning a presumed anti islamic campaign in Angola, including demolition of mosques, originated in the deportation of tens of Lebanese and Iranian nationals from the country in september 2011.
According to Freitas Neto, the director of Migration and Foreigner Services in the Angolan Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
“these foreigners were expelled from Angola because of their illegal status and for money laundering and for terrorism”.
Other deportations took place in 2012, probably linked to a “big Hezballah leader who migrated from Brazil to Angola (with his companies) with the intention of using the country as a platform to swap heroine and cocaine and use proceeds of drugs to buy diamonds.
Sources noted that a photo published by al-alam Iranian TV of a presumed “demolished mosque in Angola” was, in all probability, taken in Iraq where a Sunni-Shia strife resulted in terrorist attacks against shiite and sunni mosques!
Yet, another credible source (‘Islam Today’, the official page of the prominent Saudi fundamentalist Sheikh Salman al-Odeh) claimed that “a close examination of some of the initial reports about the supposed ban and dismantling of mosques reveals some suspect findings. One such discrepancy is that a Google Images search shows that a photograph published by numerous news outlets this month that purportedly depicts the minaret of an Angolan mosque being dismantled in October 2012 had been used at least as early 23 January 2008, when the Housing & Land Rights Network posted it to illustrate an article about the destruction of Bedouin homes in Israel”.
Angola’s officials: no war on Islam
Angola’s government has denied it had banned Islam and closed mosques in the country, after media speculation that sparked outrage among Muslims worldwide.
“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, onTuesday.
“There is no official position that targets the destruction or closure of places of worship whichever they are.” Fernando told AFP news agency.
Angola’s ambassador in Cairo denied the allegations, saying the number of mosques in his country went up from nothing at indepependence to 57.
Lebanese expatriates in Luanda: rumours unfounded
A series of interviews with leaders of the lebanese community in Luanda undertaken by the Saudi al-Arabiya TV confirmed that the rumours were erroneous. Mr. Fares Sbaiti, a prominent lebanese businessman in Luanda, told al-Arabiya that “some parties seek their own interests in spreading erroneous rumours that Islam is threatened in Angola”.
No war on Islam in Angola. Rather, a national security policy destined to protect the country from money laundering and terrorist networks.