Why peace remains Tanzania’s greatest strength

DAR ES SALAAM: AT a time when the world is increasingly unsettled by conflict, economic uncertainty and social divisions, the importance of peace has never been more evident.

Across continents, wars, political tensions and internal unrest continue to disrupt lives and destabilise societies. In contrast, Tanzania has long been regarded as a beacon of unity and harmony in the region, a nation where people of different backgrounds coexist peacefully.

Yet, as global pressures mount and internal debates grow louder, the need to consciously preserve peace becomes ever more urgent. It is within this context that Sheikh Hamid Jongo, Imam of Masjid Manyema, offers a powerful and thought-provoking perspective on the true meaning and value of sustaining peace in the country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ‘Daily News’, the prominent Tanzanian Islamic scholar, Sheikh Hamid Masoud Jongo delivers a message that is both deeply philosophical and grounded in everyday reality.

At the core of his argument lies a striking and memorable idea: peace is not merely important; it is life itself. Without peace, he insists, human existence loses its essence and meaning.

“Even if we see ourselves walking on the streets, without peace, we are not truly alive, we are like walking corpses,” he said.

This vivid imagery underscores his belief that peace is not just a social or political condition but a fundamental requirement for genuine human existence. To further illustrate his point, Sheikh Jongo draws a powerful analogy between the human body and the state of a nation. Just as life depends on the connection between the body and the soul, so too does a country depend on the presence of peace among its people.

When the soul departs from the body, what remains is lifeless. Similarly, when peace disappears from a society, the nation loses its vitality, cohesion and sense of purpose.

Peace, therefore, acts as the invisible force that binds individuals together, allowing communities to function and flourish. Importantly, Sheikh Jongo emphasises that the significance of peace extends beyond national borders. In today’s interconnected world, no country exists in isolation.

What happens in one part of the globe inevitably affects others. He points to ongoing conflicts in the Middle East as a clear example, noting how tensions involving nations such as Iran, Israel and the United States have farreaching consequences.

Even in Tanzania , far removed geographically from these conflicts, the effects are felt through rising fuel prices, increased cost of living and economic uncertainty.

This, he explains, demonstrates that the world has effectively become one island where instability in one region creates ripple effects everywhere. War, in this sense, is not just a distant problem, it is a global disruption. And since war is the direct opposite of peace, its consequences reinforce the essential role that peace plays in sustaining life.

Turning to the issue of differences in opinion, Sheikh Jongo offers a balanced and realistic view. He acknowledges that disagreement is a natural part of human interaction. No two individuals think exactly alike and diversity of thought is both inevitable and beneficial.

However, he cautions that when disagreements escalate beyond normal differences and begin to threaten fundamental principles especially peace, they can become dangerous. Peace, he argues, must remain the foundation upon which all discussions and disagreements are built.

Without this foundation, even minor differences can spiral into conflict and instability.

One of the most compelling aspects of Sheikh Jongo’s message is his response to the common argument that justice must come before peace. While he does not dismiss the importance of justice, he challenges the notion that it can exist independently of peace.

In his view, peace must come first. Without peace, the systems and processes that ensure justice such as courts, dialogue and democratic institutions cannot operate effectively.

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“If there is no peace, how will you claim or exercise your rights?” This perspective shifts the conversation, urging people to see peace not as a byproduct of justice, but as a prerequisite for it. To make this argument more relatable, Sheikh Jongo uses practical examples from everyday life.

He explains that rights and freedoms must always be exercised within established laws and frameworks. For instance, while citizens have the freedom to move across the country, this d o e s not grant them the right to enter restricted areas such as military camps.

Doing so would not be an exercise of freedom, but rather a violation of rules designed to protect national security.

In the same way, justice must be pursued through proper channels rather than through actions that disrupt order. This leads him to address the issue of protests and demonstrations, which he views with caution.

Sheikh Jongo describes the culture of frequent protests as foreign to Tanzania’s traditional way of life. While he acknowledges that people may have genuine grievances, he urges them to seek solutions through established systems rather than through actions that could lead to chaos.

Destructive protests, he warns, often result in damage to public infrastructure such as roads, buses and buildings that are funded by taxpayers. In the end, such actions harm ordinary citizens more than they address the issues at hand.

“Public property belongs to all of us, when it is destroyed, it is not the government alone that suffers, but every Tanzanian who contributed to it through taxes.” This perspective highlights the shared responsibility that citizens have in protecting national resources and maintaining stability. Sheikh Jongo also stresses the importance of respecting authority and adhering to the systems that society has collectively established.

Institutions such as parliament, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies exist to ensure order and fairness. When individuals bypass these systems and take matters into their own hands, they undermine the very structures designed to protect their rights. He uses the example of legal disputes, explaining that if one is dissatisfied with a court ruling, the appropriate course of action is to file an appeal rather than incite unrest.

This approach not only preserves peace but also strengthens the rule of law. Furthermore, he calls on citizens to understand and respect the roles assigned to different individuals and institutions. Just as a journalist must be trained to report news and a judge must be qualified to deliver justice, each person has a specific function within society.

Attempting to bypass these roles or act outside established procedures leads to disorder. True progress, he suggests, comes from working within the system, improving it where necessary and maintaining the discipline required for it to function effectively.

Sheikh Jongo’s message is both a warning and a call to action. Peace, he insists, is not something to be taken for granted or treated as secondary to other concerns. It is the foundation upon which all aspects of life including justice, democracy, development and human dignity are built.

Without it, everything else collapses. As Tanzania continues to navigate the complexities of a rapidly changing world, his words serve as a timely reminder of what must be protected at all costs.

Sustaining peace is not the responsibility of leaders alone, it is a collective duty that requires commitment, discipline and mutual respect from every citizen. In a world where conflict often dominates headlines, Tanzania’s greatest strength may well lie in its ability to uphold the simple yet profound truth that peace is life and without it, nothing else can endure.

Peace, as Sheikh Jongo reminds us, is not a passive condition that sustains itself; it is an active commitment that must be nurtured daily through restraint, respect and responsibility. In a time when divisions can easily be amplified and frustrations can spill into unrest; Tanzanians are called upon to rise above impulse and choose stability over chaos.

The true test of a nation’s strength is not in how loudly its disagreements are expressed, but in how wisely they are managed without tearing apart the fabric of society.

Safeguarding peace requires discipline, the willingness to listen, to engage within the law and to prioritise the common good over individual anger or ambition. Ultimately, the future of Tanzania will not be defined solely by its economic progress or political debates, but by its ability to preserve the harmony that has long set it apart.

Every citizen, institution and leader share this responsibility, recognising that once peace is broken, the cost of restoring it is far greater than the effort required to maintain it.

Sheikh Jongo’s message stands as both a warning and a guiding principle without peace, justice cannot function, development cannot thrive and human dignity cannot be fully realised. To protect peace, therefore, is not merely a choice it is a duty owed to the nation’s past, present and generations yet to come.