Many times, the conflicts within the Muslim brotherhood in Uganda continuously disturbs my mind; why the Muslims at Kibuli hill find it hard to work with the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council that sits at the Old Kampala hill will ever remain a big puzzle for me.   History informs us that the last 180 years of Islam in Uganda have been chaos filled.

Ugandan Muslims

Muslim wrangles have existed in Uganda and particularly in Buganda since Islam arrived around 1823 to date. In 1971, Idi Amin over threw Obote in coup and assumed power; one of his earliest tasks was to redress the religious imbalances created by the colonial and postcolonial regimes. He formed the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, following a religious conference in Kabale. He forced all existing Muslim factions to form one council with its headquarters at Fort Lugard, Old Kampala. Amin most strikingly gave the Council a secular constitution that was prepared by Solicitor General Mukambo  Mugerwa.  In this Constitution, the Muslims did not make any input but they adopted it – hook, line and sinker.

Sheikh Abdul Razak Matovu was consequently elected Chief Qadhi and Sheikh Islam Ali Kulumba became his deputy, it should be noted that the NAAM faction came out of the conference victorious; having taken all posts, except that of deputy Chief Qadhi which Amin personally requested for.  The January 1986 NRM take over found the two rivals in Mecca trying to represent Uganda at the Muslim World League Annual Conference, which resulted into the then, Mecca agreement.

Despite that agreement, the wrangles of Muslims in Uganda did not stop till today; we still witness leaders abusing each other in public in the presence of young people. When will these wrangles stop? I know for sure that both factions believe in the holly Quran and they actually know what the Quran says about forgiveness and that whatever makes them fight will be left on this world as they proceed to meet their creator.

Recently Sheikh Hamdan Abu Nasri a member of the International Islamic Charity Organization noted that all the troubles that have befallen Muslims around the world are a result of disunity among Muslims. Unity is the solution to the Muslim problem, Muslims should utilize this time of Ramadan to forgive and forget for the better of the greater Muslim brotherhood.

Sheikh Obed Kamulegeya has seen it all let it be incumbent upon him to start this gospel of forgiveness, we can’t wait to see no factions among the Muslims fraternity in Uganda. We all believe in one God Allah the most merciful and that the Quran is our holly book, let not the politics of this world continue to mislead us into evil we are one we shall always be one on this planet earth and in the eyes of God. That is why we all cite the same verses in the Quran. I know for sure that most Muslims admire having their weddings at the old Kampala mosques but because the dad and mum are strong supporters of the Kibuuli Mosques their dreams lay in slumber.

FARIDAH LULE

CITIZENS’ COALITION FOR ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY IN UGANDA