Religious leaders in Uganda have been commended by President Yoweri Museveni for the cooperation and unity that they have exhibited ever since the Movement Government came to power.
Mr. Museveni made the statement while addressing guests at the Iftar dinner that he hosted for the Muslim community last night at State House, Entebbe. The Muslim faithful all over the world are currently in the fasting month of Ramadhan that is soon coming to an end.
“I am happy that all the religious leaders have now joined NRM. When we were in the bush, we were fighters but also preached religion. When we came, we chased chaplains and priests from the Army barracks because they were not helping. How could you say that you are religious when you are fighting each other? It was the religious and tribal sectarianism that created problems for Uganda. But I am glad that you formed the Inter-Religious Council in 2002 and that you are now working together,” he said.
The President congratulated the Muslims for almost finishing the holy month of Ramadan and noted that for countries that are located in the Middle East and are faced with never-ending conflicts, they must critically analyze and realize that these conflicts of identity are not leading their people to prosperity but rather to death and poverty.
The dinner was also attended by Cabinet Ministers, Judges, envoys from Egypt, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Turkey Libya, Saudi Arabia and Christian religious leaders.
He also used the occasion to call upon all leaders to encourage their families to participate in shifting from the traditional to modernized ways of production that bring in money so as to get rid of household.
“African people right up to the village level, are rich but their disease is that they live in the traditional ways, faced with modern demands which need money. They are in a state of being without money. You can have musicians and the audience. In sports, you can have players and spectators. For us we don’t want spectators. We want all the people to participate in getting rid of poverty. If Africans wake up, they will know how the world operates,” he observed.
The President promised the Muslim community in the country that they would also get A Muslim Martyrs’ site in Namugongo just like the Catholic and Protestant Martyrs’ sites, so that Muslims would be able to commemorate their faithful who died for the faith.
The Mufti of Uganda, His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje thanked President Museveni for the continued support to the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council projects. He also reiterated the Muslim women’s gratefulness to the 1st Lady, Janet Museveni for supporting their SACCO.
Sheikh Mubajje called upon Muslims in other parts of the world to seek solving their challenges peacefully as opposed to war.
“Enough is enough with bloodshed. We must start to resolve our issues peacefully,” he said.
He urged Muslims to continue practicing good conduct even after the holy month of Ramadhan.
