Uganda: NRM Uplifted Muslims, Says Mufti Mubajje
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New Vision (Kampala)
30 September 2008
Posted to the web 1 October 2008
Cyprian Musoke
Kampala
President Yoweri Museveni chats with Muslims, led by Mufti Sheikh Ramadhan Mubajje (second-left), whom he hosted to a dinner at State House Entebbe on Monday night
Muslims have made their biggest progress under the National Resistance Movement (NRM) era and should, therefore, continue supporting the NRM, the Mufti has said.
Speaking at the Futur (breaking of the fast) dinner hosted by President Yoweri Museveni at State House Entebbe on Monday, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje noted that at independence in 1962, only two Muslims had degrees. Now, he observed, hundreds had degrees, Masters and PhDs.
"Muslims have emerged in all fields of specialisation and only require facilitation to enable them contribute to Uganda's development process," he said.
He congratulated the President upon successfully hosting the Commonwealth meeting, the Organisation of Islamic Conference, the opening of the Gaddafi National Mosque and the Afro-Arab Youth Conference.
The guests broke the fast with an array of fruits and salads before being treated to a sumptuous buffet, punctuated by entertainment from the Butambala Mataali Group.
The group chorused songs, urging the President to stand for another term in 2011, as the hundreds of guests in the giant tent cheered fourth-term slogans, giving a campaign aura to the religious occasion.
Mubajje said they were undertaking the expansion of the hospital at Old Kampala, and the Islamic Call University was awaiting approval from the higher education council to start.
He, however, said he disagreed with the proposal to erase Arabic from the education curriculum, calling upon the Government to prevail upon the education ministry to reverse its decision.
He said Arabic was one of the most spoken languages in the world. "Removing it will limit opportunities for our people abroad where a second language is needed."
He castigated some embassies for indulging in politics and making it hard for Muslims who want to make holy pilgrimages to get visas.
The Mufti appealed to the President to help facilitate district khadis.
Museveni, who had just returned from his US tour, said Muslims and other religions had benefited under the NRM because it was a deliberate policy not to meddle in religion. He warned Muslims against being influenced by aid from the West or rich Arab countries that might want to turn them into submissive "donkeys".
"Countries helping us should not condition their aid. I told them: 'No, there is no turning us into donkeys'. We have much more wealth here than that money we get from here and there", he said.
Companies like the East African Breweries pay the country $100m per year in taxes, he noted, funds that are used for universal primary and secondary education, dam construction and Prosperity-For-All. He urged the district khadis to spread the Bona Baggaggawale gospel.
The Muslims were later taken on a guided tour of State House.
Present at the function were ministers Lukia Nakadaama, Jennifer Namuyangu, Sulaiman Madada, Rukia Chekamondo, Isaac Musumba and Syda Bbumba.
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Other dignitaries present were Electoral Commission chairman Badru Kiggundu, Moses Ali, Ali Bamuze, Kampala mayor Nasser Sebaggala and ambassadors from the Middle-East countries.
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