Madarasa should be integrated in School Curriculum

By Ahmed Kateregga Musaazi

On Sunday November 21st 2021, l attended a Mauled ceremony to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in a new mosque at Soweto in Masaka City.

It was organised by the District Qadhi of Masaka -Kalungu Muslim District Sheikh Badru Wassajja Kiruuta and the chief guest was Secretary for Religious Affairs, Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Sheikh Murishid Luwemba.

Sheikh Wassajja is the son of the late Sheikh Huzauri Kiruuta, the long time District Qadhi Greater Masaka, and Sheikh Luwemba is the son of the former Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Saad Ibrahim Luwemba.

In my address l defended  Madrasa schools as good foundations for Islamic education , and l cited my self as a product of Madrasa, Nnambiriizi Qur’an School where l was instructed by my own father, the late Sheikh Abbas Kimera, who was District Imaam , Greater Masaka under Africa Muslim Community Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete.

I said that madrasas of those days were well intentioned where teachers were our local sheikhs and mwalimus.

If at present, there is some indoctrination of fanatical or extremist ideologies from other countries like Saudi Arabia and Somalia which are 100 percent Muslims, then we have to check on that and ensure that our ideology is applicable in a tropical African country which is multi religious and multi cultural, and where Islam is less than 200 years.

In my view, stakeholders should develop a Curricurum that is integrated in the national school curriculum, under National School Curricurum Development Center.

The syllabus should also be integrated in the national school syllabus examined by Uganda National Examinations Board.

This will help to do away with all the suspicion and Islamic education certificates will be recognised nationally and internationally.

For example a holder of Thanawi, will be eligible for election as a President, MP or District Chairperson as it is an equivalent of High School Certificate.

For those who study abroad, former Chief Qadhi of Uganda, Sheikh Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya and others vowed to start a college of sheikhs for orientation, and President Museveni donated 400 million shillings for its construction. It will do to preachers,   what Law Development Center does to lawyers.

In Uganda where there is no state religion, and where freedom of worship is guaranteed, we have to tolerate one another.

I also talked about seizure of state power, and said that gone were days when it could be done by force of arms. It is now , since promulgation1995 constitution done through  democratic means.

I recalled that even in the past, Amin did so in 1971 with the help of Israelis, the British and the Americans executed by his loyalists in Malire Mechanised Reconnaissance Regiment mostly from West Nile. It was not a religious affair. It was rather a tribal affair West Nile versus Lango and Acholi, the latter being Obote’s loyalists.

Even Haji Nasser Ntege Ssebaggala was elected Mayor of Kampala not on religious grounds, so is the current Lord Mayor Al Haji Ssaalongo Erias Lukwago.

Haji Hussein Kyanjo became an MP for Makindye West for two terms, Haji Muhammad Kateregga became a district chairperson for Bukomansimbi for two terms, and now Haji Asumani Basalirwa became an MP for Bugiri Municipality, after JEEMA made alliance with other political parties.

The current Muslim LC V chairpersons in Butambala, Kalungu, Lwengo and Kalangala were elected on merit and political affiliation not on religion.

National Resistance Movement/Army  (NRM/NRA) waged a successful five year bush war in Luwero Triangle because it was broad based, pro people, with a correct line and fighting a just war. Many other groups failed partly due to sectarianism along ethnicity and religion.

Therefore, Muslims or a section of them should not be seen as fighting an exclusive religious/political war like the wars of 1890s between Muslims and Christians on one hand and Traditionalists on the other, Christians on one hand and Muslims on the other, and Roman Catholics on one hand and Protestants on the other. Muslims are the minority and they will be the chief sufferers.

Yet, if they reconcile and tolerate one another regardless of factions many like Kibuli and Old Kampala, are not ideological and not justifiable at all, can lobby for their share on the national cake and benefit from government programs.