By Ahmed Kateregga Musaaz
Eid Mubarak to all Muslims and all people of God.
I congratulates Muslims for a successful completion of the sacred month of Ramadhan, the ninth in the Hejira lunar calendar.
I also congratulate, Christians too for a successful completion of Lent after which, Easter was celebrated according to both Julian and Gregorian solar calendar.
l have prayed Eid El Fitri (Feast of fast breaking) at my ancestral mosque at Bukoto. My family belongs to Africa Muslim Community Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete Kampala, founded by the late Sheikh Abdullah Mukasa Ssekimwanyi, the first Ugandan to perform a Hadj to Mecca and Medina holy cities in1920.
He was succeeded by my paternal grand uncle, Sheikh Zaid Kateregga Mugenyasooka in 1948, who was succeeded by a former Chief Qadhi of Uganda, Sheikh Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya in 1994, the incumbent President General and Chief Imaam. My father, the late Sheikh Abbaas Nkangabwa Kimera, was Masaka District Imaam until his death in 2002.
Sheikh Kamulegeya has called upon Muslims o embrace reconciliation and unity under Uganda Muslim Supreme Council.
He has also called upon them to submit views for reforms to UMSC Constitutional Review Commission. I have already submitted my personal views.
He has also appealed to Baganda, Muslims and non Muslims alike, against secession and isolationist tendencies in Muslim matters or national matters.
Instead, they should advocate and lobby for their legitimate share.
The Imaam and Khatib of the day, was Sheikh Sulaiman Gugwa, who called upon Muslims to take their families out on Eid day.
He castigated some Muslims who held a prayer calling for the death of the President, and said that it is un-islamic.
According to Sheikh Gugwa, it is irreligious and immoral to call for the death of a fellow human being. Otherwise the cast turns against the one that hold such a prayer (Baganda say: lw’oyagaliza muka kitaawo lutta nnyoko).
He quoted Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)’ s Hadith which says that, only pray for Allah to change leadership if it warrants but never know whether the present leadership is better than the coming one.
He wondered why some Muslims resort to change state leadership when freedom of religion is guaranteed. “We pray five times a day, we call upon our fellow Muslims for prayer, even an attempt to stop us from prayer call was stopped by the President himself,” Sheikh Gugwa said.
Sheikh Kamulegeya said that those that are opposed to Old Kampala leadership for controversial sale of Muslim property should know that this time, there will be a Board of Trustees specifically to be in charge of Muslim land and other property.
Kamulegeya said that Muslims could belong to sects like Juma Sect Bukoto Nateete, Juma and Zukuri Sect Kyaddondo, New Juma Kibuli and others but the national mosque and UMSC headquarters are at Old Kampala.
While talking to media l emphasized that UMSC should be an umbrella body for all Muslims in Uganda and not only Sunni, as it is the case now.
Even Shiah should be part of it but strategic positions like Mufti, Deputy Mufti, Chief Qadhi, Deputy Chief Qadhi, Director of Shariah, Deputy Director of Shariah, Secretary for Religious Affairs, should be preserved for Sunnis because we are the majority.
Women, youth and people for disability should also be specially catered for under new UMSC constitution.
The Qadhis Courts which are constitutional, should be operationalized by parliament so that qadhis are appointed by Judicial Service Commission consultation with UMSC as it is the case with Muslim Supreme Council of Kenya. That will mark the end of factional Qadhis .
l also talked about security where there was a security threat in Greater Masaka on Eid day, as there was a plot by some ADF terrorists to blow out Muslims in prayer or merry makers in night clubs.
This forced security, in collaboration with local imaams, to deploy heavily at mosques, and to check all worshippers.
l called upon Muslims not to engage in subversive activities but to be loyal , law abiding and peace loving citizens and participate and benefit in government programs.
Eid Mubarak.
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