Muslim leaders urged on extremism

Legislators from Parliaments of the Organisation of Islamic Conference Member States (PUIC) have rallied behind Uganda to support a call to engage non-Muslim leaders in the fight against extremism and violence in the world.

The proposal was tabled by Kitagwenda County MP, Abbas Agaba last Wednesday at the 12th Session of the PUIC in Bamako, Mali.

Agaba was the leader of the Parliament of Uganda delegation.PUIC called on leaders of Muslim communities not to work in isolation as extremism spreads, according to the statement issued by Parliament on Friday.

"Violence and extremism affects all our communities. We cannot solve this as the Muslim community alone. Our political and religious leaders need to reach out to leaders of other faiths to preach the dangers of intolerance, discrimination and extremism," Agaba told the delegates.

While addressing the PUIC committee on political and foreign relations, Agaba noted that non-violent resolution of conflict and fostering co-existence of the people will help spread peace to the entire world.

The statement said legislators expressed concern over the surge in political violence in different parts of the world where innocent lives have been lost and millions of people displaced.

They resolved to criminalize the intentional financing of groups engaged in terrorist activities and the payment of ransom to terrorist groups as it encourages the vice.

MPs also rallied OIC Parliaments to enact strong laws against terrorism and provide adequate protection to the victims of violence.

They proposed the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction from the Middle East and to strengthen the observation and implementation of the treaty on nonproliferation of chemical weapons