Is Uganda still divided along religious lines?

Jul 10, 2008

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK<br><br>Why do different religions fight tooth and nail to have their political parties in power? Frederick Womakuyu sought to answer this question in the second part of the series on religious wars in Uganda

CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK

Why do different religions fight tooth and nail to have their political parties in power? Frederick Womakuyu sought to answer this question in the second part of the series on religious wars in Uganda

In 1888, according to Abu Mayanja’s book: Towards Peace and Religious Reconciliation in Uganda -1996, Christians and Muslims combined forces and deposed Mwanga.
“The Christians and Muslims opposed the extermination of the abasomi but in the process weakened the kingdom in their fight for ascendancy over one another,” the book states.
Enteruganda.com adds in October 1888, following Mwanga’s defeat, the Muslims wanted to reduce the Christians’ influence and chased them out of Kampala. “They tried to force Kabaka Kiwewa to get circumcised. He resisted and he was replaced by his brother, Kalema, who agreed to be circumcised,” it said.
The Catholics fled south and regrouped in Buddu. The Protestants took cover in Nkore where the king there gave them the counties of Kabula and Mawogola says enteruganda.com. The Christians co-coordinated twice to overthrow the Muslims, but they were defeated by Kalema. Mwanga is said to have later joined the Catholics in Buddu. They co-ordinated with the Protestants and an agreement was reached to mount a joint attack to restore Mwanga.
In October 1989, they defeated the Muslims and restored Mwanga. This defeat created hostility. “The Muslims acquired more guns and in November 1889, they returned to Mengo,” the website adds. “Again the Christians were on the run with Mwanga who was exiled to the island of Bulingugwe in L. Victoria. Kalema was reinstated.”
In 1890, Christians again combined and defeated the Muslims and Mwanga took the throne a third time.
Prof. Moses Apedunal a lecturer in History at Makerere University stressed that Mwanga’s might had declined; power lay in the hands of the Christians and chiefs.
Enteruganda.com adds that Christians who had earlier united against the Muslims became divided and the hatred between Catholics and Protestants ensued.

Solution to religious wars
Martin Kisubi, a history teacher in Busoga College Mwiri, says that at the time when Protestants and Catholics united to oppose the Muslims, it was clear that politics, rather than religion was the cause of these wars. “To address the problem, the British negotiated with Muslim empires like Turkey that were fuelling the wars. This took place at the Lancaster Conference of 1889,” he added. “But this didn’t address the issue. The Muslims continued looking at Christians suspiciously.”
Esther Nalubwama, a historian at Islamic University in Uganda, says: although Christians preached they believed in the same God as the Muslims; the Muslims denied this because they thought that Christians would take over trade that had been their mainstay.
“It was at another conference held locally by the British and religious groups at Buddu in 1890 that Muslims sparingly associated with Christians. In this conference, it was spelt out that Muslims and Christians shared trade roles,” she adds.
“This came to be known as the brotherhood period in Uganda.
However, the differences emerged again. “When it came to the issue of who leads Buganda, they were divided. This continued to independence when political issues of the time arose,” said Prof. Apedunal.
He adds that such difference led to the 1971 coup by Idi Amin, for Muslims to take over the reins of power from the Christians.
“It’s also at this point that Yoweri Museveni overthrew Tito Okello Lutwa’s government who was inclined to his faith – Catholic.
In the end, religious wars have always been solved through the use of the gun and not peace.

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