Mubajje tells imams to preach peace

 Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje. Photo/File

The Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Mubajje, has urged all imams in Uganda to preach peace, unity and prosperity as opposed to hatred and incitement of violence in this year that has just started.

An imam is the person who leads prayers in a mosque.

In a press statement issued by Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) secretary general, Ramadhan Mugalu, the Council said in this year it is going to embark on organising refresher courses or trainings for imams in Islamic propagation, communication skills, leadership skills and entrepreneur skills among others.

"We want imams who can perform other duties in addition to leading prayers at Mosques," said the statement.

UMSC condemned the continued murder, imprisonment and threatening of senior Muslim clerics.

"As Ugandans, we should learn to live together because no one will ever succeed in eliminating the other person's identity," the Council noted.

In the area of education, the statement said UMSC had already approached its partners like the Government of Sudan, Egypt, Turkey requesting them to offer dual curriculum scholarships in both Islamic and secular fields like engineering and medicine.

It said in response to the UMSC request, last year alone, Sudan offered 56 dual curriculum scholarships in addition to Egypt and Turkey.

UMSC lauded President Yoweri Museveni for visiting UMSC twice in 2016 during which he pledged to renovate the National Mosque in Old Kampala.

"The UPDF construction brigade has already done necessary surveys and renovation is starting very soon. We thank the President of the Republic of Uganda for this initiative," it said.

The Council further commended the government for introducing road safety operations as well as poverty eradication programs noting that UMSC is fully supportive of such programs.

Noting that unity is strength, UMSC said it will continue the campaign for unity and development in 2017.