KAMPALA,
November 5, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Muslim leaderships in the
Eastern African country of Uganda have used greetings of `Eid Al-Fitr,
which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, to deliver a
political message both to the minority and the government.
"It
is high time to become an effective political force," the
republic's Mufti Sheikh Shaban Mubajje said in a message meant to
congratulate Muslims on their feast.
"Muslim
presidential hopefuls should give a respectable image of Islam during
the coming elections, and they should only make promises they can keep
if elected," he added.
Mubajje
urged fellow Muslims to be very careful when making their choices in
the 2006 elections, and to vote for the candidate who better
understands their needs and stand ready to meet them.
The
majority of Muslims celebrated `Eid Al-Fitr on Thursday November 3,
while others marked the first day of the feast on Friday, November 4.
Muslims
make up 12% of Uganda's population of 26 millions, according to the
latest census.
Yet,
the local daily New Vision recently quoted Mubajje as putting
the number at more than seven millions or 24% of the population.
Equality
In
his message, Mubajje called on President Yoweri Museveni to abide by
justice and equality in relation to Muslims' appointments in public
posts.
"The
increasing number of qualified Muslims should have a fair share in
being appointed to prestigious public posts just," he said.
The
same call was made by the Supreme Muslim Affairs Council.
In
a separate `Eid greeting message, the council's Secretary General
Edris Sinasi expressed optimism over the improving role of Muslims in
Uganda's political life.
He
urged President Museveni to adopt an action plan to meet the
aspirations of the Muslim minority on equal footing with followers of
other religions.
Mubajje
also asked the president to direct education officials to grant
Muslims more scholarships and fellowships to study in high schools and
universities.
"The
current imbalance, which was created by the former colonizer and
missionaries, needs to be addressed."
High
education costs have forced many Muslims to seek low-level jobs
instead of pursuing their education, regretted Mubajje.
The
mufti also called on the Ugandan authorities to facilitate the setting
up of Shari`ah courts to handle Muslim social issues.
The
first Shari`ah Court in Uganda was launched in July 2005 in a
unilateral move by Muslim organizations in protest against the
government's reluctance to take action.
The
court will only consider Muslim cases related to marriage, divorce,
inheritance and other family-related affairs.
Muslims
hope the court would be officially recognized by the state.
