Detained Muslims Released After UMSC Intervention
The Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence (CMI) has released a group of nine Muslims, comprising seven males and one female, following the intervention of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) National Management Committee. The intervention was spearheaded by Sheikh Imran Ssali, Secretary for Religious Affairs, and Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu, Secretary for Education.
The group was picked up a month ago in a mosque in Mpigi town while engaging in informal Islamic theological studies. Security authorities suspected the group of being involved in subversive activities with links to the rebel Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which is operating in jungles in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.
According to security, the arrest of the group came after one of the members was caught attempting to flee with his entire family, including his wife and children. During interrogation, he disclosed that he was enroute to an Islamic State, where he and his family could practice the authentic Islamic tenets without the perceived compromises in Uganda. Subsequently, the group was detained pending a thorough investigation.
The families of the detainees sought help from the UMSC through their village mosque, which then escalated the matter to the National level. The UMSC leadership, in turn, engaged with the authorities. During this period, security personnel realized that the freed Muslims were not aware of the whereabouts of their colleague who had come into contact with a notorious gang attempting to recruit innocent Ugandans through manipulation, especially on various social media platforms.
The group underwent screening before their release. Major Ssendi Bahigi handed over the freed Muslims at a brief event at the UMSC Headquarters on Monday evening September 25th, 2023. In his remarks, Major Ssendi denied any witch-hunt by the government against Muslims, as sometimes portrayed by the media.
He emphasized that the government’s primary responsibility is to maintain peace and order in the country. His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa, the 2nd Deputy Mufti who representing His Eminence Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the Mufti of Uganda, welcomed the freed Muslims. He thanked the security heads for their professionalism in handling the suspects. Sheikh Waiswa reminded the free Muslims of the importance of obeying both Allah’s injunctions from the Holy Quran and the authorities appointed over them. He urged them to be law-abiding citizens, refrain from associating with misguided individuals, and concentrate on activities that promote decent living and peace within their communities and the nation. Earlier, Honorable Counsel Haj Muhammad Ali Aluma, the Acting UMSC Secretary-General, emphasized the need for Muslims to be law-abiding citizens who respect all levels of leadership, including government authorities.
He encouraged the freed Muslims to become ambassadors of peace within their communities and, if they wish to establish learning centers, to ensure they adhere to regulations and guidelines governing educational institutions, both secular and Islamic.
Sheikh Imran Ssali and Sheikh Juma Bakhit Cucu provided an account of their engagements with security and how they assured the government of UMSC’s commitment to properly Management of Madrasah schools, preventing them from becoming breeding grounds for activities that could undermine national security and peaceful coexistence. The freed Muslims include Badru Lukooya, Huzaifa Batte, Huzaifa Ayub, Sumaya Nakawesa, Bashir Mamaji, Bukenya Bruhane, Nantajja Kyeyune Muhammadi, Matovu Hamza, and Yusuf Kakamba.
In attendance was Haj Muhamood Kateregga Namuguzi, a UMSC Executive Committee Member