NRM entrenched
freedom of worship
By Madinah Tebajjukira
AS Uganda celebrates its 44th independence anniversary, many changes have taken place in many fields including religion. Before independence, some beliefs were favoured while others segregated. It was a requirement for Muslims who wanted to join schools like Kings College, Budo or Gayaza high school to change to Christianity.
“Muslims were denied access to education and therefore could never serve in top offices. The colonialists had an intention of making the Islamic faith the poorest among others, they also wanted to make whoever practiced Islam a pegan, by restraining them from practicing their prayers,” Haji Nsereko Mutumba, the spokesman Uganda Muslim Supreme Council recounts.
Fr. Simon Peter Kawooya, head of the Pastoral Commission, Kampala Archdiocese, says, “During colonial days, freedom of worship failed to take path.” He adds that it was punishable for one to denounce a religion to join another.
Mufti Shaban Mubajje leading Idd prayers at Old Kampala
“During that time all people who crossed from one religion to another were disowned by their families and the act was punishable by the colonialists” says Kawooya.
Mutumba says during colonial days, Muslims were scared of dressing as Islam entails them. Women walked without veils on their heads for fear of being isolated.
To make sure Islam remained unknown to most parts of the country, mosque construction was not allowed and Muslims could walk 10 miles with their small pots of water to wash before going for prayers in a secure place, where they could not be noticed.
Mutumba says Muslims were popularly known for one thing “following their religion to the dot” despite all challenges they faced from colonialists.
Kawooya says people had no choice to faith. If you were born by a traditionist, you would remain a traditionist for life.
When independence set in, Muslims were recognised especially during the time when the late Idi Amin became president. Muslims were allowed to freedom of worship.
Kawooya adds that after Uganda had been declared independent, the Catholic Church held the second Vatican Council, which drew priests from all over the world to discuss ecumenism to help people appreciate and tolerate each other’s religion.
Kawooya notes that though its good to grant people freedom of worship, it should be limited because it may impact negatively on society.
“The prevailing freedom of worship may drain the economic status of our country, if it is not limited. Many churches which come up almost everyday, force the worshippers to pay money as thanksgiving, but morally some of these churches have a negative influence from European countries,” he says.
Kawooya adds that if nothing is done about them, they are likely to cause family destruction and that in future people would start freelancing sects as a quick way to make economic gains.
Pastor Steven Ssozi of Grand Tidings at Kaleerwe says liberty of worship is paramount to every developing country like Uganda in a bid to develop. He says it enables religious leaders to contribute to the country’s growth because they attend to many people with different problems.
He commends the NRM government for promoting the freedom of worship, but challenges it to put up more pentecostal ministries to train clerics spiritually and to create an environment that could promote upcoming churches.
Despite the fact that every one is free to worship any religion so long as he or she does not affect the lives of other people, Ssozi says many pentecostal churches are locked up in internal wrangles. He says most pastors spend a lot of time concentrating on the conflicts than serving God.
As we celebrate independence today, Uganda has about five religions from three during the Amin’s time of rule, with over 100 pentacostal churches in Kampala alone. But a lot has to be done to make pastors in the pentacostal churches appreciate everybody’s calling and to know how spiritually they differ. If this is done, we shall witness an end to name-calling in the among God’s children.
