Ugandans-At-Heart

It is true both Christians and Muslims were involved in slavery and slave trade for centuries while Christianity and Islam are opposed to it. It is like Western Christians mad with capitalism when Christianity is opposed to it.

As for Arch Bishop Jenan Luwum, Amin is blamed for killing the religious man before he was tried in a competent court of law. Otherwise there was enough evidence that rebels based in Tanzania had smuggled in guns to stage a coup on January 25th 1971. The plot was master minded by some Acholi and Langi. This is even admitted by the late Kigezi Bishop Festo Kivengere in his book:” l LOVE IDI AMIN (1977)” after he and Arch Bishop Yona Okoth, survived narrowly Amin’s killers.

However, Amin did not kill Luwum because the former was a Muslim and the latter a Christian. Amin killed even Muslims like Shaban Nkutu, Commerce Minister in Obote l government, Sheikh Asadu Lutale, father of Sheikh Abdul Obeid Kamulegeya, to mention but a few. We should stop stereo type labeling a section of our population bad or good according to what Baganda call “OMULYAMMAMBA ABEERA OMU N’AVUMAGANYA EKIKA.”

However l sympathise with some people, Islam has not yet penetrated the North especially Acholi and those that should have done it are at Kibuli and Old Kampala fighting for a few Muslim property. Otherwise in Buganda where Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Greek Orthodox, 7th Day Adventists, Pentocoscals and even Lubaalism (African Traditional Religion) are strong, we are tolerant of any religion so long as it is not a destructive cult like Kibwetere’s or Bushara’s.By the way, l am a Luo Mubiito, your relative, who happens to be a Muslim by accident of my birth, descent and heredity.

There are things we can not agree. For example l know that religious leaders in Uganda are not only political but also partisan. It is true as Amin faced isolation, he became more close to Muslims. But Ugandan exiles and a section of Uganda Army were to stage a coup on January 25th 1977 and the Arch Bishop knew about it. What Amin should have done, was to put the Arch Bishop under trial. Can you deny that the late Emmanuel Cardinal Nsubuga was an NRA? But if Obote had touched him, he would have been condemned. Even castration story l don’t buy it since l am a regular visitor of Middle East and l see Black natives even in countries like Saudi Arabia.

What is true is both Muslims and Christians were involved in slavery and slave trade despite the fact that Islam and Christianity condemn it. I will advise some Muslim agencies to concentrate on mass elimunization (evangelization) of Acholi sub region, were some of my brothers may even think that Muslims are sub humans.

Ahmed Katerega
UAH FORUMIST