Mubajje wants tortured Muslim murder suspects compensated

Muslims pray at at Arua Primary School ground. PHOTO BY FELIX WAROM OKELLO.

KAMPALA- The leader of the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC), Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, has asked government to compensate all Muslims who were unfairly arrested, detained and tortured over murder and related crimes in the country.

Mufti Mubajje who was delivering the Eid El Fitri sermon at Old Kampala National Mosque on Friday, said several Muslims have been found innocent by courts after undergoing hell in detention facilities.

“Government should compensate all Muslims who were arrested and tortured over criminality but were found innocent and released by courts. We also ask government to stop treating Muslims as the first suspects in every crime committed in Uganda. Muslims are peaceful people,” Mufti Mubajje said.

At least 19 Muslims who were arrested by police over the gruesome murder of police spokesperson, Andrew Felix Kaweesi, in March last year were released by court early this year after the failure by prosecution to pin them.
Court awarded some of the tortured suspects over Shs200 million. Most of them were tortured at the defunct Nalufenya Detention Facility in Jinja District.

Similarly, several suspects in the back to back killings of Muslim clerics were released by court late last year after spending more than a year in jail.

Citing the killing of Arua Municipality MP, Col Ibrahim Abiriga last week, Mufti Mubajje urged government to conduct a comprehensive investigation to establish why Muslims are always targeted by assassins.

“It’s Muslims who are mainly killed in this criminality and they are always the first ones to be arrested as suspects. It is high time the government investigated why we are the ones being killed and first ones to be arrested by security agencies,” he said.

Muslims in Soroti town pray at Soroti Sports Ground , PHOTO BY  GEORGE MURON

He told security agencies to desist from re-arresting suspects that are released by court because the act violated human rights and court process.

The Secretary General of UMSC, Sheikh Ramadhan Mugalu, asked Muslims to be peaceful and maintain the good manners they have exhibited during the month of Ramathan.

He urged Muslim clerics to stop preaching hatred since their messages are always believed by their followers.
In Eastern Uganda, the Busia District Kadhi, Sheikh Juma Jamil Obamajo while leading Idd prayers at Mabibira playground in Busia town said that in order to prevent crime, all people must be vigilant.

“We need to security conscious and report any suspicious development to concerned authorities,” Sheikh Obamajo said.

One of the Muslims who prayed at Soroti Sports ground poses for a photo. PHOTO BY GEORGE MURON

In Tororo, the District Kadhi, Sheikh Ibrahim Asante Ragang decried the increasing cases of domestic violence and challenged authorities to regulate sports betting firms.

During Idd prayers at Umar and Yumbe in Mbale town, Mr Issa Masaba, the Mbale District Kadhi, said security is a responsibility of all people.

Mr Masaba urged Muslims to remain faithful and peaceful.
“Forgiveness and repentance is one of the strongest pillars of Islam and ought to be practiced jealously as enshrined in the Quran,” he said.
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