Emin Pasha’s Nubian soldiers spread Islam in West Nile

About 150 years ago, the Islamic faith found its way into West Nile region, in a manner, unlike anywhere in Uganda.

Islam arrived in West Nile through soldiers who were recruited into the ranks of Anglo-Egyptian soldiers and served in what is present day Sudan.

The story of Islam in Aringa, according to Hajji Jafari Delu, starts in Aringa. Islam did not come to West Nile from Buganda, like other parts of the country, who were converted by Arabs who were associated with the Kabakas of Buganda, or by the Baganda converts.

In 1850, an army from Egypt led by the Austrian Emin Pasha came down to rule the Equatorial Province. At that time, the territory, known now as West Nile was under Belgian power. Emin Pasha came to Northern Uganda to recruit able-bodied people to fight for him when he was the Governor of Equatorial Province.

Among his recruits in Aringa County, now known as Yumbe District, were Addu Anule of Ambala clan, Okuni Diba from Anyifira, Azabo Uruta from Aliapi, Geriga Ondoga from Lango, Abiyo Longira from Romogi and Andi.

The recruits were brought to Emin Pasha’s camp, where they found his soldiers were Muslims. These Nubian soldiers converted the recruits to their belief in Allah.

Arua District Khadi, Hajji Amin Maga explains that when the British arrived, it was Addu Anuke who suggested that they create a second document to backdate their arrival, compared to the dates of Belgians.

So when later the British laid claim to the area, presently Arua, the Belgians protested and decided to consult the earlier documents. When they found documents stating that the British had arrived first, they left Arua for the British, thanks to Maga.

This also followed with the naming of the main men who influenced the spread of Islam in the area. Addu Anule was named Fadhal el Mula Ali, Okuni Diba was called Fadha el Mula Morjan, Azabo was named Bilal Farjala, Geriga Ondoga was called Adam Mbasasaka, Abiyo was named Rizi, and Andi was named Asubala.

Seeds of Islam planted
In 1911, after their service under Emin Pasha, they were retired and came back to Uganda, setting up their barracks in Bombo.

Three years later in 1914, Addu returned to his Aringa land, leaving his colleagues behind in Bombo.

Thereafter Addu was named chief in Aringa. This was the time peope in Aringa worshipped evil spirits (Abiyonga). Addu had converted to Islam, and so, he began influencing his people to become Muslim.

Addu wanted to convert the Aringa people before they could move to the other areas. They also quickly started giving the converts Muslim names and circumcising them.

By January 1916, the first Muslims were circumcised in the first mosque called “Alelinga” in the clan of Renda. The person who carried out the circumcision rite was one, Charaka. The converts were numbered about 19, according to Hajji Jafari Delu.

The conversion of these people to Islam was a remarkable event in Aringa. Addu had to ask fellow military colleagues with whom he had been in Khartoum, to come and teach these people. Ramadan Abyia from Ayivu who was well versed in Islam became the first “Sheikh” of Aringa.

By 1920, a white father, called Valcavi, an Italian missionary visited Addu. He asked Chief Addu to give him land to start Christianity. At first, he refused because he was against colonialists.

But the Commissioner forced him to give out land. Addu gave him the place of Lodonga. The first Christians in West Nile were Ambrogio Guma, his father Edward Chabe, and Giorgio Ariga from Robu.

Addu played a big role in promoting both the spread of Christianity and the spread of Islam. He allowed the Christian missionaries to operate in certain areas, building churches and schools, while the Muslims lived in separate areas.

Islam and Christianity conflict
At the time, the missionaries lamented against the barracks of Arua for the immorality and vices. Here, the historic group of Nubians made laws and traditions at their wish. They were Muslims linked to corrupt chiefs of the place like Fadha el- Mullah Ali of Aringa and Fadha el Mullah Morjan of Bondo.

When the process of conversion was met with stiff resistance from Christians who had already established churches with a high number of believers, the Muslims sometimes started attacking them by night.

The catechumens, for example, were allegedly beaten on the way going to the mission for instruction by Muslims and chapels were burnt during the night.

Muslims of Aringa established Koranic schools (garan) for their children and acquired a great following to their faith, on top of gaining supremacy in trade all over West Nile.

The Christian missionaries mainly built health centres, churches, formal schools, and vocational schools. During this period, the conditions for attending these missionary schools were very strict.

If a student was not Christian, he or she needed to convert by the level of P.4. Many Muslim parents removed their children from school at this point because they did not want to convert to Christianity.

The post-Independence period
Muslim children in West Nile were disadvantaged under the missionary school system, where they were faced with a choice of conversion to Christianity or dropping out of school.

After Independence, however, the then Prime Minister Milton Obote helped relax the conditions for school attendance, and Muslims began building public schools in 1966.

A number of Muslims have since put up their own private schools.

Islamic schools today teach both ‘secular’ education and Islamic education, including history, Islamic law, and Arabic. The teaching of Arabic in particular is a major attraction for Muslim families. These schools are both public and private.

Meanwhile, public schools also teach religious education in addition to secular education. Students can choose between IRE (Islamic religious education) and CRE (Christian religious education). This was started during Obote’s regime in 1966/67.

In a movement that started in Buganda, increasingly there are Islamic formal schools with secular education that are coming up now and then in West Nile. They are mostly in the municipality of Arua.

Madarassas though, still exist, but they are only part-time and students usually attend when they are on the break from their formal schools.

More than a century down the road, the seeds of Islam planted in West Nile by a couple of local people, has seen its growth and the followers of Allah still carry the flame of Addu forward.

[email protected]