Kateregga calls for new ways of teaching Islam to fight terrorism

Prof Badru Kateregga, the proprietor of Kampala University, has advised institutions of higher learning to incorporate studies on Islamic fundamentalism to fight global terrorism. 

Terrorism is a global threat and in Uganda, some Muslim clerics have been arrested, and shot dead during arrest over suspicion of links to  terrorism. They are either being linked to al-Shabaab or the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), both linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS).  

“I applaud management for championing promotion of Islamic studies…the study of religion is critical in appreciating our history and the contemporary dynamics of the world and developing solutions to social injustice,” Prof Kateregga, who was the guest of honour at the third graduation ceremony of Al Mustafa Islamic College in Kajjansi, Entebbe Road, on Thursday, said. 

More than 160 graduates from three academic years between 2016 and 2019 were awarded diplomas and certificates in Business Administration, Education, Information Technology, and Islamic Studies. 

“Islam and Muslim communities are a rich part of our local history, so I appeal to management to add more value to Islamic studies by designing more course units that are relevant to modern trends,” he said.

He suggested course units such as Islam, modernism and contemporary society, among others. 

“These will help reduce the global ignorance and give a proper perspective of the true teachings of Islam among Muslims and non-Muslims in the contemporary world,” Prof Kateregga told an audience that included the college principal, Dr Rouhullah Dehghani and dignitaries from the Iranian embassy.  

In modern times, especially since the September 11, 2001 attacks on America by Al-Qaeda, an Islamic militant group, terrorism has largely been regarded as synonymous with Islam.

The common narrative is that the terrorists kill for a reward in paradise.  

“There’s a lot of ignorance. The Muslims are as ignorant about Islam as their non-Muslim counterparts. So we need to project the proper teachings of Islam to increase knowledge and scholarly work to reduce these misinterpretations and ignorance,” Prof Kateregga said. 

In 1980, Prof Kateregga and David W. Shenk co-authored a book titled A Muslim and a Christian in Dialogue, that discusses the differences and similarities between the two faiths. 

The book was also significant in opening dialogue between Kosovan Christian and Muslim leaders during the 1998–99 war for independence, which contributed to religious freedom being enshrined in the first constitution of Kosovo. 

Prof Kateregga also commended the Iranian embassy in Uganda for founding Al Mustafa Islamic College and pledged to work closely with the college in all aspects, including research.