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Not all Muslims are terrorists – Otafiire
Minister of Internal Affairs Maj Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafiire addresses the people during a sensitization campaign against calling Muslims terrorists in Jinja city on Wednesday. PHOTO | DENIS EDEMA
What you need to know:
- He said people fear Muslims in the community simply because the names of terrorists are Muslims which does not apply to everybody in that religion.
The Minister of Internal Affairs Maj Gen (rtd) Kahinda Otafire has encouraged Muslim communities to report anybody referring to them as terrorists for immediate arrest.
He said people fear Muslims in the community simply because the names of terrorists are Muslims which does not apply to everybody in that religion.
“Report anybody who refers you as a terrorist to the police for immediate arrest. Not all Muslims are terrorists,” Mr Otafire said during a peace dialogue themed “Stop calling Muslims Terrorists”, in Jinja on Wednesday.
He clarified that ADF headed by Jamil Mukulu who is currently in prison recruited young boys from districts including; Mayuge, Iganga, Namayingo, Kayunga, and Buvuma, in disguise of Madrasa teachings and took them into terrorism, but it does not mean that every Muslim is a terrorist.
Mr Otafire, however, explained that some rebel groups use religion to conceal their motives just like Holy Spirit Movement led by Alice Lakwena staged rebel activities in Busoga between 1986 and 1994, and that of Joseph Kony Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA).
The deputy director of counter-terrorism in the Uganda Police Force, SCP David Wasswa, said the purpose of the campaign is to sensitise the Muslim communities across the country that some people committing terrorism change their names to Muslim just to disguise security.
“There is amnesty for those who wish to come out of the rebel activities and that is why we are involving the communities such that when such people come back to live with them, they don’t isolate them,” he said.
The Busoga Regional Khadi, Dr Hussein Bowa, said it is unfortunate that some of the people who were recruited into rebel groups did not know what exactly they were going to do and some went because of poverty.
He thanked the government for coming up to sensitise the masses.
