Ugandan lawmakers condemn terrorism claims by authorities against Muslim citizens

By Godfrey Olukya

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Muslim members of Uganda’s parliament condemned the government Monday, accusing it of carrying out witch-hunts against Muslims whenever there is rebel activity in the country.

They said the government is always quick to point fingers at Muslims if acts of terrorism take place.

This comes after police issued in a statement saying they carried out operations in Luwero district in central Uganda where they arrested 60 Muslims, including women and children, who they claimed were being trained in rebel activities, noting they had been recruited from all over the country.

It identified Isah Kisinja Ssebuyiga as the one who had recruited all of them and said he was also leading the training.

Luwero Resident District Commissioner Richard Bwabye told the media that according to investigations carried out by the police, the people arrested were being taught how to carry out terrorist acts.

Muslim lawmaker Aisha Kabanda, speaking on behalf of Muslim members of parliament, told Anadolu Agency: ”Why is the government always quick at mentioning that whoever is arrested for terrorist activities is a Muslim? The government of Uganda has plans to always keep Muslims in fear so that they do not organize themselves.”

She said that for the past two years, many Muslims have been arrested on allegations that they are terrorists, but most of them have not been produced in courts of law to be charged for terrorism.

Another Muslim lawmaker, Siraj Ezama, told Anadolu Agency: “Our religion does not support terrorism. We Muslims are not agents of terrorism."

He said any Muslims arrested for acts of terrorism should be individually held instead of saying that Muslims are terrorists

For some time, the Ugandan government and its security agencies have been accusing some people, but mostly Muslim youth in the country, of supporting members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebel group, which originated in Uganda in the 1990s but are now based in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo.