Muslim factions welcome call for mediation, City cleric spearheads process

Muslim factions welcome call for mediation

City cleric spearheads process

 

KAMPALA. The two warring Muslim factions have welcomed an initiative by a city cleric Imam Idd Kasozi to mediate in a power struggle that has dogged the top Muslim leadership for eight years.

Speaking to Daily Monitor in separate interviews yesterday, both groups expressed readiness to take part in reconciliation talks if called upon.

“We have no problem being together if our brothers admit that they did a mistake and we move on. It has always been our wish and if there is any effort to achieve that, we welcome it ,” said Hajj Muhammad Kisambira , the secretary general for the Kibuli-based faction .

Hajj Nsereko Mutumba, the spokesperson Uganda Muslim Supreme Council said, his boss Mufti Sheikh Shaban Mubajje has already extended an olive branch to his rivals, and they were only waiting for that day to see them back under one fold.

“Our door has always been open and that is the reason why these days we attend even their events when invited,” he said

However, Kisambira said, they were skeptical on whether the Old Kampala group will respect reconciliation having failed several attempts in the recent past to resolve the conflict through talks.

“Basing on the experience, we doubt whether he [Sheikh Mubajje] will keep his word this time round. Several people  including the Saudi Ambassador to Uganda have tried to mediate between us but he seems not interested ”he said

“Before the controversial UMSC elections of 2012, he had also initiated talks with us through Dr. Ahmed Kisuule(Uganda’s Ambassador to Iran). The two groups appointed their members and talks began .Just as they were about to complete the exercise, the Mubajje team abandoned the talks without justification and went ahead to conduct elections unilaterally.” He added

Mutumba said all that could have occurred because both groups did not trust each other then.

“Let us build our reconciliation on trust and forget the misconceptions and that led to the collapse of earlier talks, ”he said

During the burial of former Masaka District Khadi Sheikh Huzairu Kiruta recently, Mubajje said he didn’t know that his death could bring them together and asked whoever was willing to reconcile them to come up. This is what seems to have energized Imam Kasozi to take up the task.

“Some people have been asking whether I am the right person to do that, I say yes! ,I am knowledgeable about Islamic issues and am a victim of Muslim disunity because my father dead as a result of fights in the community ,” he said yesterday

Imam Kasozi is the vice chairperson of Uganda Muslim Youth Assembly and a lecturer at Islamic University in Uganda.

He said he will only spearhead the reconciliation process, but experts in conflict resolution like Dr Khalid Lubega will be the key mediator.

“He[ Lubega ] has offered to take time off his busy schedule and will be in the country next week to kick start the process.” He said

Dr Lubega is the chair board of directors- Negotiation and Reconciliation Institute but currently living  in the US.

Mubajje has been under fire since 2006 when a section of Muslims accused him of fraudulently disposing community property in Kampala.

The conflict ended up in court, with Mubajje and others top UMSC officials facing criminal charges.

They were acquitted by court but the anti-Mubajje faction rejected the ruling, saying the magistrate’s pronouncement   that Mubajje lied in the property dealings disqualifies him to lead the Muslim faith and they  responded by electing a rival Mufti, Sheik Zubair Kayongo, at Kibuli. Since then both rivaling groups have clashed over management of mosques across the country which raised concern within the security circles.

Mubajje has severally dismissed the rival Muslims as an illegitimate and unconstitutional group that lacks moral standing. He insists his opponents are opportunists who are using the sale of Muslim property as an excuse to bring him down. He says the same group has always been opposed to his election as Mufti since the first day of his administration in 2000.