The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has explained the circumstances for the shift in the dates for commemorating Muslim martyrs to June 10 effective this year.
Previously observed on June 1, the remembrance day has been shifted to June 10, effective this year. Prof. Badru Kateregga, Chairperson of the Development Committee of the martyrs’ site reveals that this aims to distinguish the Muslim commemoration from the Christian festival, which honors the 45 Christian converts killed in Namugongo during Kabaka Mwanga II’s reign.
Kateregga explained that the change would help avoid confusion between the Christian celebration of martyrs and the Islamic commemoration.
“In Islam, we commemorate martyrs but do not celebrate them. With events previously held on the same days as those of Christians, one could easily lose focus, and that is why we have changed the dates,” he said during a press briefing at his residence in Bunga, Kampala.
He added:” Islam upholds martyrdom and martyrs in high esteem and that is why their bodies are not washed on death”
The revised program will commence with prayers for the Muslim martyrs at the Shuhadah Mosque in Namugongo on June 8, 2024. The commemoration will include a trail following the paths of the Muslim martyrs, culminating in an event at the Gadaffi national mosque on June 10, which will also mark the 50th anniversary of the UMSC.
Kateregga said that besides those killed at Namugongo, there are many other Muslim martyrs who deserve prayers, including those who perished in incidents like the 1979 attacks. Research into these matters is ongoing.
In the aftermath of Amin’s downfall in April 1979, 67 Muslims were killed in Sheema district, southwestern Uganda, and their bodies disposed of in the Rwizi River. Nine mosques were destroyed, and numerous Muslim homes and crops were burned down during this tragic period.
Historical records indicate that around 1874/75, during Kabaka Mukaabya Walugembe Muteesa I’s reign, Muslim converts were the first individuals in Buganda to be executed due to their newly adopted foreign religious beliefs. Approximately 80 to 100 Muslim converts were killed in Namugongo, predating the later execution of Christians in 1886. The site had long been used for executing royals and court officials, a practice dating back to King Kyabaggu’s reign in 1760.
Government has allocated 200 million shillings to UMSC for the official commemoration of the Muslim martyrs day.
The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) is also seeking 31 billion shillings to redevelop its site at Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, to replace the current dilapidated memorial mosque with a new and improved structure.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to honor Muslim martyrs and to create a significant site for commemoration.
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