By Godfrey Olukya 12-4-2013
Muslims in Uganda have warned of a pending demonstration should ministry of foreign affairs not implore the Saudi Arabian embassy to start issuing them with visas.
Last year, Muslims in Uganda were denied going for Hija in Mecca due to the Ebola disease which had hit some parts of the country. Saudi Arabia Embassy in Uganda denied Ugandans who wanted to go for the pilgrimage visas fearing that they could easily transmit the disease to Mecca
According to Uganda Parliament Imam, Latif Sebaggala, Muslims across the country are to camp at the embassy of Saudi Arabia on the May 10th 2013 protesting the continued denial by the embassy over what he calls clumsy reasons.
Sebagala said, ‘Muslims in Uganda have a right to go to Mecca.We will not allow this to continue. We will demonstrate at the embassy to show our dissatisfaction. Muslims were last year denied visas to go for Hija at Mecca and Medina due to Ebola outbreak but World Health Organization has confirmed that the disease is no longer existing in the country.’Other Muslim members of parliament including Huda Oleru, Sebuliba Mutumba, Hood Katuramu and Sebaggala among others argue that despite Uganda having been declared Ebola free in November last year, the embassy is still quiet about issuing muslims with visas to allow them go for Humra which they say is unfair.
They say Saudi is using same grounds to deny Muslims visas to perform Humra which is to be in the next two months.
Hija is the 5th pillar of Islam which any Muslim performs by joining others at the two places- Medina and Mecca for prayers at least once in his or her lifetime. Humra is another requirement for a Muslim to go to Mecca at his convenience anytime other than the official Hija.
Islam leadership in the country has noted noted that the Saudi Arabia kingdom which is a custodian of prophetic message banned Ugandan Muslims from performing Hija in Medina and Mecca but to date, the ban has not been lifted despite reminders that they have to perform Humra in the next two
months.
END
