Muslims in the country have been called upon to start recognizing the deaths of all the Muslim martyrs that were killed by Kabaka Mutesa I by offering prayers for them.
The call was made by Uganda Muslim council, during the commemoration of the Muslim martyrs that was held at the Masjid Noor Namugongo Muslim Martrys mosque on Thursday. It is believed that more than 74 Muslims were killed between 1874 and 1876 by Mutesa I of Buganda. Historians, however, documented mainly the Christian martyrs killed between 1885 and 1887 by Muteesa's son and successor as Kabaka, Basamula-Ekkere Mwanga.
The message was carried by Sheik Hatwib Mukulu Wakika, who was representing the Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje at the commemoration. Sheikh Hateib, said it is a shame that Muslims were the first martyrs to be killed and yet some Muslims do not commemorate their deaths but rather criticise those that do.
The Muslim martyrs are believed to have been killed a decade earlier than the Christian martyrs who were executed between January 31, 1885 and January 27, 1887.
Professor Badru Kateregga, Vice Chancellor of Kampala University said that just like Christians, Muslims have matters but the only difference is that while some Christians make a pilgrimage for their martyrs, Muslims are supposed to just pray for them.
Unlike at the Catholic and Anglican shrines that were thronged by large numbers of people, at Masjid Noor, the numbers were few. Kateregga says that he hopes that with more sensitisation about the martyrs, more Muslims in future will participate in the commemoration of their fallen martyrs.
