The Mufti of Uganda Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje has decried the rivaling Muslim countries in the Middle East, saying they were damaging the image of Islam as a religion of peace.
“Islam is known for being a religion of peace but how can we convince the world when Muslims are fighting themselves?” Mubajje wondered in his Eid Message that delivered to tens of thousands of Muslims who turned up for today’s National Eid El Fitri prayers at Gaddafi Mosque, Old Kampala.
Mubajje was reacting to the current crisis amongst Gulf countries, in which a Saudi-led coalition that includes Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar on 5 June, accusing it of ‘harbouring a multitude of terrorist and sectarian groups that aim to create instability in the region’.
He advised the warring countries to abandon fighting and adopt dialogue as the best way of addressing misunderstandings. He also appealed to all world leaders, especially those in the Arab world to respect humanity by directing resources towards supporting those in need instead of spending on weapons that cause only bloodshed.
“Instead of spending millions of dollars to buy weapons, let us use this money to feed refuges and encourage peaceful means of solving conflicts as well as supporting development initiatives,” the Mufti said.
The Mufti’s sermon comes in the wake of a recent trip by US President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia, where he announced a $110bn arms sales package to Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Republican chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, Bob Corker has said the US Congress will hold up approval of arms sales to the Gulf as a result of the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar.
