Muslims in demo over Domestic Relations Bill By Solomon Muyita, Simon Kasyate & Ibrahim Kasiita The Monitor (Kampala) March 30, 2005 http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03302.php
--- photo: NO NO NO: The Mufti Sheikh Ramadhan Mubajje (with flag) flagging off the demonstrators at Old Kampala Mosque (Photo by Wandera w�Ouma). http://www.monitor.co.ug/images/cover03301.jpg --- KAMPALA � Thousands of Muslims from various parts of the country yesterday poured onto Kampala streets to protest against a Bill that proposes to outlaw polygamy. About 7,000 demonstrators, according to police estimates, marched through the city centre carrying branches, placards and banners opposing sections of the Domestic Relations Bill. The Bill is before Parliament. The demonstrators included veiled women, young and old, wearing hijab, the traditional Islamic dress, who led the men clad in Islamic cloaks chanting Allah Akbar (God is Great). The Muslims say the Bill is aimed at forcing them to follow Christian laws, by stopping polygamy, and forms of marriage allowed in Islam. The Uganda Human Rights Commission last month asked Parliament to outlaw polygamy, saying it undermines the dignity of women and the welfare of the family. Yesterday�s demonstrators flashed the four-finger sign and chanted �four to one.� The Quran permits four women for every man. They first converged at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) headquarters at Old Kampala as early as 8 am before the Mufti, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, flagged them off at 11.30 am. Security personnel in civilian clothes and a few baton wielding uniformed police guided the demo. Some of the placards read: �We don�t accept the interference with the Holy Quran�; �Marry women of your choice two, three or four and lastly one.� Others read: �Ugandan Women condemn the Domestic Relations Bill�; �Don�t force us to become terrorists�; �Dare not tamper with our Constitution - The Quran.� �We shall die for our Quran�; Jihad has arrived in Uganda�; �Leave Islam alone or we declare a Jihad against you.� Mubajje called upon every Muslim in the country to stick to the rules as they are written in the Quran. �The Quran caters for every aspect of marriage, children and relationship. There is no need of making another law for Muslims,� he said. �Muslims give birth to many children. I repeat, give birth to as many children as you can to increase our (Muslim) population,� he added. He reminded the Muslims that they constitute only 12 percent of Uganda�s population. �The Quran stipulates very well everything in marriage. A man can marry women depending on his ability to maintain and sustain the relationship,� he said. In a rare occasion, the mainstream Muslims united with Tabliqs and Mubajje handed the green Muslim flag to the Tabliq sect leader, Sheikh Jamil Kakeeto and the Director of Sharia at the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council, Sheikh Hussein Rajab Kakooza, to lead the procession through the city to Parliament. At Parliament, the chairman of the parliamentary Islamic caucus and Butambala county MP, Kaddunabbi Ibrahim Lubega, led a ten-member delegation into the Deputy Speaker�s chambers where they presented their memorandum to Ms Rebecca Kadaga. Additional reporting by Jane Nafula, Abou Kisige & Ali Senkabirwa. http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news03302.php __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Small Business - Try our new resources site! http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/resources/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Would you Help a Child in need? 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