Gen .Otafiire, Like All of Us, Must be Shocked by the Muslim Extremists in Yumbe District

Gen. Kahinda Otafiire, the Minister of Internal Affairs, must be deeply concerned by the recent events in Yumbe District, where members of the Muslim community reportedly attacked their fellow citizens of the Christian faith. Over the past few days, Muslims in Yumbe, led by the District Khadi, Sheikh Abdala Kassim, allegedly carried out violent acts targeting Christian residents engaged in the sale of pork and alcohol. Several businesses and pork-selling outlets were destroyed during the incident. The attackers claimed that the sale of pork in their district, where Muslims form the majority, was offensive to their faith. This was an unfortunate occurrence which, had the police not intervened promptly, could have resulted in significant loss of life.

Gen. Otafiire, known for his outspoken and often unconventional views on matters of religion and faith, must be questioning what has gone wrong with our Muslim brothers in Yumbe. To begin with, Article 29(c) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda guarantees “the freedom to practice any religion and to manifest such practice, which includes the right to belong to and participate in the practices of any religious body or organisation, in a manner consistent with the laws of Uganda.” Therefore, the Muslim leaders in Yumbe who allegedly orchestrated attacks against their Christian counterparts for engaging in the sale or consumption of pork should be held accountable under the law.

Religious extremism, whether within the Muslim or Christian faith, is a grave threat to humanity. Such extremists act not out of devotion to the living God, but to mislead their followers into believing that they are divine messengers sent to rid the world of sin. As a result, their followers are often conditioned to accept their words without question.

While speaking at the requiem mass of his fellow UPDF comrade, the late Maj. Gen. Levi Karuhanga, at St. Luke Church in Ntinda some years ago, Maj. Gen. Kahinda Otafiire startled many men and women of the cloth when he openly expressed doubt about the second coming of Jesus Christ. “Personally, I am not sure about the so-called second coming of Jesus Christ. What I am sure of is that Jesus will not find me alive,” he said. He went on to add humorously, “But if I were Jesus, I would not return, because if you people stoned him to death, then what would you do to him now that the world is full of nuclear weapons?”

As Ugandans, we need to reflect deeply on the gospel according to “St. Otafiire”, particularly his suggestion about how Jesus or Prophet Muhammad would react if they were to return to Uganda today. Indeed, we have distorted God’s message to such an extent that if the two holy men were to appear now, they would be utterly shocked by what they would find.

We have become such a selfish and uncultured group of believers that we are defiling this beautiful land that God entrusted to us. What is most disturbing and shameful is that we have carried our immoral behavior into places of worship, where the most gullible often gather, and have lured them into our deceitful and self-serving schemes.

There are countless stories of pastors and sheikhs across the country masquerading as preachers of God’s word, when they are conmen and women who have mastered the art of deceit to extort money and property from their unsuspecting followers. Having realized that many of our people struggle with financial and health challenges, these impostors exploit their desperation, convincing them to part with their meagre savings in the false hope of receiving miracles or blessings after special prayers.

Some Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS have even been deceived into abandoning their medical treatment in favor of so-called healing prayers offered by these fake “men and women of God.” Tragically, many of them have died because of discontinuing the medication that had sustained them for years.

Perhaps these are the false prophets we were warned about in the Book of Matthew 7:15-16: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?”

The Bible further cautions in Matthew 24:11: “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.” It continues to warn that in such times, numerous false prophets will appear, performing fake miracles and wonders to deceive God’s people.

Maybe Gen. Otafiire is right to suggest that perhaps our Lord Jesus Christ should delay His return, for we have become more sinful and corrupt than ever before. As a nation, we must begin serious conversations on establishing a regulatory framework for religious leaders. While this may not be an easy task, it is necessary because some of the actions of these so-called pastors and sheikhs amount to outright criminality. We could establish a legally mandated body to monitor and regularly inspect religious institutions nationwide to expose and decisively deal with those engaging in illegal activities under the guise of preaching the word of God.