Reports LeoOdera Omolo In Kisumu City
PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has warned against religious intolerance, saying it is one of the reasons that prompted him and his comrades to go to war in order to stabilize the country.
Addressing the All Africa Bishops Conference in Entebbe yesterday, Museveni said the formative years of religion in Uganda were characterised by friction between denominations.
Bishops sing after the All Africa Bishops Conference was officially opened by President Museveni at the Imperial resort Beach Hotel
“There was friction between the Protestants and Catholics and later between the two and Muslims. Protestants came in 1877 and the Catholics in 1879, but by 1890, we already had a civil war. You can imagine the confusion allegedly in the name of God,” he said.
From 1888, he noted, people were killing each other ‘on behalf of God’. “I don’t know where they met God to instruct them to go and kill each other, you should study this,” he told the prelates, throwing them into laughter.
That rivalry, Museveni added, went on into the 1970s, climaxing into the (former dictator) Idi Amin regime.
“This problem is one of the issues that formed my political awareness and together with my colleagues, we were determined to stop it. As a Christian, I challenged this and said: ‘This is not what God told you to do; you are all wrong’,” he said, to thunderous applause.
He reminded them of the story of the Good Samaritan who helped a man who had been beaten up by robbers, yet he (Samaritan) was not of the victim’s social caste.
“I am always looking for the Good Samaritan. Jesus said we shall know them by their deeds. Not clothes, titles or names, but by their deeds,” he stressed.
He described the religious wars going on in the world as okuhimbagira, “to disorient oneself in a very fundamental way”.
“You fight this one, fight that one; what is your problem? That I am a Muslim? If you are, so what? If I am a Christian, what’s your problem?”
“You are what you are, I am what I am and everyone of us is here in their own right by the permission of God; so you must accept me the way I am.”
He said there were some groups in Kawempe on the outskirts of Kampala some years ago who wanted to riot because somebody had eaten pork.
“I don’t eat fish because my people call it snake. I don’t eat chicken because my people think it makes one unstable, don’t eat pork and sheep but I am the number one promoter of piggery in the whole of Uganda.
“I think tolerance is firmly based on the Biblical story of the Good Samaritan,” he said.
The President, who was jolly and kept cracking jokes, invited the clergy to visit Uganda again, saying it is unique, being on the equator but experiencing permanent snow on Mt. Rwenzori because it is 5,000 metres above sea level. Only Kenya and Ecuador in South America, he added, have such an experience.
Addressing a press conference later, Orombi said they had met the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, over homosexuality which has split the Anglican church.
“He recognised that he has complicated work to do. We impressed it on him that he had totally gone in a different direction and he has to sort it out,” Orombi said.
He said the church in Singapore, south-east Asia and Africa had decided to stick to the Word of God and the Anglican Communion was strengthening its ties with them.
“We sympathise with his (Williams) position. It’s like having unruly kids in his house and he can’t sit down to eat food. We told him no more diplomacy on that matter,” he said.
Experts on family issues, maternal health and HIV/AIDS also made their presentations.
Dr. Peter Okaalet said the 10 killer diseases in Africa like malaria, HIV/AIDS and accidents are preventable.
“Africa has failed to prevent these 10 killer diseases because its health system is overburdened to the extent that it cannot deliver anything,” Okaalet said.
“Most of the budgets of the African countries offer $10 to $20 for health per person every year, which cannot do anything.”
Sylvia Mwichuli said Africa has the potential to end poverty. “Africa is not doomed, it has a lot of potential and South Africa has just exhibited it when she hosted a successful World Cup recently,” she added.
Mwiculi observed that the gap between the rich and the poor who struggle to live is very big and needs to be bridged urgently.
She challenged religious leaders to support people and groups of people who advocate for the positive change on the continent.
Ends