Muslims asked to register charity organisations to avoid being linked to terrorism

The Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) has asked Muslims to register charity organisations to avoid allegations of sponsoring terrorism.

The remarks followed reports that security was investigating some local organisations with ties to Hamas, a Palestinian based militant group, which has been designated as a terror group by some countries.

The reports said that some of the implicated organisations are Muslim founded.

Ashiraf Zziwa, the acting Public Relations Officer at UMSC said this is not the first time Muslim organisations in Uganda both local and international are being accused of accessing funds from terror groups to advance their agendas.

"Some time back, some madras (Muslim learning centres) and mosques in different parts of the country were closed under the supervision of Gen Kale Kayihura, the former police chief, on similar grounds,"said Zziwa.

He said UMSC as the supreme body of all Muslim organisations voiced its concerns prompting government to clear many of the implicated organisations to pave way for them to resume their operations.

"UMSC through its social services department wishes to reiterate its earlier communication to the public that offering charity is one of the divine tenets of the Islamic faith as it is meant to ease the burden on vulnerable people including orphans, widows and the elderly,"Zziwa said.

He said it is disturbing for one to try and link such noble services to terrorism.

UMSC reminded all Muslims who wish to set up charity organisations to follow the laid down procedures regulating their operations and work closely with the council for easy monitoring, supervision and evaluation.