Stories of Change

Youths especially in rural areas of Eastern Uganda experience challenges like unemployment and illiteracy. This exposes them to violent extremism by self-seeking terrorist groups. After recruitment into subversive activities, these youths are excluded from social services, government programs and become rigid to change. MUSOGA NASUR from Magoola village in Buwunga sub-county is 18 years of age and is one of the beneficiaries of the youth mentorship programme. He was previously addicted to alcohol and Mairungi yet a Muslim. When he was identified by his Imam for the mentorship programe in 2021, he has since transformed as a youth and became a religious leader he has been teaching people about the Islamic faith.

He has had positive change by stopping to drink alcohol and taking marijuana. Currently works very well with people from other religions and prays that this relationship stays that way.He also works well with fellow youths and has taken on leadership roles at the mosque level.

“I have got confidence to speak to people in large gatherings, that is a skill I never had yet now I can address a large crowd even if they are 100” narrates Musoga after undergoing several mentorship sessions.
“I have been mentored and there is a change in my life and other youth I live with in Buwunga; generally we are in good terms, we no longer throw words of hate speech to fellow youth and learn a lot from each other. We tell each other stories that make us live together from the Bible and Quran”said Nasur during an interview session.
“I have learnt a few stories from the Quran and I have always told them the good practices and this helps us to co-exist.”
He highlighted the current needs; inclusive of getting more books on leadership and Islamic books that provide guidance and further teachings on religious co-existence and a space where to teach people from because the mosque space is always taken by other programs hence interrupting so youth need a separate independent space for themselves.
He called upon fellow youth to participate in mentorship and said that, as a youth leader lures them to join the reformed youth and pointed out that it is still a challenge to mobilize all the youth in Buwunga to benefit from the programme and understand what is religious pluralism and tolerance. This is because the distance is far and urged for appropriate means of transport to enable them reach more youth using himself as a role model former drug addict who turned into a youth leader at a mosque in Bugiri.

Since 2011 MCJL has been advocating for gender responsiveness in the Muslim adjudication systems. Several efforts were undertaken for informed advocacy, among those, MCJL conducted a BASELINE-SURVEY-ON-ACCESS-TO-JUSTICE-IN-QADHI-COURTS.pdf (mcjl.ug). It was previously observed that; Muslim women were not being represented on key decision-making processes and often men mishandled various gender issues. MCJL further conducted a women-led research study on Gender-Responsiveness-of-the-Muslim-Adjudication-System-in-Uganda_Research-Report.pdf (mcjl.ug). The research was shared with key stakeholders and used to advocate for an increased representation of muslim women on key decision making bodies. This was followed with sensitization through awareness campaigns, workshops and strategic meetings. When we embarked on implementation of JISRA with support from F2A, we continued with our advocacy in collaboration with other players. This helped to influence the amendment of UMSC Constitution Uganda Muslim Supreme Council embarks on journey to amend their constitution – Bukedde Online – Amawulire. Among the reforms realized, Muslim women happy to get representation to UMSC (independent.co.ug) through the General Assembly which is the top most governance body of the Muslim community in Uganda. There was also creation of the position of the deputy Head, Sharia and the same was reserved for women. Since Qadhis courts ran from National level to Village level, women are expected to get representation on all mosque committees at village, district and national level. Similar changes were introduced for the youths. Currently, UMSC is calling applications for women to fill up the vacancies and a few have applied. However, there is still a daring need to conduct sensitization and increase awareness and empower Muslim women and youths to get to these leadership positions. Unfortunately, the funds were not planned within the JISRA funding arrangement yet the DGF program that previously supported MCJL exited. Submit Reports About How DGF Closure Has Affected Your Operations; Gov’t Directs All NGOs in Uganda… – Grapevine News (thegrapevine.co.ug)

Before JISRA, MCJL was undertaking a lone advocacy journey for passing of the Muslim personal law. Through the advocacy engagements, we learnt that it is important to join hands with other non-Muslim agencies to understand Muslim FoRB issues for collective advocacy. MCJL collaborated with FIDA and came up with a policy brief (in draft) on operationalization of Qadhi’s Courts in Uganda. We also discussed FoRB aspects relating to Muslim Personal Law at the Domestic Violence Coalition that is made up of 12 CSOs. Eventually, CSOs are progressively contributing to JISRA principle objective of promoting FoRB. This contributes to STO.4.1 (a): Number of CSOs with increased capacities to deliver on JISRA objectives in intra, inter and extra religious settings

Bugiri District has 60% of its urban population being Muslims. Before intervention, there were high levels of religious intolerance across the religious divides. Rev. Bareke Geoffrey (real names) of the House of New Life Restoration Church East Africa (Pentecostal) is one of the Religious leaders who MCJL engages under JISRA.

After attending several dialogues on Tolerance and accommodation of diversity, on the 28th June, 2023, Rev. Baleke visited Bugiri Central Mosque to celebrate Idd El Adhuha with the Muslim Community. Since he had met the Muslim religious leaders during the inter religious meetings, they welcomed him and gave him a chair and fully recognized his presence before the congregation.

The Reverend appreciated the degree of tolerance exhibited by the Muslim community. Some Pastors criticized the reverend but he sensitized them about peaceful co-existence and they came to terms. In a previously extremist context, such tolerance by religious leaders is a big achievement for the JISRA Program.

Since March 2023, in Bugiri town council Muslims from different sects, developed a strong culture of working together as a team and promoted co-operation with fellow Muslims, despite their differences in religious practices.

Religious leaders from the Shia, Sunni and Salaafi communities have encouraged and integrated Muslim youth in religious mentorship after realizing that there was an amendment in the Muslim constitution after the General Assembly organized by the Uganda Muslim supreme council where at first youth and women were not involved in the settings but as per now due to the JISRA program youth and women are involved through preaching, sensitization sessions with tradition heads, herbalists and the communities who still practice harmful practices.

Muslim Centre for Justice and Law (MCJL) through the Participatory Grant Making (PGM)programme under JISRA supported Katwisanye Women’s Group with technical and financial support. The group is composed of 17 grassroot women from various religious dominations, 3 of which are youths. The group seeks to enhance livelihoods through small scale commercial agriculture and savings.

The women in the group had inter faith disputes arising from stereotypes in the religious setting. The Muslims were blamed for their practices that were not accommodative, marrying off young girls while the Muslims also labeled their Christian counterparts’ infidels. As a result of the clashes with the group, saving and development were slow.

With the intervention of JISRA & PGM, the group members were sensitized about peaceful co-existence and the how peace can enhance livelihood. The members opened up about each other’s’ religious reservations and progressively, all members agreed to respect each other’s faith. The internal religious wrangles ceased and more funds were saved in the group.

Katwisanye integrated peaceful co-existence in her programs. They sensitized the community to live in peace and desist from harmful traditional practices. Through this campaign, the group preached against child marriages and they were able to rescue a one Shakira 16 years from an early marriage and she was taken back to study S.3 at Bukooli College School. The group also mobilized another village of Buwunga to unite and form and all religious savings group (Twezimbe group) that sits weekly. This groups also replicates the inter religious approaches in her savings.

Shamim aged 28 cohabited with Joseph, a non-Muslim man and she conceived. The parents of Shamim who were Muslims threatened to disown her if she did not separate with the non-muslim husband. Out of pressure and Coercion, Shamim married a Muslim man, Fulan whilst she was in her early pregnancy. She gave birth and later left for the UAE to do domestic work. She left the child and other 2 children with Joseph.

The child got sick and died at the age of 7. After his death, on the 13th April, 2023, about 50 family members of the Muslim man Fulan came on a truck and wanted to forcefully take the dead body, to be buried in accordance with Muslim burial traditions. They met stiff resistance from Joseph’s family who threatened to set the truck ablaze. Joseph’s family wanted to bury the child in accordance with catholic traditions. A scuffle ensured and one of our JISRA Community Own Resource Person (CORP), Mr. AsumanMugwere invited the police and mediated both sides. The mother was called on Whatspp and she disclosed the right paternity. Both parties agreed that the child be buried by the Muslim family. The Catholic family also attended the burial and they were thanked for upbringing the child.

In a related story, Rev. Bareke Geoffrey (real names) of the House of New Life Restoration Church East Africa (Pentecostal) one of the religious leaders we engage under JISRA also shared that he had a worshiper (John) aged around 40 years. John’s family (wife and children) fellow shipped with him for over 10 years. John a year ago joined his church from Anglicanism. One month proceeding his death, John had left his church and joined Islam where he was circumcised and prayed from there. When John died in February, 2023, a dispute arose on which religious denomination should bury him. The Muslim youths wanted to take the body and police intervened.

Rev. Bareke engaged religious leaders from other religious denominations with whom they attend JISRA capacity building trainings, for a collective solution. After deliberations, the Muslims were allowed to pray for the deceased, the Pentecostals preached and the Anglicans laid the body in the grave. The preachers sensitized the masses on inter religious harmony and the need for peaceful resolution of disputes.
NB. The names used in this story have been altered due to conflict sensitivity and Do-No-Harm.

Since February 2023, in Rube cell, Yumbe town council there was a mind-set change that belief in togetherness brings peace.
“We live together as human beings first rather than a Christian or Muslim, prayer is all through one God.” Observed Gloria.

Although prayer is important in our life Gloria narrated that the way Muslims perform their prayers is what differs, otherwise Muslims are the same with Christians as humans. Gloria is married to a Muslim. Gloria lives together with a Muslim husband in marriage and the negative stereotypes and perceptions she previously has strongly changed. She believes we are first people as human beings and then believe in a religion. Even though people used to hate each other in Rube cell, a remote village in Yumbe Town Council because of religion, they nowadays look at us as a coexisting couple and emulate us. We never, end up talking ill about each other’s religion, JISRA programme has helped the couple to consolidate their relationship in marriage.

“Since our interaction with the community own resource person, Mudhathr we preach peace in our family and small groups of interaction in Rube village; that we are all one and believe in one GOD. In my village people are mixed up, with Muslims and Christians coexisting and there is no segregation. My husband lets me practice my religion and I also let the children practice their father’s religion, because children are supposed to follow their father’s religion because I’m a woman.”Said Gloria.

Before, Muslims used to behave differently with power over other religious denominations in Yumbe like Christians and born again. They spread a lot of hate speech but nowadays with the existence of the JISRA program it has helped to bridge the gap that existed. The collaboration has brought positive change because it encouraged my Muslim husband and other Christians to treat each other well because the continuous engagements through community conversations are interactive and advisory for peaceful coexistence.