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Uganda: Gadaffi Ignorant
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The Monitor (Kampala)
23 March 2008
Posted to the web 23 March 2008
Yasiin Mugerwa
Kampala
THE Libyan leader's mid-week frontal attack on the Bible has continued to elicit strong responses from Christian and non-Christian leaders alike, with Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga describing Col. Muammar Gadaffi's views as provocative.
"Had the Christians said something similar [about] the Koran, there would be war," Dr Lwanga, who is the Catholic archbishop of Kampala, said during Good Friday prayers at Nakivubo Stadium. "But we need to forgive him and pray for his conversion."
Interestingly, Col. Gadaffi questioned the Bible's authenticity at the same Nakivubo Stadium in Kampala on Wednesday while leading celebrations to mark the birth of Prophet Muhammad.
The Libyan leader said that someone had deleted the name of Prophet Muhammad from the text of the Bible and as such it is a forgery. He thus called for the search of the genuine Bible.
But Christian leaders are having none of it.
"To say that the Bible is a forgery because Prophet Muhammad is not included [is] distorting religious facts," Dr Lwanga said. "The Koran came in 610 AD long after the Bible [had been written] in 1450 BC. How can we be blamed for not including what was not in existence?"
MP David Bahati (NRM, Ndorwa West), the secretary of the Uganda Parliamentary Fellowship, said yesterday that Col. Gadaffi's remarks were a direct attack on the principles of tolerance and co-existence.
"It is clear that Col. Gadaffi's views had nothing to do with the Muslims in Uganda and our people should ignore his remarks," Mr Bahati said. "We have lived together harmoniously and no one should promote disunity among our people."
Some Muslims appear to have also been taken aback by the directness of the Libyan colonel.
MP Ibrahim Kadunabbi (NRM, Butambala), the chairman of the Uganda Muslim Parliamentary Caucus, said: "As Muslims, we are mandated to reflect on our utterances, this is what religion says. It was crucial for Col. Gadaffi to first think over before saying anything like that to avoid causing problems."
Makerere University Chaplain Larry Kanyike dismissed Col. Gadaffi as a man ignorant of the subject he was talking about.
"Gadaffi attacked the Bible because he is a Muslim and assumes that other religions are secondary, which is not correct," Fr Kanyike said yesterday. "Gadaffi is a politician, not a biblical scholar."
The head of the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches yesterday expanded the attack on the Libyan leader that he first voiced in remarks reported on Thursday.
"Col. Muammar Gadaffi is ignorant," an angry-sounding Apostle Alex Mitala told Sunday Monitor on Friday. "With such ridiculous remarks, it is now clear that his mission here was not closing the Afro-Arab [Youth Festival and opening the Gadaffi National Mosque] but to spread Islam and that is why he messed up things."
Added Apostle Mitala: "His comments were not only outrageous but also nonsensical because the Bible was written 600 years before Prophet Muhammad was born."
The Libyan's views have so roiled the waters that various Christian groups are falling over themselves in condemnation.
"This issue cannot be taken lightly," said the Rev. Canon Aaron Mwesigye, the provincial secretary of the Church of Uganda speaking on behalf of Archbishop Luke Orombi.
"For us in the Church of Uganda, we have already issued a statement on this matter. But again, under our umbrella organisation [the Uganda Joint Christian Council - UJCC] we are going to issue another statement on Tuesday on the same matter because we're deeply concerned."
Archbishop Orombi is reported to be on a working trip out of the country. Fr Kanyike of Makerere said calls being made by some sections of the Christian community for Col. Gadaffi to apologise "are useless because Gadaffi does not understand what he was talking about and you cannot base an apology on ignorance".
Several Christian leaders demanded an apology from the Libyans on the same day Col. Gadaffi spoke out.
The government, which appears to be feeling the heat generated by the President's guest who abruptly left the country on Thursday, is meanwhile keeping quiet hoping the furore will run its course and die out.
"As government we have no intention to respond to such remarks," said Dr James Nsaba Buturo, the minister of Ethics and Integrity. "Col. Gadaffi's comments were individual remarks and the government has no business with such."
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Christians account for more than 80 percent of Uganda's population of nearly 30 million.
Ghadafi has crossed the line and this is the beginning of his downfall as a dictator and a misuser of his country's wealth. Christians will not fight but the Lord is fighting him as we speak. The battle started the day and minute he uttered those words. He was led by his friend Satan so that as he falls from grace to grass, he will be laughing at him. Lord, let their be sign to show this man that enough is enough. We have seen this happen in many countries around the world. A Minister years back desecrated a catholic... [Read Full Text]
. I AM NOT SURPRISE ABOUT GHADAFI BECAUSE I AM ANOYED ABOUT THE AFRICAN LEADERS THEY FOLLOW HIM. HE IS LOUGHING AT THEM GHADAFI HE IS NOT AN AFRICAN HE IS AN AXEPTED ARAB .
GHADAFI HOW MONEY AFRICAN PRISIONERS THEY ARE IN YOUR COUNTRY.
GHADAFI PLS SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH AND SEND YOUR PEOPLE TO SCHOOL TO EDUCATE THEM. HE IS THE WEEKED AFRICAN LEADER GOD HE PUNISH YOU. LOOK WHAT HE DID TO LIBERIA, SEIRALEON AND KNOW HE IS SUPORTING MALI RABELES NIGER RABLES ETC. HE IS THE LEADER OF RABELES PLS DONT ALLOWED HIM... [Read Full Text]
AFRICANS CREATE CONDITIONS, IMAGES AND STEREOTYPES THAT MAKE THEM TO BE SCORNED AND DISRESPECTED BY NON-AFRICANS
It is very disturbing that despite the enslavement, colonization and exploitation of Africa by Europeans and Americans that Africans have not learned anything.
Despite the rape and murder of millions of Africans using man-made viral attack (HIV-Aids and Ebola) still Africans have not learned anything and are still "sleeping".
When will they wake up?
Most Africans have no idea what is happening in Europe and America or WHAT other people think of them.
All over the world non-Africans look down on Africans and... [Read Full Text]
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