Arua Muslims Acquire shs130m Modern Cemetery Land
bdr
BY ANDREW COHEN AMVESI
ARUA. Muslims under the Arua Muslim District Council administration have acquired land for burying their own.
This is after the current cemetery, which was opened up in 1918 got filled up, leaving bereaved families with no option other than burying their loved ones at their ancestral homes.
The 5-acre land worth shs130m has been acquired in Oreku along Arua-Koboko road in Ayivu Division, Arua City to establish a modern cemetery for the Muslim faithful.
While making the final payment of shs60m at Muktar Mosque in Arua town on Tuesday, Sheik Shaban Abu Jafar, the Arua District Khadi said the land now belongs to Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC).
He added that the land will be used for burying Muslims and non-Muslims because the dead deserves the right to be buried.
The money for purchasing the cemetery land was raised during a fundraiser at Arua primary school ground last Sunday.
According to Al-Hajj Isa Afeku Kato, the chairman organizing committee of the fundraising drive, over shs80m was realized during the function.
He said the money is part of the shs800m earmarked for the project which includes land acquisition, building a house for washing dead bodies, drilling a borehole, building a waiting shade, purchasing an Ambulance and a Fuso Lorry, titling the land, grading and also fencing the land.
“This cemetery here is for Uganda Muslim Supreme Council. We have not discriminated, although the same fundraising has been betrayed by our brothers (the Kibuli faction), they are betraying where they are going to be buried,” Jafar said.
“Whether you contributed or you didn’t contribute or you betrayed it, the moment you die, who is going to have a case with you?” Jafar asked, adding that very many have been buried at the old cemetery where we don’t do identification; you man, are you from Supreme Council, are you from Kibuli, no we don’t do that.
Jafar said they are for peace and unity, and as a result, they are not going to fight with the dead because the dead is the most peaceful.
“So, take this one from us that the administration which is running Muslim affairs in Arua is called Arua Muslim District Council. Burial for all Muslims whether you are a Shiat even a non-Muslim, if you don’t have where to be buried, we shall take you to be buried there. If a dead body collapses here and we don’t know who the owner is, we shall take the body to the cemetery because that person has right of burial,” Jafar stated.
Sheik Juma Bhakit, the UMSC Secretary for Education commended Arua Muslim District Council leaders for their effort in ensuring that the cemetery land is finally purchased.
“I thank you for mobilizing people who came in that mammoth population that I saw at Arua primary ground. The motto of UMSC is unity and development and you can’t have development without unity, and you can’t have unity unless you have the people. The new constitution of UMSC which you people were also involved in giving ideas says that every Muslim; male and female and a Ugandan is a member of UMSC. Therefore, when we talk of UMSC we are not talking about Mufti and the headquarter but we are talking about you people,” Bhakit said.
After handing over the cash to the landlord, David Nyakuni, he later joined Sheik Jafar in signing final documents in regard to the land.
The Muslims are expected to organize more fundraising events with the aim of realizing the shs800m budget.
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