Convention To Unite US Based Muslim Community Slated For October

By Our Reporter

The growing number of Ugandans in America has led to the rise in the growth of their cultures and lifestyles in their respective communities.
Latest reports coming in indicate that the Ugandan Muslim community in the USA is emulating other Ugandan groups that have been holding annual conventions by starting up their own convention.

The Uganda Muslim fraternity living in the United States under their umbrella body Uganda American Muslim Association (UAMA), have decided to organise the Muslim Convention 2022 which is slated for October, with the aim of fostering unity amongst Ugandan Muslims in America.

This time round, Ugandan Muslim youths in Boston, under the leadership of Sheikh Qudra Mbazira, will be the hosts of this year’s Muslim convention, which will run on the theme; ‘Re-invent and Re-energize’.
According to the organisers, this year’s convention is aimed at discussing various challenges and top on the agenda is establishing a Central Prayer Center that will be the main mosque, which is aimed at eradicating the practice of conducting Juma prayers in Hotels, bars and Universities premises.

The need to get permanent praying places (mosques) like other religions which have their respective worship places will be the main issue on the agenda.
The Muslim community wants to emulate the Ugandan Roman Catholics who have about three churches in Boston alone, Seventh Day Adventists who have two churches, Pentecostals who have countless churches spread throughout the United States, yet the Ugandan Muslim fraternity lacks mosques.

This year’s Muslim Convention is to be a platform to preach an end to self-seeking tendencies and factions amongst the Ugandan Muslim fraternity in America and to foster Unity.
We have learnt that the organisers have invited popular Muslim clerics Imam Ahmed Kyeyune, Sheikh Bruhan Kiti and others who will preach at this event.

This Muslim Convention was started with the aim of fostering unity among Ugandan Muslims in America amidst their political, social and economic differences.
Many Ugandan Muslims who live in different States within America have had several challenges but the main task for the Uganda American Muslim Association (UAMA) leadership has been bringing the fraternity together since the body’s inception 10 years back.

It is alleged that the infamous Old Kampala based Uganda Muslim Supreme Council and the Kibuli hill based factions had also infiltrated the Ugandan Muslim community in the US through a group of some self-seeking Ugandans, who recently started another splinter group that continues to fuel divisions among Muslims, which this forthcoming convention will discuss with hope of harmonizing all factions.

The Muslim Youth of Boston usually engage in many activities intended to unite the community, such as organising this year’s Idd day celebration which was attended by the Mayor of Waltham McCarthy and head of Waltham Police Department, who encouraged Ugandans to work together.

The head of Waltham Police Department revealed during the event that those wish to join the Police of Waltham can be helped with criteria to enlist.
It is through such engagements that the Muslim body managed to build such networks.
The UAMA body is headed by Imam Bukenya while Zena Mbega is the General Secretary.