President Yoweri Museveni has sponsored a total of 103 Ugandan Muslims ahead of their annual pilgrimage to Mecca this month.
A delegation comprising 68 male and 35 female pilgrims is scheduled to depart from Entebbe International Airport on the morning of Saturday September 2. The sponsored delegates come from all over the country.
In a later dated September 1, the Information and Communications Officer at the National Resistance Movement (NRM) Secretariat Rogers Mulindwa wrote; “The National Resistance Movement continues to pledge its continued support towards the promotion and protection of the freedom of worship among Ugandans and is willing to always place its keen eye on encouraging unity among believers of different religious sects.”
Meanwhile, NRM Secretary General Justine Kasule Lumumba has urged those making the pilgrimage to be good ambassadors throughout their performance of rituals. She has also wished them a fruitful spiritual and a happy Idi Adhuha.
The Islamic faith requires ‘able’ Muslims to make a pilgrimage ‘Hajj’ to Mecca at least once in their life time which is regarded to be a source of spiritual nourishment. The Saudi Arabia city is considered the holiest city in the religion of Islam.
Mecca is home to the ‘Kaaba’, by majority description Islam’s holiest site, as well as being the direction of Muslim prayer.