Kigali, Rwanda - A Member of Parliament, Sheikh Abdoul Karim Harerimana, has said Muslims now enjoy freedom of worship without oppression as experienced during the past regimes in Rwanda.
“To be a muslim in Rwanda is no longer a shame and time to hide our muslim hats before entering a public office or during public functions is over.”
Karim said this recently during a thanksgiving ceremony held at the National University of Rwanda-Butare (NUR), organized by the University Muslim Students.
“In the past, Muslims had no say in national affairs, but today, the constitution puts all religions at the same level with equal right of participation in the affairs of our country. No more oppression can be subjected on us any more. We are in a new political and democratic dispensation where all citizens, regardless of their religious affiliations, are considered equal,” the former internal affairs minister observed.
Harerimana, who also served as the president of the Refugee Repatriation Commission, also called on Christian schools not to deny Muslim students the freedom to pray as their deserved constitutional right.
He was reacting to the claims raised by the President of the NUR Moslem community, Abdullah Utumatwishima, that Muslim students in some church-run secondary schools are forced to pray contrary to their faith (Islam).
He alleged that he knew many cases in Butare where students in secondary schools were forced to eat during the Ramandhan. Utumatwishima urged secondary schools to provide special prayer rooms for Muslim students.
During the ceremony, it was pointed out that Muslims were discriminated against right away from colonial period when the white fathers came to Rwanda. The discrimination continued after Rwanda got independence during the Kayibanda and Habyarimana regimes.
The chief guest, Prof. Chrysologue Karangwa, the university rector, said that discrimination in Rwanda had various levels that ranged from gender, ethinicity and religion, and urged moslem girls not to lag behind in education.
“We nolonger beg you to respect women’s rights.Gender balance is a government policy and what we have to do is to implement that policy,” he said.
Supporters of the moslem community of NUR were given certificates. Prof. Karangwa was singled out for his exemplary role and was offered a Koran as gift.
The Muslim students, who are now estimated at 108 at the university, are to be trained in conflict management through the University Center for Conflict Management(CCM).