Government commends UMSC for organizing workshop on Halaal meat

By WASWA TENYWA

The government of Uganda has lauded Uganda Muslim Supreme Council for organising a Halaal stakeholders’ workshop.

The workshop was aimed at deepening Halaal Standards in the country.

First Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali while presiding over the workshop on Thursday at the UMSC Headquarters Old Kampala thanked the UMSC Halaal Directorate for organizing the workshop. He urged all people and institutions involved in the animal and food industry to respect the rights of animals, noting that mistreating them was un-Godly and illegal.

The constitution of Uganda says whoever mistreats animals was abusing their rights and therefore breaking the law.

“Those involved in mishandling animals should be arrested and taken to court,” Gen. Ali said.

Gen Ali commended President Museveni for issuing the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council title and appealed to the Muslims to unite and take Uganda Muslim supreme as their umbrella body.

Speaking during the same workshop, the Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Joy Kabatsi was grateful to be part of a new era of public private partnership between government of Uganda and UMSC.

Kabatsi expressed dissatisfaction with the mode of transporting cows noting that some times they are transported in car-boots.
“We cannot eat good meat when the cows are being mishandled because they reach here very stressed” she noting that Halaal meat is safe meet.
She revealed that there is growing market for Halaal meat in Saudi Arabia and other countries and pledged to work closely with the UMSC Halal Directorate to ensure that the meat exported is Halal meat.
“Let us keep working together because this is very important for my sector, for this country, internationally and the market of beef” Hon. Kabatsi said.
Speaking on behalf of His Eminence the Mufti of Uganda Shk. Shaban Ramadhan Mubaje, the UMSC Director of Sharia Shk. Yahaya Ibrahim Kakungulu thanked the government for recognising the right of Muslims to slaughter animals.
“In Islam, slaughtering in part of Ibaada (worship)” he said.
To the Muslims, Shk. Kakungulu appealed to them to keep personal interest out of the Halaal issues.
“If we abuse the institution of Halaal, we risk losing it”.

The author can be reached on tenywawaswa@yahoo.com