Uganda: Makerere's Muslim Students Demonstrate

Francis Kagolo

24 May 2009

Kampala — MUSLIM students at Makerere University demonstrated against what they call "oppression" by the institution on Friday.

The students, led by their president, Mubarak Lukeberwa, protested a university policy that bars female Muslim students from entering examination rooms putting on head gears.

Waving placards reading "Accord Islam value, don't undress us," the students marched from the university mosque to the main building, to petition the top administrators.

The Police rushed to calm down the students after they turned rowdy on finding the main building locked.

Lukeberwa, also the president of the Muslim Students Association of Uganda, said the Sharia law required women to cover their heads and males to wear caps.

"We abuse our Islam when we are forced to put off our religious attire," said Lukeberwa, adding that the lecturers were discriminative because they never told Catholic nuns to remove their veils.

During the protest the students said the ban was now operational in all faculties.

students to remove their head gear during exams last year, a move they said would avoid cheating.

Abdul-Nasser Kalyenga, a finalist, said a lecturer had forced him to remove his cap while doing an exam.

Rehema Muganga, a second year student, also said she was ordered to put off her veil.

Makerere has over 35,000 students, about a quarter of whom are Muslims.

Friday's incident is the second time the Muslim students are protesting over their dress code.

In May last year, they said the ban had been enforced at the school of education and faculties of social sciences, arts and economics and management.

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