IGANGA, Uganda — National Muslim leaders have rejected claims that Islam permits the kidnapping of people for ransom and the subsequent killing of captives, describing such acts as criminal and contrary to Islamic teachings.
Deputy Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) National Chairperson Prof. Dr. Muhammadi Lubega Kisambira condemned the circulation of video clips in which two convicted murderers allegedly claimed that the killing of businesswoman the late Susan Magara was carried out as part of a religious obligation.
Hajara Nakandi and Abbas Musa Buwembo were among nine people convicted by the High Court over the 2018 kidnapping and murder of Magara, who had been abducted for ransom.
The Muslim leaders said there is no basis in the Quran or authentic Islamic teachings for claims that Muslims are permitted to kidnap people for ransom or unlawfully kill captives.
Sheikh Waiswa described the alleged religious justification contained in the videos as false, heretical and dangerous, stressing that Islam does not sanction kidnapping, extortion or the unlawful killing of captives.
He made the remarks on Friday, August 7, 2026, during the burial of Hajjat Rukia Ndibaise, mother of Dr Sheikh Hassan Muhammad Mwaita, the UMSC General Assembly representative for Iganga Muslim District, Deputy Regional Assistant to the Mufti in charge of Busoga and a director of Ibn Baaz Islamic Schools.
Hajjat Ndibaise was buried at Nakalama Trading Centre in Iganga Muslim District.
Sheikh Waiswa said the Mufti’s Office was preparing a formal protest to the relevant authorities over the circulation of the videos and called for investigations into their origin and dissemination.
“The Mufti’s Office is soon writing a protest letter to the authorities questioning the motives of those behind the circulation of the videos,” Sheikh Waiswa said.
He questioned the motives of those responsible for spreading the clips, warning that associating the murder with Islam could malign the faith and undermine Uganda’s tradition of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance.
Sheikh Waiswa also urged authorities to establish how the videos originated and how they were circulated, saying their continued dissemination could damage the moral fabric of society and fuel religious tensions.
He added that Muslim leaders would offer special prayers asking Allah to expose those behind what he described as attempts to spread hatred and undermine religious harmony.
Prof. Kisambira similarly condemned attempts to associate the Magara murder with Islam, noting that Muslims, like people of other faiths, can commit crimes, but criminal conduct should not be presented as Islamic teaching.
“We are not denying that Muslims commit crimes, but linking the high-profile murder of the late Susan Magara to the Islamic faith poses many questions,” Prof. Kisambira said.
He further said circumstances surrounding the presentation of the convicted suspects, including their appearance in what he described as new Islamic attire when they received their sentences, raised questions that authorities should examine.
The Muslim leaders stressed that Islamic teachings on captives and warfare cannot be invoked to justify the criminal kidnapping of civilians for financial gain or the unlawful killing of captives.
They said the Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad emphasise justice, prohibit the taking of innocent life and require humane treatment of captives. They also clarified that provisions concerning the release or ransom of captives in the context of legitimate warfare operate within specific legal and ethical rules and cannot be equated with criminal kidnapping for profit.
The leaders cautioned Muslims and the wider public against treating statements made by convicted criminals as authoritative representations of Islamic theology, particularly where such claims are not grounded in recognised Islamic scholarship.
The message was reinforced by Dr Sheikh Hussein Muhammad Bbowa, the Busoga Regional Assistant to the Mufti, and Sheikh Sinan Muwanika, the Kadhi of Iganga Muslim District, who also addressed mourners during Hajjat Ndibaise’s burial.
The clerics used the occasion to remind Muslims of the temporary nature of earthly life and the Islamic obligation to live righteously and prepare for accountability before Allah.
They urged the faithful to shun wrongdoing and strive to live in a manner that earns Allah’s pleasure.
Hajjat Ndibaise was remembered as a woman who devoted herself to raising and educating her children following the death of her husband.
The burial was attended by Second Deputy Mufti Dr Sheikh Hafiz Muhammad Harunah Bukenya, who led the funeral prayers; UMSC national executive members; General Assembly representatives; members of the Majlis Al Ulama; Kadhis from the Busoga and Eastern Muslim regions; prominent sheikhs; cultural and political leaders; institutional heads; and students.
The post Muslim Leaders Reject Claims That Islam Permits Kidnapping, Killing of Captives for Ransom appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.