In October 2015, U.S. Mission Uganda hosted renowned American Muslim speaker Imam Mohamad Bashar Arafat, President of the Islamic Affairs Council of Maryland and founder of the Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation (see photo album here).
Imam Arafat facilitated several workshops in Kampala and the eastern districts of Mbale and Mayuge. Topics ranged from Muslim life and interfaith harmony and cooperation in the United States, as well as the constitutionally guaranteed freedom …of religious practice in the United States, with an emphasis on Islam and how it’s practiced in the USA.
The program sought to promote religious tolerance, interfaith dialogue, and youth empowerment among Muslim and interfaith communities in Uganda. Imam Bashar engaged in round-table discussions with Uganda Muslim leaders, Muslim youth, students at major Ugandan universities, local government officials, members of the inter-religious council, and NGO leaders.
He also addressed Muslim gatherings at selected mosques to demonstrate American values, cultural diversity, religious pluralism and tolerance, and to further cross-cultural understanding. Imam Arafat was also hosted by radio talk shows and TV to specifically talk about Islam in America and religious tolerance.
