_WORLD WATCH______________________________
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Uganda ________________
Protest Islamic designation
A secular or Muslim state?
The Catholic bishops of Uganda have questioned the decision of that country’s President Yoweri Museveni to join the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC).
“Uganda is a secular state,” observed the bishops. They questioned the president’s decision to “subscribe to religious factions” when the country is pledged to a separation of church and state.
Uganda—a predominantly Muslim country with a large Christian minority—first joined the OIC in 1974, under the leadership of the late dictator Idi Amin. The organization is dedicated to “strengthening Islamic solidarity and defending the ideals of mankind that spring from the indisputable principles and lofty teaching of the holy Qu’ran.” President Museveni responded sharply to the bishops’ criticism, saying: “The bishops don’t know what they are talking about. They are just like the Pharisees.”