Muslim leaders reject claims Islam permits kidnapping, ransom and killing of captives

What the report says

Uganda’s Muslim leadership has publicly rejected claims that Islam allows kidnapping people for ransom and killing captives, saying such conduct is a serious crime and has no support in the Quran or Sunnah. The response came from Deputy Mufti Sheikh Muhammad Ali Waiswa and Uganda Muslim Supreme Council National Chairperson Prof. Dr. Muhammadi Lubega Kisambira, who addressed the issue amid concern over social media videos that appeared to connect the 2018 killing of businesswoman Susan Magara to a supposed religious obligation.

According to The Independent Uganda, the comments were made during the burial of Hajjat Rukia Ndibaise in Nakalama, Iganga District. Waiswa said the videos were harmful and urged authorities to investigate those responsible for circulating them. He also said the Mufti’s Office would formally take up the matter, arguing that the alleged statements risked falsely tying a criminal act to Islam and could fuel hatred or religious division.

Kisambira likewise said crimes committed by Muslims should be treated as individual acts, not evidence of Islamic teaching. The article says he questioned efforts to portray the Magara case as religiously motivated, including the use of Islamic attire in court. The Muslim leaders stressed that protecting human life is a core principle of Islam and that kidnapping, unlawful detention, extortion and murder remain forbidden regardless of who commits them. The same gathering also included calls for Muslims to live righteously and remember the temporary nature of life.