Uganda Muslim Supreme Council launches 9th annual green Friday

By Waswa Tenywa

Thousands of Muslims attended the 9th annual Greening Friday which was held yesterday at the UMSC headquarters Old Kampala.

This annual event is organised by Uganda Muslim Supreme Council (UMSC) as part of its ongoing programs to promote environmental conservation.

The days activities were presided over by His Eminence the Deputy Mufti of Uganda Shk. Abdallah Semambo.

In his remarks, Shk. Semambo commended the Greening Friday Coordinator and the climate change Icon Hajat Aphuwa Sebyaala for promoting tree planting and mobilising Muslims all over Uganda to conserve the environment.

He stressed the importance of conserving nature noting that plants or trees consume the carbondioxide released by people and produce the oxygen that people breath in to survive.

He said Muslims should be the champions of environmental conservation because it is emphasized in the Holy Quran and Hadith.

Sheikh Semambo later planted a fruit tree and gave out seedlings to several people.

The UMSC Secretary General Hon. Haji Ramadhan Mugalu called upon friends of environmental conservation to support UMSC ongoing efforts to save nature.

Haji Nsereko Mutumba, the UMSC spokesperson urged Muslims to invest in tree planting noting that trees are sources of fruits, money and medicine among others.

Hajat Aphuwa Sebyala, the Greening Friday Coordinator said the greening Fridays have made a difference because over 250,000 medicinal, timber and fruit trees have been distributed and planted since 2010, and many of them have matured.

She thanked the National Forestry Authority for partnering with UMSC to promote the environment saying that they provided 1000 trees for this year’s greening Friday.

The Greening Friday Sermon was delivered by Shk. Ali Juma Shiwuyo and the theme of the sermon was environmental conservation.

The Greening Fridays were launched in 2010 and they are held every second Friday of the holy month of Ramadhan.