All roads led to Nyamirambo Regional Stadium today as hundreds of Muslim community went to witness the ordination of their new Mufti.
Men clad in white with white Islamic hats also called Kufi or Taqiyah covered their heads and women wrapping themselves from head to the toe.
Hundreds of Rwandans in the Islamic faith gathered patiently before the actual time approached to see their new Muft Sheikh Abdul Karim Gahutu ordained replacing Sheikh Saleh Habimana.
The ordination of a new Mufti of Rwanda was presided over by President Paul Kagame who was also accompanied by several other government officials.
At the same event, hundreds of Islamic faith witnessed the handover of the office of mufti and also the office of overall representative of Rwanda Muslim Association- Association des Musulman au Rwanda (AMUR).
In his speech Mufti Gahutu conveyed his gratitude towards the Rwandan Muslim community for entrusting him with their leadership.
He stated; “No one can thank God, without thanking people! In my opinion President Kagame did an outstanding work of unifying Rwandans in the aftermath of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide”.
Gahutu compared such achievements to what Prophet Muhammad did in Saudi Arabia when he unified two different ethnic groups that were always conflicting.
In his speech, President Kagame also thanked the former Mufti Saleh Habimana for promoting the welfare of Muslims.
Kagame also thanked Rwandan Muslims for having recognized Sheikh Gahutu as trustworthy, and hence elected him as their leader.
“Muslims, like all other Rwandans ought to accept that people can have different ideas, understanding, religions, and arguments but ultimately, they are unified by their culture, therefore they should strive for what brings them together rather than what separates them.” Kagame said.
Kagame wished the new Mufti a good life, good leadership and guaranteed him that the government will assist in the development of the Muslim community.
Gahutu and his new committee declared pillars that will characterize their leadership as promoting development of Muslims, upholding culture of unity and providing health aid to the poor.
Mufti Sheikh Abdul Karim Gahutu was elected as Mufti of Rwandan Muslim community on August 3, 2011, replacing Sheikh Saleh Habimana who had been the overseer of muslim community for ten years.
Gahutu is the seventh Mufti to lead the Rwandan Muslims association (AMUR), he was born May 1, 1966, and is married, with four children.
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