Uganda: Christian church attacked and 'unholy' pigs slaughtered
Christians in a village in Uganda have in the last few days seen their pigs slaughtered and their church demolished.
They have also been told not to raise any more pigs because the animals are "extremely unholy".
The perpetrators are believed to be local Muslims.
The Nalugondo village Church of Uganda, which served about 450 Christians, was demolished in the middle of the night earlier this month. The church's chairs and musical instruments were destroyed in the attack.
The attackers were heard shouting: "We cannot live together with neighbours who are infidels. We have to fight for the cause of Allah."
Nalugondo is near Bugade in Mayuge District, east of Kampala. Muslims outnumber Christians in the village.
Sources told the not-for-profit organisation Morning Star News that a group of Muslims slaughtered a church lay leader's pigs while singing praises to Allah and shouting: "Allah only is to be worshipped, and Muhammad is his prophet."
Some days before the attack, the lay leader, Samuel Kijali, had received text messages warning him against raising the pigs.
One text read: "Let this be known to your church members that pigs are extremely unholy and an abomination before Allah, very outrageous and shameful. They are haram and unlawful as our holy Quran does prohibit them."
Muslims also sent a text message to another church member warning: "We are soon coming for the heads of your pigs." They then killed eight of his pigs.
About 85 per cent of people in Uganda are Christian and 11 per cent are Muslim.
Kijali said: "It is quite difficult to resist these militant Muslims, because they have outnumbered us the Christians and are accusing us that we are defiling their faith."
