{"id":91621,"date":"2026-04-07T17:30:34","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T15:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/?p=91621"},"modified":"2026-04-07T19:32:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T17:32:03","slug":"ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","title":{"rendered":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"91621\" class=\"elementor elementor-91621\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-60b31c0d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"60b31c0d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4115bc6e\" data-id=\"4115bc6e\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c41c4a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"5c41c4a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li><em><strong>Proposed bill would subject\u00a0all Ugandans, including\u00a0Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic personal law, in addition to\u00a0preventing conversion from Islam,\u00a0posing\u00a0grave threats to religious freedom.\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/li><li><em><strong><span class=\"TextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\" lang=\"EN-US\" xml:lang=\"EN-US\" data-contrast=\"none\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">International r<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">eligious freedom advocates call on Uganda\u2019s parliament to halt passage of the bill<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">, citing\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">severe<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">\u00a0violations\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW240566165 BCX0\">of human rights, including grave implications for women and girls.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW240566165 BCX0\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f8ea3eb elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-featured-image elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2f8ea3eb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"theme-post-featured-image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-1024x683.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-91639\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-276f3cba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"276f3cba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">KAMPALA (7 APRIL)\u2014A\u00a0bill in Uganda that would\u00a0establish\u00a0a nationwide system of Sharia courts\u2014known in Uganda as \u201cQadhis\u00a0courts\u201d\u2014is sparking urgent international concerns over freedom of religion, as lawmakers push to fast-track its passage before Parliament dissolves on 24 April 2026.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill, formally published in Uganda\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UgandaGazette\/status\/2027328494116438372\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Gazette<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0at the end of February, would radically change the Ugandan court system. Under the bill, a parallel system of Sharia courts would have\u00a0mandatory\u00a0and\u00a0exclusive\u00a0jurisdiction\u00a0over personal law matters such as marriage, divorce, custody, and inheritance for all Muslim marriages, as well as drawing in Christians and other non-Muslims in some circumstances. The bill is expected to be formally introduced and moved into committee imminently, with supporters pushing for its passage before 24 April 2026.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The\u00a0bill raises serious concerns that some\u00a0Ugandans\u00a0will be forced to\u00a0adjudicate\u00a0cases in a court system that does not recognize their faith or legal rights.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7a990a85 elementor-blockquote--skin-border elementor-widget elementor-widget-blockquote\" data-id=\"7a990a85\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"blockquote.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"elementor-blockquote\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-blockquote__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span style=\"color: #AF272F\">\u201cUganda\u2019s proposed Sharia courts bill would subject Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic law, while undermining fundamental rights\u2014especially for women, children, and religious converts.\u201d<\/span>\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-q-footer\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<cite class=\"elementor-blockquote__author\">- Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-dce0743 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"dce0743\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">Uganda\u2019s proposed\u00a0Sharia\u00a0courts\u00a0bill\u00a0would\u00a0subject Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic law, while undermining fundamental rights\u2014especially for women, children, and religious converts<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u201d said Kelsey Zorzi, Director of Advocacy for Global Religious Freedom at ADF International.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Ugandan\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill should not\u00a0proceed\u00a0within the Parliament, and\u00a0it is imperative that\u00a0both international and Ugandan actors\u00a0oppose it. The proposed bill\u2019s passage would\u00a0represent\u00a0a dangerous expansion of Sharia law into Sub-Saharan Africa at a time\u00a0when Christian\u00a0persecution\u00a0is growing.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f895d1d elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"7f895d1d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Restrictions on Conversion and Other Violations <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-364720ce elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"364720ce\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Because the proposed\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0courts would apply Sharia law,\u00a0which does not recognize conversion from Islam to another religion,\u00a0Muslim individuals who\u00a0seek\u00a0to convert into Christianity or other religions would\u00a0likely be\u00a0prevented from doing so.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201cThe right to choose and change your religion is firmly recognized in international law.\u00a0Uganda would be in clear violation of international law should\u00a0Sharia courts be\u00a0established\u00a0across the country\u00a0given the\u00a0severely problematic\u00a0implications for\u00a0religious\u00a0conversion<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u201d stated Zorzi.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Further, the mandatory and exclusive nature of the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0courts\u2019 jurisdiction proposed by the bill\u00a0would\u00a0eliminate\u00a0the ability of a Christian or other non-Muslim to seek justice in the civil court system when there is a family, custody, or inheritance dispute involving a Muslim who pursues a lawsuit within the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0court system.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Although\u00a0the proposed bill allows decisions of the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0courts to be appealed to the High Court of Uganda, it requires any such appeal to be heard by a Muslim judge and four Muslim scholars, with no further appeals available.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-10be2c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"10be2c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Implications for Women and Girls <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-594c0b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"594c0b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The mandatory application of Sharia law\u00a0would legally disadvantage Christian women and\u00a0girls. The experience of Nigeria highlights this issue. Despite Nigerian law mandating 18 years as the minimum age for marriage, many Sharia courts permit and recognize underage marriage. This has led to the kidnapping, forced conversions, and involuntary marriages of minor Christian girls in Nigeria. The proposed Ugandan\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill does not have any provisions addressing such conflicts of law, introducing immense uncertainty and few checks on the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0courts.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Additionally, under Sharia law, women do not have the same rights under the law as men. This different treatment\u00a0impacts\u00a0ultimate decisions concerning divorce and child custody, as well as the weight of a woman\u2019s testimony in court.<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-262b342 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"262b342\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bill Must Be Rejected to Protect Religious Freedom in Uganda <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ec1ebe9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ec1ebe9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If the bill is passed, Uganda would not be the first African nation to have Sharia courts, however, the system proposed under Uganda\u2019s\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill offers many less protections than similar systems. For instance, the Kenyan Sharia \u201cKadhis\u2019\u201d courts cannot exercise\u00a0jurisdiction\u00a0over\u00a0non-Muslims, and\u00a0the\u00a0Kadhis\u2019 courts\u00a0are voluntary even for Muslims.\u00a0Additionally, unlike Uganda\u2019s proposed bill,\u00a0decisions of\u00a0Kenya\u2019s\u00a0Kadhis\u2019 courts are appealable to the secular High Courts, with no special provisions about the High Court\u2019s composition. The\u00a0Kenyan\u00a0Kadhis\u2019 courts are also subject to non-discrimination rules for witnesses,\u00a0to correct for Sharia law\u2019s unequal treatment of the testimony of women and non-Muslims.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">We are very concerned at the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill, which will require Christians and other non-Muslims to appear before Sharia courts, and formally introduces religious law into our national law<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">,\u201d said Arthur\u00a0Ayorekire, the Vice President of the Uganda Christian Lawyers\u2019 Fraternity.<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201c<\/span><i><span data-contrast=\"none\">We ask all Ugandans to speak out against the passage of the\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill. The bill is not necessary and will only lead to legal uncertainty, tensions between religious groups, and potentially will allow extremism to grab a hold in Uganda.<\/span><\/i><span data-contrast=\"none\">&#8220;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">The Uganda\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill, as proposed, would create a legal\u00a0paradigm shift\u00a0for Uganda and for Africa. The shift markedly increases the risk of religious freedom violations.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">ADF International urges Uganda\u2019s\u00a0parliamentarians to reject the proposed\u00a0Qadhis\u00a0Courts Bill and instead focus legislative efforts on protections that uphold freedom of religion and equal treatment under the law.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c1d7bfc elementor-widget-divider--view-line elementor-widget elementor-widget-divider\" data-id=\"c1d7bfc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"divider.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-divider\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-divider-separator\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f184561 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f184561\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tImages for free use in print or online in relation to this story only\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-41a5bf72 elementor-widget elementor-widget-gallery\" data-id=\"41a5bf72\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-settings=\"{&quot;aspect_ratio&quot;:&quot;1:1&quot;,&quot;lazyload&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;gallery_layout&quot;:&quot;grid&quot;,&quot;columns&quot;:4,&quot;columns_tablet&quot;:2,&quot;columns_mobile&quot;:1,&quot;gap&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;gap_tablet&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;gap_mobile&quot;:{&quot;unit&quot;:&quot;px&quot;,&quot;size&quot;:10,&quot;sizes&quot;:[]},&quot;link_to&quot;:&quot;file&quot;,&quot;overlay_background&quot;:&quot;yes&quot;,&quot;content_hover_animation&quot;:&quot;fade-in&quot;}\" data-widget_type=\"gallery.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery__container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ArthurAyorekire.jpeg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"41a5bf72\" data-elementor-lightbox-title=\"Arthur Ayorekire\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6OTE2MjgsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDRcL0FydGh1ckF5b3Jla2lyZS5qcGVnIiwic2xpZGVzaG93IjoiNDFhNWJmNzIifQ%3D%3D\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ArthurAyorekire-819x1024.jpeg\" data-width=\"819\" data-height=\"1024\" aria-label=\"\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"e-gallery-item elementor-gallery-item elementor-animated-content\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/headshot2-Copy-scaled.jpg\" data-elementor-open-lightbox=\"yes\" data-elementor-lightbox-slideshow=\"41a5bf72\" data-e-action-hash=\"#elementor-action%3Aaction%3Dlightbox%26settings%3DeyJpZCI6OTE2MzMsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC9hZGZpbnRlcm5hdGlvbmFsLm9yZ1wvd3AtY29udGVudFwvdXBsb2Fkc1wvMjAyNlwvMDRcL2hlYWRzaG90Mi1Db3B5LXNjYWxlZC5qcGciLCJzbGlkZXNob3ciOiI0MWE1YmY3MiJ9\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-gallery-image elementor-gallery-item__image\" data-thumbnail=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/headshot2-Copy-1024x874.jpg\" data-width=\"1024\" data-height=\"874\" aria-label=\"Kelsey Zorzi\" role=\"img\" ><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-gallery-item__overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Proposed bill would subject\u00a0all Ugandans, including\u00a0Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic personal law, in addition to\u00a0preventing conversion from Islam,\u00a0posing\u00a0grave threats to religious freedom.\u00a0\u00a0 International religious freedom advocates call on Uganda\u2019s parliament to halt passage of the bill, citing\u00a0severe\u00a0violations\u00a0of human rights, including grave implications for women and girls.\u00a0 KAMPALA (7 APRIL)\u2014A\u00a0bill in Uganda that would\u00a0establish\u00a0a nationwide [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2073,"featured_media":91639,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[343,221,127,27,235,145],"class_list":["post-91621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-freedom-of-religion","tag-kelsey-zorzi","tag-nigeria","tag-religious-freedom","tag-sean-nelson","tag-uganda"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0 - ADF International<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Proposed bill would subject\u00a0all Ugandans, including\u00a0Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic personal law, in addition to\u00a0preventing conversion from Islam,\u00a0posing\u00a0grave threats to religious freedom.\u00a0\u00a0 International religious freedom advocates call on Uganda\u2019s parliament to halt passage of the bill, citing\u00a0severe\u00a0violations\u00a0of human rights, including grave implications for women and girls.\u00a0 KAMPALA (7 APRIL)\u2014A\u00a0bill in Uganda that would\u00a0establish\u00a0a nationwide [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ADF International\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Anna Rose Myrick\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@adfintl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@adfintl\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Anna Rose Myrick\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Anna Rose Myrick\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f8e1c83fd24261beb39888eae356fe4a\"},\"headline\":\"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\"},\"wordCount\":928,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"freedom of religion\",\"Kelsey Zorzi\",\"Nigeria\",\"Religious freedom\",\"Sean Nelson\",\"uganda\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\",\"name\":\"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0 - ADF International\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1707},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/news\\\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/\",\"name\":\"ADF International\",\"description\":\"Protecting Fundamental Freedoms. Promoting Inherent Dignity.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Alliance Defending Freedom International\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2021\\\/08\\\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png\",\"width\":175,\"height\":106,\"caption\":\"Alliance Defending Freedom International\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/facebook.com\\\/adfinternational\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/adfintl\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/company\\\/adfinternational\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/adfinternational\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f8e1c83fd24261beb39888eae356fe4a\",\"name\":\"Anna Rose Myrick\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/05\\\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp\",\"caption\":\"Anna Rose Myrick\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/adfinternational.org\\\/en-gb\\\/author\\\/amyrick\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0 - ADF International","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0","og_description":"Proposed bill would subject\u00a0all Ugandans, including\u00a0Christians and other non-Muslims to Islamic personal law, in addition to\u00a0preventing conversion from Islam,\u00a0posing\u00a0grave threats to religious freedom.\u00a0\u00a0 International religious freedom advocates call on Uganda\u2019s parliament to halt passage of the bill, citing\u00a0severe\u00a0violations\u00a0of human rights, including grave implications for women and girls.\u00a0 KAMPALA (7 APRIL)\u2014A\u00a0bill in Uganda that would\u00a0establish\u00a0a nationwide [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","og_site_name":"ADF International","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational","article_published_time":"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2560,"height":1707,"url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Anna Rose Myrick","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@adfintl","twitter_site":"@adfintl","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Anna Rose Myrick","Estimated reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts"},"author":{"name":"Anna Rose Myrick","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/person\/f8e1c83fd24261beb39888eae356fe4a"},"headline":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts"},"wordCount":928,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg","keywords":["freedom of religion","Kelsey Zorzi","Nigeria","Religious freedom","Sean Nelson","uganda"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts","name":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0 - ADF International","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-07T15:30:34+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-07T17:32:03+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Parliament-Of-Uganda-scaled.jpg","width":2560,"height":1707},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/news\/ugandan-bill-to-establish-sharia-courts#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Ugandan\u00a0bill to establish Sharia courts sparks urgent religious freedom concerns\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#website","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/","name":"ADF International","description":"Protecting Fundamental Freedoms. Promoting Inherent Dignity.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#organization","name":"Alliance Defending Freedom International","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/ADF_Intl_R_RGB_175px.png","width":175,"height":106,"caption":"Alliance Defending Freedom International"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/adfinternational","https:\/\/x.com\/adfintl","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/adfinternational","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adfinternational\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/#\/schema\/person\/f8e1c83fd24261beb39888eae356fe4a","name":"Anna Rose Myrick","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp","url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/AnnaRoseMyrick_400x400-1-150x150.webp","caption":"Anna Rose Myrick"},"url":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/author\/amyrick"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2073"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91639"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adfinternational.org\/en-gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}