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Speech by Mawlana Hazar Imam at the Uganda Jamati Institutional Dinner
Kampala Serena Hotel, Uganda
July 12, 2011

(President Huzur Mukhi Mohamed Lalani presented Hazar Imam a gift of an incense burner cover from Khorasan shaped in the form of a horse head)
Hazar Imam then said the following:
President Lalani, Institutional Leaders and volunteers,
I would like, first of all, to thank you for the magnificent evening you have offered Me and for this lovely gift of this Khorasani horse.
I would wish you to think of, not only the opportunities that you have to develop individually, but the opportunities that you have to build institutions. Because it is ultimately institutions in these countries which keep the countries on course, good universities, good schools, good financial institutions, good legal advice on constitutionality, educated parliaments. These are the resources that are required in these countries.
And the Jamat is very talented, very well educated, has strong institutions and I believe can make a stronger and stronger contribution to countries such as Uganda in the decades ahead.
Looking ahead, I think in 15 - 20 years we will have an international network of schools and universities in most of the important countries where the Jamat works, where younger generations will be able to educate themselves, build their knowledge continuously through their lifetime both as young academics as well as in the field of continuing education so that these future generations will be able to build on what you will have left them – that is strong institutions.
And what is the nature of a strong institution? It is the quality of its leadership. And in that sense My happiness this evening is to be able to say to you that it is through the quality of your leadership, your efforts, your endeavors, your commitment, that this Jamat in Uganda, but in all the countries in the world has built international credibility and is very, very highly regarded around the world. That is not the Imam’s doing, that is the Jamat’s doing.
I think that you should know that it has been a very, very happy evening, that I have many happy memories of Uganda and I want to tell you, the Jamati leaders tonight, how happy I am to be back to Uganda and in a sense of confidence that there is real opportunity ahead.
Build on it, build wisely and we will try to continue to contribute to this lovely country’s strong future