Gadhafi Celebrates Prophet's Birthday

March 19, 2008

Author: ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU and Godfrey Olukya

Source: AP

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gEoBixN6lIls6zpQ35lG1y8FGTNgD8VGO00G0

In his drive to spread Libyan and Islamic influence in Africa, Moammar Gadhafi inaugurated a huge new mosque in this predominantly Christian country Wednesday, with several African heads of state attending and scores of Arab journalists flown in for the occasion.

Packed in Kampala's soccer stadium, a crowd estimated at 10,000 to 15,000 chanted "long live brother Gadhafi" before the Libyan leader delivered an hour-long lecture on the meaning of Islam.

Gadhafi, who celebrates the Mulid al-Nabi, or Prophet's birthday, a day earlier than most other Muslims, was in Kampala to inaugurate the huge new Gadhafi National Mosque, which he funded and is touted by Libyan officials as Africa's second-largest.