Kenyan Muslim leaders respond quickly to terrorist attacks against Christians
Kenyan Muslim leaders respond quickly to terrorist attacks against Christians
Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Adan Wachu is extremely angry by the recent terrorist attack against Christians in Kenya and clearly this individual is thinking deeply about events in northern Nigeria. His views count powerfully because he is the head of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims. Therefore, Adan Wachu wasted no time in acting on this barbaric terrorist attack by suspected militants who belong to the al-Shabaab (al-Shabab) in Somalia.
Christian leaders have also been calling for calm and to join forces with Muslims in order to protect religious freedom and diversity in Kenya. Leaders from both communities know that the al-Shabaab desire to create sectarianism in order to further their ambitions. With this in mind, leaders from both religious groups stated their commonality which applies to belonging to “humanity.”
Adan Wachu commented that “There are people out there who are determined to make Kenya another Nigeria.” However, he continued, “It’s not going to be allowed to have a sectarian division in this country – whoever wants to do that will of course fail.”
The al-Shabaab in Somalia is a fundamentalist Sunni Islamic terrorist and political movement which kills all apostates to Christianity. In the past, many converts from Islam to Christianity were killed by the al-Shabaab including brutal beheadings which were filmed. This militant organization is clearly influenced by the Islamist movements which are based throughout Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Therefore, just like in Mali, traditional Sunni Islam was replaced within several terrorist movements by interpretations which came from outside of Africa – and like usual, the majority of roads lead back to organizations and wealthy individuals in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and throughout the Gulf region.
At the same time, religious missionaries from various Gulf nations are spreading a powerful Islamist ideology and in many ways this is the most dangerous problem. After all, once indoctrination takes hold then indigenous Sunni Islam is attacked by Salafists and Wahhabi Muslims. Following on from this are attacks against Christians, people who follow traditional religions and against the respective state apparatus of the country under attack.
The brutal attack against Christians led to the deaths of fifteen people in the city of Garissa in Kenya. Islamists killed two policemen who were protecting the church and then they turned against parishioners who were worshipping inside the Christian holy place. Fifteen people were killed and many injured. Another Christian church was attacked by a grenade which led to several injuries. The fact that the Christian churches were being guarded is a clear indication that al-Shabaab was known to be a threat before this brutal massacre took place.
David Mwange, a local churchgoer, stated that “We were deep in prayers preparing to give our offerings”when Islamists attacked and killed so many people. Ismail Garat, the Mayor of Garissa, commented that “We are not used to witnessing such kinds of acts in our country, where people are just shot in broad daylight. We really want to know who the heartless people who did this are.”
For this reason, Muslim leaders in Kenya have responded quickly because they know that the al-Shabaab and other Islamist “dark forces” desire to spread sectarianism. Therefore, Muslim leaders have made it clear that they will create self-defense groups in order to protect Christians and churches, which are threatened the most near the border with Somalia.
James Ole Sereni, provincial administrator, commented that “The people who did this want to start a war between Christians and Muslims. This is the work of terrorists who want to divide Kenya’s Christians and Muslims.”
Therefore, it is essential that Christians and Muslims come together in Kenya because this is the only way to defeat the forces of Islamism and sectarianism. At the same time, louder voices need to be raised about the destabilization policies of so many nations which have enabled breeding grounds of indoctrination to take place. Similarly, funding and educational channels need to be stopped in order to prevent communal violence between Christians and Muslims. At the same time, it is also essential to protect African Islam from the blind hatred of fundamentalist Islam which emanates from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.
