Muslims in a past conference
A section of leaders from the Somali community have opposed the police operation in Mombasa and Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate, which they say is unfairly targeting Muslims. The leaders were drawn from different Muslim community areas.
According to former Assistant Speaker of the National Assembly, the policemen and security officers are targeting Muslims as victims while harassing and stealing from them.
While condemning the police for unfair treatment of Muslims, Nyali Mp Hezron Awiti cautioned of investors running away from Mombasa County.
However Mr Awiti also urged the government to investigate and punish those involved in the murder of the fiery Muslim cleric Sheikh Abubakar Shariff alias Makaburi.
He condemned Sheikh Makaburi’s death, but also warned the youths against engaging in protests whenever clerics were killed, maintaining that this will only divide Kenyans.
“Even if my child is an Al Qaeda member let him be gunned down. Religious differences are emerging: why is it when Christians were killed in a Likoni church youths never demonstrated but when a Muslim cleric is killed youths take to the street?” he said.
The MP added that what they wanted was peace as he encouraged members of the public to give any reporting leading to criminal arrest.
But it was again Farah Maalim who accused the government of using terrorism to seek sympathy from the west.
“The government is using the threat of terrorism as a scapegoat to seek Western validation and support,” Mr. Maalim said.
Mr. Hassan Ali, a member of the Somali business community, said that the country risked religious war and could go the way of the Central African Republic if the government continued targeting Muslims.
