“The Holy Prophet Mohammed came into this world and taught us: ‘That man is a Muslim who never hurts anyone by word or deed, but who works for the benefit and happiness of God’s creatures. Belief in God is to love one’s fellow men.’”
— Abdul Ghaffar Khan
These words were uttered by a Pakistani political and spiritual leader with roots in Afghanistan who espoused non-violent opposition to colonial rule by the British.
The Islamic fundamentalism practiced by the likes of the Al Qaeda-inspired Al Shabaab must not be allowed to threaten the peace that has existed between Muslims and Christians in Kenya even before Independence from Britain.
While it is true that there are fundamental points of separation between the two faiths, the sum total of what makes both religions different is the diversity that should unite them against a common enemy.
Kenya is at war. Our men and women are fighting to end the cycle of famine and violence in Somalia that has ensured a steady stream of refugees flowing into camps like Dadaab, and which has made the security of lives and property for those living close to the border with the war-torn country a mirage.
Not everybody agrees with the rationale for Kenya going to war in the first place, and the fact that the Government was not exactly forthright about its intentions in the beginning has not helped.
support for troops
Nevertheless, Kenyans — Muslim and Christian, animist and non-believers — have been unequivocal in their support for our troops fighting a vicious and brutal enemy.
Having been on the receiving end of Al Qaeda terrorism in 1998, this country is no stranger to the jihadist philosophy used by the terrorists to inspire their sympathisers to murder unarmed men, women, and children in cold blood.
This is a time for every Kenyan, regardless of his or her faith, to come together in the spirit of true patriotism to remove from our midst an enemy who believes that the end justifies the means, however inhumane that is.
Leaders who profess the Islamic faith were among the first to condemn the horrible massacre of worshippers in two churches in Garissa.
That alone is evidence that what binds us is greater than what drives us apart.
Chatter on intelligence networks indicates that the Garissa massacre is part of a wider plot that is yet to unravel.
Our security forces might have access to this information, but the Government must accept that it needs external help from countries with experience in fighting the kind of asymmetrical warfare that the terrorists are trying to unleash within our borders.
Proper and up-to-date intelligence, not guns, mortar and cannon, is the best weapon in dealing with terrorism. Intelligence will guide the security agencies to the doorsteps of the sleeper cells before they are activated. The recent discovery of bomb-making material indicates a wider level of cooperation between various terrorist networks operating in Somalia.
fatal mistake
To refuse help from a friendly country simply because of religious ideology is not only ridiculous, but tantamount to playing roulette with the lives of Kenyans.
Our soldiers are on the verge of winning a major battle at Kismayu, the last remaining stronghold of Al Shabaab in the Southern sector and their key supply point.
It is thus not surprising that the enemy has grown even more desperate. But if it believes that murdering unarmed civilians en masse will turn the tide of support for Kenyan troops into calls for their withdrawal, it might just have made a fatal mistake.
