BY ISAAC MESO

Nairobi, Kenya: Muslim leaders have condemned the current operation being carried out by the government in Eastleigh to weed out terror cells in the area arguing that it was targeting the Muslim faith.

Led by former National Assembly Deputy Speaker Faraah Maalim, the leaders accused the Jubilee government of practicing extra judicial killings of the Muslim faithful in the name of fighting terrorism in the country.

“The crackdown being carried by the government in Eastleigh is in bad taste. Our girls are being raped, property looted and our Sheikhs gunned down indiscriminately. We are asking the government to stop this madness” he said

Maalim also took issue with the Government over the recent killing of Sheikh Abubakar Sharif alias Makaburi saying that the Police were not sincere in their reports that they had recovered grenades and other weapons from the deceased.

Maalim was speaking Saturday at Jamiah mosque in Nairobi and he was accompanied by Mohammed Shidiye, MP for Lagdera and other Muslim leaders.

Shidiye warned the government against radicalizing the Muslim youth by the recent spate of operations that has been targeting them in Eastleigh, Nairobi and the Coastal region.

“If the government threatens to close down places of prayers for the Muslims, arrest and shoot down Muslim youths indiscriminately, then they are the ones radicalizing these youths who end up fighting for what they consider as their rights” he said

He also noted that due process had to be followed when it comes to trying terror suspects and that they would not allow extrajudicial killings of Muslim sheikhs in the name of fighting terrorism.

The MP also warned those individuals using the Muslim faith to carry out criminal activities saying their days are numbered as they would be rooted out.

“Muslim is a religion of peace. This is why we are making it clear that we as the Muslim leaders, we do not support any radical Muslim or  any individual who uses the Muslim faith to kill and harm innocent civilians”, he added.