Spare Mecca: Kenya Muslims urge warring Middle East groups

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) National Chairman Al-Haji Hassan Ole Naado address media on April 30, 2026. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) has condemned reports of missile and drone attacks targeting Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

The council has urged warring groups in the Middle East to spare holy sites from the conflict, saying attacks on sacred places should not be tolerated.

“An attack on holy sites transcends all grievances and must not be tolerated by any faction,” says SUPKEM in a statement signed by National Chairman Al-Hajj Hassan Ole Naado.

SUPKEM does not name any group, date or location for the missile and drone attacks referred to in its statement. It says they were carried out by “certain militant groups involved in the Middle Eastern conflict”.

Saudi Arabia says its air defence forces intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on September 15, before it entered restricted airspace.

The Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen has rejected the claim.

SUPKEM says the conflict in the Middle East should not extend to holy sites, including Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.

“These sacred spaces serve as a unifying force for Muslims worldwide and should never be entangled in the political disputes that afflict the surrounding regions,” the council notes.

SUPKEM represents Muslims in Kenya and serves as custodian of the Kenya Hajj Mission.

“We stand resolutely with the government of Saudi Arabia in safeguarding these sites and ensuring they do not become collateral damage in the ongoing conflict,” the council says.

The council cites Surah Al-Hajj (22:39-40) of the Holy Quran, which it says calls for the protection of places of worship.

“This duty to protect applies irrespective of the faith practised, as long as God's name is invoked within those spaces,” SUPKEM explains.

The council urges all parties involved in the conflict to seek dialogue and resolve their differences in accordance with Islamic teachings.

It says the protection of holy sites should apply to Mecca and Medina and other places of worship affected by conflict.