It's 'Allahu Akbar' as Islam spreads across maasailand

Business

By LEONARD KORIR

When a group of villagers defied the centuries-old Maasai culture and introduced Islam to Transmara District more than two decades ago, elders threatened to curse them.

Friends and relatives shunned individuals who embraced the religion.

Christian leaders launched a silent war with the new faith, which they regarded as alien to the conservative community.

But 20 years later, seeds planted by the few Islamic preachers are fast sprouting as more Maasai’s embrace Islam which fo many years was seen as a reserve for coastal communities.

The religion, which was introduced in the area in 1986 by a local Muslim, Mohammed ole Sekengei has attracted more than 5,000 followers in parts of Transmara in the recent past.

Elders who have converted to Islam stand outside a mosque.[PHOTOS: LEONARD KORIR/STANDARD]

Maasai morans slaughter a goat to mark "Eid Ul Haj" in Trans Mara District recently. [PHOTO: LEONARD KORIR/STANDARD ]

Sekengei who works with the Cultural Council of Iran at the Iranian Embassy in Kenya has also seen the contruction of more than five mosques and madrassa in the area.

According to one of the oldest converts, Ibrahim ole Parsiria, 82, from Shartuka Mosque, Islam, unlike other religions is more tolerant to the Maasai culture, hence the reason for its fast growth and acceptance in the area.

Ole Parsiria was assimilated in 2008 after accepting the religion and has never looked back.

FACING EAST

He says Islam had similarities with the Maasai culture. "Just like the Muslims pray as they face Mecca (East) and so do the Maasai face that direction," says ole Parsiria.

"The Maasai always face East whenever they are seeking Enkai’s (God’s) intervention and we found the same is done by Muslims," says Parsiria.

Other similarities that attracted Maasai people to the Islamic faith are polygamy and the position of women in the society.

"Just like the Maasai, Muslim women take a backstage role in any decision-making and participation in prayers," says Parsiria.

In both parties, women and men always stay apart from each other in public gatherings as a sign of respect.

Another elder, Ali Murtasa ole Nchaiyua who embraced Islamic faith almost ten years ago has influenced all his nine children to follow suit.

He says he finds comfort in the faith unlike other religion and faults claims that it would interfere with the Maasai culture.

Among the converts is the Meguara location chief, Hussein ole Deroni and his family.

Deroni embraced Islam in 1989 and some of his children were born Muslims. Other prominent local people who have joined the faith include former Kisii District Commissioner Abdullahi Leloon.

The year 2000 was a turning point to the then new faith in the area when six elders went on pilgrimage, trekking from Kilgoris to Mombasa.

The walk that lasted for 22 days was aimed at raising funds for the establishment of Shartuka Islamic Centre comprising of a mosque, madrassa, a health centre and a nursery school.

After the walk, Nchayua says they managed to get Sh500,000 from an Imam (teacher) together with several pledges from the Muslim community at the coast.

"When we reached the coastal town, we prayed with our brothers and at the end of it they were kind enough and pledged to help," says Nchayua.

However, the dream of setting up an Islamic Complex Centre in the area became a reality recently when the Muslim faithful from Dubai through the Islamic Bank, which pledged Sh32 million for the project.

THE HOLY BOOK

The Imam of Shartuka Mosque Ramadhan Swaleh says he was impressed with the positive response from local Maasai to Islam.

Swaleh already has about 50 children attending the madrassa classes besides teaching grownups Arabic.

Mastering Arabic, he told The Standard was crucial in studying the Koran.

"I was posted here five years ago and I can say that the local people here have received the faith with a lot of zeal," says Swaleh.

He recalls last year’s Eid Ul Hajj celebrations where more than 30 locals joined the faith.

"This was the biggest ever batch of converts to publicly announce their conversion of Islam," Swaleh says.

However, Swaleh says the drive to convert more locals was facing challenges.

The most serious challenge according to Swaleh is the ability among the locals to master the Koran.

He says most of the locals were illiterate hence face difficulties in reading and interpreting the holy book.

Kassim ole Nadoo, a youth leader says as local Muslims, they will ensure their rights and problems were well addressed.

Nadoo says that some unknown people believed to be against the faith constantly invade the mosques and destroy property as others target land belonging to the Muslims.

"With our unity, we are optimistic of endorsing some of us to vie for political office in the area," says Nadoo.

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