Open letter to bloodthirsty Al Shabaab

By READERS DIALOGUE

Unlike you, today I woke up and exercised my democratic right. I chose what I was going to wear and what I ate for breakfast. I even went to work in a car that I drove myself despite you terrorising MY city.

You may laugh behind your tweets and cowardly comments on TV but we are resilient and you have not broken us! My countrymen died bravely and continue to battle to protect us. And prevail they will!

Those you injured have a fighting spirit to carry on with their lives to the fullest – neither your AK-47s, grenades nor brutal ways can take that away from us.

You might claim that you are the only ones protecting Somalis and Somalia but you are persecuting your own kind as we provide them shelter in our country.

In our country, they exercise their right to freedom, which you are so terrified of. Kenyans are not the enemy of Somalia.

If all the extensive planning you conducted to carry out this despicable act of cowardice was used to build communities, you would not be standing alone, cornered at the edge of death.

We stand united with Muslims, Jews, Christians and Hindus from around the world who champion our cause! 

Here is my message to you – I pity you. I feel sorry that you will never know the life we lead. You will never know freedom or love or a sense of belonging. And that is your punishment.

You will die never having any of this. We will go on resolute in our determination and there is nothing you can do to prevent this.

{Freedom lover, via email}