FRIDAY BULLETIN—Muslims should raise up their voices and strongly speak out against the injustices perpetrated under the pretext of fighting terrorism.
Speaking in Nairobi during a forum to address negative ethnicity Lagdera Member of Parliament Muhammad Shidiye decried increased cases of extrajudicial killings and disappearances and urged community leaders not to remain silent amidst the injustices.
He said scores of youth have disappeared without trace after being arrested by security operatives leaving affected families in painful agony and desperation. “Today Muslims are suffering because of extrajudicial killings. Many children have lost their parents, about 300 Muslims in Coast and Northern Kenya are missing. People are just picked and nobody knows their whereabouts,” he said the forum at Jamia Mosque on Monday which was attended by various foreign envoys.
He noted that the silence from the Muslim leaders has only served to worsen the situation and reminded the leaders their obligations to safeguard the interests of the community while noting that the silence has only served to worsen the situation.
“It is because we the leadership are not saying no to extrajudicial killings, the blame comes squarely to us,” he added.
The legislator emphasized that while Muslims are not opposed to the efforts to combat terrorism, the violations of their rights will damped their resolve in working closer with the government to address this challenge.
Echoing the same sentiments, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) organizing Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa described the rate of disappearances as “worrying” told security agencies to explain increasing cases of extrajudicial killings and disappearances..
Speaking to the Friday Bulletin from Mombasa, Sheikh Khalifa noted that it is due to such actions of state security forces that give rise to illegal and dangerous groups and at the same time increase public resentment towards the government.
“These continued kidnappings and killings are unacceptable in this modern day and society. The perpetrators of such despicable acts are well known but the government has chosen to bury its head in the sand. We can no longer remain silent on his grave matter of subjecting families and relatives of these people to untold grief and suffering,” he said.
Sheikh Khalifa urged the government to investigate human rights abuses by state security agencies and hold officers mentioned in the violations responsible. “It is high time for security forces come out and do a lot of explanations to Kenyans on the matter. They must tell us what they are doing with these people and where they are taking them,” he added while promising that the council will take up the matter with the government.
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