The westgate mall attack has left all of us in shock and grief. The
senseless loss of life cannot be condoned for whatever reasons. Muslims and
Somalis as citizens of this country joined their fellow Kenyans in condemning
the attack in the strongest terms possible. Muslim leaders held a press
conference denouncing the attack as having nothing to do with Islam as claimed
by the perpetrators. No Muslim or Somali has come out to support the attack.
But still there is a sense of collective guilt among the Kenyan Muslims and
especially ethnic Somalis. I read an article on Aljazeera where those
interviewed said they don't know what the coming days portend for them. They
fear attacks by fellow Kenyans and the security apparatus. This is
understandable given the knee-jerk reaction by the security agents whenever a
terror or a security breach occurs. The first reaction of the government is always to
profile those who share faith or ethnicity with suspected criminals. Kenyans
are peace loving and level headed people who love one another but like every
other society there are a few bigots. I listened to one who was saying in the
Morning all Somalis should go back to where they came from. I wondered where
did I come from? He was immediately reprimanded by his colleagues. They told
the BBC reporter that he does not represent the majority view. That is the spirit.
I am a Muslim and I am a Somali. I cannot change that and I don't want to. I
am not apologetic for who I am but again I don't want to play the victim
all the time. I want to define myself. Fellow Muslims and Somalis I want to
address you at this point;
I saw some of you create facebook pages like "Muslims against the
westgate attack", others mobilized friends to go as a group to donate
blood while one lady sought an interview with a BBC reporter to clarify and
exonerate her faith from criminal activities. Yours truly immediately wrote on
this blog to set the record straight. All these are commendable efforts towards
defining ourselves rather than being defined by a few individuals. But I think
we have been late on this. No one understands Islam better than you and me. We
have lived all our lives or part thereof practicing it and you will agree with
me that it is a straight forward religion that teaches humanity how to exist a fulfilling
life in this universe. It is a compassionate religion that teaches justice and
honor to all. If truly practiced, the world will be a heavenly place.
Like all other societies we have our own black sheep but unlike other
societies we have agreed to be defined by our black sheep. When you study
Islam, everything is crystal clear but why do you think Islam today is the most
misunderstood religion. It is because of you and me. We have taken a back seat.
Those at the front seat are our black sheep. It is common for people to see one
fault and ignore the many good deeds by an individual. People see our faults
only. Other societies have taken a strong position to counter their rotten few.
They have subdued them through their actions or through their PR machines. But
for us we have been painted with the same brush. The same bad brush. It is our
fault. Our youth, professionals, intellectuals, ulaamaa, leaders, you and I have
absconded our duties. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today but we have contributed least
to this. Most of those who embrace it are those who sincerely study it. They distinguish
between the religion and its adherents by studying its pure form. That way they
see beneath the veneer of the existing propaganda. This mostly happens after a
lot of bad publicity like the 9/11. They want to see what this “Monster
religion” is all about but end up making a new discovery.
We understand the concept of Jihad and its rules more than all the so called "terrorism/jihad/Islam experts". We know that Jihad was and still is a means to fight oppression and persecution against Muslims and others who are down trodden. We know that it has rules and etiquette that cannot be marched by any global war conventions and treaties. It is not a means to commit more injustices in the fight against injustices. It is not a means to take away the life of a single innocent human being.
The world we live in is a very unjust place and I know some people may be doing what they are doing just in the fight for their rights. But in Islam the end does not justify the means. You don't kill or harm a child to get back at his father. There are many ways to end injustices and taking up of arms is a last resort and only when it will lead to a better world. No one knows this more than you and me.
We don’t live in a vacuum, we live among other societies and it is our duty
to portray the true picture of Islam and who we are.It is our duty to tell others what Islam is all about. You will be surprised at the level of ignorance about us and what we believe in. Just as I was writing this in the office this morning I told a colleague who offered me tea "barikiwa" and she was surprised that I can say that. She told me "Kubarikiwa ni kwa wakiristo" . Human beings don't read books to understand us. We are the books that they read and so far it seems we have written books that are contrary to what Islam is all about and who we are. Add that to all the hate and stereotypes in the media and you have the worst image possible of us. The Media propaganda can effectively be countered by our portrayal of true Islam. When you are a minority somewhere it is very likely that you will not escape some hate. you will hear of a Muslim robber, a Muslim terrorist, a Muslim this and a Muslim that but we don't have to worry if we have done our part. We have not done our part hence the collective guilty whenever one who is said to be a Muslim does something wrong. just know that In your schools, workplaces, social gathering you are an ambassador not only for yourself but an ambassador for us all. Be a good ambassador. Take charge." Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves" Quran .
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