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I am scrolling down my TL on twitter then I come across this post: “All Muslims are not terrorists but all terrorists are Muslims #JichoPevu“…so I decide to follow the conversation on the hash tag to see what Kenyans are talking about after last night’s expose.
#JichoPevu pple shouldnt forget of the terror victims they suffer evryday…” I still remember August 7th, 1998. I was just a boy then but I know somebody who died in the blast. Every year since then we have remembered the 210 people who lost their lives. The stories of those they left behind and those that suffered life changing injuries have been told over and over. Who will tell the stories of those who were wrongly accused of involvement just because they were Muslims or simply because they were related to Fazul?
Then I come across this other one: “Tanui biwott @Tanui2
while the #insideStory tried to show ROGO as the bad guy #JichoPevu almost tried to convince that he was juz a victim of crmstncs??”
These two posts got thinking just how much we got dividing us as a nation. Apart from tribalism which is a constant threat in our society, we still harbor a lot of religious mistrust most of which is based on baseless assumptions and stereotypes which needless to say is the same fuel that keeps tribalism burning in our souls.
Going back to my previous quote where a “tweep” is comparing JichoPevu with IsideStory and going ahaead to claim that while the InsideStory was fair, JichoPevu seemed to be biased toward Aboud Rogo. I watched both shows last night and in all objectivity the two journalists focused on the extra-judicial killing of the man not his innocence. In fact both showed his radical teachings which they thought was a basis for his elimination…so tell me why this tweep would claim that if not for the fact that Mohamed Ali is Muslim.
Going back to the first “tweep” I quoted, what this young lad was trying to say in so many words is: Islam = Terrorism.
I am a saved Christian, a member of Christ is The Answer Ministries (CITAM) but I don’t believe that Christianity is the only faith that takes people to salvation. After all the good book says “out of every land, whoever does his will shall be saved.”
What is important is not what religion or denomination you belong to but rather doing the will of The Most High, but that is something they don’t even teach in my church but it is the truth!! Whether Muslim or Hindu or Christian, we all stand the same chance in front of God.
I keenly followed on Aboud Rogo’s teachings…I even have one of his DVDs in my house and I must say that was the height of radicalism but that does not in any way mean that all Muslims are radicals. We saw fellow Muslims coming out to condemn his teachings and influence on young people but we don’t mention that on our debate.
Then there was this one: ” Limmo Kuruswo @LimmoKuruswo
A wise man does not negotiate with a terrorist #JichoPevu #Insidestory. Keep up ATPU ! We are safer with the terrorists eliminated”…ever heard of the saying “injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere?”
So It’s okay to have the basic human rights to suspects denied through extra-judicial killings. So what happens when we also have our basic rights denied? Maybe not because we are being suspected of being terrorists…maybe something else. Maybe not you….maybe your mum, dad, brother, cousin, friends…will that be okay? Or dint Samir and Rogo have family and friends too?
American Underground Rapper Immortal Technique has a song called “Civil War” and today I borrow these lines from that song:
The debate is not whether they were innocent…the debate should be about did they deserve to die the way they did? And will the police come and wash their hands from this by telling us who really killed the three?
The coincidences are just too many in the story…somebody knows the truth. There is one thing they say about the truth though: “it always has it’s own way of coming out.”
Does being related to a criminal make you a criminal too…I don’t know what most of my relatives do for a living, if one of them was a thief, does that make me a thief too?
Terrorism has cost all of us someone or something. As nation we have lost a lot and the war against terrorism must be fought. The responsible authorities must perform credible investigations. We cannot blame the judiciary on this. The judiciary relies on evidence and if the police cannot find enough evidence to prosecute their suspects it only means that those people might not have been involved in the said acts and that is definitely no excuse for execution.
Our investigative arms of the police must be reprimanded for the shoddy investigations they conduct. We must all fight for the protection of our basic human rights. We must learn to appreciate our social, economic, ethic and religious diversity. Whether Christian or Muslim, anyone who preaches intolerance is indeed a terrorist – I can add so many pastors to that list, even from my own Church.
Follow me on twitter @IamOminde