Kenya: Muslims Protest At Police 'Harassment'

Good thing though, that unlike in Europe/US, in Africa they probably don't have a large appeasement bloc to back their "claims"...

Kenya: Muslims Protest At Police 'Harassment'

http://allafrica.com/stories/200702190064.html

The East African Standard (Nairobi)

February 18, 2007
Posted to the web February 19, 2007

Ernest Ndunda and Omwa Ombara
Nairobi

Muslims in Mombasa want President Kibaki to prevail upon law enforcement agencies to stop alleged indiscriminate arrests and incarceration of Muslims.

They threatened mass action if the State does not stop the arrests and incarcerations in a week's time.


Men, women and children turned out in thousands for a demonstration to protest at the alleged harassment of Muslims.

Waving white handkerchiefs to signify peace, the charged protesters said they would use their numbers to make a political statement later in the year.

"Time for Muslims to be heard by the Kibaki government has come. We shall make sure there will be no businesses in Mombasa after the expiry of the one week starting Sunday, should Kibaki fail to act accordingly," said Sheikh Mohammed Dor, the secretary general of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya.

They also want the Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Ms Martha Karua and her Internal Security colleague Mr John Michuki sacked within a week.

The placard-waving protesters demanded the immediate disbandment of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit and the repatriation of the youth taken to Somalia last week to face trial on suspicion of being involved in terrorism acts.

The demonstration started at Sakina Mosque and climaxed at the historic Makadara grounds with speeches from religious leaders.

And in Kisumu, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims chairman, Prof Abdul Ghafur El-Busaidy, claimed the State was harassing Muslims.


Speaking while opening a national civic education seminar, he said Muslims were discriminated upon in the issuance of national identity cards, passports and birth certificates.

He spoke when he opened a national civic education Programme with a slogan, Uraia.

Additional reporting by Roselyne Obala