Where Muslim thugs are not accorded Islamic burial rites

Where Muslim thugs are not accorded Islamic burial rites

By Iddi Musyemi

Muslim youth engaging in criminal activities in Kibera be warned! You will not be accorded Islamic burial rites in the event of your death occasioned by your unlawful activities.

This unanimous decision was arrived at August last year by Imams and Sheikhs under the umbrella of Bawaki (Baraza La Waalimu Kibra), is a radical move meant to curb insecurity that is rampant in the area. What’s more is that the community and local administration fully supports this courageous initiative.

In an interview with a delegation of Bawaki members led by Imam of Makina mosque, Kibera and chairman of Bawaki, Suleiman Mohamed, noted that Muslim youth had made it a habit of routinely engaging in ‘revenge’ attacks soon after the burial of a dead colleague at the Kibera Muslim cemetery. In the process, innocent Kibra residents are terrorised as business people at Toi Market get robbed amid chants of Takbir! (God is Great). These chants of Takbir have made some Kibera residents believe that it was ‘Islamic’ to harass people after Muslims bury their dead.

According to Abdulaziz Suleiman, the Imam of Al-Aqsa mosque and Bawaki Assistant Secretary-General , it had reached a point where Kibera Muslim cemetery was deemed to be the main cause of the routine ‘revenge’ attacks and acts of lawlessness. “Thus, we declared that these young men who die while committing acts of thuggery should not be buried here.”

Pained by the fact that the youth were their relatives, sons and brothers, the Imams are categorical that Islam does not condone acts of robbery and lawlessness. “The youth were becoming a thorn in the flesh and after thorough consultations among members and what the Holy Quran and Hadiths say on such an issue. Thus, a unanimous decision was arrived at by Imams of all the 13 mosques located in Kibera,” says Suleiman Mohamed.

Quran 66:6 says that : “O! Ye who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and stones.”

To set the ball rolling, a meeting was convened with the Officer Commanding Police Station (OCS) and Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) – Kilimani Police Station, the DC, Chief and Administration Police commandant in Kibera to inform them of the decision and seek their upport.

A photocopy of the ‘declaration’ signed by Imams was pasted in all the 13 mosques in Kibera and immediately put to test when the body of young man who had succumbed to gunshot wounds inflicted from police bullets during a botched robbery; failed to be granted Islamic burial rites by one Imam.

According to Yusuf Nasur, Imam of Kambi Ulum Mosque and Bawaki Secretary General, this has heralded a new beginning in curbing acts of lawlessness among Muslim youth. “After Imams in the area declined to perform Islamic burial rites on two other bodies of boys who had perished as a result of thuggery, these youth realized we were serious. They have began to mend their wayward behaviour.”

“One was ferried to Kisumu for burial after the parents owned up for failing in their responsibilities as another family sought to ‘salvage’ its ‘good name’ and opted to have the body buried at Langata’s Muslim cemetery,” adds Yusuf.

So far according to Bawaki, there has been a reduction in criminal cases occasioned by Muslim youth.

Another positive note is that, the move by the Imams has generated alot of debate in the community and parents are taking the initiative to talk with their children. “An interesting scenerio is a case where a parent had to relocate his youthful son from Kibera so that he could not end up being a thug,” notes Yusuf.

Falling short of declaring it a Fatwa (Islamic decree) the Imams termed it as a collective decision arrived at through consensus. “Earlier we had sought a solution through Khutbahs (sermons) at Friday prayers and other avenues but all these attempts failed,” says Haidar Abeyo who is Imam of Lomle mosque and Bawaki assistant treasurer.

Asked if they have been threatened by remnants of the youth due to this initiative, Abdulaziz Suleiman, the Imam of Al-Aqsa mosque says most threats have been verbal. “Threats are there but we have been steadfast. The boys never come out publicly because we know them since they were once our students in our madrassas. Otherwise, the only time police have come to offer security is during burials.”

Bawaki also confided to the New Dawn that it was unfortunate that many of the boys it had declined to have buried at the Kibera cemetery were reverts to Islam. “Our observation was that a good number of these boys were reverts to Islam and do not have a deeper understanding of Islam,” says Haidar Abeyo.

On whether areas with large Muslim numbers like Kawangware, Majengo-Pumwani, Eastleigh, Huruma or Korogocho among others have sought to adopt such an initiative, the Bawaki delegation says: “It’s only Majengo-Pumwani that had shown interest but they are yet to follow it up,” says Suleiman Mohammad. Yusuf Nasur also adds that despite the fact that each of the above areas has unique challenges, Bawaki is open to exchanging notes with them.

As a preventive measure to dissuade youth from joining criminal activities, Yusuf Nasur says that Bawaki is in the process of including a life skills subject in the Madrassa curriculum. “We have noted that Kibera youth lack life skills to cope with the challenges of life. The younger ones need to be taught at an earlier age on how to live with the rest of the community and engage in a better way to earn a livelihood.” For his part Abdulaziz Suleiman decries the lack of employment among Muslim youth in Kibera but at the same time critises them for being ‘choosy’ about some jobs.

Finally, the delegation reassured security agencies that mosques in Kibera do not habour criminals. “In fact we are grateful for the cooperation we are receiving from Kilimani Police Station-Nairobi, DC-Omar Mbeja, area Chief and AP commandant (Kibera) and wish to tell our youth engaging in crime that ‘We shall let the law takes its course and in accordance with the laws of the land’.”

Photo-From Left: Bawaki members led by Chairman Suleiman Mohamed-Imam of Makina mosque, Yusuf Nasur-Imam of Kambi Ulum Mosque, Haidar
Abeyo-Imam of Lomle Mosque and Abdulaziz Suleiman-Imam Al-Aqsa Mosque. All these mosques are in Kibera, Nairobi.

Source- The NewDawn