Proest erupts in Kenya over US-led atacks

["Ulhas Joglekar" <uvj@xxxxxxxx>]

The Times of India

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2001

Protest erupts in Kenya over US-led attacks

NAIROBI: Thousands of Muslims in the Kenyan capital took up the call on
Friday to protest against the US-led air and missile strikes against
Afghanistan.

The demonstrators, some shouting "Down, down USA!" and "Allah Akhbar" (God
is great), marched down Kenyatta Avenue and other major Nairobi roads after
leaving the Jamia mosque in the city centre following Friday prayers.

Police told AFP that the protest had been forbidden.

Some carried banners criticising the United States, Britain and Israel while
others held aloft pictures of Osama bin Laden, who is Washington's prime
suspect in the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. "Bin
Laden is our hero. We, Kenyan Muslims, will always support him," one banner
said.

Although enthusiastic, the demonstration was peaceful and well marshalled.

It came a day after the head of the Mombasa branch of the Supreme Council of
Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM), Juma Ngao, called on all Muslims to take up the
Taliban regime's jihad declaration and to take part in protests nationwide.
"America is guilty of annihilation of believers of Islam," Sheikh Ngao said
after the council met in Nairobi.

"We support the Taliban government's declaration of Jihad as a divine means
to fight our enemies and the enemies of Allah", Ngao said, reading from an
earlier SUPKEM-Mombasa statement.

"Every Muslim is now a soldier of Islam with a divine mission against our
enemies," Ngao said in the statement, released on Tuesday.

"We will have certain activities and take certain action in support of
Afghan people and their government in further condemnation and resistance in
America's covert aims of fighting Islam," the statement added. Muslims make
up 25 percent of Kenya's population.

On September 29, Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi led a demonstration
against terrorism that attracted thousands of people.

( AFP )

Copyright © 2001 Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.


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