By Adow Jubat and Ally Jamah

Religious leaders from Christian and Muslim faiths vowed to remain vigilant against terrorists bent on stirring inter-religious conflict in the country.

Speaking at joint news conferences in Garissa and Nairobi, they said those who attacked churches on Sunday in Garissa town were trying to create animosity and hatred between Muslims and Christians who have been living in the country harmoniously for decades.

On Tuesday, the leaders visited the churches and victims still in hospital.

“We treat the incident as an act of international terrorism and not a war between Muslims and Christians.

 The first casualty was a Muslim police officer guarding our church, but the terrorists were targeting Christians worshipping to stir despondency among the communities,” said the chairman of pastors’ fellowship in Garissa, John Maura.

He said the Christian community appreciates the solidarity shown by their Muslim counterparts who apart from swiftly condemning the incident offered them consolation and material support.

National secretary of the Council of Imams, Sheikh Hussein Mahat Noor, said terrorism was a global threat to civilisation and human existence that discriminates no religion, creed and race affiliations and it requires concerted efforts by all peace loving human beings to confront.

“Five Islamic clerics were killed in span of two months early this year in Garissa and Dadaab refugee camps. The victims of terrorism know no religious border and terrorists aim to fight human existence,” said Sheikh Noor.

He revealed that the Muslim community in the town will make contributions to support the families of those killed and injured in the beastly attacks that left 17 people dead and more than 40 injured.

NO DISPUTES

Dujis MP Adan Duale urged the Government to provide adequate security to protect the lives and property of residents of North Eastern Province, which borders the war-torn Somalia.

“It can never be business as usual in the country’s security and our intelligence officers must prove equal to the task of countering threats from international terrorists,” the MP said.

In Nairobi, the Inter-religious Council of Kenya held a meeting and said they would not allow the country to slide into conflict.

“We want to tell the cowards and demented individuals who planned, supported and perpetrated the beastly acts that you will fail. Kenyans will not fight a religious war. We shall continue to live as brothers and sisters in all parts of the country,” said IRCK’s Chair Adan Wachu, also the Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims.

Head of the Anglican Church of Kenya, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, said all faith groups are together against the criminals who perpetrated the church attacks.

“To our Muslim and Christian brothers and sisters in Garissa and elsewhere in North Eastern, we pray that you will continue to live together despite the outrageous attacks,” he said.

The meeting was attended by leaders of the Supreme Council of Kenya, Kenya Episcopal Conference, National Council of Churches of Kenya, Evangelical Alliance of Kenya and Organisation of African Instituted Churches.

PLANNED VISIT

Others represented were National Muslims Leaders Forum, Hindu Council of Kenya, Seventh Day Adventist Church and the United Christian Churches of Kenya.

The religious leaders plan to make a high-profile visit to Garissa to visit the churches that were hit as well meet residents to preach inter-religious harmony.

They promised to take action against religious leaders of any faith who incite their followers against others, saying that falls under hate speech. They issued a stern warning against clerics who recruit youth to engage in terrorist activities in the name of religion.

“We hope that our schools and religious institutions will teach youths tenets of religion as well as respect and love of others of different faiths. Let your pulpits be places of preaching peace and love of mankind,” said Bishop Boniface Adoyo.

Elsewhere, the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya chairman, Sheikh Mohamed Idris, said the killing of innocent people at places of worship must be condemned and the perpetrators arrested to face the full force of the law.

“Most people go to churches as it was the only place of worship. If the suspects pursued them and killed them in church, this must be stopped at all costs,” Sheikh Idris said.

He said the Government must pursue those behind the heinous act and arrest them to deter similar incidences occurring at places of worship.

“The blood spilled in the church must never happen again because the church is not a place of death,” he said.

— Additional reporting by NGUMBAO KITHI