'Our youth are being radicalised in schools, colleges and mosques'

Lamu, Kenya: Muslim students in boarding schools and colleges are more likely to be indoctrinated by extremists to join terrorist groups.

Children Affairs Director Ahmed Hussein told a meeting in the county that children living away from their parents were easier to mislead and indoctrinate.

Speaking during a prize giving ceremony at Arabuko Forest High School in Kilifi, Mr Hussein urged parents and guardians to take keen interest in their charges to ensure they do not fall under the influence of extremists.

Hussein, who is also the chairman of the school’s board of management, said terror groups agents can easily access their targeted groups in colleges and universities as most of these students live alone in hostels.

“Youth in tertiary colleges and universities stand a higher chance of being targeted for radicalisation and recruitment to join terror groups like Al-shabbah as they live alone far away from their parents or guardians,” he said.

He cited the example of slain Al-Shabaab terrorist Abdirahim Mohamed Abdillahi who co-planned the April 2 massacre of students at Garissa University College.

He said the case of Mr Abdillahi, a native of Mandera who was killed in the college by security forces, shows that even educated children studying good courses can be indoctrinated to become mass murderers.

“I was shocked when I learnt that the person behind the planning of the attack that claimed lives of over 140 students had studied law,” Hussein said.

Speaking at the same forum, Islamic UMA University Vice Chancellor Abdulrazak Shaukat condemned the murder of innocent people and the carnage in Garissa.

EXPOSE TERRORISTS

Prof Shaukat said the massacre could not be justified by Islam and urged Muslims to expose terrorists to the State if they know any.

Shaukat said Muslims and non Muslims are equally appalled by what happened in Garissa and should unite to combat terrorism.

“Both Muslims and non Muslims have an obligation to assist the Government fight terror by voluntarily exposing and giving names of suspected terrorists to the police,” said Shaukat.

Meanwhile, Muslim leaders said their religious scholars and institutions should come up with a standard curriculum to check indoctrination and radicalisation in mosques and Islamic schools or madrassa.

Lamu East MP Shariff Athman, Woman Rep Shakilla Abdalla and Lungalunga MP Khatib Mwashetani said they believe lack of a uniform curriculum and structures had sowed disorder within Muslim institutions paving the way for extremists to preach hatred and radical ideology.

Speaking in Faza Island in Lamu County during a fundraiser for salaries of madrasa teachers yesterday Mr Athman, Ms Abdalla and Mr Mwashetani said terrorism has increased in the country due to extremist teachings by some Muslim leaders.

“Sheikhs and other religious leaders have the responsibility to come up with a national syllabus to be used in all religious learning institutions,” Athman said.

“Lack of uniform curricula has opened a window for extremists to hijack Islamic teachings for evil schemes.

“We don’t want to have our children taught wrong doctrines and they later come to harm us,” said Abdalla.

Mwashetani (pictured) said after establishing a standard curriculum, Muslim institutions and scholars should also create a single examination for all Islamic schools.

“It is regrettable to lose so many young people like it happened in Garissa University College,” said Mwashetani.

The leaders also asked the country’s intelligence unit to pull up its socks.