NAIROBI: Yesterday, I was at Moi University, in Eldoret, to keep a promise that was made by France in April this year; the promise to support students who were wounded in Garissa. At the time, the people of France were shocked by this heinous attack and spontaneously mobilized to show solidarity with the people of Kenya.
France has been feeling pain caused by the dreadful and unjust death of 129 people, assassinated by cowardly terrorists last week in a brutal action of the same nature as the ones you experienced in Garissa and in Westgate. The terrorists who struck Paris and Garissa are not foreigners. In Garissa as in Paris, they are fellow compatriots and we have to cope with this issue.
They are Kenyan or French nationals, who were radicalised. As of today, 600 French citizens are fighting in Syria and Iraq, within the ranks of Isis. Others wish to join them.
How can we not notice the striking parallel with those young Kenyans who chose to join Al Shabaab? How can we not see that our two countries are now committed to the same fight?
On this issue, we have to remain clearheaded and not fight the wrong battle. We are not at war with Islam; we are not at war with the Muslim world: both are exploited by the terrorists. As President François Hollande stated in Congress on November 16: “This is not a war of civilizations, for the terrorists do not represent any."
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Today, France and Kenya are targeted because they share the same values of democracy, freedom and tolerance; because we symbolise successful communities and a collective ideal, despite our differences. The values that we represent – the freedom of thought, the freedom of the press, the right to demonstrate, the right to vote, among many others – should put us into greater solidarity in this terrible time.
In this respect, let me observe that the values which unite our two nations, the liberty, equality and fraternity from the French motto –also explain the democratic debate that took over our societies, on what should be the right balance between civil liberties and security.
You experienced this debate in December last year on the occasion of the adoption of the Security Amendments Act.
We experienced it in January this year in the aftermath of the terrorist attack against “Charlie Hebdo” as our Parliament, after long discussions, passed a new law on Intelligence that, among other provisions, upgrades the legal framework of electronic surveillance.
This dialogue between the government, the opposition and the civil society is extremely useful and necessary.The fight against terrorism is the responsibility of the government, the security forces and Judiciary. But when innocent civilians are struck without discrimination, this fight becomes everyone’s responsibility.
We are all targeted and hence we have a duty to act as individuals.
Let’s be actors of our own collective security. A youth on the path of radicalization will be noticed by his family, his friends, his teachers, his teammates.
Giving youth opportunities rather than frustration is another key. It will show that hatred and terrorism can never be the solution and that living in freedom and security allows us all to build a fair and united society.
Today, we know that radicalization happens mainly through the Internet. The propaganda of this ideology of death is abundant and appealing to many. Where is the counter-propaganda to be found? Where is the civil society? Admittedly, governments can create websites and spread a counter-narrative but it will never be as convincing and, therefore, as effective as a narrative conceived by the citizens themselves.
Each one of us is a target: We must act on the cohesion of our societies. The terrorists won’t break our nations; they must not divide our societies. They are seeking to tear us apart, to play us off against each other, to feed hatred and to turn religions into war zones.
Let’s be clear, Muslims should not be pointed at, for they are the first victims of the Shabaab and Isis in Somalia, Syria and Iraq. It is not Islam which is responsible for the criminal path that some ignorant individuals chose.
Who else than an ignorant fanatic could forget what the Quran is very clear about: “Take not life, which Allah hath made sacred" (Sura 17, Verse 33)? Strengthening the cohesion of our societies through dialogue is also fighting terrorism.
Our two people will remain affected physically and psychologically by what we have been through, but this has to make us stronger for the future of our two countries.
Together, French and Kenyans, let’s hold our common values up high, values of freedom, democracy and solidarity.
We have experienced violence, grief and sorrow. We have felt the anger too. This anger must now turn into strength for the battle that we all have to fight. Bado mapambano.
