What a heroic act by the Muslim passengers who shielded their non-Muslim colleagues in the face of an Al-Shabaab attack! That these ordinary individuals were willing to risk their lives on behalf of their fellow travelers is truly commendable.

It sends a strong message to those bent on instilling fear, by the brutal murder of innocent people, that you can push such an agenda only so far. It is clear that there still are many ordinary men and women whose consciences are alive and who still value life.

They will therefore not be accomplices in the spilling of innocent blood in the name of advancing a myopic religious cause. It also shows that in pursuit of evil, a point reaches where even those whose cause you apparently seek to serve will grow tired of witnessing wanton human slaughter.

No wonder these Muslim brothers and sisters stood firm against the barrel of the gun ready to die with their “enemies.” The world has therefore appropriately considered heroes, those who bore the brunt of the assassins’ bullets, as they shielded fellow travelers.

Several lessons on the war on terrorism can be learnt from these ordinary folks. As many have argued before, the war against terrorism can only be successfully won with the deliberate and honest cooperation of Muslim leaders and followers. The fact that a few ordinary Muslim individuals foiled an attack by several armed Al-Shabaab killers is a clear indicator that if the community united against these bloodthirsty individuals, the war could go a long way towards being won. It is sad though that the Muslim fraternity has for a long time remained mainly nonchalant in their support of government in the fight against terrorism. To the contrary, whenever terror suspects have been arrested, leaders and activists from this religious community have often come out in strong public defence demanding their unconditional release.

All are greed that religious profiling and extra-judicial killings by government must neither be excused nor condoned against any community. Yet, a proactive response by Muslim leaders in assisting the government in its intelligence gathering and flushing out of criminals could go a long way in turning perceptions positively.

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Sadly though, Muslim leaders have mainly paid lip service to the war on terror. Most of their actions have stopped at strong statements and lofty promises made at quickly convened press conferences soon after terror attacks. None is ever followed through to fruition. For example, the nation is still waiting for the fulfillment of the promise by Aden Duale and team to name the planners and funders of the Garissa University attack.

Though they firmly promised to do so within 30 days, more than 200 days have gone by with no such disclosure. Instead, they have since been at the forefront pushing for the return of non-local professionals to the region — a noble thing in itself. But how much the better if such demands were backed with some solid and visible actions that allay the fears of the returning professionals and students.

The other key lesson from the Mandera heroes is that there is a very positive side of Islam. Whether we say so or not, there is a global rage boiling against Islam, whether rightly or wrongly. It has been the opinion of many that, in spite of its claims, this religion of peace has lost its pursuit of peace. The Jihadists have so disfigured the face of Islam that Islamophobia has generally fed on itself. That is why the whole world was pleasantly surprised at the sacrificial acts of love shown by those ordinary passengers in the Mandera bus.

Local and international media repeated the story so many times, not because it was such a major event, but simply because it was refreshingly different to hear something positive said of Muslims in the midst of so much negative vibe.

More importantly, the Mandera bus affair is a clear indicator that the human heart is so positively elastic that it will stretch forth beyond apparent hate to embrace very simple human acts of love, peace, and justice. The implication is that whatever it is that the Jihadists are pursuing through the reign of terror can perhaps be achieved so much the faster through simple acts of human comradely.

While wars of the ancient past were won through superior might in the battlefield, the world is today conquered by the shrewd and, more so, by those tender at heart.