Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi was attacked by al-Shabaab terrorists in September
Posted
on: www.dailyguideghana.com
By
William Yaw Owusu
Friday,
September 27, 2013
The Ahlussunna Wal-Jama’a (ASWAJ) in
Ghana has unreservedly condemned the terrorist attack on Westgate Shopping Mall
in Nairobi, Kenya that led to the deaths of scores of people.
Al-Shabaab militants from neighbouring
war-torn Somalia claimed responsibility for last Saturday’s attack that lasted
almost four days, a siege in which renowned Ghanaian poet, academic and
diplomat Prof. Kofi Awoonor lost his life.
According to the Kenyan
authorities, 67 people had died, including six
security personnel and five militants. At least 18 foreigners are among
the dead. They include six Britons as well as citizens from France, Canada, the
Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China.
About 175 people were
wounded, including 62 who remain in hospital. The
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in
retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.
At a news conference,
Sheikh Umar Ibrahim Imam, National Imam said, “We would like to put on record
with all the emphasis at our command that these acts are un-Islamic in all
ramifications and cannot be justified with any Islamic jurisprudence.”
He said that it was clear
from some of the verses of the Holy Quran that “Islam enjoins us to do things
collectively only in righteousness and piety and not in atrocities and
murderous acts.”
He said “that the same
Holy book enjoins us to be just even to our enemies.”
“Where therefore lies the
justification for the barbaric killing of people in the mall?”
“The acts of terrorism
such as was visited on the innocent people working and shopping in the Westgate
Mall in Kenya can only come from ignorant and bigoted criminals, whose agenda
has absolutely nothing to do with Islam and the name-tag ‘Islamist’
notwithstanding.”
“It is the opinion of the
hierarchy of Ahlussunna Wal-Jama’a of Ghana that Muslim leaders all over the
world rise up to this challenge and work diligently towards uprooting this
serious disease that groups like al-Shabaab and their ilk have infested on Islam.”
Prof. Kofi Awoonor, renowned Ghanaian poet, academic and diplomat lost his life in the attack
According to the National
Imam, “The most painful aspect of the situation is the deceit with which they
draw innocent youth who would otherwise serve as future leaders for their
nations and communities into this despicable cause they have chosen for themselves.”
“We urge all Muslim
countries and communities to take a second look at their educational curricula
and insert subject/topics aimed at protecting and insulating the youth from
falling into the traps of these terrorist organizations.”
He urged peace-loving
people not to allow “this barbaric act to disrupt the prevailing peaceful
co-existence between Muslims and people of other faith.”
He said the killing of
innocent people is frown upon by the Holy Quran and those terrorists should be
condemned without any reservation.
“This is the stand of the
Holy Quran and therefore the stand of Islam. We, Ahlussunna Wal-Jama’a, will
therefore condemn any act that violates this cardinal teaching of Islam.”
The National Imam
expressed their readiness to partner the media to expose what he called
“perpetrators of heinous crimes against humanity in any form.”
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