August 28, 2012
Rioters clashed with police in Kenya's port city of Mombasa for a second day Tuesday (August 28th) after the killing of Aboud Rogo Mohammed, a Kenyan Islamist cleric linked to al-Shabaab, AFP reported.
Staff in Mombasa's main hospital reported that at least 14 civilians had been injured in the clashes, in addition to two anti-riot police.
Hundreds of angry youths attacked churches, threw stones, damaged cars, attacked businesses and chanted slogans in support of Rogo as police tried to contain them.
"We are trying to contain them so that we do not create more deaths. Deaths and destruction of property will not help with anything," said regional police chief Aggrey Adoli.
Kenyan police deployed teargas and fired rubber bullets to stop the protesters, and arrested 12 people on Tuesday, Kenya's Daily Nation reported.
The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) and several other Muslim organisations have condemned the violence, especially the targeting of churches, five of which have been set on fire.
"This kind of violence goes against our faith. The protesters should not hide behind Islam or any of its teachings," said SUPKEM Secretary General Adan Wachu, according to AFP. "These are criminals and should be treated as such."
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga condemned Rogo's murder, adding the government was "committed to bringing whoever was responsible to justice".
Rogo was the "main ideological leader" of Kenya's al-Hijra group, also known as the Muslim Youth Centre (MYC), according to the United Nations. The MYC is viewed as a close ally of al-Shabaab in Kenya.
In response to the murder, al-Shabaab called on Kenyan Muslims to "take all necessary measures" to defend their religion.
"Muslims must take the matter into their own hands, stand united against the kuffar [unbelievers] and take all necessary measures to protect their religion, their honour, their property and their lives from the enemies of Islam," al-Shabaab said in a statement.
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Reader's Comments
In the event of such acts the government should arrest all the young people found to be participating in those cases because a lot of them are those who do not have any work to do.
I’m always surprised when one person is killed then churches, bars are attacked, that is when I get concerned that we are still not united as Africans. But we become people who are led by events.
it is anice place to learn about regional issues
I am a very angry man. Either these Muslim youth believe that others are not youth simply because they are not Muslims or they do not get the right teaching wherever they attend Islamic lessons. We are not at war with them and simply put they should move out of Kenya to wage war where people live on shedding blood. anger at the wrong targets is grievous injury to the innocent.