Mosque reopens for prayers as caretaker calls for sobriety

Eight men who were arrested at Sakina Mosque on November 17 before Mombasa Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo in this picture taken from December 17,2014. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Musa mosque in Majengo, which is among the four controversial mosques reopened on November 27, was full of worshippers who attended the Juma’a prayer.
  • Masjid Musa, Sakina, Minaa and Swafaa had been barricaded for more than a week by security officers who had raided them and arrested youths mid last month.
  • Hours after the arrests, gangs of youths went on the rampage, attacking people at three bus-stops and in some estates in Kisauni sub-county.

One of the three controversial mosques, which police raided and allegedly found an assortment of weapons and materials used for radicalisation, conducted its first Friday prayers.

Musa mosque in Majengo, which is among the four controversial mosques reopened on November 27, was full of worshippers who attended the Juma’a prayer.

The other mosques, Masjid, Sakina and Swafaa in Kisauni were not open for prayers on Friday.

There was, however, no communication as to why the other mosques remained closed. The new chairman of Masjid Musa, Mr Khatib Khamsi, said Friday prayers had resumed normally and on all other days of the week.

The chairman called upon fellow Muslims to use the mosque accordingly.

“We are happy that we managed to conducted the Friday prayers under the new management. The mosque was full to capacity, we no longer have issues as it was a few days ago,” he said.

POLICE OFFICERS PESENT
I appeal to the members and other faithful to come in large numbers and worship, this is a house of worship and as the in-charge, I will ensure that is adhered to; this is God’s house and everybody is welcomed to pray and go back home,” Mr Khatib warned.

He assured the residents not to fear as peace had been restored.

Mr Khatib also expressed his gratitude to the County Commissioner, Mr Nelson Marwa, and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho for helping in reopening of the mosques.

“We thank Mr Nelson Marwa and Governor Hassan Joho and all those who facilitated for the reopening of the places of worship and most importantly for giving us enough security,” said Mr Khatib.

The chairman said they had not yet formed a committee to run the mosque but it was in progress. “We do not have a committee, I am the one who took the responsibility and I am grateful because so far so good.”

During the prayers, two General Service unit vehicles with a handful of officers crisscrossed the Sharrif Nassir Road as faithful streamed into the mosque.

KILLING ORGY
Masjid Musa, Sakina, Minaa and Swafaa had been barricaded for more than a week by security officers who had raided them and arrested youths mid last month.

Three hundred and sixty people were arrested in two dawn raids conducted in November 17 and 19, following intelligence reports that the mosques harboured weapons and were being used to train and recruit youths into joining radical groups.

Armed security officers blocked the mosques as crime scenes after the raids in which police said they found hand grenades, petrol bombs, ammunition, a bomb detonator and other weapons, besides radical literature.

Hours after the arrests, gangs of youths went on the rampage, attacking people at three bus-stops and in some estates in Kisauni sub-county. Three people were stabbed to death while at least seven others were seriously wounded.

Thirteen people were charged with being in possession of hand-grenades at Musa and Sakina mosques.

FORM COMMITTEES
They were reopened on November 27, following an agreement between the county government, security agents and Muslim leaders.

Masjid Minaa in Mwandoni, Kisauni, remained closed because it had not formed a management committee.

The closure of four Mosques sparked fury among Islamic leaders, none of whom, however, were ready to take over the mosques for fear of reprisals by radicalised youths.

The uncertainty is said to have caused some clerics to flee to neighbouring Tanzania. “They are fleeing, especially from Kisauni, Majengo, Likoni, Ukunda and Msambweni, for fear of their safety,” a cleric told the Sunday Nation weeks ago.

The county leadership including MPs agreed that the mosques be manned by the committees as security agents monitored the situation.