Why The state intelligence is closely monitoring events unfolding at Jamia Mosque in Eldoret

The state intelligence is said to be closely monitoring events unfolding at Jamia Mosque in Eldoret after power struggle hit the management committee. According to security sources, the mosque and its leaders have now been put under a 24-hour surveillance in view of the current happenings. A Muslim identified as Suleiman Abdalla went to the High Court the removal of the committee over allegation of abuse of office by the current office bearers. In the court papers, he claimed that the management of the mosque had failed to fully implement the constitution of the mosque thus portraying them in bad light. He further wanted the court to suspend all the activities of the committee conducted by some officials pending the hearing and determination of the case. He also wants them stopped from holding any meeting on behalf of the organisation. Among the committee members he wants suspended are Abdulla Juma, Abdi Omar and Idris Kaittany and the entire Jamia Mosque committee. The bone of contention is the claim that there has been no election of officials and he now wants the court to order for forensic audit of all books of accounts and bank accounts conducted by an external auditor. He further wants them ordered out office. Fear by state agencies is that records of those behind the bid need to be clarified. The state agencies want to establish if those agitating for the removal of the current officials may follow the trend that had happened in three mosques in Mombasa leading to radicalication of the youth in Eldoret and its environs. As a stop gap measure, state security agencies are said to be keenly monitoring the events as they unfold at the Jamia Mosque Eldoret. The current officials are accused of holding the positions for more than eight years which is against the organisation’s constitution. The Jamia Mosque saga comes barely a month after authorities launched investigations into the disappearance of more than 20 youths in Uasin Gishu county suspected to have joined Al-Shabaab. This was revealed by the Uasin Gishu county commissioner Abdi Hassan who said the youth, both male and female, went missing two years ago and their whereabouts have not been established since then. Hassan intimated that the missing group is believed to have joined Al-Shabaab, who, unconfirmed reports indicate, recently that have been recruiting youth in the northwest region to join the group. Cases of radical youths raiding mosques and moderate imams attacked and intimidated are not new among the Muslim faithful. Radical muslim youth had raided Swafaa Mosque in Mwandoni area of Kisauni constituency Mombasa county and ejected its moderate imam and management committee. The Swafaa Mosque raid was carried out by young men aged between 20 and 30 forcing the Swafaa imam, Sheikh Hassan to resign and go into hiding fearing for his life. Following such raids, a number of imams claimed their lives were in danger from what they called “brainwashed” youth targeting religious leaders conveying a message of tolerance and opposition to violence. Another raid was carried at Masjid Musa and Masjid Sakina in Mombasa, throwing out imams and management committees. The youths not only raided mosques but also attacked individuals believed to be against radicalication. At Masjid Musa, police seized laptops, textbooks, audio tapes, CDs, memory sticks, terrorist training manuals and other terrorism materials that point at a number of mosques and madrassas in Coast and North Eastern regions, being used by radical Muslim preachers to radicalise their youth and lure them to embrace terrorism. Sometimes last year, young men attacked and seriously injured a prominent moderate imam, Sheikh Ali Bahero of the Bakarani Mosque, just metres from Swafaa Mosque. Two radical clerics have been killed, Aboud Rogo in August 2012 and Abubakar Shariff, also known as Makaburi. Also to be raided again was Masjid Musa and Sakina Mosque in Majengo, Mombasa where hundreds of youths armed with knives invaded, and physically dragged the moderate imam from the pulpit during Dhuhr (midday) prayers. Sheikh Muhammad Idris, moderate chairman of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya, was also killed in Likoni. He had preached against violence and that message probably cost him his life. The militant youth are said to be barring the ‘old generation’ from mosque leadership, branding them traitors for rejecting radical preaching. after power struggle hit the management committee. According to security sources, the mosque and its leaders have now been put under a 24-hour surveillance in view of the current happenings. A Muslim identified as Suleiman Abdalla went to the High Court the removal of the committee over allegation of abuse of office by the current office bearers. In the court papers, he claimed that the management of the mosque had failed to fully implement the constitution of the mosque thus portraying them in bad light. He further wanted the court to suspend all the activities of the committee conducted by some officials pending the hearing and determination of the case. He also wants them stopped from holding any meeting on behalf of the organisation. Among the committee members he wants suspended are Abdulla Juma, Abdi Omar and Idris Kaittany and the entire Jamia Mosque committee. The bone of contention is the claim that there has been no election of officials and he now wants the court to order for forensic audit of all books of accounts and bank accounts conducted by an external auditor. He further wants them ordered out office. Fear by state agencies is that records of those behind the bid need to be clarified. The state agencies want to establish if those agitating for the removal of the current officials may follow the trend that had happened in three mosques in Mombasa leading to radicalication of the youth in Eldoret and its environs. As a stop gap measure, state security agencies are said to be keenly monitoring the events as they unfold at the Jamia Mosque Eldoret. The current officials are accused of holding the positions for more than eight years which is against the organisation’s constitution. The Jamia Mosque saga comes barely a month after authorities launched investigations into the disappearance of more than 20 youths in Uasin Gishu county suspected to have joined Al-Shabaab. This was revealed by the Uasin Gishu county commissioner Abdi Hassan who said the youth, both male and female, went missing two years ago and their whereabouts have not been established since then. Hassan intimated that the missing group is believed to have joined Al-Shabaab, who, unconfirmed reports indicate, recently that have been recruiting youth in the northwest region to join the group. Cases of radical youths raiding mosques and moderate imams attacked and intimidated are not new among the Muslim faithful. Radical muslim youth had raided Swafaa Mosque in Mwandoni area of Kisauni constituency Mombasa county and ejected its moderate imam and management committee. The Swafaa Mosque raid was carried out by young men aged between 20 and 30 forcing the Swafaa imam, Sheikh Hassan to resign and go into hiding fearing for his life. Following such raids, a number of imams claimed their lives were in danger from what they called “brainwashed” youth targeting religious leaders conveying a message of tolerance and opposition to violence. Another raid was carried at Masjid Musa and Masjid Sakina in Mombasa, throwing out imams and management committees. The youths not only raided mosques but also attacked individuals believed to be against radicalication. At Masjid Musa, police seized laptops, textbooks, audio tapes, CDs, memory sticks, terrorist training manuals and other terrorism materials that point at a number of mosques and madrassas in Coast and North Eastern regions, being used by radical Muslim preachers to radicalise their youth and lure them to embrace terrorism. Sometimes last year, young men attacked and seriously injured a prominent moderate imam, Sheikh Ali Bahero of the Bakarani Mosque, just metres from Swafaa Mosque. Two radical clerics have been killed, Aboud Rogo in August 2012 and Abubakar Shariff, also known as Makaburi. Also to be raided again was Masjid Musa and Sakina Mosque in Majengo, Mombasa where hundreds of youths armed with knives invaded, and physically dragged the moderate imam from the pulpit during Dhuhr (midday) prayers. Sheikh Muhammad Idris, moderate chairman of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya, was also killed in Likoni. He had preached against violence and that message probably cost him his life. The militant youth are said to be barring the ‘old generation’ from mosque leadership, branding them traitors for rejecting radical preaching.