Setting an example of interfaith harmony, Kenya Muslim leaders hosted their Christian counterparts during Friday prayer on September 18, in Nairobi’s Jamia mosque for the first time in the country history.
“No human is entitled to dehumanize another human being just because he or she follows a different religion,” Sheikh Abdullatif Essajee, a member of Jamia mosque management, said during Friday sermon, Standard Digital reported on Saturday, September 19. “Let us work together in harmony despite our religious differences.”
The leaders, drawn from various Christian denominations in the country, joined thousands of Muslim faithful in the mosque to listen to the Friday sermon and observe the prayers.
The event was organized a few days ahead of the International Day of Peace organized next Monday by the United Nations to promote peace among communities amid threats of divisions and violence.
Paying the visit back, Muslim leaders are expected to visit various churches and other religious institutions in the coming days to reciprocate the mosque visit.
Speaking to Muslims after the prayers Daniel Juma, a Catholic religious leader and CEO of Global Peace Foundation, said the move by Christian leaders to visit the mosque was a gesture of goodwill to boost cooperation among Kenyans of different faiths.
“We are moving away from merely tolerating each other as Kenyans of different faiths and instead actively cooperating with each other to make our communities better. Building understanding and trust is the necessary first step,” he said.
Interreligious Council of Kenya’s Paul Chepkwony, who is from Seventh Day Adventist Church, urged Kenyans to live and work together peacefully, regardless of their religious differences, saying religion should not be a dividing factor.
Harmony
Muslim leaders asserted that Kenyans of different religions have co-existed peacefully for decades until terrorist attacks begun to drive a wedge between them. “As Muslims, cooperation with Christians in Kenya is nothing new. We worked with them closely during the making of the constitution,” Secretary General of Jamia Mosque Abdul-Hamid Slatch said. “So we just want to enhance the common agenda that we share to ensure that Kenyans live in peace,” he added.
Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow shared a similar opinion, adding that the visit to the mosque by Christians would enhance understanding and harmony among Kenyans of different faiths and address misconceptions that may be fueling religious intolerance. “Let us avoid the habit of collective blaming of religious communities. If one person commits a crime, let them person be condemned as an individual. This applies to both Christians and Muslims,” he said.
The Christian leaders were also given a guided tour of the mosque, interacted with Muslim faithful and were also hosted to an interfaith lunch organised by the Management of Jamia mosque.
On Monday, religious leaders from various faiths are expected to play a football match to send a message to Kenyans on the need for peaceful co-existence.
