OPEN LETTER TO HEADS OF ALL DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN KENYA 15th December 2003 YOUR EXCELLENCIES AMBASSADORS AND HIGH COMMISSIONERS TO THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA NAIROBI. SUB: THE NORTH EASTERN PROVINCE (NEP) RESIDENTS OBJECTION TO THE US MILITARY PRESENCE IN NEP Your Excellencies are surely aware of the security concern expressed by the residents of NEP of Kenya since presence United States of America military was first noticed in Wajir a few months ago and the local peoples' resentment of the human and veterinary medical care the said American Djibouti based military personnel has volunteered to administer throughout the province. While the American government might be trying to score some public relations victory in this region to facilitate her underlying mission in the Horn of Africa, the residents of NEP are apprehensive of any US miIitary presence for the foIlowing reasons: 1) The residents of NEP of Kenya are aware that American forces in Djibouti have a dec1ared mission of striking assumed terrorist celIs inside Somalia and generally uprooting so called terrorism from the Horn of Africa. Therefore, there is no doubt that due to NEP being so close to the Horn of Africa, any military engagement that takes place in the Horn will spillover to our part of Kenya. 2) Our Province is enjoying an unprecedented atmosphere of security with no terrorism incident occurring here; unlike Nairobi area and the Kenyan Coast, and while the residents would like to maintain that peace, any US military presence here can lead to AI-Qaedah operatives coming in to engage the US military. 3) The Muslim residents of the adjacent Coast Province are being subjected to a lot of harassment, arbitrary arrests, unlawfuI detentions and prosecutions for alleged involvement in terrorism activities on mere suspicions and circumstantial evidences. Relatives of suspected terrorists-have been arrested such as a grandmother aged over 80 years. The Cause of the Coastal Muslims suffering are as a result of the presence of American and Israeli interest, hence the NEP peoples concern that any foreign presence particularly of military nature wilI bring them uncalled for security problems and the sufferings that come with it. 4) Since its launching, the US led so-called Global war on Terrorism had serious ramifications on the residents of this region, and they now need redress before any relationship can be forged with the US. Some of the injuries and inhuman treatment are as folIows: i) In 2002 Sheikh Ahmed Mursal (Al-Sudan) was arrested in Mandera, taken to Nairobi and interrogated by US agents for two weeks just because, (as it turned out later) his name bore similarities with a Sheikh Ahmad Al-Suweidan sought by the FBI for the 1998 Nairobi bomb blast. ii)In June this year Mohamed Naveed Anwar an orphan under the care of Garissa Muslim Children's Home was arrested, detained and interrogated by US agents for almost a month on terrorism suspicion merely for his Pakistani origin. iii) Sheikh Khalif Abdi Hussein who comes from Ijara District in tbis Province was abducted by US agents from his home in Malawi where he taught at a Madrasa, held in Zimbabwe and later ditched in the Sudan after a kidnap and detention ordeal that lasted more than a month. In all the above cases there was no US acknowledgement, no apology and no compensation! iv) Early this year most likely due to American government recommendations and influence, an anti-terrorism police office has been opened in Garissa which is one of the only three offices to be established in the whole country after Nairobi and Mombasa. The establishment of an anti-narcotics police office in Garissa would have been the most appropriate thing to do if the interest of Garissa residents was to be given a priority. We believe this office is here to intimidate and spy on Muslims only. v) The residents of this province being predominantly Muslim will bear the brunt of the Anti-Terrorism Bill if enacted by the Kenyan parliament. Most Kenyans are convinced that this BiII, being a version of the US PATRIOT ACT, has been recommended and is being forced on Kenya by the US government. Already Kenyan Muslims are being subjected to arbitrary arrests, unlawful detentions and fictious prosecutions even before the Anti-Terrorism Bill has been passed and so we expect worse scenarios once it is passed. vi) The conspiracy to remove the existing Kadhi's Court from the Kenyan constitution currently being reviewed is a project of the American Churches and NGO's who most likely have the support of the Bush administration. This conspiracy against the Muslim faith has created mistrust and religious animosities among the Kenyan Muslims and some Christian churches. Both faiths have co-existed peacefully for the last 100 years with the existence of this very Kadhi's Court. vii) It is unfortumate and unfair that the US government has targeted to stifle the Arabian Gulf countries and some American Muslim charities in the so-called war against terror and as a result has affected a number of humanitarian projects in Kenya and particularly in NEP. For example, AI-Najah Islamic Centre in Garissa town is definitely going to cIose come January 2004 because the Qatar Charitable Organization has not been able to remit the center's sponsorship funds due to US pressure to investigate its possible terrorism links. 150 orphans, 12 teachers and 10 subordinate staff will be denied their source of livelihood if these funds are not sent promptIy. This will cost the local economy 3 million Kenyan shillings per annum. The closure of AI-Haramain Islamic Foundation office in Nairobi has led to the dosure of 20 centres and the loss of 200 jobs that cost the local economy Ksh. 13.2 millions per annum which catered for the up keep and education of more than 1000 refugee and Kenyan orphan and destitute children at Dadaab, Ifo Dagahle and Hagardeera campo We learnt that the US has pressurized the Saudi government to close the operations of the foundations offices in a number of countries for alleged security concerns. But what we would like to ask here is, "Why are our local orphans and workers being harmed economically when these organizations did not commit a crime in Kenya?" The World Assembly of Muslim Youth is yet another very old Islamic organization with an office in Nairobi since the seventies. It has now been banned from helping Muslim Students. Already AI-Haramain Islamic Foundation, AI-Ibrahim foundation, Wakalatul-Rahmah offices in Nairobi have closed and its expected that the few remaining Islamic international organizations are likely to follow in due cause. Having mentioned the negative impact on the Muslim charitable work due to the so called fight against terrorism, we foresee even bigger problems since institutions which have been in existence for the last 30 years and have been providing valuable education, social welfare and child care activities are likely casualties of the so caIled campaign against terrorismo Muslims view the US policy of encouraging and abetting (the unlimited American charity support for Israel and Churches out to convert Muslims particularly in the Horn of Africa (including NEP), Mghanistan and Iraq (TIME pg 47, 41h August 2003) while incriminating any Muslim to Muslim charity as financing terrorism as an American double standard which will only increase Muslims hate for anything American. viii) The American government's frequent and arbitrary travel advisories warning Americans against visiting our peaceful country is having an adverse economic impact on aIl Kenyans, the Muslim population of this region being no exception. 5) The Muslims of this region are part and parcel of 1.3 billion Muslim population of the world and are therefore adversely affected by the negative and sometimes hostile publicity against Islam being waged by America. A special report entitIed The Legacy of 9/11 (THE SAUDISWHOSE SIDE ARE THEY ON IN THE WAR ON CRIME?) by the TIME magazine of September 15th, 2003, was such a hate and malicious article against the Sunni Muslim faith which the Muslims of this province adhere to. Several top US officials such as President Bush, Attorney General Ashcroft, Lt. Gen. Boykin Deputy under secretary for inteIHgence, a high ranking US army Christian chaplain and others are quoted saying very provocative and unacceptable outbursts about Islam, the Koran and the Muslims. The Time, magazines, ACMTC (the un-gunned Anny) of Berino, USA who (authored BLOODY ISLAM) and a host of many other publications and TV channels alI originating from the US are demonising Islam systematicalIy and trying to equate it with terrorism. The US government often complains that AI-]azeera and AI-Arabia channels are giving negative publicity against its so-called war against terror, so let her be aware. While Muslims worIdwide surely take great exception to such hate overtures, we NEP residents are most concerned with the recent remarks of the US Defense Secretary Mr. Donald Rumsfeld who is on record to have said that, "The Madrasas (which are the religious schools in the Islamic worId) are recruiting young militants". He added by posing a very dangerous question asking, "are we capturing, killing or deterring and dissuading more terrorist every day than the (Islamic schools) and the radical cIerics are recruiting, training and deployJn-g against us?" (E. A STANDARD 251h and 291h October 2003). Of course, we get very much concerned, disturbed and horrified when we hear such wild allegations coming from high ranking US officials and we have no otherwise but to perceive the US led war on terror as nothing but a crusade war to eradicate Islam, hence our genuine suspicion of any US military presence in our area Barbara - an American Christian evangelist - is quoted by the Time of 4th August 2003 as describing Islam very awfulIy by saying, "Islam is the terrorist". "We pray that the weapon of mass destruction, Islam be tom down". We deduce from this that when American president Bush says he' s out to wage a crusade war on terrorism or to destroy weapons of mass destruction he actualIy means Islam. Evangelist Franklin Graham describes Islam as "A very evil and wicked religion". The Time of 41h August 2003 wrote that Graham is actualIy a Bush favorite who preached a Good Friday sermon at the Pentagon and will be the provider of aid and the gospel to the "liberated" Iraq. 6) It's therefore our sincere appeal that the US foremost corrects its antagonistic policies towards Islam and its institutions, compensates the Muslim individuals whose human rights have been violated by the US and its agencies and lifts the financial remittance restrictions put on Arabian Gulf charitable organizations who were hitherto funding the local Muslim projects. 7) The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the cradle of Islam and the custodian of the two most Holy Mosque of Islam. Therefore, Saudi Arabia is to Sunni Islam what the Vatican is to Catholism. Saudi Arabia has a religious obligation to Sunni Muslims to assist them with the construction of Mosque, schools, colleges and Islamic centers. Likewise the Vatican is doing similar assistance for Catholics worldwide. It is then the height of hypocrisy, malice and anti-Islam propaganda to claim that Saudi Arabia is spreading extremism and laying the ground work of terrorism when she executes her religious obJigations towards Muslims, yet the Vatican or Americans cannot be accused to be spreading Catholic and evangelical extremism when establishing Christian churches, schools, colIeges and universities all over the worId. The articIe of Time, September 15,2003 was basicaIly aimed at discrediting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, criminalizing her and trying to put on her al sorts of blame as regards to fuelling terrorism yet no evidence that can hold water was presented except very subjective and biased reports based on assumptions, hearsay, rumors and sheer hatred against Islam. 8) While we weIcome any humanitarian assistance from any friend of Kenya we feel such assistance should be channeled through our government or existing NGOs and be focused on vital and durable projects that will improve our basic infrastructures like the road network, schools and hospitaIs. For instance, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has financed the Thika - Garissa Road and the Garissa Water Projects which cost billions of Kenyan Shillings and Mikono(which is a ]apanese Charity) has constructed a number of schools, water welIs and dispensaries. 9) We Kenyans have often expressed our candid opinion regarding the origin of terrorism in the modern worId as resulting from the partial policy of the US government towards Israel and its tolerance of the immense human rights violations of the Palestinian people. Many people of the worId share with us the same opinion. The US government wilI therefore save itself and the whole worId a lot of trouble if it develops an impartial approach to the solution of the Israeli-PaIestinian problem and solves it once and for alI. 10) Many people of the worId induding Americans and Europeans do not support the US led war in Mghanistan and Iraq which has kilIed more people than those kilIed in the 9/11 terror attack and has killed or injured and is continuing to kilI and injure many innocent victims particularIy very vulnerable people like women and children (during two days in December 2003 (15) children were kilIed by US military in Afghanistan) yet no socaUed terrorism master-minders were apprehended and no weapons of mas s destruction were discovered. With such record, what moral justification does the US have to continue with these in-human wars even for one more day? The people of NEP of Kenya join the voices of reason which demand that these wars be caUed off immediately to stop the daily human suffering of both the US military and the Mghani and Iraqi people. 11) We sincerely believe that it is imperative that the people of NEP be consuIted adequately both by the NARC government and the US government before any policy is impIemented in their region as demanded by democracy, transparency and openness. 12) Let it be weU known byaU and sundry that our Muslim religious institutions and cultural vaIues are untouchable, nonnegotiable and cannot be compromisable issues and any encroachment on them will be met with resentment and resistance. 13) LastIy but not the least, the people of NEP are categoricalIy opposed to any US or any foreign military base or exercises in this region and perceive the so caUed US military humanitarian assistance as a pre-cursor to other plans like interfering with our Islamic institutions, checking our religious freedom, converting us to Christianity by force after failing for the past 40 years or putting up military bases or conducting military exercises which had negative repercussions on the communities who hosted thern before such as the Maasai and the Samburu or countries like lapan, South Korea and the Philippines Moreso that the US military personnel can commit any crime with impunity since they enjoy immunity against foreign prosecutions. Signed at Garissa By: SHEIKH HUSSEIN IBRAHIM BURALE CHAIRMAN - SUPREME COUNCIL OF KENYA MUSLIMS GARISSA DISTRICT SHEIKH MUAWIYAH MAHMOOD CHAIRMAN - COUNCIL OF IMAMS & PREACHERS GARISSA DISTRICT cc The President - Republic of Kenya Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister for Internal Security All Members of Parliament SUPKEM National Office Council of Imam of Kenya The Speaker, Kenya National Assembly Kenya Human Rights Commission Law Society of Kenya Leader of the Official Opposition in the Parliament Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Coalition for National Unity Kenya Human Rights Network National Council of NGOs AII the Media Houses Internal Commission of Jurist Amnesty lnternational Femnet Islamic Human Rights Cornmission The Wisdom Fund Africa Watch |
