Mombasa and the coast region as a whole has always been a quiet, peaceful sleepy place where crime and especially violent crime is still very low in comparison to the rest of the country. This is one of the reasons why many wealthy Kenyans, especially those who have attained retirement age have chosen to settle at the coast and many have bought or built homes in the up-market Nyali area.
But in recent times, it seems that things are rapidly changing. Could there be a link between the illegal settlement in large numbers of Somalis in the coastal region and what appears to be the rise of Islamic fundamentalism? Please read the other story today on illegal settlements by foreigners in Kenya.
========================================
Also published today
While Kenyans slept, the country was sold to foreigners
Quick comparison with neighboring Tanzania
Quip for today:
What many Kenyans have said to me; "Corruption will never ever end in Kenya."
What they meant is that it will never be brought under control. Yet because of it we have suffered so much and our children are set to suffer even more. Is there really any hope for Kenya?
========================================
There are a number of examples that are clear signs that a lot has changed for the worst in Mombasa.
Mainly because of the heat and also because of the huge foreign influence on fashion trends in the country, Mombasa like Nairobi has always boasted of its’ fair share of what a friend calls “half dressed ladies.” Some have been disgusted at this, while others have been fairly appreciative and have even been making unnecessary trips into town without anything serious to do except to “view.” Apart from the city centre, the other popular place for these “free shows” has been the Nyali area (the “Muthaiga” of the Mombasa).
But yesterday a disturbing incident took place. A young lady was stripped naked by muslim youths in full view of Television cameras. They accused her of dressing indecently and 'revealing too much.'
The poor lady was dressed in a top which revealed almost her entire back and a micro mini skirt to match as she went about her business in the sweltering heat and almost unbearable humidity that has been experienced in the city over the past few weeks.
Little did she know that she would meet 'barbarians' who have no respect for the rule of law and worse still the respect of others rights as they mercilessly roughed her up tearing her clothes to shreds while tossing her to and fro amongst themselves.
In shocking footage aired by KTN last night, it was obvious that the majority of her attackers were Muslim youths who seemed to get their 'kicks' from stripping the innocent lady who will probably be traumatized for life and will most probably need counseling to get her to walk the streets again.
What is ironical is that the Muslim extremists condemn all forms of scanty dressing and revealing one's body yet many of the commercial sex workers in Mombasa are Muslim women who leave home wearing the 'bui bui' garb which covers the whole body but on reaching their business “premises,” discard the religious garb only to reveal nothing but their “birthday suits” underneath.
What these Muslim brothers fail to understand is that Kenya is not an Islamic state but a secular one and they had no right to strip naked the young lady let alone criticize her dressing as this was none of their business just as when their sisters go about selling their bodies to westerners, nobody asks them why they allow this to go on yet that particular stunt (unlike the controversial dress code) is a crime under Kenyan laws.
It is absurd that the police did not swing into action and arrest the youths and subsequently haul them into court so as to serve as an example to others who may have similar intentions when they see the so called scantily dressed women.
Then another much worse incident took place a few weeks ago at Bokole in the Magongo area, North coast. Some rowdy youths stormed an overnight prayer meeting at a church and raped the women at the altar. The bizarre incident has been kept very quiet by all parties concerned for obvious reasons. However it is clear that the rapists were no ordinary thugs. One does not expect to steal much at a Kesha of Christians and indeed nothing appears to have been stolen. The whole purpose of the attack seems to have been the rape and specifically at the altar of worship.
There have been plenty of other tell-tale signs that things are not really the same in Mombasa.
Another very disturbing development was a few weeks back when the normally peaceful and non-controversial Muslims at the Coast threatened to disrupt the recently held world cross country championships. Mercifully they withdrew the threat at the eleventh hour after intensive negotiations with top government officials.
The government has to read the signs of the times early and ensure extremism and Islamic fundamentalism is never allowed to set root in this country as we have enough problems of our own and don’t need the likes of suicide bombers and Al Quaeda operatives to complicate our lives further.
And even more urgent is the need for the government to monitor and curb some of the activities of foreigners in the country who may have influenced the recent violent-like developments at the Coast.
How Creativity Made Kenyan Man $1000 Daily
Buru buru wife teaches barmaid-addicted husband a lesson he will never forget
The Kumekucha Amezidi Selection For This Week
Young Kenyans entertain grandmothers in immoral trade at the Coast
Kenya Anti corruption boss in corrupt love affair
Fundamentalists among us are a legion and the muslims at the coast are just the tip of the deadly iceberg.
ReplyDeleteThey have no right to play the religious police on innocent Kenyas. These are people who will shameleely scream religious persecution even when they can't spell the word.
The Mombasa muslim youths are only expanding the narrow beliefs of the Mungiki and their ilk. Even in Egypt, a strictly Islamic country, you go to Luxor and the closest they can come to diapporoving the handkershief for skirts is to avoid the tourists' paths. They cannot afford to slay the goose laying the golden egg.
You would know the value of what you have till you lose it. Our governement is sitting on a gold mine oblivious its gem. We treat tourism so lightly and consider 1 million guests as fortune while that is the number of tourists to Paris in a WEEK. No serous thought and education leave alone investment has been put in place savefor tokenism the Kenyan style.
The villagers' harrassment of the inocent girl will soon graduate to the Munguki's realm of stripping anybody in a long trouser. Clothes have nothing to do with morals and it does is to keep us safe from the elements provided we are comfortable.
Our brand of fundamentalism does not spare any sector. Look at the evangelical churches and the inscesant mad noise in the name of KESHA. Spare me you sermons country people and tell me if these people are not nothing but religious predators preying on the emotional and economic vulrenebility of starving Kenyans.
Fundamentalism and dictatorship are two sides of the same coin. The thread between them remain 'my way or the highway' except the latter group hides under loft religious paradigms they hardly understand. Recal the missionary who came with the bibler in one hand and the gun in the other? It was either you accept their version of evangelism or no school for you and your people.
That said, we must appreciate the goodies that globalization and modern living has brought. And we can't hide under the plastic and imaginary class of civilization to distate to others what is good for them. Kenya is a free counrty and we have no room for pretenders masquarading as moral and religious policemen.
The reason Mombasa is a nice place with low crime rate is islamic ethics. We should fear the immoral influences of tourism and their materialistic values. Not islam which teaches people to restrain themselves, be patient, be noble and love the community.
ReplyDelete