NAIROBI—TheRiyadhMajengoMosqueontheoutskirtsofNairobihasbeenaccusedofbeingahubofradicalization,foryouthturningtotheSomalimilitantgroupal-Shabab.Buttheimamofthemosquesaidheandothersworktoturnyoungstersawayfromextremistactivity.
Thisistwenty-three-year-oldIbrahimNyongesa,aresidentofPumwaniontheoutskirtsoftheKenyancapital.Heearnsabout$50permonth,makingandsellingcoconutconfections.
Fouryearsago,NyongesabecameradicalizedafterlisteningtosermonsfromsomeofthemosquesinPumwani.Buthestoppedshortofjoiningal-Shabab,hesaid,afterhearingwhathecalls"correct"teachingsfromtheRiyadhMajengoMosque.
“Ichangedfrombeingradicalizedafterlisteningtosermonsandteachingsofthesheikhsatthemosque,andIcametodiscoverthatinIslamoneisnotallowedtoshedinnocentblood,”saidNyongesa.
Pumwanihasapopulationofaboutthirtythousandpeople.Unemploymenthereishighwithmostyouthdoingoddjobstoearnaliving.
CriticsofthemosquesayithasbecomeafocalpointforyoungmenwhothinkmilitancyistheanswertoKenya'sproblems.Twoyearsago,policeraidedtheareaandarrestedyouthswhosaidtheywerepartofthemosque.Twoweeksago,amemberofthemosquewhoworksforthecountry’sparliamentwasarrestedonallegationsthathehaslinkstoal-Shabab.
Threeyearsago,IdrisiNyabogajoinedthemosqueasitsimam.Hesaidallegationsthemosquefundsandencouragesterroractivitiesareunfounded.
Nyabogasaidthemosqueworkstode-radicalizetheyoutharoundMajengo.
“WhenweencounteraMuslimsoradicalizedmeaninghisviewsareagainsttheteachingsoftheProphetandtheQuran,weexplainthetruthindetailuntiltheychangetheirhardlinestance.Oncetheyknowthetruthit'sthenuptothem,"hesaid."Forcingthemtobemoderateisanotherthingaltogether.Wecannotforcethem.Oursistoshowthemthewayandtellthemthattheirradicalizedstandiswrong.”
BenjiNdolofromtheOrganizationofNationalEmpowerment,agroupthatadvocatesforpolicychangeandgoodgovernance,saidtheproblemofradicalizationcouldbeaddressedbythegovernmentthroughinclusion.
“It'sgottodomoreintermsofprograms,intermsofaffirmativeaction,intermsofproactive,youknow,measures,tobringtheyouthintomainstreamnation-building,whetherit'stenders[contracts],whetherit'sprojects,whetherit'sdifferentundertakingstocreateopportunityforthemtoearnsomethingandgetthemoffthesidelines,"saidNdolo.
KenyansareconcernedaboutIslamicmilitancyinthewakeofdeadlyattacksclaimedbyal-Shabab.Lastmonth,al-Shababgunmenkilled148peopleatauniversityinthetownofGarissa.ThegroupsaidtheattackwasinretaliationforKenya'smilitaryinvolvementinSomalia.
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