Reopen Worship Centres, SUPKEM Tell Gov’t
By PETER KOMBE
Email: thecoastnewspaper@gmail.com
The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims SUPKEM has urged the government to open places of worship including mosques and churches but strictly under the adherence to the directives laid out by the government.
Speaking to the media in Mombasa on Wednesday SUPKEM Deputy chair Muhdhar Khitamy said the council has had a series of meetings with imams and sheikhs from the region who have promised to observe the laid down regulations.
The Muslim faithful notes that of the imams within the region including Malindi and Lamu have forwarded their recommendations to government seeking to open mosques.
“All councils under SUPKEM are ready to open mosques in various areas. However there are some organisations that are against this move. Let them go to Tanzania. They have no Imams,” Khitamy noted.
Khitamy further indicated that once allowed mosques and faithfuls will strictly observe all government directives of social distancing, use of sanitizers wearing face masks.
The cleric further castigated a section of the Muslim community against the move terming them ‘irrelevant’ and without people’s interests at heart.
“We shall require that faithfuls observe social distancing, each has a copy of the quran and or can use their smartphones to read,” he observed.
According to him, Islam religion is based on teachings of the law and as such faithfuls must abide by.
At the same time Athman Ali Mombasa region SUPKEM Chairperson says 99 per cent of imams in the region embrace the move.
“We are asking the government to open mosques. We are ready to adhere to the directives set by the government,” the cleric said.
The cleric points that it is unwise for Muslims to stay longer without conducting prayer and worship services as long as the covid 19 pandemic persists.