Kenya: Muslims Ought to Police Themselves

24 November 2014
opinion

Anyone who has ever been to my office has seen a picture of an old man on the wall. This old man is Mr Jeremiah Ngunjiri, my Guka. I am named after him in line with Kikuyu tradition. My grandfather became a Christian at a very early age and ended up as a religious leader in the Anglican Church. The convictions of his faith were apparent to anyone who interacted with him. The way he engaged you, the humility, mutual respect and openness of everything he did, spoke of his religious convictions. He lived his faith, genuinely, throughout his life. In a great testimony to this religious honesty amongst his children and grandchildren number tens of pastors and reverends in various Christian denominations. My father is a reverend in the Anglican Church. Christianity is real to us because of how Guka lived it.

Ironically the last sermon I remember hearing him preach was about Islam. He was castigating Christians for how loosely they hold onto their faith. He compared them to Muslims and explained how Islam was a way of life to its followers, defining how they live, eat, do business and even practise personal hygiene. Guka explained that although he did not agree with everything they do he respected them profoundly because of how they live out their religion; how to them Islam is a lifestyle.

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