East African States Need To Keep Gulf Powers At Bay: Al-Shabaab Massacre in Kenya
Boutros Hussein and Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
The latest massacre by al-Shabaab (al-Shabab) in Kenya highlights the entire danger to East Africa and this reality is trickling down to Central Africa. This threat applies to Takfiri Islamists that are inspired by Gulf version of militant Islam. Therefore, East African nations and some Central African countries must build a wall against the growing influence of Gulf pertrodollars.
If East African nations comprising of Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda don’t work in tandem – and somehow bring in Eritrea from the cold – then all nation states face future sedition, growing sectarianism, terrorism and massacres like the latest Takfiri Islamist bus attack in Kenya. Indeed, the severity of the crisis is expanding because the Islamist Takfiri agenda is spreading to other parts of Africa, for example in the Central African Republic, Mali and Nigeria in West Africa.
True to the nature of Takfiri Sunni Islamists, then just like in Iraq and Syria then other Muslims, for example the Alawites in Syria and the Shia in both nations, are deemed to be apostates and infidels. This reality means that the Alawites and Shia are being beheaded and massacred in increasing numbers by the utter barbarity of various sectarian forces. For example, various al-Qaeda affiliates like al-Nusra and other militant groups like ISIS slaughter for fun. Therefore, brutal sectarianism and indoctrination is also following the same path in nations like Somalia whereby Sufi shrines and holy places are destroyed by Takfiri Sunni Islamists.
At the same time, leading Sunni Muslim leaders in Iraq and Syria face the same Takfiri sword. After all, many Sunni Muslim religious leaders have been brutally murdered in both nations by Takfiri Sunni Islamists. Therefore, the war of civilization is internal and external. This reality should shame all Gulf nations and NATO powers that have supported various Takfiri Sunni sectarian terrorist groups against secular Syria – just like the same Gulf and NATO powers supported barbaric Takfiri and sectarian forces in Afghanistan in the 1980s and 1990s. After all, the same reality is women in the shadows, the destruction of culture, barbaric anti-Shia massacres and turning the clock back to “year Takfiri zero.”
In the past Sudan was a pariah state whereby millions of mainly black African Christians and Animists faced Islamization and Arabization. This reality led to millions of deaths in the 1980s and 1990s. Also, during this period many black Africans were enslaved by various Arab militia groups in Sudan because of the brutal policies of Khartoum – indeed, one only needs to look at Sudan and Mauritania to understand rampant racism aimed at both black African non-Muslims and black African Muslims. Today Sudan is split between Sudan and South Sudan but Khartoum is still involved in areas related to the spread of Salafi Islam and the “year zero Takfiri mindset.”
East Africa also faces the perils of ethnic nationalism and many different issues related to water, control over resources, internal political issues, enormous wealth disparity and other important areas. Despite the seriousness of all the above, these matters are mainly internal even if regional nations get involved based on geopolitics. However, Gulf petrodollars and the growing menace of Salafi Islam, alongside the one world view of Takfiri Islamists, threatens to unleash sectarianism and a major clash between Christians and Muslims.
The al-Shabaab in Somalia support killing all converts to Christianity from Islam and this terrorist Takfiri group beheads and murders relentlessly. Like usual, Takfiri Sunni Islamists in Somalia also support the destruction of indigenous Islam and enforcing their inquisition on not only converts to Christianity, but also destroying holy places that are connected to Sufi Islam. In other words, just like Takfiris are butchering Alawites, the Shia and mainstream Sunni Muslims in Syria that oppose their “Takfiri year zero agenda;” then it is abundantly clear that militants Salafists deem other Muslim sects to be apostates.
Kenya bus attack and growing terrorist and sectarian threat
In Kenya the reality of this barbaric force surfaced once more because the al-Shabaab separated Muslims from Christians, and anyone deemed to be non-Muslim, and then they butchered like usual. Of course, to Takfiri Islamists this is deemed to be jihad and what Allah wants.
The Independent reports: “Those who could not say the Shahada, a tenet of the Muslim faith, were shot at close range … They killed 19 men and nine women in the bus attack, said Kenyan police chief David Kimaiyo.”
The same media source reports that since late 2011: “Authorities say they have been at least 135 attacks by al-Shabaab extremists since then, including the bloody assault on Nairobi’s upscale Westgate Mall in September 2013 in which 67 people were killed.”
Al-Shabaab enforces draconian laws in areas they control in Somalia and clearly parts of border areas in Kenya are clear places of danger. The fear for Kenya is that Salafi indoctrination is spreading like a plague in certain parts of this mainly Christian nation. Therefore, the latest brutal massacre whereby non-Muslims were singled out for slaughter in Kenya is further evidence that barbaric Takfiris are increasing their terror along with spreading psychological fear.
Security forces in Kenya know that just like Boko Haram in Nigeria that the al-Shabaab is also obtaining greater sophistication of military weapons. This alarming reality, and the growing influence of indoctrination, is setting off alarms throughout the corridors of power in Kenya. At the same time, ratlines linking the Gulf and various areas that are out of the control of central forces in Kenya are working in the shadows in order to spread mayhem and chaos.
It is abundantly obvious that Kenya, just like the Central African Republic, Nigeria and Mali, faces a growing Takfiri Islamist and jihadist threat. This reality needs to be reevaluated in Kenya and all East African nations. After all, a Takfiri, Salafi, sectarian and terrorist threat – alongside indoctrination and Gulf petrodollars – is altering the geopolitical religious landscape in Africa. However, unlike the Middle East and North Africa that is overwhelming Muslim, the clash in Central Africa, East Africa and West Africa threatens to unleash Christian and Muslim communal violence – just like in the Central African Republic that was triggered by Islamists and outside meddling.
Takfiris, sectarianism, Salafi indoctrination and Gulf petrodollars
Of course, issues in the Middle East are based on sectarian fault-lines being fueled by Gulf powers and Turkey. At the same time, major Western powers are involved in destabilization policies – irrespective if intended or unintended – because Iraq and Libya, just like Afghanistan, are failed states. Currently the armed forces of Syria are trying desperately to preserve the centralized state despite the ratlines involving Gulf nations, NATO powers and international Takfiri jihadists.
It is time for Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – and other nations that fear the growing menace of Salafi indoctrination, sectarian Takfiri forces and terrorism to work together. At the same time, it is essential to cut the ratlines linking Gulf petrodollars that are funding militancy throughout East Africa and to cease other areas of influence, for example Islamist Salafi charities and educational facilities. If not, then the entire region will face a growing menace, just like Nigeria and Mali (and other nations). Therefore, regional powers throughout East Africa need to galvanize their respective security forces and counter-terrorist activities, in order to focus on a wide array of essential areas.
The latest brutal bus attack in Kenya needs to increase the urgency of this nation in stemming the Salafi and Takfiri tide. If not, then more fresh massacres await and this also could lead to a backlash.
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