Clerics condemn attack in city church
What you need to know:
- The condemnations came as the critically injured boy admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on Sunday was moved to the general ward after a successful operation.
- Religious leaders unanimously denounced the explosion at the church that killed a nine-year-old boy and injured several others.
- They said the incident was a terrorist act that should not be allowed to divide Kenyans along religious lines.
Religious leaders were on Monday united in condemning Sunday’s attack on children at a church in Nairobi with calls for the government to beef up security in places of worship.
The terrorist attack directed at children attending a Sunday school service at St Polycarp Anglican church was widely condemned by leaders from across the religious divide with many saying the young ones should not have been subjected to such brutality.
The condemnations came as the critically injured boy admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on Sunday was moved to the general ward after a successful operation.
Religious leaders unanimously denounced the explosion at the church that killed a nine-year-old boy and injured several others. (READ: Child killed in Sunday school terror bombing)
They said the incident was a terrorist act that should not be allowed to divide Kenyans along religious lines.
The Inter-Religious Council of Kenya said the action was regrettable but should not be allowed to cause rifts among religions.
“As the country bleeds and mourns as a result of these actions, let no one cite religion as the reason for committing this heinous crime,” said the council in a statement read by its chairman Adan Wachu, who is also the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims secretary-general, at the church site in Pangani estate.
The council said targeting the underage amounted to sacrilege. “It is a sin to murder innocent children. All scriptures of all faiths are explicit on the need to protect children,” added the council bringing together Christians, Muslims and other faiths.
Attacks on the nearby mosque and members of a particular community by irate youths were similarly condemned.
“We are concerned that after the blast, there were reported stone throwing at a nearby mosque and damage of property within Eastleigh. These are regrettable reactions which we deplore,” the clerics said.
Earlier, Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala visited the injured children at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
Meanwhile, eight-year-old Peter Njau who sustained severe head injuries underwent successful surgery last night and is now recovering.
