Police say they won’t intervene in mosque takeover and name change

Police have said the takeover and renaming of a renowned mosque in Mombasa by youths was none of their business as long as they maintained peace.

Mombasa DCIO Gabriel Nyagah said the change of name from Sakina Jamia Mosque to Masjid Mujahedeen was not the authorities’ concern as long as the youths were peaceful.

However, on Thursday there was little visible evidence of the change of name at the main entrance of the mosque apart from the defaced letters of the old name.

NOT TAKE ACTION

Mr Nyagah told the Nation that no crime had been committed and until a formal complaint was lodged, police would not take action.

“We have no problem with them changing the name and we have not heard of any complaints. We only react to complaints and since the mosque committee has not reported anything yet, we have no business interfering,” he said.

Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council (Kemnac) chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao also sought to assure residents that there was no need for panic over the name change, saying there was no ill motive behind it.

He said it was normal for a mosque committee to consult and agree on changing a name.

Sheikh Ngao said Sakina meant calm while Mujahedeen meant any person doing good for the purpose of Allah which was beneficial to the community.

“Both names are acceptable in Islam and this is not the first mosque with that name. What we are requesting from the youth at that mosque is that they maintain peace. As Kemnac we find no reason for alarm,” Sheikh Ngao declared.

On Tuesday, radical Muslim youths are said to have taken over the Sakina mosque, which is a few metres from the controversial Masjid Shuhadaa (former Masjid Musa) and immediately changed its name.

This comes barely four months after the youths ejected clerics who were in charge of the mosque led by Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya chairman Sheikh Mohammed Idris.

The two mosques have been under the security radar over claims that they are responsible for jihadist teachings.

They are also suspected of recruiting youths in the coastal city into the Somalia terror group Al-Shabaab.