Three mosques shut doors despite deal
What you need to know:
- A worshipper said they could not conduct prayers because the mosque had a new committee that had not settled down.
- Masjid Minaa remained closed because it had not formed a committee to manage it as agreed by leaders and security officials.
Three controversial Mombasa mosques remained closed for worshippers Friday despite having been reopened on Thursday.
The Musa, Sakina and Swafaa mosques had been barricaded for one week by security officers who had raided them and arrested youths and found weapons.
They were reopened on Thursday following an agreement between Mombasa and Muslim leaders and police.
However, worshippers yesterday went for Friday prayers elsewhere after they found them locked.
As a result, other mosques in the region were filled to capacity. At Masjid Azhar in Guraya, Majengo, part of a road was closed to accommodate worshippers.
And Swafaa in Kisauni, Muslims who had gone for the midday prayers found a notice on the door stating that the prayers could not be conducted because the mosque was being cleaned.
However, the notice indicated that the cleaning would only affect the midday prayers. Security officers who raided the mosque soiled it, making it necessary to clean it, one worshipper said.
Sakina in Majengo similarly did not hold prayers yesterday. A worshipper said they could not conduct prayers because the mosque had a new committee that had not settled down.
LEAD US IN PRAYERS
“We still need to appoint an imam (preacher) who will lead us in prayers among other activities,” said the faithful. “Many of us attended prayers at other mosques.” The situation was the same at the Musa mosque in Majengo.
Masjid Minaa remained closed because it had not formed a committee to manage it as agreed by leaders and security officials. On Thursday, Mombasa County Security Committee chairman Nelson Marwa said it would not be opened until the committee is constituted.
