Kenya: Church Leaders Now Visit City Mosque for Prayers
By Jeremiah Kiplang'at
Church leaders on Friday joined Muslims during Friday prayers at Jamia Mosque in Nairobi, in a gesture aimed at bolstering the relationship between the two faiths.
Leaders from various Christian denominations sat through the prayers and then addressed the press in the company of their hosts in the afternoon.
The religious leaders under the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, said they had agreed to visit each other's places of worship to show solidarity in fighting intolerance among members of their faiths.
At the packed mosque, the Christians sat not far from the platform where Sheikh Abdullatif Essajee gave a short teaching before the prayers.
"Our brothers and sisters are here as a gesture of the cooperation and understanding that should exist between us. Where there is understanding, there is tolerance," said Sheikh Essajee.
Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow said it was good for people to live together despite professing different faiths.
He said the suspicions between Muslims and Christians had gone up following terrorist attacks in the country but added that such coming together would help wipe out such mistrust.
Mr Kerrow is a member of Jamia Mosque Executive.
The church leaders said they expected their Muslim counterparts to reciprocate soon by visiting their churches.
Catholic Church leader and Executive Director of Global Pace Foundation Daniel Omondi said: "Today we are sending a strong message that we are one humanity under one God. We are saying No to religious intolerance.
"We want all pastors and sheikhs to work together in order to rid this country of radicalism."
They challenged believers in different faiths to love one other as ordered by God.
"We are here to express our love for God together. We worship one God and He tells us to love one another," said Reverend John Alusiola of the Calvary Covenant Centre.
Response:
After I read this article, I didn't really know what to think. It's obviously being directed towards both Christians and Muslims not in Nairobi wo are hoping for a chain reaction. Their intentions are clear: they wish for calmer relations between the two religions. In general, most people don't like violence, so it seems logical. But at the same time, that is a bias. Not everybody agrees with the statement they're making. Church & Mosque leaders are trying to convince as many people as possible that this is the best and most practical solution to the chasm between Christianity and Islam. At the same time, the publisher has a bias. They agree with the writer in that this is perfectly acceptable and should be happening all over Kenya, maybe even the world. I don't really agree with the article. If the Church leaders were worshiping in the mosque to witness, and praise Jesus, I would be okay with this. But because Christianity isn't tolerant of other religions, I tend to slant away from their view, saying maybe this isn't the best way to do things. We can worship God together, but I would have a hard time worshiping God when a Muslim next to me is worshiping Allah.
Citation:
Kiplang'at, Jeremiah. "Daily Nation." 18 September, 2015. allAfrica. 20 September, 2015. <http://allafrica.com/stories/201509200027.html>.
Leaders from various Christian denominations sat through the prayers and then addressed the press in the company of their hosts in the afternoon.
The religious leaders under the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya, said they had agreed to visit each other's places of worship to show solidarity in fighting intolerance among members of their faiths.
At the packed mosque, the Christians sat not far from the platform where Sheikh Abdullatif Essajee gave a short teaching before the prayers.
"Our brothers and sisters are here as a gesture of the cooperation and understanding that should exist between us. Where there is understanding, there is tolerance," said Sheikh Essajee.
Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow said it was good for people to live together despite professing different faiths.
He said the suspicions between Muslims and Christians had gone up following terrorist attacks in the country but added that such coming together would help wipe out such mistrust.
Mr Kerrow is a member of Jamia Mosque Executive.
The church leaders said they expected their Muslim counterparts to reciprocate soon by visiting their churches.
Catholic Church leader and Executive Director of Global Pace Foundation Daniel Omondi said: "Today we are sending a strong message that we are one humanity under one God. We are saying No to religious intolerance.
"We want all pastors and sheikhs to work together in order to rid this country of radicalism."
They challenged believers in different faiths to love one other as ordered by God.
"We are here to express our love for God together. We worship one God and He tells us to love one another," said Reverend John Alusiola of the Calvary Covenant Centre.
Response:
After I read this article, I didn't really know what to think. It's obviously being directed towards both Christians and Muslims not in Nairobi wo are hoping for a chain reaction. Their intentions are clear: they wish for calmer relations between the two religions. In general, most people don't like violence, so it seems logical. But at the same time, that is a bias. Not everybody agrees with the statement they're making. Church & Mosque leaders are trying to convince as many people as possible that this is the best and most practical solution to the chasm between Christianity and Islam. At the same time, the publisher has a bias. They agree with the writer in that this is perfectly acceptable and should be happening all over Kenya, maybe even the world. I don't really agree with the article. If the Church leaders were worshiping in the mosque to witness, and praise Jesus, I would be okay with this. But because Christianity isn't tolerant of other religions, I tend to slant away from their view, saying maybe this isn't the best way to do things. We can worship God together, but I would have a hard time worshiping God when a Muslim next to me is worshiping Allah.
Citation:
Kiplang'at, Jeremiah. "Daily Nation." 18 September, 2015. allAfrica. 20 September, 2015. <http://allafrica.com/stories/201509200027.html>.
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