Friday, September 10, 2010

Do not support Bashir just because he's Muslim, says PM

By DAVID OCHAMI

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said Muslims should not support Sudanese President Omar al Bashir out of religious solidarity because he is suspected to have killed hundreds of thousands of people in a costly war in Darfur.

Addressing Muslims at an Iftar dinner at the Intercontinental Hotel to mark the end of Ramadhan, Raila said Islam does not embrace terrorism, crimes of genocide and crimes against humanity that Bashir is accused of by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of committing in Darfur.

unquestioned friendship

Raila said Islam cannot be a basis for any Muslim to accord him unquestioned friendship.

"The issue of Bashir is not about Islam. The people killed in Darfur are Muslims. It is not fiction.

We cannot really wish it away," he said.

The PM said an African Union resolution urging African states not to arrest Bashir does not "deny me my right of opinion as Raila Odinga".

Bashir attended the promulgation of the new Constitution on August 27 at Uhuru Park at the invitation of the Government.

The PM said the Government has a duty to fight terrorism in all its forms regardless of perpetrators’ faith but the fight must be done within the law.

"What we must ask for is fair trial and Muslims must confront terrorism," he said.

He was referring to recent arrest and extradition of Kenyan terrorist suspects to Uganda over the July 11 bombings in Kampala.

census results

Raila said terrorists cannot be supported by true Muslims because they target innocent civilians, including women and children.

He hailed Muslims’ support for the new Constitution. The PM also asked Muslims to be calm over the census results which they recently rejected. He said a repeat count will rectify anomalies discovered.

"Muslims are here by right and not by anyone’s invitation," Raila said and added that the new law establishes framework of unity and sectarian harmony needed to spur development.

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