In aftermath of Nairobi attack, Kenyans seek to prevent harassment of Somalis and Muslims
Community leaders have worked to counter the idea that Muslims are collectively to blame for attacks by al-Shabaab militants.
(The Christian Science Monitor) Abdimalik Anwar was sipping a cup of coffee in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood on January 15 when a friend called to ask if he had heard the news. A few miles away, militants linked to the group al-Shabaab had stormed an upscale hotel and office complex called 14 Riverside, killing and injuring dozens.
Anwar felt a jolt of fear. In 2013, when the Somalia-based al-Shabaab attacked the nearby Westgate Mall, some Kenyans had turned their anger on the country’s large community of Somalis.
A violent police crackdown swept Somali neighborhoods, and many young Somalis such as Anwar—who has lived in Kenya since he was an infant—endured severe harassment in the streets.
