Muslims are considered a
vital voting block
|
Kenyan Muslim leaders have
dismissed as propaganda allegations that an opposition party
promised to introduce Sharia for Muslims if it won elections.
The National Muslim Leaders Forum said its deal with the
Orange Democratic Movement was to end the current discrimination
against Muslims.
Christian leaders have been calling for the pact to be made
public to end angry speculation ahead of December's polls.
Roughly one-third of Kenya's population of 34 million is
Muslim.
Recent opinionpolls show 45% of those interviewed support ODM's
Raila Odinga compared to 43% who favour President Mwai Kibaki, who
is running on a Party of National Unity ticket.
Rendition probe
Muslim leaders decided to make the pact public after a
document circulated on the internet claimed that Mr Odinga's ODM had
pledged to introduce Sharia in parts of the country where Muslims
are in the majority.
The ODM is hoping Mr Odinga
can hold on to his poll lead
|
"There was a fear that Muslims will force their faith on other
people, Islam does not allow suppression of other religions and we
will be the last to advocate for this," said Abdullahi Abdi
of the National Muslim Leaders Forum.
Instead the memorandum of understanding, signed in August,
states that Mr Odinga has pledged to defend Muslims against
harassment and victimisation by state security forces who claim to
be fighting terrorism.
If the ODM leader wins, he promises to set up a commission to
investigate renditions of Muslims to Somalia, Ethiopia and the US
detention camp at Guantanamo Bay on the island of Cuba.
The document also commits Mr Odinga to initiate policies to
redress the present marginalization of Muslims living in the Coast
and North-East provinces. |
