Kenya Muslims defy Al Shabaab

A group of Muslims travelling by bus from Kenya’s capital earlier in the week to the Northern part of the country averted plans by a terror group to massacre passengers on board.

On the 21st of December suspected Somali insurgent group Al Shabaab attempted to seize a bus carrying more than 50 passengers.

The militants sprayed the bus with bullets before ordering the passengers to get out.

According to the passengers, the attackers attempted to separate Muslims from non-Muslims a move Al-Shabaab is notorious for in previous attacks.

Nevertheless, the Muslims refused to be separated from the others and shielded their fellow passengers.

According to several reports, Muslims offered Christians Hijabs-head scarfs- in order for all of them to be identified as from the same religion.

Despite thwarting the plans of the insurgents, two people were killed and a handful were injured during the melee.

Kenyan have since then taken to twitter using the hashtag ‘‘ManderaHeroes’‘:

The #ManderaHeroes selflessly offered themselves as an armour against terror. Their courage was a message to terrorists that Allah is love

— Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) December 21, 2015

to talk about unity between Muslims and Christians. Last year, Al-Shabaab seized a bus carrying 60 people and killed 28 people who allegedly were not able to recite verses from the Koran.

Al-Shabaab claimed responsibility for the killings and said they will continue to retaliate because of the troops Kenya has in the war-torn country.

Since 2012, Kenya has seen an increase in terrorist attacks in various cities.
This year Al-shabaab killed at least 148 people in a university – a significant escalation in the scale of attacks.
Kenyan troops crossed into southern Somalia in 2011 to fight the al-Shabaab.