The Somali government has banned Christmas and New Year’s celebrations in the predominantly Muslim country over fears Islamic extremists might exploit the celebration to attack non-Muslims.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Somali government said that non-Muslim celebrations might instigate reaction from Al-Shabaab, a branch of east Africa’s Al-Qaeda.
“All events related to Christmas and New Year celebrations are contrary to Islamic culture, which could damage the faith of the Muslim community,” AFP reported Sheikh Mohamed Khayrow, director general of religious affairs ministry, as saying. “There should be no activity at all.”
Last Christmas, militants launched an attack on Mogadishu airport that left at least 12 people dead, AFP reported.
A spokesman for Mogadishu mayor told Reuters that “Christmas will not be celebrated in Somalia for two reasons; all Somalis are Muslims and there is no Christian community here. The other reason is for security,” Abdifatah Halane told the news agency. “Christmas is for Christians. Not for Muslims.”
In neighbouring Kenya, two people died in attacks on Monday in northern Mandera County when gunmen believed to be Somalia’s Al-Shabab rebels shot at a bus and truck headed for Mandera town, The Associated Press reported.
A witness told the news agency that Muslims helped dress non-Muslims passengers in Islamic garb, to prevent extremists from identifying them for slaughter on a bus in northern Kenya.
Some of the Muslim passengers gave non-Muslims head scarfs to try and conceal their identities when the bus stopped, probably remembering a previous attack in the same region last year when al-Shabab gunmen killed 28 non-Muslims from a bus, Abdrirahman Hussien, a 28-year-old teacher, said.
–with a file from The Associated Press
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