Monday, December 21, 2015 was a hot day. The bus on its way to Mandera in northern Kenya was carrying more people than usual, as on the way it had to pick up passengers from another vehicle that had broken down on the same route. At one point, the driver had to slow the vehicle down considerably due to the poor condition of the road (actually a dirt road). The route had suffered a great deal of damage due to the torrential rains that had fallen in the region shortly before.
Mixed
At that moment the driver saw three armed men stopping him standing in the middle of the road. He thought they were some army soldiers, but soon realized his mistake. The men opened fire on them and wounded him in the leg. He immediately stopped the bus.
Realizing that these people were most likely members of Al-Shabaab (a terrorist group originating from Somalia linked to Islamic State, which has been carrying out terrorist attacks in Kenya for years), the driver and his companion alerted the passengers, among whom were numerous Christians. In an attack on December 28, 2014 in a similar place they had killed 28 people, all Christians, who were not able to recite from memory texts from the Koran as the terrorists asked them to do to save their lives. Now they feared the worst.
Immediately the passengers began to mingle on the bus to disguise each other's religious status. The Muslim women gave some of their veils or other garments to the Christian women so that they would not be easily recognized.
The terrorists, faced with the difficulty of distinguishing between the followers of one religion and another, ordered those who were Christians to get off the bus. But none of the passengers got off. Christians and Muslims were together, mixed, side by side. The terrorists began to get nervous because it is usual for these buses to carry a police escort. In this case, the police car had broken down and so had been delayed. In any case, it was clear that the police patrol escorting the vehicle would not take long to arrive. Indeed, shortly after the assault, the sound of an approaching engine was heard in the distance. The terrorists then decided to leave, but not before murdering a poor man who, in fear, had tried to flee alone.
An act of patriotism
The next day Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta praised the patriotism of our Muslim brothers who risked their own lives to protect the lives of other Kenyans. Sheikh Khalifa, the chief imam of Kenya, said this courageous act showed the true teachings of Islam: we all have an obligation to care for our fellow man.
This reminds us of what Pope Francis said on November 26 at an interfaith meeting in Nairobi: "I am thinking here of the importance of our common conviction that the God whom we seek to serve is a God of peace. His holy name must never be used to justify hatred and violence. I know that the memory of the barbaric attacks on Westgate Mall, Garissa University College and Mandera is still vivid in your minds. Too often, young people are radicalized in the name of religion to sow discord and fear, and to tear at the fabric of our societies. It is very important that we are recognized as prophets of peace, peacemakers who invite others to live in peace, harmony and mutual respect. May the Almighty touch the hearts of those who commit this violence and grant His peace to our families and our communities.".
In this particular case our Muslim brothers and sisters have given us a beautiful lesson. May we keep it in mind as we welcome refugees or other displaced persons or those in need in this year of mercy.
