English
Kinyarwanda
The Mufti of Rwanda Muslim Community (RMC), Sheikh Salim Hitimana has called upon the Muslim youth to stick to the true teachings of their religion and give no ears to radicalized people, who define the Quran differently so as to lure them into criminal activities.
Sheikh Hitimana made the call on Tuesday while addressing Rwandan Muslim students studying in Saudi Arabia, in a meeting held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) Headquarters in Kacyiru. He reminded them that they are ambassadors and they should reflect Rwandan values especially when they meet different people from other countries all over the world.
He noted that to prevent radical sympathies, the young people should share information about such tendencies to security organs to quickly curtail the development of extreme radicalization amongst Rwandan youth.
The Mufti reiterated that radical Islamic groups often target students for new recruits to their criminal cause, and urged them to be part of the security framework to fight and prevent such violent extremism.
He wondered why someone would take another’s life with impunity because of belief differences.
Commissioner of Police (CP) Denis Basabose, the Commissioner for Counter-Terrorism in RNP mentioned that exposure to extremist teachings could lead youngsters into radical groups and that as students; they should take the mantle to discourage such acts of terrorism.
Islamic radicalism, he said, erodes Rwandan values and preventing the “evil against human rights and threat to security and development” should be a collective action.
“Don't associate with people who want to mislead you into radical Islamic terrorism, condemn jihadists -such a thing is for evil-minded people that use the Islamic name for their selfish and criminal ends… extremism is against the Islamic faith,” CP Basabose told the Muslim students, urging them to be “good Rwandan ambassadors.”
Ismail Karekezi, one of the Rwandan students studying at Madina University in Saudi Arabia, hailed Rwanda National Police for engaging Rwandan young Muslims in these serious matters of security and patriotism.
Karekezi observed that such meetings remind them of their responsibilities in building their country instead of destroying it and carrying the Rwandan image abroad. He promised to share the acquired information with their colleagues to deny allegiance to extreme ideologies.
