Coadjutor Bishop of Garissa on life after the attack in the town

The Coadjutor Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Garissa in Kenya, Bishop Joseph Alessandro, has emphasized the good relations between Christians and Muslims in Garissa, citing initiatives toward peaceful coexistence before and after the Garissa University College attack.

A week ago, Al Shabaab Islamist militants attacked Garissa University College in North Eastern Kenya. The official death toll from the Thursday early morning attack and siege that lasted several hours stands at 148 which breaks down to 142 students, 3 university guards and 3 policemen.

According to survivors, the attackers isolated Muslims from non-Muslims among the students, releasing the former and shooting the latter who failed to recite Islamic verses (Shahada, a proclamation of new converts). This was after killing 22 Christian Union students who had gathered in a hall at the university that morning for Prayers.

Bishop Alessandro told CANAA Wednesday that national Muslim leaders had reached out to the Church leaders in Garissa a couple of days after the attack to express their solidarity with victims of the attack.

“Saturday morning, the Chairman of Supreme Council of Muslims, came together with one Imam to our compound to show solidarity with the Catholic Church and told us that as leaders of SUPKEM, were against this attack,” Bishop Alessandro told CANAA on phone.

SUPKEM is the umbrella body of all the Muslim organizations, Societies, Mosques' Committees and Groups in Kenya.

According to Bishop Alessandro, interfaith and interreligious dialogue initiatives have been going on at the diocesan level in Garissa and similar activities towards peaceful coexistence between members of different faith will continue.

“Catholic-run schools are open to the Muslim families and humanitarian assistance by the Church is open to all,” Bishop Alessandro added.

He however expressed caution saying, “You just don’t know the enemy within.”

Bishop Alessandro also told CANAA that following the Thursday attack, Holy Thursday celebrations had to be cancelled in Garissa town.

“Good Friday and Holy Saturday liturgical celebrations took place, but were all marked by a very low attendance. However, on Sunday, the Cathedral Church was full since people had overcome their fears,” he said adding, “the last couple of days have been tense (in Garissa town and its environs), characterised by few people on the road, high security, including the Bishop’s Residence and Churches.”

On Friday, a day after the Garissa massacre, Pope Francis expressed his spiritual closeness to the families of the victims of the attack. In a message addressed to John Cardinal Njue, the Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), the Pope commended “the souls of the deceased to the infinite mercy of Almighty God.”

Pope Francis called “upon all those in authority to redouble their efforts to work with all men and women in Kenya to bring an end to such violence and to hasten the dawn of a new era of brotherhood, justice and peace.”

(By Fr. Don Bosco Onyalla, CANAA, Kenya)

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