“The media has discriminated against Muslims.” This was the message from Abdullatif Esajee the Treasurer of Jamia Mosque Committee when he complained about the unfair coverage of Muslim issues before and in the aftermath of the January 15th demonstration in Nairobi.
Addressing Muslims at Jamia Mosque Nairobi, Abdullatif took issue with the media for projecting a bias attitude towards the community and called for a change to ensure fair and balanced coverage. His sentiments were also echoed by the Imam of Jamia Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu who accused the media houses of absconding their role to promote harmony among citizens and had resorted to inflaming animosity against Muslims.
He was categorical that no Al-Shabaab member participated in the protest saying that it was Kenya Muslims who were exercising their democratic right. The Sheikh Swalihu accused a section of the media houses for failing to give an accurate representation and had greatly portrayed Muslims negatively.
Muhammad Okello Nyamwanda of ummah defenders, a forum to campaign for the rights of Muslims, blamed the Nation media television channel NTV for “inventing” the notion of the Al-Shabab presence in the demonstration, an allegation which the Internal Security Minister George Saitoti used as a strong justification to launch a massive swoop which targeted mostly members of the Somali community.
The Nation Media Group has in the past had a frosty relationship with the Muslim community. In 2005, it earned the fury of Muslims when in the midst of the worldwide anger against the Danish cartoons which blasphemed Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, NTV went ahead and aired the cartoons inflaming Muslim passions in the country.
Before this, the then Nation Television featured an ardent critic of Islam, the US based televangelist Pat Robertson-famous for the 700 Club Television programme- who described the Prophet as a paedophile and went further to say that the Holy Kaaba, the most sacred shrine of Muslims is a pagan symbol of worship.
Addressing Muslims at Jamia Mosque Nairobi, Abdullatif took issue with the media for projecting a bias attitude towards the community and called for a change to ensure fair and balanced coverage. His sentiments were also echoed by the Imam of Jamia Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu who accused the media houses of absconding their role to promote harmony among citizens and had resorted to inflaming animosity against Muslims.
He was categorical that no Al-Shabaab member participated in the protest saying that it was Kenya Muslims who were exercising their democratic right. The Sheikh Swalihu accused a section of the media houses for failing to give an accurate representation and had greatly portrayed Muslims negatively.
Muhammad Okello Nyamwanda of ummah defenders, a forum to campaign for the rights of Muslims, blamed the Nation media television channel NTV for “inventing” the notion of the Al-Shabab presence in the demonstration, an allegation which the Internal Security Minister George Saitoti used as a strong justification to launch a massive swoop which targeted mostly members of the Somali community.
The Nation Media Group has in the past had a frosty relationship with the Muslim community. In 2005, it earned the fury of Muslims when in the midst of the worldwide anger against the Danish cartoons which blasphemed Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, NTV went ahead and aired the cartoons inflaming Muslim passions in the country.
Before this, the then Nation Television featured an ardent critic of Islam, the US based televangelist Pat Robertson-famous for the 700 Club Television programme- who described the Prophet as a paedophile and went further to say that the Holy Kaaba, the most sacred shrine of Muslims is a pagan symbol of worship.
