ICC Note
Today marks the 4 year anniversary of the Westgate Mall terror attack in Nairobi, Kenya. This attack, perpetrated by al-Shabaab, left 67 people dead and many more injured. At a memorial held at the mall today, survivors of the attack called for forgiveness in healing in a country that has been continually hurt by Islamic extremism. Family members mourned their lost ones but said that the country needs to stand together in solidarity to help stop these actions from continuing.
2017-09-21 Kenya (KBC) Forgiveness to the unprovoked Al-Shabaab linked Somali Islamist gunmen who executed the senseless bloody orgy by hurling grenades and shooting scores in cold blood with automatic rifles inside a busy mall.
And gratitude to Kenyan armed forces and scores of patriotic citizens who risked their lives to stop the murderous and indiscrimate killings.
During the memorial anniversary graced by the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta , the survivors described the Westgate assault as a “cowardly terrorist act”-aimed at intimidating Kenyans- but from which they had emerged victorious.
“We need peace, forgiveness and gratitude. We forgive them so that we can move on”, said one of the victors, Ms Shamim Allu, who was hit by a grenade and braved five bullets on the back, hand and legs and waited for four hours before help could reach her.
Initially,said Ms Allu, she did not experience any pain. She was too numbed and shocked to start understanding the magnitude of her injuries. But she was awake and conscience until the first help-from an armed police reservist in civilian clothes- reached her.
“Now my mission is to be a peace ambassador. We need peace in Kenya”, she stressed during the memorial anniversary held at the Visa Oshwal Community Centre, Westlands , a few metres from the epicentre of the attack.
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