The debate on whether Idd Ul Adha should be marked on Tuesday or Wednesday in Kenya continued on Monday as Muslims engaged in bitter exchange online.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has threatened to petition the Judicial Service Commission to take disciplinary action against Chief Kadhi Sheikh Ahmad Muhdhar, claiming he overstepped his mandate when he questioned the decision by Internal Security Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to gazette Tuesday as a public holiday.
“Chief Khadhi is out of order and should not fault Cabinet Secretary Matiangi on Idd ul-Adha holiday date. This will divide Muslims,” he wrote.
Several people, including lawyer Ahmednassir Abdullahi, supported Mr Duale’s sentiments and encouraged him to prepare the petition.
“I agree with you…the Chief Khadi must be dismissed… either he is incompetent or plainly reckless…” he wrote.
Ali Hassan, tweeting as @AlibhaiH, concurred: “Actually all the kadhis in the country ought to undergo fresh vetting to determine their understanding of Islam and the law. It’s not sufficient just to have memorised the holy Quran and a couple of Hadiths.”
But Suleiman Dube defended the Chief Kadhi.
“Who are you to interfere with chief kadhi’s decision? Mind your tongue. Keep off. This is not politics,” he wrote.
Mbarak Salim hinted at what could actually be the cause of the ongoing misunderstanding.
He wrote: “Chief kadhis have been followed since the office was started and sometimes differed with dates in Saudi but everyone respected the kadhi. Even now the kadhi made the right decision but ni chuki tu and people wanting to force Muslims in Kenya to follow Saudis.”