Reachout centre trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman (R) addressing Muslim clerics during a forum on Monday. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala].
Muslim clerics at the Coast have been urged to address the drug abuse menace among youth in the region.Reachout Centre Trust executive director Taib Abdulrahman said drug abuse was not only a security issue but also a social problem that needed joint efforts to be contained.Addressing a Muslim cleric forum in Mombasa on Monday, Abdulrahman said the menace was slowly being contained following intervention from anti-drug lobby groups in the region.He, however, said that Muslim clerics have also been instrumental in putting efforts towards curbing drug abuse.Abdulrahman said many youth in the region are engaging in drug addiction due to lack of guidance from religious leaders who should be fully involved in fighting the problem.“Since religious leaders always spend time with youth in mosques during summons, it is important to urge the youth to desist from abusing drugs,” said Abdulrahman.He urged religious leaders to culminate their preaching with examples of youth who lost their lives due to drug abuse in the region.He appealed to Muslim clerics to guide youth especially students who are on long holidays to prevent them from being lured into drug abuse.On his part, Coast region Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) chairman Sheriff Muhdhar Khittamy admitted that clerics have a duty to protect young ones from drug abuse and crime.“We admit that we have failed in this fight but all is not lost. Let us unite and take up the task to protect our sons and daughters from the drug abuse menace,” said Khittamy.