Nadine Osman
George Magoha, Kenya’s Education Minister, apologised to Muslim leaders and NTV journalist Rukia Bulle on July 28 for his controversial terrorist remark aimed at her.
Among Muslim leaders present at the meeting were the Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji and Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Chair, Hassan Ole Naado.
“We met with Cabinet Secretary Magoha, who requested to meet with the Muslim leaders with the affected girl, — we met with him at the office of the DPP. Then he apologised to the journalist and regretted having used the term he used,” Naado said.
“Magoha has apologised to the journalist in the presence of Muslim leaders in Nairobi. In line with the Islamic tradition of forgiveness, we forgive him.”
The National Muslim Leaders Forum Chair, Abdullahi Abdi, who was at the meeting, said Magoha regretted his sentiments. “He humbled himself in front of us. He apologised to the lady directly and to us on behalf of the Muslim community. I believe the apology was sincere and asked the Muslim umma to accept it. We, the leaders, have accepted the apology and Rukia too, on behalf of the umma,” Abdi said in a statement.
Magoha apologised a day after he was criticized on social media and across Kenya for profiling Bulle, who wears the hijab.
He was speaking to the media when he singled out Bulle, who was working for NTV Kenya at a Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) junior classroom event, and profiled her based on her religion.
He was speaking to the media when, in response to a question by Bulle, he asked her: “First of all, where do you come from? Who are you representing? If you are representing Al Shabaab I will not answer you.”
