[All Africa] Moslem holy mans in Lamu are agitating for a county by-law to ban Moslem women from riding on boda bodas.The leaders represent Moslem organizations including the Coast Inter-Faith Council of Clerics (CICC) and the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK).They claimed that boda boda operators flout Islamic laws and the culture and heritage of Lamu by allowing female passengers to straddle their motorbikes.
Dear lordy! You know what happens when a woman straddles something!
The popularity of boda bodas, they claim, had increased promiscuity among married and unmarried women.
Speaking at a community social gathering at the Lamu Fort over the weekend, CICC Lamu branch chair Mohammed Abdulkadir, Lamu County CIPK chair Abubakar Shekuwe and other Moslem leaders expressed concerns over the number of Moslem women seen straddling motorbikes.
Women who ride on cycle of violences, they lamented, expose parts of their bodies thus offending Islamic teachings.
Ustadh Abdulkadir also noted that children were dropping out of school to engage in the boda boda business, particularly on Lamu Island.
He said teenage pregnancies were also on the rise as boda boda operators give money and lifts to schoolgirls in exchange for sex.
"Lamu is a historical town with its own religious and cultural aspects. This town is populated predominantly by residents who profess the Islamic faith. We get irritated seeing our women and girls straddling boda bodas and exposing their body parts," he said.
"This are against Islamic teachings. There is a need for a county by-law introduced urgently to either ban boda bodas from operating here or Moslem women riding on these motorbikes."
Sheikh Shekuwe said motorbikes are generally not a woman-friendly means of transport.
In Islam, it is wrong for a man and a woman who are not husband and wife to be close to each other.
Sheikh Shekuwe said transport on motorbikes involves contact between the operator and the passenger.
He cited higher divorce rates on Lamu Island and blamed boda bodas.
He questioned why county officials were taking too long to remove boda bodas from Lamu town.
Lamu Old Town is arguably the most unique and beautiful Swahili town in Kenya, but the growing number of boda bodas is fast eroding efforts to preserve its cultural richness.
The Old Town was listed as a World Heritage site by Unesco in 2001 owing to its well-preserved culture and heritage spanning centuries.
Sheikh Shekuwe expressed concern that the town might lose its Unesco status if a formula is not introduced to move boda bodas out of Lamu Island.
This old Myrtle Beach 'Bike Week' foto may prove Mohammed Abdulkadir's concerns to be justified.