Two misunderstanders of Islam arrested in Kenya trying to cross into Somalia

Dad says his son was "brainwashed" into thinking he was going to fight a holy war in Somalia. I wonder what could have made this young man, and another caught with him so determined to carry out jihad and become martyrs? Any moment now one of the vaunted moderate Muslims, or their lackey should be winging their way to Cardiff and Wales to explain to these two misguided boys how they have Islam all wrong.

Hooper? Aslan? Mogahed? Esposito? Anybody?

From the BBC October 18

Two Cardiff men, 18, held by Kenyan anti-terror police

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Two 18-year-old men from Cardiff are being questioned by anti-terrorism police in Kenya.

Authorities in Kenya say the pair were arrested while crossing the border into Somalia.

The father of one man, of Somali descent, said he had flown out to save his son who had been "misled" into thinking he could fight a holy war.

Kenyan police say were under investigation by the anti-terrorism unit and are expected to be deported.

The other man is also a UK citizen, who is of Pakistani descent according to police.

A joint statement from the Muslim community in Cardiff said they were thankful the two men were safe and well and they were anxiously awaiting their return.

The father of the Somali Briton told the BBC he travelled to Kenya after his son disappeared from the family home in Cardiff.

Abdirhman Haji Abdallah told the BBC Somali Service in an interview: "He was brainwashed and taken away from us and he was told that he was going to fight a holy war in Somalia. So I travelled to Nairobi in an effort to save him."

He alerted the High Commission in Nairobi as well as the Kenyan police and gave them a photograph of his son.

Security forces arrested his son very close to the Somali border along with the other 18-year-old.

Mr Abdallah said he was reunited with his son in Nairobi where police said they would not prosecute as he had not crossed the border into Somalia, but would refer the matter to the UK authorities.

Charles Owino, deputy spokesman for the Kenyan police, said earlier on Tuesday: "They were arrested crossing into Somalia.

"They are under investigation by the anti-terrorism unit of the Kenyan police."

"These persons are being detained under Kenyan law and the force is liaising with local law enforcement to establish the circumstances of their detention."

South Wales Police said it was trying to establish the circumstances of the detention and was also in contact with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British High Commission in Nairobi.

The case of the 18-year-olds, understood to be missing from Cardiff for more than a week, was discussed at a community meeting in the Grangetown area of the city on Sunday.

Just beforehand, police informed community leaders the two had been located.

A joint statement from the Muslim community in Cardiff said: "The Somali and Pakistani community in particular, and the Muslim community in general, are anxiously waiting for the arrival of the two youths detained by the Kenyan authorities.

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