CS Duale Defends His Remarks on Mandatory Wearing of Hijab by Kenyan Muslim Women

Defense Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has defended his remarks about the wearing of hijabs by Kenyan Muslim women and girls.

Duale stirred up a storm on Tuesday after saying it is mandatory for Muslim women to wear hijabs in public and asked those opposed to the practice to find another country to live in.

"The government will respect Muslim culture. We will make sure our girls wear hijabs. If you have a problem with our girls and wives wearing hijabs, then you better leave this country because they will wear hijabs,” he said.

Duale clarified that his remarks were taken out of context, insisting that what he said was factual and in line with the dictates of the Islamic religion.

"Almighty Allah ordered the women to let the two ends of their headgear extend onto their bosoms so that they conceal their ears, the neck, face, and the upper part of the bosom also. (Chapter 33, Verse 59 – Al Ahzab). Islam, like all other world religions, is a way of life with defining tenets that the adherents MUST follow to the latter. There are no two ways about it," he said in a tweet.

The cabinet secretary further noted that religious hypocrisy has been the root cause of extremism that for a long time, true Muslim faithful have been stereotyped, segregated and in worse cases, killed for.

"As a member of the community and religion that has suffered the greatest forms of persecution the world over, I will not be cowed by the bias and distorted information the media outlets have chosen to run with,” he said.

“I was addressing members of the Islamic faith who know for a fact that I said nothing but the truth. I still am unapologetically Muslim. And, on behalf of Islam - which is bigger than us all - I said what I said,” he added.