One of the Muslims who helped save the lives of several Christians during a terrorist attack in Kenya last month has died during a surgery related to injuries he sustained during the shooting. Salah Farah, a Muslim, was traveling on a bus that was seized by the radical Islamic group al-Shabab. The terrorist gunmen, who in the past have attempted to avoid killing Muslims in some attacks, demanded that Christian passengers separate themselves from Muslims. Farah and the other Muslims refused. He told the BBC last month, “We asked them to kill all of us or leave us alone.” Though Farah and several others were shot during the initial ambush, the militants decided to leave after the passengers’ show of unity.
In an interview with Voice of America, he said, “We are brothers. It’s only the religion that is the difference, so I ask my brother Muslims to take care of the Christians so that the Christians also take care of us… and let us help one another and let us live together peacefully.” This week, Farah underwent surgery to treat the wound near his heart, but died during the procedure. His family told reporters that it is their hope that his death will help bring some religious unity to the country.
