A Kenyan Muslim teacher who protected Christians from death at the hands of al-Shabaab terrorists in an attack last year has received one of the country's top awards for bravery.
Salah Farah, who died of his injuries sustained in the attack, has been awarded with the Order of The Great Warrior, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced yesterday.
Kenyatta said he was proud that Farah had "refused to be divided by terrorism" and said the award was being given to praise "his act of courage".
Farah, deputy head of the Mandera township primary school, was on a bus with 60 other passengers which was stopped by al-Shabaab militants in December.
He was one of several Muslims who refused to allow them to separate the passengers into Christian and Muslim groups, saying "Kill us all or leave them alone" and was hailed as a hero for helping save Christian lives.
"As we argued, they shot me and the boy. One man who also came out of the bus and tried to escape to the bush was shot," Farah said after the attack.
"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."
Farah died while undergoing surgery for his injuries.
Al-Shabaab is particularly active in the northeast of Kenya where the Muslim population is more concentrated. Tomorrow, April 2, marks the first anniversary of the group's worst attack in the country. More than 150 people, mostly students, died when militants attacked Garissa University. Survivors spoke of merciless executions by the attackers, who stalked classrooms and dormitories hunting for non-Muslim students.
