NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenyan Muslim protesters shouting "Zionism is racism" urged President Daniel arap Moi on Friday to sever ties with his close ally Israel in retaliation for the killing of Palestinians by Israeli troops.
More than 2,000 placard-waving demonstrators clad in white "kanzu" prayer gowns marched to the Israeli embassy, burned a replica Israeli flag and shouted slogans accusing Israel of crimes of racism and apartheid.
"The Muslim community in Kenya now wishes to petition the government to upgrade its ties with Arab countries and completely sever ties with the current Israeli regime," said Abdulghafur el-Busaidy, chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims.
"The Zionist state is engaged in the brutal massacre of the Palestinian people," he told the two-hour demonstration, timed to coincide with a U.N. racism conference in South Africa where Arab states have sought to brand Israel a racist state.
Hundreds of people, mostly Palestinians, have died in almost a year of violence between Palestinians and Israelis that erupted last September when peace talks collapsed and Palestinians launched protests against Israeli military occupation of Arab land.
Moi has been an ally of Israel for much of his 23 years in power, cultivating military and trade links that have boosted Israel's long campaign to win friends on the continent and counter Muslim and Arab influence in the Horn of Africa.
After the speeches, a rare public show of Muslim political opinion in Kenya, the protesters caused traffic chaos as they delivered a petition at Moi's office for the embassy's closure.
"Muslims in Kenya are not happy at what is going on in the occupied territories of Palestine," said Ibrahim Waruinge, the leader of Mungiki, a traditionalist sect of the Kikuyu community, the country's largest tribe.
"It is obligatory for us to show our displeasure against the oppressive Israel regime which is killing defenceless Palestinians."
The U.N. World Conference Against Racism was plunged into crisis on Monday when the United States and Israel pulled out in protest at a draft resolution branding Israel racist for its treatment of Palestinians, an allegation Israel denies.
At the embassy, guarded by its normal complement of 16 paramilitary police, the protesters screamed "Down with Israel. Down with the USA" and brandished placards reading "The Intifada is international" and "Zionism is racism. Stop the massacre now!"
Israeli embassy officials were not available for comment.
Kenyan Muslim Halima Omar, 40, said she had joined the demonstration for the sake of suffering Palestinian women.
"Israel should stop torturing and killing innocent children and women in Palestine," said the mother of four. "I feel happy to be expressing solidarity with the women in Palestine and they should know we are ready to send our sons there to fight."
11:52 09-07-01
Copyright 2001 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.