friday bulletin 337

7/25/2019 Friday Bulletin 337

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Issue No. 337

www.islamkenya.comThis Newsletter contains some of Allah’s names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

This Week

Youth and Children

Friday BulletinThe

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Back to the real world-After Ramadhan P5

Da'waEtiquettes related to loans and debts II P3

Editorial

Women IssuesBefore you make that big decision P4

Dangerous game in Somalia dogs of war P2

Shawwal 27 1430/October 16 2009

Anger over slow reconstruction pace in Faza

FeatureGov't stalls effort to revive meat plant P6

Marriage Bill: ‘Muslims' viewswere ignored’

Story Continues To Page 2

More than a month after a massive re tragedy in Faza island that left more than2,500 people homeless and obliterated most of the houses on one of the islandswhich make up the Lamu archipelago, concerns are growing with regard to the slowpace of the reconstruction process.ODM-Kenya Nominated MP Shakillah Abdallah complained about the slow progressin efforts to rebuild the lives of the people of the area adding that residents are yetto see the fruits of the Sh64 million raised to help the victims of the infernoThe legislator called for an urgent response saying that the expected rains will create

The Law Reform Commission deliberately ignored the views of Muslimsand went ahead to draft a marriage law which is in conict with Islamiclaws pertaining to marriage.

Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome said way back in 2007, Muslim law experts and religiousleaders responded to calls from the Commission and submitted views which reect-ed the interests of Muslims but these recommendations were ignored.“Unfortunately, in the nal Bill the views of Muslims were not taken into considera -

tion,” he told the multitudes who gathered for the Friday prayers last week at JamiaMosque Nairobi.The Sheikh, a former commissioner in the defunct Constitution of Kenya ReviewCommission (CKRC) said the Marriage Bill 2007 is unacceptable as it ultimately

aims at compelling Muslims to conform to a lawwhich goes against their divine teachings. The law was also a clear breach of the constitu-

tion which guarantees freedom of worship for Ken-yans, he added. He was emphatic that Muslims will have no choicebut to ignore the law if it is implemented without

their concerns being addressed. “We have ourrights and this should be respected,” he said dur -ing the Friday khutbah (sermon).Sheikh Lethome said the Marriage Bill is in conict

Nominated MP and the 'Imam of Bunge' Sheikh Muhammad Dor recieves a cheque

of Sh2.5 million towards the Faza Fire Disaster Fund from Muhammad Osman Warfa,

the chairman of Jamia Mosque Committee, Nairobi. The Fund was generated from

Nairobi based Islamic organizations and collections from mosques to assist the vic-tims of the re disaster on Faza Island in Lamu last month.

Collections from Jamia Mosque amounted to Sh1,1768,426, Parklands mosque

Sh655,000, Mahad Da'awa Group Sh60,000, Adams Arcade Mosque Sh20,000, Mas-

jid Nur South 'C' Sh20,000 and Pangani Mosque Sh14,000.

Sheikh Warfa appealed for more contributions to the kitty saying that the residents of

Faza were still in dire need of assistance to rebuild their homes. Contributions can be

made to the Faza Disaster Fund First Community Bank Account no. 19883423


A drama series featuring a Somali-born former

Dutch Member of Parliament who aroused Muslim

anger around the world for her inconsistent attacks

on Islam and Muslims is being shot in the country,

The Friday Bulletin has learnt.

The Promised Land gives a ctional account of Ayaan Hirsi Magan tracing her life from Somalia,

to Kenya through Germany and nally Netherlands

where she established herself as a vehement criticof Islam.

Ayaan, a self-declared atheist, is expected in thecountry soon where she will also feature in the 200-minute drama series locally produced by a Nairobiproduction company Roma Media Agency.Just like her outburst against Islam, the contentsof the upcoming lm contain ludicrous and de-

famatory attacks against Islam. One of the scriptsof the lm which The Friday Bulletin saw, paintsan obnoxious attitude towards the Holy Qura’n:

“Haweya grabs the gold embossed Koran off ashelf, and swipes her mother round the ears withit. Asha staggers,” reads part of the script which


Ayaan Hirsi anti-Islam movie being shot in Kenya



The Friday Bulletin Shawwal 27 1430/October 16 2009

EDITORIAL

2

Dangerous games for Somaliadogs of war

Muslim views were ignored in Marriage law

further complications as many houses which were partially damaged might

be destroyed by the rains. "Roofs of close to 200 houses were burnt down.If they will not be rehabilitated, disaster is likely to face Faza Island," shesaid.She said there are no realistic efforts on the ground to assist the victims ofthe re tragedy and called for a speedy response. She went on to demandthat the fund’s management committee come up with a realistic roadmap toprovide housing to victims who are now living in make shift structures.Shakilla said optimism was turning into pessimism by the residents who areyet to see any tangible efforts despite the government pledges to help thosewho were affected.Last month, President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister, Raila Odingapresided over a fund raising that helped raise Shs. 64 million for the recon-struction of the homes on the island.In a related development, Kenyans living in the United Arab Emirates last

week donated one million shillings to support the reconstruction of Fazaisland. The donations was presented to the Kenya Red Cross Society chair -man Abbas Gullet by Jalal Balala the chairman of the Kenyan community inthe UAE.Gullet said KRCS was working jointly with the Ministry of Health to providehealthcare to those affected by the re tragedy this in addition to food, non-food items, health and sanitation.

Story From Page 1

Press reports last week revealed a clandestine recruit-ment operation where Kenyan youths of Somali origin

were being lured with cash incentives by government of -cials to ght in Somalia to prop up the weak and fragileWestern backed administration of Sheikh Sharrif Ahmed.Though the government has been emphatic in its denial,local leaders as well as independent observers on theground have said there is enough evidence to hold thegovernment to account.In the past, allegations have been made that Al-Shabab,one of the numerous ghting forces in Somalia, was en-listing Kenyan youths to ght on their behalf but what isnow emerging is that it is our own government which iscolluding to hire Kenyan youths for mercenary activities.For nearly two decades, Somalia has been embroiled ina civil strife which has left the country in chaos without aneffective government. Three years ago, the country tasteda rare opportunity of peace after the introduction of Is-lamic rule by the Union of Islamic Courts.Instead of seizing this opportunity to ensure that peacethrives in the region, our government joined players fromoutside the region to destabilize and overthrow the six-month administration-a move which led to another waveof chaos and civil war in the country.The consequences have been that Somalia has been leftin a worse situation than it was three years ago and eventhe intervention by the African Union has not succeededin bringing about a rule of peace and stability.There is no doubt that Somalia is of strategic importanceto Kenya not only for its security needs but also in theeconomic sphere. This makes it more relevant for Kenya

to engage in ways which will contribute to bringing abouta rule of law.In this aspect, however, neutrality is of utmost importance.Taking sides in this conict will further elude moves tobring about peace and will portend dangerous ramica-tions for our country.The moves to send our promising young people to go andengage in warfare against those who have done us noharm is not in the interests of our security needs. Theinvolvement of the government in this scheme puts thecountry’s security at risk as this might result in retaliationfrom some of the armed groups and this will create an-other culture of hostility and oppression of Muslims. Thememories of the 1998 US embassy bombing and the at-tack on an Israeli hotel in 2002 which brought about nega-

tive ramication for the Muslim community are still freshin our minds.Long term ramications may also prove fatal for the coun-

try as these ghters with their experience in warfare willturn out to be a grave security concern on their return.Recruitment of mercenaries to ght in another country isnot only against local laws but also against establishedinternational practices and should be condemned by allpeace loving Kenyans.Kenya is a sovereign country and should not be duped atwhat ever cost to act as a proxy for some foreign govern-ments which nd it of paramount importance to protecttheir citizens but at the same time put the lives of othersin the ring line.

Ultimately, the problems of Somalia will be solved by So-malis themselves and the best role Kenya can play is toinvolve all sides in a negotiated settlement. What Soma-

lis need and have been craving for the last 19 years aremoves to bring about peace and stability and not dogs ofwar.

Faza reconstruction draws anger

with constitutional provisions which provide Muslimsthe right to arbitrate their personal laws as per Is-lamic guidelines. Section 66 of the constitution pro-

vides for the establishment of the Kadhis’ courts toadjudicate on matters related to Muslim personallaw.

Additionally, the law will do away with the Moham-medan (sic) Marriage, Divorce and Registration

Act as well as the Mohammedan (sic)Divorce and Succession Act. Thesetwo sets of law have been used toadjudicate on matters pertainingto marriage, divorce, inheritance,child custody and matrimonialproperty.“If this law goes through, it will mean that Muslims will not be able to un -dertake marriages, divorce and other aspects of family laws according toIslamic teachings as it is now prescribed,” he said.Sheikh Lethome further pointed out that some of the provisions included inthe draft law have been borrowed from Christian teachings and are being im-posed on Muslims. “We do not have ministers in Islam but the law stipulatesthat marriages will be conducted by ministers,” he said.Marriage announcements (banns), a basic feature in Christian marriages willalso be a requirement for those intending to enter the matrimonial eld.The Nairobi lawyer said the main objective of the law was to consolidate allthe existing seven marriage laws into one set of law. He said this was notfeasible as different communities have their own system of laws and thisought to be respected.He told Muslims to stand up and oppose the law as it will interfere with howthey conduct marriages, divorce and other aspects of family law. “They canas well have the law for themselves if they so wish but they should not set forus guidelines on how to conduct out religious affairs,” he said. As an alterna-

tive, he proposed that an exemption clause be included which will exemptMuslims to subscribe to the law.Some of the provisions which he cited which are in conict with Islamic teach-

ings include proposals to legalize so-called come we stay marriages, doingaway with the legality of mahr (dowry) and obliging women to maintain theirhusbands. “Mahr is a basic requirement of Islamic law while men have beenmandated to take care of their wives. The reverse can never be acceptableis it is goes against our faith, he said.Last week, The Chief Kadhi was among Muslim leaders who spoke outagainst the proposed law saying that it was disrespectful to Muslims.

Sheikh Ibrahim Lethome



The Friday Bulletin

Etiquettes related to debt and loaning Part II

DA'WA

Saturday Lecture

Islam in Kenya-SWOT AnalysisDr. Abdallah Muhammad

Sat. 17th October 2009

2.00 pm-4.00 pm

Jamia Mosque Multi Purpose Hall

The Debtor:

Repaying the creditor on time: The debtorshould take initiative to repay the creditoras soon as the loan is due. If the debtor isnancially unable to repay it all, then at leasthe should start paying in installments if hepossesses the money to do so. One shouldrush in repayment, because loans will be ahard thing on him in his grave.

Repaying in the best manner: The debt-or should repay in the best manner. AbuHurayrah radhiallahu anhu reported: “Aharsh Bedouin came to the Messenger of

Allah salallahu alayhi wa sallam asking himto repay a young camel he had borrowedfrom this Bedouin. The Bedouin used harshwords when he was demanding his money,so the companions were about to strikehim for doing so, but the Messenger of Al-

lah salallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “Leavehim! Indeed a creditor has the right to de-mand it (i.e. his loan)” the companions couldnot nd a young camel among the broughtones (from Zakaah) to match the level ofthat which was borrowed, and informed theMessenger of Allah that all the camels wereof the best type. The Prophet, sallAllahu‘alayhi wa sallam said: “Give it to him, forit is the best of all people who pays back inthe best manner.”' [Muslim]. In another nar -ration narrated by Abu Sa’eed the Prophettold the companions who were enraged withthe Bedouin: “You should side with the onewho is demanding his right”

Unfortunately, nowadays people hardly side with the one demanding his right,

and in some cases even judges deprivedpeople of their rights, and receive bribes toside with the debtor instead of siding withthe creditor … woe to them and what a se-vere punishment awaits them in Hell on theDay of Judgment.

When the Bedouin saw the good manner inwhich the Prophet repaid him, he thankedhim, and thereupon the Prophet said: “Theseare the best type of people (i.e. who repayin the best manner). There is no good in anation whose poor cannot take their rights

from their rich without being harassed” theProphet said this because sometimes thepoor might get his right back but only afterhe suffers and is delayed and is put in em-barrassing situations.

Additionally, the debtor must rely on Allahin his attempt to repay the creditor. AbuHurayrah reported that the Messenger of Al-lah said: “A man from the children of Israeliasked another to lend him one thousandDeenaars. The second said, ̀ I want a suretywitness’ the former replied, `Allah is suf-cient as a surety witness’ The second said,you are right, and he lent him the money foran appointed time. The debtor went across

the sea, and when he nished his job, hesearched for a conveyance so that he mightreach in time for the repayment of the debt,but he could not nd any.

So, he took a piece of wood, made a holein it, inserted in it one thousand Deenaars

and a letter to the lender and then closed(i.e. sealed) the hole tightly. He took thepiece of wood to the sea and said: “O Allah!You know very well that I took a loan of one

thousand Deenaars from so-and-so. He de-manded a surety from me but I told him that

Allah’s Guarantee was sufcient, and he ac-cepted Your Guarantee.

He then asked for a witness and I told himthat Allah was sufcient as a witness, andhe accepted You as a witness. No doubt,I tried hard to nd a conveyance so that Icould pay his money but I could not nd any,so I hand over this money to You” Sayingthat, he threw the piece of wood into the seatill it went out far into it, and then he wentaway. Meanwhile he started searching for aconveyance in order to reach the creditor’s

country.

One day the lender came out of his house to see whether a ship had ar -

rived bringing his money, and all of a sud-den he saw the piece of wood (i.e. the onein which his money had been deposited). Hetook it home to use for re. When he sawedit, he found his money and the letter insideit. Shortly after that, the debtor came bring-ing one thousand Deenaars to him and said,By Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boatso that I could bring you your money, butfailed to get one before the one I have comeby. The lender asked, have you sent some-thing to me? The debtor replied, ̀ I have told

you I could not get a boat other than the oneI have come by. The lender said, `Allah hasdelivered on your behalf the money you sentin the piece of wood. So, you may keep your

one thousand Deenaars so depart guidedon the right path” [Al-Bukhari].

This is the consequence of relying on Al-

lah, and when one’s intention is sincere inrepayment, then Allah will assist him in hisattempt. The problem that faces many in-debted people is that they are not truly sin-cere in their intention to repay the debt tothe creditor and thus they become deprivedof the assistance of Allah.

Procrastinating payment: Some debtorsdelay and procrastinate for no need evenwhen they have the money to repay, but heacts so mean and low and pays back in in-stallments to the creditor. One might havea debt of fty thousand for example, andstarts repaying ve hundred every month,other months he might pay only two hun-

dred, and a third month he would pay athousand and so on, despite him having theentire amount, but he just wants the creditorto give up on him and his debt, and this isextreme stinginess.

Such people make the creditor appearlike the poor person who is chasing af -

ter money, whilst it is his right. He forceshim in some cases to beg him to repay, sothat he (i.e. the creditor) can fulll his ownobligations which he might have arrangedtheir payment based on the agreed uponpromise of repayment from the debtor.Finally, it is recommended that the debtor

says nice words of gratitude to the creditorupon repaying him as this softens the heartand encourages the creditor to loan othersin the future.

Umm Ibrahim centrefor reverts

4th GRADUATION CEREMONYSun. 18th October 2009

11.00 am-1.00 pm

Jamia Mosque Multi Purpose Hall

ALL ARE INVITED

Madrasas have been called upon to incor -porate modern methods of learning, improveon their curriculum and ensure that they re-

main relevant in the society.Sheikh Ishaaq Ismail, a trustee member ofGirls Training Institute (Maahad), said thatIslamic schools were an important part of

the Muslim community and called for betterteaching methods to improve on their aca-demic input.Speaking at the opening of a three day work-shop for madrasa teachers in Nairobi, theSheikh also said madrasa teachers shouldbe equipped with modern teaching practicesand skills to improve on their input in theschools. “To revolutionise this sector mod-ern values of learning and work plans haveto be injected into the system,” he said.Sheikh Ishaaq regretted that madrasas have

over the years lacked professional manage-ment and said it was important to reversethis trend and ensure that they effectivelyplay their role of imparting Islamic educa-tion.This was the rst among a series of work-shops organised by Ummah Foundation

which aimed at equipping the madrasateachers with modern teaching methodol-ogy.Future plans include rolling out the pro-gramme in other parts of the country toinvolve a wide range of teachers in thescheme.The workshop attracted participants, bothmale and female, from Nairobi, Kisumu,Nakuru,Gilgil and Namanga among otherareas.

Calls to modernize teaching methods in Madrasas




4

WOMEN ISSUES

The Friday Bulletin

To Every Girl - Before You Make the Big Decision

The Friday Bulletin

Ingredients

Kitchen

Goat Ribs & Eggplant in Peanut Sauce

Share your favourite recipes with our readers. Send them to P. O. Box 100786-00100 or email:[email protected] or [email protected]

► 1 cup cooking oil for frying► 1 onion, finely chopped► 2 cloves of garlic, minced► 3 cups chicken broth or beef

broth► Juice of one lemon► 1 teaspoon ground coriander ► Salt, black pepper and red

pepper ► 1 Kg goat ribs► 1 eggplant, peeled and cubed,► 2 Carrots, chopped► 1 cup peanut butter

● Heat the oil in a large cooking pot.● Sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is tender.● Add the broth and water and boil.● Add lemon juice and other spices (coriander, black and red pep-

per).● Add the goat ribs, cover and reduce heat.● Simmer for one to two hours or until ribs are nearly cooked.● Add vegetables (carrots and eggplant), stir and continue to sim-

mer for an additional twenty minutes.● Add peanut butter or peanut paste. Cover and simmer on very

low heat until vegetables are tender and meat is tender.Serve hot with Ugali, Rice, or bread.

Method

Samana Siddiqui

One day, I received a call from a girl who, after giving me some infor -mation about someone who had proposed to her, asked me whetherI thought he would make a suitable husband for her. Although I knewneither the girl nor the young man in question, I could perceive her

trepidation, for whoever’s hand is asked in marriage faces a ratherdecisive question.

What often happens is that we hasten to evaluate the nancial sta-

tus of a potential husband and his job prospects that will decidethe quality of his lifestyle and social status; and consequently, wetake the decision of either accepting or rejecting him, based on that.However, that is a deceptive indicator which has often brought mis-

ery and suffering upon our girls.

This girl got me thinking; so, I began to search for signs that mighthelp others like her in making this serious decision. I will try to men-

tion some of them here, but I must say that these are general guide-lines, and every case has specic details, which must be addressedseparately.

First, ask about him in the Masjid (mosque) close to his house. Ayoung man who takes care in performing his prayers is likely to simi-larly preserve his marital home, and Allah The Almighty will not lethim fail in that.

It is true that those who practice their faith devoutly prove them-selves to be more sincere and devoted to the success and preserva-

tion of their conjugal life. That is because they consider marriage asan extension of their religious observance. Second, inquire as to how many friends he has and how long hisrelationships have been with them. The number of friends a personhas, indicates the nature of one's character. A young man who hasa strong relationship with only one or two people, in other words, anintrovert, will not positively interact in his relationship with a futurewife. In fact, he would be placing great emotional and psychologicalburden on her. Girls often mistakenly believe that it is good if a man

continuously stays at home, but this is incorrect. On the other hand,men who have had illicit relationships possess a behavior that isdetrimental to marital life.

A young man who maintains his friendships for years would be ex-pected to make his marriage work. However, if he is known for mov-

ing from one friend to another every few months, that has negativeand serious implications.

Third, how he treats his sisters is an important indicator. A youngman's respect for his sisters' wishes and needs, and his help andservice to them in one way or another, demonstrates his attitudetoward females and his potential wife.

Fourth, his servant who attends to his small demands, employee orwaiter, who serves him tea, will disclose important information abouthim, for a noble person respects people of a lower status just as

he respects his counterparts. Such a man would smile at them andgreet them every morning, and be generous when compensatingthem for their services. It is people like him that are further expectedto be good to their wives. Likewise, the ill-natured, who respect onlythose they stand to benet from and look down on others, pose aserious threat to a conjugal life.

Fifth, watch out for rage issues. A young man who does not controlhis temper is weak, regardless of his massive build or loud voice.

Anger has grave consequences on marital life, for it has ruinedmany homes and shattered the lives of many people. How truthfulthe Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was, when he said: "Astrong person is not the one who defeats people at wrestling, but[he] is the one who controls himself at the time of anger."

Sixth, the attention he pays to his work and his job performance, isan indication of a man's earnestness and commitment, and is ap -plicable no matter what one’s line of work may be. A salesman whoconcentrates on his work and performs it to the utmost of his abilityis likely to be more committed to his marriage than an irresponsible,

failing university professor.

Undoubtedly, it is vital to directly ask about the suitor and seek in-

formation from various sources. However, this might yield mislead-ing information, especially when it is his friends and close acquaint-ances that are consulted. That is why I mentioned these practicalpoints.

In conclusion, I would like to remind you to resort to Allah The Al -mighty in asking Him to facilitate the proposal of a righteous hus -

band before he comes to you. You should also perform Istikhaarah(guidance-seeking prayer) before consenting to or refusing anyonewho has sought marriage to you. May Allah The Almighty shroud you with happiness, and may yourlife always be lled with joy.


Moves to transfer a Mombasa magistrate who was known to givetough sentences to drug offenders have elicited concerns from theCouncil of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK).The council said the move was a stumbling block in the efforts toeradicate the vice which is prevalent in Coast province.In a letter to Chief Justice Evans Gicheru, CIPK chairman SheikhMuhammad Idris said the removal of Catherine Mwangi who en -

forced the Anti-Narcotics act against drug users and barons is ablow on the war on drugs. “This has led to an increase in the vicebecause of the light penalties given to the culprits that do not deterthem from committing the offences,” he said.

“If this trend is to be left to continue we are worried that the policewill be demoralized and will put fewer efforts in arresting and takingoffenders to Courts,” he added.Saying that the Judiciary has been on the top list of those hinder -ing the war on drug abuse, Sheikh Idris urged the Chief Justice todirect the courts to observe the 1994 Anti-narcotics law so as clampdown on drug offenders.

Judiciary accused of stiing drug war



The Friday Bulletin

5

For one month I was a good Muslim. I didn’t miss any Prayers. I got up in the earlyhours of the morning and helped prepare breakfast and then sat quietly and with

calmness while my family and I ate together before the break of dawn. There wasmore harmony between us—more cooperation and love. That was in Ramadhan!I went to work with such a feeling of inner peace that I didn’t have any fear. I didn’t

get angry because I was not afraid of anything or anyone—except Allah the Almighty.My life was more orderly and I seemed to get more things done. There was barakah(blessing) in my time, my food, and my efforts.Getting up for sahur (early morning breakfast before fasting) gave me energy and

power to do all I had to do all day long. Sometimes I would get thirsty because theweather was hot, but everything was manageable.Most of the time I got up late at night and did more prayers and read more Qur’anand I loved it! It gave me a feeling of inner richness—wealth. My soul felt satisfied

and at rest.I gave more charity and my heart seemed softer when I saw poor and needy people.I wished I had more to give. Now that blessed month of Ramadhan is over. The last

10 nights are gone—those special nights in which we seek “The Night of Power” and Allah’s forgiveness and help. I hope I found that precious night and my prayers andworship were accepted.The day of `Eid is over too. The time of having fun and sharing the happiness and

good wishes is finished. It was a time when I got to see people I haven’t had timeto visit in ages. Now life is just back to normal again and I miss Ramadhan and thatspecial feeling I always get when it comes.

I ask myself if I am a better person than I was before. Am I more humble? Am I morekind and generous? Am I more aware of myself and my strengths and weaknesses? Am I more honest and truthful in my words? I think so—I hope so. But the test is sureto come; because as I face life outside the blessings of Ramadhan and meet trouble-some people I will see for myself if I am really more patient and sober minded. When Isee those poor and needy people will I just rush by ignoring them because I am goingsomewhere important to me? Or will I take a minute to stop and give them something

along with a smile and some kind words? How much of Ramadhan lingers in myheart, on my tongue, and in my hands? It remains to be seen and my words and ac-tions now will be the proof of how much I really grew and developed in Ramadhan.I ask myself why it seems to be easier to get up during the night to pray in Ramadhan

than it is at other times of the year. How much self-discipline have I really got whichis one of the true indicators of strength? Don’t I want to taste the sweetness of nightworship? Don’t I want to feel the peace of reading Qur’an in the quietness and soli-tude of the night? Don’t I think deep down that I really still need these things?

If I let my life rush by and scoop me up and carry me along with it then I will becomeover-concerned with gaining wealth and position; I will become more ambitious forthis worldly life than I am for the next life which is the lasting one.

I do not want to be foolish or weak. I do not want to be of those who fail in this life (bynot having inner peace, insight, and faith), and the Hereafter (by being far from Allahand having earned His displeasure—May Allah protect us). So the trick is to keep thebehaviour and spirit of Ramadhan with me throughout all the year.

Keeping the “spirit” of Ramadhan is pretty much impossible because the feeling youget during that time is unique to it alone. However, I can maintain the behaviour andgood habits of Ramadhan and keep the flame kindled in my heart, which will be re-flected in my words and actions until the next Ramadhan arrives, in sha’ Allah.

Back to the Real World – After Ramadhan!

Come and eat with me(Learning to share)

We all love to eat good food and Mmmm…it tastes real good! We know that food

is from Allah so we should always thank

Him.

Now if our Muslim friends come by and

take a seat with us, we should always try

to share our food and give them some to

eat.

Do not keep them sitting there, looking

on in hope.

Do not say, ‘You can not have my food,

No!’ That would not be kind, it will be

wrong. You will really hurt their feelings

and they might not stay for long as your

friends.

Imagine now how you would feel if you

were hungry too. But then your friends

refused to give some yummy food to you!

Won’t you start to feel upset and won’t

you feel quite sad? Then you will know

how others feel when you do something

bad to them.

Dearest fellow Muslims friends, always

share and try to be better. Allah will be

pleased with this and give you more, you

will see! Think of me, my dear young Mus-

lim, I will think of you. Allah loves it when

we share and think of others too.

ISLAMIC WORDSEARCH PUZZLE

Anthea Davis

ACROSS 3. Paradise 4. Qur'an 6. Hijab 7. Torah 8. Fasting 11. Hajj 13.

Purify 15. Allah (S.W) 16. Muslim

DOWN: 1. Shahada 2. Prophet 5. Zakat 8. Ruku 9. Sunnah 12. Islam

10. Imam

YOUTH AND CHILDREN

Answers to Islamic Crossword word Puzzle 336


G G C M Z H M G F R

J G T R I D W A N E

I Q M U N K A R P A

B H I X H J A A D J

R D S H M A L I K L

I O R J F U A Z L L

L R A T Q H N M O DP G F L V O L R E Z

E H I V H K Z Q D C

T B L A P U W F F S

Search for the following names of the Angels of Allah in

the puzzle

1. Jibril

2. Mikail

3. Isral

4. Malik

5. Ridwan

6. Munkar



The Friday Bulletin

The Other Side of Tourism at the CoastAbdul- Lateef Salat

Muslim Issues

Abdul- Lateef Salat is a reporter for Star FM Radio

It is popularly joked thatpeople from the coastalregion of Kenya exhibit la-

ziness in their speech andgait, probably as a resultof the geographic featuresof the region, which are amosaic of humble breezesand an ever-hanging hu-mid air. However, recently,a new thesis arising frompublic understanding indi-cates an easygoing care-free lifestyle among theyouth. This lifestyle quicklyerodes the morals and thehealth of alarming num-bers of young people on

the Kenyan coast.Being a hub of Kenya'stourist attractions, the tour -ist-friendly beaches,among other eye-dazzlersin the region, have gradually developed a counterproductive effecton the growing numbers of unemployed youths. The youth can beobserved lling the beaches in an obvious quest to eke a living outof the opportunities tourism provides in these social areas.However, in the recent past, a revelation beyond what meets the eyeabout these job-hunting youths made headlines when a saddeningexhibit showed dozens of malnourished youths frog-marched fromdens of drug abuse; their esh was spent, and their now lifelessskins were disgured. Apparently there is some justication in theperception that they are lazy, misguided, and fun-loving as believed

by citizens from other regions of this country. This presents a sorrypicture of a tourist attraction.With the help of a trained eye, I managed to trace the intricate pathof a growing trend of drug abuse among the so-called ‘coastalyouth’, who also appear to have given up on life. I joined a groupof idle young men in a joint called shella in Malindi town; they weretalking about their lives oblivious of a stranger's presence.The conversations went from the current economic constraints inthe country to social issues such as the 2009 Under-20 World Cupin Egypt. Then suddenly emerged a tinge of how and where theycould acquire 'zua' (probably a nickname for a drug; it can be trans-lated from Swahili to mean stimulant). One of them gave a crypticdirection to where they could get supplies, in a jargon that I latermanaged to understand with the help of my unsuspecting newlymade friend Yusuf Matano (not a real name), who blatantly believedI belonged to their league of drug abusers. As we went to purchase the concoctions (which I later learned tobe cocaine), it emerged that masqueraders, mostly men dressedin black female veils popularly known as bui bui, are the peddlerscarrying out their operations in broad daylight under the noses ofsecurity ofcers.From the look of the trade, it is undeniable that a majority of theyoung men abusing these drugs are Muslims going by their back-grounds. This is also evident from the fact that this coastal region ispopulated by Muslims.I dislodged myself from this group and headed to Yusuf's parents toknow if they are aware of their son's involvement in drugs. "Yusuf isstrange of late, and efforts to establish what the problem is [are] dif -cult since he hardly stays at home," explains Yusuf's mother, who

I suspect is trying to protect her son by not acknowledging what sheknows about his illegal activities.However, his father, with a distant look, opens up and explains hisdespair in trying to correct his only son.It is said that parents whose children have fallen prey to this life-style supported the council's move to form a rehabilitation centeraddressing their sons' and daughters' addiction to drugs. "After

unsuccessful pleas to thegovernment authoritiesto curb the penetration of

these harmful drugs into thecountry, especially from thealmost porous ports of thiscoastal region, we decidedto help our children with ourlone efforts," Yusuf's fatherrevealed nonchalantly. Quite a number of youthshave been enrolled intothese centers, which Ilearned are just rooms inthe residential areas, with-out professionals to tacklethe problem currently takingcontrol of the youths. In ad-

dition, a challenge still lieswith the willingness of chil-dren to avail themselves of

the counseling provided byImams and other Islamic reli-

gious leaders who offer their services free of charge."I am slowly waking up from the stupor of these drugs. I under -stand why my friends nd it hard to let go of such practices sincethey make one forget the unbearable situation in this country," said

Amina Kazungu, one of the ladies I met in the rehabilitation home.

Addressing the ProblemThe involvement of religious leaders in the ght against drug abuseamong the coastal youth has successfully evoked a national con-cern via repetitious calls to the government to take heed before theentire young generation is swept away by an otherwise manageable

problem.Some nongovernmental bodies — such as the National Agency forthe Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) — have hit the roadarresting quite a number of drug peddlers and impounding tons ofdrugs.Nevertheless, Esther Murimbi, a junior ofcer of NACADA whom Imanaged to reach, indicated that drug peddlers have become tooslippery to corner. She associates this difculty with the involvementof some rich, inuential businessmen, and politicians who ruin theinvestigations being carried out by the police. It therefore appears that the unseen hands of inuence — as wellas the constant ingenuity of drug peddlers, who keep on inventingnew ways of carrying out their trade — are fast steps eschewingthe legal efforts aimed at controlling the ever-rising cases of drugabuse. This also has secondary effects, as reected in the crimesbecoming a norm in Kenya today.

A wise mind will observe a lasting solution to this problem in theform of creating job opportunities, because unemployment readilyexposes the young, and they tend to nd refuge in drugs. If the mi-rage remains, notwithstanding part of the political pledges made inevery campaign season, then these societal ills are here to stay — asad thing to say! In fact, as a mark of their discontent with the government's trendof recycling old professionals by appointing them to some govern-ment jobs, the youth from Mombassa demonstrated against an ef -fort aimed at casually employing them to clean the city with a paythey termed peanuts. They publicly preferred to do their own thing,inclusive of drug abuse.Despite the pains and challenges these young people face, theteachings on the walls of reason are that life is precious and shouldbe treated as such, lest we come to regret when our destiny is de-cided by our rueful youth. With or without hardships, drugs can nev-er be a substitute for an enriching, problem-free life. As a matter offact, without challenges, life will not be worth living; philosophically,that is what it is to live life. So watch your health; it's your life!


School children at an anti-drugs rally in Mombasa. The own and other

areas of Coast province have been hardest by the use of illegal drugs

6



The Friday Bulletin

While thousands of animals continue to succumb tothe persistent drought due to limited capacity at KenyaMeat Commission, the government is ironically stallingmoves to revive a slaughterhouse in Ngong which hasbeen idle for several years.Halal Meat Products (HMP) company, an expansiveabattoir which was setup in 1972 was run down by theMinistry of Livestock which operated it between 1984and 1988.Since then, efforts by the company to revive the planthave hit a snag after persistent failure by the govern-ment to honour its obligation arising from using thefacility. Additionally, the government has deed courtorders to hand over the premises to its rightful own-ers and has continued to maintain a rm grip on thefactory which has been converted into an outpost for

Administration police ofcers.“We feel this is total sabotage against the Muslim com-munity,” says Muhammad Ali Motha, the executive

chairman of HMP.The current raging drought has hard hit pastoralistcommunities with the loss of their livestock, Mothasays reviving the plant should have been a high priority in addressing the problem.Speaking to The Friday Bulletin during a tour of the expansiveslaughterhouse in Bul Bul area, he lamented about his 25-yearquest to seek justice saying that it had cost the company a for -tune.Though High Court Judge Lady Justice Jeanne Gacheche ruled in2005 that the government pays the company a sum of Sh1.8 billionas compensation for using the plant, this is yet to be effected. At-tempts by the Livestock Ministry to appeal against the ruling weredismissed but still there has been no effort to honour the court or -der.

Early this year, the Attorney General Amos Wako advised the Live-stock ministry to make a provisional payment of Sh278 million aspartial compensation to the owners of the plant, but this too hasbeen ignored.The government prides itself in upholding the rule of law but wherehas justice been done in regard to Halal Meat Products? The gov-ernment is blatantly failing to honor a court judgment in total de -ance of its public duty,” he wondered

As a result the plant has remained in disuse while its machinerycontinue to wear away.

At its formation in 1972, Halal Meat Products was rated as the mostmodern abattoir in Africa and provided employment to hundreds ofKenyans. During the severe drought which gripped the country in1984, the government took over the abattoir to cater for the slaugh-ter of livestock which were dying in their thousands. At this time the

Kenya Meat Commission was not functional.Motha said the plant was established on the basis of providing halalmeat and Muslims have an obligation to pressure the governmentto facilitate the opening of the facility. “We should all call for therevival of this company because it will benet us all. As Muslimswe face a lot of problems in conrming how our meat has beenslaughtered,” he said.He appealed to Muslim leaders to prevail on the government tofulll its obligations in compensating the company to facilitate reno-vations and the reopening of the slaughterhouse. “.He added that the abattoir was a strategic investment which wasbeing wasted due to “inefciency of few public ofcers.” “Halal Meatabattoir, once rehabilitated and operational, can employ hundredsof Kenyans and earn the country millions in foreign exchange fromthe export of meat products overseas,” he said.

The company spokesperson Ramadhan S. Ali, also called on Mus-lims to push for the revival of the factory which he said apart fromavailing Halal products will also increase job opportunities for theyouth.He told The Friday Bulletin that the company was exploring pos-sibilities of reopening the plant and had already engaged a con-sultancy rm Glencarrick International Limited of Ireland to conduct

Amid rising livestock deaths, Gov’t stalls efforts to revive meat plant

FEATURE

an assessment study in the rehabilitation of the company to meetEuropean standards. .Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM), secretary general

Adan Wachu called on the government to ensure that the halal meatplant is revived as it will avail meat products which meet Islamicreligious specications.He said the plant has the ability to assist not only Muslims but all thepastoralists’ communities who have encountered losses due to thelong drought. “This matter has not only affected the company but allpastoralists communities and Muslims in general as the Halal abat-toir is the only facility that has the capacity to produce meat prod-ucts using the right practice in regards to the Islamic teachings. “We fail to understand why the rule of law is not being followeddespite a court judgment, ruling and consent being entered,” Wachusaid in a letter addressed to the secretary to the cabinet FrancisMuthaura.The revival of Halal Meat Products could go a along way in address-ing the dietary concerns of Muslims as most of the major slaughter -houses belong to non-Muslims and this poses challenges for Mus-lims when it comes to consuming meat products which conform toIslamic law.


A view from inside the Halal Meat Products plant in Ngong. Inset: Muhammad

Motha ponders on the future of his multi-million shillings investment.

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The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected]. Printed by Colour Magic Production Ltd-Kirinyaga Crescent P. O. Box 9581-00100 Nairobi

Anti-Islam movie being shot in Kenya

Chinese authorities sentenced on Mondaysix Uighurs to death over deadly unrest inthe northwestern Muslim-majority Xinjiangregion in July, delivering on a vow of harshretribution.

The unrest, which ravaged the Muslim-majority western region in July, was sparkedby the killing of two Uighur men in a brawlat a toy factory.Frustrated Uighurs took to the streets ofthe regional capital Urumqi protesting thelack of justice, Chinese restrictions and thesettlement of Han Chinese in their region.

continues. “I wipe my arse with it. You hearme? I wipe my arse with it!” Ayaan whoacts as Hawiye is quoted as saying in the

script.The Friday Bulletin has further learnt that anumber of girls of Somali origin have beenhired to act in the series. Shootings of theepisodes is planned for Eastleigh, RaceCourse Primary School and Muslim Acad-emy as well as several areas of Garissa.The series is directed by Theu Boermanswho sources say is already in the countryto oversee the production of the lm.The chairman of the company RichardKiundi when reached by The Friday Bul-letin conrmed the production though hesaid he was not aware that the movie willbe an affront against Islam. He however,

pledged to cancel the project in the eventthat it will turn out to offend Muslims. “Takemy word, we do not want to involve our -

selves in issues which attack and denigrateIslam. I will cancel the project altogether ifI conrm that this is what it is all about,” he

said. Ayan and Dutch lm director Theo van Goghwrote the screenplay of the lm, SubmissionPart II, in 2004 which aroused worldwideanger for its gratuitous attack on Islam andMuslims. The lm director was later killed byunkown people. Since van Gogh's assassi-nation, Ayaan has lived in hiding under theprotection of Dutch authorities. A former Somali refugee, she obtained po-litical asylum in the Netherlands in 1992,under circumstances that later became thecenter of a political controversy. In 2003 shewas elected a member of the lower houseof the Dutch parliament. Three years later,

she lost her Parliamentary sit and her Dutchcitizenship was stripped because of falsi-cations in her asylum application.

Story From Page 1

Xinjiang known to the Uighur Muslims asEastern Turkistan, a Turkish-speaking mi-nority of more than eight million, continueto be the subject of massive security crack-downs.

The Muslim minority accuses the govern-ment of settling millions of ethnic Han intheir territory with the ultimate goal of oblit-erating its identity and culture.They also cite a recent government planthat has brought the teaching of MandarinChinese in Xinjiang schools, replacing theirlocal dialect.

China to Execute Uighurs for Xinjiang Unrest

Due to the problems Muslims have faced inthe education sector over the years, UmmahFoundation found it prudent to give this sec-

tor a vital place among its programmes. Withmany Muslim students dropping out of schooldue to lack of school fees and the absence ofa well-entrenched bursary scheme to cater fortheir welfare, an Education Fund was estab-

lished to cater for the interests of the Muslimstudents.The Zakat Central Fund has played a key rolein nancing the education of our young gen-

eration. Through the Fund, the Foundationhas assisted hundreds of primary, secondaryand tertiary institutions students with educa-

tion sponsorship. The students are drawnfrom across the eight provinces of the country,most of them from needy families.Ummah Foundation has in the past also pro-

vided nancial assistance to nearly 100 stu-

dents at the Islamic Teachers Training Collegein Mombasa who were supported for their fu-

ture vital role in alleviating the problems facedin the teaching of Islamic Religious Education(IRE) in schools.In this programme, Ummah Foundation hasalso assisted students destined for studiesoutside the country with air ticket assistance.

A 50 percent rebate is offered to the students

and so far 15 students, most of them admit-ted at the International University of Africa inSudan have been duly assisted.In this programme, students are selected onmerit. The Education Committee takes intoconsideration performance of the student,poverty levels and whether a child is an or -

phan among other criteria for selection. Equi-

table distribution of bursaries is done all overthe country as per the received applications ineach batch.We also offer students who are dropouts ofprimary and secondary level education op-

portunities to study vocational courses like

Electrical Wiring, Auto mechanic, Plumbing,Carpentry etc.These courses empower them to nally starttheir own small businesses or get ready em-

ployment in their respective elds.Notwithstanding these achievements, the de-

mand for assistance is overwhelming and ourcapacity to support deserving members of thecommunity is limited. It is with this view thatwe call upon you to join hands with us in sup-

porting the education of our people who arethe pillars of the future generations.Your Zakah or Sadaqah is an important ele-

ment in furthering this noble cause.For details on how to help, call or pay us avisit at

Village Plaza Ngara Suite A12Tel: 3747612 Mobile 0734845277Email:[email protected]:www.ummahfoundation.net

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friday bulletin 337

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