friday bulletin 381

7/25/2019 Friday Bulletin 381

1/8

Issue No. 381

The

The Weekly Muslim News UpdateRamadhan 10 1431/August 20 2010

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

This Week

Ramadhan P7

Da'waTaqwa valuable fruit for Ramadhan P3

Editorial

Women IssuesRamadhan and the Baby P4

P2

Youth and Children

Drawing closer to Allah in Ramadhan P6

Story Continues To Page 6

Story Continues To Page 2

Friday Bulletin

Above: Reverend John Kamau who was arrest-ed with ready to explode materials and linkedto the deadly Uhuru Park bombings was swiftlyserved with justice and he is now a free man af-ter he was granted bail. On the Right are threeKenyans Idris Magondu, Muhammad Adan Ab-

dow and Hussein Hassan who were shippedto Uganda without being allowed to challengetheir detentions in a court of law.

Nyinyi Waislamu hamna haki. (You Muslims do not have anyright). This was the words of an officer from the terror police unit

responding to queries as to why the security agents had arrestedMuhammad Hamid Suleiman, a Nairobi based travel agent with-out following the due process of the law.

The detainee was later swiftly renditioned to Uganda where he was chargedwith other Kenyans for murder and terrorism relating to the July 11 bombing inthe Ugandan capital.This action to deport the Kenyan was taken even before the ink had dried fromthe statement from Muslim leaders who had complained about the arbitraryarrests and deportations of Kenyan Muslims in clear violations of the laid downprocedures.The police action was a deliberate slap in the face for Muslim leaders who hadtold the government to uphold the constitutional rights of those arrested.The unregulated and draconian powers handed to the dreaded police squadhas effectively given it the mandate to operate with impunity to violate therights of Muslims without any fear of any consequences.

Since the so-called war on terror was initiated in 2003, the violations of therights of Muslims has turned out to be the norm rather than an exception.

In response to the current flood disaster in Pakistan, Muslim leaders have launched anemergency relief programme to assist the suffering people of the South Asian nation.Leaders from various organisations sent out a joint appeal to Muslims and other well-wishers to provide financial assistance, food and essential relief items like medicine tothe flood victims.The programme will be coordinated with Muslim Aid, a UK based Muslim organisationwhich is currently on the ground providing rehabilitation and emergency relief assist-

ance.Jamia Mosque will be the main receiving centre while other major mosques in Nairobi willserve as collection centres for the relief items.During this month of Ramadhan where generosity is highly emphasised, it is imperativeto extend a hand of support to the people of Pakistan who are facing one of its worst hu-manitarian disaster in history, ''said Abdullahi Abdi, the National Muslim Leaders Forum(NAMLEF) chairman.

Muslim launch Pakistan flood appeal

Where is justice?


2/8

The Friday Bulletin

2

Story From Page 1

EDITORIAL

From a far, it looks like one of the many kiosks dotting the sprawling Gachie trading centre in Kiambu district. A closer look will however,reveal that the structure with the Arabic inscription of There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His messenger,is the place of worship for the growing number of Muslim resi-dents of the area.

The mosque which also act as a madrassa can only handleless than 20 people at a time. It is currently housed in a rentedmabati structure and can barely serve the needs of the faithful.We need to have a descent place where we can conduct ourprayers, said the Imam Ayub Itwika Kinyanjui.

The Nur mosque and Madrassa committee has identifieda piece of land at a cost of Sh 4.5 million where a biggermosque can be established. We are appealing for assistancetowards realizing our dream of having a mosque which willact as the community centre for Muslims in the area and theenvirons, he added.

The Kihara District Officer Muhammad Amani Akida also ech-oed the plea saying that the area has a growing Muslim popu-lation and it will be prudent for a bigger mosque to be estab-lished to cater for them.

Any assistance towards accomplishing the goal of having amosque in the area can be channeled throughJamia Mosque Committee Nairobi.

Gachie Muslims' cry for a Mosque

While the law is clear that suspects should be produced in courtwithin 24 hours, those arrested in connection with alleged terrorismactivities have been kept incommunicado in secret locations for

longer period some stretching to more than a month without accessto lawyers and family members effectively denying them justice.Against prescribed police regulations, the detainees details are noteven recorded in the police occurrence books, apparently to wardoff those who could trace them.Interestingly, almost all of these individuals who were paraded asdangerous people were vindicated by the courts after they weefound innocent.The ongoing extra judicial renditions which involve shipping of pris-oners in the dead of the night are a grim reminder of the 2007 USbacked rendition exercise where innocent Kenyans and foreignerswere hounded, mercilessly thrown out of the country. The rendi-tions are a legacy of the Bush administration and have generatedintense criticism as there are an affront to international law. Beforehe was propelled to the high office, US president Barrack Obama

strongly criticized the policy saying that it goes against the ideals ofbuilding a better and freer world. He had this to say about the brutalpolicy: We have to end the practice of shipping away prisoners inthe dead of the night to be tortured in far off countries, off detain-ing thousands without charge, or trial, of maintaining a network ofsecret prisons to jail people beyond the reach of the law.There is no doubt that the police have a duty to ensure that securityprevails and also weed out perceived criminal elements in the so-ciety. Maintaining security is fundamental to ensuring that a cultureof normality and stability thrives in a given society. But while doingthis, it is important that the rule of the law should be followed to theletter. This is the first and important stage in effecting justice.The countrys laws are clear. Regardless of the offence committed,one is assumed to be innocent until proven guilty by the courts. Go-

ing against this fundamental premise is simply applying jungle law.The danger in applying draconian measures which go against theprescribed laws is that it perpetuate a culture where the citizenswill lose faith in the judicial system. Further, its ripple effects willlead to some wayward individuals to take a cue from the policesfailure to stick to its ethical code of utumushi kwa wote and engagein activities which are against the law.More so it will make it easy for rogue police officers to again in-dulge in the trade of exhortation from people falsely incriminatedon so-called terrorism links. At the peak of the terror campaign in

2007, scores were arrested ostensibly for terrorism and made topay hefty bribes to secure their freedom. Those who refused to beblackmailed like Kamilya Tuweil, an investor from the United Arab

Emirates prospecting for investment opportunities in the tea indus-try were declared dangerous terrorist and renditioned to Somaliaand Ethiopia undergoing horrifying experiences. The latest crazehas put Uganda as the rendition destination.The double standard approach by the ATPU in handling thosearrested for the same crimes is strengthening the notion that thecampaign is specifically targeting Muslims brewing more resent-ment in the community who are increasingly feeling that the Stateharbours ill will against them.The Hague based International Court of Justice has indicted sev-eral Kenyans of war crimes for their alleged role in the deadly postelection violence. But in keeping the spirit of the law, the suspectsare yet to be handed over for trial. For Muslims suspected in so-called terrorism activity, the law is ignored in broad day light.Muslims went to the polls during the referendum exercise with high

hopes that the new constitution will play a pivotal role in ending theyears of injustice the community has suffered. This was the driv-ing force by millions of Muslims who came out in large numbersto vote Yes for the constitution. But as the clock is ticking towardsushering in the new constitutional dispensation questions are be-ing asked if the new constitutional rule will still be applicable toMuslims. At the brink of the birth of the second republic, the cur-rent policy of kidnapping worshippers coming from the mosqueby security agents and shipping them in the dead of the night toother countries is sending wrong signals in the community that theanticipated change might not be applicable to Muslims.

As the SUPKEM secretary general Adan Wachu said, confrontationwith the government is the last thing on the minds of Muslims dur-ing the month of Ramadhan but it appears that the terror police is

bent on driving Muslims to this situation with its illegal activities whoultimate goal is to dehumanize those who say we believe in Allahand Muhammad is His Messenger.The essence of justice is that it treats all citizens on an equal foo-tin avoiding any form of discrimination. Should there be a leewayagainst this principle, the whole essence of justice would becomevoid going against the spirit of our National Anthem which clearlystates that Justice should be our shield and defender. Our humblecall remains Justice must not only be done, it must BE SEEN tobe done.

A painful cry for justice

Ramadhan 10 1431/August 20 2010

Some of the Muslim residents of Gachie outside the makeshift

mosque


3/8

The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

3

Taqwa: Valuable Fruit of RamadhanThe Islamic fast is unique and different from other types of fasting

observed in other religions. It is obligatory, for a specific period oftime from dawn to dusk, and in a specific lunar month called Ram-adhan.

It involves a voluntary renunciation of all appetites and desires ofthe flesh during that month for defined hours, with a cheerful andwilling acceptance of this beneficial divine mandate.

Sunset signifies the achievement of one s victory over his self dur-ing the day.

This blessed month of Ramadhan inculcates a spirit of fortitudeand gratitude. The atmosphere of the month is such that posi-tive thoughts are automatically invoked on a 24-hour basis. Suchthoughts, which wish the welfare of one and all, Muslims as well asnon-Muslims, including those who have wronged us!

A stable monotonous environment of eating three times daily tendsto produce stereotyped reactionary patterns. Fasting gives a varia-ble environment with rigid strategies and sufficient degrees of free-dom to cope with the changing conditions.

Some of us may be habituated to a particular type of vice or wrong-doing - e.g. gambling, smoking, drinking, backbiting, fraud, hot tem-per, domestic violence, etc.

Whatever foul we are habituated to, becomes our routine and itbecomes difficult to resist. Fasting helps to overcome such hab-its either gradually for some of us or immediately for those with astronger will power, especially if supported by constant supplica-tions seeking Allah's assistance. The usual antidote is to put an en-tirely opposite thought in the mind to displace the negative trend.

This act of self-restraint in Ramadhan strengthens the will andhence, the will power. This extra will power helps to overcome ob-sessions and addictions. In fact, fasting also reduces a criminal'surge to commit dangerous crimes.

During the Islamic fast, every organ in the body that has been giv-en to us as trust by Allah is put to a critical test.

A hunger strike is not an Islamic fast. We must not see evil, hearevil, utter evil nor act evil. This is a training session for us to developTaqwa (God-consciousness) and piety, as well as to show gratitudefor the great favor of the revelation of the Holy Qur'an during themonth of Ramadhan in the night called Lailatul-Qadr.

Taqwa is the most valuable fruit of fasting. Just as plants have theirown season of flowering, so is Ramadhan the season of the yearfor blossoming of goodness, virtue and piety in the Muslim ummah(nation). Not one, but millions of people jointly water the garden ofvirtue in the same lunar month, all over the world.

The purpose of the Islamic fast is to obey Allah's command.Through this exercise, Muslims can develop a balanced personality

and a strong sense of a community of believers. It trains all thosewho volunteer for service to Allah, before allowing them to take onthe job of His vicegerency and establish Allah s message of mercyon Earth.

The fasting Muslim is continuously tied with rules and regulationsfor one full month and then released for 11 months to see whetherthe training has been adequate and effective, and if not, any defi-ciency found in the personality and will power could be correctedand made up in the following year'sss refresher course, in the Ram-adhan program. This is because Allah wants us to make the choiceand behave well, when left alone and unattended. The personalitydevelops when a person is free to do any wrong as he would like,but does not do it under unrestricted conditions; e.g. during the 11months following the Ramadhan fast.

If we have passed this first part of the examination, then as Mus-lims who adhered to the five pillars of Islam and fasted, we are en-titled to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr (Feast of breaking the fast), also calledEid Al-Saghir (the Minor Feast).

Then Allah gives us two months and 10 days to prepare for EidAl-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), also called Eid Al-Kabir (the MajorFeast).

The Minor Feast will entitle us to climb up the ladder one step to-ward becoming mu mineen (believers), because we must now learnto sacrifice our time, money, leisure, pleasure, skill, along with othertalents, God-given gifts and bounties, then be prepared to sharethem with our fellow human beings.

As believers adhering to the seven branches of iman (faith andbelief) we must not only think of, but actually perform good deeds.

This in turn, will now prepare us for the second examination ofhigher spiritual achievement. And, if successful, we will be entitledto celebrate the Major Feast as believing men and believing womenthen go up one more rung on the ladder up Sirat Al-Mustaqim (theStraight Path).

During Ramadhan, we get up for suhoor before dawn, then stopeating and drinking at the break of dawn, abstain from such andsuch actions during the day and take Futoor (break the fast) in theevening, at the exact time of sunset. This is precise timing. Themonth of fasting teaches us to respect time and be precise in ourdealings and timings and to be punctual at all times.

The exact timing of initiating of the fast at the break of dawn andbreaking it at sunset with the right countdown to the last minute,teaches us the limits between right and wrong, between halal (per-mitted) and haram (prohibited), which is so essential for the eleva-tion of the soul to a higher level on the spiritual scale.

A person who can rule his/her desires and make them function ashe likes, has attained true moral excellence! A 425-hour of inten-sive study in any particular subject of one s choice in any universitywould qualify one in that particular subject.

Similarly, 425 hours of intense devotion in Ramadhan should cer-tainly uplift a practicing Muslim to a state of higher spiritual achieve-ment and earn him a reward from Allah.

During Ramadhan, we also learn to inculcate in ourselves the artof patience. This, together with lessons and reminders to forgive

all those who wronged us, add their own quota of enhancing ourpersonality and outlook on life, with multiple benefits, not only in thislife but also in the Hereafter.

Victories in RamadhanSheikh Abdullatif Abdulkarim

Sat. 21st August 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pmJamia Multi Purpose Hall

Saturday Lecture

Qualificaons

Must be a HafidhAt least Thanawi level cerficateExperience in teaching in a madrassa

Send your applicaon with CV an tesmonials to

The Secretary General

Pangani Mosque and Madrassa Commiee

P. O. Box 10350-00100 Nairobi

Deadline: 31st August 2010

VACANCY

Quran Memorizaon (Hifdh) Teacher


Daily Urdu lectures will be offered at Jamia Mosqueevery day during the Holy Month of Ramadhan

after Dhuhr PrayersALL ARE WELCOME

Daily Urdu Lectures


4/8

4

WOMEN ISSUES

The Friday Bulletin

Ramadhanwith baby!

Allah The Most High Says what means: "To Allah belongs the do-minion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. Hegives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He

wills males.." [Quran 42:49]

Children are Gods gifts to whomever He so pleases. As such, theyshould not become obstacles to our thankful efforts in Ramadhan toincrease our worship of a Most Gracious and Generous Lord.

Ramadhan is back again, Al-Hamdulillahand not a momenttoo soon! We should be grateful we are granted another preciouschance to fast, increase our acts of worship, and pile up as manygood deeds as possible in just a month's time. It is often over in ablink of an eye. So it's a race to make the most of each day and nightin devotion to, and sincere worship of Allah, our Lord and Creator.

But for a worshipper who's also a wife, this goal can be an oh sodifficult one to achievebalancing a Ramadhan schedule for thesoul against taking care of a home and a family in a fasting and

night intensive time. This is exponentially truer for mothers who arebreastfeeding and caring for a baby while fasting and running a fast-ing household.

How often a new mother is up all night with her baby tending to itsneeds and settling it to sleep! She barely closes her eyes before it'sthe wee hours of the night and its time to get up and start the fastingday. The loss of sleep, weakness from fasting, and the substantialcalorie and time losses of nursing a hungry baby can leave a wor-shipping mother exhausted, even depressed.

These are the last feelings of spirit a Muslim seeks to mine, espe-cially during the auspicious month of Quran. When that Muslimahis also a mother, she struggles both to fulfill her family's needs andthat of the home, in addition to her own Ramadhan worship. Therecan be no doubt that fasting, Prayer, and recitation of Quran owna higher priority over her, even as Allah Almighty reminds us in theNoble Quran: "O you who have believed, let not your wealth andyour children divert you from remembrance of Allah. And whoeverdoes that then those are the losers.." [Quran 63:9] Yet a Muslimmother's household and care-giving worship do not desist.

Yet while maintaining the fast and sustaining increased acts of wor-ship in Ramadhan presents such women with particularly arduouschallenges, it nonetheless remains true that she can excel on theSiyaam (fasting) and Qiyaam (night Prayer) side and in the admin-istration and nurture of home and baby too. Indeed, it is not only ab-solutely possible, but utterly spiritually invigorating. With substantialorganization and pre-planning, motivated new mothers (and newmothers again) can reap all the rewards of Ramadhan and thensome, and enjoy this special month too.

Down-home Ramadhan advice

Sister Alayah, a stay-at-home mother has this counsel for Ramad-han mothers: Do as much preparation as possible well before Ram-adhan even begins. "I have fasted during pregnancy, while breast-feeding, and [while] coping with colicky babies. You name it and Iwent through it. What worked best for Sister Alayah was making abalanced Ramadhan schedule and sticking to it. "I just made surethat everything had its time and place. I planned the RamadhanSuhoor and Iftaar meals beforehand. I created the daily menus andwent shopping."

For older children, Alayah recommends having crafts and simpletoys on hand to keep them occupied so that you can perform prayer,read the Quran, or work in the kitchen. "I make Ramadhan foldersfor my children. They have their own schedule for fun activities dur-ing the Ramadhan day, as well as Quran and Hadeeth study pages.I also print coloring and craft pages from the Internet, which is anexcellent resource."

As for caring for a baby, Alayah says: "I always make sure that mybaby is well fed and cared for first before I tend to other activities."By doing this, the baby is less likely to be fussy when the motherwants to perform prayer or read the Quran. With a clean diaper and

a full belly, the baby will most likely be content while the motherengages in acts of worship or other activities.

Strategies for a sweet Ramadhan

Aasiya, another stay-at-home, remembers being all alone duringRamadhan with her then 1-month-old baby Safa. "I was recoveringfrom a C-section and could not do much around the house. I reliedon an 'old wives' technique to make my baby sleep longer duringthe Ramadhan nights." Aasiya bathed her daughter every night be-fore bed then swaddled her firmly in a blanket. "She would sleeptight through the night. I would be able to recite Quran and [make]dhikr or warm up my heart in prayer without interruption."

Aasiya also made it a habit of getting up an hour before the Suhoormeal so that she could perform the Tahajjud Salah night vigil andprepare things for the next day while her baby snoozed.

What helped Aasiya most during Ramadhan was keeping theIftaar menu simple. "I stuck with preparing one appetizer, one main

course and fruit salad every day during Ramadhan." She also keptthe cleaning of her home to a bare minimum. "Being a cleaningfreak, I had to make myself understand one thing in Ramadhan: Iam supposed to perform my prayer and Quran recitation properly.Nobody is going to award me medals for keeping the house superclean. All energy I have would be my baby's requirement when shewas awake in the daytime, so I should be loyal to Allah and mydaughter in Ramadhan."

For breastfeeding mothers who want to fast but fear their milk sup-ply will diminish or they will feel extra thirsty, Aasiya shares someadvice that helped her during Ramadhan with her baby. "I alwaysate yogurt during the Suhoor meal, as someone told me it helpsprevent thirst. It worked like a charm for me. I also drank a lot offluids, mostly water, during Suhoor and after Iftar." As a result, sister

Aasiya had no trouble fasting in Ramadhan and rarely felt thirsty,even though she maintained her regular breastfeeding schedule tokeep up with the demands of her baby.

...If only you knew

It's important to note that pregnant and breastfeeding mothers arenot required to fast during Ramadhan and can make up the misseddays at a later date.

Allah, Transcendent and Exalted, Says in the GraciousQuran:"[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever amongyou is ill or on a journey [during them] then an equal number ofdays [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, butwith hardship] a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person[each day]. And whoever volunteers excess it is better for him. Butto fast is best for you, if you only knew.[Quran 2:184]

Thus many Muslim women opt to fast during Ramadhan and it ispermissible for them to do so, in accordance with the approval ofthe Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam. Remember!

All the missed fasts from Ramadhan must be made up at a laterdate.

Moreover, not fasting in Ramadhan truly makes the heart heavyand sad. "When you are determined to fast in Ramadhan so thatyou do not have to make up the fasts later all alone, you show cour-age," observes Aasiya. "Ask Allah for help. It is His blessing that willenergize you during the fast. You will feel successful after a wholemonth of Ramadhan worship while juggling the care of your babyand the house-work."

Ramadhan is like a rainbow that appears in the sky after a cloud-burst on a sun-drenched day. Its beauty and mercy last only as long

as the time it is permitted by Allah. Muslims must seize the Ramad-han days and nights in utter worship of Allah while striving to keepdistractions at bay.

"Ramadhan is a beautiful month, so have patience," says SisterAlayah. "Get the whole family involved in worship and lending ahand to the mother of the home so that she, too, can worship."

Tips on making a mothers fast last



5/8

The Friday Bulletin

5

You know the routine. Your body goesinto shock the first day of Ramadhan.

All of a sudden, one morning you wakeup before the time for Fajr Prayer, de-

vour your food up until the last secondbefore the time for Fajr prayer comesin, pray your Fajr Prayer, and then, be-fore anyone can say Ramadhan mu-barak, youre back under your warmcovers, dreaming about iftar. Whenyou wake back up later that morningand go about your day, your body isin shock. It has no idea why all of asudden you wont quench your thirst.Or why you wont grab that candybaryou know, the one with the lay-ers of chocolate, then caramel, thenpeanuts, then more chocolate, andyes, a wafer somewhere in-between.

Your mouth waters, you are salivatinguncontrollably, and yet you know youcant eat because its Ramadhan andyou are fasting!

Thats right, somehow you forgot towarn your body that for the next monthyou would be experiencing a specialroutine of praying, fasting, reading theQuran, being more generous, andexercising self-restraint.

It is beneficial to begin with a re-minder about the significance of Ra-madhan from the Quran itself. Allahtells us in the Quran: the month of

Ramadhan in which the Quran wasrevealed, a guidance for mankind andclear proofs for the guidance of theCriterion between right and wrong. Sowhosoever of you sights the crescentfor the month of Ramadhan, he mustfast that month (Al-Baqarah 2:185).

Among the countless blessings as-sociated with Ramadhan, one thatshould not escape us is the fact thatRamadhan is the month in which theQuran was revealed. This beautifulbook of guidance is ours, so let usstrive during Ramadhan to draw clos-

er to Allah by increasing our readingof the Quran and increasing our vol-untary prayers. This month is blessedbecause of the countless opportuni-ties we have to mention the name of

Allah. The Prophet (peace and bless-ings be upon him) stated that no peo-ple gather in a house from the housesof Allah, reciting the Book of Allah andstudying it amongst themselves, ex-cept that tranquility descends uponthem, mercy envelops them, the an-gels surround them, and Allah men-tions them to those that are with Him(Sahih Muslim).

Reading the Quran

Think back to this past year, all theway back to last Ramadhan. Whathas been your relationship with theQuran? How often were you read-ing the Quran? What efforts did you

make to memorize portions of the Quran? What specific surahs or verses had an impact on youthis past year? Take some time to write down your responses to these questions. Be frank withyourself because the responses are known only to you and Allah. Let your responses also be acheckpoint of some sort so that you can compare them with this Ramadhan. Ramadhan presents

to all of us an opportunity to develop a personal routine as a result of efforts of maximizing self-restraint and enhancing self-development.

Why exactly is it important that we spend time reading the Quran? First, in Ramadhan the moodaround us is very advantageous for reading and reflection. Throughout the year, we might read onour own, sometimes in a rush, sometimes heedlessly. In Ramadhan people are trying to completereading the entire Quran in one month. In addition, abstaining from food and drink helps us tosuppress our lowly desires in pursuit of higher level, intellectual and spiritual desires such that wecan actually reflect upon the meaning of the verses we are reading from the Quran. That reflec-tion is intended to help us to internalize the teachings of the Quran to the degree that all aspectsof our lives are aligned with those teachings.

Drawing Closer to Allah in RamadhanAltaf Hussein

YOUTH AND CHILDREN


Rambaza na upate store.ovi.comau pata Ovi Store

kutoka kwenye kifaa chako cha Nokia ili uweze kupakuaaina mbalimbali za apps nasibu MPYA na zilizohuishwa

BILA YA GHARAMA YOYOTE.

Apps za bure za Mwezi Mtukufu wa Ramadhanizinapatikana kwenye Nokia X6, X3, E72, E52, E5,

N97 mini,C5, C3, 5800, 5530, 5235, 5233, 5230,6700 slide, 6303i and 2710.

Tuma namba yako ya IMEI kwenda 8810

ili kuhalalisha hadhi yako. Laini ya huduma ni

0900 881 000. Vigezo na masharti kuzingatiwa.


6/8

The Friday Bulletin

6

Muslims deliberately locked out of Cabinet implementation committee

OPINION

The Coast and North Eastern people in generaland Muslims in particular cannot and should notbe marginalized and shut out when it comes tothe implementation of the new constitution.In the just established 16-member cabinet teamtasked to oversee the implementation of the newconstitution to be headed by President MwaiKibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga there isno single Muslim in the team. It is very saddeningthat the implementation of the new constitutionseems to be starting on a wrong footing right fromthe top. Prime Minister Odinga has been quotedpublicly telling Kenyans that the constitution is forall Kenyans and its implementation willbe an all inclusive exercise. He claims thateven the No team legislators will be included inits implementation process in the National

Assembly.

While the implementation of the constitution willnot involve the Reds, the fact is that even a section of the Greensis being excluded and not forming part of the prime ministers so-called all inclusive tag line. Here is why. The cabinet team to over-see the implementation of the new constitution, is not an all inclu-sive team and it does not represent the true face of Kenya.More to this, the composition of the team will raise more eyebrowsas there is also no representation from the countrys two provincesof Coast and North Eastern.While these two provinces are not represented in this key cabinetteam all other provinces have more than two members in the team.Its insulting Kenyans intelligence if Kibaki and Raila think the publicwill assume that the omission to be just a coincidence that the two

predominantly Muslim provinces missed out inthe selection and that they jointly and or sepa-rately have no hidden motive behind this act ontheir respective parts. Any average intelligent

and progressive Kenyan can figure it out that itwas a deliberate attempt on the part of the twoprincipals to exclude the predominantly Muslimprovinces. Plain and simple.It is very sad day in Kenya today, sad day to theMuslims who are observing the fast in the monthof Ramadhan to have been shut out on the cabi-net implementation committee.Experience tells me that, the two principals knewof this fact and they chose to ignore it. It makesone wondering as to what kind of message thepresident and the prime minister are sending tothe residents of the two provinces in generaland to the Muslim community in particular by excluding them in this important cabinet commit-

tee? Is the message to be summed that Muslims do not matterwhen it comes to matter concerning Kenya.If Muslims and the two provinces missed out be to selected to the16-cabinet implementation team where the total number of entirecabinet is nearly 42, what are the chances of any of the two prov-inces legislators (and Muslims for that matter) to be selected to jointhe remaining 13 slots in the proposed 15-member ConstitutionalImplementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) in a 220-member par-liament. Your guess is good as mine.

At the moment we should thank God that the Mandera Central MPAbdikadir Muhammad is already being proposed to be co-optedinto CIOC.

Jamia Training Institute has been appointed as a national examination centre for theQatari based Islamic Online University (IOU). In the partnership, students enrolling inthe academic programme of Bachelors Arts in Islamic Studies (BAIS) will sit for theirexamination at the Institute.The degree programme is the first tuition free online Islamic Studies course whichallows students from across the world to utilize online learning technology to attainuniversity level Islamic education at virtually no cost. This will utilize, to the fullestextent, opportunities provided by unprecedented access to the Internet, enhancedonline learning technology, and rising desire among Muslims worldwide to learn theirreligion at an academic level, says a statement from the website.

Students are only required to meet the cost of registration and examination fees whichfor Kenya the rates are pegged at a modest US$20 (Sh 1,600).Full information on Course Description and Details can be obtained from http://bais.islamiconlineuniversity.com/ For admission inquiries contact [email protected] Islamic Online University (IOU) is the brainchild of the renowned Canadian Mus-lim scholar, Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. It was established with a vision to offeronline intensive, undergraduate, and graduate courses in Islamic Studies completelytuition-free.It opened its doors in 2007 with 1,500 students and currently the IOU boasts of astudent body of over 15,000 students from over 160 different countries

JTI is now an Islamic Online Universityexamination centre

Muslims have been urged to learn sign languageto effectively communicate with the hearing im-paired members of the society.

AbdulWahab Ali, a sign language instructor at Ja-mia Training Institute (JTI) said it was imperativefor Muslims to know the art to communicate insign language as this is also an important tool topropagate Islam.There are only 10 Muslims sign language inter-preters in the country yet we have many Muslimswho are hearing impaired and need to learn Is-

lam. he said.In Muslim dominated areas, Abdulwahhab saidChristian evangelical workers have taken advan-tage of this deficiency and using sign language topropagate their faith among the Muslim faithful.The Principal of JTI Fatma Khamis challengedMuslims to ensure they learn the sign languagesaying that many people with hearing impairmenthave been neglected in relation to Islamic knowl-edge due to lack of appropriate communication.She lamented over the few number of Muslim stu-dents taking up the subject at the institute sayingthat since the introduction of the course, few Mus-lims have enrolled and non-Muslims happened tobe the main beneficiaries.During the current school holidays, JTI has organ-ised special madrasa classes for the deaf wherethey will be taught various principles of Islam.Jamia training Institute is the only Islamic insti-tution in the country that offers sign languageclasses.

Learn sign language to help

the hearing impaired

More than 1,500 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands stranded byflooding and landslides triggered by the annual monsoon rains. Survivors have beenleft without food and shelter as houses and livestock have been destroyed. The flood-waters have washed away millions of hectares of crops, submerged villages anddestroyed roads and bridges. Disease is spreading among Pakistani flood victims.More than 12 million people affected in the disaster whose ripple effects have eclipsedthose of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami.

Pakistan flood appealStory From Page 1


Mwenye N. Said

Mandera Central MP Abdikadir

Hussein Muhammad


7/8

The Friday Bulletin

7

MUSLIM ACADEMY-PARK ROAD

Excellent FacillitiesCondusive and Secure Study atmosphereQualified Trained Teachers

School Transport

Separate facilities for boys and girls in line with Islamic teachings

For Admission enquires contact the Admission offices

ISLAMIC INTEGRATED EDUCATION PROGRAMME

Computer ClassesSwimming and Horse Riding

Reasonable Fees8-4-4 and IGCSE offered

Muslim Academy Park Road P. O. Box 41013-00100 NairobiTelephone: 6767063 Cell: 0725148786 Fax: 6761150

8-4-4 and IGCSE Curriculum

Nursery:

Play Group KG ClassesPrimary:

Standard 1-7Secondary (Boys and Girls:)

Form 1-3 (8-4-4 and IGCSE)

Wishing all Muslims RAMADHAN KAREEM

SYOKIMAUPRIME PLOTS FOR SALE

(Uungani Selement Scheme-5 km

from Mombasa Road

Acre @ 1.25 million

ONLY FEW REMAINING

Contact 0752753992

0722753992 0722425210

HOUSES FOR SALE

Flats for sale situated along 3rd PARKLANDS AVENUE 300 metres

from Parklands Mosque

3 Bedroom Flats with a built up area of approximately 1200sq

at 8.1m each

The property includes Borehole water 2 parking bay per flat

Electric fencing on the perimeter wall

Ideal investmentFinancing can be arranged for those who qualify

For more details please contact us on 0732727196

4unitsre

maining

7

HEADEN OPTICALS(K) LTDOphthalmic opcian contact lenses

Stockist of all kinds of frames, sun glasses, varilux

lenses, contact lenses

Ground floor,Cameo cinema building/arcade

Opposite Macmillan library, next to Bank of India

Kenyaa Avenue.

P.O Box 42953-00100

Nairobi, Kenya.

Mobile; 0724 787010, 0732 787010

Come with this advert and get50% discount on any frame you purchase.

FREEEYET

EST

Headen Wishes all Muslims

RAMADHAN KAREEM


SKYNET BUSINESS COLLEGEJamia Towers 2nd Floor Opp. Meridian Hotel Murang'a Rd P. O. Box 49585-

00100 Nairobi Tel: 020-310169 0722 830607 0719763706

Email; [email protected]

Business Management DepartmentBusines ManagementSales and MarketingHuman Resource and ManagementAccounting and FinanceSocial WorkPublic Relations and Customer Care

ICT DepartmentComputer PackagesICDLComputerized AccountantGraphic designComputer EngineeringWeb DesignComputer aided designComputer programmingDiploma in IT

LanguagesEnglish Arabic Spanish German TOEFLFrench Chinese Japanese Kiswahili

Approved EXAM centre KNEC, LCM,ICM, ABE, City and Guilds

Free Internet for Students

DISCOUNT WITH THIS COPY OF THE FRIDAY BULLETIN


8/8

A million reasons to

support Ummah Foundation

A significant number of Kenyas population isMuslim. We could not be the largest percent-age of the populace, but our numbers are sig-nificant. They are significant enough to bringchange in and out of the community. The unityof purpose in the just successfully concludedreferendum is a good example of our strength.To add more spice, the success has just cometo the country at the start of the Blessed monthof Ramadhan.

Millions of people in our community are in thethroes of poverty. They are struggling throughpoverty, hunger, disease and ignorance oc-casioned by among other reasons years ofneglect in national development programmes.Most of these affected areas are found in thearid, semi arid areas of the country and urbanslum areas like the Majengos of Nairobi andMombasa.Ummah Foundation has very developedproject plans, intermediate plans, as well asstrategic plans of lifting up the Muslim Ummahto a comfortable level out of poverty, hunger,disease and ignorance. With your support, wehave been able to achieve the following: Provision of bursaries and scholarships tothe needy and deserving students. Provision of medical assistance to theneedy. This includes organising eye opera-tions for the needy. Distribution of relief food and clean waterduring the long drought. Distribution of Iftar to the needy Muslim fam-ilies across the country. Provision of wheelchairs to the needy physi-cally challenged persons. Provision of computers to a number of Is-lamic institutions. Developing a high level Madarassah sys-tem for the whole country as well as providingteachers salaries and learning materials. Construction of low cost housing for thepoor. Assistance in the Prisoners RehabilitationProgram. Zakat distribution as directed by the HolyQuran.Burial and funeral arrangements for theneedy.To be able to come closer to achieving ourgoals of caring for our people, we still needyour support. You may send your donationsthrough the following accounts:Ummah Foundation,

First Community Bank, Wabera Street, AC No.101943-01 (Ksh) or 101943-02 (US $)Or Gulf African Bank- Kenyatta Avenue

AC No.s 0720 002001 (Ksh) 0720 002002 (US$) or 0720 002003 (Zakat Account)Or visit our offices Village Plaza, Ngara Rd,Suite A2, P.O.Box 58717-00100, Nairobi.

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] by Colour Magic Production Ltd-Kirinyaga Crescent P. O. Box 9581-00100 Nairobi

Lo! Allah will

cause those who

believe and do

good works to

enter Gardens

underneath

which rivers

flow, whereinthey will be al-

lowed armlets

of gold, and

pearls, and

their raiment

therein will be

silk.

(Quran 22;23)

FROM THE BOOKOF ALLAH

Eid around 9/11 puts US Muslims in a tizzNEW YORK: The lunar calendar thatMuslims follow for religious holidays iscreating a potential for misunderstand-ings or worse in a year when AmericanMuslims are already confronting a spike

in assaults on their faith and protestsagainst new mosques.

Eid Al-Fitr, a joyous holiday marking theend of the holy month of Ramadan, thisyear falls around Sept. 11. Muslim lead-ers fear that their gatherings for prayerand festivities could be misinterpreted bythose unfamiliar with Islam as a celebra-tion of the 2001 terrorist strikes.

The Muslim Public Affairs Council, anadvocacy group based in Los Angeles,is contacting law enforcement and theJustice Department civil rights division toalert them to the overlap.

The Islamic Circle of North America,which organizes Muslim Family Daysat the Six Flags amusement park inseveral cities around Eid Al-Fitr, this yearplanned nothing for Saturday, Sept. 11,because of the anniversary.

A founder of Muslim Family Day, TariqAmanullah, worked at the World TradeCenter and was killed in the attacks. The

Council on American-Islamic Relations,a Washington-based civil rights group,

is urging mosques to review the groupssecurity guidelines, including clearing brushwhere people could hide and installingsurveillance cameras.

The issue I can sense brewing on hate

sites on the Internet is, These Muslimsare celebrating on Sept. 11, said IbrahimHooper, national spokesman for CAIR.Its getting really scary out there. Theexact date of Eid Al-Fitr this year is not yetknown.

Muslims follow different authorities onmoonsightings and astronomical calcula-tions to decide when a holiday begins.In North America, the Eid could fall onThursday, Sept. 9, Friday, Sept. 10, orSaturday, Sept. 11.

It is one of the two biggest Muslim holidaysof the year, the other major holiday is Eid

Al-Adha, at the end of the Hajj, the annualpilgrimage to Makkah.In predominantly Muslim countries, thecelebration can last for three days. Butbecause of work and school obligations inthe US, American Muslims generally attendcongregational prayer on the day of theholiday, then continue the festivities overthe next weekend or two.Recently the debate over a proposedmosque and Islamic center near GroundZero has become a national issue.

friday bulletin 381

Documents