friday bulletin 386

7/25/2019 Friday Bulletin 386

1/8

Issue No. 386

The

The Weekly Muslim News Update

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

This Week

OpinionArbitrary arrests, a return to the Nyayo era P7

Da'wamake the spirit of Ramadhan last a whole P3

Editorial

Women IssuesMaymuna Bint Al-Harith P4

Violating the sanctity of the constitution P2

Youth and ChildrenAdjusting to university life P6

Friday BulletinShawwal 15 1431/September 24 2010

Bring back the renditioned Kenyans

or face the wrath of citizens whowant to see that the new constitu-tional order is respected to the let-ter. We stand here to demand thatthose Kenyans, who are Muslimsand were captured by National Se-curity Intelligence Service, Anti-Ter-rorism Police Unit and Kenyan Po-lice and taken to Uganda be broughtback and charged in Kenya courts.

The Muslim leadership shall not playcat and mouse games this time withthe government over their denials.We are the citizens and they mustact within the law.

This was the message from Mus-lim leaders to the government withregards to the State policy of indis-criminate arrests and unlawful ex-tra judicial renditions of Kenyans toUganda.

The Statement released by leadersfrom various organisations spoke onthe anxiety brought about by thearbitrary detentions and urged thegovernment to see to it that thelaws of the country are upheld as its illegal actions risk turning the country into a state of lawlessness. We live in fear that there is nolaw in Kenya to secure the safety and security of Muslims, not from thugs or thieves. But from the impunity and hooliganism of Kenyansecurity forces, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El-Busaidy said while addressing a press

conference at Jamia Mosque on Wednesday.

We firmly caution that, if the state organs charged with the responsibility of upholdingand enforcing the law continue to be the ones disregarding the law, then they risk turn-ing Kenya into a lawless country, he added.

The state spy agency, National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS), the Anti-TerrorismPolice Unit (ATPU) and the police were accused of victimizing innocent Muslims in orderto create a sense of fear in the community. These security organs, established by ourlaws and paid for by our taxes have run rogue. They have been trailing Muslims in ourcountry, pounce on them, beat them up, place hoods over their heads and rush them toUganda. They have been doing this knowing that it is against Kenyas constitution, hefurther stated.

The actions of the agencies which has so far seen scores of Muslims renditioned towhat the leaders termed as the new African Guantanamo in Uganda were in clear con-travention of the law and were done against the spirit of the new constitutions which

Kenyans had high expectations that it will end the culture of impunity.

Prof.El-Busaidy maintained that all the Kenyans currently detained in Uganda were in-nocent and if the government had a case against them, they should have tried themunder the Kenyan law as it is provided for in the constitution. If these brothers wereto be held in Kenya, our constitution would demand justice and freedom for them. Not

'RETURN RENDITIONEDKENYANS...' Leaders demandMuslims voted overwhelmingly for this new constitution expecting that it will protect

them now they are turning it into a big monster

SUPKEM Secretary General Adan Wachu address the press at Jamia Mosque. He is flanked by

the Jamia Mosque vice chairman Farouk Adam (Left) ,SUPKEM chairman Abdulghafur

El-Busaidy (second right) and NAMLEF vice chair Yusuf Murigu.

continued on page 2


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The Friday Bulletin

EDITORIAL

Shawwal 15 1431/September 24 2010

Kenyans were treated to shocking television pictures aired on KTNPrime News on Wednesday which showed leg-shackled Kenyanrights activists in a Ugandan court. The Executive director of Mus-lim Human Rights Forum (MHRF) Al Amin Kimathi and business-

man Omar Awadh Omar could barely be able to walk with the heavymetallic chains strapped on their legs and their hands.

The absence of the orange jumpsuits were the only missing fac-tor which could have led to notions that this pictures emanatedfrom the notorious US-run concentration camp in GuantanamoBay, Cuba.

The conditions which these innocent Kenyans are enduring, sadlyhave been brought about by the actions of the Kenyan governmentwhich deliberately flouted the laws of the land and handed overits citizens to a government whose human rights record has beenquestioned by global rights body.

The world is yet to forget the shocking episode where the armymoved in a civilian court and arrested a presidential candidate KizaBesigye before a judge moments after he had been vindicated of

a terrorism charge which had been slapped on him for challengingthe candidature of the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni.

Al Amins efforts to fight for justice for the victims of the US supportedso-called terror campaign earned him global recognition especiallyfor his successful role to bring back home the scores of Kenyanswho had been illegally renditioned to Somali and Ethiopia-again byour own government which had chosen to subscribe to the wishesof the United States and trashed the laws of the land.

He did not rest at these but traveled around the great lakes regionto document the ill treatment of scores of people who had fallenvictims to these rendition campaign.

The activists ignored pleas from the human rights fraternity not totravel to Uganda as it was clear that the regime would considerhim a big threat to its attempts to deny justice to the incarcerated

Kenyans.It was not therefore a surprise that his arrest together with that ofhuman rights lawyer Mbugua Mureithi attracted global condemna-tion as this was seen as a campaign of intimidation and denial of

justice for the accused.

While we strongly condemn the inhuman and barbaric actions ofthe Ugandan government, the onus, as Adan Wachu the secretarygeneral of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims right said, fallsback on our own government which chose to disregard the laws

and mercilessly handed over its citizens to be face torture and bedenied justice.

Kenyans paid dearly with their lives and made numerous sacrificesto ensure that they had a law which will put to rest decades of unfairtreatment and flagrant abuse of the rights of citizens but barely amonth in the new constitutional dispensation, concern is growingthat a far bigger monster could be in the making.

The actions taken by the state security agencies are akin to tell-ing Kenyans not to have faith in the countrys judiciary and to theoutside world, we are sending a message that this is a failed statewithout any judicial order and it is other countries who can help usto dispense (in)justice.

By and large, handing over Kenyan citizens to Uganda is essen-tially rewarding a country which has violated the sanctity of the

Kenyan territory through the illegal occupation of Migingo islandand the continuous humiliation of its Kenyan citizens who are sub-jected to hostile treatment in their own country.

Turning Kenyans into sacrificial lambs is a big slap in the face ofthe new constitution whose ideals are being thrown to the dogs andif the present situation is allowed to continue, it will send a signalthat the dreams of freedom and the end of the culture of impunitycherished by Kenyans will remain a sham.

Kenyans should not look at this matter through a narrow lens as aMuslim issue but as a national shame which need to be urgentlyrectified. Tolerating it, will perpetuate these injustices and will be amatter of time that gears of impunity will shift from Muslims to othercommunities.

It therefore becomes an individual responsibility for all Kenyans to

rally against these wanton abuse of human rights and dignity andensure that the ideals espoused by the constitution are enforcedand adhered to. Ignoring this fact will leave citizens at the mercyof those who wish to thrive on impunity. By that time, it will be too

late to shade a tear.

Violating the sanctity of the new constitution

satisfied with this, they now have entered into an alliance with theircounterparts in Uganda so that no Kenyan advocate or humanrights defender can go to Uganda to assist the deportees of theKenyan government, he said.

Their job is to secure the safety and security of Kenyans and Kenya

in accordance with the law and not in vendetta seeking and profiletargeting of Muslims, he further added.

The SUPKEM chairman said the state security machinery was pro-voking Muslims into a state of desperateness, anguish and angerand their actions were testing the patience of Muslims to the ex-treme. When state security apparatus disregard the law in broaddaylight, what are the victims and the affected supposed to do? hewondered.

The Council's secretary general Adan Wachu condemned the cam-paign of victimization calling it an act of great impunity. Ni dhulmaya hali ya juu, hawakutendewa na serikali ya Marekani wala yaUganda lakini na serikali yetu. (This is a great act of oppression.Their rights were not violated by the American or Ugandan govern-ments but by our own government) he said. The current situation,

he said, went against the expectations of Muslims who hoped thatthe new constitutional dispensation will put to an end the years ofvictimization of the community. Muslims voted overwhelmingly forthis new constitution expecting that it will protect them now it is turn-ing out to be a big monster, said Adan Wachu the SUPKEM Sec-retary General.

He told the government to be prepared for a long struggle withthe community as the efforts to seek justice for those detained inUganda will continue unabated. He however, said the struggle willbe within the constitutional guidelines.

Jamia Mosque Assistant secretary general Ibrahim Ahmed Yusufaccused the United States of complicity in the unlawful arrests of

Muslims saying it was actively funding and supporting the oppres-sion of Kenyan Muslims. The detainees are being interrogated byagents from the Kenyan and United States intelligence and theyhave not even been asked about the bombings in Uganda but onthe activities of Muslim organisations in the country includingSUPKEM and Jamia Mosque he said.

The leaders strongly condemned the arrest of Muslim HumanRights Forum chairman Al Amin Kimathi and lawyer Mbugua Mure-ithi in Uganda and said it was an attempt to intimidate and silencethe voices of those who are campaigning against the violations.

Leaders demand justice for renditioned Kenyanscontinued from page 1

1.Idriss Magondu

2.Hussein Hassan Agade

3.Mohamed Abdow4.Muhammad Hamid

5.Habib Suleiman Njoroge

6.Yahya Mbuthia Suleiman

7.Omar Awadh Omar

THE KIDNAPPED KENYANS

8.Ismail Abubakar

9.Al-Amin Kimathi

10.Hassan Abdu Issack11.AbdulAziz Ali

12.Abdullahi Mohamud Abdu

13.Hussein Aliow Abdi

2


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The Friday Bulletin

DA'WA

3

Upbringing by ExampleUstadha Hafswa Diko

Sat. 25th September 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pmJamia Multi Purpose Hall

Saturday Lecture

To be continued Next Week


Make the spirit of Ramadhan Last the whole year

The end of Ramadhan need not signal an end to the feeling of in-creased spiritual connectedness. Sarah Joseph explores 40 waysto keep the Ramadhan spirit strong.

Ramadhan is a time of increased worship in our lives. In addition

to the fasting, there is often an increase in other areas of worship,for instance the reading of Quran, and giving in charity. Keep thesethings up, even if it is only a small amount. The Prophet said, Thedeeds most loved by God are those done regularly, even if they aresmall. (Bukhari and Muslim).

1. Read a little of the Quran every day - you would just need toread 18 verses of the Quran per day to finish the whole Quranwithin the year.

2. Upload the Quran onto your iPod or MP3 player with a recitationby a Qari whom you find inspirational and listen to some everyday.The iQuran Pro for iPods has various Qaris, translations, as well asthe ability to read in Arabic script.

3. In addition to your annual zakat and the zakat al-fitr given onEid, perhaps sponsor a child, give a micro-finance loan to some-

one through an ongoing charity scheme, or find a project such asa school where you can have a regular engagement. Such charitygives you an emotional connection to the recipient and will help youin being contented with the blessings that Allah has provided you.

4. Remember, fasting is not just for Ramadhan; the Prophet said,He who fasts Ramadhan, and six days of Shawaal, it is as if theyfasted a whole year. (Muslim, Tirmidi, Abu Dawood, Ahmad, IbnMaajah)

Fasting is also recommended on the day of Arafah (the 9th day ofDhul-Hijjah) and the 10th of Muharram. The Prophet said, Fastingon the day of Arafah expiates two years of sins, last years and nextyears, and fasting on the tenth of Muharram expiates the previousyears (of sins). (Muslim)

Mondays and Thursdays are also recommended days to fast, for

the Prophet said, The deeds of the worshippers are presentedbefore Allah on Monday and Thursday, I like my deeds to be pre-sented while I am fasting. (Nasai)

Actions are judged by intentions (Bukhari and Muslim) said theProphet, and Ramadhan helps to bring this saying fully into focusby requiring us to make the intention to fast.

5. Make an intention to act before every action. This will mean thatthere will be a conscious decision; and the making of consciousdecisions means the brain is switched on. Conscious decision mak-ing allows us to override our routines and patterns of behaviour wehave grown accustomed to, particularly our bad habits. By makingsure our mind is present in our decision making process and beforeevery action more effective control will be taken of our own lives.

6. Ramadhan has the potential to reset your spiritual compass and

give your life renewed direction. Create a list of the ways you wishto improve your life spiritually and in other ways. Intentions functionsomewhat like targets and goals in todays modern managementspeak. Various studies have shown the link between having a goal,writing that goal down, telling others of the goal and success inactual attainment of the goal. Setting purpose to un-defined aspi-ration, having a plan with tangible targets, gives practical force toa mere hope. Remember to include InshaAllah, God-willing, forwhat you intend.

Ramadhan is a time of increased connections an increased con-nection to God through remembrance of Him and the search toplease Him, an increased connection to the Ummah through thecollective act of fasting, an increased connection to the family andclose friends through the shared intimacy of fasting and breaking

the fast together, and an increased connection to ones inner selfby the act of fasting; stripping away externalities. Maintaining theseconnections after Ramadhan ends requires effort.

Connecting to God

7. Incorporate alhamdulillah into your life. Thanking and praisingHim for the small bounties in your life, even in adversity, leads togratitude and contentment. The Prophet said Alhamdulillah is the

statement of appreciation. When the servant says alhamdulillah, Al-lah says, My servant has praised Me. (Ibn Abi Hatim)

8. Ask for help from Him even with the smallest with difficulties. TheProphet Musa was told to pray even for the salt on his food.

9. Reflect on Allah by learning His names with their meaning.

10. Make a regular time to contemplate the natural world, for it isrevelation from God, And among His Signs is the creation of theheavens and the earth. (Quran 30:22)

Connecting to your family and close friends

11. Iftar is a time to eat with your family continue to have a regular,collective family meal together.

12. Following the adage, The family that prays together, stays to-gether make prayer in jama regularly, spending time afterwards toreflect and talk to one another, sharing stories from Islamic historyor the companions perhaps.

13. Invite others to dine with you, and accept the invitations of oth-ers for that is one of the five rights a Muslim has over another Mus-

lim; the other four being, to return the greetings of salam, to visit thesick, to accompany funeral processions, and to respond to the onethat sneezes. (Bukhari & Muslim)

14. Be the one to forgive and move on, and remember the ThreeDay Rule, for the Prophet said, It is not allowed for a Muslim todesert his brother for over three days. (Muslim and Tirmidhi)

15. Tell the ones you love that you love them. The Prophet said,If one of you loves his brother for Allahs sake, then let him know,since it causes familiarity to endure and firmly establishes love.(Bukhari)

16. Put those you love first and empathise with their emotions, asthe Prophet said, Love for your brother what you love for yourself.(Muslim)

Connecting to yourself

17. Try to find a quiet time every day to reflect on yourself that day.What did you learn from that day? What could you have done bet-ter? What were the strengths of that day? What were the weak-nesses? Remember if you have had a bad day every new dawn,brings with it new opportunities.

18 List the things that you like about yourself. We may think thatwould be immodest and vain, but it is worth remembering that youare a creation of the Most High, and of the best of creations. TheProphet said, God is merciful towards the one who knows hisworth so start listing your worth.

19. List the things that you think need changing about yourself.Think of this positively. The Prophet said that A Muslim is a mirrorto another Muslim (Abu Dawud), but we need to be a mirror untoour own selves first.

20. Create a space which you always keep tidy, scented and beauti-ful. The Prophet said, God is beautiful and He likes beauty (Mus-lim), so such a space will give you a place to re-charge your batter-ies, and to reflect upon your inner self.

Nini baada ya Ramadhani?Sheikh Juma Amir

Sat. 25th September 2010 2.00 pm-4.00 pmMakina Mosque,Kibera

Islamic Lecture

SISTERS

ONLY

SISTER

SON

LY

Sarah Joseph


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4

WOMEN ISSUES

The Friday Bulletin

Maymuna bint al-HarithMaymuna bint al-Harith, (may Allah be pleased with her), married

the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)in 7 AH, when the Prophet was sixty years old and she was thirtysix years old. Maymuna's sister, Umm al-Fadhl Lubaba, was themother of Abdullah ibn Abbas, the son of one of the unclesof the Prophet and the one of the wisest of his Com-panions.

Umm al-Fadhl was one of the earliest Com-

panions of the Prophet. Once Abu Lahab, theenemy of Allah and the Messenger of Allah,entered the house of his brother, Al-Abbas,and proceeded to attack Abbass client, AbuRafi, because he had embraced Islam. AbuLahab knocked him to the ground and knelton him, continuing to beat him. Umm al Fadhlgrabbed a post that was there and crackedit across Abu Lahab's head, saying, "Will youvictimize him because his master is absent?" Heretreated in shame and died a week later.

Zaynab bint Khuzayma, Umm al Muminin, was also herhalf-sister. Her other sisters included Asma bint Umays, the wifeof Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, who later married Abu Bakr, and Salma bintUmays, the wife of Hamza, the "Lion of Allah". Her full sisters wereLubaba, Asma and Izza. Maymuna was thus one of the 'Ahlul- Bayt', 'the people of the House', not only by virtue of being a wife of theProphet, (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) but also be-cause she was related to him. Zayd bin Arqam related that the Mes-senger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Iimplore you by Allah! The People of my House!" three times. Zaydwas asked who were the People of the House, and he said, "Thefamily of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the family of Jafar ibn Abi Talib, the family

Aqil ibn Abi Talib, and the family of Al Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib."

Maymuna or Barra as she was then called, yearned to marry theProphet. She went to her sister, Umm al Fadhl to talk to her aboutthat and she, in turn, spoke to her husband, al-Abbas. Al-Abbasimmediately went to the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allahbe upon him) with Maymuna's offer of marriage to him and her pro-posal was accepted.

When the good news reached her, she was on a camel, and sheimmediately got off the camel and said, "The camel and what is on itis for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim)." They were married in the month of Shawwal in 7 AH just afterthe Muslims of Madina were permitted to visit Makkah under theterms of the treaty of Hudaybiyya to perform umra.

The Prophet gave her the name, Maymuna, meaning "blessed",and Maymuna lived with the Prophet for just over three years, until

his death. She was obviously very good natured and got on wellwith everyone, and no quarrel or disagreement with any of theProphet's other wives has been related about her. 'A'isha said abouther, "Among us, she had the most fear of Allah and did the most tomaintain ties of kinship." It was in her room that the Prophet firstbegan to feel the effects of what became his final illness and askedthe permission of his wives to stay in A'isha's room while it lasted.

After the Prophet's death, (peace and blessings of Allah be uponhim) Maymuna continued to live in Madina for another forty years,dying at the age of eighty, in 51 AH, (may Allah be pleased with her),being the last of the Prophet's wives to die. She asked to be buriedwhere she had married the Prophet at Saraf and her request wascarried out. It is related that at the funeral of Maymuna, Ibn Abbassaid, "This is the wife of Allah's Messenger, (peace and blessings

of Allah be upon him) so when you lift her bier, do not shake her ordisturb her, but be gentle."

It is also related by Ibn Abbas that he once stayed the night as aguest of Maymuna, who was his aunt, and the Prophet, (peace andblessings of Allah be upon him) They slept on their blanket length-ways and he slept at the end, crossways. After they had all slept

for a while, the Prophet rose in the middle of the night to pray thetahajjud prayer, and Ibn Abbas joined him.

They both did wudhu, and he prayed eleven rakats with the Proph-et (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Then they both went

back to sleep again until dawn. Bilal called the adhan, and theProphet did another two short rakats, before going into the

mosque to lead the (fajr) dawn Prayer.

Ibn Abbas said that one of the dua'ahs that the Proph-et made during this night was : "O Allah, place lightin my heart, light in my tongue, light in my hearing,light on my sight, light behind me, light in front ofme, light on my right, light on my left, light aboveme and light below me; place light in my sinew, inmy flesh, in my blood, in my hair and in my skin;place light in my soul and make light abundant for

me; make me light and grant me light."


The Friday Bulletin

Ingredients

Kitchen

Fresh Berry Coffeecake

2 cups fresh raspberries

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups toasted, chopped pecans

2 teaspoons milk

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 10 inch

cake pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Stir together raspberries and brown sugar; set aside. In a

separate bowl, mix together flour sugar, baking powder, baking soda

and salt; set aside.

In a third bowl, cream together sour cream, butter and 2 teaspoons

vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour mixture just until moist

Sprinkle 1/2 cup of berries and 1 cup pecans in pan, pour in half of the

batter. Pour on the remaining berries and remaining cup of pecans.

Spread the remaining batter over the berries.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick

inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. While cake bakes,mix the frosting. In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons milk,

1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar. Remove

cake from pan and let cool 20 minutes before frosting.

Method

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

The Prophet gave her the name, Maymu-

na, meaning "blessed", and Maymuna lived

with the Prophet for just over three years, until

his death. She was obviously very good natured

and got on well with everyone, and no quarrel

or disagreement with any of the Prophet's other

wives has been related about her.


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The Friday Bulletin

5


All Praises are to Allah, the Almighty, the Merciful and the Pow-erful. And May Peace and Blessings be upon Muhammad, whoindeed brought the truth and the Message to Guide mankind from

darkness to light.The National Muslim Leadership in Kenya address you today

in an environment of great anxiety for the Muslim Community inKenya. We stand here today when our brothers and sons areliving in fear in their own country. Fear of what, you may ask?We live in fear that there is no law in Kenya to secure the safetyand security of Muslims, not from thugs or thieves. But from theimpunity and hooliganism of Kenyan security forces.

We live in fear because we cannot predict what will happen toMuslims in the hands of the NSIS, ATPU and Kenyan Police.These security organs, established by our laws and paid for byour taxes have run rogue. They have been trailing Muslims inour country, pounce on them, beat them up, place hoods overtheir heads and rush them to Uganda. They have been doing this

knowing that it is against Kenyas constitution. Our Constitutionstipulates as follows:

Section 29. Every person has the right to freedom and securityof the person which includes the right NOT TO BE:

a. deprived of freedom arbitrarily or without just cause

b. detained without trial

c. subjected to any form of violence

d. subjected to torture in any manner whether physical or psy-chological

e. subjected to corporal punishment

f. treated or punished in a cruel, inhuman or degrading manner

Section 49. (1) An arrested person has the right-

a. to be informed promptly, in language that the person under-stands, of:

i. the reason for the arrest,

ii. the right to remain silent, and

iii. the consequences of not remaining silent

b. to remain silent

c. to communicate with an advocate and other persons whoseassistance is necessary

f. to be brought before a court not later than twenty four hours

g. at the first court appearance to be charged or informed of rea-son for detention continuing or be released.

The only option open for a police officer in Kenya when he be-lieves a crime has been or is about be commited by a person, is

to arrest the person in accordance with the above constitutional pro-vision. To date the NSIS, ATPU and Kenyan Police acting together,have captured 9 Kenyan Muslims and renditioned them to Uganda

without any due process. Why would NSIS, ATPU and Kenyan Po-lice do this? The answer is simple: It is because there is no offencethat these brothers have committed under the Kenyan law. Second-ly, if these brothers were to be held in Kenya, our Constitution woulddemand justice and freedom for them. Not satisfied with this, theynow have entered into an alliance with their counterparts in Ugandaso that no Kenyan advocate or human rights defender can go toUganda to assist the deportees of the Kenyan government.

And in Uganda, it is the same Kenyan security forces with the Amer-ican FBI that are interrogating our brothers.

This is done despite clear constitutional and legal prohibitions forthem to do so. So, when state security apparatus disregard the lawin broad daylight, what are the victims and the affected supposedto do?

We stand here stating that these security organs are testing thepatience of Muslims to the extreme. Nay, they are deliberately pro-voking Kenyans and Muslims into a state of desperateness, anguishand anger. We stand here with firmness of convictions that the Mus-lims will not allow rogue security forces in Kenya to operate outsidethe law. Their job is to secure the safety and security of Kenyans andKenya in accordance with the law and not in vendetta seeking andprofile targeting of Muslims.

We stand here to demand that those Kenyans, who are Muslimsthat were captured by NSIS, ATPU and Kenyan Police and taken toUganda be brought back and charged in Kenya courts. The Muslimleadership shall not play cat and mouse games this time with thegovernment over their denials. We are the citizens and they mustact within the law.

Muslims do not fear and will not be intimidated by rogue securityforces. We firmly caution that, if the state organs charged with theresponsibility of upholding and enforcing the law continue to be theones disregarding the law, then they risk turning Kenya into a law-less country. We passed the new Constitution and enshrined a newBill of Rights to exactly deal and do away with this kind of rogueand reckless behavior of yester years. We know the security forceswere not and are not happy with the Bill of Rights. But they have nochoice. You must follow the law.

Therefore, bring back our brothers now or you shall face the wrathof Kenyans for your illegal acts.

We urge Muslims to be calm and wait further update on the matter,We urge all Mosques to commence special qunut prayers during thistime of great adversity and test.

Statement from Muslim Leaders on the arbitrary arrestand rendition of Muslims to Uganda

Two prominent human rights workers, one of them a lawyer, werearrested last week in Uganda as part of a US-sponsored local 'secu-rity response' to bombings in Kampala over the summer.

As an investigator for Reprieve, I work closely with one of them: Al-Amin Kimathi, director of the Kenyan organisation Muslim HumanRights Forum, who has assisted hundreds of rendition victims andnow represents those charged with the Kampala bombings. He isone of the most tireless human rights activists in Africa, and is nowat grave risk of torture himself.

Al-Amin's disgraceful arrest is symptomatic of the Obama admin-

istration's continued support for abusive counter-terror practiceswhich were pioneered by the Bush administration and then de-ployed across the world, including in East Africa.

For example, the US continues to fund specialised "counter-terror"police units in Kenya and Uganda, despite their systematic andwell-known involvement in torture, arbitrary detention and renditionof terror suspects. Investigations by these units, such as that into

the 2002 Kikambala Bombings, stretch on for years, swiftly becomecompletely diffused from any specific offence and are characterizedby a failure to catch any offenders and a string of botched prosecu-tions.

The security response to the July 2010 Kampala bombings hascontinued in this tradition: in the wake of the bombings, tens of USpersonnel were rushed to Uganda and Kenya to assist in the in-vestigation. Sad to say, the operations that followed have featuredtell-tale Bush-era elements - suspects have been abused, detainedwithout charge, interrogated by Americans saying they work for theFBI, subjected to illegal rendition, denied access to counsel, andfinally paraded in front of television cameras in a farcical attempt toshow the world that justice is being done. And now, in a new twist tothis grim narrative, human rights activists and lawyers who work toprotect the victims of these abuses are being directly targeted.

On 15 September, Ugandan police arrested Al-Amin and his col-

Continues To Page 6

Obama administration implicated in illegal detention of Al AminClara Gutteridge


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The Friday Bulletin

6


Arbitrary arrests, a sad reminder of the Nyayo eraThe promulgation of the new constitution on August 27 was greetedwith enthusiasm and high expectations from Kenyans who viewedthe historic event as a rebirth of the nation with a new set of lawwhich will protect the rights of citizens.

The enhanced Bill of Rights was hailed as a measure of protectionagainst impunity putting Kenya at par with de-

mocracies which have earned accolades for pro-tecting the rights of its citizens.Muslims who have endured decades of margin-alization, discrimination and harassment were ec-static about this new state of affairs and came outin droves to vote for the new constitution whichthey expected will reverse the historical injusticesthe community has suffered since independence.

Prior to August 27, arbitrary arrests and extra ju-dicial extradition of individuals said to be involvedin the barbaric attack against world cup fans inKampala had been carried out but Muslims ex-pected that after the coming into effect of the con-stitution which protects individual liberties, such

violations will ground to stop.The arbitrary arrestof Yahya Mbuthia and his swift rendition to Ugan-da only hours after President Mwai Kibaki appended his signatureon the new constitution,sent a chilling reminder to Muslims that theywill not be beneficiaries of the new laws and it will still be businessas usual for the arbitrary detentions, harassments and extra judicialrenditions.Mbuthias arrest was to be followed by a continuation of other unlaw-ful arrests and renditions and even after the intervention of the courtswas sought, nothing seems to stand in the way for the illegal anddraconian operations of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU).

Last weeks arrest of human rights lawyer Mbugua Mureithi togetherwith Muslim Human rights Forum chairman Al-Amin Kimathi was thepinnacle of this gross violation of the rights of individuals. Even the

Nazi criminals who were responsible for deaths of Jews were provid-ed legal access, the joint conspiracy between Ugandan and Kenyanauthorities were not ready to allow for justice for the detainees.

Mbugua was a seasoned lawyer who was outspoken in condemningthe government for violation of the rights of Muslims suspected tobe involved in so-called terrorism activities.His criticism and courtappearance to demand for the rights of those arrested were increas-ingly harming the image of the country especially in the era of thenew constitution.

On the other, hand it appears that the government was itching torevenge for the big embarrassment it received after Al Amin singlehandedly mobilized local and international human rights campaign-ers to successfully fight for the return of several Kenyan citizenswho had been illegally renditioned to Ethiopia and Somalia.

Fear was rife, that if left untamed, the same scenario will repeat it-self earning Kenya another negative image in global human rightscircles.

There is no doubt that arresting him in the country would have ig-nited fury among Muslims and civil society organisations and his

journey to Uganda was therefore, seen as a golden opportunity tosettle scores. Uganda with its poor human rights record was also athand to reciprocate to the needs of the Kenyan authorities by keep-ing him under hooks.

The detention of Kimathi is being justified on the grounds that atthe time of his arrest, he was in company of an Al-Shabbab opera-tive. Strangely, the alleged Al-Shabab figure being touted is Omar

Awadh a Kenyan businessman who was arrested two days afterMbugua and Kimathiss arrest. The businessman was arrested byplain clothes police officers attached to the unit near Nation Centreas he was heading to Jamia Mosque for Friday prayers and driventhe same day to Kampala. Kenya duly played its part to fill the miss-ing link to what would have been an embarrassment by Ugandanauthorities.

In an attempt to win public support for its activities of violations of thelaw, the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit has now taken on a propaganda

campaign and enlisted the media for its public relations exercise tospread deceit and misinformation on the arrests.In one of the glaring deceits being fed to the public, a report fromthe intelligence cited in one of the dailies indicated that Edris Ma-gondu who is among those on trial in Uganda, personally placed

the bomb in one of the bars which were hit on

the fateful night of July 11.First, Edris, had never visited Uganda and didnot a posses a Kenyan passport. Secondly onthe material day as it was reported in the sec-tion of the dailies, his wife attested that shewas with him for a shopping trip in Eastleigh.His employee has already mentioned that heis willing to testify that Edris reported for dutyat his workstation where he works as a driveron the same day where he is alleged to havebeen in Uganda.

On the morning of July 11, Edris appeared liveon Iqra FM where he presented a programmeon comparative religion.

If he had traveled to Uganda, the only avail-able option would have been by air and this

can easily be confirmed at the respective airports in Uganda andKenya and also by the airline. No such evidence has come forth.

The detention of Al Amin Kimathi and Mbugua Murethi and intimi-dations which are being levelled against officials of the MuslimHuman Rights Forum are meant to silence those who are speakingagainst these constitutional violations to neutralize opposition tothe arbitrary arrests.

The Muslim Human Rights Forum openly condemned the ghastlyattacks in Uganda and reaffirms that those responsible shouldface the full face of the law. At no point have we stood up to defendthose who are responsible for committing heinous criminal acts butour position has been as it is clearly stated in the laws of the coun-

try, it is the courts which can ultimately rule whether a person isguilty and the current situation where the ATPU is left to violate thelaw with impunity sends a wrong precedent which can have graverepercussions in the future with regard to the rights of citizens.

Our call remains that if the government has a case against any per-son it should follow the due process of the law instead of resortingto actions which remind Kenyans that the sadist Nyayo era is stillwith us inspite of the new constitution.

The writer is a Co-Convener of the Muslim Human Rights Forum

Farouk Machanje

league, lawyer Mbugua Mureithi, at Entebbe airport. The two werein Uganda to work on the cases of three Kenyans rendered fromNairobi to Kampala and charged with involvement in the Kampalabombings. Three days later, Mbugua Mureithi has been released,and Al-Amin remains in detention.

His lawyer has been unable to see him, and is now preparing tofile a habeas corpus petition to force the authorities to produce Al-

Amin in court, or release him.

Al-Amin has long known that the authorities are after him. Manyof Al-Amin's volunteers have been picked up in this latest wave ofdetentions, and last month, Al-Amin was warned that he should notgo to Uganda, because he was at risk of being detained himself.

But he ignored the warnings, and shrugged off reports by releasedprisoners that they had been interrogated by the FBI and Kenyan

and Ugandan police about him and his organisation.Al-Amin Kimathi ignored the warnings, and went to Uganda be-cause he cares far more about the people he is trying to help thanhis own safety. So now, the man who has dedicated his work tocampaigning for the rights of East Africa's "disappeared" has beendisappeared himself.

US implicated in Al-Amin arrestStory From page 5

OPINION


7/8

The Friday Bulletin Shawwal 15 1431/September 24 2010

NATIONAL NEWS

7

Top security officials should be investigated and where necessaryprosecuted for their role in violating the rights of Muslims.

Hassan Omar, a commissioner with the state human rights watch-dog, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR)

deplored the wave of arrests and renditions of Muslims suspectedof involvement in the July bombings in Kampala, Uganda.The commissioner pointed an accusing finger on the security of-ficials whom he accused of failing to uphold the rule of law as en-shrined in the new constitution.

There have been numerous allegations of kidnappings and rendi-tioning of Kenyan citizens to Uganda by our security forces. In allthese circumstances, these were illegal and unconstitutional, hesaid in his Agenda Five column in the Standard on Wednesday.

He specifically singled out the Police Commissioner Mathew Itere,the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit Commandant Nicholas Kamwendeand the Director General of the National Security Intelligence Serv-ice (NSIS) Brig. Michael Gichangi as the officials who should betaken to task for violating the constitutional rights of citizens.

The indiscriminate violations of the rights of Kenyans also ledUganda to reciprocate by unlawfully detaining human rights lawyerMbugua Mureithi and Muslim human rights Forum activist Al-AminKimathi, he added.

The commissioner stated that the principle of justice provides forredress to the victims and this is affirmed in the constitution whichupholds the idea of presumption of innocence for those who aresuspected of committing crimes.

The conduct of the security agencies, he said, were in stark realityto the expectations of Kenyans who opted for a new constitutionalorder with the hopes that will lift them from dungeons of oppres-sion and bad governance.

Hassan also said the silence from President Mwai Kibaki andPrime Minister Raila Odinga was being seen as condoning the il-

legal actions which are targeting the Muslim community.Mr President and Prime Minister, when Muslims speak out, na-tional anger is engineered on account of sympathizing with ter-rorists. All Muslims ask for you is to uphold the constitution as peryour oath of office not as favours, he said.

Constitutional violations: Call toprosecute security chiefs

An advocacy group for the survivors of the Wagalla massacre hascast doubt on the ability of the Truth Justice and ReconciliationCommission (TJRC) to address historical injustices.The Truth to Be Told Network questioned the credibility of the Com-mission saying that it was not up to the task to provide an avenuefor redress for the families and survivors of the 184 massacre.The TJRC as constituted has neither the motivation, the cred-

ibility or the capacity to undertake the task required to unearth thetruth, provide justice and reparations and create memorization forWagalla Massacre and other crimes committed by government ofKenya against its own people, said Salah Abdi Sheikh the coordi-nator for the TBT Network.In a press statement, Salah said the presence of the individualsin the Commission who are linked to the massacre taints its cred-ibility and such measures will help to absolve perpetrators fromcrimes they committed.The commission chairman Bethwell Kiplagats name has featuredprominently among the those who are said to play an active rolein the violations of rights of Kenyans during the Moi era. Accord-ing to TBT Network, official records indicate that Kiplagat wasamong senior civil servants who participated in the meeting whichwas a prelude to the massacre where more than 3 300 innocent

men and boys were shepherded into a disused airstrip, tortured,starved and shot by the Kenya Security Forces.The statement further said that the Commission seeks to targetthe low cadres and leave out the big fish who are responsible forthe heinous crimes. The TJRC will focus mainly on foot soldiersnot planners and political leaders of many of the crimes. For the

case of the Wajir massacre, while the soldiers committed unimagina-ble crimes, the responsibility for genocide is political and it is thosehigher in the echelons of the military and the executive who shouldbe prosecuted, he added.The coordinator stressed that group will continue its quest to seek

justice for the victims through High Court of Kenya and the Banjulbased African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACPHR)

in Banjul.

TBT Network questions TJRC on injustices

The Abdallah Shah Memorial Library was among libraries which wererecognised for their exemplary performance at the inaugural Maktabaof the year 2010 awards.The library at Jamia mosque was among the best in the category ofcommunity libraries at the event which featured 40 libraries acrossthe country.The awards held last week at the United States International Univer-sity saw the Abdallah Shah Memorial Library recognised for its role inenhancing a reading culture in the Muslim community and also sup-porting similar initiatives in various parts of the country.The library will receive book a donation of books from the Jomo Ken-

yatta Foundation for being among the best in the special communitycategory.Located on the first floor of at the Jamia complex, the Abdallah Li-brary provides a wide range of Islamic literature in English, Arabic,Swahili and Urdu among other languages.It is one of the few institutions which have a collections of copies ofthe Holy Quran in Braille for the visually impaired.

Jamia Library feted at Maktaba awards

Local and international human rights and civil society organisationshave joined hands in condemning the unlawful detention of humanrights activists Al Amin Kimathi by the Ugandan government.

The groups put foreyard a demand for the immediate release of theexecutive director of the Muslim Human Rights Forum (MHRF) whothey reiterated was innocent and said his detention was aimed atintimidating him from defending those who were illegally renditionedfrom the country to Uganda.

The activists on Wednesday spoke against the decision by Ugan-dan authorities to charge Kimathi with terrorism demanding that thecharges be immediately dropped.

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights commissioner Has-san Omar described the arrest as act of illegality and demanded hisunconditional release.

His sentiments were echoed by the executive director of the KenyaHuman Rights Commission Muthoni Wanyeki who termed the arrestas preposterous and a mockery of justice.

The secretary of Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Apollo Mboya stronglycondemned the arrest of the detentions and said his organisation willsend a team of lawyers to Uganda to represent Al-Amin Kimathi andother detained Kenyans.

He added that LSK, if necessary will also petition the East AfricanCourt of Justice to ensure that the rights and welfare of the Kenyansare safeguard.

Speaking after his return from Uganda, human rights lawyer MbuguaMureithi said Al Amin was being unfairly treated due to his persistentcriticism of the violations of rights of Kenyan Muslims. Arresting Al-

Amin has nothing to do with the 7/11 bombings but because he hasbeen the face of Muslim human rights activism in Kenya, he said.

London based rights organisation Amnesty International spoke outagainst the detentions and called on the Ugandan authorities to en-sure that any measures taken to investigate, prosecute and bring to

justice alleged perpetrators of the July 2010 bombings fully complied

Protests over Al-Amin Kimathi'sdetention

Continues To Page 8


8/8

THE EDUCATION BURSARY

Ummah Foundation established the EducationBursary Fund in 2007 in recognition of the factthat education is the most important factor forachieving development. This is also in tandemwith our objective of reducing illiteracy amongour society, as well as to empower them to beeconomically and socially self-sustaining.

The Education Bursary Fund has helped sev-eral of our youth to get good education in re-

spected and reliable institutions of learning.So far, the fund has been able to produce 3doctors, more than 5 journalists, 10 techni-cians, over 20 teachers, and over 10 nurses.There are other students who are still in theprocess of benefitting from the fund. In fact,over 300 students are beneficiaries of the fundsince it was established.

The Education Bursary Fund is under the man-agement of the Ummah Foundation EducationCommittee headed by the long time educa-tionist and former Chief Executive Officer ofthe Kenya Examinations Council, Mr. AhmedYusuf. On board are other renowned nationaleducationists like Sheikh Abdallah Kheir, alecturer at the Kenyatta University, Mrs. FaizaUmar, Ibrahim Bakari, among others.

For the last year, Ummah Foundation hasreceived over 500 applications for bursaries.This figure is overwhelming, considering thescarcity of funds these days. However, thereare various values that the committee has setas criteria to determine the most deservingcases for bursary approval. These include:merit, students performance in school, or-phans, students from financially challengedbackgrounds, and so on, subject to availabilityof funds. All in all, the committee makes surethat each of the provinces is represented.

Education is costly. For instance, a universitystudent needs over Ksh 100,000 per year. Ontop of this, only about 2% of the university stu-dents are Muslims. All the bursary funding isfrom charity. At the present, the bursary fundcannot be able to satisfy all the applicationsreceived. We therefore call upon Muslims toassist the Ummah Foundation Bursary Fundso we can help the Ummah grow.

Please contact us on the following address:

Ummah Foundation Village plaza,Ngara Road Block A,Suite A3,

P.O. Box 58717-00200, Nairobi Tel: 0717 613 3333/ 0732 613333 Email: [email protected] Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

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with international human rights law and the Ugandan Constitution.

The Africa director at the New York based Human Rights Watch Rona Peligal said the

arrests were pure harassments of human rights defenders and cautioned Ugandan au-thorities that they will be responsible.The New York based Human Rights Watch warnedagainst any mistreatment of the detainees and reiterated they would be held responsiblefor any mistreatment they suffered while in detention.

Al Amin was arrested on September 16 together with Mureithi after they travelled toUganda to attend a scheduled hearing of the 34 terrorism suspects of the July 11Kampala bombing. While Mbugua was later released, the Muslim activists remains indetention, his laptop confiscated and has been denied access to a lawyer or freedom tomake phone calls.

After their arrests, the Ugandan lawyer representing some of the suspects, LadislausRwakafuuzi expressed concerns for his safety if he continues to represent the terrorismsuspects as their case proceeds.

Al-Amin Kimathi appeared along with a Kenyan businessman Omar Awadh during acourt hearing at Nakawa Chief Magistrate's Court in Kampala on Monday. They were

both charged with 79 counts of murder, ten counts of attempted murder and threecounts of terrorism. They did not enter a plea and were remanded in custody until 8October, when they will appear before the High Court of Uganda.

During the hearing, Al-Amin Kimathi complained that he had been denied access to hislawyer and that he was unrepresented during the hearing, and he sought the return ofhis belongings which had been confiscated by the police. Chief Magistrate Sswjjembareportedly agreed that Al-Amin Aimathi was entitled both to legal representation and tothe return of his belongings. Al-Amin Kimathi also lodged a complaint about the render-ing to Uganda of Kenyan suspects connected to the bombings, arguing that they couldhave been tried in Kenya.

Al Amin and Mureithi have been outspoken critics of the way in which Kenyans havebeen sent to Uganda to face prosecution for the July 2010 bombings without followingthe due process of the law which they said mounted to kidnappings.The Muslim Human Rights Forum was the first Kenyan human rights organization to

publicly condemn the July 11 bombings in Kampala.

Protests over Al-Amin Kimathi's detention

Story From page 7

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