Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014 Issue No. 575

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

Friday BulletinThe

The Weekly Muslim News Update

www.islamkenya.org

A human rights organisation has called on the government and security agencies not to victimize terror victimsbecause of their religious and ethnic backgrounds.In a press release,

the Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid said allegations by police linking two victims of last week’s terror attack at Mwembe Tayari in Mombasa were disturbing and meant to profile individuals due to their religious affiliation.“Incidences such as this, where victims of terrorism are alleged to be culprits of terror will not help us to forge unity amongst us.

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On Other pages

'Terror victims must be given equal treatment'-lobby group

Lamu governor Issa Timamy proudly shows off keys of an ambu- lace which was donated to the county by the Kisumu based Da'wa Development Group. The ambulance is expected to improve on health service delivery in the county

Editorial: Worrying growth of Islamophobia

Fasting in the month of Rajab

Kilifi leaders decry police harassment Page 3 Page 7

Once an overcrowded neighbourhood where property devel-opers vie to put up shopping malls and high-rise residential buildings to cash on the growing housing demand, it is a different scenario in Eastleigh after thousands of residents continue to flee from the area to what they consider as safer destinations in the region.The fear of constant police harassment, persecution and physical harassment and bribe-taking by police officers is forcing thousands of residents to flee the country’s second most important business hub after the Nairobi Central Busi-ness District.As the Operation Usalama Watch entered its second month, residential houses and business premises in the busy com-mercial suburb are now becoming vacant as tenants com-plain that the police have made their lives unbearable.Police officers are apparently taking advantage of the gov-ernment operation have been accused of harassing resi-dents and extorting money from refugees and Kenyan Soma-lis by threatening to take them to what is now being described as the Safaricom concentration camp-the holding centre for

Empty houses in Eastleigh as residents flee

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Profiling of individuals because of their religious or ethnic background must cease immediately and everyone must be treated equally by law enforcers, civil society and media”, said Hussein.He advised the government and security agents to double check facts before going public on such matters at a time when the country is facing increased cases of insecurity.Hus-sein went on to refute police claims that Suleiman Muhammad and Jamal Mbarak who lost their lives in the Mwembe Tayari incident had been arrested during the raid on police raid on Masjid Musa in February. “As a human rights organisation that was involved in the case of those arrested at Masjid Musa, we have documentary evidence including the charge sheet and the names of accused persons who were charged in court. Nowhere in the list do the names of Suleiman Muhammad and Jamal Mbarak appear in the list,” he disclosed.He noted with concern that the grieving families have not be-ing left to mourn their dead in peace and instead come out to defend their dearly departed.Family members and relatives of the two have come out strongly to refute claims that the two were involved in the attack and had ties with Masjid Musa in Majengo.

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014

Worrying growth of Islamophobia

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EDITORIAL

The Somalia parliament has called for a ban imports from Kenya to pressure the government to stop the mistreatment of ethnic Somalis. The motion which received backing from a majority of MPs was raised over growing concerns on the ongoing swoop in Kenya that has seen the arbitrary arrests and deportation of hundreds of So-malis.The legislators urged the government to stop imports from Kenya in protest against the actions of Kenyan security forces who have been accused of a host of human rights violations which include arbitrary arrests and detentions as well as sexual harassment against members of the So-malia community.“The truth is that many of our ethnic citizens in Kenya are suffering due to mistreatment by the Kenyan gov-ernment, therefore we should retaliate by imposing a ban on the imports,” said Dr. Shire Waco.The call for the ban on Kenyan imports have also reverberated in the autonomous Punt-land State and the secessionist Somaliland among other Somali regions. Somalia is a key market for Kenyan goods which in-clude tea, flowers, coffee beans, cooking oil and detergents. Kenya also exports about three million kilogrammes of the nar-cotic substance miraa to Somalia annually and if the Parliament approves the import ban motion, it will be an economic blow to the Kenyan economy particularly the Meru region where the crop is grown.A former legislator, Ali Mohamud Farah said that due to the Kenyan government mistreatment of Somalis, miraa imports from Kenya to Somalia should be banned completely.The stimulant leafy twig was last year banned in the United Kingdom and a number of European countries. Kenya’s attempt to dissuade the United Kingdom from banning miraa last week suffered a major setback after a London court upheld a decision to outlaw the consumption of the commodity in Britain.The unjustifiable ethnic profiling and hu-man rights violation on ethnic Somalis in Kenya has aroused anger in the Somali community both in and outside the country

Somalia threatens trade ban on Kenya over har-

assment of citizens

“They are victims of circumstances. We demand the state to apologize for profil-ing innocent people. No single day has my son attended prayers at the mosque, the information is not true. The claims are baseless aimed at victimizing and tormenting the family” said Suleiman’s mother, Leila Athufa.

Khalid further appealed to the govern-ment to aid families of terror victims and equally consider the three families who lost their loved ones in the attack. A Mombasa resident Emily Katana also lost her life after unknown people hurled a grenade at a stationery bus. On Mon-day, the deputy president William Ruto

lobby group on terror victimsContinued From Page 1

criticized the judiciary for being an im-pediment on the war on terror saying that courts have released suspects who later endangered state security. In his statement, Ruto claimed that victims of the Mombasa bus attack had been ar-rested during the Masjid Musa police raid and later freed by the courts.

The country is yet again grappling with the rising cases of tragedies which con-tinue to claim the lives of innocent peo-ple.In one of the worst acts of carnage witnessed in the country, more than 70 people lost their lives this week after tak-ing lethal brew. This incident came barely days after a horrific attack on two passen-ger buses along the Thika super highway which left 3 people dead and the attack on the busy Mwembe Tayari bus terminus in Mombasa a day earlier where three peo-ple lost their lives.In another horrifying incident, four night guards were butchered to death at a piece of land owned by Jamia Mosque at the Grogan area in Nairobi.Such acts of car-nage being witnessed in the country are an indictment on the government that it is not doing enough to protect the lives of Kenyans. Despite persistent calls that se-curity agencies are firmly in control of the security situation and in pursuit of those who are responsible for the relentless death of Kenyans, the horrendous actions continue to recur.Illicit alcohol is classified as a danger-ous substance and this entails that there should be a total ban on the substance. But the fact of the matter is that these il-legal substancesand others like drugs can be procured with ease and sometimes with the connivance of security and ad-ministrative officers some of whom direct-ly benefit from the illegal proceeds. On the war on terrorism, corruption, injus-tices and lack of appropriate intelligence and questionable strategies on the part of the security agencies have been cited as among the reasons which are contrib-uting to the rise of violent attacks in the country.Regrettably, instead of address-ing some of these issues which could go at great length to end tame this menace, a whole community is instead blamed and ostracized for the perceived sins of a few people. Knee jerk reactions which include arbitrary arrests, detentions and swoops targeting a whole community are serving to give credence to a prevailing view that Muslims are being deliberately targeted.Victims of terrorism when they happen to be Muslims, even before any investiga-tions are launched are considered prime suspects and vilified. In the attack at the Ambassador Hotel busterminus in 2007, three Muslims who included two women were singled out for detention, their crime

being among curious on lookers at the scene of the incident. The recent incident in Mombasa where two Muslims were killed at Mwembe Tayari closely follows this pattern.Such incidents send clear signals that the campaign to fight terrorism is being target-ed at a particular community and this need not to be the case. Muslims are stakehold-ers in this country and like other Kenyans they also are concerned about the wors-ening security situation in the country and should be treated as partners rather than adversaries. While it is not a matter of doubt there exist some bad apples in the community who are using religion to justify acts of intoler-ance and violence against other Kenyans, these few fringe elements should not be used as the benchmark to collectively punish an entire community who hold dear the values of peaceful co-existence and tolerance as taught by the Islamic faith.The conducts of the security agencies and the media has also helped to build up a culture among the minds of Kenyans that Muslims are terrorists. Even without jus-tifiable cause, Muslims and Muslim insti-tutions are often associated with acts of terrorism and this has helped to nurture-suspicion and hatred towards Muslims and their faith.While it was being felt in the social me-dia, a worrying trend in Islamophobia and xenophobia is gradually taking root in the country. Incidents where Muslims are de-nied entry into public transport, thrown out from matatus and demonized as terrorists and the heightened frisking of Muslims at public places points to an escalating growth of xenophobia. These acts which are detrimental to na-tional cohesion need to prick the con-science of the government to act fast and ensure that Kenyans continue to live in harmony. It is however, disappointing that comments from some in the top leader-ship in this country appear to follow the mindset of those who want Kenya to take the path of Rwanda and Central Africa Re-public.Ultimately, as Muslims we need to realize that we have to practice the teachings of Islam which emphasize on harmonious re-lationship with people of other faiths and also take up our responsibility as citizens to enhance and defend the security of the people of Kenya and the country at large.

The Friday BulletinRajab 10,1435/May 09,2014

The month of Rajab is one of the sacred months about which Allah says, “Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah's ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of these four are sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them, and fight the polytheists all together as they fight you all together; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).” (At-Tawbah 9: 36)The sacred months are: Rajab, Dhul-Qa`dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Mu-harram. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qi`dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha`ban.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)These months are sacred for two reasons:1. Fighting therein is forbidden unless initiated by the enemy, and2. Transgressionof the sacred limits therein is worse than at other times.Hence Allah has forbidden us to commit sins during these months, as He says (… therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them…) (At-Tawbah 9: 36)Although committing sins is haram (impermissible) and forbidden during these months and at other times, it is more forbidden in these months.Al-Sa`di (may Allah have mercy on him) said (p. 373):In the phrase “be not unjust to yourselves regarding them”, the pronoun“them” may be understood as referring to the twelve months. Allah states that He has made them a measure of time for His people, which they may use for worshipping Him, and thank Allah for His bless-ings, and they serve the interests of His people, so beware of wronging yourselves therein.The pronoun may also be understood as referring to the four sa-cred months, and this forbids people from wronging themselves in these months in particular, as well as it being forbidden to do wrong at all time, because it is more forbidden at this time.With regard to fasting in the month of Rajab, there is no authentic (sahih) hadith indicating any special virtue in fasting all or a part of this month.What some people do, singling out some days of Rajab for fasting, believing that they are better than others, has no basis in Shari`ah.But there is a report from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which indicates that it is preferable (mustahab) to fast during the sacred months, one of which is Rajab. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Fast some days of the sacred months and not others.” (Abu Dawud classed as dha`if (weak) by Al-Albani in Dha`ifAbiDawud)Even if this hadith was sahih, it indicates that it is preferable (mus-tahab) to fast during the sacred months. So if a person fasts dur-ing Rajab because of this, and he also fasts in the other sacred months, there is nothing wrong with that. But singling out Rajab for fasting is not right.Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:As for fasting in Rajab in particular, the hadiths concerning that are all weak (dha`if), even fabricated (mawdhu`). The scholars do not rely on any of them. They are not among the weak hadiths which have been narrated concerning virtues; rather most of them are fab-ricated and false. In Al-Musnad and elsewhere there is a hadith which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enjoined fasting the sacred months, but this is to fast during all of them, not just Rajab. (Ibn Taymiyah, Majmu` Al-Fatawa)Also, Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Every hadith which mentions fasting in Rajab and praying during some of its nights is false and fabricated.” (Al-Manar Al-Munif)Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq (may Allah have mercy on him) said,: “Fast-

ing in Rajab is no better than fasting in any other month, except that it is one of the sacred months. There is no report in the sahih Sunnah to suggest that there is anything special about fasting in this month. Whatever has been narrated concerning that is not fit to be quoted as evidence. (Fiqh As-Sunnah)

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Fasting in the month of Rajab Sheikh Muhammad Salih al Munajjid

DA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURESUNDAYSUNDAY LECTURE

Topic: Masharti ya SwalahBy: Ustadha Mariam Ibrahim

11th May 2014 Time: 2.00 pm -4.00 pm Venue: Makina Mosque Kibera

Hadiths About Rajab: Authentic?

No stated hadiths are reported on the virtue of the month of Rajab other than being one of the Sacred Months to which Almighty Allah referred in the glorious Qur'an, [of them [i.e. the twelve months] four are Sacred] (At-Tawbah 9:36). These Sacred Months are Dhul-Qi`dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, and all are dis-tinguished months. However, no authentic hadith is reported on the virtue of Rajab in particular, except for one hasan (Arabic for: classified as "good" in terms of Hadithmethodology) hadith, which states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to observe fasting re-peatedly in Sha`ban, and when he was asked about the reason, he answered, “It is a month that people neglect between Rajab and Ramadhan.” This hadith indicates that Rajab has a virtue. However, the hadith stating, "Rajab is Allah's month, Sha`ban is my month, and Rama-dan is my nation's month," is a munkar (Arabic for: classified as "falsified" in terms of Hadithmethodology) and very weak hadith that many scholars deem it mawdu` (Arabic for: classified as "fab-ricated" in terms of Hadith methodology) which means that it has no religious or practical value. There are some other hadiths on the virtue of Rajab that delve on the reward for praying or for asking forgiveness at particular times. In fact, all these hadithsare mere exaggerations and lies. Among the indications of the falseness of such hadiths are the exaggerations they contain. In this regard, scholars state that the promise of great rewards for insignificant deeds or the threat of painful punishment for committing a minor sin indicate that such a saying is a fabricated hadith.An example for this is the false hadith attributed to the Prophet as saying, "A morsel in the stomach of a hungry person is better than building a thousand mosques." The falsity of this hadith is quite clear, as it is not logical that the reward of a morsel is greater than that of building a thousand mosques.The hadiths related on the virtue of Rajab are of the abovemen-tioned kind, so scholars should warn people and draw their atten-tion to the falsity of such fabricated hadiths.Imam Muslim report-ed in the introduction of his book SahihMuslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Whoever narrates a hadith knowing it is false, is one of the liars."Fabricated and weak hadiths are among the most dangerous bur-dens in our Islamic culture, especially when they are so common among people in sermons and books.We have a duty of purify-ing our Islamic culture from such hadiths. To achieve this aim, we should make use of the efforts of previous scholars who have managed to distinguish between authentic and fabricated hadiths and narrations.

Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradhawi

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014WOMEN

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Origins of Mother’s Day Mother’s Day stems from an ancient an-nual spring festival the Greeks dedicat-ed to maternal goddesses. The Greeks used the occasion to honor Rhea, wife of Cronus and the mother of many deities of Greek mythology.This day may have emerged from a cus-tom of mother worship in ancient Greece, which kept a festival to Cybele, a great mother of Greek gods. This festival was held around the Vernal Equinox around Asia Minor and eventually in Rome it-self from the Ides of March (15 March) to 18 March.The ancient Romans also had another holiday, Matronalia that was dedicated to Juno, though mothers were usually given gifts on this day.In Europe there were several long stand-ing traditions where a specific Sunday was set aside to honor motherhood and mothers such as Mothering Sunday. Mothering Sunday celebrations are part of the liturgical calendar in several Chris-tian denominations, including Anglicans, and in the Catholic calendar is marked as Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent to honor the Virgin Mary and your "mother" church (the main church of the area). As the US holiday was adopted by other countries and cultures, the date was changed to fit already existing cel-ebrations honoring motherhood, like Mothering Sunday in the UK or the Or-thodox celebration of Jesus in the tem-ple in Greece. In some countries it was changed to dates that were significant to

the majority religion, like the Virgin Mary day in Catholic countries.What Does Islam Say About Mother’s Day?Celebrating Mother’s Day is an in-novated matter which the Prophet peace be upon him and his compan-ions did not do. It is also an imitation of non-Muslims from whom we have been commanded to differ. Hence it is not permissible to celebrate it or to obey one's mother in that, because the Prophet said: “There is no obedi-ence if it involves sin; obedience is only in that which is right and proper.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Mus-lim).The mother is entitled to respect and honor, and upholding of the ties of kinship throughout her life, so what is the point of singling out a particu-lar day to honor her? We Muslims have been commanded to honor our parents and uphold the ties of kin-ship, and we have been forbidden to disobey our parents. In our religion mothers have been given something which has not been given to them in any other religion; the mother’s rights take precedence over those of the father.Honoring one's mother does not come to an end even when she dies, for she is honored in life and in death. That is done by offering the funeral prayer for her, praying for forgiveness for her, carrying out her last wishes

Shannon AbulnassirMother’s Day in Islam

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and honoring her family and friends. Let us adhere to this great religion and follow its etiquettes and rulings, for in it is sufficient guidance and mercy. Shaykh ‘Ali Mahfouz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, explaining how this celebration (Moth-er’s Day) is an imitation of the non-Muslims.“Explaining the seriousness of celebrating festi-vals other than the Islamic Eids, the Prophet sala-llahu alayhi wasallam stated that some people or groups in his ummah would follow the People of the Book in some of their rituals and traditions, as is narrated in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said that the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam said: “They will follow the ways of those who came before them, handspan by handspan, cubit by cubit, until even if they entered a lizard’s hole they will follow them.” We said: “O Messenger of Allaah, (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said: “Who else?” Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim. A Muslim should feel proud of his religion and ad-here to the limits set by Allaah and His Messenger salallahu alayhi wasallam in this religion, which Allah has chosen for His slaves, and he should not add anything or take anything away. What the Muslim should also do is not to follow every new idea that comes along, rather his character should be in accordance with the shariah of Allaah so that he will be a leader and example, not a follower, because the shariah of Allaah – praise be to Al-laah – is complete in all ways as Allaah says, “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, com-pleted My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” (Quran 5:3)

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The Friday Bulletin

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Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014

KENYA MUSLIM ACADEMY

Following its sterling performance in last year's KCSE, in which the school managed to appear in the top 100 private school category nationally, the management invites parents, and the general public to its prize giving day ceremony at the school on a date to be announced in May, 2014.All are welcome. The school has limited vacancies in Form 1, 2 and 3 and classes 1-7, both day and boarding.

The primary school section is fully integrated

A mother’s right is greater than having just one day in the year to be honored, rather the mother’s right over her children is that they should take care of her and obey her, so long as it does not involve disobedi-ence towards Allaah, at all times and in all places. Allah’s love comes when our parents love us. And Allah’s anger comes when our par-ents are angry with us. Ibn Abbas Radhiya Allaahu ‘anhuma said, “There are three things that will not be accepted if it’s mate is not fulfilled. (And he mentioned),Thank Me (Allah) and your Parents...” Qur'an 31:14IbnAbbaas continued, “Thus whoever thanks Allah and is not thankful to his par-ents, Allah will not accept from him.”Let us think about how many of us treat our parents. We shy away from them when they may need something. We never visit if we are away from them. In fact, many peo-ple dispose of their parents in retirement homes. And when an argument ignites between our parents and us, many of us shout at them as if we were arguing with our evilest enemy, May Allah protect us all.For many of us, our friends are more pre-cious to us than our Mother and Father. Forgetful we are of the time a man came to the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasallam and asked him who is more worthy of his dear companionship. The Prophet said, “Your Mother!” The man asked again and again, and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wasal-lam replied, “Your Mother! Your Mother!” Until on the fourth time he said, “Your Fa-ther.” Today, when the common question is asked, “Who is your best friend?” How many people would say, “My Mother!” But this is how the question should be an-swered and implemented. Abdullah Ibn Abbâs (d. 687CE), a compan-ions of the Prophet and a great scholar of Islam, considered kind treatment of one's

mother to be the best deed for strengthen-ing or rectifying one's relation with Allah. He said: “I know of no other deed that brings people closer to Allah than kind treatment and respect towards one's mother.” (Adab al-MufradBukhârî).An even more powerful example is found in the statement of another one of the Prophet's companions, Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (d. 692CE), who was also a great scholar of Islam. It has been related that: Abdullah Ibn 'Umar saw a Yemeni man performing Tawâf (circumambulating the Ka'bah) while carrying his mother on his back. This man said to Abdullah Ibn 'Umar, "I am like a tame camel for her! I have carried her more than she carried me. Do you think I have paid her back, O Ibn 'Umar?" Abdullah Ibn 'Umar replied, "No, not even one contrac-tion!!" [Al-Adab al-Mufrad Bukhârî)All of these examples show how great our mothers are in Islam. We must cherish our mothers and treat them with kindness eve-ryday and not single out just one day a year to do so. Make them feel special every day. The status of mothers is elevated to the highest position in Islam. The honor Islam has given to mothers is beyond that found in any other religion, ideology or culture. This is clear proof of the grand status of Muslim Women."And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother car-ried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship, and his gestation and weaning [period] is thirty months. [He grows] until, when he reaches maturity and reaches [the age of] forty years, he says, ‘My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your favor which You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents and to work right-eousness of which You will approve and make righteous for me my offspring. In-deed, I have repented to You, and indeed, I am of the Muslims." (Quran 46:15)

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Taasia Mosque in Nairobi's Embakasi area is appealing to well-wishers and donors to come out and support it raise over Sh 2.1 million to save the land from being taken over by the National Social Security Fund.The purchase price of the land is Sh4.5 million and already through the efforts of the management committee and sup-port from Jamia Mosque and other well wishers, Sh 2.4 million was raised and paid to the workers pension fund as the first installment leaving a balance of Sh 2.1 million.Well wishers can contribute to the fund through Jamia Mosque Committee-Re-serve Account Number 00101464-004, First Community Bank Wabera branch.Donations can also be done through MPESA on number 0721476986.

More information on the mosque can be accessed from Issack Hussein- commit-tee member through 0720325114.

Taasia Mosque appeal Mother’s Day in Islam

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Rajab 10,1435/May 09,2014

Empty houses in Eastleigh as residents flee

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More emphasis should be placed in social and intellectual empowerment of Muslim girls and women to dispel the wrong notion that Islam is against educating girls and women and advocate gender discrimina-tion.These sentiments were made by the Upper Western Kadhi Sheikh Shaaban Issa who said that Islam had elevated the status of women providing them with rights to education, inheritance, property owner-ship and economic independencelong be-fore these rights were extended to women. ''Islam has wrongly been painted as op-pressive to both girls and women in mat-ters pertaining to education but the reality is that even after marriage, women can pursue further studies and advance their careers in various areas,'' he said during the opening ceremony of Ummu Rahma Girls training institute and Islamic center in Mumias, Kakamega county.He called on Muslim parents to take girl child education seriously and stressed that the teaching of Islam did not prescribe giv-ing unfair treatment to girls and women but emphasized on the obligation of both the males and females to obligatory seek knowledge.Sheikh Shaaban underscored the impor-tance of education in any community stat-ing that it was regretful that some Muslim parents harbored tendencies which dis-criminate against girls and women when it comes to education and inheritance, stressing that educating girls and women was educating the whole nation.Speaking at the event, the Supreme Coun-cil of Kenya (SUPKEM) Butere /Mumias Sub-county chairman Seyyid Hassan Sharrif echoed sentiment by the Kadhi and called on Muslim students in both primary and secondary schools to take their edu-cation seriously through hard-work to im-prove on the lost glory of the community in education.He pointed out that education is the only inheritance parents can provide to their children to nurture them to be respon-sible persons in the society.The UmmuRahma Girls training institute is the first institution of its kind in Kakameg-aCounty and will offer both the contem-porary and Islamic education. Courses of studies offered at the institution will be Is-lamic theology, computer skills, accounts, Mathematics, English and Arabic languag-es among other subjects.

Empower girls and women, Muslims urged

Maahad Teachers Training College and Mwangaza Women Self Help Group are holding an ILM DAY onSunday 18th May 2014 Time: 9.00am to 5.00pm Venue: Memom Hall South CSpeakers: Ustadha Azra Khwaja, Fatma Saman and Fatma SharrifENTRANCE FREE

ILM DAY

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those arrested at Kasarani stadium- or charge them with being members of Al-Shabaab.Undocumented Somalis are being forced to part with between Sh10, 000 and Sh50, 000 to avoid detention and deportation. The arrests are a common occurrence and in the area that even police offic-ers can be seen during the day extorting money from residents.The Chairman of the Eastleigh Business Association Hus-sein Muhammad said the scenario is likely to worsen as the government con-tinues with the crackdown. He said the association is going to court to stop the ongoing crackdown which he said is vic-timizing the locals and their businesses. A glut of empty apartments, shops and other businesses left behind by fleeing residents has dramatically reduced rents in the area. Rents for residential houses in Eastleigh are currently between Sh8, 000 to Sh35, 000 a month.A property de-veloper Joseph Kimani who owns flats in Eastleigh Section 3 said house occu-pancy has drastically reduced by more than fifty percent. "Tenants leave for fear of being arrested. Many rooms are now vacant," he said. Reports indicate that many Somali en-trepreneurs are destined for Kampala, Uganda which is becoming a favourite home and destination for a large num-ber of Somalis who view the neighbour-ing country as having a friendly business climate for their investments.Visibly frus-trated Somalis are seen on a daily basis packing their household items on hand-carts and pickups heading to bus sta-tions. Some said they were heading to Dadaab refugee camps where they feel “safer” from being arrested. Halima Hassan, a

mother of five, told the Friday Bulletin that she is better off in the refugee camp than being arrested and deported to Moga-dishu where “death stalks everyone.” "Life in Eastleigh is becoming very un-bearable. It is as if everyone is guilty of wrongdoing," she complained. In the wake of terror attacks, landlords have also changed rules and now demand for full disclosure of information of new en-trants. "We are seeking to know whom we are renting houses to. We keep cop-ies of their identification documents," said Kimani, a reason which is partially attrib-uted why many house remained empty. The current situation is reminiscent of the “Quit Kenya” notices that were issued to Asians living in Nairobi in the 1960s which led to a mass migration of Asians from Kenya to Britain and other places.Discriminatory screening exercises in the late 1980s that were intended to flush out illegal aliens from the country also ended up alienating Kenyan Somalis, who were forced to apply for a “screening card” that supposedly proved their Kenya-ness. The Somali community is known for its entrepreneurial skills and despite the poor infrastructure in Eastleigh, they have managed to create a local vibrant econo-my which attracts traders from across the East African region and Southern Sudan.

"Life in Eastleigh is be-coming very unbearable. It is as if everyone is guilty of wrongdoing,"

Kilifi leaders decry police harassment Muslim leaders in Kilifi County have raised concerns over the harassment of youth by security personnel in the ongoing op-erations to weed out terror suspects and illegal immigrants in the country.Led by the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM),Kilifi county chapter chair-man Sheikh Bakari Ali Nasbu,the leaders faulted the operations,accusing the secu-rity personnel of arbitrary arresting and detaining innocent young people who lack national identity cards.“We support the operations but we do not want our youth to be harassed for lack of identification cards,we are asking for tol-erance and respect for human rights from our security officers because they are us-ing this swoop to victimize and arrest in-nocent people,” Sheikh Nasbu lamented.

He said it was unfair to harass the youth due to lack of IDs explaining that many had applied for the documents but are yet to be availed and noted that the youth are now living in fear of arrest by police and that de-spite having waiting slips they were being harassed and arrested.''Our youth are living in fear of arrest by po-lice.Iam getting complaints each day.This is becoming too much and must end,''he decried.Nasbu further asked the security person-nel to involve the locals in the operation to flush out illegal immigrants.He requested the office of the registration of persons to initiate mobile registration exercise to register citizens in rural areas adding that most of them cannot travel to towns due to poverty and other social problems.

Criminal rehabilitation is gaining popularity among many who are forward thinking. Such forms of rehabilitation can help to reduce the number of repeat offenders who return to jail after being un-able to adapt to life outside of jail. This can also help to solve some of the more serious cases, such as sexual offenders who may continue in their heinous ways after being released, preying on women or children.Criminal rehabilitation can help to solve the problem of over-crowding in most prisons. The criminal population continues growing, as the death penalty has been abolished, and the state would need to spend more on facilities to house criminals.There are statistics showing that only 35 percent of inmates do not make their way back to prison upon their release. This leaves us with a large percentage of released criminals who do commit crimes and end up being repeat offenders. However, the scenario does have a light at the end of the tunnel. There seems to be a good reason why some former inmates do not return to jail: it appears that their time in incarceration was spent productively, changing some vital aspect of their personal-ity.Education is one of the ways in which this positive change can be effected. Ummah Foundation through its Prisoners Rehabilitation Program has been in the forefront in bringing change in prisons through Islamic teachings and other technical programs. In Na-ivasha maximum prison, Ummah Foundation has established an Education Centre that serves as a mosque for the inmates and an Education hub that inmates come together every day to learn and watch prominent Muslim scholars give lectures from the video and television set that the Foundation has provided for them. In Kamiti Maximum Prison, Ummah Foundation in collaboration with PRP has started construction of another centre that is simi-lar to the one in Naivasha. With the same setup and programs we anticipate to rehabilitate a bigger number than before through Daawah. The centre at Kamiti as at the verge of completion and more concerted afforts will be put in place to make sure the in-mates receive maximum attention in terms of their spiritual growth and moral upgrading. Like wise in Kwale prison, Ummah Foundation has started an-other education centre that will serve the needs of the Muslim inmates there. Construction is in place and once finished, it will take the direction of Naivasha and Kamiti prison centres. Our tar-get is to reform all the inmates through spiritual guidance and excellent moral adoption mechanisms. Our Prison Maalims have the vital part to play in making this a reality. Other Prisons like Nairobi Remand, Athi River, Lang’ata Womens Prisons are equally in need of the same services and that is why we call upon all well-wishers to join hands with Ummah Founda-tion through its Prisoners Rehabilitation Program to see changes in our Prisons through Daawah work. With your help and support we expect to achieve the following:1- Have an adequate number of educational (secular and spiritu-al), vocational and work programs being provided to rehabilitate prisoners.2- Cater for the special needs of our Muslim Sisters at Lang’ata Womens Prisons who need to be provided with sanitary facilities and children clothes.3- There are certain groups of prisoners – remand and short term, young offenders and prisoners with mental health problems- who need our care and satisfactory rehabilitation. We can also help those with minor offences to be bailed out of the prisons.For your participation in this noble initiative contact us:Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza,2nd Floor Ngara Road P.O.Box 58717-00200 , Nairobi, KenyaTel:+254-20-2680610/13, Mobile: +254734845277E.Mail: info@ummahfoundation.netWeb: www.ummahfoundation.net

Ummah work in Our Prisons

After 300 years of campaigning, a South African Muslims’ long-awaited dream has come true after first graduate imams from a pilot project were last week authorized as legal marriage officers for the Muslim community on Wednesday, April 30.Being the first graduates of the pilot program, the new imams will work as official marriage officers for Muslims.The graduation ceremony was attended by Deputy President Kgale-maMotlanthe, Home Affairs Minister NalediPandor, her deputy Fa-tima Chohan and leaders of the Muslim community.All first-time Muslim marriages will now be recorded on the National Population Register, said Home Affairs spokesman LungaNgqengelele.“This is definitely a step in the right direction for the long struggle to have Muslim marriages legalized,” Hoodah Abrahams, an attorney at the Women’s Legal Centre, told Cape Times.“We have been strong advocates to have it recognized,” she add-ed.Since first Muslims came to the country 300 years ago, the governments did not recognize their marriages, putting them in a legal limbo.Children born from these marriages were regarded as illegitimate, while women were not regarded as spouses when at-tempting to claim against their deceased husbands’ estates.Muslims make up some 1.5 percent of South Africa’s 49 million-strong population, according to the CIA fact book.The long-await-ed Islamic marriage officers brought hope of justice to South Africa Muslims who have suffered for not having their marriages recog-nized.In 1994, the case of Hanover Park grandmother, the now late Suleiga Daniels, shocked Muslims after the elderly woman lost her house after the government refused to recognize her as the surviving spouse of her husband, Moegamat Daniels.

S.Africa Legalizes Islamic Marriages

Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, has joined a chorus of angry Muslim condemnations for militant group Boko Haram confession that it has abducted more than 200 Nigerian school girls, demanding their immediate release."This action does not relate to the noble teachings of Islam in any way," Al-Azhar’s statement, cited by Agence France Presse (AFP) reported on Tuesday, May 6.“Al-Azhar demands the release of these girls immediately,” the statement added.Nearly 234 schoolgirls were kidnapped by the extremist militants while being at school in the Chibok area of Borno State on Mon-day, April 14.The kidnapping occurred the same day as a bomb blast, also blamed on Boko Haram, that killed 75 people on the edge of Abuja and marked the first attack on the capital in two years.The militants repeated that attack a week later in almost exactly the same spot, killing 19 people and wounding 34 in the suburb of Nyanya.The abduction was widely condemned by Nigerian officials as well as religious groups.Al-Haji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who is the sultan of Sokoto, has also called for prayers and intensified efforts to release the innocent girls from Boko Haram militants.On Monday, May 5, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau admit-ted kidnapping the girls in a video obtained by the Agence France Presse (AFP), threatening to sell them in the market.Another attack occurred on Tuesday in Kano when suspected Boko Haram militants kidnapped eight more girls from the village of Warabe, Borno state in Nigeria’s embattled northeast.Muslim anger has maximized reaching UK and US where leading Muslim group condemned the un-Islamic attacks. "We condemn wholeheartedly, the disgusting and un-Islamic actions that the ter-rorist group known as Boko Haram has committed,” the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the oldest and largest American Muslim umbrella organization, said the statement.“Kidnapping and threatening to sell the over 200 Nigerian school girls has no validation in the religious tradition of Islam and we urge the Nigerian authorities to find the missing school girls and bring their captors to justice,” ISNA added.

Muslims vent anger over Nigeria abductions