Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014 Issue No. 577

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

Religious and ethnic intolerance-a time bomb

Muslim areas to send 2,100 to public universities

Muslim areas will have the least number of students joining public universities. Accord-ing to statistics released by the Kenya Uni-versities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCPS), a total of 2,101 students from the counties of Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu, Tana River, Garissa, Mandera, Wajir, Marsabit and Isiolo are on the list of govern-ment sponsored students in higher institu-tions of learning.The combined figures are less than half the total number of students from Nakuru County who qualified for admission on government sponsorship and are a reflection of the poor standards of education which has seen the predominant Muslims Coastal and North Eastern regions being ranked among the least performers in national examinations in the country.According to the KUCPS which replaced the Joint Admissions Board (JAB), a grade B (plain) score of 60 points is the cut off points for male students while for the female, they will need a minimum grade B-(minus) of 58 points as the entry mark to gain university

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“I think it is just a matter of time before Kenyans start violence against PERCEIVED terrorists, their sympathizers, their finan-ciers and those issuing travel advisories without sharing intel-ligence. I am not sure I will not be one of those Kenyans. When you touch Gikomba the nerve centre of our economic enterprise, you really cross the line. Brace yourself. Choices have conse-quences.” (Author’s emphasis)These statement by Moses Kuria, The National Alliance party (TNA) strategist on his facebook page which he made after the horrendous attack at the popular Gikomba market are a worry-ing reminder of the rising acts of intolerance and prejudice being witnessed in the country.A senior and influential TNA official did not stop there but sent further chilling messages which sent shock waves not only in the country but to the international community about the esca-lating dangerous state of affairs in the country. “Take up guns and defend your motherland, your mothers, your sisters and your daughters,” And whom are the guns aimed at? Somalis and Luos who he categorical stated that “we will kill them both.”Moses Kuria is not an ordinary person on the street. He sits among the top ranks of those formulating strategies for the rul-ing Jubilee coalition government. Further, he is known to be en-trenched in the inner of the circle of the ruling class.

These assertions cannot therefore in anyway be ignored and the silence on the part of the government to discredit itself from these callous, extremist and dangerous remarks are worrying. If these remarks were made by a leader in countries which re-spect the rule of law, this spiteful person would have forced to re-sign from his position, the ruling party would be quick to distance itself from such lewd statements and he would now be facing legal actions for his remarks which aim at fomenting ethnic and religious conflict in the country. Last month, there was an uproar after the deputy leader of the majority Adan Duale was misquoted for allegedly calling for ter-rorists to stop attacking Easteligh and carry out bombings in other parts of the country. The same individuals who had termed the alleged remarks as a danger to national security are in a horrid si-lence about the Kuria’s spiteful remarks which have far dangerous ramifications for the future of this nation. What the TNA strategist is calling for (may Allah forbid), will be child play in comparison to the horrible 2007 post election violence.It is increasingly appearing that the country is yet to learn from the atrocious events of the post election violence. For unknown reasons, there is a growing class of people who want to see the country descend into a rein of anarchy and disorder bordering on the Rwandan genocide and the religious cleansing being wit-

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The Friday Bulletin Commentary

The cabinet secretary for mining who is also the Chairman of the Kenya Arab Friendship Society (centre) with the Saudi Arabian ambas-sador Malhan Ghoram (right) during the signing of the MOU for the construction of the King Fahd Cultural Centre in Hurlingham, Nairobi. Story on page 7

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014

Religious and ethnic intolerance

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The Muslim Community has taken issue with those who negative stere-otyping of Muslims saying that such misconceptions are helping to create religious disharmony.Kakamega Jamia Mosque and Is-lamic centre chairman, Sheikh Ab-dalla Ateka says terrorism has no linkage whatsoever with Islam and that it was wrong to associate the faith and the Muslim community with criminal and violent acts.Ateka expressed his concerns about the increased stereotypes, name-calling and victimization the mem-bers from the Muslim community were experiencing because of their perceived links to acts of terrorism ,adding that such acts of harassment are antithesis to peace and toler-ance among Kenyans. ''It is disturbing to see Muslims being denied entry into public matatus and other places just because of their faith. This is against the constitution, the fundamental rights of Muslims as citizens of this country need to be respected and protected,'' Ateka emphasized.Speaking at the closing ceremony of a one week Muslim girls' work-shop held at Eshisiru Islamic cen-tre, Sheikh Ateka said Muslims are peaceful people who respect their fellow human beings and Islamic teachings were clear in upholding the sanctity of life.He called on Muslims to exhibit pa-tience and spread the message of peace to all even under provocation and desist from all acts of violence and also engage in efforts to pro-mote mutual relations and peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths as exemplified by Prophet Mu-hammad peace be upon him.At the same time, he urged the gov-ernment and conflict resolution or-ganizations to incorporate women in their efforts by empowering them as a basis for promoting sustainable peace and security in their societies.Ateka said that there is need to adopt more innovative approaches that will involve women in the efforts to promote Islamic moral teachings as they play a central role in the fam-ily and the society.He noted that mothers at an early stage, were likely to notice the signs of behavioral changes of the youth to criminal groups and raise the red flag about illegal activities their chil-dren could be involved in.''We need to equip mothers who are

nessed in Central Africa Republic. The growing incidences of insecurity nota-bly the spate of grenade attacks are a great concern for all Kenyans. These attacks have claimed the lives of Kenyans from the diverse ethnic, racial and religious communities in the country and equally those behind these nasty and horrendous incidents-as past incidences have shown- originate from different faiths and ethnic background. As we have reiterated, Islam and Muslims strongly condemn all acts of killing, maiming and destruction of property of innocent peo-ple. These are horrendous acts which cannot be justified under any means whatsoever. Those involved in such malevolent activi-ties whatever their race, faith or ethnic back-ground, should face the full force of the law as there are enemies of humanity.Muslims like other citizens have the responsi-bility of closely working together with the au-thorities to ensure that these agents of death and destruction are purge from the midst of the population. Getting involved in activities which aim at saving lives and humanity is foremost for Muslims a religious obligation.It is however disturbing that the war on terror is continuously being linked to Muslims where members of the community and Muslims in-stitutions are being profiled, harassed and victimized on assumption of terrorism links. While allegations are being made, in flagrant violations of the law, arbitrary actions without evidence are routinely being taken without the rule of the law being adhered to. Just last week, the Darul Irshad Centre was closed down by the Machakos County Com-missioner without any explanation whatso-ever on the reasons for closure in a move which has sent concerns in the community that Muslim educational institutions are now being targeted for closure.The mere presence of a Muslim at a scene of terrorism crime, it appears is enough evi-dence to enough to link him with the act. This was recently seen after the Mwembe Tayari grenade attack where two Muslim victims who lost their lives were immediately linked to the crime by police and a Canadian tourist at the Reef Hotel detained after an explosion at the hotel. His only crime was his Muslim

name.Added to the incitement from the likes of Ku-ria, the war on terror-for Muslims- it is turn-ing out to be a clear affront against Islam and Muslims and these attitude risk alienating the Muslims and is counterproductive to efforts to combat the terrorism scourge.For the greater part of the history of this coun-try notably at the Coast, Muslims were the overloads and for centuries, they lived in har-mony and peaceful co-existence with people of other faiths. Despite the atrocities committed against Mus-lims during the Portuguese Christian con-querors at the East African Coast, Muslims continued to exhibit the spirit of tolerance and the Vasco Da Gama pillar in Mombasa stand out as a testimony to this ideal of peaceful co-existence. Christian evangelism in inland Kenya also succeeded due to the support Christian missionaries received from Muslims rulers at the Coast.While it is true that they might be some Mus-lim engaged in vile practices, it is morally wrong for the whole community to be blamed, ostracized and threatened with consequenc-es while the government chooses to turn a blind eye. We do remind the authorities to live up their responsibility to rein in those who are trying to foment tensions and create religious tensions and divisions in the country. During the last general elections, there was a clear warning at those planning to incite and divide Kenyans along ethnic lines. Nowadays, it is becoming business as usual for politicians and abusers of the social media to engage in acts of incite-ment against Muslims while the government does not even blink an eye. When the fire is allowed to start burning in one part of the house, chances are that it will spread and consume the whole building and Kenyans need to all come out in unison unite to put out the fire before it spreads to engulf the whole country. Ultimately, the government needs to demon-strated that it has what it takes to stop this madness and take a firm step to stop these dangerous acts against anyone regardless of his position or faith who is using the card of intolerance to create disharmony in the popu-lation.

Concerns over stereo-typing of Muslims

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EDITORIAL

admission.While those who scored grade C+ (plus) and above qualify for university admission they can only be admitted in the much expensive parallel programme in public institutions or join private universities.In Mombasa County, of the 6,746 candidates who sat for the 2013 Kenya Certificate of Sec-ondary Education (KCSE), 923 students will be admitted in public universities. In all 1,259 students in the county attained the university entry point of C plus. Kilifi County will send 598 students to public universities, while the

figures for Kwale and Garissa counties are 362 and 103 respectively.Seventy two students in the county of Tana River attained the KUPCS cut off marks while 64 students from Marsabit and 61 from Man-dera will join the universities under govern-ment sponsorship. Other counties are Lamu with 49students and Wajir42 while Isiolo County posted 24, the least number of stu-dents in the country who will join public uni-versities. Overall, Nakuru County took the lion share of places taking along 4,889 students. It was followed by Nairobi with 4,797 and Ki-

Muslim areas to send 2,100 to public universities

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The Friday BulletinRajab 24,1435/May 23,2014

{And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alameen (man-kind, jinns and all that exists)} (Quran 21:107) Through education, humans can best understand the differences that define us and embrace them as part of the hu-man experience. Forget about the "big bad wolf" from the children's fairytale Lit-tle Red Riding Hood. It's the alleged "big bad Muslim" who often gets the most at-tention.It's no secret that many Muslims living in non-Muslim countries are often shrouded in a cloak of suspicion simply because of their Islamic beliefs and with no basis in reality.Muslim men and women are easily iden-tifiable in that we bear the hallmarks of faith, such as a long beard or a hijab. So it makes it easier for the enemies of Is-lam to lay aim at ordinary Muslims sim-ply living out their lives.There are several reasons why non-Muslims are afraid of Muslims. By understanding the reasons, Muslims from all walks of life can strive to prove each one wrong and present the true religion of Islam.Misinformation and IgnoranceMost types of ignorance, whether it be about Muslims or even different races, of-ten starts at home. It is the parents who typically carry with them certain prejudic-es that are passed down from one gen-eration to the next. It's unfortunate that many children are taught to hate others who are different from them or hold differ-ent beliefs.As a child growing up in the United States, I witnessed this in my own family. We were actively taught to avoid other races, such as African Americans and even Chi-nese immigrants, by a grandmother who was taught the same by her parents.I can still recall, as a young child, being too afraid to even speak with a child who wasn't "like" me. As I grew into an adult, I was able to identify and destroy the igno-rance I experienced as a child. And Allah Almighty says in the Noble Quran:{Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kind-ly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal with equity.} (60:8)Through education, humans can best un-derstand the differences that define us and embrace them as part of the human experience. Unfortunately, many people do not take the time to do that. So it is easier for non-Muslims to fear something, such as Islam, that they've never taken the time to learn about. Muslims can counteract this effect by encouraging our children to reach out to kids from other faiths and cultural backgrounds.

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Who's afraid of the big bad Muslim? By Sumayyah Meehan

The actions of a very small per-centage of supposed Muslims, who commit their evil deeds in direct violation of even the most basic tenets of Islam, have tainted the rest of the Ummah.

DA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURE

SUNDAYSUNDAY LECTURE

Topic: Jinsi ya kukabiliana na mitihani

By: Ustadha Amina Atitala25th May 2014 Time: 2.00 pm -4.00

pm Venue: Makina Mosque Kibera

Propagation in the MediaSwitch on the TV or open a magazine and chances are you'll encounter something derogatory about Islam. The media is the number one force that spreads falsehoods about Islam and Muslims in general. Mus-lim women are all too often portrayed as mindless robots bundled up in sheaths of fabric who live only to serve the whims of men. And Muslim men are depicted as power hungry dictators ready to crack their

whip the moment anyone gets out of line.It's ironic because the normality of life as a Muslim is nearly identical to that of the other world religions. Muslims share the same hopes, dreams and fears as non-Muslims do. However, sensationalizing Is-lam and making it appear like this hidden society that is ruled with an iron fist and twisted ideals is what sells.Many non-Muslims eagerly devour the fear factor that is presented to them on a silver platter. Truth be told, if the media presented a true image of Islam, no one would be interested because it is just as commonplace as the next person's. That is why it is the duty of all Muslims to serve as a shining example of our faith. By doing so, we can negate many of the miscon-ceptions abound in the media.A Few Rotten ApplesThe so-called Muslim extremists, mis-guided in their efforts to commit terrorist acts in the name of Islam, haven't done the rest of us any favors. The actions of a very small percentage of supposed Mus-lims, who commit their evil deeds in direct violation of even the most basic tenets of Islam, have tainted the rest of the Ummah.It's all too common for Muslim men and women living in the West to be labeled as "terrorists" as the guilt is attributed to as-sociation. However, Islam abhors violence in all forms and promotes tolerance right across the board. As Allah Almighty says in the Noble Quran:{...and let not the en-mity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety.}(5:8)Muslims around the world also suffer from the same label which makes many non-Muslims afraid to interact with us on a dai-ly basis. The best way that Muslims can reverse the negative imagery is to engage in healthful dialogue within their communi-

ties, when the opportunity presents itself, and to denounce all acts of terror made in the name of Islam.The Beauty of IslamThere's a reason why there are billions upon billions of Muslims all over the world. The beauty of Islam is like a beacon of hope that shines brightly for anyone seek-ing the truth and the Oneness of Allah Al-mighty.There are countless stories of non-Mus-lims converting to Islam featured in books and online. And there is a thread that runs true within them all, which is something lacking in their birth religion. For me, I found the beauty of Islam nestled within a dusty and neglected English translation of the Noble Quran located in the fiction sec-tion of my college's library. One of the first things I read was:{And we have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents; in tra-vail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning: (hear the command), show gratitude to Me and to thy parents: to Me is (thy final) goal.}(31:14)For others, the beauty of Islam can be found in the code of conduct all Muslims strive to live by, in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah, or whatever aspect of the faith that may touch their soul. Rest assured, there is absolutely nothing to be afraid of in the Islamic faith.In fact, most Muslims will happily tell you how the reli-gion of Islam brings a sense of calm and tranquility in a world that is full of vice and a lack of a moral code.As a Muslim, to be beyond the pale of Islam is something that would personally scare me the most.

SUNDAY LECTURE

SUNDAYLADIES INVITELadies Day Out-Unlimited Fun

Sunday 1st June 2014 Time: 8.00 am-5.00pmLight Academy Secondary School Karen Transport provided from Jamia MosqueOrganised by Light Sisters OrganizationsFor further details contact 0722742709

Sumayyah Meehanis a revertee Musli-mah who is a regular contributor to Al Jumuah Magazine and The Muslim Ob-server Newspaper.

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014WOMEN

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When putting hijab on you must be con-fident to know that you have made the right decision and that Allah will reward you for taking that big step. As a revert, I can appreciate and understand the feelings a new Muslim may experience when being faced with the hijab (Muslim dress code).When a young woman reverts to Islam and makes the decision to say the sha-hadah (declaration of Faith) then there are a number of things that she must do as a Muslim woman.One of these things is to work on her hijab.Allah says in the Quran: {And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display they beauty or their ornaments except what ordinarily must appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands' fathers, their sons, their husbands sons, their brothers, their brothers sons or their sisters sons, or their women or the serv-ant whom their right hand possesses or male servants free of physical needs or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex, and they should not strike their feet to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O you Believers turn you all together towards Allah so that you may attain Bliss.} (An-Nur 24: 31)This verse of the Quran had been made so simple to understand by Allah it lays

out the rules of hijab and who can see you Islamically without wearing it. This verse also highlights how the hijab should be worn, covering your bosoms. It also highlights that hijab is a way of life and not just about cover-ing ones hair, it is about how women behave around others; they should not strike their feet to draw attention to their ornaments.Personally, I feel that hijab is a very important part of Islam and of being a Muslim. However, as a revert, I can understand how difficult and over-whelming a scarf can be. If you are a new Muslim or are thinking of becom-ing a new Muslim then understand that the hijab is compulsory, but do not rush yourself into wearing it as I feel from my experience to wear the hijab you must understand why you have to wear it.A Million Pounds!When I became Muslim, a very close friend of mine who was with me when I took my shahadah explained the hi-jab in a no nonsense way. She said if you had a million pounds would you leave it out for everyone to see and to take some whenever they wanted to? I replied no.She then asked why would you pro-tect money more than you are will-ing to protect yourself? The hijab protects you from people taking lit-tle pieces of you as and when they

By Diva AllottChallenges of Hijab for new reverts

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please. When she said this to me I understood why it was important to cover with hijab. As my faith grew, I became more confident on wearing hijab.As a revert, I can appreciate that many new Mus-lim sisters don't wear hijab at first because of their circumstances. This is what happened in my case; I converted in November 2010 and kept my con-version a secret from my family which made wear-ing hijab very difficult. I understood that I needed to put Allah first, so I compromised to the best of my abilities. I used to leave the house without hi-jab and then run around the corner and put it on, the situation was not ideal, but it was what suited me at the time.I would not advise anyone to lie about their con-version or hide it from their family, as this can make practicing Islam difficult. I think that when putting hijab on you must be confident in yourself to know that you have made the right decision and that inshaa AllahAllah will reward you for tak-ing that big step.To help relieve any anxieties you may have about hijab, I think that trying to put it on different ways can help you come to terms with the physical appearance of hijab and what feels best for you. I think that you must be realistic when wearing hi-jab and, unfortunately, prepare yourself for some not so nice comments. I only say this to prepare you and not to put you off. The first time I re-ceived negative comments I didn't know how to take it, and I was stunned that an individual could be so offensive. The best way to deal with nega-tive comments is to ignore them and rise about and say “Allah, protect me from Satan the cursed one”, and this will calm your anger inshaa’ Allah. Be humble and pious in these times.Hijab at WorkHijab at the workplace can be another obstacle that a sister must overcome. I worked in a fash-ion store at the time of my conversion and I didn’t wear the hijab at first. I was always very scared of what others would think and how they would react to my conversion, I have always gone through life people pleasing.I started dropping hints to my colleagues ask-ing them what they thought of hijab and Muslim women, and they said it looked ugly and they were forced to wear it by the husbands. This made me angry that they could make such a judgment with-out knowing a person. This made me feel even more anxious about coming into work with my hi-jab. Since I worked in a fashion store there was a certain dress code to follow which often consisted of dresses and skirts. I immediately changed how I dressed for work as soon as I took my shaha-dah opting for trousers and long sleeve tops. This didn’t go down well with managers and supervi-sors because they claimed I didn’t fit in or look the part.I had been Muslim three months and I wore my scarf outside of work and then took it off for work out of fear of what they would say. I realize now that this was wrong, but it was how I coped with things at the time. After being Muslim for three months, they offered me a permanent job at the store. Although I loved working there and helping

The Friday Bulletin

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Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014 Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014

As Muslims living in the modern world we have to interact. Today is not a time for isolation. The world needs good people to step up and make a stand, have a voice and be a power of good, and as individu-als our faith increases when we live Islam, not just talk about it.This means obtaining an education, find-ing a career, doing voluntary work and mixing with the people who come our way. However, this does not mean simply soak-ing up the attitudes and behavior of those around us. Everything has its limits and in life, we have to know ours.Once we realize that our role is to be part of what is happening around us, we have taken the first step. If there is harm or in-justice we have to do our best to remove it and help make a change. How to Be Positive?If there is poverty we have to give. If there is ignorance we have to advise. And at all times we have to be patient, friendly, sin-cere and God-fearing. We do not live in a perfect world and it is obvious that there will be times when we will meet with ridi-cule, and even hostility.Unfortunately, this kind of behavior even happens within the Muslim community, especially if we are campaigning against cultural attitudes and behavior.What should we do? First, we have to keep our course. We can do this if we know ourselves; what we are trying to do and why we are doing it. Second, we have to recognize when our efforts are fruitless and be able to humbly and kindly just walk away. Third, if we have another chance to return to our endeavor, we should jump at the chance. Follow Almighty Allah's OrdersBeing a Muslim in today’s world takes courage, insight and perseverance. Sometimes we may be tempted to give in a little and compromise but the Muslim who is close to Almighty Allah will imme-diately recognize that this thinking takes him far from Allah the Almighty and hence, losing the light of faith and insight.Some things should never be compro-mised. A Muslim should not lie, steal or harm others. We should never manipulate others, be corrupt or come near to adul-tery and we should steer clear of drugs and alcohol and all dangerous substanc-es. If we do things that Allah the Almighty has prohibited us to do, we only damage ourselves, for the Creator in His mercy has outlined what is good for us and what is not. We are the losers if we bypass His wise and loving legislation.Sometimes we will meet people we really like and want to spend time with them. These people may or may not be good for us and we have to be sensitive to the changes that occur within ourselves when we are around certain people. If we have the habit of looking honestly at ourselves and what we have done each day when we go to sleep at night, we will see the influence of others on us; either in a posi-

tive or a negative way.If our goal is to draw closer to Almighty Allah and be a better person, we will au-tomatically pull away from people who, consciously or unconsciously, are trying to take us away from Him. So we should be aware and sensitive and make the neces-sary moves when they are obvious to us.True Advice!Sometimes the people in our life like family and friends; those who love us most of all, will advise us. The advice of a true friend is precious because it comes from a sincere heart. Therefore, we should listen to what they say without being overly sensitive. This takes great inner strength and control over our desires.Sometimes we will find ourselves with peo-ple that we would like to impress. Howev-er, there may come a time when they will push us to do or say something we know deep down is wrong. This is a big tempta-tion and especially if we really like these people and value their opinion about us. At such times, we have to ask ourselves who we love more; Almighty Allah or these people. Who will come to our aid if we are in need? Them or Allah the Almighty? Who gave us all we have, and is always there for us? Them or Almighty Allah? The answers are obvious. It is Allah the Almighty who deserves our love and obedience, so if we have to make the choice, always choose Almighty Allah. He, in His mercy, may very well send us people that we will love even more than these! The Importance of PatienceLife continues, grows, develops and un-folds with patience. Without patience there will be much hesitation, uncertainty and obstacles that cannot be overcome. Pa-tience does not mean sitting around doing nothing, and waiting for Almighty Allah to fix everything for us.Patience means making a course of action for ourselves after asking Almighty Allah’s guidance, then sticking to it and persever-ing no matter what. That means, persever-ing regardless of what people might say or do. Patience undoes the most difficult problems and complex dilemmas.

YOUTH

Muslim youth: Get strong if you’ve to be different Salma Cook

people choose clothes, I wanted a fresh start as Diva the Muslimah with hijab.I decided to refuse the offer and I left. I handed out my CV again to more fashion stores which previously landed me 7 job interviews. The same CV with hijab land-ed me none. Although it is against the law to discriminate, people will still have their prejudices about Muslims. I advise you to persist and stand up for your rights as women to be treated equally. I eventually got a job in my local supermarket which helps me and my husband get by; it's nice really, we both work part time together as we both study at college and university the rest of the time.Another reason why I wore hijab is to be recognized as a Muslim, as I was proud of my religion. As soon as I wore my hijab, sisters who were Muslims but kept it secret also became public about their conversion and often come to me for help or questions about Islam. Hijab also made it easier for me to give Dawah as people recognized the struggle I had been through to become Muslim and I was living proof Alhamdulillah that your family members aren't necessar-ily going to disown you, they will learn to accept the new you.I wore hijab fully when I told my family, which was three months after my shaha-dah. Gradually as I grew in faith, my dress sense changed every day from leggings to jeans to skirts to maxi dresses, and now, almost two years later, the abayah, Alham-dulillah.My advice to any Muslim struggling with hi-jab is to take a day at a time and remember that it is between you and Allah Almighty, and He is the All-Wise and the All-Knowing.He knows what is in your heart and your deepest darkest secrets, He knows your in-tentions, so inshaa’ Allah make intention to wear the hijab and may Allah make it easy for you. Ameen.

Challenges of Hijab for new reverts

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INVITATION TO TAQWA COOPERATIVE SOCIETY AGM 2014Asallam Allaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu Taqwa the first Shariah compliant financial institution wishes to remind all Taqwa members that the Taqwa AGM will be held on Saturday 24th May 2014 at the Railways Training Institute, South B from 9.00 am.Taqwa SACCO now has over 1500 members with savings of about Ksh100 million. Check off facility is now available for members of the TSC and the Civil Service. Taqwa Sacco invites Muslim brothers and sisters to join this first Sharia compliant financial institution.

BY TAQWA SACCO MANAGEMENTAHMED M. MOHAMMED SECRETARY, TAQWA SACCO

TAQWA

TAQWA SAVINGS AND CREDIT COOPERATIVE SOCIETY

P. O. BOX 10180, 00100 GPO NAIROBI

The Friday Bulletin Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014

Jonathan CookFor 66 years Israel’s founding genera-tion has lived with a guilty secret, one it successfully concealed from the genera-tions that followed. Forests were planted to hide war crimes. School textbooks my-thologized the events surrounding Israel’s creation. The army was blindly venerated as the most moral in the world. Once, “Na-kba” – Arabic for “Catastrophe”, referring to the dispossession of the Palestinian homeland in 1948 – would have failed to register with any but a small number of Israeli Jews. Today, only those who never watch television or read a newspaper can plead ignorance.As marches and festivals are held today by Palestinians across the region to mark Nakba Day – commemorating the expul-sion of 750,000 Palestinians from their homes and the erasure of more than 500 villages – Israelis will be watching.In fact, the Israeli media have been filled with ref-erences to the Nakba for the past 10 days, since Israel celebrated its Independence Day last week. The two anniversaries do not quite coincide because Israel marks its founding according to the Hebrew calen-dar.While Israeli Jews were trying to enjoy guilt-free street parties last week, news reports focused on the activities of their compatriots – the Palestinians who re-mained inside the new state of Israel and now comprise a fifth of the population. Es-timates are that one in four of these 1.5 million Palestinian citizens is from a family internally displaced by the 1948 war.More than 20,000 staged a “March of Re-turn” to one destroyed village, Lubya, bur-ied under a forest near Tiberias and close to a major Israeli highway. Long tailbacks forced thousands of Israeli Jews to get a close-up view as they crawled past the biggest nakba procession in Israel’s his-tory.

For others, images of the marchers waving Palestinian flags and massively outnum-bering Israeli police and a counter-demon-stration by Jewish nationalists were seen on TV news, websites and social media.The assault on Israel’s much cherished national mythology is undoubted. And it reflects the rise of a new generation of Pal-estinians no longer willing to defer to their more cautious, and traumatized, elders, those who directly experienced the events of 1948.These youth see themselves as represent-ing not only their immediate relatives but Palestinians in exile who have no chance to march back to their village. Many of Lu-bya’s refugees ended up in Yarmouk camp in Damascus, where they are suffering new horrors, caught in the midst of Syria’s civil war.Palestinians in Israel are also being gal-vanized into action by initiatives like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to legislate Israel as a Jewish state. They see this as the latest phase of an ongoing nakba – an attempt to erase their native-ness, just as the villages were once disap-peared.Palestinians are making a noise about the Nakba on every possible front – and not just on Nakba Day. Last week media around the world reported on one such venture: a phone app called iNakba that maps the hundreds of destroyed vil-lages across Israel. Briefly it became one of the most popular iPhone downloads, connecting refugees through new technol-ogy. iNakba visibly restores a Palestine that Israel hoped literally to have wiped off the map.The app is the initiative of Zochrot, an Is-raeli organisation that is jointly run by Jews and Palestinians. They have been finding ever more creative and provocative ways to grab headlines.They arrange regular

On Nakba day, Israelis forced to confront a guilty secret

visits to destroyed villages that a growing number of curious Israeli Jews are partici-pating in, often in the face of vehement op-position from the communities built on the rubble of Palestinian homes.Zochrot has created a Hebrew information pack on the Nakba for teachers, though ed-ucation officials ban it. Last year it staged the first Nakba film festival in Tel Aviv. It is also creating an archive of filmed inter-views with Israeli veteran fighters prepared to admit their part in expulsions. Zochrot also held last year the first-ever conference in Israel discussing not just the principle but how to put into practice a right of re-turn for the millions of Palestinian refugees across the region.Palestinian youth are taking up the idea enthusiastically. Architects are design-ing plans for new communities that would house the refugees on or near their old lands.Refugee families are trying to re-claim mosques and churches, usually the only buildings still standing. Israeli media reported last month that internal refugees had been attacked as they held a baptism in their former church at al-Bassa, now swamped by the Jewish town of Shlomi.Workshops have been arranged among refugee groups to imagine what a right of return might look like. Youth from two Christian villages, Iqrit and Biram, have al-ready set up camps at their old churches, daring Israel to hound them out like their grandparents. Another group, I Won’t Re-main a Refugee, is looking to export this example to other villages.The size of the march to Lubya and the proliferation of these initiatives are a gauge of how Palestinians are no longer prepared to defer to the Palestinian leadership on the refugee issue or wait for an intermi-nable peace process to make meaningful progress.“The people are sending a message to the leadership in Ramallah that it can-not forget or sideline the right of return,” says AbirKopty, an activist with the Lubya march. “Otherwise we will take the issue into our own hands.”Meanwhile, progress of a kind is being made with Israeli Jews. Some have come to recognise, however reluctantly, that a tragedy befell the Palestinians with Israel’s creation. But, as another march organiser notes, the struggle is far from over. “That is a first step. But now they must take respon-sibility for our suffering and make amends.”

Jonathan Cook won the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. His latest books are “Israel and the Clash of Civilisa-tions: Iraq, Iran and the Plan to Remake the Middle East” and “Disappearing Palestine: Israel’s Experiments in Human Despair”

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The Friday Bulletin NATIONALRajab 24,1435/May 23,2014 Rajab 24,1435/May 23,2014

Narok leaders decry police harassment

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In a bid to improve on education standards, the Wajir County will pro-vide full sponsorship for students who chose to join the teaching profession.This was among a raft of recommen-dations adopted during an education conference called to explore ways of addressing dismal standards of edu-cation in the county.Governor Ahmed Abdullahi acknowl-edged that lack of teachers was among factor which have contributed the dismal performance in national examinations and expressed opti-mism the move will encourage school leavers to join the teaching profession and help in improving standards of learning in the county.“We will give full scholarships to pri-mary school trainees because our people have been shunning the teaching profession,” he said at the conference which closed last week at the Hilton Palace Hotel in Wajir.He revealed that Sh50 million has been set aside by the county gov-ernment to improve on education standards and a further 80 percent of allocation from the Constituent Devel-opment Fund will go towards educa-tion.The governor said that although edu-cation is not fully devolved, the county government is concerned about the poor performance in the national ex-aminations and will work on meas-ures to reverse the trend.The three day conference which at-tracted county leaders, teachers and educationists came up with a blue print to revitalize education in the county. An advisory council was es-tablished to look at factors such as indiscipline, lack of staffing and influ-ence of the nomadic culture which have been blamed for the poor per-formance.The conference further resolved to dissolve all board of management of primary schools and inject new blood in the running of the schools.In the 2013 Kenya Certificate of Sec-ondary Education, Wajir County will send 42 students to join public univer-sities, a figure which generated con-cerns among participants at the poor standards of education in the county.

Wajir to offer scholarships for teachers’ education Muslim leaders in Narok County have

raised concerns over the harassment of the members from the Muslim community by security personnel in the ongoing opera-tions to weed out terror suspects and illegal immigrants in the country.Speaking in Narok town, the leaders led by their spokesman Ahmed Abdi faulted the operation, accusing the security per-sonnel of arbitrary arresting and detaining innocent women, children and the elderly persons without following due process.'We support the operations but the profiling of individuals because of their religious or ethnic background must cease and every-one must be treated respectfully and in hu-man manner without violation of his or her fundamental rights,'' said Ahmed.Abdi said it was unfair for the security of-ficers to use the ongoing crackdown to in-timidate and extort money from members of the Muslim community especially those from the Somali and Arab communities, adding that despite having legal documen-tations, the residents continue to live in fear of arrest and harassment by police officers.The leaders stressed that the rule of law

must be followed in the event of any wrong doing instead of administering collective punishment on innocent people.They complained that while the security agents were supposed to protect the citi-zens, they had instead turned to victimiz-ing and harassing particular communities. The spokesman complained that women, children and the elderly were not handled in a manner which respected their moral values and infringed on their rights and privacy.He stressed that though Islam and Mus-lims was strongly opposed to any forms of terrorism but added the war on terror is increasingly alienating Muslims who are unfairly targeted whenever terror incidents are reported to have occurred.The leaders called on the Interior cabinet secretary Joseph Ole Lenku and the In-spector General of Police David Kimaiyo to intervene and make sure that the police officers do not engage in blatant human rights violations but practice justice and have respect for the Bill of rights when performing their duties in order to build confident and trust among Kenyans.

KAFS launches Sh175 million cultural centre The Kenya Arab Friendship Society (KAFS) has launched the construction project of the King Fahd Cultural Centre in Hurling-ham, Nairobi.The US$ 2million (Sh175 million) endow-ment (waqf) project was launched during the signing of a memorandum of under-standing between the KAFS chairman Na-jib Balala and the ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ghorm Malhan. This will be the second phase of the project to transform the area into a centre to pro-mote bilateral relations between Kenya and the Arab world. The first phase involved the construction of the involved the construc-tion of the ultra modern Masjid Rahma at the centre.The project will involve the construction of a three storey building which will consist of a cultural centre, conference facilities, office

space and basement parking area.Construction is expected to start in August and completed within one year.“The project will help to cement and pro-mote cultural ties between Kenya and the Arab world,” said the KAFS deputy chair-man Yusuf Murigu.He said the commercial section will also contribute to self sustainability of the centre and also fund the activities of the mosque to continue playing a role in the socio development of Muslims in the country.Present at the event where foreign affairs cabinet secretary Amina Muhammad, the ambassador of the league of Arab states Mabrook Abdulmuneim and the head of the Middle East Desk at the foreign affairs ministry Ali Abbas among other dignitar-ies.

WAMY HIGH SCHOOLPRIZE GIVING DAY CEREMONY

We wish to invite parents (both current and old), old boys, friends of WAMY HIGH SCHOOL and all the stakeholders to kindly grace this important occasion to be held on Sunday, 25th May 2014 at WAMY High School.

A GREAT DAY FOR ALL OF US TO CELEBRATE THE 2013 KCSE RESULTS.

SUNDAY LECTURE

SUNDAYMarriage enrichment workshopLADIES ONLY

7th June 2014 9:00 am-6:00 pm Venue: Arabian cuisine restaurant

Hosted by Habibty collection

SUNDAY

Kamiti Maximum prison is situated in Nairobi just some few kilo-metres from the city centre. The prison houses about 350 Mus-lims. About 80% of the inmates here are the hard core criminals who came to these dungeons due to severe crimes like murder, manslaughter, rape and robbery with violence. The majority were on death row but due to the amnesty that was granted by the President some years back, the rule was reduced to a lesser degree of being sentenced for life. Ummah Foundation with its Prisoners Rehabilitation Program has been very active in mak-ing sure the prisoners are well catered for spiritually. A mosque that serves as an Educational hub has just been constructed inside the prison through the Foundations funding. Educational materials like text books, Qurans, Television set, Islamic video tapes and video player will be supplied to the Prison authorities as a donation from Ummah Foundation. This will help the prisoners grow spiritually through the lectures and teaching they will be getting daily from the constructed edu-cation facility. Out here the picture we get to understand about the prison is that it is home of very evil people who are incorrigible and out to do harm, but looking at the reality of how things are in Kamiti Maxi-mum Prison, the inmates have every chance to change. Many have embraced Islam in totality and they are making it a daily practice with the help of our Prison Maalims. It is amazing how the Mosque now doubles as prayer hall for the five daily prayers and a rehabilitation centre where the prisoners have been given a golden opportunity to be acquainted with useful knowledge in their lives.

Ummah Projects in the PrisonsUmmah Foundation main object is to provide the spiritual and moral guidelines to the inmates so that once they come out, they will be proper citizens. We therefore call upon fellow brothers and sisters to join hands with Ummah Foundation and make us real-ise the dreams in the 83 correctional prisons all over the country. The prison department has an education program that totally re-lies on well wishers. Ummah Foundation has gone a step ahead and provided the program with text books, mats, blackboards and exercise books.All our efforts have been made successful due to the wise leader-ship of the Officer In charge of the Kamiti Maximum prison and his dedication to see change in this particular Institution of reform.A Similar project with the same objectives has been initiated in Kwale Prison where Ummah Foundation has embarked on con-struction of an Education centre that will serve as a mosque and learning facility. In Kwale we intend to reform the inmates and make them law abiding citizens once they leave prison. With avail-abity of funds we would like to replicate the same projects in many Prisons across the country. We would like to appreciate the donation that we get from well wishers and call upon others to emulate this spirit of making our prisons better places to correct the old habits.To support this noble you can contact us:Ummah FoundationP.O.Box 58717-00200Tel: 0202680610/13 Mob: 0734845277Email: info@ummahfounfation.netWeb: www.ummahfoundation.net

SPACE TO LET

1,610 Sqft of office space at Jamia Plaza 1st floor. Available @110/= per Sqft.Send all applications to:

The Secretary GeneralJamia Mosque CommitteP.O.BOX 100786 - 00100NAIROBI.ORDrop the application at our administrative of-fices latest by 28th May 2014

at the heart of the family so that they can identify and be able to guide their youthful children to prevent them from falling at into hands of wrong elements in the society,'' Ateka said.He advised Muslim girls to put the knowledge obtained at the work-shop into practice by inculcating the same into their lives for the community to emulate them for spiritual development.Ateka further urged Muslim parents to join hands in monitoring the activities of their children in order to nurture them to be responsible persons in the society.The one week workshop that attracted over 112 Muslim girls mainly Form Four leavers from Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley regions respectively was sponsored by the Kakamega based Muslim Group for Development.

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Concerns over stereotyping of Muslims

Muslim residents of Ugunja town Siaya County are appealing for well-wishers and donors to come out and support their efforts raise over Sh500, 000 for the purchase of land for the construc-tion of a Mosque and a madrasah.This is after an eviction notice was issued for Muslims to vacate the land where the current semi-permanent mosque stands. The property-owner who is a non-Muslim, plans to develop the land for other purposes and the eviction notice which is set to expire on June, if implemented will leave more than 150 families without a mosque.Muslims have used the plot since the year 2009 when they were allowed to build a temporary mosque in order to perform their religious obligations.According to the chairman Ugunja Muslim community Musa Otie-no they have already identified a land whose purchase price is Sh600, 000 and through the efforts of the management commit-tee and support from the local Muslim community have managed to raise Sh100, 000 which is not enough to purchase land for building the facilities.''We are appealing to our Muslim brethren to come out and do-nate generously towards this noble course of Allah and Allah would reward them abundantly,'' appeals Imam Abubakar Omar.More information on the project can be accessed from the chair-man Musa Otieno through 0714818782 and the Imam Abubakar Omar through 0715702830.

Ugunja Muslims appeal for Mosque after mosque

The Family and Companions CompetitionPrizes include fully paid Hajj trips, Laptops, Digital Qurans and mobile phones.Competition forms in Arabic and English are availa-ble at the Jamia Mosque Library and the Da'wa officeDeadline 13th June 2014Organised by Commitee of Da'wa in Africa-Saudi Arabia