Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014 Issue No. 599

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

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Muslims women advised against Tetanus vaccination

The conservatory orders banning the wearing of the hijab at an Isiolo school were last week set aside un-til the determination of the case.In a case filed by Muhammad Fugi-cha, a parent of St Paul Kiwanjani Day Mixed Secondary School, the High court sitting in Meru allowed female students to wear the dress which is a mandatory requirement of Islamic law.Through a Nairobi lawyer Ali Mah-mud Muhammad, the parent ar-gued that the orders banning the hijab were discriminatory and had affected learning at the institution as Muslim female students were being denied entry into the school compound. “Some of the students are candidates expected to sit for their Kenya Certificate of Second-ary Examinations (KCSE),” he told the court.The lawyer further argued that de-nying Muslim students the right to wear head scarfs and trousers is a breach of their constitutional rights to freedoms of worship and should be reversed.“The wearing of the hijab is part and parcel of the freedom of conscience, religion thought and belief as en-shrined in Article 32 of the constitu-tion of Kenya and the same is be-ing restricted and limited and being derogated from its core essential content by the petitioner contrary to article 24 (2) (c) of the constitution of Kenya,” he told the court.In an action which drew outrage from the Muslim community, Justice Nzioki wa Makau on September 22 acceded to a plea by the Method-ist Church to ban the wearing of the hijab at the school.While the school is under the spon-sorship of the church, the lawyer however, maintained that it is a public educational institution which is wholly supported by the govern-ment through the tax payer’s money and all the teachers and non-teach-

Court suspends anti-Hijab orders at Isiolo school

Kenyan rendition victims Muhammad Ali (Left) and Idris Magondu (Centre) together with one of the Ugandans who are accused in the July 2010 bombings in Kampala, Uganda follow proceeding in the constitutional court. The court rejected their plea for release after their contention that their arrrest and rendition did not follow the law. See Story on Page 7.

Muslim women have been advised to stay away from the ongoing tetanus vaccination campaign being carried out by the health min-istry. Speaking during last week’s Friday Khutbah (sermon) at Nairobi’s Jamia Mosque, the Da’wah officer Muhammad Abdallah sent out a caution note that the countrywide vaccina-tion programme which targets women who are of reproductive age could have adverse health effects.He urged women and girls to boycott the vac-cination until the air is cleared as scholars and Muslim health practitioners carry out further investigations regarding the vaccine.

“We should not allow our women and daugh-ters to be vaccinated with this vaccine until further notice” he reiterated.He raised queries why the vaccine was be-ing administered on women between the ages of 14 and 49 saying that this could point to a covert population control scheme. “Why only target women who are at child bearing stage and why is the tetanus vaccine not being ad-ministered to men?” questioned the Da’wah officer.On his part the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Deputy Secretary Gener-al Hassan Ole Naado urged Muslims to shun

Editorial:Vision 2030 for Muslim youth needed

Protest as Lamu curfew is extended

'High profile' suspect released

The Friday Bulletin

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EDITORIAL Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

It is often said that the young generation is the foundation of a vibrant and produc-tive future society. Indeed, affirmative ac-tion that focuses on nurturing young men and women has positive ramifications not only for them but for the society as a whole.This is why communities take initiatives to nurture and empower the youth to lay a firm foundation for the future wellbeing of the society.Coming to the Muslim community, there are a myriad of challenges facing the youth which are detrimental to their future well being. At the Coast, drug abuse is rife among young men and women and it is not a secret that the vast majority of addicts are Muslim youth.In the predominantly Muslim areas of North Eastern, miraa chewing forms among the most important social activities for the youth. Instead of bettering their lives, like ruminant animals they choose to spend most of the day nibbling at taste-less twigs which have a rebounding effect on their health and social welfare. In general, Muslim youth perhaps take a commanding lead in the unemployed sector. Lack of education and marginali-zation have for the most part contributed to this social challenge which is rampant in many Muslim communities.It is a distressing fact that at the national level, the identity of Muslim youth is main-ly identifiable with radicalism, extremism, violence and terrorism and not positive Islamic values and productive activities which have a resounding impact on so-ciety. But all said and done, there is a need to take an in-depth look at the challenges facing our youth and explore means to solve this problem.

It is imperative that the Muslim leadership develops a social and economic blue print which aims at nurturing their ambitions and harnessing their potential. A Muslim Youth Vision 2030, for instance should identify the problems and outline short and long term strategies to address the challenges. As an example, various socio-economic programmes tailor made for the youth are currently available but are hardly accessed by young men and women due to igno-rance and other factors. Over the years, the Youth Enterprise De-velopment Fund has disbursed billions of shillings to uplift the lives of youth but even after these funds were disbursed through Islamic financial institutions to ensure Sha-riah compliance, only a tiny fraction of Mus-lim youth benefited from these funds.Presently, the government is aggressively encouraging the youth to join the revamped National Youth Service (NYS) where they will benefit from a host of training activities in various fields while the Kenya Defence Forces have announced a recruitment exercise for servicemen and technicians. Such opportunities should not be left to pass and Muslim youth need to be encour-aged to take up these opportunities. It is also crucial to inculcate among youth the virtues of seeking an honest living. Re-grettably many opt to remain idle and shun informal opportunities which could help them uplift their lives and probably serve as a stepping stone to achieve higher eco-nomic potentials. It is a disturbing fact that in the informal economy such as jua kali artisans, small scale traders, the boda boda industry, hawking, shoe shiners and boda boda business, it is a rare occurrence to find Muslim youth engaging in these economic opportunities which requires minimum spe-

cialized training.Even basic work in the booming construc-tion industry, our youth remain a missing factor and in some cases, mosques are entirely constructed by non-Muslims. This state of affairs needs to changed for the better and modalities should be put in place to nurture youth to ensure that they are productive citizens who can contrib-ute to the welfare of the society and the nation at large At the same time, the government needs to see Muslim youth as good citizens who like others, can also contribute to national development and not pariahs who are a threat to national security. Instead of demonizing youth from areas such as Majengo in Nairobi and Mom-basa, it should come up with strategies and work with Muslim leaders to address these challenges which will go a long way in empowering youth to be good citizens. Condemnation and repeating what has now become the radicalism mantra is not a solution to tackle this challenge but what is needed is genuine and sincere strategies to change this situation. Projects such as the Darul Irshaad Poly-technic which is expected to be among the few Muslim run institutions in the country providing technical training to young men should be accorded government support as they aim at positively nurturing young people.Ultimately, individuals, the community and the government all have a responsi-bility to morally, socially and economically provide a better life to the youth. Ignor-ing this critical segment of the society will leave them vulnerable to dangerous wolves who are bent on exploiting them and the ripple effect will trickle down to the whole society.

A Muslim Youth Vision 2030 needed to address youth challenges

Fears over Tetanus vaccination

For the fourth straight month, residents of Lamu County will continue living under a challenging environment of a dusk-to-dawn curfew that portends more social and eco-nomic hardships for area residents.Following this week’s extension of the or-der which limits movement during the dark hours by the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo, area leaders have lodged their protest to the government against that the order which they maintained is con-tributing to the breakdown of social and economic structures of residents of Lamu Island.Lamu governor Issa Timamy expressed his anger at the order saying that it will worsen the economic situation of the county. In the last three months, the county incurred a revenue loss of Sh500 million while thou-sands of people have been left without work and poverty levels are at an rising at astronomical levels.“The fishing sector and small traders have no business. The curfew has created a culture of dependence and

this does not augur well with able bodied citizens of the county,” he said at a press conference in Mombasa.The governor maintained that there was peace on the island and called on the gov-ernment to lift the curfew.Woman representative Shakila Abdalla read mischief in the order saying that it was aimed at killing the local economy. On his part, the Haki Africa Executive Direc-tor Hussein Khalid said the curfew is push-ing further the poverty index of the local population and having a negative impact on fishing and tourism which are the main economy mainstay.While residents of the island continue to suffer from soaring poverty levels and so-cial hardships, he said, it has been business as usual for those on the mainland who de-pend on farming which is conducted during the day unlike fishing which takes place at night. In addition, he said the curfew is de-nying the predominantly Muslim resident their constitutional right to worship as it they

Protests as Lamu curfew is extendedcannot go out for evening prayers. The Mombasa based rights group further reiterated that the negative impacts of the curfew outweighed the gains so far made and that insecurity can only be curbed if the government works closely with the people rather than victimizing them.Civil society organisations such as the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) have threatened to go to court and compel the police to with-draw the curfew.The groups have argued that the order is discriminatory as several parts of the coun-try which have suffered waves of insecurity did not see the imposition of a curfew.In recent days, residents have held dem-onstrations in Lamu town protesting the curfew and demanding its withdrawal. The curfew was initially imposed to stabilize the security situation in the area after spate of attacks in July rocked the Mpeketoni area leaving over 100 people dead.

The Friday Bulletin

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DA'WA Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

SUNDAY LECTURE

SUNDAYDuration: 1 ½ Months

Timings: 5.00 - 6.30 pmDays: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.venue: Jamia Multi-Purpose Hall. Register yourself to know your Religion

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Allah Subhanahu waTa'ala has chosen and given preference to certain days and times that are special and sacred in our religion. The Prophet of Allah SalAllahu alayhi wasallam said, “The division of time has turned to its original form which was cur-rent the day Allah created the heavens and earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Mu-harram, and Rajab which comes between Jumada and Sha'ban.” [Bukhari and Mus-lim]Virtues of Muharram• It is one of the four sacred months. Allah Subhanahu waTa'ala said, “Verily, the num-ber of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein” (9:36)• It is the best month to fast in after Rama-dhan. The Messenger SalAllahu alayhi wasallam said, “The best fasting after Ramadhan is the month of Allah Muhar-ram, and the best prayer after the obliga-tory prayer is prayer at night.” [Muslim]• The Messenger SalAllahu alayhi wasal-lam said, “The best fasting after Ramadhan is the month of Allah, Muharram.” [Muslim] The Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasallam called this month “the Month of Allah.” When Allah AzzawaJal connects His Name to something, it shows the great status and virtue of the subject.• This month contains the day of 'Ashura(the tenth of Muharram).Ibn Abbas-RadhiAllahuanhu was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura and he said, “I do not know of any day on the Messenger of Allah SalAllahu alayhi wasallam fasted that was better than this day.” [Bukhari and Muslim] This day is known as the day Allah saved Musa ‘Alayhi salaam and the Children of Isra'el from Fir'awn.• Fasting the Day of 'Ashura is an expiation of a year of sins. The Prophet SalAllahu alayhi Wasallam said: “Fasting the day of Arafah I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year before it and the year after it, and fasting the day of 'Ashura I hope Allah will expiate thereby for the year that came be-fore it.” [Muslim]Mourning the Death of Husaynibn Ali?Al-Hafidh ibn Katheer Rahimahullah, known for his work of tafseer, states regarding this act of mourning the death of Husayn ibn Ali RadiAllahu anhu, “Every Muslim should mourn the killing of al-Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him), for he is one of the leaders of the Muslims, one of the scholars of the Sahabah, and the son of the daugh-ter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who was the best of his daughters. He was a de-voted worshipper, and a courageous and generous man.

Muharram, the Month of Allah Yusra Owais

But there is nothing good in what some people do of expressing distress and grief, most of which may be done in order to show off. His father was better than him and he was killed, but they do not take his death as an anniversary as they do with the death of al-Husayn. His father was killed on a Friday as he was leaving the mosque after Fajr prayer, on the seventeenth of Ramadhan in 40 AH. 'Uthmaan was better than 'Ali according to Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, and he was killed when he was besieged in his house during the days of at-Tashreeq in Dhul-Hi-jjah of 36 AH, with his throat cut from one jugular vein to the other, but the people did not take his death as an anniversary.

SUNDAY LECTURETopic: Wajib kwa mja anapoam-

rishwa na Allah By: Abu Hudheifa

Date:26th Oct 2014 Time: 2Pm- 4Pm

Venue: Makina Mosque Kibra

“The best fasting after Ramadhan is the month of Allah Muharram, and the best prayer after the ob-ligatory prayer is prayer at night.” [Muslim]'Umar ibn al-Khattaab was better than 'Ali and 'Uthman, and he was killed as he was standing in the mihraab, praying Fajr and reciting the Qur'an, but the people did not take his death as an anniversary.Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq was better than him but the people did not take his death as an anniversary. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the leader of the sons of Adam in this world and the Hereafter, and Allah took him to Him as the Prophets died before him, but no one took the dates of their deaths as anniversaries on which they do what these people do on the day that al-Husayn was killed.The best that can be said when remem-bering these and similar calamities is that which 'Ali ibn al-Husayn narrated from his grandfather the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: “There is no Muslim who is afflicted by a calamity and when he remembers it, even if it was in the dim and distant past, he says Inna Lillahi wainna ilayhi raaji'uun (verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return), but Allah will give him a reward like that of the day when it befell him.”Narrated by imam Ahmad and Ibn Majah, end quote from al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah.Good Deeds for This Month• Fasting. The Companions and the right-eous predecessors rejoiced in the com-ing of this season. The Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasallam did not fast in succession for one month other than Ramadhan, so it is not recommended to fast the whole month.

• The best days to fast in Muharram is the day of 'Ashura and one day before it. Imam Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad both stated, “It is mustahabb [recommended] to fast both the ninth and the tenth, because the Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasallam fasted the tenth and intended to fast the ninth.” • Fasting the “White Days.” The Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasallam said, “Fast-ing three days of each month is fasting for a lifetime, and 'the white days' are the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” [an-Nasa'i, Saheeh] Ibn 'Abbas Radhi Allahu anhu said, “The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not fail to fast the white days either when at home or on a journey.” [an-Nasa'i] These days are the 13th, 14th and 15th of the hijri month.• Increasing in duaa when you are fast-ing. “The prayer (dua) of the fasting person will not be refused.” [Al-Bayhaqi, Saheeh]• Qiyamu lLayl. The Prophet SalAllahu alayhi wasallam said in the hadith, “and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” [Muslim] In this month we can complete two deeds that the Prophet encouraged. • Protecting yourself from sins. Allah Azza waJal said about the sacred months, “so wrong not yourselves therein” (9:36) Imam Sa'di Rahimahullah said in his tafse-er regarding this ayah,Allah states that He has made them a measure of time for His slaves, which they may use for worship-ping Him, and thank Allah for His blessings, and they serve the interests of His slaves, so beware of wronging yourselves therein. The pronoun may also be understood as referring to the four sacred months, and this forbids them to wrong themselves in those months in particular, as well as it be-ing forbidden to do wrong at all times, be-cause it is more forbidden at this time, but it is worse at this time than at others.• Increasing in good deeds in general.May Allah Subhanahu waTa'ala accept our deeds and allow us to reap the benefits of those days and times He has selected over others.

The Friday Bulletin

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Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

A reminder about the new Hijri yearMany people will not be aware that we have entered the new hijri year 1436. Had this been the first day of the Gregorian cal-endar, every one of us would have known about it and some may have even celebrat-ed it. This reflects the fact that we have be-come detached from our faith-based herit-age. Many Muslims are oblivious to the hijri calendar, such that most are unaware of what lunar year or month we are currently in. Most of our children are unaware of the names of the Arabic months let alone name them in the correct order.The concern is not with regards to cel-ebrating the new hijri year, as we do not ‘celebrate’ any day except the two Eids – Eidul-Adh’ha and Eidul-Fitr. Rather, it is a matter of being connected and aware of the Islamic emblems. It is a matter that links this ummah to its root and heritage. Three of the pillars of Islam are carried out according to the Islamic calendar: Zakah, fasting and the Hajj.A Muslim is obliged to calculate his or her wealth and the zakat payable at the same time every Islamic year (that is when the person’s hawl comes to an end), and thus, it is highly significant for an individual to know what consists of a complete hijri year. The new moon being sighted for the ninth month of the hijri calendar is an indication for Muslims to begin fasting. Consequently, it is regarded important for a Muslim to be aware of the hijri calendar and the debate on the subject of the new moon. Similarly, Hajj occurs during the twelfth hijri month: Dhul-Hijjah. Allah says in the Qur’an,“They ask you about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage.”[Al-Qur’an 2:189]“The Hajj (pilgrimage) is (in) the well-known months.”[Al-Qur’an 2:197]In addition to these pillars, there are a number of other Islamic activities and practices that should be implemented in accordance with the Islamic Calendar. Al-lah says,“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred.”[Al-Qur’an 9:36] In his exegetical work Al-Qurtubi said about this verse that “on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth” demonstrates that His ordainment was even before the act of creating the heavens and earth, and that He calculated these months, named and ordered them on that day. He re-vealed the knowledge of this ordainment to Prophets in the form of revelation. This is the meaning of “the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year)” – its ordainment is everlasting. Al-Qurtubi went on to say that this verse indicates that the laws of worship and other things pertain to months and years as understood by the Arabs rather than months as understood

by non-Arabs, the Romans and the Copts, even if their months do not extend beyond twelve months.It is narrated from Abu Bakrah (may Al-lah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,“The division of time has turned to its original form which was in existence the day Allah created the heavens and earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Mu-harram, and Rajab of Mudhar which comes between Jumada and Sha’ban.”[Bukhari and Muslim]The first month of the hijri year, Muharram, is a sacred month which has a number of virtues. It has been narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that after Ramadhan, the most rewarding time to fast is in the month of Muharram. It was narrated that Abu Hurai-rah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and bless-ings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best fasts after Ramadhan is the month of Allah – Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.”[Muslim]The Prophet called this month the month of Allah as an indication of its great sta-tus. However, it is evident that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast any month completely except Ramadhan. Thus the hadith encourages fasting regularly in the month of Muhar-ram and not an indication to fast the entire month.The iddah of a female widow is four lunar months and ten days. The iddah of a wom-an who does not see a period due to age is three lunar months. Allah tells us in the Qur’an,“And those of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the iddah (prescribed period), if you have doubts (about their periods), is three months, and for those who have no cours-es their iddah is three months likewise, ex-cept in the case of death.”[Al-Qur’an 65:4] If the signs of bulugh (puberty) within an individual are absent, the age of the per-son so as to ascertain the attainment of bulughis calculated according to the hijri calendar and not the Gregorian one. The kaffarah (expiation) for sexual intercourse during Ramadhan, Dhihar, and killing by mistake, is fasting two Islamic months con-secutively which are between 29 and 30 days. It was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,“We are an unlettered nation, we do not write or calculate. The month is such-and-such or such-and-such – meaning some-times it is twenty-nine and sometimes it is thirty.”[al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Some practical steps to propagate the use of the hijri calendar.Firstly, we have to realise that Islam itself propagates the hijri calendar. We are able to carry out various practices according to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) through the use of the Islamic calen-dar. Moreover, we have to ensure that we use the Islamic calendar for all of our Is-lamic activities. Our mosques should have facilities that digitally display both the hi-jri and Gregorian calendars. In addition to this, we should also display wall calendars. Families can play an important role by re-minding their children of the importance of certain hijri dates in the life of a Muslim.Is it permissible to congratulate others on the new hijri year?The matter is flexible as there is no textual evidence to prohibit this action nor to allow it. However, it should not become a regular habit as it wasn’t the practice of the Com-panions of the Prophet.“It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light and measured out their stages that you might know the number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains the signs in detail for people who have knowledge.”[Al-Qur’an 10:5] According to exegetes, the main function of the sun is that it is a source of light where-as the moon is an object that is utilised to determine the Islamic year

Sheikh (Dr) Haitham Al-Haddad

the tetanus vaccination as an independent study is made to determine its effect on health.He further argued that despite the con-cerns, the health ministry has not refuted claims that the vaccination is not a popula-tion control strategy. “The government has not refuted that the jab is meant to steri-lize women and control the population,” he said.The calls come amid concerns raised by the Catholic Church that the tetanus vac-cine contains Human Chorionic Gonado-tropin better known as Beta HCG which causes infertility in women.Last week the health cabinet secretary Dr. James Macharia refuted concerns that the tetanus vaccine can cause infertility in women while stressing that the vaccine as “safe and certified.”The tetanus vaccination campaign has been sponsored by the WHO and UNICEF and is targeting girls and women of child bearing age in Kenya (between the ages of 14 to 49 years old).

Fears over Tetanus vaccination

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The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to India’s Kailash Satyarthi and Pakistan’s MalalaYousafzai for their struggles against the suppression of children and for young people’s rights, including the right to edu-cation. That is great news, and it might almost mean Nobel Peace Prize makes sense again, after being awarded to Barack Obama in 2009 “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”, and to Eu-ropean Union in 2012 “for over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe”.Still, there is something that really troubles me. How come we (meaning the West) al-ways recognize the “devils” of the East, the torments children like Malala had to and have to go through (in her case, with the Taliban), but always fail to recognize our own participation in creating those “devils”? How come we never talk about the things our governments are doing to the children of Pakistan, or Syria, or Iraq, or Palestine, or Yemen? Let’s just take drone strikes as an example. Last year’s tweet by British MP George Galloway might illustrate this hy-pocrisy. “If Malala had been murdered in a drone strike the UK media would never even have told you her name.”Galloway is absolutely right. We would nev-er even know her name. But, since Malala’s story fits into the western narrative of the

oriental oppression (in which the context underlying the creation of the oppression is left out), we all know Malala’s name. Like Assed Baigwrites: “This is a story of a native girl being saved by the white man. Flown to the UK, the Western world can feel good about itself as they save the native woman from the savage men of her home nation. It is a historic racist narrative that has been institutionalised. Journalists and politicians were falling over themselves to report and comment on the case. The story of an innocent brown child that was shot by savages for demanding an education and along comes the knight in shining armour to save her. The actions of the West, the bombings, the occupations, the wars all seem justified now, ‘see, we told you, this is why we intervene to save the natives.'”The problem is, there are thousands of Mala-las West helped create with endless wars, occupations, interventions, drone strikes, etc. One can hear how little we know about the drone strikes – its aims, targets, results. “Right now we have the executive branch making a claim that it has the right to kill anyone, anywhere on Earth, at any time, for secret reasons based on secret evidence, in a secret process undertaken by unidenti-fied officials. That frightens me.” This is how Rosa Brooks, a Georgetown professor and former Pentagon official under President Obama, explained the US policy on drone strikes during a congressional hearing last year.

That is the reality we are not being present-ed with. Another reality is the story of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, 14-year-old Iraqi girl, who was gang raped by five U.S. Army soldiers and killed in her house in Yusufiyah (Iraq) in 2006. She was raped and murdered after her parents and six-year-old sister Ha-deel Qasim Hamza were killed. Also not ir-relevant to mention is that Abeer was going to school before the US invasion but had to stop going because of her father’s concerns for her safety.And while the West applauds Malala (as they should), I am afraid it might be for the wrong reasons, or with a wrong perspective. It feels like the West wants to gain an agen-da that suits them or the policies they want. That is also why Malala’s views on Islam are rarely presented. She uses her faith as a framework to argue for the importance of education rather than making Islam a justifi-cation for oppression, but that is rarely men-tioned. It also “doesn’t fit”.So, my thoughts were mixed when I heard the news about the Nobel Peace Prize. On so many levels. They still are. We’ve en-tered a new war, and peace prize award ceremonies now seem ridiculous.Sure, we must acknowledge the efforts of those who are fighting for a better world, but when it is done in a way that feels so cal-culated, unidimensional, loaded with secret agendas and tons of hypocrisy – I just can’t celebrate it.

Why I can’t celebrate Malala’s Nobel Peace PrizeJohn Oliver

Muslims urged to support own education institutionsMuslims in Western region counties have been called upon to come out and support the promotion and growth of education in their institutions of learning.These sentiments were made by the Kaka-mega county education board member, Hassan Ngeri who observed that the sup-port from Muslims and its leadership is a critical element in driving the growth and improvement of education standards in the Muslim community and Muslim owned edu-cational institutions.Addressing the regional Muslim Education Council (MEC)secretariat stakeholders' forum at Jamia Plaza conference hall in Mumias, Kakamega county last week, Ngeri noted that education institutions from other communities and faith in the region which have registered tremendous growth and academic success due to strong support from their communities and it was prudent for Muslims to take similar measures as this will greatly contribute to the socio-economic development of Muslims in the region and the country at large.''Other communities and faith have come out strongly to support their institutions which have propelled them to be among

the leading education institutions and aca-demic giants in the region and the country at large.We need to borrow a leaf from them and fully support our own institutions as this will ultimately and greatly benefit the Muslim community,''he added.Ngeri who is also the MEC regional repre-sentative said the community was endowed with resources that should be invested in schools, universities and other educational institutions to provide opportunities for fur-ther progress in the Muslim community.At the same time, he expressed concerns over the poor state of infrastructure in many Muslim-owned and sponsored institutions in the region which he observed, contributed dismal performance in national examina-tions. In his remarks, Ngeri told Muslim leaders to explore more avenues to support the edu-cation of Muslim children to mould them into better citizens who can serve the communi-ty and the nation at large and called on par-ents to ensure that their children received a holistic education covering religious and contemporary saying that this will produce young people and scholars who will raise higher the banner of Islam and Muslims

hence revamped the lost glory of Muslims in education sector.The forum was told that the prevailing situ-ation where the job market favoured those with secular qualifications was another im-portant reason why Muslim parents should not focus only on Islamic oriented educa-tion. “There are thousands of great stu-dents who have graduated from Islamic oriented universities who are boda boda rid-ers, taxis drivers and matatu touts because there is nobody who is ready and willing to hire them,” he said.A call was also to Muslim parents to encour-age their children to embracetheteaching profession in order to take up the teaching of Islamic Religion Education (IRE) and ad-dress the deficiency of IRE teachers,adding that the shortage was adversely affecting the education of Muslim children who are being forced to take Christian Religious Education(CRE).The forum brought together educationists and other stakeholders to address chal-lenges being experienced by Muslim edu-cational institutions in the region in order to improve education standards in the Muslim community.

Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

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Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

In the last week of September 2014, Ken-yan newspapers ran a juicy story about the closure of an Islamic institution in Macha-kos County on allegations of recruiting and radicalizing youth into violent religious ex-tremism. The following are excerpts from stories as published by a number of news-papers:The Daily Nation, the People Daily and the Standard Newspapers have all published stories where security officials notably the director of criminal investigations Ndegwa Muhoro asserting that the government is “targeting religious schools that teach Jihadism, and those that have been re-cruiting youths for radicalization.” He went ahead to state that a madrasa in Machakos ( read Darul Irshad) was closed and others are being monitored around the country. The director of communications at the Ministry of Interior Mr Mwenda Njoka was quoted by the People Daily, saying that Darul Irshaad Centre was closed down on suspicion of being involved with shady ac-tivities since 2011. Indeed, Darul Irshaad Center in Matun-gulu, Machakos County was closed down pursuant to a directive contained in a let-ter dated 13 May, 2014 from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government. The letter by the Machakos County Commissioner was addressed to the Deputy County Commissioner and reads as follows: “The County Intelligence Security Committee has recommended the closure of the above centre (Darul Irshaad Centre). Use your DSIC team to effect the closure today and inform the office accord-ingly.”Following the closure, a delegation from the affected institution sought and secured a meeting with the Deputy County Com-missioner to get an explanation why the Centre was ordered shut down and have the order rescinded. According to available minutes of the meet-ing, the Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Mwangi who was accompanied by DO 1 Katelon and area OCPD Mr Chesire admitted that there was very little his team could do to rescind the order, pointing out that he was only a messenger effecting the order which had come from his superiors in Nairobi. He, particularly, pointed out that the then Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Interior, Mr Mutea Iringo is the one who had issued the order. The Deputy County Commissioner re-minded the Darul Irshaad delegation that since President Uhuru Kenyatta had made it clear that County Commissioner would be answerable to what happens in their respective jurisdictions, he was forced to act on the order to close the institution, especially after a newspaper article once quoted Tanzanian President Jakaya Kik-wete saying that terrorists responsible for

Government and media should paint accurate picture of war against terrorismBy Hassan Ole Naado

the insecurity in the East African region were being trained in Nguluni. He also told the delegation that he received many calls from area businessmen and other leaders demanding an immediate response to the claims of terrorism activities in the area and was at pains to explain. Mwangi eventually let the cat out of the bag, telling the delegation that the order to close Darul Irshaad Centre had been received much earlier, but his team lacked the grounds to effect the order. In this re-gard, he dispatched two teams to inspect the institution—the teams were from the Public Health department and the other from the Education Department. The Public Health team submitted a report which gave the institution a clean bill of health except recommendations that a few repairs and sanitation works be carried out to ensure maximum compliance with pub-lic health standards— nothing in the report recommended closure of the institution on health grounds. The education team also seems to have prepared a report, but the report was not served on the institution’s management. However, the delegation would learn from the meeting with the Deputy County Com-missioner that the report alluded to non-compliance with registration requirements of learning institutions. According to Mr Mwangi, the education re-port said that despite Darul Irshaad Centre being duly registered at the national level, it had not been registered at the county government level. Besides, the report said that the government was not aware of what was being taught at the centre, and that the Ministry of Education was not aware of the syllabus of the institution. At the conclusion of the fact-finding meet-ing, the Deputy County Commissioner commended the delegation for seeking an appointment with him before taking any other step. He however told them that the matter was now out of his hand and that any administrative action to re-open the institution lay at the ‘next’ level and that it was upon the institution’s managers to un-ravel what really led to the closure of the centre. Following the fact-finding mission with the Deputy County Commissioner, the admin-istrators of Darul Irshaad Centre moved to court seeking orders to set aside the deci-sion to shut down the institution. In response to the institution’s suit papers, the County Commissioner of Machakos acknowledged that Darul Irshaad Centre was closed down based on the reports of the county public health and education departments. Nothing in the County Com-missioner’s replying affidavit alluded to closure of the institution on grounds of na-tional security. In fact, the County Commis-sioner acknowledged that the public health

issues in question were merely as a result of complaints from residents, and that the institution had enrolled students who were “above” the age of attending religious edu-cation. Nothing about terrorism and radi-calization appears in the County Commis-sioner’s replying affidavit. Be that as it may, the question is—if Darul Irshaad in Matungulu was shut down on grounds of public health and non-com-pliance with registration requirements of educational institutions, why did CID boss Ndegwa Muhoro announce to the media that the centre was shut down on grounds of terrorism and radicalization? Could this have been one of those malicious cases of “give the dog a bad name and have the excuse to kill it?” These are some of the issues the Muslim community is calling upon the government to handle with extreme care and honesty if at all there is a genuine will within the gov-ernment to fight and win the war on terror-ism. Extra judicial killing and indiscriminate arrest of terror suspects; false accusation and targeting of Islamic institutions; and misleading propaganda through the media are not the way to deal with the so called radicalization and violent extremism. I, therefore, call upon the government and media to learn to verify their facts before linking individual Muslims Islamic institu-tions to terrorism. The damage done to Darul Irshaad Centre is irreparable be-cause the reputation of the centre is totally destroyed due to the misleading media reports that the centre recruits youths for radicalization into terrorism, yet the true facts say something else. The writer is the Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM).

OPINION

ing staff are government employees.The Church was also accused of failing to abide by a resolution made by the Isiolo County Education Director and the County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to al-low the students to wear the Islamic dress.The Methodist Church went to court seek-ing orders to stop the female students from putting on the Islamic dress at the school on the premise it amounts to discrimination against Christian students.Of the more than 400 students at St. Ki-wanjani Secondary School, a vast majority of the student population who comprise at least 80 percent of population are Muslim students

Continued from Page 1

Anti-Hijab orders suspended

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Dhul-Hijjah 30,1435/October 24, 2014

He was arrested in a dramatic operation by gun blazing security officers on a Nai-robi street, bundled into a waiting Suba-ru vehicle and detained at three different police stations before being released af-ter six days in detention-well beyond the mandatory period of 24-hours stipulated by the law.According to police, Ali Adan Omar was a high profile and dangerous terror sus-pect linked to the Al Shabaab militia and supplied the group with weapons and in addition, he was involved in the recruit-ment of youth to join the illegal group.

Questions as ‘high profile’ suspect released on ID charge

Rendition Kenyans committed to trial

However, when he appeared in court on Tuesday after going through what the Nairobi businessman considers be-ing the most traumatizing experience of his life, a charge of falsely obtaining a national identity card and being in Ken-ya illegally were the only accusations brought against him.He is now a free man after a Sh500, 000 bail was slapped on him following his plea of not guilty. Now the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) is investigating what appears was a clear case of police har-assment. In addition, the agency has also launched a probe into a case of extortion which came to light in a KTN television expose where an official said to be from the Anti Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) is recorded during a phone con-versation demanding for a Sh100, 000 in return for Ali’s freedom.“I am an innocent person and the claims of obtaining an ID illegally are trumped charges to exonerate their crimes against me,” Ali told The Friday Bulletin a day after he regained his freedom.While the court documents indicated that he obtained his ID in 2003, he con-tends that he first obtained the document in 1993 and subsequently obtained the new generation ID in 1996. His dramatic arrest happened last week along Koinange Street and attracted a host of wananchi who unsuccessful de-manded that the officers identify them-selves to differentiate their actions from

The Constitutional Court in Uganda dis-missed a petition by rendition Kenyans challenging their prosecution in Uganda.In a four-hour ruling on Wednesday, the five judges declined to release them argu-ing that they had been handed over volun-tarily by their countries.The eleven suspects had petitioned the court challenging the manner in which they were brought to Uganda from Kenya and Tanzania without extradition orders by a competent court.But the judges led by acting Chief Justice Stephen Kavuma unanimously ruled that the Ugandan authorities had not hand in their arrest and ordered the high court to proceed with their trial. “The two countries voluntarily arrested and surrendered the suspects to the police of Uganda,” he said.The suspects had also complained about torture and ill treatment at the hands of Ugandan and foreign security operatives but the judges said that the complaints can be addressed by the High Court.They had also called for their confes-sion not to be used in the trial because the statements were extracted from them through torture.The Kenyans include Idris Magondu,Hussein Hassan Agade, Mu-hammad Adan, Omar Awadi Omar, Mu-hammad Hamid Sulaiman, Yahya Su-laiman Mbuthia, Habibb Sulaiman Njoroge. There are accused alongside Ugandans Isa Ahmed Luyima, Hassan Haruna Luyi-ma, and Abubaker Batematyo in the July 11, 2010 twin bombings in Kampala which killed 76 people.The rendition of the Kenyans sparked off protests from Muslim leaders, the judiciary and civil society organizations which pro-tested at the manner of their extradition as it was inconsistence with the law. During the Eid ul Adh’ha prayers, Momba-sa Senator Hassan Omar called on Presi-dent Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Wil-liam Ruto to fulfill their pre-election pledge to have them brought back and face justice in the country.

criminals. The officers who were later identified to be from the Pangani-based Flying Squad Unit later handed him over to the ATPU who assured him of justice. “They assured me of my safety and af-ter investigations they said I did not ap-pear in their list of terrorism suspects,” he said.He was first detained at Pangani before being transferred to Muthaiga and Kili-mani police stations. On Monday, KTN television relayed a phone conversation of what it said was an ATPU officer calling his family to de-mand a Sh100, 000 to facilitate his re-lease. The matter was reported to the officer in charge of police reforms Leo Nyongesa who pledged that investiga-tions will be made and the actions taken against those found to be culpable.Incidentally, the extortion attempts hap-pened on a day President Uhuru Keny-atta took to the podium at Mashujaa Day to state that the greatest roadblock to ef-fective government is corruption. “Ask-ing for bribes or paying them weakens systems and destroys hope,” he said in his address to the nation. Speaking of his traumatizing experi-ence, Ali said it was a relief that he fi-nally gained his freedom and accused the security officers of harbouring an unknown sinister motive against him. “I do not know what their intention was but they were up to no good,” he said while praising the actions of the wananchi and the media for standing up for his rights.

The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) national elections for new of-fice bearers will be held in December.The national chairman Sheikh Abdalla At-eka confirmed to The Friday Bulletin that Mombasa will host the council's Annual General Meeting (AGM) which will also fea-ture the elections. Sheikh Ateka said that only delegates who comprise county chairmen, secretaries and treasurers will be permitted to participate in the elections.He disclosed that notices have been sent to all delegates in their respective coun-ties to carry out registration exercise and subsequently hold grassroots elections and already the exercises are ongoing in parts of Western, Nyanza, Coast and Rift Valley regions respectively.The chairman called upon Muslim schol-ars, Imams and Preachers in the electoral regions of Central, Nairobi, Eastern and North-Eastern regions to register as CIPK members and participate in the grassroot elections and play a positive role in shaping the council’s activities.''CIPK activities have for the most part been seen confined to the traditional Muslim ar-eas and main urban centres in Coast and

North-Eastern regions leaving out many other parts of this country, this trend and wrong assumption needs to be eliminated for inclusivity, effective leadership and ser-vice delivery,'' said Ateka.He noted that all posts will be open for con-testation, adding that the polls will be free and fair, further stressing that all arrange-ments and measures have been put in place to ensure the elections are held in a transparent manner.Ateka urged all county offices to liaise with the national organizing secretary Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa and national coordina-tor Fahim Twaha for information on the elec-toral plans.

CIPK to hold polls in December

SUNDAY

“Do not approach the prop-erty of an orphan, except with good intentions.And keep your promises, for you will be questioned about every promise you make.” (Surah al-Isra 17:34 )

FROM THE NOBLE QUR'AN

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@islamkenya.org. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road info@graphic.co.ke

Disaster preparednessRecently we just got the climate analysis from the metrological department that the weather pattern will change from mid Sep-tember onwards. The analysts went ahead and warned of pos-sible floods and dire consequences of evacuations and relocation of many people across the country. Over the years, the most affected parts are Muslim dominated regions like Coast, North Eastern, and Upper Eastern. Many fami-lies have lost their livestock which forms the basic source of their livelihood. During both times of floods and drought many families are left with famine, crops destroyed and loss of property. We need to step up some disaster preparedness mechanisms so that we don’t start running around when the damage is already done. For the past years Ummah Foundation in collaboration with other Muslim funding Organisations both in Kenya and abroad have struggled with these challenges of food relief and water supply programs in the Northern Region but the situation still remains the same year after year. The propensity of the government and its development partners to emphasise relief instead of pursuing real development raises a few questions. Who benefits from the status quo? Are drought affected communities mere pawns in a major conspiracy masterminded by the global aid industry? These are burning issues that deserve a discussion of their own. As a means of getting our Muslim community out of this vicious circle we need to think outside the box, emphasize and encour-age our communities to invest heavily in Education. That is the only weapon we can use to compete favourably with the rest of the Kenyan populace. Education is the key that can be used to change the old trend and set new formulae where Muslims par-ticipation in the policy making and leadership can be recognised. That is why Ummah Foundation has given a lot of weight on edu-cation bursaries and scholarships. To be successful we need to work together to fight poverty, hun-ger and ignorance. Can you help sponsor a Muslim child who is at the verge of dropping out of school due to lack of fees? Can you help Ummah Foundation achieve this noble goal? Give your sad-aqa and Zakat to Ummah Foundation and your donation will make a big change in this Ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). For your contributions send your donations to or write a cheque in the name of Ummah Foundation.

Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza 2nd Floor, Ngara RoadP.O.Box 58717-00200, Nairobi, KenyaTel:+254-202680610/13, Cell: +254-734845277Email: info@ummahfoundation.netwww.ummahfoundation.net

HUD MOHAMED SALAH is an eight-year-old boy who has been diagnosed with a kidney ail-ment. He requires surgery to save his Kidneys urgently. He has been referred to Apollo hos-pitals in New Delhi India. The treatment and travel cost is approximately US$20,000 (Ksh 1,780,000). It is our prayer that you will find it

MEDICAL APPEAL

in your heart to contribute to this noble cause to assist us save the Kidneys of this young child.For further details and coordination, please liaise with Br. Muhammad Osman Warfa of Jamia Mosque.Please send your contributions to; HUUD MOHAMED SALAH, MEDI-CAL AID ACCOUNT, GULF AFRICAN BANK, A/C No. 1400138101 MPESA Contributions can be made through 0721380966

Reports about Israeli plans to divide Al-Aqsa Mosque compound between Muslims and Jews have sparked angry condemnations from Palestinian officials, who called for holding an "emergency Arab and Islamic summit" to discuss the worrying development.“Israel is racing against time to legitimize storming of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound by herds of extremist settlers,” Ahmed Qurei, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said in a statement cited by Anadolu Agency on Tuesday, October 21.The official’s calls followed reports about drafting an Israeli bill to divide Al-Aqsa mosque between Muslims and Jews.According to the Arab Knesset member Masoud Ghanayim, "the draft law, which has been prepared by the interior parliamenta-ry committee in the Knesset, stipulates that Jews can perform prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque," the Palestinian newspaper Feles-teen reported.“This is based on a proposal that gives Muslims and Jews equal rights in their access and use of the holy site. It also specifies cer-tain locations where Jews can perform their prayers," Ghanayim added.Under the alleged law, which will be voted next month by the Knesset, civil protests and demonstrations in Al-Aqsa compound are banned.Lamenting the stance of the Arab countries that emboldened Israeli's provocations in the world Muslims' holiest site, Queri vowed: "the Jerusalemites will not stand hand-tied toward these aggressive Israeli schemes, which risk dragging the holy city to a cycle of violence and religious warfare."Al-Aqsa is the Muslims’ first Qiblah [direction Muslims take during prayers] and it is the third holiest shrine after Al Ka`bah in Mak-kah and Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Arab Summit urged over Al-Aqsa