Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015 Issue No. 616

Friday BulletinTheThe Weekly Muslim News Update

www.islamkenya.org

Page 2 Page 7Page 3

The government should address the ris-ing cases of double registration among residents of North Eastern region and provide them with Kenyan registration documents.Describing the problems as a time bomb, Dadaab MP Muhammad Dahiye stressed on the government to address the concern as thousands of youth can-not get access to education or employ-ment opportunities and face constant harassment at the hands of security of-ficials. Many youths from North Eastern region are unable to acquire Kenyan Identity Cards after they were captured in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) database.The most affected are the 1992 drought destitute in Dadaab who registered as refugees with the UNHCR to be enlisted for food rations and those seeking op-portunities to be repatriated overseas.The legislator revealed that corrupt gov-ernment registration personnel have tak-en advantage of their dire situation and are working with cartels to extort mon-ey on the pretext that they will provide them with Kenyan national Identification cards.There are some corrupt county government officials who get millions of shillings to give desperate people Ken-yan national ID, he told a task force es-tablished which is probing the problem. Presenting his views to the task force formed to address problem of double registration by Kenyans, the MP said the government should come up with a last-ing solution to the problem while voicing his fears that Kenyans might end up be-ing stateless as they cannot acquire the ID cards because they are captured as refugees.He urged the government to strike off the names of genuine Kenyans from the ref-ugee data base so they can be officially recognized as a Kenyan.The Dadaab legislator suggested that genuine Kenyans in the UNHCR data base should be vetted by elders under

Mvita MP Abdulswamad Sharrif Nassir (Left) and National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale (Centre) confer with the Chief Justice Wali Muhammad Mutunga. The MPs were among a delegation of Parliamentarians from North Eastern and Coast regions who paid a courtesy call to the Chief Justice last week.

The third Caliph Uthman Gov't to be sued over Wagalla

Address the problem of double registration, gov't told

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The restrictions on night movement in Lamu County have finally being lifted after a nine month old dusk to dawn curfew.Mombasa High Court Judge Edward Mure-ithi suspended the curfew that was imposed in July last year by the former Inspector of police David Kimaiyo following the killing of 60 people in Mpeketoni. Last month, the curfew was partially lifted on the Island by Interior cabinet secretary Joseph Nkaissery.The suspension order followed a case by the Mombasa based rights lobby Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) which has called for the lifting of the curfew as it had impacted negatively on the social and eco-nomic lifestyles of area residents.Locals raised complaints that the curfew had paralyzed the countys main economic

Lamu curfew suspended

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

Editorial: The escalating cost of secondary education

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activities which included tourism, fishing and trade. On numerous occasions, area leaders have expressed their opposition over the curfew noting that it had infringed on their constitutional rights of movement and wor-ship. They accused the government of de-liberately curtailing their social, economic and religious rights.The petition is set for hearing on March 19 2015.Meanwhile the government is set to com-pensate land owners in Lamu to pave way for the commencement of the multibillion Lamu port project.The area governor Issa Timamy said he has received assurances from the National Lands Commission chairman Muhammad

The Friday Bulletin

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EDITORIAL

Continued from Page 1

Gov't to compensate Lamu land owners

Gov't must reign in the ever escalating cost of secondary school education

The cost of secondary school educa-tion in the country has reached lev-els where it is increasingly becom-ing a farfetched dream for the many young Kenyans to access education.The government through the minis-try of education, elected leaders and other education stakeholders who in-clude parents, religious leaders and trade unions ought to interrogate the factors that are making the cost of secondary education so prohibitive and beyond the reach of many par-ents.Due to high costs of secondary edu-cation some students have not even reported to their respective second-ary schools because of financial con-straints.Is it tenable for the average Ken-yan family and more so in areas like the Coast and North Eastern regions where an average family is composed of six or so children to afford secondary school fees of Sh50,000-112, 000 per year as cur-rently charged by county and nation-al schools? One thing is very clear, a significant population of Kenyans live below the poverty mark and few can afford to educate their children beyond pri-mary school and this is among the reasons which has contributed to ris-ing cases of joblessness, drug abuse and other social evils which can be attributed to idleness.There are high chances that corrup-tion has become embedded in the management of secondary school education and it is the key driver of the escalating costs of secondary school education in Kenya. Corruption is self-perpetuating and it has the ability to rapidly multiply it-self to untamable proportions if it is left unchecked.County governments must intervene

and using economies of scale demand that secondary schools make drastic reductions in the costs of secondary schools education.Education ought to be getting afford-able and not more expensive as is the case now.

To price education beyond the econom-ic realities of the average families in Kenya as appears to be the trend only helps to entrench poverty as it is only education which is the surest policy in-strument and vehicle to lift the greatest percentage of youth out of the poverty traps that shackles their parents.The runaway costs of secondary school education is now a national concern and when bottlenecks are placed by vested interests in realizing affordable education, this will impact negatively on the quest to achieve socio-economic transformation of the country.It is encouraging to note that some Muslim organizations are consciously making efforts to solve the problem of education in the Muslim community by offering bursaries and scholarships to enable successful and needy Muslim students advance with their education.Several organizations including Jamia Mosque have established education sponsorship programs for Muslim stu-dents and, however this is not enough to support the growing list of students who cannot afford the prohibitive cost of education.There is still need for more Muslim NGO's, Community Based Organiza-tions (CBOs) and corporate institutions and even individuals to get involved and explore ways to support the edu-cation of economically disadvantaged students.Educated people are the greatest as-set a country and a community has and therefore no effort should be spared to ensure that education is universally and affordably available.

Swazuri that the list of beneficiaries has been approved.Timamy in the company of leaders, Senator Abu Chiaba, Lamu West MP, Julius Ndegwa, Women Repre-sentative, Shakilla Abdalla and the County Secretary, Siyat Osman paid a visit to the chairman to enquire why the process was being delayed.Swazuri gave us an assurance that the list of beneficiaries had been ap-proved and the only thing that was remaining was a survey plan which identifies each plot and its number, said Timamy. He said with the com-pensation, the stalled project will be

Jamia to run Islamic public awareness programmes

No surprises were witnessed during the long awaited Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) national elections as the exercise super-vised by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials saw most of the top officials being re-elected to their various positions.Sheikh Abdalla Ateka who served as the interim chairman after the demise of Sheikh Muhammad Idris was elected as the new chairman and he will be deputized by Sheikh Hassan Suleiman.Kenya's ambassador to Muscat, Oman Sheikh Muhammad Dor was re-elected the council's Sec-retary General with Sheikh Muhammad Daud be-ing elected his deputy.Sheikh Hassan Omar Dagane is the Treasurer and he will be assisted by Sheikh Ramadhan Mu-hammad Mwasengeza.Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa retained his position of national organising secretary with Sheikh Abdul-lahi Tiva being elected his deputy.The elections held at Baluchi conference hall in Mombasa also saw appointment of regional rep-resentatives who include Sheikh Abdalla Athuman (Nairobi region), Sheikh Rajab Korir (North Rift re-gion), Sheikh Abdulrahman Farha (South Rift re-gion), Sheikh Khamis Mungai (Central region) and Sheikh Anas Ali Abdalla (Eastern region).The new office bearers will manage the affairs of the council for another five years.

No surprises at CIPK polls

on course and residents will soon start enjoying the fruits of the project. Speaking at a press conference last week, the governor said that President Uhuru Kenyatta had expressed his con-cern over the delay of compensation and urged the leaders to address the land wrangles to so as to kick start the project.The lists of beneficiaries have been a bone of contention with three lists each containing different numbers.A total of 146 Kililana land owners went to court late last year and obtained a court order barring any construction works on the land before they are fully compensated.

Jamia Mosque is to embark on a public awareness programme aimed at promoting the correct teach-ings and values of Islam among the masses.The initiative is a collaborative effort with various dawa groups and aims at countering the growing misrepresentation of Islam and misconception to-wards Muslims.The public awareness exercise seeks to promote a positive image and clearer understanding of Is-lam by engaging the public through short text mes-sages, social media and provision of free Islamic literatures. Islam is often misunderstood leading to some to hold bias views on Islam. This campaign will provide an opportunity for non-Muslims to take a fresh and positive look at Islam as a faith that promotes the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence, said Sheikh Badru Jaffar, a member of the Jamia Mosque Majlis Ulamah (council of scholars).In recent times, there has been a growing rise in incidences of Islamophobia where Muslims have faced negative responses in the streets and the unfair media linkage of Islam with acts of terrorism has also helped to increase the anti-Muslim preju-dice threatening existing inter religious relations.Attacks targeting non-Muslims such as the grue-some Mandera attacks carried out by the Soma-lia based Al Shabab militia have helped to further build up a hostile climate towards Muslims.These attacks have received strong condemna-tion from Muslim leaders and scholars who have stressed that Islam does not condone acts of vio-lence against innocent people.

Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

The Friday Bulletin

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DA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURE

Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) was the third of Prophet Muhammads successors. He was known as the leader of the faithful and ruled for approximately 12 years. The first six years were times of relative tranquility and peace, however the last years of his reign were marred by inter-nal conflict, and pockets of rebels trying to cause havoc throughout the Caliphate.Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) is remembered as a pious, gentle, and kind man, known for his modesty and shyness, and admired for his generosity. He (may Al-lah be pleased with him) ruled with impartial justice and mild and humane policies, based on his obedience to Allah and his love for Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslim nationUthman, may Allah be pleased with him, was born seven years after Prophet Mu-hammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, and belonged to the Umayyad branch of the Quraish tribe. Like his predecessor Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was able to read and write. This was an unusual skill in pre Islamic Arabia and Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) became a success-ful trader and cloth merchant. Throughout his life he was known as a kind, generous man and even before his reversion to Islam he would freely give money to help those in need.It was his close friend Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) who introduced Uth-man (may Allah be pleased with him) to Islam and he embraced the new religion at the age of thirty-four. This was during the very early days of Islam when the men of Makkah were systematically abusing and torturing any converts to Islam. In spite of the abuse, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) would not give up his Islam and in time Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was married to Prophet Muhammads daughter, Ruqayah, thus strengthening his relationship to the Proph-et (peace and blessings be upon him).The abuse and torture continued and Uth-mans wealthy family and status in society as a merchant did not protect him. The con-tinual bad treatment by his close family led Uthman and his wife to participate in the first migration to Abyssinia. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) praised his forbearing char-acter and said After Lut (alayhi sallam), Uthman is the first man who, with his wife, has given up the comfort of his home for the sake of Allah. After some time Uthman and Ruqayah (may Allah be pleased with them) returned to Makkah to be with the strug-gling Muslims and their beloved father and Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) formed a very close relationship with Proph-et Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and he gained intricate knowl-

The third Caliph Uthman Ibn Affan (Radhiya Allahu anhu)

SUNDAY LECTURETopic: Kutubia

By: Salim KaukauDate: 22nd Feb 2015 Time: 2 pm- 4 pm

Venue: Makina Kibra

edge about the religion of Islam. He (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated 146 traditions directly from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) himself and was one of very few people who were able to write down Quran.Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) also became a reference point for those trying to learn the rituals of worship. He understood and was able to instruct others in the rituals of ablution, prayer, and other Islamic obligations. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) also participated in the migration to Madina and here he assisted Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in establishing the Muslim nation. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) even referred to him as his assistant.In Madina, water was scarce and control of the wells was tightly held by several men. Because he was a skilful trader and nego-tiator, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) set about trying to procure a well for the use of the Muslims. He negotiated a price for half a well; he would have control one day and the other owner the next day. However, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) gave his water to the Muslims freely, so nobody wanted to pay for the wa-ter on the alternate days. The original owner of the well had no choice but to sell his half of the well to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) who nevertheless paid a fair price for it. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) continued to allow the water to be used freely by all.When Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Muslim ar-mies were going to fight the Byzantines at Tabuk, he called on the wealthier people to give from their wealth and property to sup-port and equip the soldiers. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) presented 200 saddled camels and 200 ounces of gold. He (may Allah be pleased with him) also gave 1,000 dinars. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) kept asking for donations hoping to inspire others to give as freely as Uthman. However, it was Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) who sur-passed all. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had prophesized that Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) would be placed in a very difficult situation when he said, Perhaps Allah will clothe you with a shirt, Uthman, and if the people want you to take it off, do not take it off for them. Uth-man (may Allah be pleased with him) did not remove his shirt, his love for Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) kept him both strong and humble in the face of old age and extreme difficulties.Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) was a man so loved by Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he was called the possessor of two lights. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was married to

Prophet Muhammads daughter Ruqayah and when she died, he married Muham-mads other daughter, Umm Kulthum, thus possessing the two lights. Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) was appointed Caliph (leader of the Muslim nation) through a process of consultation and careful deliberation. On his deathbed, Umar ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) appointed a council of six men to choose a new leader. It was a time of confusion and chaos for the Mus-lims, small disagreements were becoming obstacles. Some people wanted to appoint Ali ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) be-cause he was from Prophet Muhammads family, others wanted to appoint Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) because he was from one of the great tribes of Makkah. Ibn Kathir, the respected Islamic scholar of the 14th century suggests that the leader of the council, Abdur Rahman ibn Awf ques-tioned both men and then chose Uthman.Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was turning 70 when he became leader of the Muslims and for many years, he had re-frained from the pleasures of this life in or-der to seek nearness to Allah. After setting a tone of piety and concern for Muslims that would be the hallmark of his reign, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) turned his attention to giving direction to the governors and the Muslim armies.Extensive conquests were made during the reign of Uthman, including parts of Spain, Morocco, and Afghanistan. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was also the first Caliph to organise a navy. He (may Allah be pleased with him) reorganised the adminis-trative divisions of the Muslim Caliphate, ex-panded, and initiated many public projects. Perhaps Uthmans most astounding contri-bution to the Muslims was his compilation of the Quran.

Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

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PARENTING SEMINARDate: 22nd Feb. 2015

Time: 8.30 am - 4.00 pmJamia Mosque Multi Purpose Hall

For details call 0722348753

Aisha Stacey

SATURDAY LECTURETopic: Causes of Misconceptions about

IslamLecturer: Sh. Dr. Abdallah Kheri

Date: 21st February 2015 Time: 2.00 4.00 pm.

Venue: Jamia Multi-Purpose Hall

The Friday Bulletin

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The seasons of love: Spring and summerWOMEN

Dina Rashid

Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

The relationship between men and women in Islam is addressed in the Qur'an and further in the Sunnah. Islam explains to us how to achieve tranquility in marriage and how to reach the highest potential in all other aspects of life. And one of His [Al-lah's] signs is that He created mates for you from yourselves that you may find tranquil-lity in them, and He put between you love and mercy; most surely there are signs in this for people who reflect. (Ar-Rum 30:21)Inspired by our belief that better commu-nication within Muslim families, especially between husbands and wives, is the cor-nerstone for building a strong, actively in-volved family, we wanted to shed some light on what we believe happens often in many marriage stories.A relationship between a husband and a wife is like a garden; if it's to thrive, it must be watered regularly, with "weather haz-ards" taken into account, such as any un-predictable draught or storm. New seeds must be sown, and weeds must be pulled out (Gray).Love's springtimeThe Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Nothing is better for those in love than marriage." (Ibn Majah and authenticated by Al-Albani)One fatwa of Sheikh Al-Qaradhawi the prominent Muslim scholar, states what means that love is lawful in Islam as long as that love comes in spite of the person, that person doesn't go out of the way especially to seek these emotions, and that all Islamic guidelines are kept in mind. However, there is a suggestion that the traditional route for marriage usually has better results.The beginning of love is its springtime; this is when you feel that you will stay happy forever. This corresponds to the Islamic engagement and `aqd (official documenta-tion of marriage) time and may last for a few months before marriage! During that time, you always find excuses to your partner's mistakes; you may even become unable to see the mistakes or differences. But this fire of emotions in many cases does not stay forever. Marriage and family therapist Glenn Lutjens suggests that this change

takes place in every relationship because of three factors:time, distance, and desire.Time - When you get married, you have more time to observe your spouse's behav-ior. You see things that weren't so notice-able at "springtime."Distance -You now see him up close. There's no "see you next week." You now see him when he's hungry and tired. Wom-en may have their "time of the month," and men have their "time of the day"! When his stomach is empty, you may see a whole new side of your man you never knew existed.Desire - Some of the behavior during those days probably wasn't so deliberate. That type of romantic fire shapes one's actions; loving deeds come easily to one so smitten by romance. You probably felt the same ex-citement, with your reactions being affected as well. We tend to construct a person in our minds to match the excitement we want to feel. We mentally vision that person in a way that will make us happiest.Love's summertimeEventually we realize that our partner is not as perfect as we thought and that we have to work on our relationship. Plants need to be watered even more frequently under a hot sun; this is how the relationship between a husband and a wife should be enriched when it's no longer easy to give or to get love. Therefore, always remember Prophet Muhammad's advice: Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) as say-ing: A believing man [husband] should not hate a believing woman [his wife]; if he dis-likes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another. (Sahih Muslim. Book 8, Number 3469)Many couples become disillusioned af-ter a few of months in wedlock. They give up working on the relationship and blame one another. They forget that it cannot be "springtime" all the time. Yet, no one wants to live in summer forever. So hold your breath and gather all the wisdom that Allah gave you to go through this stage and reach the tranquility, mercy, and love mentioned in the verse. These will be the lasting, calm, and warm emotions of love between a hus-

band and wife who are living for the sake of Allah.You can think that way: Is this the person I want to continue the rest of my life with? If the answer is "no," then you will not be will-ing to invest much in this relation anyway, you will give it a weak try and then give up. If the answer is "yes," then the question be-comes "What do I do now that I found out my partner is not what I thought?" Debating whether your partner misrepresented him-self or herself or you misread your partner won't solve anything. Here are some things you may consider doing: Choose to love your partner. Remember that it's Allah Who makes the "love and mercy happen between the husband and the wife. Seek Allah's help and ask Him to make that "chemistry" happen. Also, open your heart and give your partner the benefit of doubt; stand in your partner's shoes and try to see things from his or her perspective. Look at how you may have changed as well after marriage. You will not be able to actually change someone. All you can do is provide a differ-ent and favorable environment for your part-ner to want to change. Realize that you may have legitimate con-cerns. Voice them to your partner in a con-structive way with the hope that he or she will be willing to work toward change or at least understand your concerns. Express with respect. Use "I-messages": "I" feel and "I" think, not "you" did such and such. Invest in this family. Paradise is worth your best effort. A little whisper in the wife's ear is, "Allah made one important mission in this life which is to make this family happy." The motive is wonderful. The Prophet said, "If a woman prayed the five prayers, fasted in Ramadhan, protected her honor, and obeyed her husband, then she will be told (on the Day of Judgment): Enter Paradise from any of its (eight) doors". (Ibn Hibban)Do not listen to voices like "He is no better than you are! Why do you have to listen?" The Prophet mentioned the advice for a rea-son, so do not ruin your life. Instead, invite love to your house and be patient. It is love and happiness in this life and Paradise in the hereafter.

AYAN SHARIFF AHMED an eighteen-year-old girl who has been diagnosed with spinal injury. She requires surgery and has been re-ferred to India.

Medical appeal

Kindly make your contributions to; DUBAI BANK, A/C No. 81123551 East-leigh Branch.MPESA contributions to: 0722803296

The Muslim Education Welfare Association (MEWA) Chairman Salim Ghalghar presents com-puters to students of cel-ebral palsy foundation in Tudor Mombasa. The centre caters for children affected with celebral pal-sy, a brain disorder which weakens the function of the muscle.

The Friday Bulletin

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I remember the first time I heard the song by a local singer titled Facebook Love. The lyrics were perhaps catchy for teenagers, but certainly not for a young adult like me.In fact, I was a bit surprised that such a song could be approved and admired by so many. There is no real substance, but merely an empty narrative on how the singer thinks she has fallen in love with a guy whom she knew only through Facebook.With so little knowledge about this guy and his background, the singer went on and on about how thrilling the relationship was, and how the new love she found has given her so much happi-ness. The singer openly confessed in the lyrics that her brain tells her not to do so but the heart says yes. They got worse when the singer finally sang, Need to close my eyes, and try anything!While such a song may appear innocent, cute and funny to some people, there is indeed a real need for society to be more critical towards whatever that is feeding the mind of the young people today.Adults often express their shock when teenagers become wild and manifest various inappropriate attitudes and behaviors, but they turn a blind eye to the gradual, cumulative effects of the seem-ingly mild daily engagements of their children. Perhaps we have forgotten that any sudden, shocking event is usually an outcome of various factors, which happen gradually with time.A new kind of loveLove today has become widely and terribly misunderstood. The love relationship that is supposed to be associated with purity, ten-derness and affection has turned into sexual, titillating desires and erotic-emotional ties, which in reality has nothing to do with love.After watching Taylor Swifts Love Story and Rihannas Diamond video clips, I became baffled and even disgusted that such mean-ingless and demeaning depictions could actually be confused with love. And this is the kind of misleading message our teens are getting each day!With the advent of social media, love becomes even cheaper and easier to buy. Girls and boys, and men and women begin to fall in love so often with people whom they barely know, whose exist-ence they assume, and whose characters they imagine. Images of cute guys and pretty girls easily deceive them, and they forget that the pictures look so good only because they are taken from the best angle (to cover a growing pimple), edited, simulated or do not belong to the person in the first place!Many unbelievable stories have been documented, as a conse-quence of unwise use of social media. A couple breaking up on their wedding day only because they have never met before, and the guy finds out for the first time that his wife to-be is not as pretty as the images he saw in her Facebook pages. A girl gets broken-hearted when she discovers that her virtual boyfriend does not look like David Beckham, whose picture he uses to reflect himself in the social media.A married couple getting divorced only because the husband has a cyber affair with a beautiful woman whose existence is yet to be confirmed. All such narratives tell us that even though it is just Facebook, social media can have powerful and negative impacts on how humans behave and perceive emotions.Love is a processThe young today perhaps need to unlearn some of the concepts they have subconsciously internalized. Love is one of them. Love is not about getting hyped up and excessively thrilled about some-one when you barely know them. That is infatuation. And love has nothing to do with that roller coaster emotional ride you have when you are around that special one. That is being hormonal.In reality, real love is about actions and sacrifice, not dry mouths and butterflies. Love is a verb, not a feeling.To achieve love, it requires a process. The more you know and appreciate a person, the stronger the love is. On the contrary, love which appears in few seconds or minutes will rarely last for more than a year, or even a month.

Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable and gives good tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will have a great reward.(Al Quran 17:9)

FROM THE NOBLE QUR'AN

Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

Love in the age of social media

Muslim Media PractitionersMuslim Journalists are invited for a meeting of the

Muslim Media Association.Date: 22nd Feb Time: 10.00am

Jamia Mosque

Raudhah Muhammad

If you suddenly make a firm oath that a guy you just saw few min-utes ago is your soul-mate forever, and that it is love at first sight, it is very likely that you are out of your mind. On another occasion, if you insist on loving the bad guy hoping that he would eventually change for you, even when everyone else who cares about you disagrees, you are again out of your mind.It is not wrong to treat the social media, songs and movies around us with a critical mind. In fact, it is wise to do so, for what we watch and read every day become the ingredients that determine who we are, what we think and how we behave.Today, people move fast, work fast and get things done fast. We love speed, we desire immediate outcome and we eat instant food. But there is one thing that cannot be instant, lest it value diminishes and its pleasure is lost. That is love.

YOUTH

The Friday Bulletin

Caliph Uthman Ibn AffanJamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

The Uthmani QuranAfter the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and during the time of the Caliphs, hundreds of thousands of non-Arabs converted to Islam. Consequently, the Quran began to be recited and written in various different dialects and scripts. One of Prophet Mohammads companions, and Uth-mans friend Hudhaifah, whilst on a journey noticed that there were many different recita-tions of Quran throughout the Muslim Empire. Hudhaifah suggested to Uthman that there be an official version written in the style used in Madina.Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) knew the Quran by heart and had intimate knowl-edge of the context and circumstances relat-ing to each verse. The Quran had been gath-ered during the time of Abu Bakr and was in the safekeeping of Prophet Muhammads wife Hafsah. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) took possession of the originals and ordered some of the most trusted companions to make care-ful copies. He then ordered all other unofficial copies to be burned or otherwise destroyed. Five official copies were sent to the greatest cities of the Muslim Caliphate. Original copies exist to this day in Tashkent, Uzbekistan and the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey.A tragic endThe final six years of Uthmans reign were marked by rebellion. Some of the governors that had been appointed during the reign of Uthman were heavy handed and to some ex-tent unjust. In this way, the seeds of dissension spread and many of the people began to love the luxuries of life that Uthman had warned against. Conspiracies arose and it was difficult for Uthman to discern friend from foe. He was reluctant to shed the blood of any Muslim how-ever rebellious they may be. Uthman (may Al-lah be pleased with him) preferred to persuade with kindness and generosity for he always re-membered the words of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him): Once the sword is unsheathed among my followers, it will not be sheathed until the Last Day.The rebels called for Uthman to step down and indeed many of the companions advised him to do so. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), now an old man of more than 80 years, heard the words of his beloved prophet ring-ing in his ears and refused to stand down from his position. Perhaps Allah will clothe you with a shirt, Uthman and if the people want you to take it off, do not take it off for them. Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) re-mained true to his covenant but after a long siege, the rebels broke into his house and murdered him. As the assassins sword struck, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) was reciting the following verse.So if they believe in the same as you believe in, then they have been [rightly] guided; but if they turn away, they are only in dissension, and Allah will be suffi-cient for you against them. And He is the Hear-ing, the Knowing.(Quran 2:137)Such was the tragic end of one of the most pi-ous, kind and selfless men in Islam.

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The murder of three American Muslims at a University of North Carolina condo-minium on Tuesday, 10 February, was no ordinary murder, nor is the criminal who killed them an ordinary thug. The context of the killings, the murder itself and the media and official responses to the hor-rific event is a testimony to everything that went wrong since the United States unleashed it's long-drawn-out "war on terror, with its undeclared, but some-times declared enemy, namely Islam and Muslims. Horrific as it was, the killing of a husband and wife, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and her sister, Razan Abu-Salha, by homegrown terrorist, Craig Stephen Hicks, is the kind of violence that can only fit into a greater media and official narrative, which designates mil-lions of innocent Muslims, in the US or across the world as enemies or potential terrorists. Countless television hours and endless space in numerous media has been ded-icated to vilify and demonize Muslims throughout recent years. Muslims' at-tempts to distance themselves from eve-ry militant grouping, ideology and ten-dency has done them no good. A Muslim is a terrorism suspect until proven inno-cent, especially if a bearded, brown man, or a headscarf-clad woman. The end result of that dehumanization has been racism, racial profiling, ex-tra-judicial killings and war. It was only a matter of time before that violence reached the nominally safe Muslim com-munities in the US itself. The episode of dehumanization is long, complex and protracted; also, quite clev-er, for it involves billion-dollar media out-fits and Hollywood itself, which already has an awful track record regarding neg-ative and stereotypical representation of Arabs and Muslims. The outcome is a whole industry that is predicated on double standards and half-truths. The ongoing enthusiasm for more mili-tary interventions means that supposed "moral awakening inspired by the advent of President Barack Obama rarely regis-tered in the collective psyche of the na-tion. While there is ample evidence that Americans are "tired of war, that very war fatigue should not be conflated with a departure of the type of dialectics that rationalized war in the first place. But hating Muslims is not your everyday racism and prejudice, which has been "as American as apple pie and Napalm (a funny, sad line from the American comedy, M.A.S.H). It is a readily availa-ble fodder for the ongoing war and future war in Muslim countries. It is the required amount of dehumanization needed to wage war. This is why Islam and Muslims are equated with terrorism, and why terror-

Parking space terrorism: Time for action after killing of three US Muslims

ism is used almost exclusively to describe violent acts committed or allegedly commit-ted by Muslims. The same champions of this invalid logic are those who constantly push the line: "All Muslims are not terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims." The assumption might be inane, but the in-tention is anything but. It absolves the war criminals, who planned, executed and justi-fied the war; the soldiers who did the fight-ing, and those who ensured that there can be no legal accountability for its numerous awful deeds - millions being killed, maimed and all. Instead, it puts the onus on ordinary Mus-lims who are set up to prove their innocence to no avail, to absolve themselves from a crime they never committed, in fact, to an-swer for someone else's crimes. But Hicks, who walked into the flat of three students in Chapel Hill, NC and shot them, execution style, was not a Muslim. He comes from Christian heritage. He is not black or brown, but white. His name is not Ahmed, but Craig. Neither the police nor the media would de-scribe his crime as a hate crime, let alone terrorism, although his terrorism is unique in a way. His type resides on the top of the food chain in terms of race, gender and other criteria. Yet, somehow he is politically frustrated. Go figure. He is not a member of a radicalized genera-tion born into oppression, foreign invasion, poverty and other untold humiliation. If that was the case, one can, at least to a degree fathom the hate, deconstruct the anger, or even rationalize that violence is a natural outcome of a certain reality. So Hicks, we are told, killed the students "execution style because of a dispute over parking spaces. The same way that Chris Kyle - "The Ameri-can Sniper- made 164 confirmed "kills in Iraq, targeting "savages because that's what national heroes do. And US wars and sanctions on Iraq killed, starved and wound-ed millions to bring democracy to the Arabs. This selectively insane logic will persist however, because there are millions of unrepentant politicians, extremist media pundits and well-armed men and women who refuse to see the recklessness of their "logic. They will continue to feed violence - which unlike what Hicks is led to believe - didn't start on 11 September 2001 - and spit out the most dangerous of militant phenomena: al-Qaeda, IS and all the rest. It is time for Muslims to demand that Obama issue more than a statement, but call the United States government and hate-filled media to account. These outrageous double standards must end, before more innocent lives are taken. Ramzy Baroud is a an internationally-syndi-cated columnist, a media consultant, an au-thor and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com.

Ramzy Baroud

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Jamaada Al Awwal 02,1436/February 20, 2015

State to be sued over Wagalla massacreWajir County government will sue the state to seek justice for the victims of the 1984 Wagalla massacre.Wajir County governor Ahmed Abdullahi said his government will partner with local and international human rights bodies in compelling the government to compensate and apologize to the victims of the bloody massacre. We must sue the government of Kenya to compel them to compensate the victims of that heinous massacre. They must also be forced to acknowledge that the atrocity was committed and offer an apology to the people of Wajir, Abdul-lahi said.

The governor who was speaking in Wajir town on Saturday noted that the govern-ment must implement the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) report that offered some sort of remedy to the victims.He said subsequent governments should take responsibility for the heinous crimes committed against the people of Wajir. Subsequent governments had an oppor-tunity to give a chapter of closure to the massacre. The TJRC report offered such an opportunity which remains squandered. We also want those mentioned by the re-port and witnesses to be prosecuted, add-ed the governor. On his part former deputy speaker Fa-rah Maalim said the massacre amount to crimes against humanity and added that he will champion efforts in seeking justice from international courts.We lost faith in governments. Three dec-ades later, we still cry for justice. Those who killed us still deny what they did. We must enjoy all civil liberties as enshrined in the constitution since we are Kenyans who must enjoy the same rights as others, said the former deputy speaker.The massacre was commemorated on Saturday in Wajir with the screening of a film Scarred: The Anatomy of a Massa-cre, a film directed by Judy Kibinge. The film has accounts of survivors of the mas-sacres.

Use Kadhis courts to solve family disputes

The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) has appealed to the national government to avail more funds in order to conduct peace programmes in the Northern part of the country.The Mandera-Wajir Mediation Commit-tee headed by NCIC chairman Francis Ole Kaparo and Garissa senator Yusuf Haji cited lack of financial support from the government as a major hinderance to the committees peace and reconciliation pro-grammes.All our efforts have being curtailed due to lack of financial support required by the committee to carry out its tasks said the Senator Yusuf Haji.The peace team also want both the na-tional and county governments to re-settle internally displaced people in the region.Mandera Wajir mediation committee was formed in June last year by President Uhuru Kenyatta to spear head peace pro-cess between warring Garre and Degodia communities living in the two counties fol-lowing violence that led to loss of life and rendered hundreds of others homeless. The NCIC Chairman noted that since the committee steped in, the long standing perennial inter-clan fighting and blood-shed has drastically reduced.Ole Kaparo lauded both local and national leaders for their committment in realiz-ing peace and integration among the two communities.Meanwhile the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) called for the cancellation of a bail granted to Gatundu Member of Parliament Moses Kuria over an incitement case. The prosecution ordered the cancellation of the Sh2 million bond pending the deter-mination of the case adding that the con-troversial politician risks facing jail term for failure to honour an out of court pact between him and the commission.The court was told that depite being of-fered an out of court settlement the MP has continued to post hateful messages on social media.Moses Kuria faces accusation of hate speech,public incitement and ethnic con-tempt. The case will be heard on March 12.

Muslims have been told to make use of the Kadhis courts in arbitration of family mat-ters.Malindi high court judge Said Chitembwe said that the courts provide effective dis-pute resolution mechanisms to resolve family disputes which are in conformity with Islamic principles.He stated that as taxpayers, it is their con-stitutional rights to be served by the Ka-dhi's courts rather than the conventional courts which could not handle matters out-side the jurisdiction of the Kadhi's courts.He made the remarks last Friday when he officiated at the opening of the new Kadhis courts building in Kakamega.The Judge hailed the opening of the court saying that it will help reduce on the back-log of cases waiting for resolution at the local conventional courts.On his part, the upper western Kadhi Sheikh Shaaban Issa Muhammad pledged that the court will ensure that Muslims in the region are diligently served and called on them to register their marriage immedi-ately they get married.He further pointed out that Islam encour-ages its adherents to put down in written any transaction or agreement for future reference and accountability purpose. The local community led by Sheikh Idris Luvale thanked the government through the judiciary for the establishment of the Kadhi's court and said the move will ease the dispensation of justice in the Muslim community.Muslims in upper western region cover-ing Vihiga and Kakamega counties will no longer have to travel long distances for hearing of their cases. Previously litigants were forced to travel to Bungoma and Ki-sumu counties respectively for judicial ser-vices.

NCIC calls for more funds for NEP peace initiative

Youth have been advised to adhere to Is-lamic moral values and teachings ascribed in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon Him and shun extremism and misguided groups.Addressing a youth workshop, Ustadh Omar Athman, the Imam of Masjid Ihsaan in Malindi, Kilifi County further advised the young men and women to engage them-selves in productive activities that could improve on their livelihood stressing that this can only be achieved through self dis-cipline and hard work.He went on to urge the youth to steer away from actions which will contribute to misun-derstanding and intolerance in the society and be at forefront in preaching peace and harmony among Muslims and people of other faiths.Contrary to perceptions created by the me-dia, he said that Islam respects other faiths and does not support acts of violence against innocent people Jihad is not about killing or harming non-Muslims. ''The world views equates jihad with vio-lence against other religions and denying non-Muslims the right to practice their own beliefs. Islam is far from these viewpoints, Ustadh Omar said.He added that it was prudent that Muslims use the media to correct the misconcep-tions about Islam and present a positive message of the faith to the wider society.

'Jihad is not about killing non-Muslims

oath and relevant government agencies for the purpose of issuing them with ID cards. These people are confined to their vil-lages. They cant get jobs, open bank ac-counts, he said in his submission.The taskforce chairman Mathias Omondi said the ID problem has protracted for long and is impacting negatively on national se-curity.Omondi said no one will be victimized for presenting views noting that the commit-tee will make recommendations based on the views with the aim of getting a lasting solution to the problem.The committee whose mandate expires in April will tour Mombasa, Kakuma and Eastleigh among other towns.

'Address double regis-tration in NEP

Continued from Page 1

Ummah Foundation has the long term objective of building a finan-cially inclusive community with access to economic opportunities for all, by giving the most needy and bright students the financial tools (paying for their schools fees) to improve their lives. This has a lasting effect of having a society that unlocks itself through edu-cation, from the pandemic ills of poverty and ignorance.There is a wrong perception that Muslims in this country are illiter-ate, ignorant and suffer from the medieval fallacy of considering education as the second priority in life. We need to understand that Islam highly advocates for education. Islam, in theory as well as in practice, has always promoted knowledge. Distinctive mark of human beings over the angels is knowledge. The Prophet s.a.w did not only preach about importance of knowledge, he also gave examples of promoting knowledge. In the very first battle between the Muslims and unbelievers of Makka, known as the war of Badr, the Muslims gained victory and caught seventy non believers as prisoners of war. One of the criteria of releasing the POWs devised by the Prophet s.a.w was that those who were liter-ate among the prisoners could go free if they teach ten Muslim children how to read and write.Ummah Foundation is currently sponsoring students at secondary school levels as a pedestal to create a strong foundation and in-crease the meagre and sorry percentage of Muslims at University levels from the current 2% to a proportional percentage as per the Muslim populace. A strong student, Yusuf Hussein at Starehe Boys centre who is a beneficiary of the Ummah Foundation bur-sary scheme, is already focused on his future. When asked what he hopes to do after graduating high school Yusuf tells us "I want to join university to study medicine and then become a doctor". A lover of football and Islamic activities, this well rounded student is eager to learn and change the society at large. With everybodys concern and help, boys and girls like Yusuf who have a wider vi-sion of making the future bright, we will have so many doctors, engineers, lawyers and myriads of others joining other meaningful professions that will change lives.When asked why he wants to become a doctor Yusuf confidently replied, "I think I have the heart and passion for that job; I like taking care of patients. Whenever I go to the hospital I really like seeing the patients being attended to and helped. I think I would be good at that job and earn the blessings of Allah swt". We agree. By investing in him, not only are you investing in the career of a boy from an ethnic minority in a rural region, but you are investing in this countys future.In the rural setup, many families have lower incomes and entirely depend on livestock or subsistence farming, it is very difficult and almost impossible to send their children to secondary schools, yet a high school education is necessary to access many jobs. With your financial support Yusuf and others can go to school without worrying that a drought might demand that he drops out due to unpaid fees.For many students in this Country where the gap between the affluent rich and the indigents is too big, the chance to attend secondary school or attain a University degree means a chance to broaden not only their academic horizons but also their future prospects and a reprieve from the vicious circle.Contact us:Ummah FoundationVillage Plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara RdP.O. Box 58717-00200 NairobiTel: +254-20-2680610/13 Mob: 0734845277Email: info@ummahfoundation.netwww.ummahfoundation.net

Education for the needy

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