Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17, 2015 Issue No. 624

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

Friday BulletinTheThe Weekly Muslim News Update

www.jamiamasjidkenya.org

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Calls to close Dadaab camp opposed

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Joyful children at Lang'ata Women's prison in Nairobi after receiving a donation of dia-pers from Ummah Foundation. The organisation donated a one-year supply of diapers to the children who are living in prison with their incarcerated parents while all inmates were provided with sanitary towels and undergarments to last them for a year.

Muslims leaders have welcomed a di-rective by the government to offer am-nesty to youth who have being lured into joining the Al Shabaab militia group to surrender. On Tuesday Interior cabinet secretary Joseph Nkaissery issued a 10-day ul-timatum to those who wish to disas-sociate themselves from terrorism to register with the government authori-ties failure to which stern action will be taken against them. Those who fail to heed this call within the prescribed time frame will be treated as criminals living in our midst and will face the full force of the law said Nkaissery in a statement sent to newsrooms.Nkaisssery further asked the youth to report to county commissioners of-fices in Nairobi, Mombasa and Garis-sa for further directions. Parents and guardians whose child has either gone missing or suspect to have been radi-calized have also being urged to re-port to the authorities failure to which they will be treated as accomplices.Reacting to the directive, the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) secretary general Adan Wachu hailed the move by cabinet secretary add-ing that in order to be effective the amnesty should carry along favorable conditions. We fully support the am-nesty given to our Kenyan youth who have been misguided to join fanatic movements, Wachu told the Friday Bulletin. He said that those willing to surren-der should not be made a target for elimination and victimization adding that to fully guarantee their security the government must engage reputa-ble institutions and individuals such as community elders and Imams in the registration process. Wachu noted that those willing to denounce such groups should be in-tegrated back into the society, taken through counseling and provided with source of livelihoods. The official fur-ther urged the state to increase the timeline of the amnesty from a period of 10 days to a month arguing that

The call by the government to close down Dadaab refugee camp, the largest refugee camp in Africa has been met with an uproar from civil society, human rights organizations as well as section of politicians in the country.Following the attack on Garissa University College that claimed the lives of 148 people, it has been alleged that the camp is a safe haven for terrorist who use it to plot terror at-tacks.On Saturday Deputy President William Ruto issued a three month ultimatum to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UN-HCR) to close down the camp and relocate over 500,000 refugees to Somalia failure to which the government will forcefully relocate the refugees.The DPs sentiment was however met by op-position from various stakeholders who ar-gued that the government is diverting atten-tion from the serious concerns of insecurity the country is grappling with.The United Nations refugee agency urged the government to reconsider an order to close the teeming refugee camp, warning Continued To Page 7

Standing united aginst terrorism

that sending Somali refugees back to their homeland would have "extreme humanitar-ian and practical consequences".UNHCR country representative Raouf Mazou on Tuesday faulted the decision saying that refugees are not responsible for the upsurge of insecurity in the country and therefore they should not be punished and forced to return home.Refugees should not be forced to go back to their countries of origin. They should only be relocated once their country experience relative calm and stability. First, we need to understand that refugees were at risk when they were coming here. said Mazou.He noted that repatriation of refugees should be voluntary and by kicking the refugees out of the country, Kenya would be contravening the tripartite agreement it signed between her, Somalia and UNHCR to host the refugees. Kenya has also signed several international agreements to protect refugees. Refugees have rights that need to be protected by all countries globally. He added.

Editorial: Winning hearts and minds crucial in the terror war

Concerted efforts needed to fight terrorism- Amina

Muslim leaders welcome amnesty offer

The Friday Bulletin Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

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EDITORIAL

Gov't urged to extend amnestyContinued From Page 1

Kenyans are still reeling in shock from the ghastly Garissa University College attack that claimed the lives of close to 150 peo-ple, most of them students.The last two weeks have been marked by an unprecedented wave of funerals for the young bright minds who were expected to make positive impact on their families, communities and nation as a whole.We reiterate our condemnation for the at-tacks and the government must not relent on its efforts to smoke out and apprehend those who were behind this horrendous and savage acts. They cannot be justified under any circumstances and the sordid actions of the perpetrators to mask their actions through religion is appalling, ri-diculous and cannot in anyway be accept-able.While the security agencies continue their relentlessly efforts to track down these atrocious killers and their accomplices, at the same time, the government need to understand that the measures which are being made to fight this hydra headed cancer should be consistence with the law and should not be seen to target innocent people. In an unprecedented move, the govern-ment went on to freeze the accounts of businesses and individuals for their al-leged links to terrorism. The natural rules of justice which demand for the accused to be given the presumption of innocence did not apply in this case as in a stroke of a pen, they were all declared guilty even before their innocence was established. More worrying is that even highly respect-able organisations and prominent Muslim scholars who have consistently spoken out against terrorism and radicalization were bundled together with criminal ele-ments. Such kind of actions will only serve to kill the motivation of those who have risked their lives to speak against the actions of Al Shabbab.The fight against Al Shabbab was also taken to Muslim owned business estab-lishments where they were raided by police and documents and computers seized which paralyzed their operations. Strangely, these businesses had not been featured on the list of entities suspected of terrorism activities and there was nothing to link them to involve in illegal activities.These reputable business establishments which have provided employment to hun-

dreds of Kenyans were shut down effec-tively increasing the unemployment rate in the country and rendering hundreds of families without a source of income.It is had been said before, such retrogres-sive measures only serve to undermine the efforts to mobilize the community efforts to also play robust efforts in fighting against terrorism. At this time when the country has faced one of its worst tragedies in history, it is important for all Kenyans irrespective of their ethnic or faith background to come to-gether and have a united stand in fighting our common enemy whose mission is to threaten the peaceful nature of the country and religious diversity which has been in existence for generations.It is appalling however, to see that a sec-tion of religious leaders apportioning the blame of terrorism and radicalization and on the Muslim community. It should be understood that Muslims have also been victims of these acts of criminality. In the Garissa University College massacre, the first victim was a Muslim police officer and while they claimed to separate students based on their faith backgrounds, these criminals in a most sadist manner also killed two Muslim students.Besides this, it is public knowledge that one of the most prominent Muslim lead-ers in this country was killed for speaking out against extremism. More so, amidst threats against their lives, Imams, scholars and other Muslim leaders have consist-ently spoken out against randy teachings and individuals who have been using the name of Islam to perpetrate violence and criminal acts. It is therefore wrong to insinuate or allege that the Muslim community has been by-standers and should take blame for the ac-tions of a few deranged individuals who do not represent Islam or Muslims. The actions of the Mungiki who resorted to brutal methods such as beheading in the orgy of killing their perpetrated which led to the death of hundreds of people were not blamed on the Kikuyu community and fair-ness and justice demands that the same balance of justice should not be overlooked when it comes to Muslims. The statement coming from the clergy will only help to polarize the nation alongside religious lines and help to fan sectarian conflicts.It should be noted that it is Mus-lims who welcomed Christians in this land

and have lived with their brethren in har-mony for more than 150 years without any show of animosity on the basis of religion in line with the ethics of religious tolerance which form among the most outstanding and unique teachings of Islam. The effects of the post election violence are grim reminders of what violence would mean to a country and we all need to work together to live up to the pledge that never again will such a sad event in this history of the country ever happen. Engagement and dialogue present the best methods for religious leaders from all faith backgrounds to come together and candidly discuss the issues facing the county. Pointing fingers can never serve as a panacea to this problem which is af-fecting each and every Kenyans. While the government should continued its resolve to nail down those affiliated to Al Shabbab , it also crucial to put in place measures aimed wining the hearts and minds of vulnerable youth who have been misled or susceptible to join crimi-nal groups. We applaud the move to give amnesty to youth who had fallen prey to indoctrination and the measures being proposed to give them a chance to inte-grate in to the society.In this matter, it is important for the State to work together with community leaders to deconstruct the ideological mindset which saw these vulnerable minds being misled. More importantly, it should be seen that these are sincere moves as similar efforts in the past met skeptical response follow-ing a spate of killings and mysterious dis-appearances which was blamed on elite police squads targeting those suspected of being linked Al Shabbab.Perhaps, pardoning the three girls who were arrested for allegedly heading to Somalia to join Al Shabbab and subject-ing them to a de-radicalisation programme should be part of the amnesty measures. Like others, they too fell prey to randy teachings and giving them a chance to re-form may persuade others to give up the false ideology. While strong measures are taken to fight Al Shabbab, it is important to recognize that one of the most effective and strong weapons to succeed in this war is through winning hearts and minds and the govern-ment need to closely work with in partner-ship with stakeholders to realize this goal.

those in Somalia need adequate time to return back. On his part Jamia Mosque Committee member Abdulhamid Slatch termed the amnesty as a positive step and called for alternative measures such as poverty eradication, training and job creation to be made for those who renounce their asso-ciation with acts of violence and extrem-ism. We are very pleased with the move

Winning hearts and minds crucial in terror war

by the Interior Cabinet Secretary to give the youth a second chance. It is a positive initiative and the first step in the right direc-tion, he said.Echoing the same sentiments, the National Muslims Leaders Forum (NAMLEF) Abdul-lahi Abdi described the step taken by the government as bold and encouraging. He called for the extension of the amnesty pe-riod stressing that the government should

assure the youth of their safety through religious leaders should they surrender to the authorities. The government maintained that it will put in place mechanisms to rehabilitate radicalized youth through reintegration measures such as de-radicalization pro-grammes, training and provision of alter-native source of livelihoods to those vul-nerable to exploitation and radicalization.

The Friday Bulletin

I have persistently called upon our sincere scholars and preachers and continue to call upon them to describe things by their proper names, and to disassociate the word jihd (a word rich in meaning which is found in our sacred texts) form the activities of those killing organizations which murder innocent people and under-mine security in societies around the world regardless of whether those societies are Muslim or non-Muslim since carrying out atrocities and targeting civilians is categori-cally forbidden in Islam.Today, I must stress how important it is for us to condemn the abominable and criminal acts being perpetrated around the world in Islam's name and which are being misrep-resented as jihd. We must expose those acts and the people who carry them out by calling them what they really are, whether their perpetrators refer to themselves as al-Qaeda, or a jihad organization, or a mili-tant organization or an Islamic state. It is not enough to give vague indications and make ambiguous general statements.It is not enough that we speak up. Things have gone farther than that. A crisis has rent the intellectual and cultural fabric of our so-ciety. Therefore, I appeal to myself and to my fellow preachers to condemn this great evil in the clearest and most unambiguous terms, an evil which is causing bloodshed, destroying society, and blackening Islam's good name. It is also hampering our de-velopment, bringing ruin to our countries, inciting transgression against human life, while violating both the tenets of Islam and the dictates of basic human values.The problem we are addressing is one of blind civil strife, where every time it seems to come to an end, it just goes on as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in an authentic tradition describing the tribulations of the Last Days. The onus of quelling this strife and exposing how it vio-lates Islamic teachings falls upon the sin-cere scholars and preachers of Islam who do not fear the censure of others and who feel no hesitation in calling a crime a crime, regardless of the consequences.I do not care if some people who dislike what I say are going to accuse me of work-ing for this or that interest group, or of be-ing a government stooge. I call Allah to witness for what I say. My condemnation of terror stems from my religious faith and my firm convictions. No one has any sway over my beliefs. I am neither for nor against the governments. Regardless of the conse-quences, I am against deviance, destruc-tive behavior, and acts of atrocity in gen-eral, and especially when those acts are perpetrated in the name of religion. I make my position plain.I do not care if my opponents insist on mak-ing false accusations against me. I say what I mean, loudly and clearly. These are my religious beliefs, which I have not changed and which have not been any different in the past. However, there is a more press-

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Standing united against terrorism Sheikh Salman al-AwdahDA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURESUNDAY

Uovu wa kuenda kinyume na mtume S.A.W

By: Abu Qauthar19th April 2014

Time: 2.00 pm -4.00 pm Venue: Makina Kibera

ing need today than at any previous time to reiterate those beliefs and announce them all the more forcefully. Indeed, ever since the outbreak of these violent acts, speak-ing out against them has become a reli-gious, educational and moral imperative for anyone who cares about the future of Is-lam, our country, the generations to come, and preserving what little stability is left in the Muslim world.I declare that Allah does not make right the deeds of those who perpetrate atrocities. Nor does He bring the plots of the deceiv-ers to right guidance. Those who, in the name of Islam, kill innocents and very often they happen to be Muslims or who claim that by doing so they are upholding Islamic teachings, they will not succeed and they will not set things right. Rather, they will face Allah's punishment and be-come a warning to others unless they re-pent beforehand.I call upon those who still make excuses and hesitate when they speak to think about the judgment they will face when they will stand before Allah. They should not let the oppressive acts of governments or their policies or the embargoes that gov-ernments impose upon them, cause them to be unjust. The heavens and the earth are only set aright by justice.The merciful thing to do is to tell those young people who have been deceived, and those who are set to join their ranks tomorrow, that: This path you are taking is not going to bring you to your goal. It will not save you from Hell or earn you Para-dise. Whoever wants success in this life, salvation in the next, and Allah's pleasure should adhere to the true teachings of Is-lam and keep far away from bloodshed and strife. Do not attempt to reinterpret the faith so as to justify acts that are clearly and pa-tently evil. In the boldness with which you commit such mortal sins, you engage in crimes far worse in Allah's estimation than those whom you purport to condemn.This should be the message that parents give to their families that mothers teach their children, that teachers impart to their students, and that preachers address to their congregations. The condemnation of terror should not be connected with any official campaign, media drive, or salaried work. Rather, it should come from an inner sense of religious duty, from our obliga-tion to raise the next generation correctly and to call people to what is right. It should be carried out with the intention of foster-ing reconciliation in society and building bridges between ourselves and those who disagree with us, which can be achieved on the basis of our shared concern to safe-guard our faith and our worldly lives. In our thinking, we need to get beyond defending our individual interests and look to the gen-eral good and to the future. Our concern should be for society: its common folk and its leaders, its rich and its poor, those who are righteous and those who are sinners.

We have opened the Registration of the Qur-aan competition for this year. Madrasah or Islamic Institution wishing to participate should regis-ter with the Dawah Office in Jamia on or before 1st Rajab 1436/ 20th April 2015. Late Registration will not be entertained. The participat-ing Madaaris should be in Nairobi County and Its Environs. SHUKRAN!

Jamia Mosque Qur-aan Competition 1436 H/ 2015 CE

SUNDAY LECTURE

Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

All of these people are part of our society, and we must share a sense of loyalty with them all.In all earnest, I call upon our young people to discuss this matter both in person and on the Internet, to uncover the reasons why some people have sympathies for such ac-tivities and organizations and how to rem-edy the causes for those sympathies. I call upon them to hold fast to the clear and ex-plicit teachings of Islam, as set forth in the Qur'an and Sunnah, which warn against sowing dissention, killing, and murder. Indeed, this was one of the last exhorta-tions that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) made to his followers at the end of his life, on the occasion of his final pilgrimage.Did the Prophet permit the execution of the leaders of Quraysh in Makkah when they sought to stamp out the Muslims in their midst? No. Or the leaders of the traitorous hypocrites in Madinah when they sought to undermine the nascent Muslim commu-nity? No. Did he call for executing the lead-ers of the Jews when there was a covenant between them? No. Did he ever grant any-one the right to pass personal judgment over others and their faith and carry out punishments? No. Never did he permit such things. What chaos would have been worse than that? But this is what these people today want to reduce us to.I assert, on the basis of certain conviction, that the people who follow that extreme path, if they ever come into power, will bring destruction and ruin to everything. Society,

SUNDAY LECTURE

SUNDAY

Lecturer: Sh. Ibrahim Lethome Topic:Is Islamic Shariah barbaric?

Date: 18th April 2015 Time: 2.00 - 4.00 pm Venue Jamia Multi-Purpose Hall

SATURDAY LECTURE

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The Friday Bulletin

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Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

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This is a brief overview of what Islam has to say about jihad, terrorism and the sanc-tity of human life. It bases itself, not on the need to please policy makers or the powers to be, nor on a colonialized mindset des-perate to fit Islam into some acceptable lib-eral mould, but upon the texts of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, and the consensus (ijma') and considerations of mainstream Muslim jurists.1. The first thing to mention in this regards is Islam's outlook concerning the sanctity (hurmah) of human life. For as Islam views it, the human creature is indeed a sacred creation; so much so that: Whoever kills a person for other than crimes of manslaugh-ter or corruption in the earth, it shall be as if he has killed the whole of humanity; and whosoever saves the life of one person, it shall be as if he has saved the whole of humanity. [5:32] Such, then, is the extraor-dinary value placed on human life in the Qur'an. And thus, as will be shown, acts of terror where women, children and other ci-vilians are intentionally targeted and killed is categorically repudiated by Islam and by the agreement of those versed in law and learning among the Muslims.2. Jihad as a word stems from jahada, which means: to strive, to exert oneself, to take extraordinary pains. As for its re-ligious sense, al-Raghib al-Asbahani (d.425H/1034CE) defines it thus: 'Exerting one's utmost ability in repelling an enemy, and it is of three kinds: namely, contend-ing against the outward enemy, the devil, and one's ego. Each of these enters into Allah's statement, exalted is He: And strive for Allah as He rightly must be striven for. [22:78] And strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. [9:41] Also: Those who believed and left their homes and strove with their wealth and their lives in the cause of Allah. [8:72]'3. In Islam, the decision about war and peace is not left to scholars, soldiers, or an-yone else. Rather it rests with the head of state who wields executive authority. This being a cardinal rule of warfare in Islam. Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d.620H/1223CE) explains the rule like so: 'The question of declaring war [or not] is entrusted to the head of state and his decision (amr al-jihad mawkulunila'l-imam waijtihadihi). Com-pliance with the decision is the subject's duty in terms of what the authorities deem fit in the matter.' (Al-Mughni) Al-Buhuti (1051H/1641CE) echoes the principle: 'De-claring jihad or not is entrusted to the head of state and his decision, for he best knows the condition of the Muslims and of the en-emy.' (Kashshaf al-Qina')4. The classical Islamic doctrine that for-bids killing non-combatants and civilians in an outward (military) jihad takes its cue from the Prophet's words, peace be upon him: Do not kill elderly men, infants, young children or women.' (Abu Dawud) And Ibn 'Umar relates that the Prophet, peace be upon him, 'forbade the killing of women

Terrorism is to Jihad as adultery is to marriage

and children.' (Bukhari)5. After quoting the last hadith, imam al-Nawawi (d.676H/1277CE) typified the juristic consensus on the issue when he said: 'Scholars concur upon acting by this hadith and forbid the killing of women and children, provided that they do not engage in combat. ' (Sharh Sahih Muslim) Ibn Qudamah, explaining the logic behind the consensus against not fighting women, the elderly, children, monks or traders, writes that each of these 'are non-combatants (laysa min ahl al-qital).' (Al Mughni) Again, he states: 'It is not permissible to kill a child among them, nor the insane, nor a woman, monk, elderly man, someone with a debili-tating illness, and nor a blind man. ('Umdat al-Fiqh)6. Thus, as has been shown, the intention-al targeting and killing of civilians, which a fringe minority now seek to pass off as a bonafide jihad, is a gross departure from the classical juristic consensus and a per-version of the prophetic teachings. The wanton carnage and urban mayhem un-leashed upon civilian lives, and the twisted re-readings of Islam's scriptural sources by the current vanguards of terrorism, must continue to be denounced, repudiated and textually exposed. In unmasking terrorism (hiraba) for what it truly is, it has been aptly contended that: 'Terrorism is to jihad what adultery is to marriage.' The Qur'an says: 'What! Have you slain an innocent soul though he has killed nobody? Truly you have done a thing most foul.' [18:73]7. One argument extremists use to justify their acts of terror is to allege that civilians living in a democracy aren't innocent at all. Their logic runs like this: In a democracy the government represents the will of the people, therefore civilian populations are complicit in their government's foreign poli-cies and are thus legitimate targets in war. This allegation is as false as it is factually distorted. What this reductionist every-one's-guilty-in-a-democracy argument ig-nores or overlooks is that large swathes of citizens in a democracy may not agree with their government's foreign policies, or even have voted them into power! So how can such citizens be complicit in their govern-ment's actions? The anti-war demonstra-tions and protests against the Iraq war, for instance, which scores of millions of ordi-nary citizens across Western Europe and the United States rallied behind, is enough to show the fallacy of such logic. Moreo-ver, as we shall see below, the shari'ah still considers such people as not being min ahl al-qital actual combatants.8. A more direct rebuttal of this twisted logic would be to look at the context in which the Prophet, peace be upon him, prohibited the killing of women, children and other civilians in war. This injunction was given when the Prophet, peace be upon him, and the early Muslims were in the midst of war with the pagan Arabs of Makkaa, whose goal was no less than the extermination

of Muslims. The Makkan idolators were a tightlyknit confederacy whose tribal elders would make decisions collectively at their tribal councils. The average person in such a society had far greater access to their el-ders and leaders and far more influence on policies than any citizen in today's Western democracies. In fact, it was not uncommon for women (either married or related to trib-al leaders, or those with social influence) to pressurise, cajole and even threaten their husbands into war with the Muslims, on pain of family disgrace and tribal ignominy, if they did not do so. During the battle of Uhud, women, led by Hind, even went out onto the battlefield to lend moral support to the aggressors. In spite of knowing all this, the Prophet, peace be upon him, still in-sisted: 'Do not kill elderly men, young chil-dren, or women.' (Abu Dawud) And when he once saw a woman that had been killed, he said: 'This is not one who should have been fought.' (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)9. Another proof used to justify the killing of civilians is a hadith in which the Proph-et was asked about some of the idolators whose settlements had been attacked at night and which resulted in a few women and children being killed. This led him to say: 'They are from them (hum minhum).' (Bukhari) There are two reasons why this hadith cannot be used in this manner: First-ly, a large body of jurists consider the had-ith to have been abrogated by the explicit command to 'not kill civilians in war.' (Fathu Bari) Secondly, jurists who do permit night raids that could result in civilian loss clearly state: 'This is provided they [women, chil-dren and other non-combatants] are not deliberately targeted.' It is also interesting that a leading jurist of early Islam, as well as the actual sub-narrator of this hadith, imam al-Zuhri, would qualify the above hadith by immediately relating the hadith which forbids killing civilians. Thus: 'When-ever al-Zuhri related this hadith, he would say: Ka'b b. Malik's son narrated to me; from his uncle that the Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade the killing of women and children.' (Fathu Bari)10. Another aspect of the shari'ah which bears on the subject, but which has also come under extremism's aberrant re-read-ings, is the notion of 'aqd al-aman the covenant of security. What this implies is that Muslims residing, for instance, in a non-Muslim land either native born, nat-uralised or legal resident are under an explicit pact or contract which renders all non-Muslim life, property and honour sac-rosanct. That is, Muslim citizens of non-Muslim countries cannot engage in acts of aggression against their own state of fellow citizens. Ibn Qudamah said: 'As for treach-ery towards them, this is expressly forbid-den. For they only granted him security on condition that he not betray them and that they be safe from his harm. If this is not stipulated in explicit terms, it is implicitly

Sh. Abu Aaliyah Surkheel

The Friday Bulletin

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When we, Muslims, state that Islam is a re-ligion of peace, we are not trying to prove something unreasonable or solve a cross-word puzzle. Rather, we are just stating a fact backed by clear-cut evidence and un-questionable proofs.Even we don't need to state this fact, for Islam, in itself, is self-explanatory in terms of its meaning, its noble teachings and the core of its message conveyed by all the Prophets that Allah sent to mankind.Indeed, hate is not good for any person. We, Muslims, do not hate non-Muslims, be they Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhist or followers of any religion or no religion. Our religion does not allow killing any innocent person regardless of his or her religion.The life of all human beings is sacrosanct according to the teachings of the Qur'an and the guidance of our blessed Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and upon all the Prophets and Mes-sengers of Allah). About the prohibition of murder, the Qur'an says: Take not life, which Allah has made sacred, except by way of justice and law: thus does He com-mand you, that you may learn wisdom. (Al-An`am 6:151)Also Almighty Allah says in another Qur'anic verse: Nor take life, which Allah has made sacred, except for just cause. And if any-one is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir authority (to demand Qisas or to for-give): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the law). (Al-Israa' 17:33)According to the Qur'an, killing any person without a just cause is as big a sin as killing the whole humanity, and saving the life of one person is as good a deed as saving the whole humanity; this is related in the fol-lowing Qur'anic verse that reads: On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people,and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people. Then although there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after. (Al-Ma'idah 5:32)Then, how come the Qur'an says, Kill them wherever you find them as it is mentioned in Surat Al-Baqarah (2:191) and Surat An-Nisaa' (4:89)?!The answer is simple: One should read these verses in their textual and historical context. A person should read the whole verse, and it is better that he or she reads few verses before and few after. The proper context of the verse from Surah Al-Baqarah is as follows:Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.And kill them wherever you catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, kill them. Such is the reward of those who

reject faith.But if they cease, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.And fight them on until there is no more tu-mult or oppression, and religion is for Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression.The prohibited month, for the prohibited month, and so for all things prohibited, there is the law of equality.If then any one transgresses the prohibi-tion against you, transgress you likewise against him. But fear Allah, and know that Allah is with those who restrain them-selves. (Al-Baqarah 2: 190-194)Also, what follows is the verse quoted from Surah An-Nisaa' within its proper context:They but wish that you should reject Faith, as they do, and thus be on the same foot-ing (as they): so take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah.But if they turn renegades, seize them and slay them wherever you find them; and (in any case) take no friends or helpers from their ranks.Except those who join a group between whom and you there is a treaty (Of peace), or those who approach you with hearts restraining them from fighting you as well as fighting their own people. If Allah had pleased, He could have given them power over you, and they would have fought you: therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and (instead) send you (guaran-tees of) peace, then Allah has opened no way for you (to war against them).Others you will find that wish to gain your confidence as well as that of their people: every time they are sent back to tempta-tion, they succumb thereto; if they withdraw not from you nor give you (guarantees) of peace besides restraining their hands, seize them and slay them wherever you get them; in their case We have provided you with a clear argument against them.} (An-Nisaa' 4: 89-91)Now, do these verses give a free permis-sion to kill anyone anywhere?!These verses were revealed by Allah the Almighty to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) at the time when Muslims were attacked by the pa-gans of Makkah on a regular basis. They were frightening the Muslim community of Madinah. One may say, using the contem-porary jargon, that there were constant ter-rorist attacks on Madinah, and in this situa-tion Muslims were given permission to fight back the "terrorists".These verses are not a permission for "ter-rorism", but a warning against "terrorists". But even in these warnings, one can read-ily see how much restraint and care is em-phasized.It is important that we study the religious texts in their proper context. When these texts are not read in their proper textual and historical contexts, they can be easily manipulated and distorted.It is true that some Muslims manipulate these verses for their own goals. But this

The Qur'an: A teacher of violence? Muzammil H. Siddiqi

Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

is not only with Islamic texts, it is also true with the texts of other religions. I can quote dozens of verses from the Bible which seem very violent, if taken out from their historical context.These Biblical texts have been used by many violent Jewish and Christian groups. Crusaders used them against Muslims and Jews. Nazis used them against Jews. And recently, Serbian Christians used them against Bosnian Muslims. Now, Zionists are using them against Palestinians on a daily basis.Let me mention just a few such verses from the Old Testament and New Testament:"When the LORD your God brings you into the land where you are entering to pos-sess it, and clears away many nations be-fore you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Je-busites, seven nations greater and strong-er than you. And when the LORD your God delivers them before you and you defeat them, then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them." (Deuteronomy 7:1-2)"Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man intimately. But all the girls who have not known man intimately, spare for yourselves." (Numbers 31:17-18)Even in the New Testament, we read the following statement attributed to Jesus, saying to his disciples:"I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my pres-ence." (Luke 19:26-27)Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is President of the Fiqh Council of North America.

VACANCIES WAMY HIGH SCHOOL needs the fol-lowing:-1. Finance Officer (1 Position) Should have at least two(2) years work experience. Should be a CPA(K) holder. A degree in BCom majoring in Accounts/Finance is preferred.2. Senior Administrator Any degree with at least two(2) years relevant work experience.3. Records / Store Keeper Should have a diploma in relevant fieldShould have at least three (3) years rel-evant work experience4. Senior Secretary/Office Administrator He/she Must have a diploma, but a de-gree is preferred.At least five (5) years work experience All applicants must be Kenyan Citizens.Email yours CV and testimonials to:wamyhighschool@yahoo.cominfo@wamykenya.org

The Friday Bulletin

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Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

Continued From Page 4implied. This being so, it is unlawful for us to be treacherous to them, since this is betrayal; and our religion has no place for betrayal. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: The Muslims fulfil their contracts. (Al-Mughni)11. It isn't possible to stress enough how seriously Islam takes the obligation to honour contracts and covenants, or how unlawful it is for a Muslim who lives or re-sides in a land to then attack it or its citi-zens. Muslims who are under a pledge of security may not attack their country, nor its soldiers, nor any of its citizens. One hadith has this threat of humiliation and ignominy: 'For every person who betrays a covenant will have a flag at his back on the Day of Judgement, which will be raised according to the level of his treachery.' (Muslim)To conclude: the chorus of condemnation from Islam's textual sources and religious authorities, against acts of terror, must continue to ring out urgently and loudly. It is to their credit that Muslim scholars, de-spite differences between them on a whole array of theological and legal issues, have come out so unanimously against terror-ism. What we also ask of them is to con-tinue to strive to expose and eradicate the deviant notions and assumptions that un-derpin it.

from its civil cohesion, to its family integrity, to its agriculture, would waste away. Those people would foster civil strife and suffer for it in turn. This is because they have devi-ated from the straight path. They have no understanding of Islamic teachings and the wisdom behind those teachings. They are ignorant of the natural laws that Allah has placed in His creation. Therefore, they will never be successful and never find divine support. That is for certain, as anyone who has understanding can see. Neverthe-less, those people are quite successful in spreading chaos and confusion. They are good at misleading the simple-minded and causing discord, and they are given sup-port in this whenever we are silent, mince our words, or withhold judgment.May the peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, who brought the clear message and established the clear proof. And praise be to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds.

Sheikh Salman al-Awdah is a prominent scholar from Saudi Arabia

Standing against terrorism

Terrorism akin to adultery

Muslims across the country have been urged to support and cater for the welfare of the elderly persons in the Muslim com-munity to improve on their livelihoods. Speaking in Kisumu during the launch of the elderly persons project, Sisters With A Mission group's chairlady sister Rehema Akidah said that there was need for the Muslim community to roll out a welfare sys-tem that can properly cater for the elderly in the community.Rehema noted that apart from financial assistance to enable them set up income-generating activities to sustain themselves, the elders also need to be accorded health and medical care support for them to feel part of the society.She lamented that many Muslim elders are languishing in poverty and economic hard-ships due to lack of support from the com-munity and the government.She further adviced the senior citizens to register themselves with the department of gender and social development in the la-bour ministry in their respective counties in order to benefit from the cash transfer pro-gram meant for all eligible citizens regard-less of religious affiliations and advised Muslim elders to register themselves.Rehema asked the department of gender and social development in the ministry of labour to engage religious organizations in coordinating the exercise and called on the government to review the National policy on older persons and Ageing to promote family care and protection of elderly.She disclosed that the group through its lit-tle resources will provide support in form of

food rations and clothing in order to open up a window of hope for the elderly per-sons in the Muslim community and the so-ciety at large. She further noted that the group with sup-port from members and well-wishers will be setting up projects for the elderly where they can earn a living without much strain for better lives than going round the streets begging.The organization also plans to initiate a tai-loring training programme to economically empower girls.

Support elderly persons, Muslims urged

The Zakat Foundation of America (ZFA) in partnership with Islamic Youth Community Organization has launched water projects in Bungoma county to enable local com-munities access to safe and clean water for domestic use.Speaking at Namikelo area in Bungoma county during the official launch of the project, the ZFA East Africa representa-tive Muhammad Wangusi said the two organizations will facilitate the drilling of boreholes and installation of hand pumps in various villages and institutions in the region.Already mosques in rural areas and Mus-lim sponsored schools in the region have benefited from the project where bore-holes and wells have been sunk in the re-spective institutions.Wangusi said that the project is aimed at providing safe water to all members of the local community irrespective of their religious affiliations as a means to foster mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence between Muslims and members of other faiths for prosperity.He further noted that the project will im-proving on food production and security among the local communities and will be expanded to benefit more communities in Kakamega, Busia and Vihiga counties re-spectively On her part IYCO representative Sis-ter Aziza Kipsang appreciated the Zakat Foundation of America for its projects to better the livelihood of the local communi-ties and enhance on social economic de-velopment in the society.

ZFA borehole project to boost water supply in

Bungoma

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VACANCIESYOUNG MUSLIM HIGH SCHOOL (GARISSA) is looking for MATHEMAT-ICS/CHEMISTRY teachers.IRE/ARABIC. Qualifications Should be a B.E.D OR Diploma holder in his teachings subject. (B.Sc) in Maths and Chemistry. Should have excellent organizational and communicational skills. Experience of more than 3 years in handling candidate classes. Results oriented teacher Loyal, Humble and appreciative, full of energy. Ability to work with ASALIf you meet the above qualification, send or give a written application, CV, Academic certificates and any other Tes-timonials to: yma@africaonline.co.ke before the

25th of April 2015.

TAILORING SPONSORSHIP

Jamia Training Institute is proud to announce a one year sponsorship in Dressmaking Department for a Tai-loring course (Grade 3) examined by National Industrial Training Author-ity (NITA). Requirements for Interested stu-dents:- Muslim Lady- Be able to read and write basic Eng-lish- Should be able to communicate in either English or Swahili.- Send an application letter to the address below on or before 28/04/2015The Principal,Jamia Training InstituteP.O.Box 4062-00100 Nairobi

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL

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A Kangundo resident arrested over links to the Garissa attacks is now a free man af-ter he was released without charges being preferred against him.Hassan Munguti had been described as a most wanted Al Shabbab suspect in the Garissa attack and was arrested during a police raid at his home in Kanzalu village, Matungulu Sub County.After his arrest, neighbours came out to state that he was known to be a law abid-ing citizen and there were no reports that he was involved in criminal activities.Munguti whose name appeared on police list of wanted terror suspects, was set free after investigations revealed that he had nothing to do with the alleged crimes.Reiterating his innocent, he said he had never been involved in acts of terrorism and does not support the activities of the Somalia based militant group. I am a law abiding citizen and will never condone such acts, the 43-year old father of two told The Friday Bulletin at Jamia Mosque.During the three days he was in detention, he says he was subjected to rigorous inter-rogations by security officers but was quick to add that they handled him with decorum. They did not torture or harm me in any-way, he said.

Muslim Education Council (MEC) repre-sentatives at the county levels in Western region have formed a caucus aimed at bringing them together to discuss academ-ic and education issues in order to improve on education standards in the Muslim com-munity.Western region caucus of Muslim Educa-tion Council brings together appointees of MEC representatives at the County educa-tion boards from nine counties in Western region.The caucus was launched last week at a county education board sensitization work-shop held in Kisumu.Addressing participants during the launch ceremony, the interim chairman Hassan Ngeri commended MEC representatives in the region for coming up with the initiative and exuded confidence that it will go a long way in contributing to the improvement of education standards in the community.He further exhorted the representatives to work extra hard to develop new methods and ideas to uplift academic standards among Muslim students and help revamp the lost glory of Muslims in the education sector in their respective counties. ''As we reflect and ponder on the performance of Muslims in the education sector in the re-gion and the country as a whole, there is need for us as Muslim representatives at county education boards and education stakeholders in the Muslim community to take up our roles of putting up measures to improve on education standards, he 'said.The Kakamega county MEC representa-tive at the county education board Has-san Ngeri was elected the caucus interim chairman while Sadat Mansoor Kibira MEC representative in Busia is the secretary and the Migori Kadhi Sheikh Ibrahim Adan Tullu elected as a committee member.Other committee members include Abu-lala Kennedy (Vihiga), Ramadhan Hussein (Kisii), Ramadhan Omwayi (Homabay) and Muhammad Sultan from Kisumu.

Western MEC education board caucus formed

Kangundo most wanted suspect released

Jamaada Al Thanny 28,1436/April 17 ,2015

The Government should work closely with communities to fight the security stalemate that is currently facing the country.Speaking during the Forum of Parliaments of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) at a Nai-robi hotel, Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Amina Mu-hammad said terrorism is one of the key security challenges in the region which must be addressed through concerted ef-forts which involves the State and commu-nities.She said the problem of terrorism cannot be handled by individual governments and their institutions alone, saying it can only be successfully tackled through partner-ships of entire societies, communities and nations. The problem of terrorism cannot be handled by individual governments and their institutions alone. It can only be suc-cessful tackled through partnerships of en-tire societies, partnerships of communities and partnerships of nations, she said..The CS said necessary steps should be taken to ensure the development of the re-gion does not continue to be held hostage by warmongers and retrogressive forces.She urged Kenyans to travel the path of Peace, development and national Unity adding that Kenyans must embrace the values of reconciliation as well as social and political inclusion to attain peace and social economic development. We must travel the path of peace, of development and of national unity and we must embrace

the values of reconciliation as well as so-cial and political inclusion if we hope for peace and social economic development, reiterated Amina.The Speaker of the Senate and FP-ICGLR President, Ekwee Ethuro said the regional parliamentary forum will support the ef-forts of the government in the prevention and solution of conflicts and to contribute to the consolidation of peace processes and national reconciliation.

Concerted efforts needed to fight terrorism- CS Amina

Two Mombasa-based human rights lobby groups have gone to court challenging an order to freeze their bank accounts.In a petition to the High Court in Mombasa, Haki Africa and Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) made a plea for the accounts to be unfrozen on the grounds that the order from the Inspector-General of Police Jo-seph Boinnet was unconstitutional.The lawyer for the two organizations Yusuf Abubakar was categorical that the move was illegal as it was against the rules of natural justice not given an opportunity for the organizations to defend themselves.In the court papers, they stressed that the constitution provides that every person has a right to have any dispute to be resolved through fair hearing, an aspect which was ignored by the Inspector General.Haki Africa and Muhuri which have been vocal defenders of human rights abuse especially at the coast have denied the al-legations of association with terror or crimi-nal groups The hearing will be held on Friday next week.Meanwhile, international human rights groups have urged the government to en-sure full respect of the law and review the inclusion of Muhuri and Haki Africa in the official list of alleged supporters of terror-ism.In a joint statement, the London based Amnesty International and its New York counterpart Human Rights Watch said read mischief in the order saying the two lobby groups are being targeted for document-ing human rights violations by the security forces and counterterrorism efforts.Haki Africa and MUHURI are being tar-geted for their important work documenting human rights violations committed by the security forces, said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.This order places the burden of proof on the accused with almost no notice or op-portunity to appeal, in direct contravention of Kenyan and international standards, said the regional director for East Africa at Amnesty International Muthoni Wanyeki.States have a duty to protect their popula-tion from violent attacks, but must ensure that all counterterrorism measures are im-plemented in accordance with international human rights and humanitarian law, she added.

Rights groups sue overlist inclusion

Calls to close Dadaab Continued From Page 1

The parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights also dismissed the DPs remarks to shut down the camp as unconstitutional and diversionary adding that closing of the camp does not relate to the end of inse-curity. Such comments are arbitrary and unfortunate. Even if parliament wanted to remove Kenyan out of International Con-vention on refugees we cannot do as much because our own constitution recognizes the fact that refugees should be taken care of. said Nthiwa MP Augostine Neto.During a parliamentary session on Wednes-day, Nominated MP Johnstone Sakaja said the move will be counterproductive to the efforts to fight terrorism. The refugees will be embraced by Al Shabbab who will re-cruit them and send them back to carry out attacks within the country, he said.

The tedious journey of achieving his dreams after complet-ing primary school and securing a place in secondary school has not been an easy one. Ahmed started schooling in a remote public school in northern Kenya that could barely be compared to anything called a school vis--vis to the mod-ern schools in the urban setup. His father died when Ahmed could barely talk and he was left with his mother and three other siblings to fend for their lives. Ahmeds single parent had struggled to support him through his primary education and when he sat for his Standard 8 KCPE national exams, he emerged among the top students in Mandera county by scoring 388 marks out of the over-all 500 marks. This excitement lasted for a very short time when they realised that for Ahmed to keep on with his stud-ies her mother Dahabow, a widow and the sole breadwin-ner for her family should raise Sh120,000 for him to join the prestigious school at Alliance high school. She started look-ing for well wishers and Organisations that could sponsor her son and fortunately, her neighbour told her of Ummah Foundation, a humanitarian and charitable organization that supports bright Muslim students from across the country to pursue their secondary education. The Foundation spon-sors and supports bright and needy, more specifically the kind of Ahmed, who is an orphan. She applied to Ummah Foundation and Ahmed qualified to be one of the beneficiar-ies of the Bursary Scheme.I have done all kinds of odd jobs to ensure my children get to school. Fare for Ahmed to just take him to Alliance High School was Kshs.3, 000 and thats just one way! says Mama Dahabow. To raise the amount she has to engage in odd jobs including cleaning homes, as well as menial jobs like working on construction sites and mixing ballast. She looked for ways she could ensure her son went to second-ary school by asking friends and family for support. People would discourage me asking me why I am investing in his education yet he is just a young man who can start his own lifestyle by looking after camels and raring cattle. Ahmed is the first boy from his village to have ever joined a national school courtesy of Ummah Foundation. I have kept focus on reading hard and revising diligently with the teachers because I know education will take me places so that I help my mother who works hard a smiling Ahmed says. Ahmed is now able to go to school on time and with no worries of sourcing for school fees. His mother cannot contain her joy as she feels a burden has been lifted from her. I cannot thank Ummah Foundation Bursary Fund enough for assisting my son and I know he will not disap-point us.Ahmed is well on his way to secondary school and main-tains that he will still be as hardworking and diligent as he was in primary school. He wants to be a pilot and join the aviation world when he completes secondary school.Ummah Foundation would like to appeal to likeminded organizations to go out in the rural areas and search for unique talents that are lost due to poverty and lack of rais-ing fees. This is how we will make our community grow by identifying isolated cases like Ahmed for our future growth. 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

Ummah supports the needy to achieve their dreams

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

A new survey by Sky News has revealed that 40% of British Muslims partly blame police and MI5 for radicalizing young people, amid surge in the number of youth who travel to join fight in the Middle East.For many, current counter-terrorism measures, particularly related to the Prevent strategy, actually lead to greater alienation as Muslims are seen through the lens of security, rather than tackling the scourge of ter-rorism itself, spokeswoman for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) told The Telegraph on Friday, April 10.The poll also highlights the missed opportunity our law enforcement au-thorities have in working more closely with British Muslim communities, especially in relation to counter-terrorism," she added.Conducted by Sky News, the poll reflects growing alienation between British Muslims and the wider community.With one in three Muslims saying they experience more suspicion from others than before, 44% of non-Muslim agreed they become more suspi-cious of Muslims than they were previously."We are sad that the survey also shows that non-Muslims are more sus-picious of Muslims, reflecting a growth in Islamophobia in the country to the extent that it is now socially acceptable, the MCB spokeswoman stated.Britain is home to a sizable Muslim minority of nearly 2.7 million.Last month, Cage, a British organization which campaigns on behalf of people wrongly accused under the so-called war on terror, claimed that extremist Muhammad Emwazi, or Jihadi John may have been radical-ized after interrogation and detention by security services.A few weeks later, many British Muslims have complained that the UK foreign policy, discrimination and marginalization are the key factors pushing young Muslims to flee and join the so-called Islamic State (ISIL). (onislam.net)

Police, MI5 Radicalize Youth: UK Muslims