www.jamiamasjidkenya.

org

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

Gov't urged to explain cases

of abductions and killings

Page 2

Sha'ban the neglected

month

Page 3

Issue No. 628

Marsabit terror 'suspects'

released

Friday Bulletin
The

Page 7

The Weekly Muslim News Update

Victimization not solution to

counter terrorism
Finger pointing and victimization of Muslims is not a
panacea against the war on
insecurity. Instead more concerted efforts from the government which involves Muslim
and Christian leaders and
other stakeholders should be
stepped up to address the
worrying rise of insecurity in
the country.
The National Muslim Leaders Forum (NAMLEF) chairman Abdullahi Abdi said while
Kenyans are increasingly
concerned about the evolving
state of affairs with regards
to security matters, it was a
wrong approach to point accusation towards the Muslim
community as the actions of Al
Shabaab are not linked to the
community.
Al Shabaab dont speak or
act on behalf of Muslims in
the country. In Somalia there

From Left: The Chairman of Aga Khan National Council Nawaz Ghulam taking notes during a
consultative meeting with officials of Nairobi Jamia Mosque Committee when he paid a courtesy
call at the mosque on Monday. Sitted next to him is Jamia secretary general Abdul Bary Hamid,
vice chairman Farouk Adam, NAMLEF chairman Abdullahi Abdi and Ummah Foundation secretary general Zool Nimji.

are killing Muslims and when it comes to Kenyan they change tack and target non-Muslims to
cause animosity among the two communities,
he said as he urged the country to remain united
and not to fall into the menacing traps being laid
by the criminal group.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with
officials from the Aga Khan National Council at
Jamia mosque on Monday, he emphasized that
Muslims in the country do not support the attacks
targeting non-Muslims saying that this is a ploy
meant to divide the country along sectarian lines.
Muslims have been living in harmonious existence with their Christian counterparts for more
than a century. Muslims look at Christian as their
fellow countrymen and not as enemies, he emphasized.
Abdullahi took issue with the security agencies
for victimizing Muslims whenever an act of terrorism saying that these actions are not helpful
efforts in the war against terrorism.
Since the Garissa University massacre, many
Muslims have been unfairly detained and others
have disappeared at the hands of the security
agencies. This is victimization not the proper
way to address this menace, he said.
He told the government to take adequate measContinued To Page 2

Nairobi varsity closes down Muslim prayer room

The University of Nairobi has closed a
prayer room used by Muslims students
for their prayers and other engagements
on security concerns.
For more than two decades, the prayer
area has served as the focal point for
Muslims students for their spiritual engagements and activities.
The decision has elicited angry reactions
from the Muslims students who said
that it was done in bad faith and would
be detrimental to the spiritual welfare of
Muslims.
In a letter to the vice chancellor Prof. Peter Mbithi, the chairman of the Muslims
Students Association of University of
Nairobi (MSAUN) Ahmed Dekow said it
was unfair for the university administration to ban the students from using the
facility without offering an alternative
space.
He explained that several requests to the
university administration to provide land
for construction of a mosque had been
turned down and the decision will impede

on the spiritual progress of Muslim students.

The news of closing of the Muslim
prayer rooms has come at a time when
the preparation for our holy month of
Ramadhan was ongoing. The place
does not only serve as our place of
worship but also our office and meeting and bonding place for the Muslim
brothers and sisters of the University
of Nairobi, he said as he appealed to
the vice chancellor to review the decision.
The University Senate last week made
a decision to close all prayer rooms in
the halls of residences and advised
the students to worship in the nearest
churches and mosque.
While there are several churches
around the university which cater
for the spiritual welfare of Christian
students, it is a different matter for
the Muslim students as the nearest
mosque is Jamia located nearly two
kilometers from the university.

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

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

The Friday Bulletin

Govt urged to explain rising cases of abductions and killings

The government has being called upon
to explain the mounting cases of extra
judicial killings and abductions of individuals alleged to have links with terrorism.
This call was made by the Council of
Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK)
organizing Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Khalifa who said that the rate at
which individuals are disappearing is
worrying and unacceptable.
Such cases of people disappearing
what is popularly known as extrajudicial killings have being reported in the
counties of Wajir, Garissa, Mombasa
and Lamu.
Speaking to the Friday Bulletin on
phone, the Sheikh said interior cabinet secretary Joseph Nkaissery and
inspector general of police Joseph Boinett must explain to the country what is
happening.
He told the two to move with speed to
address the worrying trend saying that
it is one of the many factors that breed
mistrust and resentment between communities and authorities.
People are disappearing at an alarming rate we dont know who is responsible and why, but fingers are being
pointed at security officers. Nkaissery
and Boinett are the ones responsible
for security matters in this country, they

must explain to Kenyans what is happening to these individuals. We cannot sit pretty and assume that nothing is happening,
he said.
The Sheikh said it is a matter of regret for
the government to give amnesty to the
youth and at the same time stand being accused of having a hand in the disappearances of persons arguing that it is losing
out on the opportunity to win the hearts of
the youth.
You give youth amnesty to surrender but
before the period expires people start disappearing mysteriously and others get
killed. How do you expect the amnesty to
work, he wondered.
He noted that if the war on terror is to be
won the government must change tack and
individuals accused of having links to terrorism must be dealt with according to the
rule of law.
Sheikh Khalifa further condemned the attacks in Nadome Baringo county as acts of
terrorism and wondered why these beastly
acts have not been classified by the government as terrorist acts.
In Lamu, Sheikh Khalifas sentiments were
echoed by the Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa who issued a statement to condemn
the abductions. The legislator told the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU) to inform the
families of the detained persons on the
reasons for the arrests instead of leaving

Court declines further detention of Pumwani official

A Nairobi court has dismissed requests
for the continued detention of an official
of Pumwani Riyadha Mosque who is being held over allegations of Al Shabaab
links.
The Milimani Resident Magistrate Edda
Agade rejected requests by the AntiTerrorism Police Unit (ATPU) to hold the
official for another ten days and gave
them until today (Friday) to charge the
subject or otherwise release him.
Ali Abdul Majid who is also a parliamentary employee was arrested 20 days
ago on allegations of being part of a plot
to blow up the Parliament.
In court, the defence criticized the attempts to hold him for a longer period
saying that it was an infringement on his
constitutional rights and is tantamount
to hold him without trial.
His lawyer Mbugua Mureithi accused
the police of harassing his client maintaining that there have failed to produce evidence to link him to the alleged
crimes. These incidents that have
wounded us all are being used a scarecrows, and are only meant for sensational news for the media but not serious police business. There is nowhere
the prosecution has stated that they
visited his house in those 10 days he
was in custody. So I take that to mean
no investigation was carried out at all,
he said.
He dismissed police claims that he was
arrested at Pangani area in Nairobi,
stating that his client had presented
himself to the police after he was sum-

moned.
While requesting for more time to hold the
official, Duncan Ondimu said investigations
had so far linked the suspect to people
who are associated with terrorism among
them Ahmed Dugal, Abdulrahman Mutua
Daud, Adan Dhillow Hassan but Mbugua
rubbished the allegations saying that they
lacked substance as some of those mentioned were released after their innocent
was provide.
Ahmed Dugal whose car was involved in
an explosion at the Pangani Police Station
was cleared of any wrongdoing while Adan
was set similarly free by a court after being found innocent. Abdulrahman Mutua is
facing trial the Kibera but his lawyer maintained that there was no evidence of criminal complicity between the two.
In her ruling, the magistrate said even
though there was concern that terrorism
was a grave danger to the nation, it should
not be used as a pretext to infringe on individual rights of citizens. We have suffered
a lot in the hands of terror as a country,
but there must be a clear way such that
suspect do not suffer unnecessarily, the
magistrate said.
Freedom of liberty comes before detention, the suspect is an employee of the
National Assembly and thus I give the police until Friday to make up their mind on
whether they want to charge the suspect or
release him, she said in her ruling.
She also urged the media to follow up on
the cases of those who had been arrested
on terrorism allegations to see whether
they are charged or released.

them in grief and sorrow as they are not sure

of the fate of their loved ones.
As much as we are fighting terror we should
adhere to the constitution, if someone is arrested he should be arraigned in court within
24 hours, said Ndegwa.
I am in full support of the governments efforts
in the fight against terror but the interrogations
should be done in a humane manner, the legislator added.
He was reacting to the arrest of three people
who were picked in Lamu by people said to be
security officers.
After their arrests, the trio who included a seventy-year-old former chief Hussein Muhamud
Ali, 56-year-old Said Mahad and 30-year-old
young man, Said Imrana were arrested at different areas within the county, blindfolded and
bundled into a waiting vehicle and driven to an
unknown destination on March 31 and April 1.
In an unexplained turn of events, the families
of Hussein Muhamud and Said Mahad celebrated the return of their loved ones after they
were found dumped at various areas by their
captors. While Hussein was found dumped in
a thicket 50 metres from his home, Said Mahad was left with injuries after being thrown off
a moving vehicle in Witu town.

'Victimization of Muslims
not a solutiion'
Continued From Page 1

ures to protect the lives of Kenyans saying that

the increased rate of insecurity was causing
anxiety among Kenyans. The recent massacre in Nadome in Turkana county is a demonstration that the problem of terrorism is not
confined in North Eastern or Coast region but
can happen in any part of the country, he said.
The chairman urged the Muslim leadership
has to amplify its voices and work closely
with other stakeholders to make the country a
much safer place for all Kenyans. We cannot
sit silently and watch as some of our youth get
involved in matters which are a threat to the
security of the nation. If there are bad elements, we need to find ways of dealing with
them, he added.
On his part, the chairman of the Aga Khan
National Council Nawaz Ghulam called for a
framework of engagement between the different stakeholders to address the challenges
facing the country.
In his remarks, the vice chairman of Jamia
Mosque Committee Farouk Adam expressed
concerns that the media was increasingly
helping in fueling a hostile climate against
Muslims by its persistent association of Islam
and Muslims with terrorism.
He also acknowledged the positive contribution by the Aga Khan, the leader of the Ismaili community towards the construction
of mosques which include Nairobis Jamia
mosque, education programmes and the initiative to bring East African Muslims together
under the defunct East African Welfare Society
(EAWS).
During the discussions, the two sides agreed
to engage further on various issues which include the media, strengthening Muslim unity,
education and health service provision and
youth empowerment.

Page 2

DA'WA

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

The Friday Bulletin

Sha'ban: The neglected month

Abu Eesa Niamatullahah

One would agree that from the most unfortunate things possible is to be the rightful
recipient of some good news a present
maybe, a gift of money, a bequest etc but
then one remains unaware of this fact, or
doesn't pay attention to all the phone calls
informing him of such glad tidings.
So there's your present waiting for you,
and you're not really aware to its full worth
or value no-one else is going to claim it
on your behalf and if you knew its real significance, you'd never leave it to waste!
Yet the Prophet, peace be upon him, told
us, as narrated by Al-Imam al-Bayhaqi,
that: "Sha'ban is a month between Rajab
and Ramadhan, much neglected by people. In it, the actions of all servants are
raised to the Lord of the Worlds; I love that
my actions are not presented except that I
am fasting."
Here is a man, the wisest and most eager
of creation to obtain all possible good, who
saw this blessed month of Sha'ban very differently to many of us. He, peace be upon
him, would never leave it to waste, rather
he would be seen fasting almost the entire
month of Sha'ban, only ever surpassed by
the fasting of the whole of Ramadhan.
So why exactly is that?
There are numerous authentic reports that
detail how the majority of Sha'ban was
spent by our beloved Prophet in a state of
fasting; a state which heightens our Godconsciousness, makes us aware of our desires and the need for their control, makes
us aware of the problems and difficulties
of so many poor people around the world
when we feel those pangs of hunger. The
fasting one becomes very mindful of their
tongue and how they abuse by it, their eyes
and how they deviate from purity, their
hearts and how much filth enters it without
willful control.
All in all, there is nothing more conducive to
sincerely worshipping our Master, the Lord
of the Worlds than doing so whilst fasting.
But doesn't that occur whenever someone
is fasting? Why then the month of Sha'ban?
With Ramadhan just around the corner,
where many of us really do 'make it or
break it' for the rest of the year due to the
quality of our 'ibadah (worship) in it, it becomes paramount to prepare properly for
this once in a lifetime opportunity. After all,
do you know whether you'll ever be lucky
enough to greet another one? Weren't
the Sahabah (Companions) described by
Ma'la ibn Fadhl as those people who spent
six months of the year asking Allah to accept their 'ibadah of their previous Ramadhan and the next six months asking just to
be allowed to reach the next one?
So often do many of us think we can just
turn up to the show in Ramadhan, take a
seat and watch the game, see the team
win and go home happy at the end. What a
huge mistake.
Spending thirty odd days of Ramadhan
refraining from food and drink from morn-

ing to night isn't the second pillar of Islam

known as siyam. No I think people might
be getting a bit confused there don't you.
That's just a hungry and thirsty person,
someone who in reality, has just wasted
his time.
Rather as the Prophet, peace be upon
him, advised us, we need to avoid all the
well-known slips of the tongue, eyes, heart
and really just our desires in general in
order to be one who fulfils the conditions
of Ramadhan. We need to make sure that
we adorn our fasting with all other possible
extra good actions such as praying extra
nawafil (voluntary prayers), giving charity, re-establishing family ties, increasing
our social and da'wah (presenting Islam to
non-Muslims) work, displaying generosity
to Muslims and non-Muslims alike, extra
dhikr (remembrance), memorisation of the
Qur'an etc. Surely that is the whole point
here that we fast so as to be more aware
of our actions and that they are presented
to Allah, the Most High, in their best possible light.
Only with such a high quality day of fasting
can we really have hoped to achieve the
desired consequence that all our previous sins are forgiven and that we enter His
Garden with His pleasure, if Allah wills it.
But don't think such a day is easy to come
by. Rather it is the exception although it
shouldn't be like that. Hence the greatness
of Sha'ban, that blessed opportunity to see
whether we can make the mark, the mock
exam before the impending finals, the last
practice in front of the mirror before the key
interview although each practice is important itself, mistakes that are made here
are blessed ones if they are learned from
and not repeated at the key moment.
This has to be our aim in the remaining
days of Sha'ban. Try and make it a real and
sincere practice effort for Ramadhan which
is only a few weeks away keep a note of
all your external and internal actions during the day whilst you refrain from food and
drink and be horrified at the amount of rubbish we espouse from our bodies on a daily
basis. It's going to be a major wake-up call
and all praise if due to Allah for that I
would rather that I'm rudely awoken today
than be found in a drunken stupor during
Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power) ...
Don't you want to take full advantage of
Ramadhan when it comes? Don't you
want to profit whilst the doors of Heaven
are thrown wide open, the doors of Hell
are slammed shut and our greatest detractors of all, the devils, are firmly chained
up? Which believer doesn't welcome those
open doors and which sinner of us doesn't
sigh with relief at the taming of the Fire if
but just for a small moment?
For as the poet said: "Whoever is shown
mercy in Ramadhan is marhum (blessed,
receiver of mercy), whoever prohibits for
himself its good is mahrum (devoid of
blessing and good) and whoever doesn't
take provision and sustenance from it is

malum (has no-one to blame but himself)."

So at this 'neglected time', when the majority of our friends, family and community
are not paying attention to what could be
gained, the environment is not conducive
to steeling one's resolve and focus on that
which is good, where people are concentrating on 'enjoying' themselves as much
as possible before the 'hardships' of Ramadhan during this time, let us strive to perfect ourselves now and learn from our mistakes whilst we prepare for the 'Big One',
so as to really achieve the objective behind
fasting and indeed life itself to become
those who are constantly aware of Allah
(al-Muttaqun). How on Earth can we possibly achieve this if we just dive into Ramadhan without a care in the world, not having conditioned our bodies, physically and
spiritually in Sha'ban? How can we work on
preserving our energy during Ramadhan,
not simply to last till Sunset, but to pray all
the extra sunnah available if we don't try
and test ourselves now? How will we know
the looseness of our eyes if we don't catch
the eyes out now? How will we ever realise
how much we gossip and backbite during
Ramadhan when we don't try refraining
ourselves from the rafath and fisq during
our fasts today?
Surely, the fact that we can perfect ourselves and reach the true goal during Ramadhan simply by exerting ourselves now
during Sha'ban is a compelling argument
for why the Companions observed that
when they saw the Prophet, peace be upon
him, fasting at this time, they thought he'd
never eat again - may Allah bless him, give
him eternal peace and reward him with the
very greatest of rewards!
Last, but certainly not least, for those who
look for bargains and the like at such times
(and who wouldn't considering how miskin
to our Lord we all are!), there is another super jackpot moment in this blessed month.
Continued To Page 4

SUNDAY
Reverts Basic
6-Months Course

The Programme has already commenced

as from Saturday, 8th May 2015. Tomorrow is the last day for late admission.
Venue: Jamia Training Institute (JTI) at
Lecture Room 2 Time: 2.00 pm.
All are welcome to join.
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
LECTURE

Lecturer:Ustadhah Zaynab Abdallah

Topic:Extremism
in Islam
SUNDAY
LECTURE
Date: 16th May 2015
Time: 2.00 - 4.00 pm
Venue Jamia Multi-Purpose Hall
For Women/ Sisters only
SUNDAY
SUNDAY
LECTURE
SUNDAY
LECTURE
Uislamu unahimiza
amani
By: Abu Jabir
17th May 2014
Time: 2.00 pm -4.00 pm
Venue: Makina Kibera
Page 3

The Friday Bulletin

WOMEN

Why is paradise at the feet of mothers?

The month of Sha'ban

Continued From Page 3

Deana Nassar

Motherhood is not merely defined by bearing and raising children; but is a statement
regarding the divine nature of woman and
her position in Islam.
Taking time to reflect as I was carrying my
newly born grandson Rayyan after witnessing his entering the world, I realized
what a blessing I was given, not just because I was now officially a grandmother,
but more because of the chances I was
given to enter paradise if I respected my
own mother.
I recognized the significance of women
and mothers' status in Islam and how they
were held in high regard, not as the stereotyped second class citizens some may
wrongly portray.
Since there is this negative typecast of
how Islam views women, many non-Muslims may not know that mothers specifically, and parents in general, are held in
very high esteem in the faith.
Allah says: And We have enjoined upon
man, to his parents, good treatment. His
mother carried him with hardship and gave
birth to him with hardship and his gestation
and weaning period is thirty months. He
grows until, when he reaches maturity and
reaches the age of forty years, he says,
"My Lord, enable me to be grateful for Your
favor which You have bestowed upon me
and upon my parents and to work righteousness of which You will approve and
make righteous for me my offspring. Indeed, I have repented to You, and indeed,
I am of the Muslims. (46: 15)
In other words, the debt we owe to our
mothers is magnified due to the difficult
nature of pregnancy - not to mention the
nurturing and attention paid to us in our infancy. Moreover, we must treat our mothers in a manner befitting their exalted position - and, again, revere the wombs that
bore us.
Contrary to what some may believe regarding women in Islam, we are commanded to treat women with kindness,
and are ordered to respect and obey our
parents with specific emphasis and preference given to the mother. Indeed Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) highlighted the significance and standing of
women in Islam in his last sermon, where
he cited: "Do treat your women well and
be kind to them, for they are your partners
and committed helpers." (At-Timidhi, 276)
Islam is the best reminder of any mother's
presence with the daily encouragement
from the Quran and the living example of
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
While he never saw his father because he
died before his birth and he lost his mother
when he was six years old, Muhammad
(peace be upon him), understood the importance of ones parents, especially the
mother. He narrates: "Do good to and
serve your mother, then your mother, then
your mother, then your father, then the
near relatives and then those who come
after them." (Al-Bukhari, 5971)
Mothers: Only one day?

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

With Mother's Day, we may be grateful for

the occasion to take the chance and honor
motherhood. However this should be done
on a daily basis and not just once a year.
We are taught that we must always feel a
deep appreciation for our mothers, not just
when people celebrate Mother's Day but
every day. Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him). says in his famous narration:
"Paradise lies at the feet of mothers." (AnNasa'i, 3104)
What can be greater evidence of honoring women than this?
Islam has effectively placed the ultimate
reward for human beings in their devotion to their mothers. Abdullah ibn Abbas,
a companion of the Prophet and a great
scholar of Islam, considered the kind treatment of one's mother to be the best deed
for strengthening or rectifying one's relation with Allah. He relays: "I know of no
other deed that brings people closer to
Allah than kind treatment and respect towards one's mother."
The best reminders
All the verses and hadiths on mothers
demonstrate the importance of this figure
in Islam. They also show that the mother is
accorded a higher honor than even the father because of all the responsibilities she
has towards her child indicating again the
impact of women and mothers in Islam.
The Prophet (peace be upon him). underscored that sons and daughters must
honor their mothers, and that the biggest
debt they owe is the one to their mother for
raising them. He ordered us to respect and
fully accept the caretaking of our aging
parents without considering it a burden,
that of course if they are living.
What if our mothers are no longer among
us? Do our duties towards them end?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
has advised us to perform good deeds in
the name of our parents, so that the reward goes to the soul of the dead parent.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet
(peace be upon him). said: "When a human being dies, all of his deeds are terminated except for three types: an ongoing charity, knowledge from which others
benefit, and a righteous child who makes
supplications for him." (Muslim)
In this, we may ascertain that it's never
too late to repay our parents and mother
in particular if they have passed away. We
are given a second chance.
For me, Islam is the best reminder of my
mother's presence on a personal basis
and her significance to Islam on a general
basis. With the daily encouragement mentioned above I know I will always keep my
mother close to my heart. After all she is
my connection to the divine and I am truly
grateful for the occasion to reflect on that.
Each of us should appreciate what we
have in our mothers. They are our teachers and our role models. Every day with
them is an opportunity to grow as a person. Every day away from them is an opportunity missed.

If all the obvious benefits were not enough,

we also have a special night in which forgiveness is on a unique limited offer for the
Believers.
Which one of us isn't in need of this special moment of forgiveness? Yes, Allah,
the Most High, descends in the last third of
every night offering salvation to us but here
is another special moment for us to profit
from, not restricted by the length of the
night and specifically chosen by Sayyidina
Mustapha, peace be upon him, to strive for.
Let us use this night to beseech our Lord
for His bounty and pardon, prioritising our
good deeds. After all, this is a night of forgiveness so what else better to do but to
seek it!
Al-Imam Ibn al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him, was once asked, "Is it better
for me to make tasbih or to make istighfar?"
He replied: "The dirty robe is more in need
of soap than perfume."
Hasan, may Allah be pleased with him,
once said: "Increase in making istighfar for
you'll never know when His Mercy will next
descend."

Kakamega Imams set to

unveil Sacco

Imams and Madrassa teachers in Kakamega county have embarked in a programme

to promote socio-economic development
in the community.
According to the Council of Imams and
Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Kakamega
County chapter chairman Sheikh Idris Luvale, a Savings and Credit Cooperative
Society (SACCO) will be launched in the
near future to cater for the needs and welfare of Imams, madrassa teachers and the
general Muslim population.
Speaking to Friday Bulletin, Sheikh Luvalesaid the initiative is driven by the need
to address the socio-economic challenges being faced by the local Muslims while
exuding confidence that the Sacco will go
a long way in helping local Muslims to venture into income-generating activities to
improve on their livelihood.
The chairman urged Muslim professionals from the region and well-wishers to
join the initiative to improve on economic
status of the local communities adding that
the CIPK leadership will embark on a massive campaign exercise to market the idea
in the twelve constituencies in the county.
Sheikh Luvale further disclosed that the
council will engage officers from ministry
of Industrialization and Enterprise Development in educating the local communities on matters pertaining to co-operative
movement operation to help them improve
SUNDAY LECTURE
their capacity.
He noted that the region has a lot of untapped economic potential that could open
a window of hope for the Muslim community if well utilized singling out dairy farming,
bee-keeping, poultry keeping and livestock
industry as some of the projects that could
economically benefit the local population.

GHANIMA Girls Secondary School

page 4

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

The Friday Bulletin

IDB EDUCATION TRUST KENYA

ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 1436H (2015-2016)

UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME FOR MUSLIM

COMMUNITIES IN NON-MEMBER COUNTRIES
The IDB Education Trust, Kenya is pleased to announce the 2015-2016
Scholarships for undergraduate study under the Islamic Development Bank
(IDB) Scholarship Programme for Muslim Communities in Kenya.
The IDB Scholarship Programme offers Scholarships to the selected candidates to
pursue undergraduate study in the fields of Medicine, Engineering, Agriculture and
related subjects.
The scholarship covers: Monthly stipends
Books & Clothes Allowance
Tuition fees (wherever agreed and apply)
Medical coverage (only through government or state sponsored hospitals)
Returned air-tickets to join study and after graduation (for students who
study abroad only)
Prospective applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Age not over 24 years
Holder of K.C.S.E. A- and above with very good grades in English,
Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology
Financially needy
Committed Muslim and citizen to serve their community
Not recipient of any other scholarship
Must have National Identification Card
Confirmed students first year admission in approved professional course
(for local scholarship)
The Scholarship is a Qard Hassan loan to the students to be repaid (principal only)
after graduation in easy installments to IDB Education Trust-Kenya.
Interested applicants should collect application forms free of charge from:IDB Education Trust c/o Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Nairobi and
return them duly filled with copies of all necessary documents, certificates etc. on or
before 30th May 2015 for onward transmission to IDB-Saudi Arabia for final
selection.
This exercise is very competitive and transparent. Canvassing is not allowed.
Applicants who decline the scholarship after being awarded shall be penalized.
For further information please Contact:Saad M. Khairallah
Secretary
IDB Education Trust Kenya
P.O. Box 45163-00100 - NAIROBI
Tel: 2243109/0722-310335
page 5

The Friday Bulletin

FEATURE

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

A terror-fying experience at honeymoon

What was supposed to be a honeymoon,
a period of bliss and happiness for a husband and wife during their nascent marital
life, turned out to be a horrifying experience in police cells for a young couple.
For Maryam Wamboi Suleiman and her
American husband Ali Mustafa Abdulatif,
the shocking events of April 21 often conjures bitter memories of how they were
vilified as dangerous people harbouring
an insidious agenda of blowing up landmark buildings in the nations capital. The
media was more than happy to splash
their images in newspapers and television
screens to further vilify them as agents of
murder and destruction.
It all began on the fateful Tuesday, after
the couple in the company of a relative
Muhammad Ali Njiru decided to head back
to the Maryams parent home in Riruta
after a recreational visit in the city. Two
days before, they had had a memorable
experience during their nikkah (marriage)
ceremony held at Hurligham mosque
which unified two hearts from across two
continents.
Along the way to the Kencom bus station,
Njiru took photos of the couple perhaps
to serve as a memorable experience for
the American visitors tour to the city in the
sun. While boarding the City Shuttle bus,
he also took a snapshot of the two, an
incident which would later come to haunt
them for the next four days.
After taking their seats, the bus unusually
remained stationery for about ten minutes
despite the fact that it was full. A few minutes later the couple with disbelief came
to learn that there were the cause for the
delay. Apparently the police officers had
ordered the driver not to leave before we
were taken off the bus, she recalls.
Several administration police officers from
the nearby KCB bank boarded the bus
singling them and ordered them to disembark. On enquiring as to the reason why,
they did not hesitate to inform them that
they were possible terrorists as they had
illegally taken pictures of KICC, Nairobis
important landmark. It was the most
shocking accusation in my life, I could not
believe that I was being linked with terrorism, said Maryam whose husband has
since left for the United States.
It was a traumatic situation for him. He
had enjoyed the hospitality of the country
and finding himself being seen as dangerous criminal greatly affected his conscience, she added during an interview
with The Friday Bulletin.
The police officers together with officials
from a private security firm, G4S subjected the couple to a thorough search but
after nothing tangible was found on them,
they demanded that they call back Njiru
who had the camera and had since bade
them farewell as they boarded the bus.
He came back only to be subjected to a
search and the camera considered to be
the main evidence was confiscated.

Maryam Wamboi Suleiman (Left) with her mother during an interview with the Friday
Bulletin.

Shortly after, they were bundled into a police vehicle and driven to Central Police
Station for more interrogations. Their main
issue rested with one of the photos which
had captured the top most part of KICC,
she said.
Even after we maintained our innocence
as it is not illegal to take pictures of the
building, they went ahead to hand us over
to officers from the Anti-Terrorism Police
Unit who took us to their headquarters at
Nairobi area where our fingerprints were
taken, she further narrates the sad experience.
Despite the interrogations which did not reveal anything sinister, the trio was locked
up at Muthaiga Police station where they
spent the night. At the crack of dawn, she
was woken up by a female police officer
who accused her of harbouring plans of killing innocent people and forced her to clean
the messy floors at the station. It was a
humiliating experience as while there was
no evidence implicating me, I was being
handled as a convicted criminal, she narrates further.
The next day, the three were again taken
to the ATPU headquarters before being
hauled to court were a barrage of journalists were waiting apparently eager to scoop
news stories of high-profile arrests of dangerous terrorists. In the dock with them was
was Said Mire Siyad a mentally unstable
person who made local and international
news headlines after the police claimed
that he had been arrested in the precincts
of President Uhuru Kenyattas rural residence in Gatundu on a surveillance mission for a possible terrorist attack. He has
since been released after it became clear
that he was an innocent person.
In court, while the initial accusations focused on taking photos of KICC, according
to court documents, this changed to Kencom with the prosecution maintaining that

the accused were on an insidious mission.

The three respondents were seen at Kencom yesterday taking photos of the stage
and its environs. After the arrest, they were
handed over to ATPU who believe they were
carrying out surveillance of possible terrorist attack, read part of the court documents
seen by The Friday Bulletin.
The police made a request to detain the
three for five more days to allow more investigations, a plea which was opposed by
defence lawyer Furqan Chacha Mwita who
argued that they was no compelling reason
to hold them. The magistrate instead gave
the police two more days and they were
taken to Kilimani police station where they
were detained till Friday from where they
were taken to the ATPU headquarters.
It was here that she came to know the real
reason behind the arrest. It is not illegal to
take picture of KICC or Kencom, a police
female officer told them. The reason for
your arrest was that you were Muslims and
worse still, you were wearing the face veil
(nikab) while your husband had a beard and
wore a short trouser, she said as she gave
them the news of their freedom.
All their possessions which included the
camera were handed back with all the photos intact. While she is happy to regain her
freedom, Maryam takes a swipe at the media for being quick to link arrested persons
to terrorism but fail to clear their names after
they are found innocent. In the eyes of the
public we are still being viewed as dangerous people courtesy of the actions of the
media. They take no action to create the
mess they put us into, she complained with
bitterness.
On her way for the interview, she came
across a white couple comfortably taking
photos of the buildings around the Stanley
Hotel and the words of the police officers
echoed in her mind, You were arrested because you are Muslims.

page 6

Rajab 27,1436/ May 15, 2015

NATIONAL

Marsabit terror suspects released

A police raid on Karare Mosque in Marsabit

County resulted in the arrest of members of
the Tabligh Jamaat group who were heading
back home after attending an Islamic convention in Nairobi.
Sixteen group members from the missionary
group were detained on the grounds of being
affiliated to the Somalia based militant group
Al Shabaab and released three days later after the security agencies admitted that they
were innocent people on a preaching mission.
These suspects are locals. Their families
came and identified them and confirmed they
are Muslim preachers, said the Marsabit
OCPD Mark Wanjala.
The group who mainly comprised elderly people were arrested together with the Imam of

Karare Mosque and labelled by police as Al

Shabaab suspects.
The police had claimed earlier that the arrested
person were preachers in mission to radicalize
youth from the area.
According to the Supreme Council of Kenya
Muslims (SUPKEM) secretary general Adan
Wachu the preachers were heading home after
attending an Islamic convention (Ijtimai) in Eastleigh Nairobi.
Days after the Garissa massacre, 11 Jamaat
Tabligh members from Garissa were arrested
and detained by Kenya Defence Forces personnel at a military base in Lamu on allegations of
being Al Shabaab operatives. The detainees
were later released after the intervention of the
Garissa senator Yusuf Haji.

Anti-homo crusaders to launch an appeal

An appeal challenging a high court ruling allowing homosexuals in the country to form an
association is soon going to be lodged in the
court of Appeal.
Announcing the move, leaders drawn from
various religious organizations in the country,
legislators and members of civil society faulted the ruling saying it was unconstitutional
and against religious moral values.
In a landmark ruling last month, a three judge
bench ruled that gays and lesbians be allowed to form a union that will promote their
rights. Judges Isaac Lenaola, Mumbi Ngugi
and George Odunga compelled the NonGovernmental Organization Board which had
earlier rejected their application on moral and
religious grounds to register them.
Last week a consultative meeting convened
by the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK)
and attended by Members of Parliament and
civil society organizations resolved to reject
the ruling and the formation of gay association
in the country.
The meeting further resolved that an appeal
on behalf of Christian, Muslim and Hindu religious organizations will be filed led by Nairobi
Lawyer Charles Kanjama.
The IRCK chair who is a also the Supreme
Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) secretary general Adan Wachu said religious leaders and other stakeholders have in unison
rejected the legalization of same sex relationships saying it goes against the natural ideals
of humanity and religious traditions.
He argued that the penal code of the constitution outlaws homosexuality as sodomy and
unnatural offence reiterating that the current
constitution embodies itself to God.
We will not only reject the formation of gay
association but also any activity associated
with homosexuality. As far as am aware the
constitution has not changed. Homosexuality
is an abomination, immoral, unnatural, un-African, un-Islamic and unchristian, Wachu told
the Friday Bulletin.
He revealed that the various religious organizations plan to carry out countrywide demonstrations urging Kenyans to reject the ruling.
The demonstrations are expected to take
place in June before the scheduled arrival of
United States president Barack Obama
We want to have the mother of all demonstrations in June to mobilize Kenyans to oppose

the judgement, said Kiharu MP Irungu Kangata.

The Non-Governmental Organizations Coordination Board headed by Fazul Muhammad has
also pledged to file an appeal to reverse the ruling citing fundamental errors in the judgement.

Muslim students
urged to join teaching
The government through the ministry of education has announced recruitment exercise for primary teachers in the country.
The exercise will see applicants wishing to be
trained as P1 teachers admitted into primary
teachers training colleges across the country as
part of Pre-service training for the year 2015.
Registration forms are now available and can
be downloaded from the ministry of education's
website, www.education.go.ke.
Duly filled registration forms should be submitted to the zonal offices from Monday 4th May to
Tuesday 21st May 2015 by the applicants in person. Registration will be conducted in all zonal
education offices.
At the same time Muslim Education Council
(MEC) has said it will extend educational support to students wishing to train as P1 teachers.
The executive director Munawar Khan said the
programme will support Muslim students who
have the desired qualifications for joining primary teachers training colleges.
Munawar called and encouraged Muslim students to go for teaching profession to contribute
to education improvement in the Muslim community
Interested candidates are required to have a
mean grade C (plain) and above in the Kenya
Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) and
a minimum C-(minus) grade for visually impaired and hearing impaired.
Each applicants will be required to present original and certified photostat copies of KCSE academic certificate, or result slip for 2013 and 2014
KCSE candidates among other documents.
According to the public announcement, admission letters for the successful candidates for
both First and Second admissions will be dispatched to the zones and not posted.
More information on the academic programme
can be obtained at the Muslim Education Council offices, first floor, Jamia plaza adjacent to Jamia mosque.

The Friday Bulletin

20 Kadhis to join
judiciary
The Judiciary has announced a recruitment exercise of Kadhis who
are expected to serve in different
parts of the country. In all, the judiciary is set to bring into its ranks 20
judiciary officers to serve a Kadhi
II in different counties around the
country.
Interested candidates are required
to have a have a degree in Islamic
Law or its equivalent from a recognized university, have the ability
to communicate effectively in English, Kiswahili and Arabic and be
proficient in computer application.
The candidates are also required
to have good conduct in accordance with Islamic faith and also
possess the qualifications set out
in Chapter six (6) of the Constitution among other qualifications.
Their responsibilities will include
arbitration of disputes on inheritance, marriage and divorce among
Muslim families, solemnizing and
registering Muslim marriages, supervising pronunciation and registering of divorces.
Other responsibilities will include
signing of affidavits, declaration
and agreements, keeping records
of all arbitration and submitting returns of registered marriages and
divorces to the Chief Kadhi among
other duties.
Interested candidates have till
June 2 to submit their applications.
More information on the vacancies
can be found on the judiciary portal www.judiciary.go.ke
The present Kadhi hierarchy is
led by the Chief Kadhi Sheikh
Ahmed Muhdhar who is deputized
by Sheikh Rashid Ali Omar who is
based in Nairobi. The Chief Kadhi
has traditionally been based in
Mombasa.
Ranked below them are principal Kadhis Sheikh Hassan Omar
Sukyan who is the Kadhi of Kisumu
and Athman Abdulhalim Hussein,
the Mombasa Kadhi.
The structure is also composed
of 10 Kadhis who serve as Kadhi
I and 20 judiciary officers serving
as Kadhi II.

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page 7

Vatican recognizes state of Palestine

The Vatican officially recognized the state of Palestine in a new treaty finalized Wednesday, with an agreement on Catholic Church activities in areas
controlled by the Palestinian Authority.
The agreement "aims to enhance the life and activities of the Catholic Church
and its recognition at the judicial level", said Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, the
Vatican's deputy foreign minister who led its delegation in the talks.
The agreement, which the Vatican said aimed to "enhance the life and activities of the Catholic Church and its recognition at the judicial level," comes days
before Pope Francis is due to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
A joint statement released by the Vatican said on Wednesday said the text
of the treaty covering Church activities in areas controlled by the Palestinian
Authority, has been concluded and would be officially signed by the respective
authorities "in the near future".
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on November 29, 2012 recognizing Palestine as an observer non-member state.This was welcomed at
the time by the Vatican, which has the same observer non-member status at
the United Nations.
Signing the first agreement with Palestine, Vatican officials stressed that this
agreement did not constitute the Holy See's first recognition of the State of
Palestine.
"We have recognized the State of Palestine ever since it was given recognition
by the United Nations and it is already listed as the State of Palestine in our
official yearbook," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said.
During a visit to the Middle East a year ago, Francis delighted his Palestinian
hosts by referring to the "state of Palestine" and giving support for their bid for
full statehood recognition.
Leading the Vaticans delegation in the talks, the Vatican's deputy foreign minister Camilleri said he hoped the agreement would indirectly help the Palestinian State in its relations with Israel.
Israel was created on May 15, 1948, on the rubbles of Palestine. Later in
the 1967 Middle East War, Israel occupied other Palestinian lands along with
Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and Syria's Golan Heights.
Israel returned Sinai Peninsula to Egypt under the 1979 Camp David peace
accords.The Palestinians insist that Israel ceases all settlement activities in
the occupied West Bank and Al-Quds (occupied East Jerusalem) to return to
the peace talks. (Agencies)

Chinese University bans hijab

A university in central China city of Xian has imposed a new ban on Muslim
students hijab, ordering them to remove the religious attire inside the campus.
The headscarf ban has spread to all Muslim students of various ethnic groups,
including the Uyghur, Kazak and Hui people, a student who spoke on condition of anonymously said in an interview with the state-run Global Times, UCA
News reported on Tuesday, May 12.
The authorities claimed that the ban was released by the Ministry of Education, the student added.
News about a hijab ban in Shaanxi Normal University in Xian, a city with a
large Islamic population, first appeared in April when reportedly nine female
Muslims were told to remove their veils.
Reports later said that the university issued a notice banning Islamic headscarves earlier this month.
Another male student was also reportedly accused of illegal preaching after
he was caught reading the Quran in a cafeteria at the same university last
month. We accept their customs. But our bottom line is that we do not allow
students to engage in religious activities, Li Chenzi, a university official, wrote
on the Chinese question-and-answer website Zhihu.com yesterday after debate over the ban went viral.
XEarlier this month, a top communist party leader in Kashgar warned against
donning the Islamic headscarf, describing the city as a frontline in its battle
(onislam.net)

SUNDAYBAZAAR
LECTURE
2ND FURQAN CARAVAN
In aid of Al Furqan towers

Food sales: Snacks/Biryani/ Chicken Tikka

Items sales: Households/Clothes/ Accessories
Henna application and Kids corner
Date: 30TH May 2015 Venue: Masjid Rahma Hurlingham
Time:10:00- 5:00pm Support: Donate items and food
For more details call 0786283035/0723283035 Entrance

Free

Ummah donates sewing machines

Ummah Foundation has been involved in a lot of social welfare activities that are propelled towards uplifting the living standards of women in the rural set
ups. We are dedicated to improving the economic and
social status of women, children and the disabled of
our community members, particularly in the poorest
rural areas. One rural area that has been our target
is Sagana Muslim Community in Nyeri County. This
Muslim village houses close to 350 families.
Ummah Foundation has initiated new project called
the Vocational Sewing Program which is expected to
provide training to 30 women annualy in tailoring programmes. At the school that needs to be renovated
and rehabilitated into proper classrooms, the women
will not only learn how to sew, they will also receive
education in small business skills, health and sanitationpractices and civil rights.Ummah Foundation last
week donated 10 sewing machines to this community
that will serve to make the dreams of these mothers
and daughters come true. We believe by helping them
we have gone a step forward to develop a sustainable
lifestyle to show the future generations.
The program has the potential not just to lift many
women and their families from poverty, but to create
a new wave of confident, independent women ready
to stand up for their inherent value as women.It will
enable them make clothes, and market them to the
neighbouring communities thereby generating income
improve on their welfare.
This will also give chance to our young sisters who
could not continue with their education after standard
eight to acquire meaningful skills that can help them
be self-sustaining and financially empowered.
Many women here could not do that before, most of
their time is wasted in idling but today, this project will
give us pride and happiness. We feel we are doing
something important and durable for our families,
says one of the trainees of the tailoring program. They
say they want to make a lot of high quality and affordable clothes so that they can have a wide market.
The women are very thankful to Ummah Foundation
that has come up with this noble thought of helping
them financially and materially. It is their wish that in
the coming years, this project should have expanded
to accommodate more numbers with the growing revenues and entrepreneurship initiatives.
We would like to appreciate the Imam Sheikh Khamis
Juma Muiruri, who approached Ummah Foundation
so that they can assist the mothers and sisters in this
Muslim village change their lives. We also appeal to
other well wishers of good heart to join us in this mission for women empowerment and poverty eradication.
Contact us:
Ummah Foundation
Village Plaza, Ngara Rd, Nairobi
P.O. Box 58717- 00200
Tel;+254-202680610/13, 0734845277,
Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147
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