Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

Friday Bulletin
The

www.islamkenya.org

Issue No. 573

Right groups accuse state of human rights violations

Jubilees first year in office has been marked by a string of "worrisome cases" of rights infringements and by rampant impunity, this is according to right groups. The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) said Kenyan authorities "have attempted to clamp down on dissenting voices, either through the adoption of restrictive legislation aimed at further regulating the NGO or media sectors." April 9th 2013 to April 2014 has been a period within which freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly have been constantly under threat, freedom of expression and of the press have been seriously infringed, and fundamental rights of non-discrimination have been jeopardized in various ways. This undermining of these and other constitutional human rights gains must stop if Kenya is to truly follow the path of democracy and the rule of law said Atsango Chesoni KHRC director. In a report titled One year in office for Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto the right groups also accused the police force particularly the Anti-Terror Police unit of committing serious human rights abuses and still no measures put in place to ensure those responsible for the violations are being held accountable. It says abuses such as extra judicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests and detention of terrorist suspects, acts of torture and ill-treatment against detainees have been committed under the guise of preserving the countrys peace and security following the September terror attack and mostly recently blast in Eastleigh that led to killing of six people. The report says that counter-terrorism policies deployed by the state are unproductive and have even helped to reinforce radical movements or prepared the ground for future terrorist. The stigmatization of certain persons including illegal immigrants as well as the use of or ill-treatment to obtain confessions and the fabrication of trumped-up cases of terrorism, all contribute to a growing radicalism reads the report. The right groups further noted that state must ensure measures taken to counter terrorism comply with their obligation under international law, in particular human rights law, refugees law and international humanitarian law. Meanwhile Haki Africa, human rights lobby group has raised concerns over the on-going police swoops on illegal immigrants and under the pretext of fighting terrorism. In a press statement, the executive director Hussein Khalid said the swoops are profiling and targeting certain communities in Nairobi and Mombasa, adding that these swoops are not only unconstitutional, illegal and immoral but also discriminative and demeaning to persons belonging to the targeted communities. Continued To Page 2

The Weekly Muslim News Update

The Canadian scholar Sheikh Said Rageah speaks during an interview on Kaaba TV, a local Islamic television station available on the digitial platform on Tuesday. Sheikh Said is in the country to attend the Journey of Faith International Islamic Conference which is scheduled to be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on April 26 and 27. The event will bring together internaional scholars who include Sheikh Wasim Kempson from United Kingdom, Sheikh Ahmed Hameed from India and Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Mansoor al Qahtani from Saudi Arabia among other scholars.

ON oTHER PAGES

UNHCR disturbed by deportation of Somali refugees

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Muslim leaders calls for peace and tolerance

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

The Friday Bulletin

Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

Right groups on violations

Continued From Page 1

UNHCR disturbed by deportation

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees has yet again raised concerns over the arrest and detention of over 1000 refugees and asylum seekers who were rounded up during the ongoing counter-terrorism operation by the security forces in the country. Most of those who have been arrested are Somalis, 82 of whom were deported to Mogadishu on 9 April 2014. While UNHCR was able to secure the exemption of 10 registered refugees from this deportation, at least one refugee is reported to have been among those deported said the agency in a statement seen by the Friday Bulletin. The agency acknowledged to have accessed Kasarani stadium and police stations where most of those arrested have been held and was able to secure the release of a number of documented refugees but however said it was disturbed by reports of harassment and other abuses. The conditions at Kasarani stadium and in the police stations are overcrowded and sanitary conditions are inadequate it said. The agency clearly stated that it is opposed to the governments directive issued on March 25th ordering all urban refugees back to Dadaab and Kakuma camps adding that it would disrupt the lives of refugees who have for years settled and built their lives peacefully in Nairobi, Mombasa and other urban areas. UNHCR said while it recognizes the national security imperatives the country faces, vast majority of Somali refugees and asylumseekers in Kenya are and have been law-abiding members of their communities. The agency further noted that Somalis continue to be in need of international protection as refugees and should not be returned against their will to place where their lives will be exposed to risk. UNHCR remains ready to work with the Government authorities in ways which, while ensuring that Kenyas legitimate security concerns are catered for, would preserve the favorable asylum and protection environment which the country has provided over years, including in the urban areas it says.

Khalid stated that Haki Africa support the fight against terrorism and urged all stakeholders and sundry to work together to end terrorism, adding that however they were strongly against outright violation of human rights and profiling of communities in the name of fighting terrorism. He noted that for decades and since independence, communities from Coast and North Eastern have decried the failure by government to issue their people with national identity cards, adding that this complain has been echoed by generations and successive governments have failed to deal with matter. Khalid further added that several commissions and task forces have been put up in the past which have echoed this complaints and recommended action to be taken to assist the community members get their IDs, but nothing has been forthcoming, adding that it is ironic now the same communities are now being punished for failure to produce them. He disclosed that there have been several courts cases by individuals and civil society groups challenging the discriminative practices in the issuance of identification cards to persons from the Coast and North Eastern, stressing that in all these cases the courts have ruled that these practices exist and demanded an end to the discrimination. The director pointed out that community members are being rounded up, bundled in what appears to be war like concentration camps and deported to a country at war irrespective of international human rights law, adding that this mistreatment of the communities is unwarranted and uncalled for. Khalid called on all rightful thinking Kenyans to speak up against blatant human rights violations and demand justice.

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Prof. Shaukat relieved of his responsibility at commission

Professor AbdulRazaq Shaukat's appointment as the CEO of the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (Nacosti) was revoked by Education cabinet secretary Jacob Kaimenyi on April 3rd 2014. The revocation is contained in the Kenya Gazette dated April 7 2014. Prof. Shaukat was appointed CEO to the then National Council for Science and Technology in July 2012 now the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (Nacosti). The commission is the focal point on science, technology and innovation in Kenya with a mandate to advice the government on all matters relating to the sector and research issues. No one has since been appointed to replace Shaukat. This means that Dr. Moses Rugut, Shaukat's deputy will act as CEO until the position is filled through a job advertisement. Early January 2014, Shaukat was in the news when President Uhuru Kenyatta replaced him as Lapsset corridor management Board chairman with the former head of civil service Francis Muthaura. Shaukat had been appointed to the position by former President Mwai Kibaki. In the same gazette, Kaimenyi appointed Prof Elizabeth Wamae as the Nacosti chair for three years. Wamae is a chief research officer at Kenya Medical Research Institute and a distinguished global scientist at Kemri's centre for Microbiology. Dr.Titus Lunyasunya, Prof Eucharia Kenya,Prof Elijah Omwenga,Prof Collette Suda, Dr. Kamau Thugge and Eng.Julius Riungu were also appointed as members of the Nacosti board.

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Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

DA'WA

The Friday Bulletin

The Muslim Jesus

Sarah Joseph Growing up, Jesus was the third person in my life, along with my mother and grandmother. Every night I would pray, Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, look upon this little child, before launching into my long list of things I needed help with. There is no doubt I was influenced by Robert Powells portrayal of Jesus which I watched when I was six or seven; and I can still vividly remember seeing Ben Hur at the local church hall at about the same age. When the storm comes after the crucifixion, and Ben Hurs mother and sister are healed of their leprosy, I sat spell bound on those uncomfortable church seats and knew with Jesus in my life I was going to be OK. A Muslim Who Loves Jesus Over three decades later, now a Muslim, I still have Jesus in my life. I realize that this confuses many people. Some Muslims think I may have some Christian hangover. Whilst many Christians cannot fathom how I can be a Muslim and still love Jesus. But I do love Jesus, and I could not be a Muslim unless I did. With Christians and Muslims forming half the worlds population, and with there being so much misunderstanding between these two faiths, could it be possible that Jesus can become a bridge between those that believe in him, despite their differences? The Muslim understanding of Jesus is simple. Jesus was a man, born of a virgin; he was given prophethood by God from birth and performed miracles during his life by Gods permission. Muslims do not believe in the crucifixion; and the majority orthodox belief is that he did not die and will one day return. In a nutshell, that is it. But there is more. How is it possible to accept his virgin birth and yet reject him as divine? Muslims say it begins with Mary, who was dedicated to God from the time she was in the womb. Such was Marys grace and piety; she was protected in the temple by God for what was to behold hera visit by the angel Gabriel with some extraordinary news. The account in the third chapter of the Quran is very similar to the account in the gospels. Gabriel says to her: O Mary! Behold, God sends thee the glad tiding, through a word from Him, of a son who shall become known as the Christ, Jesus son of Mary. (Al-Imran 3: 45) Mary is naturally stunned by this news and wonders: O my Sustainer! How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me? (Al-Imran 3: 47) Now appears the fundamental difference in the two accounts, for in the Quranic narrative, in the same verse, the angel answers Mary: Thus it is: God creates what He wills. When He wills a thing to be, He but says unto it Beand it is. He pledged Himself by writing in His Book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath. (Al-Bukhari) As such, when Adam and Eve sinned and then repented, they were forgiven by God. And whilst all individuals sin, there is no essential human evil that only a divine sacrifice can heal. Rather, each human being will stand before God; and God, through His Divine Mercy, will forgive all those who have believed in Him, so long as they have not ascribed partners to Him. So, for the Muslim there is no theological need for Christ to have been crucified. The Quran says: They did not kill him, and neither did they crucify him, but it seemed to them as if it had been so. (An-Nisa 4: 157) The two differing accounts of the crucifixion are irreconcilable. To a Christian, it is fundamental that Christ died for our sins and rose again, conquering death, so that we might have eternal life. To a Muslim the idea that God, the Creator of the Universe, can have a son, who shares in His Divinity, and that the Creator becomes part of the creation and dies is heresy of the highest order. Sarah Joseph is the editor of the Muslim lifestyle magazine, Emel

neither did they crucify him, but it seemed to them as if it had been so. (AnNisa 4: 157)
Muslims say this shows Gods majesty, not Christs divinity. Elsewhere in the Quran God says that the parable of Jesus virgin birth is that of Adam. Adam was of course brought into being without man or woman, purely because God willed it. Jesus' First Miracle Mary returns to her people after the birth, whereupon she is scandalized. She points to her newborn baby and he speaks to the accusers from his cradle, Behold, I am a servant of God. He has vouchsafed unto me revelation and made me a prophet, and made me blessed wherever I may be; and He has enjoyed upon me prayer and charity as long as I shall live... Hence, peace was upon me on the day I was born, and will be upon me on the day of my death, and on the day when I shall be raised to life again. (Maryam 19: 30-3). This is Jesus first miracle. From this amazing beginning, Jesus Christ grows up to be a noble man. He establishes his mission as an apostle to the Children of Israel. And Gods promise that he would perform other miracles is fulfilled. He heals the blind and the leper, and brings the dead back to life. He performs these miracles all by Gods leave, according to the Quran. God gave Jesus the power to perform miracles, as opposed to the miracles being evidence of Jesus divine status. Jesus is mentioned in the Quran more than is Muhammad. He is called the Word of God and the Spirit of God, but most often, the son of Mary. In the Quranic narrative he is not crucified. Salvation in Christianity and Islam In the Christian account, Jesus Christ is betrayed and crucified. The crucifixion is so that man can be saved. As it says in the Bible: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son; that whomsoever believed in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) God gives Jesus as a sacrifice out of His love to take on the sins of the world, so that humans may be saved.The Muslim view of salvation is different. God decrees, as we are told in a sacred hadith (Hadith Qudsi): When God decreed the Creation

They did not kill him, and

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classes

Reverts

The Friday Bulletin

WOMEN

Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

Sadaf Farooqi

Home and Work: A Win-Win Relation for Muslim Women

have facilitated instant global communication and digital transfer of data, disintegrating the traditional brick and mortar office building. Now work can entail telecommuting, or working from a remote location that is not on site in the office building. For many professionals, this location is a home office or desk. As the digital age allows corporations to cut down operational costs including office space rentals, more and more professionals are now working on the go using laptops, smart phones and tablets to perform most traditional managerial and clerical tasks: coordinating teams, writing and generating reports and presentations, managing international operations, convening virtual meetings and interviews, and sharing hefty data files across geographical borders, all within seconds. Nowadays, it is not uncommon for a company to operate exclusively in the digital realm, with an internationally diverse and culturally eclectic team of employees conjunctively working online from different locations across the globe. Many such online startups have gone on to sell for billions. A part of this digital diaspora of sorts, is the working-online-fromhome female professional. She is a dutiful wife; a diligent mother of younglings with yet another baby on the way, and she is clicking and typing away on her laptop, curled up in sweatpants, as her toddler naps in the crib nearby, the laundry spins in the dryer, and the one-pot dinner simmers on the stove. The New Implications of Work All the above factors imply that, now, more and more women are working, not just as professionals employed by companies, but as entrepreneurs and sole-proprietors running their own businesses, and as freelancers. Since working from home has become very common, it has allowed many women to keep busy doing productive work in their spare time. Once theyve tackled their household responsibilities, and by mastering the modern-day juggling act known as multitasking, they are able to not just be there for their families 24/7, run their homes smoothly, but to also bring in a second, and much welcome, income. To top it off, most of them have burgeoning families too, i.e. they work their way through pregnancies, births and child-rearing, even without professional help, because now it has become more of a necessity for the household to get by - on a very basic, hand-tomouth, non-luxurious level - on two incomes. Bills, taxes, school fees, rents and prices are higher than ever, and whatever the cause behind it, the growing trend is that, despite their sincere intentions combined with hard work and consistent effort, many married men are just not making enough to make ends meet, as well as to collect leftover savings over time. Therefore, many contemporary Muslim husbands welcome their wifes income, and appreciate her giving them a shoulder in heaving the household responsibility. Islamic Obligation upon Men to Provide Men have been given the Islamic responsibility of providing for women, who are by default financially dependent on them. Fathers, husbands, brothers have to provide for their women on a reasonable, non-extravagant basis. This provision includes basic food, shelter, clothing and medical aides. In particular, the husbands obligation to provide for his wife, even if she is wealthy, is binding according to Islam. The question that arises is: What should be done in cases where the husband is genuinely trying his best to earn a sufficient living, but is not able to provide adequately for his wife and children in a manner that will enable them to get by comfortably (not lavishly)? In such cases, when the wife is not motivated by greed or a desire to live luxuriously, she can try to work in order to supplement her husbands income.

Since working from home has become very common, it has allowed many women to keep busy doing productive work in their spare time. Can women work in Islam? This was the first question a smartlydressed older lady asked me at a wedding once, soon after I came and sat at the same table as she. It was clear that she directed the question at me because of my attire. This question is a very generalized one and, truth be told, the answer is not a simple yes or no. Notwithstanding the legal rulings and jurisprudential verdicts regarding the issue of Muslim women working outside the home, the fact remains that a combination of social, economic, demographic and cultural factors are bringing about a global revolution of sorts: there are more and more women now gaining a good education and joining the workforce, despite there being a considerable populace of men eligible and available for the job. The question is now less about Can she? and more about, Should she? What Is Work? When you think of the term working woman, the picture that came to mind in the eighties and nineties was that of a no-nonsense, brusque, self-confident, and slightly bossy woman. A compulsive go-getter who, up at the crack of dawn every day, gets dressed in serious business attire with attach case in hand, and hurriedly leaves her home while its still very early, to return well after sundown - haggard, cranky and tired. En route, she drops her tots, if any, to school, daycare or at a relatives home, either with or without a nanny. Judgmental housewives love to hate on her; call her a negligent mother, and accuse her of making her children grow up without her loving attention and care. True, two decades ago, jobs and careers had different implications for women than they do now. Except for careers in primary education, there were fewer, if any, parttime career arrangements available for women that didnt involve a tall corporate office building, a cubicle, a computer and a rigid 9-to-5 schedule with inflexible working hours. Then, too, even if the women who worked as teachers came home from school earlier, usually along with their children, they would have to bring along piles of homework journals to check, stacks of test papers to grade, and lesson planners to fill for the next day. Home: The New Workplace Now, work has gained a different connotation altogether. Technology advances

Continued to Page 6

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Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

The Friday Bulletin

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The Friday Bulletin

Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

Continued From Page 4

A win-win relation for Muslim women

cooped up inside their homes. As an example of the ill effects of women having little to fill up their spare time, is the family misunderstandings and fights that are caused due to their idleness. Because they have nothing productive to do, they start to direct their attention towards others homes. Inquisitive about their close relatives, they start calling them up or visiting too often, just to enquire about their goings-on and giving unasked-for advice. This causes a gradual souring of relationships because of unnecessary interference, prying, and gossip. Feeling depressed due to staying cooped up in the home also affects womens marriages, because they end up feeling useless and unproductive, and take out their pent up anger on their husbands when the latter return home from work in the evenings. The depression and lethargy experienced by such women is further exacerbated in those geographical regions of the world, which have long, dreary winters in which daylight hours are short, and going out is hampered by heavy snow and the need to don numerous layers of thick clothing. In all such cases, if women find beneficial work that doesnt involve any disobedience of God; doesnt adversely affect their motherhood or household responsibilities, nor displeases their husbands, it is actually a win-win situation for everyone - primarily themselves. Maintaining the Balance Women belonging to any culture, ethnicity, religion or geographical location find it challenging to balance their household and maternity responsibilities with work. This is even truer in cases where they work only because they have to, or have a job / occupation that they do not enjoy. In order to maintain an optimum balance, a woman should always fear God and check her intention often and repeatedly, to align it to completely focus on gaining Gods pleasure through her work. This will automatically keep her steadfast upon the right path and help her avoid neglecting any area in the holistic realm of her Shari obligations and responsibilities. If the woman fears God, she will not allow her work to affect her Islamic obligations, such as offering the daily 5 prayers on time, fasting Ramadan annually, gaining Islamic knowledge, reciting Quran, and observing hijab from men - which, besides her clothing, also includes an invisible but palpable barrier that effectively impedes frank verbal communication and suggestive body language. If she fears God, she will ensure that her work doesnt allow her to undermine the dues of her own self, such as spirituality, sleep, health and nutrition. It will ensure that she remains wary of neglecting her husbands rights, if she is married, especially in guarding herself at all times behind his back from anything he dislikes, solely out of fear of God (not fear of him). It will also ensure that she, not only earns money through means that are 100% lawful, but also that she spends it frugally and wisely, in a manner that does not anger God, and that she saves some of it, diligently pays her yearly zakat (if it becomes due) and gives regular charity. Conclusion Sadly, we are witnessing a gradual disintegration of the institution of marriage around the world, even among the Muslim ummah. Combined with the skyrocketing cost of living and high numbers of young women reverting to Islam who dwell mostly in the West, and who, despite their sincere intentions to get married and desperate search for a spouse, remain single - the coming years will witness more and more working women to financially support themselves. So instead of wondering whether Islam lets women work or not, our primary concern as a global ummah should be whether our women are being provided for and supported the way they should be?

The Cons of Always Staying at Home My personal opinion based upon a decade or so of observation, is that some women primarily adult, married women in their thirties and forties, - can use their idle time, time which is left over after they have amply fulfilled their responsibilities as wives, mothers and homemakers, rather unwisely. They either watch addictive, sensationalized drama serials, talk shows, or films on television, go shopping to lift their mood (now known as retail therapy) which inevitably makes them spend more money, read glossy chick-lit or fashion magazines, excessively socialize with other housewives to kill time, or if nothing else, go to sleep for long hours, thus ending up living a slothful lifestyle that hampers mental and physical health. Whereas many Muslim men, including modern muftis and scholars, openly condemn women working outside the home, they ignore or undermine the negative repercussions of idleness, ignorance, gossip, a mundane routine, engagement in trivialities, indulgence in time-wasting pastimes, and the resultant frustration and crankiness that women suffer whilst they remain

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The Friday Bulletin

NATIONAL

Jumaada al-Thaany 25,1435/April 25,2014

Muslims Urged to educate girls

The Muslim community has been challenged to treat both boys and girls equally when it comes to matters pertaining to education. Addressing a Muslim girls workshop at Eshisiru Islamic centre, Kakamega Jamia Mosque and Islamic centre chairman, Sheikh Abdalla Ateka urged Muslims to send all their children to school irrespective of gender. Ateka underscored the importance of gender balance in families and communities, stressing that it is obligatory for both male and female to seek for knowledge, adding that abandoning or discrimination against girls was un-Islamic and amounted to ignorance and a great sin. He said that the teaching of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) did not prescribe giving unfair treatment to girls. The chair noted with regrets that some Muslim parents harbored tendencies which discriminate against girls when it comes to education and inheritance where they prefer to educate boys hence ignoring girls, adding that educating girls is educating the whole society. Ateka further said that now days girls or women contribute positively to society and play importance roles in the development of the community and country at large, hence the need for parents to take girls education seriously ''It is quite unfortunate that some Muslim parents do not recognize their girl child while budgeting for family education or making wills,'' he lamented. Ateka urged Muslim parents to ensure that all their children grow up in line with the teachings of the Qur'an and the traditions of the Prophet Mohammed in order to be responsible and God fearing citizens. He advised Muslim girls in higher institutions of learning to inculcate Islamic values in their lives as this will nurture them as God fearing citizens and responsible persons in the society. The one week workshop that started on 19th,April,2014 and end on 3rd May,2014 has attracted over 112 Muslim girls mainly form four leavers from Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley regions respectively and it is sponsored by the Kakamega based Muslim Group for Development.

Muslim leaders calls for peace and tolerance

Muslim leaders in North Rift region have called on Muslims in the region to maintain peace and tolerance during this trying moment for peaceful coexistence and prosperity. The leaders led by the North Rift chairman Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Sheikh Abubakar Bini said that without peace, tolerance and harmony no tangible progress and development can be made, adding that it is the responsibility and duty of all Kenyans to preach peace and tolerance and shun acts that could lead to division among Kenyans. Speaking in Eldoret town, Sheikh Bini at the same time appealed to political leaders to desist from fanning the debate over the contested results of last year's General Elections and instead contribute to nation building and peace preaching. He said Kenyans were being faced with many challenges that needed to be addressed citing insecurity, unemployment among youths, drug abuse, poor roads and health services as some of the challenges that political leaders should offer solutions instead of engaging in unworthy debates. Sheikh Bini further said that engaging in debates about the March 4 elections was an exercise in futility. On counter terrorism efforts, the Muslim leaders stressed that Islam and Muslims were strongly opposed to any forms of terrorism but added that the rule of law must be followed in the event of any wrong doing instead of administering collective punishment to innocent people. Sheikh Osman Mohammud said that terror wars are increasingly alienating Muslims who are unfairly targeted whenever terror attacks are reported to have taken place. ''The unfounded allegations against Muslims that they are involved in terrorism activities are not true because Islam value the lives of human beings and whoever engages in act of killing fellow human being unjustifiable is not among Muslims he should be taken as a criminal,'' said Sheikh Osman. He pointed out that anti-terror law needs to be amended to avoid arbitrary arrests and detention of innocent people who are arrested and detained outside the legal confines of law. Sheikh Osman called on Muslim legislators to use their influence in parliament and senate to advocate for the rights of Muslim community and Kenyans in general and ensure the Bill of rights are protected and respected.

Butere Muslims told to initiate development projects

Muslims in Butere sub-county in Kakamega county have been challenged to be bold enough and participate in development programmes instead of stagnating in oratory politics and leadership wrangles. Marama West ward, county representative, Habel Nanjendo while addressing worshippers at Shitoyi Jamia Mosque during Friday prayer, said Muslims in Butere have for long remained backward in development matters while their fellow Muslims in other areas prosper. Nanjendo singled out education as one of the area that Muslims in Butere are lagging behind stating that Islam is known to put a lot of emphasis in education and it is the only religion that has respected and renowned scholars in different fields and wondered why there were no Muslim sponsored schools in the area despite the high population of Muslims. ''Muslims are well known for their passion for education and participation in development matters since time immemorial for the benefit of humanity, why are Muslims in Butere not active?'' asked Nanjendo. Nanjendo noted that most education institutions in Butere are Christian sponsored and asked the Muslim community in the area to identify land with title deeds for the construction of Muslim sponsored secondary school and pledged to support the project once land has been provided. ''We want to invest heavily in both religious and secular education by setting up schools, colleges and even universities,'' he disclosed. Earlier Nanjendo donated wall clocks and lamps to nine mosques in his Marama west ward and pledged to initiate fence projects for the nine mosques for security purposes and protection against encroachments. He called on Muslim leadership in the region to unite for prosperity and shun acts that create disunity.

''It is quite unfortunate that some Muslim parents do not recognize their girl child while budgeting for family education or making wills,''

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Israeli forces storm Aqsa compound, dozens injured and detained

JERUSALEM (Ma'an) -- Dozens of Palestinian worshipers were wounded and dozens were detained after clashes broke in the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Sunday morning with Israeli forces who had stormed the courtyards firing stun grenades and rubber-coated bullets. The raid comes amid frequent clashes in recent days after right-wing Jewish groups urged Jews to flock to the compound -- which they believe is the site of a former Jewish temple -- and conduct Passover rituals inside. Director of Al-Aqsa Mosque Omar Kiswani told Ma'an that more than 400 police officers stormed the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Moroccan Gate and the Chain Gate escorting extremist Jews other Jewish visitors into the compound. Israeli forces, Kiswani said, "besieged" worshipers in the southern mosque "attacking them with clubs and pepper spray," after clashes broke out with Palestinian worshipers in the compound. Dozens of Palestinians sustained injuries during the assault, while several others suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation. Twenty-five young men were reportedly detained by Israeli forces. Kiswani said that Likud member of Knesset Moshe Feiglin had also entered the compound during the raid, accompanied by special security units. Feiglin has visited the site frequently in recent months, and he has vocally supported the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the compound. Earlier on Sunday morning, clashes erupted outside the Lions' Gate (Bab al-Asbat) and Gate of Remission (Bab alHutta) of the Al-Aqsa compound when Israeli police denied hundreds of worshippers access to the compound. Witnesses said that Israeli officers had denied all Palestinian residents of Jerusalem under the age of 60 access to the compound, including students who attend schools inside. Men and women were also attacked with clubs and pepper spray, witnesses said. Israeli forces detained a young man after he was beaten brutally. Israeli police spokesman said in a statement that police had detained 16 Palestinian "rioters," adding that they were all detained "as they threw stones/blocks at officers at the scene this morning." He also said that two police officers lightly injured in the clashes, which broke out after the Palestinians threw stones as "tourists visited. About 100 Muslim worshipers have decided to stay inside the compound day and night throughout Passover after right-wing Jewish organizations called for Jewish worshipers to enter the area en masse for religious festivities. Because of the sensitive nature of the Al-Aqsa compound, Israel maintains a compromise with the Islamic trust that controls it to not allow non-Muslim prayers in the area. Israeli forces regularly escort Jewish visitors to the site, leading to tension with Palestinian worshipers. The compound, which sits just above the Western Wall plaza, houses both the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa mosque and is the third holiest site in Islam. It is also venerated as Judaism's most holy place as it sits where Jews believe the First and Second Temples once stood. The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. Al-Aqsa is located in East Jerusalem, a part of the internationally recognized Palestinian territories that have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967. (http:// www.maannews.net)

Health Hazards of the Ummah

Kenyas health care system is in crisis. More than half the country has no access to proper health care and, of those that do, only a small percentage live within a two-hour walk of a health care facility. Preventable and treatable diseases such as cholera, river blindness, yellow fever, dengue, hepatitis and typhoid fever kill thousands annually. One out of every 10 Kenyan children die before their fifth birthday. Half of those die from diarrhea and malaria. Poor nutrition and infections contribute to one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. To make matters worse, at its current rate of growth, Kenyas population is expected to double within the next 20 years causing an increasingly massive burden on already overstretched medical services. To date, Ummah Foundation is striving to invest almost $4 million in new health posts and clinics throughout Kenya providing improved access to care to approximately one million people. It has also invested slightly in the rehabilitation a slum based health facility in Korogocho in the big Mathare valley slums of Nairobi. The facility is complete and operational under the management of Crescent Medical Aid. The clinic provides basic affordable medical services to the informal dwellers. With support this centre can grow to a magnitude of a big hospital. We are also still in the process of soliciting funds for a mobile clinic that will be a big relieve to remote parts of Kenya and especially Muslim dominated regions. To realize a small bit of the success should be emphasized and we believe the Muslim populace in this country has the potential if we can pull all our resources together to put up our own health facilities. Currently One Shilling is striving a lot to realize this dream but the support from the Ummah is dwindling every day. Our situation is very pathetic in the sense that for the last 1000 years Islam has existed in this country, Muslims have not been able to come up with a remarkable hospital that can address the health issues that we struggle with. We need to put our concerted efforts together and give generously to make this facility be a reality. We appeal to all those with good will and have the feelings of this Ummah at heart to donate as much as they can to bring a change in this Ummah. Ummah Foundation Village Plaza, Ngara Rd, 2nd Floor, P.O.Box 58717-00200 Nairobi Tel: 20-202680610/13, Mob: 0734-845277 Email: info@ummahfpoundation.net www.ummahfoundation.net

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