4
Friday Bulletin e Weekly Muslim News Update Rabi al Thani 16, 1428/May 04, 2007 Issue No. 210 This Newsletter contains some of Allah’s names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep,circulate or shred. www.islamkenya.com He added that the trend where Muslims were being detained arbitrarily was a smack in the face of all the internation- al conventions on human rights. Continued On Page 4 The Last week’s night time terror raid in Mombasa has received widespread condemnation from Muslim leaders who are insist- ing an apology from the government. The leaders have also told the Kibaki administration to respect the constitutional rights of all Kenyans and warned of possible fallout with the government dur- ing the coming general elections if the present trend continued. The raid, the most severe yet, since the cam- paign of harassment against Muslims started in 2003, saw eleven people who included an Imam of Kwa Shibu masjid arrested in a late night operation by the dreaded terror police unit, the paramilitary General Service Unit and the crack Flying Squad. Ten people were released a day later but the Imam, Sheikh Ib- rahim Muhammad Salim was still being kept by the police. Calls were again made for the disbandment of the terror police which Muslim leaders have on many occasions pointed out that it is being used to torment Muslim faithful and was operating outside the confines of the law. Terror police boss Nicholas Kamwende led the two-hour operation carried out in the Guraya neighbour- hood of the town. SUPKEM Chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El Busaidy accused the Government of working at the behest of foreign entities to op- press its citizens under the guise of fighting terrorism. “There is a foreign hand in the police mop up and illegal night raids,” he said. Though Muslims had nothing to do with terrorism, he said, the government was portraying Muslims as terrorists and continued with the campaign to oppress the community. National Muslims Leaders Forum chairman Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi said Muslims were being persecuted by their own government without regard to established laws. “We are led to wonder whether the government of Kenya has two sets of laws in its governance; one for Muslims where all human rights are broken with impunity and another for the rest of Kenyans,” he said. He added that the trend where Muslims were being detained arbitrarily was a smack in the face of all the international conventions on human rights. Abdullahi warned that the government action risked the country degenerating into a pariah state. On his part, Sheikh Muhammad Dor, the Council of Imam and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) secretary general described the night raid as “chilling and barbaric.” Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Presidential candidate Na- jib Balala rubbished police claims that the operation was engi- neered to protect the fundamental rights of the people. “You do not invade and break people’s houses at that time of the night and still claim that you are protecting the people,” an angry Balala said. The chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Security Mr Ramadhan Seif Kajembe while condemning the raid said he would summon police commissioner Maj Hussein Muham- mad Ali and Internal Security minister John Michuki to explain why excessive force was being used on innocent Muslims. Terror raid desecrated Muslims, leaders say There were no surprises witnessed at the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) elections held on Wednesday. Most of the top officials of the council fought hard and retained their seats in the polls held at the Kasarani stadium. Long serving chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El-Busaidy was re-elected unopposed as were the secretary general Adan Wachu, organiz- ing secretary Sharrif Hussein Omar and director general Abdullatif Shaban. Others who retained their seats were all provincial chairmen except those representing Nairobi, Central and Coast provinces. In Nairobi, Hussein Aden, the Nairobi district secretary was elected to replace Yusuf Murigu who stepped down as the provincial chairman. Central province saw Muhammad Omar Maluki being ejected and his place taken by Ali Yusuf Ngotho while in Coast, Munir Mazrui lost his seat to SUPKEM Mombasa branch chairman Juma Ngao. Former Constitution of Kenya Review (CKRC) commissioner Ibrahim Lethome who had been nominated for the post of secretary general also stepped down after reportedly being persuaded several times leaving Adan Wachu to be elected unopposed. The provincial chairmen are Abdallah Kamwana Eastern, Abdal- lah Kiptanui representing Rift Valley, Ibrahim Chemaswet West- ern and Saad Khairallah for Nyanza. In North Eastern, disputes emerged when delegates realised they were not being represented In a bid to cater for the increasing number of orphans in Coast prov- ince, a Mombasa based charity will open two new orphanages to give hope to the needy children. The centers will be opened in Mombasa and Kilifi districts by the Kenya Muslims Yatima Foundation (KMYF). This is in addition to the Darul Aitam Orphanage run by the Foundation in Bamburi. The KMYF chairman Sheikh Twaha Omar Jaab said the orphanages will be set up at Utange in Mombasa to cater for 50 girls from two to 13 years and another at Kanamai in Kilifi District for 50 boys of the same age group. “We have received help from well wishers to start new orphan cent- ers and we hope more would come forward so that we manage to take all orphans and finish the problem completely,” he said. M.A Bayusuf and Sons was among companies and individuals who made contribution for the establishment of the orphanages. Sheikh Jaab asked the government to support societies interested in taking care of orphans for them to be able to help the needy and deserved children. Looking after orphans, he said, was in line with the teachings of Is- lam which requires Muslims to ensure that orphans live decent and happy lives. Continued On Page 2 Mombasa charity to set up Orphanages No surprises at SUPKEM polls as top officials retain seats

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Page 1: Friday Bulletin 210

Friday BulletinThe Weekly Muslim News Update

Rabi al Thani 16, 1428/May 04, 2007 Issue No. 210

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

www.islamkenya.com

He added that the trend where Muslims were being detained arbitrarily was a smack in the face of all the internation-al conventions on human rights.

Continued On Page 4

The

Last week’s night time terror raid in Mombasa has received widespread condemnation from Muslim leaders who are insist-ing an apology from the government. The leaders have also told the Kibaki administration to respect the constitutional rights of all Kenyans and warned of possible fallout with the government dur-ing the coming general elections if the present trend continued. The raid, the most severe yet, since the cam-paign of harassment against Muslims started in 2003, saw eleven people who included an Imam of Kwa Shibu masjid arrested in a late night operation by the dreaded terror police unit, the paramilitary General Service Unit and the crack Flying Squad. Ten people were released a day later but the Imam, Sheikh Ib-rahim Muhammad Salim was still being kept by the police. Calls were again made for the disbandment of the terror police which Muslim leaders have on many occasions pointed out that it is being used to torment Muslim faithful and was operating outside the confines of the law. Terror police boss Nicholas Kamwendeled the two-hour operation carried out in the Guraya neighbour-hood of the town.SUPKEM Chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El Busaidy accused the Government of working at the behest of foreign entities to op-press its citizens under the guise of fighting terrorism. “There is aforeign hand in the police mop up and illegal night raids,” he said. Though Muslims had nothing to do with terrorism, he said, the

government was portraying Muslims as terrorists and continued with the campaign to oppress the community.National Muslims Leaders Forum chairman Sheikh Abdullahi Abdi said Muslims were being persecuted by their own government without regard to established laws. “We are led to wonder whether the government of Kenya has two sets of laws in its governance;

one for Muslims where all human rights are broken with impunity and another for the rest of Kenyans,” he said.He added that the trend where Muslims were being detained arbitrarily was a smack in the face of all the international conventions on human rights. Abdullahi warned that the government action risked

the country degenerating into a pariah state.On his part, Sheikh Muhammad Dor, the Council of Imam and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) secretary general described the night raid as “chilling and barbaric.” Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Presidential candidate Na-jib Balala rubbished police claims that the operation was engi-neered to protect the fundamental rights of the people. “You do not invade and break people’s houses at that time of the night and still claim that you are protecting the people,” an angry Balala said. The chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Security Mr Ramadhan Seif Kajembe while condemning the raid said he would summon police commissioner Maj Hussein Muham-mad Ali and Internal Security minister John Michuki to explain why excessive force was being used on innocent Muslims.

Terror raid desecrated Muslims, leaders say

There were no surprises witnessed at the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) elections held on Wednesday. Most of the top officials of the council fought hard and retained their seats in the pollsheld at the Kasarani stadium.Long serving chairman Prof. Abdulghafur El-Busaidy was re-elected unopposed as were the secretary general Adan Wachu, organiz-ing secretary Sharrif Hussein Omar and director general Abdullatif Shaban.Others who retained their seats were all provincial chairmen except those representing Nairobi, Central and Coast provinces. In Nairobi, Hussein Aden, the Nairobi district secretary was elected to replace Yusuf Murigu who stepped down as the provincial chairman. Central province saw Muhammad Omar Maluki being ejected and his place taken by Ali Yusuf Ngotho while in Coast, Munir Mazrui lost his seat to SUPKEM Mombasa branch chairman Juma Ngao.Former Constitution of Kenya Review (CKRC) commissioner Ibrahim Lethome who had been nominated for the post of secretary general also stepped down after reportedly being persuaded several times leaving Adan Wachu to be elected unopposed. The provincial chairmen are Abdallah Kamwana Eastern, Abdal-lah Kiptanui representing Rift Valley, Ibrahim Chemaswet West-ern and Saad Khairallah for Nyanza. In North Eastern, disputes emerged when delegates realised they were not being represented

In a bid to cater for the increasing number of orphans in Coast prov-ince, a Mombasa based charity will open two new orphanages to give hope to the needy children.The centers will be opened in Mombasa and Kilifi districts by theKenya Muslims Yatima Foundation (KMYF). This is in addition to the Darul Aitam Orphanage run by the Foundation in Bamburi.The KMYF chairman Sheikh Twaha Omar Jaab said the orphanages will be set up at Utange in Mombasa to cater for 50 girls from two to 13 years and another at Kanamai in Kilifi District for 50 boys of thesame age group.“We have received help from well wishers to start new orphan cent-ers and we hope more would come forward so that we manage to take all orphans and finish the problem completely,” he said.M.A Bayusuf and Sons was among companies and individuals who made contribution for the establishment of the orphanages. Sheikh Jaab asked the government to support societies interested in taking care of orphans for them to be able to help the needy and deserved children.Looking after orphans, he said, was in line with the teachings of Is-lam which requires Muslims to ensure that orphans live decent and happy lives.Continued On Page 2

Mombasa charity to set up Orphanages

No surprises at SUPKEM polls as top officials retain seats

Page 2: Friday Bulletin 210

It was a scene reminiscent of the terror which Palestinians and Iraqis are going through in their countries under Israeli and American occu-pation respectively. In an occurrence which was until last week only seen on television screens, heavily armed security officials raideda residential neighbourhood in Mombasa’s Guraya area, firing inthe air, breaking doors and tear gassing in the dead of the night. The victims, who included children and octogenarians were dragged from their sleep, taken outside and with guns aimed at them, forced to stand for two hours outside during a heavy rainstorm while their homes were being searched and turned upside down ostensibly to look for terrorists. Valuable properties which included jewelry, mo-bile phones and money were stolen by the raiders. Eleven people were arrested which the police buoyantly announced that they were “dangerous terrorists”. Strangely, the “dangerous terrorists” were re-leased a day after without being a told on the reason for which led to their illegal detention.This was Bush’s terror war which Kenya has readily adopted not-withstanding the fact that it goes against established human rights doctrines.Adding insult to injury, the deputy Provincial Police Officer came outto defend the operation claiming that they were protecting the fun-damental rights of the people from criminals. As expected, he could not be able to point out the alleged criminals as none of the terrorists who were ostensibly targeted were found nor even had any link about their whereabouts. Though this was not the first time that the raid took place, it was by farthe most ruthless by the dreaded Anti-Terrorist Police Unit (ATPU). The several from none other than the head of state President Mwai Kibaki that Muslims should have no reason to fear as the rule of law will be respected have proved to be empty rhetoric.In their own country, Muslims have, since President Kibaki attained the reigns of power, almost five years ago endured a life of fear andterror not witnessed in post-independence Kenya. From the four-year old Hafswa Saleh to the now 85 year old Said Mohammed, they have all had terrific ordeals to relate in a campaign which the govern-ment has at all times been prepared to justify.Significantly, the Guraya raid took place at a time when Internal se-curity minister John Michuki was in the United States to plot new grounds with US counter-terrorism officials to find an avenue to enactthe Terrorism Bill. This is the same law though rejected by Parliament has been used to torment the Muslim population. Perhaps, the raid led by ATPU boss Nicholas Kamwende was a gesture to the Ameri-cans that nothing will stand in the way of the government to imple-ment the dreaded legislation. These actions have made Muslims believe that the government does not care about their rights. In this election year when oppressing a particular community might be a case of political suicide during elec-tion time, we expected that somehow the Kibaki administration will positively reach out to the community but going by the events wit-nessed since the beginning of the year, the situation has regretfully turned out to be tragedy for the community. George Bush, the much loathed figure among Muslims worldwide, during his re-election cam-paign made great efforts to reached out to Muslims in his country knowing well that though they were a small minority, their votes were significantly important. Our President, regretfully, has failed barelyeight months to the ballot box, to realize the significance of the Mus-lim voters who dominate in two provinces. At no time have Muslims felt so insecure in their own country that the Kibaki era. Our scholars who command great respect in the com-munity have not been spared either. Only a few months, one of the top scholars attached to Majlis Ulamaa Kenya, the national council of Muslim scholars, in a chilling episode was surrounded by heavily armed policemen aiming their dangerous weapons at him. Reason: he was a suspected terrorist. Imagine the uproar such an incident could have ignited if the victim happened to be a top cleric from the Catholic, Anglican or evangelical churches. But being a Muslim, the government did not even find it prudence to issue an explanation.Deportation now seems to be the weapon against those the State fails to find ground for terrorism. It does not matter whether you area Kenyan or not. You can find yourself dumped in another countrywhen the government decides to make you stateless. Kenya is now in the middle of tribal clashes which have claimed more than a hundreds of people in Mt Elgon, Nairobi and Tana River. While a heavy handed approach is being meted out on Muslims who are

Continued From Page 1

Israeli barbarity comes to town -Editorial

No surprises at SUPKEM polls as top officials retain seats

Turks wage battle for Hijab

they announced that they will be dissolving all their district councils and terminate the representations of their province from SUPKEM. Among the new faces are Hussein Gitonga, the Embu district chair-man who has who was elected as the deputy secretary general.Significantly, those who failed to get posts were deemed to be ina camp seen to champion reforms in the SUPKEM leadership. Though it was anticipated to be a stormy affair, the elections were largely a peaceful affair at the Kasarani stadium. However as in pre-vious elections, they were complaints of bonafide delegates beinglocked out and their places taken by non-SUPKEM officials.Omar Muhammad, a delegate from Nairobi told The Friday Bulletin that he was locked out of the polls and his place given to an outsider. Thika district which was among several areas where the district elec-tions aborted, and thus was not supposed to have representatives at the elections, was surprisingly represented by a team led by Abu Nurein, the former district chairman. Sheikh Lethome noted that in future the electoral process should be composed of an independent body of members from other Islamic organizations to be deemed fair by all, sentiments also shared by Abdallah Ndope from Thika district.

The men and women stand separately but their chant is the same: “Long live the fight for the headscarf!” The women at this protest in Istanbul’s old quarter want to wear their headscarves in school, university and parliament, but Muslim Turkey’s secular system forbids that, with laws pious Muslims see as a breach of their personal and religious freedom. The Islamic-rooted ruling AK Party says it wants to lift the ban, a key demand of its grass-root supporters, but has faced fierce op-position from Turkey’s powerful secular elite. However, the issue is now back on the agenda as Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan considers running for president in an election next month. That would put a scarf-wearing first lady into the presiden-tial palace in Ankara for the first time. Such an outcome would shock the secular elite, but not the 60 percent of Turkish women who cover up, nor the 59 per cent of Turks who according to a survey by think-tank TESEV think Muslim women must cover their heads. Ayse Nur Bulut, 20, is one of them: she left university because she could not wear a headscarf to class. “I cried a lot, I thought a lot, I talked to everybody about it and in the end I decided this,” she told Reuters. “It’s an identity problem ... and it’s a religious command.” Thousands of women have made the same decision since a ban previously applied only sporadically was enforced in 1997 after the army ousted a government it deemed too Islamist. (Reuters)

turning out to be innocent, gangs who have brought terror and may-hem to the population are instead being handled with a kids glove approach. Just recently defence minister Njenga Karume was calling for dialogue with the outlawed Mungiki sect, an outfit blamed for acarnage which has resulted in hundreds of death.The latest raid has however, come with some glimmer of hope. For the first time we have seen people such as Juma Ngao coming up for thefirst time to condemn the government’s barbaric act. It is our hope thatNgao and those who have been at the forefront in praising the govern-ment notwithstanding its persecution of Muslims, will now stand firmin speaking out against the harassment and vigorously defending the rights of the suppressed population. As we have always reiterated, nothing should stop us for agitating for our rights. But at the same time we should continue to exhibit patience from engaging in any act which may further give the government a justification to carry out the heavy handed approach and get supportfor the Terror Bill. Alhamdulillah we have for the past four and so-years exhibited a high degree of patience and we should continue with this noble approach after all Allah stated that with difficult comes ease.

Page 3: Friday Bulletin 210

The word Musharaka takes its name from the Arabic work “shiraka” which means partnership and it is that relationship which subsists be-tween two or more persons carrying on a business in common with a view of profit to be divided between themselves in pre-agreed propor-tions. It is formed by an agreement whereby the partners agree to carry on a particular type of business together with a view to making profits.This partnership is normally of limited duration, formed to carry out a specific project. It is therefore similar to a joint venture. The shareof each one of the partners should be stated in terms of percentage or ratio or fraction of anticipated profits and not as an absolute fixedamount. Such stipulation or pre-fixing of a certain sum as profits for anypartner will invalidate the contract.The share of each one of the partners may or may not be determined on pro-rata basis to the capital contributed by each partner. Howev-er, the agreement should earmark a certain portion of the profits forthe active partner in excess of the actual percentage due to him as a compensation for his entrepreneurship and management. This portion should be deducted from the profits prior to distribution.Losses resulting from normal business conditions should be borne by the partners on pro-rata basis according to each partners contribution in the capital. The active partner will, however, bear responsibility for any loss should this be the result of his negligence or willful act or breach of the Musharaka agreement.Operations carried according to this mode may vary from weeks to years and can be classified under two headings:a) Self-liquidating MusharakaThis is a self-liquidating form of participation whereby the bank would, in addition to its share of profits, be retrieving from the other partnercertain agreed sums until the bank’s share of the capital is fully repaid and ownership of the project passes over to the other party. It is usually applicable in medium to long-term operations and projects.b) Permanent MusharakaIn this kind of Musharaka, the bank participates in the project perma-nently until liquidation of the same or until, by agreement, the bank sells its share in the project to the other partner or to any other party.The Interest-free Banks through these methods of finance (Mudharabaand Musharaka) play the role of a real partner.

The other category of methods of finance, as stated earlier, are thetrade finance or trade related methods.These include:Murabaha (Mark-up Sale)This method is extensively used by Interest-free Banks to finance thetrade needs of its customers.It consists of two distinct transactions, purchase and sale, where the bank adds an agreed amount of mark up as profit over the cost of thepurchase transaction to the sale transaction. This margin is charged only once at the time of selling the goods to the customer and is not variable or subject to increase again in the future even if the customer delays in repayment or fails to repay. The mark-up principle is justifiedon the basis of a generally accepted axiom that time may be valued provided it is incorporated in an actual sale transaction.The Murabaha method is widely used by Interest-free Banks to financeinternational trade and the importation of goods under letters of credit.Musawama (Bargain Sale)This method is used where the customer and the supplier of a prod-uct are stationed in the same locality. Its difference with the Murabaha (Mark-up sale) is that a lump sum sale price of the goods would be agreed upon after bargaining between the bank and customer irre-spective of the original cost price of the goods and/or the profit.SallamThis is a post-delivery or forward transaction similar to a future or a forward-purchase contract. In this arrangement, banks purchase in advance goods from the owners of productive units who undertake to deliver the goods at a future date. Through this system the bank would afford the necessary funds required to meet the working capital needs of owners of the productive sector of the economy. It is particularly ap-

plicable to seasonal agricultural purchases, but it can also be used to buy other goods in cases where the seller needs working capital before he can deliver. The necessary conditions that need to be met are that the quantity and quality of the commodity, delivery date and the price should be specified.Muzara’a (Farming Finance)Muzara’a is derived from the Arabic work Zira’a which means farm-ing. This form of finance is largely practised by the Interest-free Banks,which operate in agricultural countries notably those in Iran and Sudan. Under such contracts, the banks provide agricultural lands that they own or that are in their possession as a trust to farmers for a specifiedperiod. The underlying concept of a Muzara’a contract is that the land provided is a fixed asset put to the use of the farmer who should sharethe fruits of its harvest with the bank.Ijara (Leasing)Leasing as practiced by Interest-free Banks is quite similar to its con-ventional practice. Under such arrangements, the bank purchases goods and then leases the same to its clients for specified rentals fora fixed period of time. Payments may be made by the client monthly orquarterly and the bank will normally fix rentals which cover all or most ofthe original purchase price of the item over the period of the contract.At the end of the lease period, the bank may either sell the item of equipment concerned in the market, rent it to another client for a sum usually less than that agreed for the first contract, or else sell the item tothe original client. If the eventual sale to the original client was agreed at the time the initial contract was made, then the contract can be said to incorporate both Ijara and Murabaha elements. In this case, the rental premiums may be smaller. This type of mixed contract is quite popular in leasing transactions undertaken by many Interest-free Banks.Ijara-Bil-Bei (Lease Purchase Financing)This is an extended version of leasing method discussed above. In ad-dition to the regular lease rentals, the client undertakes to deposit ad-ditional agreed amounts of capital payments over a definite time periodinto a savings account held in the bank. The bank shall then invest these additional capital amounts and profits generated thereof shall fur-ther be credited to the account until such time when an agreed value for the equipment is reached and ownership is transferred to the client.Provision of Contemporary Banking Services.Besides offering alternative forms of financial inter-mediation, Interest-free Banks also offer comprehensively and competitively all those serv-ices expected of any contemporary bank.These services are fee-paid retail services that in general do not in-volve interest payments. They include, checking accounts, spot foreign exchange transactions, fund transfers, travellers cheques, safe deposit boxes, securities safe-keeping, investment management and advice services, trust services, property management, execution of wills and testaments and income tax consultancy.

Islamic Banking This is the continuation of the series on Islamic Banking By Abdullatif Essajee, a lecturer at Univer-

sity of Nairobi and a member of the Jamia Mosque Commitee-NairobiIslamic Banking Musharaka (Profit and Loss Sharing System)

QUR’AN RECITATION AND MEMORISATION CLASSES

At Jamia Masjid NairobiCommencement date is on the 7thMay 2007 & they are to be con-ducted between Mondays to FridaysClasses to be conducted inside the new Jamia masjid extension Registration at the Daawah Office/ Library Timmings: From 4:30pm upto 6:30pm

*This programme is for males only. The Sisters programme willstart on June 1

Due to public requests from the Kiswahili speakers, we have scheduled a pre-khutbah Kiswahili Quran Tafseer >Starts next Wednesday [9th may 2007]Insha Allah from next week.i Quran >To be conducted by Sheikh Khalfan khamis- Imam Jamia Masjid.

Swahili Quran Tafseer

Page 4: Friday Bulletin 210

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 40629-00100 Nairobi, Tel: 243504/5 E-mail: [email protected] by Colour Magic Production Ltd-Kirinyaga Crescent P. O. Box 9581-00100 Nairobi

Terror raid desecrated Muslims, leaders say

Halal is an Arabic term meaning permissible or lawful. In the Eng-lish language it often refers to food that is permissible or lawful under the Islamic dietary law. In Arabic language it refers to any-thing that is permissible or lawful under Islam. Prophet Muham-mad (saw) is reported to have said: ‘There will come a time upon my Ummah when people will not be concerned about what they consume. It will not matter to them whether it is Haram or Halal. When such a time appears none of their Duas will be accepted.’ (Al Bukhari)We all know that Islam is more than just a way of believing and praying, it is a way of life. Food is the fuel our minds and bodies need in order to function. As Muslims our primary function is to worship Allah (SWT). If we are eating pork, consuming alcohol or not establishing what we are eating is halal or haram, how can our bodies and minds then be devoted to purity. As far as food is concerned, the Quran is very clear on what is ha-lal and haram. Basically all food is halal except for the following:• Meat from swine (pork, ham etc)•Pork based products and by products – sausages, gelatine etc• Animals improperly slaughtered or already dead before slaugh-ter• Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah (SWT)• Blood and blood by products• Intoxicants• Foods contaminated with any of the above productsThe way of slaughtering an animal to make its meat permissible has also been explained in greater details in the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (saw). It is called Dhabiha in Arabic. Dhabiha is performed by first reciting Bismillah hirahmaanir Raheem or Bis-millah Allahu Akbar three times and then cutting in vital organs in the region between throat, head and breast bone of the animal. The four vital organs that are cut are wind pipe, the gullet and the two jugular veins. It is very important to note that the knife should not touch the spinal cord. This means that the head of the animal should not be cut off or the neck broken during slaughter. Efforts to create an organization in Kenya specifically to certifyfood products and non-food products as halal for consumption and use by the Muslim Ummah of Kenya has been ongoing for a while. There is also a growing trend of Muslims eating out in res-taurants where the Ummah is not sure of the halal status. Keeping all this in mind, Kenya Bureau of Halal Certification Trustwas recently established in Kenya courtesy of the Ummah Foun-dation. The organization is committed to the cause of Islam and promises to provide a professional and excellent service in su-pervising, monitoring and promoting halal in accordance with the Shariah InshaAllah, and thereby ensuring that Muslims consume what is only lawful (halal) and good (tayyib). They are and will always be fully guided by the Shariah under the stringent supervi-sion and advice of Majlis Ulama of Kenya who have agreed to share their knowledge, experiences and skills with the trust. They will also work very closely with the South African National Halal Authority and Muslim Association of Malawi- Halal Department. Both these organizations have been involved in halal certificationfor a considerable period of time and will therefore be very benefi-cial for their advice and guidance. Kenya Bureau of Halal Certification has also received blessingsand recognition from the Director of veterinary Services – Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries for the successful implementation of programme. In conclusion there is much to learn about halal and haram as well as why the Islamic method is the healthiest choice and also the most desirable for all mankind. By making informed and educated decisions, we can, InshaAllah, protect the health of ourselves and our families. We therefore request the Muslim Ummah to pray for the success of this noble effort.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF HALAL

VACANCYJamia Mosque Committee is seeking a highly motivated individual to manage the Jamia Islamic Information CentreMinimum qualification A degree in Shariah/ Islamic studies Fluency in Arabic, English, and Swahili. Good command of French or any other international languages will be an added advantage. Good working skills, motivation and creative approach to Da’wa Please send your resume to : The Secretary General

Jamia Mosque CommitteeP. O. Box 40629NairobI-Kenya

Applications should be recieved not later than 30th /04 /2007.

Rights of Neighbours Saturday 5th May 2007Sheikh Abdallah Bundid2.00pm-4.00pmJamia Masjid Multi Purpose Hall

Saturday Lecture

an avid supporter of the government condemned the terror operation and said he would reconsider plans to support the government if it failed to apologize to Muslims. He also took a swipe at Muslim MPs whom he said had kept silence while fellow Muslims were being persecuted by the government.The leaders dismissed a police statement which justified the raid and de-manded the Government to apologies to the affected families and compensate them for personal property taken by the police.The operation was carried out as the minister of internal security John Michuki was in Washington meeting with CIA and State Department officials. Top onhis agenda were discussion centered on finding ways to have the Terrorism Billenacted. The Bill has received widespread condemnation from Muslim and hu-man rights groups who have stressed that it flouts established laws. The terrorpolice itself has been accused of operating under the draconian law. While the police initially claimed that the Imam knew the whereabouts of two people wanted for the bombing of American targets in the country, they have now changed tune claiming that he was in the country illegally after his work permit expired. While in custody, Sheikh Dor said that the police unsuccess-fully tried to force the Imam to confess that he knew the whereabouts of the wanted men. Ngao wondered why the issue of an expired work permit or a passport should be handled by heavily armed policemen from General Service Unit, the Anti-Terrorist Police Unit and the Flying Squad. The Guraya area was on Tuesday last week a seen reminiscent of a battle zone. More than 50 heavily armed policemen in seven vehicles raided the area at 2.am and sealed off all entry and exit points. Watchmen guarding surround-ing buildings and several people in the vicinity were rounded up and locked up. Three houses were targeted, one of which was for the Imam of Kwa Shibu masjid. Like marauding gunmen, police officers shot several times in the air, brokedown doors and went on to drag occupants who included children from their beds. Tear gas was also lobbed in the rooms to ensure that all the houses were emptied. Residents were forced outside under heavy rainfall while security of-ficials ransacked the houses.“We asked them what they wanted and who they were but they did not an-swer. We were all ordered to lie down and never to raise our heads,” said Mrs Mariam Salim, wife of 80-year-old Mr Said Abeid.“It was raining. We asked them to spare the children, but they could not listen. All of us were taken outside and forced to lie down for more than 45 minutes as they ransacked our houses,” Fatma Said another victim said. A village elder, Mr Swaleh Faraj was arrested after he switched on the lights and, like a good neighbour came out to find out what was happening.After failing to find the alleged terrorists, the police officers turned their atten-tion to valuables taking away jewelry, mobile phones, money and other items.Eleven people who included a 14-year-old student were later bundled into po-lice land rovers and taken for detention. Apart from the Imam, they were all released without a word on what wrong they had done and why they were arrested in the first place. On Wednesday, lawyer Abdallah Mazrui made an application in the high court calling for Sheikh Ibrahim’s release. The court ruled that the police produce him in court on May 7 if he may not have been released.

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Reproductive Health in IslamSunday 6th May 2007

Sheikh Abdulatif Abdulkarim 2.00pm-4.00pm

Jamia Masjid Multi Purpose Hall

MSAUN Monthly Lecture